Wild & Scenic California

Book Description

Second biggest of the lower 48 states, the Golden State boasts the widest variety of natural landscapes. Each of California's five great landscape regions -- the Sierra Nevada, the Coast Ranges, the Deserts, the Southern Ranges, and the Northern Volcanic Country -- is amply represented in this portfolio of master photographer, Carr Clifton. For California, Clifton picks his favorite hundred from the thousands of pictures he has shot of his native state every year for thirty years.

* The 400-mile-long Sierra Nevada, the highest and most massive of California's topographic features, is represented by images from Desolation Wilderness, Table Mountain, Ward Creek, Plumas National Forest, the Sierra foothills, Yosemite National Park, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Hoover Wilderness, John Muir Wilderness, Mount Williamson, Inyo National Forest, Mount Whitney, Sequoia National Park, and the Tehachapi Mountains.

* The 550-mile-long Coast Ranges, rising abruptly out of the Pacific Ocean to almost 6,000 feet in many places to form a barrier almost as continuous as the Sierra Nevada, are represented by images from Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Redwood National Park, Trinidad State Beach, King Range, Mendocino Headlands State Park, Salt Point State Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Mount Diablo State Park, Big Sur, Carmel Valley, Santa Lucia Range, Temblor Range, and Arenales Wildlife Reserve.

* The Deserts, where elevations fluctuate spectacularly under cloudless skies between extremes of nearly 300 feet below sea level and over 14,000 feet above sea level, are represented by images from Mono Lake, Devils Postpile National Monument, and Death Valley National Park in the Basin and Range; Kelso Sand Dunes and Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert; and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Glamis in the Colorado Desert.

* The Southern Ranges, the northern extremity of a mountain system that extends 800 miles farther south as the Baja California peninsula, is represented by images from the Transverse and Peninsular ranges and their coastlines.

* The Northern Volcanic Country, filled with forest-covered mountains and volcanic plateaus and peaks, is represented by images from Honey Lake State Wildlife Area on the Modoc Plateau; Mount Shasta in the Cascade Range; and Klamath National Forest in the Klamath Mountains.

Customer Reviews:

A finely produced portfolio of Californian landscapes.......1997-11-28

The first time I saw this book in a Sydney bookstore, I was wondering why another title on California ? There is already a rich supply of quality pictorials from Adams, Muench, Wolfe, Neill, Rowell, and etc. What does Clifton have to offer here ? In the Photographer's Preface, Clifton elaborated on his intention to present his ideal of an untouched wilderness through this portfolio. On that point, he was close to success. I said 'close' because some of the images lack originality looking too much like picture postcards in a souvenir shop. For instance, sunrise by the beach like the one on page 46 is fast becoming a worn out subject. If you want to see images on coastal sunrise with a difference, look at Meyerowitz's work (Popular Photography, Sept 97). The image on page 44 is flat and blend. The sky is burnt out to an extent that it becomes distracting. Using black and white film would probably do more justice to the tonally rich but nearly monochromatic image of the Big Sur coast (p35). I also find the image of Mount Diablo State Park graphically wanting. In other words,it lacks a strong graphical element that can hold my attention. However, there are images that deserve merits. The closeup shot of an Indian Rhubarb (p17) demonstrated a skilful use of contrast. The juxtaposing of a doom shape rock against the distant Half Dome (p31) is original among existing images of the kind. Capturing on film bunches of blonde grass set against a bluish mountain range is the work of a keen colourist. Image quality is never a issue in large format photography. Every image in this book is pin sharp from foreground to background. Professionally controlled exposures allowed both shadow and highlighted details be captured on film (see p16, 24).
Clifton's style seemed to be more in line with Porter and Muench. He concentrates on lines, shapes and color. To the budding photographer, this book can serve as a masterclass, but true mastery is still better seen in Muenchs' book, American Portfolios.

