Daily Archives: October 6, 2004

Giant-Size Master Of Kung Fu #3 [1975]

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YELLOW CLAW was one of the books that Kirby did during his short stint at what became Marvel in the mid-1950s, before his longer run there starting in the late 1950s. Kirby did three issues (#2 – #4), each with four short stories with FBI agent Jimmy Woo foiling the plans of the Yellow Claw, often aided by the Claw’s very conflicted niece Suwan.

The stories in #2 were reprinted in two issues of GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU in the mid-1970s, although changing some lettering so that Jimmy is now an agent of SHIELD rather than the FBI.

The third issue reprinted “Concentrate on Chaos”, which has the Claw using a a crew of six mutants with mental powers to create havoc in the US. Kirby gets to do a nice Dali-esque page to show that. The stories all end rather quickly and aren’t that satisfying, but they do often have great visuals.

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Also reprinted in this issue is an untitled story where Jimmy is convinced to trail Suwan to the Claw’s HQ, only to be captured. For no good reason, the Claw just lets him go rather than killing him, but it’s kind of interesting that they toss him out of a boat in giant bubble, given Kirby’s later fascination with (and unfinished adaptation of) THE PRISONER.

A half century of Covers

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STRANGE TALES #134, 1965. Frank Giacoia inks again for the final Human Torch solo story. Knights, archers, horses, castles and super-heroes. Just some of the things Kirby drew so well.

GREEN HORNET #7, 1942. An early Harvey cover, signed Jon Henri. There seem to be other hands in here, probably Joe Simon, but there’s a lot of Kirby in that killer clown. I like some of those other features, Blonde Bomber the Newsreel Ace, Mighty Midgets.

ACTION COMICS #638, 1989. A very nice image of Etrigan, very sharply inked by Terry Austin, one of a few chances he had to ink Kirby. This is also Kirby’s last published work for DC.