I managed to pick up a two-episode tape for a couple of bucks at my local video store, so I was a little excited.
Before the cartoon started, there was a brief introduction by Stan "The Man" Lee, talking about the genesis of the mighty Marvel hero. I tell you, even though I knew what was awaiting me, listening to Stan talk about it made it seem like the most entertaining cartoon ever. In fact, I think I'd rather listen to Stan talk about the cartoons for a half-hour or so instead of actually watching it.
As with the Sub-Mariner, the concept of Thor tends to interest me more than the way he's been used. Still, this fares better than most of the Marvel cartoons of the same era. Call it personal preference.
The episode wherein Thor meets Hercules is pretty entertaining, actually eliciting a chuckle here and there.
The scene where Herc is surrounded by a group of attractive young ladies while he's playing a guitar is pretty funny. And come to think of it, the main attraction of these cartoons is that they are pretty faithful to the source material.
If you can't afford or find collected versions of the classic 60s tales, these aren't a bad way to go.
One of my biggest gripes is the romance angle with Jane Foster. In one episode, Thor just can't take it anymore, so he reveals his secret identity (Dr. Don Blake) to Foster. I don't know if it was the way it was written or (and this is my guess) the way it was voiced, but the tone shifts dramatically from hero comic to cheesy romance comic.
Still, it's pretty easy to figure out what's going on despite the sometimes dodgy animation. The characters are introduced in a relatively painless manner.
Despite my grumbling, for low-budget animation, this is pretty entertaining. It may be hard to sit through if you're used to more fluid styles, but it's a good enough way to kill some time.
I've made issues about the theme songs to these cartoons, and I'd have to say that Thor's is one of the more lacking entries.
If you don't believe me, compare for yourself over at the ever-helpful Comic Book Resources Web site http://www.comicbookresources.com/resour...
Next time we'll check out the "cool exec with a heart of steel" - the invincible Iron Man.
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