California, Wild & Scenic 2008 Deluxe Wall Calendar

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California, Wild & Scenic 2008 Deluxe Wall Calendar
BrownTrout Publishers
Manufacturer: BrownTrout Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Calendar

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ASIN: 1421626934
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Merced wild and scenic river draft management plan (SuDoc I 53.2:M 53)

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Merced wild and scenic river draft management plan (SuDoc I 53.2:M 53)
U.S. Dept of Interior
Manufacturer: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Folsom Resource Area
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Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010IE2U

Merced Wild and Scenic River management plan : final (SuDoc I 53.2:M 53/final)

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Merced Wild and Scenic River management plan : final (SuDoc I 53.2:M 53/final)
U.S. Dept of Interior
Manufacturer: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield District Office
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B000105TN2

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Stanislaus: The Struggle for a River
Tim Palmer
Manufacturer: Univ of California Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0520046056

Wild LA: A Celebration of the Natural Areas in and Around the City

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Wild LA: A Celebration of the Natural Areas in and Around the City
James Lawrence
Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Los Angeles--the ultimate icon of urban sprawl--is the last place on earth you'll find miles of open land and a wide range of wild creatures. Or is it? In reality there are incredible natural treasures to be found in wild preserves, parks, and wilderness areas within a mere 90-minute drive from downtown L.A.
Author James Lawrence's intimate knowledge and love of the city where he grew up, together with his profound respect for the natural world, inform his lyrical text. As a perfect complement, a gallery of 133 full-color images by some of the West's leading nature photographers depicts everything from glorious panoramas to intimate close-ups.

Wild & Scenic California 2005 Deluxe Wall Calendar

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Wild & Scenic California 2005 Deluxe Wall Calendar
Browntrout Publishers
Manufacturer: Browntrout Publishers
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Binding: Calendar

An Act to Amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by Designating a Segment of the Lower Merced River in California as a Component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (SuDoc AE 2.110:102-432)

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An Act to Amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by Designating a Segment of the Lower Merced River in California as a Component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (SuDoc AE 2.110:102-432)
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
Manufacturer: U.S. G.P.O.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010CGXI

Amending the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by designating a segment of the lower Merced River in California as a component of the national wild and scenic ... accompany S. 549) (SuDoc Y 1.1/5:102-231)

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Amending the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by designating a segment of the lower Merced River in California as a component of the national wild and scenic ... accompany S. 549) (SuDoc Y 1.1/5:102-231)
U.S. Congressional Budget Office
Manufacturer: U.S. G.P.O.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B000108ZBK

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Amending the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by designating a segment of the lower Merced River in California as a component of the national wild and scenic ... Budget Office) (SuDoc Y 1.1/8:101-709)
U.S. Congressional Budget Office
Manufacturer: U.S. G.P.O.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010IDRQ

Product Description

Holy Mjolnir, True Believer! Tis time for another monolithic masterpiece of Mighty Thor mania! And how! We lieth not, were preparing an assaulting assemblage of Asgardian artifacts as only Stan and Jack could articulate them. Featuring the one and only Thunder God in the tales that put the cosmic in comics. It all kicks off with a slobbernocker of knock-down, drag-out proportions with the Absorbing Man in the very halls of Asgard! While in the outskirts of outer Mongolia (yes, that far out) a Demon powered by a mystic Norn stone dwells. Thor may be able to handle this magical miscreant, but how will he fare in a toe-to-toe with the Prince of Power, Herculesespecially when the All-Father Odin has cut the Thunder Gods power in half? All well say is its safer than betting on the ponies! It all leads to a battle of epic proportions that takes the Thunder God to the depths of the Underworld itself to fight the legions of Pluto! And lest we forget the titanic Tales of Asgard! Nay, we dare not! Prepare yourself to learn the secrets of Ragnarok and more. Collects JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #121-125 and THOR (Vol. 1) #126-130.

Customer Reviews:

Thor achieves the heights.......2005-12-19

Now Lee and Kirby start to hit their proper stride with these issues. They've started to find the right approach to Thor. (The Tales of Asgard episodes were maybe testing the waters?) The grandeur with the Hercules/Pluto issues shows what the Thor comic is capable of becoming. Still later will come the Living Planet and Him, but that will have to wait for another volume.

Also, an important addition to the team is inker Vince Coletta. He gives the proper look to Kirby's pencils for Thor--sort of a Hal Foster "Prince Valient" feel. Compare these issues to earlier ones and you'll see what I mean.

