Marvel movies know what they are doing: clear actions, sharp performances, and intelligent screenplays. We have had Black Widow, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, and we are getting Captain America, and now we have Thor - the god of thunder. Not only thunder, but fertility and lightening and strength (thanks, Wikipedia). And if everyone can embody strength, fertility, and inclement weather, it is Chris Hemsworth. Tall, blonde, beefy - he must be the cast - and in a movie racked with light hearted hysteria, political intrigue, and Shakespearean grandeur, Kenneth Branagh must be the perfect director.

The movie starts on Asgard, a robust kingdom in another world, where in fact the honored king Odin (Anthony Hopkins) has two boys who both desire the throne: the wry and apt Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and also the haughty and brutally strong Thor (Hemsworth). He lands in New Mexico, in the presence of three scientists. His hammer lands soon afterward, and the hunt is on for him to get it back, with the aid of the experts. 

It is fascinating seeing Thor accommodate to his deadly form and become used to life on Earth. What's much more fascinating is Branagh's tonal choices for the movie - it is an amazingly lighthearted take, with attractively designed special effects and 3D, and Branagh knows the way to balance the humor (of which there is a great deal) and also the play (which is heavy). Even if directing Hamlet back in '96, he had a strong grip on finding comedy in tragedy, and vice versa. To get a glance at the really dark side of his own comedy, and a better look at his directorial talents, take a look at Sleuth (2007) with Michael Caine. Most remarkable, regarding the effects, was the utilization of the 3D structure. I understand my readers; they are thinking "…he really enjoyed 3D?" And yes, I did. It served its function, this time; the movie was dimly light, but the 3D action was clear and did not distract from what was going on. 3D generally only makes a movie darker, and this wasn't the situation here.

The performances are what sell pictures such as this. Chris Hemsworth makes Thor believable, regardless of the absolute unbelievability of the narrative and character in general. Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard have unbelievable chemistry as a team, and scenes can be stolen by Skarsgard from anyone he chooses; he is a strong celebrity. Anthony Hopkins mangles a little scenery, but his character is larger than life, so which may come with the terrain.

Smaller performances, however, actually seal the movie together. Idris Elba for a tiny part for a castle guard, and makes a haunting feeling. Rene Russo comes back to the big screen as Thor's mom, and while she is hardly noticeable, she provides what is essentially a cameo with enough to be powerful, without being distracting. It is great to see her again. You know that that it is an Avengers film because Coulson makes a couple of jokes at Tony Stark's cost.

An example of the movie's light hearted tone: "This beverage is delectable! More!" When demanding more wine such as, for instance, a Norse god might, he shouts, and slams his mug on the ground. Portman's immediately motherly reaction kicks off the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Another example: the discovery of the hammer lodged in a stone in the centre of the desert results in a string Sword and the Stone-like attempts to pull it out. There's a cameo that you do not need to lose there. And, as per usual for Marvel, there's a scene after the credits that sets up a movie.

I believe perhaps I have just been spoiled, but the entire movie would just feel different otherwise. This is actually the among the greatest superhero films I have seen in some time, and finest of the Avenger films since the first Iron Man. It is a hell of a beginning for the superhero season, and makes up, definitely, for The Green Hornet. My Captain America review will come out shortly, The Green Lantern after that, then the SpiderMan reboot... even if they end up being awful, at least we have Thor to fall back on. 

The Golden Age of comics is commonly accepted to be from the 1930s to the 1950s because it was when comics were first introduced and became extremely popular among the general public. It was no doubt a very prosperous time for comic book publishers, including Marvel Comics. Many of the most famous Marvel Comic characters were introduced around this time, including the Human Torch and Captain America. There are many more comic characters that came out around this time that were very popular and still well-known today.

World War II was a very big spark that lit up the popularity of comics and created the comic book industry. It was a cheap way to relax and spend time being entertained without going out or spending a lot of money. It was a great way to relax, watching the good guys beat up the bad guys, a particularly important them during the time because of World War II. I mean, what was a better strategy to boost morale and beat the enemy than creating stories that depicted exactly that. The drive to defeat Hitler was a big one and only more encouraged by the comic books that created confidence among the young soldiers at the time. Uncle Sam needed the soldiers to work and be efficient and comic books were one very effective way to instill confidence that was needed to win World War II.

Although comic books started out as a way to encourage and improve the morale of soldiers at the time, after the war there were different themes being depicted in the comic book stories. These themes included horror, romance, satire, and science fiction. Among those more serious themes, comedy was a large part of comic books after that, which included two very well known characters such as Bugs Bunny and Donald Duck. With the advent of the humorous comics it was evident that the comic book industry was now trying to appeal to all ages, kids, teenagers, and adults.

No matter what genre a comic book was published in, the Golden Age of Comics was an important era for all types of comics and the comic book industry. 

Since the creation of Marvel Comics in 1939, there have been hundreds, if not thousands of character created. And for each character there is a good chance that there is an action figure that has been produced. One of the problems with these action figures is that sometimes they don't match the character as well as it should. In cases like this it's probably a good idea to customize the action figure to your liking, most likely a more accurate representation of the character that you remember growing up with.

