Tag: Vince Colletta

Thor: Tales of Asgard 3 (August 2009)

tae3.jpg
Did Marvel get Matt Milla to recolor these stories to try to sell them to a broader audience (I mean, isn’t the trade just going to be a Thor product pre-movie release) or to try to make the Vince Colletta inks less horrific?

I want to talk about the stories, but… after reading this issue–the first with only Colletta inks throughout–a moment needs to be taken to talk about this subject. His inking reduces Tales of Asgard. There’s still Lee’s exuberance, still Kirby’s macro-enthusiasm, so it’s Colletta who makes it lesser.

There’s a story arc forming here, Thor and Loki on a quest, with Odin directing them (with a hidden motive). There’s also some “Loki as a Problem Child” stories and it’s hard to believe anyone would associate with him as an adult given the crap he’s pulled.

It’s nice stuff. Shame the art doesn’t hold.

CREDITS

The Boyhood of Loki!; letterer, Art Simek. The Golden Apples!; letterer, Simek. A Viper in Our Midst!; letterer, Simek. The Challenge!; letterer, Simek. The Sword In The Scabbard!; letterer, Simek. The Crimson Hand!; letterer, Sam Rosen. Gather, Warriors!; letterer, Simek. Set Sail!; letterer, Simek. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; inker, Vince Colletta; colorist, Matt Milla; editors, Lee, Alex Starbuck, John Denning, Cory Levine and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Thor: Tales of Asgard (2009) #2

Tta2

Included in this issue (and the previous one) are some Marvel Universe entries relating to Thor and Asgard. It’s sort of amazing to see where everything stemmed from these stories (well, not just these stories, but in part these stories). Lee’s storytelling is somewhat reductive. It’s a big world he’s telling a story in, but he concentrates his attention on a single item. There aren’t subplots (there isn’t room for them).

So, on one hand, it appears he’s retelling old Norse myths, but on the other–maybe not clear to contemporary readers of the material–he was laying groundwork for something much bigger.

All the above noted, I’m still a little mind-boggled with the Asgard stuff. It’s just too much information to digest and it’s not clear how one can apply it.

Lots of good material in this issue… though I now understand why people dislike Vince Colletta’s inks.

Thor: Tales of Asgard 2 (July 2009)

tae2.jpg
Included in this issue (and the previous one) are some Marvel Universe entries relating to Thor and Asgard. It’s sort of amazing to see where everything stemmed from these stories (well, not just these stories, but in part these stories). Lee’s storytelling is somewhat reductive. It’s a big world he’s telling a story in, but he concentrates his attention on a single item. There aren’t subplots (there isn’t room for them).

So, on one hand, it appears he’s retelling old Norse myths, but on the other–maybe not clear to contemporary readers of the material–he was laying groundwork for something much bigger.

All the above noted, I’m still a little mind-boggled with the Asgard stuff. It’s just too much information to digest and it’s not clear how one can apply it.

Lots of good material in this issue… though I now understand why people dislike Vince Colletta’s inks.

CREDITS

When Heimdall Failed; inker, George Roussos. Balder “The Brave”; inker, Vince Colletta. Balder Must Die!; inker, Colletta. Trapped by the Trolls!; inker, Colletta. Banished From Asgard!; inker, Colletta. The Defeat of Odin; inker, Colletta. The Secret of Sigurd!; inker, Colletta. The Coming of Loki!; inker, Colletta. Writer, Stan Lee; penciller, Jack Kirby; colorist, Matt Milla; letterer, Art Simek; editors, Lee, Cory Levine and Mark D. Beazley; publisher, Marvel Comics.