Marvel Masterworks: Journey into Mystery with the Mighty Thor, Nos. 111-120 & Annual No. 1

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the journey of thor
The first epic storyline in "Journey Into Mystery" for the Mighty Thor
Epic King Kirby era
Good news and bad news

Marvel Masterworks: Journey into Mystery with the Mighty Thor, Nos. 111-120 & Annual No. 1
Stan Lee
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785108149

Customer Reviews:

the journey of thor.......2006-05-16

Of all the marvel heroes Thor has to be the most wasted,he has all the capabilities of supreme, remember him? I CANNOT WRAP MY BRAIN AROUND THE CONCEPT.IF THOR had been treated like the x-men there would have been such greatnees, the wonder is here in this volume as well as the first vol.Oh,in the future,story lines should BE along the line of his last two years before the cancellation of tthe series . ONE LAST THING ,NO MORE DRUNKEN VIKING CRAP PLEASE . WAS A FAN OF COMICS UNTIL HIS CANCELLATION. Now I'm in the process of selling all my comics but,his. I'VE BEEN A READER SINCE 1962 SINCERLEY CBMILES

The first epic storyline in "Journey Into Mystery" for the Mighty Thor.......2005-09-06

We are up to Volume 3 of "Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor From Journey Into Mystery," which is the point at which we have the first epic storyline for the Norse god of thunder. Collected here are issues #111-120 of "Journey into Mystery," along with the first Thor annual. Written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby and usually inked by Vince Colletta (although Chic Stone and Frank Giacoia lend hands here and there, Colletta is the best inker of Kirby's pencil for this title), these issues represent the point where this comic book set up the whole secret identity Don Blake loves Jane Foster bit with the Asgard universe, where Odin is not happy with what his son is up to on Earth. Stirring the pot, of course, is Loki, the god of mischief.

When the action begins (#111) Thor has been lured into a specially prepared house of traps by Mr. Hyde and the Cobra, where the Thunder God finds his beloved Jane dying. So he causes time to stand still, fights the bad guys, and gets some timely help from father Odin. Then Thor interrupts a bunch of teenagers arguing who is stronger, the Hulk or himself, and tells of when he and ol' greenskin tangoed during their Avengers days (#112). Then the Grey Gargoyle tackles our hero, just as Don Blake has told Jane that he is really Thor. The only problem is that Odin has stripped away Blake's ability to turn back into Thor, outraged that his son would give up his birthrate for a mere mortal woman (#113). This is the pivotal plot development in the comic book at this point and sets up what we can consider the first epic Thor storyline as the tension between Thor and Odin because of the Thunder God's love for Jane Foster and Earth comes to a head.

This starts with Thor fighting the Absorbing Man (#114), only to have Loki up the ante by kidnapping Jane Foster (#115), which leads to "The Trial of the Gods" (#116) as Odin tries to figure out which of the two are lying. This involves a contest and just take a wild guess as to which one between Loki and Thor cheats in order to win. Then again, you would never expect that Thor would end up in Vietnam because of this (#117), where he ends up tangling with the Destroyer for the first time (#118). The problem is that the Destroyer could actually kill Thor, which would get Loki in big trouble with Odin. Unfortunately, Odin is sleeping for a full day to preserve his immortality, and nobody in Asgard believes Loki when he says Odin has to wake up because the life of the Thunder God is at stake. Irony abounds in Asgard, which is why the big climax comes in the next issue (#119).

Then Thor has to fix his hammer and get back to Asgard so he can petition Odin to return to Earth. But there he finds Don Blake's office in shambles, his patients seeing other doctors, and that Jane Foster has disappeared. At the Avengers mansion he finds a whole new roster of members and to cap off the horrible day Loki finds the helium cloud that was once the Absorbing Man and sends him back to Earth for a return engagement with the Thunder God. So it is like we have come full circle, since the epic storyline here began when the Absorbing Man first showed up, but this is fine because he turns out to be one of Thor's best villains. He has his ball and chain to counter Thor's mystical hammer, he keeps changing into interesting things at the drop of a hat, and Crusher Creel is pretty much the opposite of Thor right down the line (bald instead of flowing locks, vulgar instead of overly articulate, etc.). The Destroyer is also another first rate Thor villain as well (just compare these two to Mr. Hyde and Cobra; it is not even close), and that helps maintain the quality of these issues.

