Ungoliantschilde

Thor, by Walt Simonson.

from August 19, 2022

and Walt Inked the sketch the other day. It’s going to be auctioned for a charity of some sort.

Thor vs Harry Potter

I’m sorry all I read was “MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS”

well, it is. and you know he is talking about his "hammer" at the same time as he talking about Mjolnir.

'Mah-Jol-Near'.

Harry Potter has a skinny little twig that shoots out Ghost-Deer at the bad people.

Thor Odinson is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel. He is the Prince of Asgard, even without Mjolnir.

Mjolnir enables, amongst other things: -Whosoever holds lifts this Hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor".

-Interdimensional Travel at will. No beaming up to Asgard. Thor swings the hammer in a certain pattern, and he travels to different dimensions. He can teleport other people too.

-the Hammer is actually a fixed point of gravity in the universe, so when Thor throws the hammer and holds on, the rest of the Universe spins around the hammer to move him where he needs to go. No, seriously.

-Control of Weather and Storms. Not just on Earth.

-The belt of Strength that Thor wears boosts the already high-levels of strength associated with Asgardians to nearly incalculable levels. the closest equivalent is the Hulk, but the Hulk has to get pissed first. The Hulk is stronger than Thor, but in shorter bursts. Thor's physical strength is a lot like the classic Superman depictions, or the wealth of Bruce Wayne: they are as strong/rich/whatever as the story requires. I do not recall ever seeing Thor being overcome by strength alone, put it that way.

cover art for Loki #s 1-4, by Esad Ribic.

Robert Rodi wrote this 4-Issue mini, and Esad provided the fully-painted interior artwork. the series is (essentially) a look at the relationship between Thor and his half-brother, Loki Laufeyson. this story is from Loki's point of view, and it casts him in a much more understandable light than in previous incarnations. Esad Ribic is in absolutely top-form for this series. this miniseries is actually the first time I personally noticed his work as being something to look for on the shelves.

I subsequently followed him from this to 'Silver Surfer: Requiem' with J. Michael Straczynski, and 'Sub-Mariner: the Depths' with Peter Milligan.

for the art history fans out there, it bears noting that I spoke with Esad at the NYCC in 2006 or 2007 about this series in particular, and his cover art for Marvel in general. during the conversation, Esad specifically and repeatedly mentioned N.C. Wyeth as a major influence on his painted artwork, especially for the Loki miniseries.

so, by all means, check my blog for the 'N.C. Wyeth' tag!