Thor #201 is a superb cover by Kane and inked by Vince Colletta. I am not the biggest Colletta fan, but I really like his work here. Maybe because he inked Kirby's Thor for so many years?
Here is the full color cover as originally published in 1972. I love how Pluto's axe spills outside the rectangle and over the Thor logo on top. This type of image really suited Gil Kane, who loved to draw fantasy and barbarian type characters.
Thor #237 was a collaboration between Kane and John Romita Sr. Ulik plows Thor into the side of a bus while a crowd looks on in horror. Not the greatest cover, but a good action shot.
The original color cover as published in 1975, along with the often used Marvel quote:
"...Not All My Power Can Save Me!"
Remember when covers used to be great action scenes like this one? Nowadays the covers are more like movie posters, character poses, thematic covers that convey little about the actual content. Nuff Said!
"Remember when covers used to be great action scenes like this one? Nowadays the covers are more like movie posters, character poses, thematic covers that convey little about the actual content. Nuff Said!"
ReplyDeleteWell said! The job of a cover is to sell the comic. In the olden days it used to be done by showing a ton of action, as well as giving a hint as to what's inside. Maybe there would be an element of mystery to it, as well, so you'd have to read to find out what happens.
I've only bought a few comics based on their covers, but these all happened to be at least 15 years old. Comics these days very rarely have a cover dealing with anything inside the book. Many of them are interchangeable, as well. I look to John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men covers as an example - They're very well-drawn, but a shot of Cyclops standing there does nothing except look nice. All it really tells me is that maybe Cyclops is in the book. Frank Quitely's New X-Men covers also come to mind. Well-drawn, yes, but Xorn levitating over a cheeseburger? I don't even know if there was even food depicted in that issue!
Some of my most favorite Spidey issues were those pencilled by Kane and inked by Romita. The grittiness and detail of those New York streets and rooftops just pops out. Kane has been inked by many, of course, but I can't recall seeing anyone else balance his work better.
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