Also includes in this collection is the first "Journey Into Mystery" annual from 1965, which offers "When Titans Clash!: Thor vs. Hercules!" ('nuff said, True Believer). The two gods basically slug it out almost the entire story, eventually ditching their hammer and mace respectively to stand toe to toe and wail on each other so that Jack Kirby can have fun drawing it all. Remember also that the back of each issue of "Journey Into Mystery," contains another thrilling installment of "Tales of Asgard," including "The Coming of Loki!" (#112), "The Golden Apples" (#114), and the start of the Norse version of Thor and the Argonauts as he sails off with Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg to forestall Ragnarok. The only problem with these short stories is that more often than not they are better than the main Thor story in any given comic book. However, you will not find that to be the case in this collection, as the Mighty Thor kicks into high gear for the first time and renders everything past merely prologue.

Epic King Kirby era.......2005-07-27

My first comic was Thor (J.I.M.) #114. I was hooked from then until Kirby's end-of-days at Marvel (and I grew up and started getting into other "things"...).

Jack Kirby is the Galactus of comicdom. Always was. Always will be.

He loved Thor, and the pure, unadulterated heroism of Thor is clearly something that really resonated deep down inside the comic genius--perhaps more than any other character created by him (IMO).

This period marks the beginning of the pinnacle of Kirby's career. Along with Fantastic Four from this era (and through the next couple of years or so), these comics marked the high-water mark. Kirby was entering his creative peak.

Thor, more than FF, showcase pure muscular bravado. Fighting scenes with Thor were unrivaled.

In case it's not clear, my two favorite comics were (and remain) Thor and the FF.

WHY JUST FOUR STARS?

For some reason, at least half of the reproductions in this book are downright poor. This is particularly evident with the issues inked by Vince Colletta's more delicate/fine style.

It's almost as if all they had was a photocopy of the original comics, which they copied in B&W -- with much degradation of the lines -- and then did their best to re-color them authentically.

It's difficult to believe that Marvel does not have better source art to reproduce from ... but then again, maybe they don't. A real shame. I'm going to hold onto my originals.
(..."Still got your comics, Mark?" "Yep.").

Marvel will have to do the next volume in the sequence, because the next year's issues were where Thor really peaked: The High Evolutionary --> Tana Nile and the Colonizers --> Ego the living planet... yes, I do believe that was the very apex of Thor.

Long live Jack Kirby, the TRUE GENIUS king of comics who reigns higher over all others as much as J.S. Bach did his contempories...

- Mark C,

Good news and bad news.......2003-12-29

The good news is that this volume includes the stories that really launched Thor on the path to greatness. The period from 1965 through 1968 encompasses Thor at his best, with some of Jack Kirby's finest work, accompanied by some damn good writing by Stan Lee. With issue 114 in this volume, which saw the creation of the Absorbing Man (a version of which Nick Nolte turned into in the movie version of "Hulk"), the stories arched into an epic adventure that mixed action, heroic fantasy, solid characterization and soap opera into a wonderfully entertaining blend. And they hold up quite well almost 40 years later.
The bad news is that the quality of the art reproduction is inconsistent and leaves a lot to be desired. On many pages, the delicate quality of Vince Colletta's feathered inking is muddied and lost, and the color work often looks sloppy.
It's hard to believe that in this age of computers that a better product couldn't have been created from this material.
Also lacking is an introduction. Marvel should take a lesson from DC and get some fans or comic scholars to contribute an introductory essay with background and anecdotes about the material (as DC does in their fine Archive Editions).
So that's why I couldn't give this a higher rating -- as good as the content of the stories is, more work should have gone into the preparation of this volume.

