Everybody Loves Dinosaur Week

TOR #2, Epic / Marvel Comics, July 1993
Joe Kubert doesn't have a comic book drawing school for nothing. He is DA BOMB. He's responsible for the definitive Hawkman, the definitive Sgt. Rock, and though he's been in comics since the 40s, his style is still unique and quite modern. He hasn't lost a single beat, in my opinion. His sons are stars these days, but he still outshines them.

Tor is his own creation. An oversized caveman series he writes, draws, colors and even letters. This guy does it all. Tor isn't a documentary though. The dinosaurs are unashamedly outlandish, and beautiful topless cave girls share the stage with grotesque monkey-men. As long as it's a good story, what does it matter?

Issue #2 basically tells Tor's origin, with his leaving his clan after some hairy mutants decapitate his dad and take over. I'd have left home too after that. Last issue, he tried to save a beautiful topless girl from being sacrificed by another tribe of ugly guys, but got captured himself. They honor him for the role though and he's given his pick of the women:
Ok, so he chooses the properly human girl. No fat monster chicks for Tor! They just cuddle though. He's a gentleman above all. It's not because you live in a cave that you have to act like it. If you're not toplessed out, he eventually gets thrown into the demon pit. See the cover for a triple-threat demon. That's a lot of ugly boobies, right there!

But wait! Where are the dinosaurs? This is Dinosaur Week, dammit! Well, there's a backup feature telling the silent story of Tor's struggle for survival. It's the best part of the comic. Tor comes upon some scavenging dinos pecking at a huge dinosaur carcass and he sets himself up for a kill of his own:
Tor's just like me when I'm playing video games or threading a needle (well, when playing video games, at any rate). He throws that spear, but misses, and then?

HE PROCEEDS TO BEAT THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF A DINOSAUR WITH HIS FISTS!
I'm sorry, but this has got to kick ass in seven epochs.

Comments

Marc Burkhardt said…
Best. Theme Week. Ever.