Daily Archives: January 14, 2006

Upcoming Kirby – Marvel Romance contents

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Over on the Marvel Masterworks Message Board a Marvel editor has posted the contents of the upcoming MARVEL ROMANCE collection. A little bit less Kirby than I was hoping for (since they only include a Colan story from LOVE ROMANCES #101, none of the three Kirby stories), but still five stories, four never reprinted, one not in over 30 years, so that’s okay, as is the healthy amount of Colan and Buscema work. And apparently some of this art is taken from some recently discovered original art, so it should look sharp.

“The Summer Must End!”
From Teen-Age Romance #84 (November 1961)

“By Love Betrayed!”
“Give Back My Heart!”
From Love Romances #102 (November 1962)

“The Dream World of Doris Wilson!”
“If Your Heart I Break—”
From Love Romances #103 (January 1963)

Super Powers #5 [1984] – Spaceship Earth We’re All On It

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After just providing covers and plots for the first four issues, Kirby writes and draws the finale of this series that promoted the line of action figures. In his Kirby-like way, though, the story that promises “final combat with Darkseid” on the cover never actually has the heroes face Darkseid. Instead, as Darkseid prepares to unleash his four armies on Earth, out heroes and villains are whisked through various worlds by Metron, including one interesting one in a two-page spread where the skeletal remains of some giants lie, in order to evade Darkseid’s detection. Finally he places them all (including Robin, who was yanked in from the JLA satellite at the last minute to make sure everyone with an action figure was present) in a brain booster powered by the mysterious Worlogog…

Super Powers #5 [1984]

…which enables him to use the remains of the extra powers Darkseid gave the villains to divert and destroy Darkseid’s armies. I wonder if the Brain Booster™ playset comes with a Worlogog™ or you have to buy it separately?

So not the big battle climax you’d expect, which is nice, although in all this series is just a bit of a diversion, a little bit better than you have a right to expect from a toy tie-in, but still a trifle.

Greg Theakston inks the cover and 25-page story.

Published 1984