Marvel Masterworks: Thor (Marvel Masterworks, V. 18)

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The first Mighty Thor stories in "Journey Into Mystery"
Reviewer: A reader from TN USA is an imbecile
The essential fiction of the "babyboomers" youth
Kirby on the Grandest Scale
the "art" is just awful

Marvel Masterworks: Thor (Marvel Masterworks, V. 18)

Manufacturer: Marvel Entertainment Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0871358077

Customer Reviews:

The first Mighty Thor stories in "Journey Into Mystery".......2004-02-22

After Stan Lee created the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk with Jack Kirby and the Amazing Spider-Man with Steve Ditko, he and Kirby came up with the Might Thor. Lee kept trying to come up with somebody bigger, better and stronger than the Thing and the Hulk and was struck with the silly notion of Super-God. But Lee had been hawking Marvel's comics as providing a 20th-century mythology and it suddenly occurred to him that maybe he could do a series feature a god as a comic book superhero. Turning to the Norse mythology of the Vikings, with their tales of Valhalla, Ragnarok, the Aesir, and eternal Asgard, Lee came up with Thor the Thunder God.

This first volume of the Marvel Masterworks series devoted to Thor collects "Journey Into Mystery" issues #83-100. Most of the early stories are plotted by Lee, but scripted by Larry Leiber (his brother as it turns out to be) and drawn by Kirby (with Joe Sinnott and Dick Ayers providing the inks). What is interesting here is to reconsider the problematic element of Thor's origin in "Journey Into Mystery" #83. Lee thought it would be difficult for the average comic book reader to identify with a Norse Thunder God (especially one with long blonde hair, blue tights, and a winged helmet). So he created a secret identity with the old cliché of the frail and feeble Dr. Donald Blake, who is limping around Norway one day on a walking tour when he sees alien invaders from Saturn made of stone. Trapped in a cave he finds a secret chamber and a gnarled wooden stick. When Blake strikes the stick against a boulder it changes into a hammer and Blake becomes Thor. Fortunately the hammer offers an explanation: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of...THOR" (yes, it has the dot-dot-dot).

By issue #85 when Loki shows up, Lee starts availing himself of the rich aspects of Norse mythology, which makes the whole bit of the lame doctor turning into Thor a bit much. Eventually it would be revealed that Odin had turned Thor into a handicapped mortal to teach his son a lesson in humility, but that necessary revision was a long time in coming. Instead we have the standard superhero love triangle where Blake likes his nurse, Jane Foster, but she likes Thor. Meanwhile, beyond Loki, Thor's great arch nemesis, the villains are all have the same problem: they are going up against a god. The Human Cobra (#98) and Mr. Hyde (#99) e above average villains, but do they really have a chance against the god of thunder? Radio-Active Man (#93) and Lava-Man (#97) have shots, but they are rather boring. Then there is the Carbon Copy Man from Outer Space (#90), who is the bottom of the barrel, and mixing and matching mythology with Merlin (#96).

Clearly when Thor is dealing with Loki and other Asgardians the stories are much, much better. The gulf between the stories grounded in Norse mythology and those without is magnified in "Journey Into Mystery" #97 when Lee and Kirby started doing the "Tales of Asgard" shorts. Many times during this period the main Thor story did not match the five-page "Tales of Asgard" story at the end. This was also where Kirby's artwork reached a new level: compare "Journey Into Mystery" #83 with the "Surture the Fire Demon" short from #99 (i.e., the first and last examples of Kirby's art in this volume), and you will see what I mean. But until the Lady Sif shows up, these Thor comic books are just treading water. Note: Later issues in this reprinted color collection are scripted by Robert Bernstein and drawn by Joe Sinnott and Don Heck.

Reviewer: A reader from TN USA is an imbecile.......2002-02-19

Obviously this brainless fool from TN just wants to see his stupidity in print. Jack Kirby is known throughout the world as one of the most influential comic artists ever. Marvel did do everyone a disservice by having no-name artists touch-up the reprinting flaws in the Masterworks series but to insult Jack Kirby and his legacy is a good way to show how small your life experience is.

The essential fiction of the "babyboomers" youth.......2001-12-15

I am moved to write by the totally off the wall comments of the writer who trashed Kirby's artwork in early silver age Marvel comics. If you didn't like the books.....fine, but there is no doubt.... none... in any critical venue that Jack Kirby was the innovative genius in early 60's and 70's comic book penciling. I remember seeing my first issues of Fantastic Four, Thor, and Avengers comics. Soon a loyal Batman fan was a Marvel Fan Club Member. Obiously comic book artwork has evolved and so have comics as the tastes and sophistication of todays youth have changed and grown (although I wonder if it is for the better?), but for the times, Kirby was the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Comics, and Thor was one of the reasons.

