Daily Archives: October 29, 2004

The New Gods #7 [1972]

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Note, this is the 100th Kirby book featured on this weblog. Of course, a disproportionate number of them (67) have been books where Kirby just did the covers, because they’re easier (I’ve got scans of about 300 other such books ready to go). I figured for #100 it should be one of the best.

The New Gods #7 [1972]

NEW GODS #7 featured “The Pact”, a powerhouse 24 page story which fills in the mythology of the Fourth World. I can only imagine how much more powerful it was to people who read it not knowing the secrets it reveals. This is full of amazing scenes that flesh out what was in the first few issues and raising more questions and possibilities. The best of these scenes is the one that the page above is in the middle of, where Izaya rejects the ways of Darkseid to find his destiny as Highfather. It’s a thing of beauty. Thank god Mike Royer was the inker at this point, so the scene has its full weight.

Interesting side note, there was an unused unfinished splash page, apparently meant for this issue, published in JACK KIRBY QUARTERLY #11, which featured an intriguing scene of pre-transformation Izaya confronting Darkseid. No dialogue on the page, unfortunately, so no clue as to exactly what this scene would have entailed.

Also in this issue, a two-page Young Gods story featuring Vykin of the Forever People, quickly looking at some of the remnants of the “Great Clash” on New Genesis, inked by Vince Colletta, a reprint of the Manhunter story “The Legend of the Silent Bear” from ADVENTURE #76 from 1942, which has some interesting moments (such as the hero being led through a forest by a boy scout), although Manhunter is definitely the most minor of the S&K DC features (they only did seven short stories). Also a two page S&K reprint from REAL FACT #2, “A World of Thinking Machines”, projecting such things as robot secretaries, robot athletes and multi-armed robots for housework. Okay, not the best predictions ever…

Published March 1972

Horror/Monster Covers

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In the spirit of the season

MYSTIC COMICS #7, 1941. One of Simon&Kirby’s first covers at Timely, with some cool monsters. And Hitler, too. The Destroyer is one of those characters who didn’t seem to last very long.

BLACK MAGIC #2, 1950 (issue corrected, I got it mixed up with v2#2, aka #8. Wish they numbered those books normally and clearly). Boy, that Halloween party rocks!

WORLD OF FANTASY #19, 1959. One of the not quite so long-lived Marvel monster books, this issue at least had a pretty cool Kirby monster, apparently inked by Christopher Rule, leading candidate for the inker of FF #1 and #2.