Jack Kirby Thor 130, p 13
Artists: Jack Kirby (Penciller) , Vince Colletta (Inker) , Artie Simek (Letterer) , Stan Lee (Writer)
12 Comments - 944 Views - 4 Likes
Additional Images:
As published, colorist unknown
Artwork Details
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DescriptionIt took me a long time to fully appreciate Jack Kirby after I first imprinted on Ditko's Spider-Man and Colan's Daredevil. I understood what a creative and influential force he was within the industry, but I usually didn't get that excited about reading his comics. Part of this was that by the time I was really reading comics I was a Marvel zombie just as he'd departed for DC. But as soon as I started seeing and reading his version of Thor in reprints, I got it! Thor and Kirby (with a sweetening dose of Stan's playful verbiage and mangled mythology) were a match made in heaven.The cover of issue 130 proclaims "THUNDER IN THE NETHERWORLD" and tells the story of Thor's descent into Pluto's realm to rescue a duped Hercules. Cover date July 1966. Yes, it's glorious large art. On this page Thor stands on the platform of the just-shattered 'shatterproof Turbulence Chamber', deep within the bowels of Hades. After hammering aside yet another wave of Pluto's warriors, he bests the penultimate challenge he'll face, the Crusher! Hey, I just realized - this is (this version of) the Crusher's first appearance! Hey, Marvel, somebody feature this guy again and make him famous! Kidding aside, this page is a prime example of Kirby's brilliant visual storytelling. The first three panels are an excellent 3-step of establish-action-result, with the fabulous WHROOOOOOM! sound effect eliminating the need for dialogue or excessive action lines. Thor is perfectly framed by the scattered soldiers. Moving briskly along, the fourth and fifth panels function like animation key poses, with the consistent POV between the two shots keeping things perfectly clear. This remains one of the coolest Thor pages I've ever seen. I'm sorry that I just have a photo taken while it's in a frame. I know Vince Colletta doesn't get much love, but I think his inks are great here. The figures are beautifully sculpted, and the anatomy is tight. I took this page to SDCC years after I bought it to try to get Jack Kirby to sign it, but I couldn't get close to him. Then I wandered down a crowded aisle just as a TV news crew was setting up to film a segment with Jack. I quickly suggested to the reporter that it might be a more dynamic segment if the King were holding or signing a 30+ year-old piece of his revered art for a fan while they filmed him. So somewhere there's video footage of Jack signing this page while I grin from ear to ear. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Steve Feicht
Member Since 2006
Posted on 3/1/2015
Great action page... really like the story behind the signing :)
DC's Showcase 
Member Since 2006
Posted on 3/1/2015
Whoa! Agree, Coletta did some shaky work early in the run and elsewhere but by about this point in his run on Thor his work was stellar.
John Papandrea
Member Since 2004
Posted on 3/2/2015
Putting Coletta's style aside, the fact that he erased some of Kirby's pencils just can't be ignored.
Kevin Koch
Member Since 2015
Posted on 3/2/2015
John Papandrea wrote:
Putting Coletta's style aside, the fact that he erased some of Kirby's pencils just can't be ignored.Are you saying that in general, or about this page?
John Papandrea
Member Since 2004
Posted on 3/3/2015
Kevin Koch wrote:
Are you saying that in general, or about this page?In general. The Jack Kirby Collector published an in depth analysis of this subject with photos of pages (before and after). VC had a tendency to erase parts of Kirby's background pencil art as a shortcut to save time and ink more pages.
Kevin Koch
Member Since 2015
Posted on 3/3/2015
John Papandrea wrote:
In general. The Jack Kirby Collector published an in depth analysis of this subject with photos of pages (before and after). VC had a tendency to erase parts of Kirby's background pencil art as a shortcut to save time and ink more pages.I'm aware of Colletta's tendencies and reputation. That's why I made the comment I did in the page description -- Vince Colletta did a fine job here of being true to Kirby's intent. Not only are there no erased parts, but I find the figure work to be extremely good. The way Jack Kirby drew, it's not uncommon for some figures to get distorted, especially since inkers tend to get lost in his stylized suggestions for muscles and contours. In this particular case, none of that is evident. I suggest rather than casually parroting someone else's blanket condemnation of Colletta's work, you take a look at actual the OA judge for yourself.
Glen Brunswick
Member Since 2004
Posted on 3/5/2015
One of the best Kirby Thor battle pages I've seen. Colletta is on fire here!
Gordon Bartik
Member Since 2013
Posted on 3/9/2015
This page is 'sweet' Kevin. Great back story as well.
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 3/11/2025
This page is a prime example of Kirby’s brilliance in action! The way the first three panels unfold shows how perfectly Kirby could distill the storytelling into dynamic, clear moments. The use of the "WHROOOOOOM!" sound effect is a fantastic visual tool, letting the art speak for itself without the need for extra dialogue. The final two panels really showcase Kirby's knack for action, with the fluidity between them giving the sequence an almost animated feel. It’s a page that really captures the intensity of Thor's battles. Jast as they are throughout the entire run, Colletta's inks are magnificent here and really help make the finished look appear so fabulous!
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