Kirby on the Grandest Scale.......2001-10-01

In all honesty, I'm writing this review because I'm sick of the anti-Kirby review being the first one on the page. Kirby is the greatest artist of all time, and this comes through very well on the early Thors. This was super-heroics on a grand, cosmic scale. While some people may not be capable of appreciating his style, they do need to realize that their favorite "new" artists all followed Kirby. He defined more of the artistic language of comics thatn any other three people, and only a select few (Eisner, Siegel & Schuster, a few others) contributed anywhere near the massive amount which Kirby did to the history of comics.

the "art" is just awful.......2001-06-16

Surely no one buys these things to read them; comics, especially old ones like this, exist as an outlet for the drawings. This book features the artwork of Jack Kirby, who is surely the worst artist ever to work in comics, which paradoxically is why he was so influential.The drawings here are so simplistic, crude and unutterably ugly that I, and all the other kids I knew, were embarassed by them, but they appeal greatly to the visually illiterate preadolescents who made them popular.Kirby and his imitators are the ones who drug the level of superhero comics down to their current pro-wrestling level. Spare your eyes and avoid this one.

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Volume 5

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Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Volume 5
Stan Lee
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785120769

Product Description

Written by STAN LEE Penciled by JACK KIRBY Cover by JACK KIRBY We've been ordered from on high, True Believers, and Marvel doesn't say "Nay" to our ol' buddy Odin! That's right, it's time for another captivating Masterworks collection of the one and only Mighty Thor! A masterpiece of immortal action, cosmic scope, and boundless drama, Stan and Jack's Thor collaborations mark a cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, and that's no small accomplishment coming from the imaginations of the most celebrated creators in comics! And boy, oh boy, bunky, do they knock it up a notch, a cosmic notch, with the tales we'll be bringing you here! It all begins when the Thunder God is captured by Rigellian colonizers and taken on a trip to the Black Galaxy to confront the one and only Ego, the Living Planet! It's non-stop action, action, action from there as he journeys to Wundagore Mountain to meet the matchless High Evolutionary and his menagerie of man-beasts! It all wraps up with a trio of titanic tussles between Odin's Son and Ulik the Troll, the Growing Man, and the Destroyer! There's a soft spot to these tales too, so don't forget your hanky as Thor struggles to reconcile his love for the mortal Jane Foster, and then there's the return of a certain Lady Sif...The cup runneth over with drama and delight! Collecting THOR (Vol. 1) #131-140 & ANNUAL #2. 256 PGS./All Ages

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor, Vol. 1

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The most exciting super hero of all time! (So it says)
Thor can beat up just about anybody
Historically Interesting and Nostalgic
The first stories of Don Blake becoming the Mighty Thor

Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor, Vol. 1
Stan Lee , and Jack Kirby
Manufacturer: Marvel Entertainment Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785112677

Book Description

This classic volume introduces the mild-mannered Dr. Donald Blake and his amazing alter ego, Thor, the Norse God of Thunder! Through the course of these awesome adventures, the Asgardian Avenger battles everyone from the Stone Men of Saturn to the Radioactive Man to his own half-brother Loki!

Customer Reviews:

The most exciting super hero of all time! (So it says).......2006-03-10

This book collects the very earliest Thor stories from the Silver Age of Marvel Comics. The earliest comics were plotted, but not scripted, by Stan Lee. The stories definitely suffer due to Stan's limited involvement. There are plot holes, lame villains (other than Loki) and they seem to be making up Thor's powers as they go along. The art by Jack Kirby is generally excellent, but he didn't draw every issue, and the issues drawn by other hands aren't as good. Stan Lee took over full scripting chores with the fifteenth Thor story, and there was an immediate improvement. The stories were better plotted, and the all important "soap opera" element picked up. The involement of the other Norse Gods also increased, adding an important element to the Thor mythos. These early Thor stories are somewhat crude, but they are still enjoyable, and they pave the way for better stories to come.