If you just want to change the color of the action figure then you're in luck because it's fairly easy. If it's possible then you may want to remove the arms and legs so you don't get paint on the other parts of the action figure. After removing the parts you will want to add a white matte primer with a spray or by dipping the parts into a dish full of the fluid. Depending on the finish of the action figure you may want to do some sanding before applying the primer. Another good idea is to add a couple of coats of primer, something that is usually necessary when painting something.

The surface of the action figure can be painted a few different ways, either enamel or matte paint. Enamel paints are fairly cheap and easy to use, but the problem is that they leave a glossy look on the action figure and may make it a bit sticky. Matte model paints works better, but it will most likely require a final coat with a fixative to prevent peeling and flaking. By using dry brushes or washing, the color and detail of the action figure can be greatly improved with just a little bit of work. If you want to improve the value of your action figures then this a great way to do so.

If your action figure is missing a 3D component, most likely held in the hand, you can add material and mold it to the shape you want. This is a great way to improve the action figure and fix any mistakes or dents that have happened through the years. This part is commonly done with epoxies and resins. The most common way to do this is to sand down the part that will be changed and then form your material into the shape you're looking for. You can shape the part by using sculpting tools, but if you don't have them, a knife will suffice. After you've created the piece you can attach it to the frame with some action figure glue and you're good to go!

Improving your action figures can increase their value and make you enjoy them a bit more because you have done the work to customize them. If you don't want to customize them you can have them customized and changed by a 3rd party, but I personally love to customize them myself. It makes me value them more.

People of all ages are enthralled by comic books. Before movies, television, and the Internet, comics were one of the most awesome forms of entertainment because they provided hours of storytelling about our favorite superheroes. They told us stories that closely resembled the time in which the comic was published as well as many different scenarios at the time. From the beginning, Marvel Comics have stood atop the mountain of comic books and is still one of the largest publisher today.

The beginning of Marvel dates back to October 1939, when Martin Goodman created the first publication of what was known as Timely Comics back then. The first comic was called Marvel Comics #1 and sold over 80,000 copies at the time, a huge success for a fairly new company. The first superhero was known as the Human Torch and received massive applause and awe from the Marvel fans. Because of the success, a second character and comic was created, much more well known today, Captain America.

At the end of World War II, comic books lost their appeal and the golden age of comic books was over. However, Marvel responded to the decline of appeal by introducing tons of new characters, including Super Rabbit. Some were very popular while others failed to catch steam.

Once the Vietnam War started, a revival of comic books came about, which unveiled a new group of superheroes called The Fantastic Four. These were massively popular and included, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, the Human Torch, and the Thing. Among those characters, Marvel also created the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, and the ever so popular, SpiderMan. I'm sure you've heard of all the movies that were created around these characters, prompting their success even today.

Because of the popularity of comic books, there is a massive multi-million dollar market for some of the rarest and most popular copies. Your parents and even grand-parents probably have a ton of very valuable copies that are probably worth quite a bit of money. With the recent advent of such large movies as Iron Man, SpiderMan, and the Avengers, comic books are making a revival and you should be a part of it.

Since the 1930s, comic books have entertained hundreds of millions of people with their graphics, easy to read stories, and their inspirational and admired characters. Behind all the biggest superheroes, such as Batman, SpiderMan, the X-Men, and Superman there are multi-billion dollar companies that have dominated the comic book market for years.


Marvel Comics and DC Comics have fought each other for years, but occasionally the companies team up to create cross-realm battles, such as the Silver Surfer vs. Green Latern and Elektra vs. Catwoman. There are tons of differences between the two companies, which thrive competition, but there are also some very strong similarities. The main difference between Marvel and DC is the way the characters live in their respective universes. For example, Marvel characters normally struggle with internal forces, such as the Hulk with his temper and Spider-Man with his balance between being a superhero and his normal life.

Marvel does a good job at making these superheroes feel like normal people to us. Spider-Man has a daily struggle with being an anonymous superhero and then struggling to pay rent. They have very human like characteristics which makes us feel more connected to them. They normally second-guess themselves and wonder what they are doing with their lives. They are normal people who usually have some freak accident, such as radiation, a spider-bit or genetic mutation.

The settings for Marvel comics usually take place in common places and cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, or Toronto. They put a more modern take in their comics that shows and relates with their fans.

On the other hand, DC Comics creates their characters with a more god-like persona, almost perfect in form and function. They are much closer to mythological heroes then actual, normal people. Their weaknesses come from within, such as Superman and his weakness to kryptonite and Batman, who is nearly useless without his utility belt.

The characters in the DC comics received their superpowers via magical means and they don't live in the real world, but instead live in places like Metropolis and Gotham City. Recently, the comics have gotten more into the adaptations and psychological means of the character, but for the most part, the DC fans appreciate the take and direction into which DC takes their characters.

Overall, it's definitely hard to say which company produces better characters, but one thing is for sure, both create awesome characters with great stories. Depending on various factors that describe your personality you could like either company or even both, but all I know is that each one has it's strengths and weaknesses. I love both Marvel Comics and DC Comics for different reasons, but both produce amazing comic books and movies.