Thor can beat up just about anybody.......2005-12-19

When I was reading Thor's adventures for the first time, the only thing I could think about was how tough he was. He could easily beat up Spider-Man and Captain America at the same time. He would definitely beat up Iron Man. I'm pretty sure he could beat up the Thing from the Fantastic Four. The only person who could maybe beat up Thor is the incredible Hulk.

Historically Interesting and Nostalgic.......2005-11-20

These early Thor stories aren't nearly as good as what will be coming later in the series. The beginning is certainly fine, though the stone-men villains are lame (pun intended, Dr. Blake). I enjoyed reading these because I had read them eons ago; however, the comics don't hold up as well because the plot lines aren't that strong. When Lee and Kirby bring in Hercules in later issues, the series will take off and start to achieve its full potential. When these great collaborators finally dump Jane Foster, they will make one of their best decisions ever.

If you can only afford one Thor volume, wait for #4. That's when the fun begins.

The first stories of Don Blake becoming the Mighty Thor.......2003-12-04

This first Marvel Masterworks volume of "Thor" provides the stories of the Mighty Thunder God that appeared in "Journey Into Mystery" #83-100, including the five-page "Tales of Asgard" that started appearing in issue #97. In the Sixties I did not start reading Thor until the comic had taken ditched the old "Journey Into Mystery" title and switched to "The Mighty Thor," so this was the first time I had read most of these stories, although I did pick up the "Tales of Asgard" collection that Marvel put out way back when. In retrospect it is hard to ignore that the original conception of this particular superhero was rather lame. However, once Stan Lee, Larry Leiber and Jack Kirby began to take the Norse mythology aspects of the character more seriously, the dynamic of these stories changed considerably.

The initial story is that Dr. Don Blake, an American physician with a bad leg vactioning in Europe, ends up fleeing from Stone Men from Saturn who have landed in their spaceship. He stumbles into a cave and discovers an ancient cane. When he strikes it against an immoveable boulder it transforms into a hammer and Blake becomes the legendary god of Thunder. The hammer has an inscription, in English no less, proclaiming "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of...THOR (yes, the inscription even includes the ellipses).

Don Blake, with his bum leg, and his secret affection for his pretty young nurse, Jane Nelson, is set up in the mold of mild mannered Clark Kent and bookworm Peter Parker, where he is two-thirds of a love triangle all by himself (and his alter-ego). On the one hand the first couple of issues clearly give Thor the powers of the Norse thunder god--he not only calls forth rain and thunderstorms, but makes a volcano erupts--but the stories do not deal explicitly with whether he is indeed a deity. However, all of that begins to change in the third story when Loki, god of mischief, shows up and starts living up to his name.

Loki's arrival is crucial in Thor's transformation, not only because it is the beginning of taking the Norse mythology angle seriously (and the Thor comics would provide a scholarly fidelity to the subject), but also because the god of mischief became Thor's major foe. The opposition was ideal because unlike Thor's human opponents, such as the Cobra and Mr. Hyde, Loki could keep coming back for more issue after issue, either directly or through a proxy. Loki only arrived on earth after sneaking by Heimdall, the warder of the rainbow bridge called Bifrost, and once that door was open Odin, Balder and the rest of the Norse gods and goddesses were close behind.

Unfortunately the Tales of Asgard fillers are uniformly superior to the main adventures in "Journey of Mystery." Part of it is that they were written by Lee and drawn by Kirby, unlike the other stories (Lee and Kirby actually do less than half of the actual writing and drawing in this collection), and part of it was that they stuck to the ancient Norse legends about the gods. The other flaw was that they stuck with Don Blake and his romance with Nurse Jane, even while Odin went off on his "no son of mine is going to marry a mortal" rant. Eventually we will get around to the Lady Sif, but that is still a long ways off. For now, the more these early issues focus on Thor, Loki and the rest of the Asgardians, the better the stories. The rest require us to believe mere mortals and various meta-humans have a chance against an actual thunder god. But we still are not up to the glory days of the character, which will require Marvel Masterworks to get to volumes 3 and 4 in this particular series.

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Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor (Journey into Mystery #101-110)
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ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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