Monthly Archives: March 2009

Our Fighting Forces #154 [1975] – Bushido

by

This was the fourth of Kirby’s twelve issues of the series featuring the team of DC’s WWII characters who couldn’t support their separate features, The Losers. In this 18-page story, “Bushido”, he moves the action to the war against the Japanese in the Pacific islands (those Losers get around), as they infiltrate a Japanese base and capture a Colonel, leading to a chase through the jungles and quite a lot of action in very few pages, including escapes, booby-traps, prisoner exchanges and single combat until the Losers finally complete their mission.

Kirby’s stories of the war in the Pacific tend to be a bit more fanciful than those set in Europe, presumably because his first-hand experience was in Europe and for the other stories he has to rely on second-hand accounts. Still, there’s a lot of neat stuff, including a well-designed two-page splash with some carefully labeled heavy guns. D. Bruce Berry inks the whole thing, with somewhat uneven results. A few pages, including the splash, look really good, while others look rushed.

In addition to the story, there’s also a 2-page “Wheels ‘n Tracks” feature, looking at some of the armoured cars of the war, from the Germans, Italians and the British. The cover is also by Kirby and Berry.

Upcoming Kirby – SANDMAN BY S&K

by

A big collection of the S&K Sandman (1940s and 1970s) is officially on the schedule. I’m seeing conflicting reports on whether this is softcover or hardcover, if anyone can get confirmation I’d appreciate it. Either way, some good stuff, a lot of it never before reprinted.


THE SANDMAN BY JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY
Written by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby
Art and cover by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

At last, the classic 1940s Super Hero series by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby is collected from the pages of WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #6-7, ADVENTURE COMICS #72-97, #100-102 (1942-1946) and SANDMAN #1, the comic that reunited Simon & Kirby in 1974!

In the capable hands of Simon and Kirby, the Sandman left behind his trademark green suit, fedora and gas mask to become a brightly costumed adventurer on the trail of crime in the big city with the help of his sidekick, Sandy the Golden Boy. With a strong element of the fantastic in the form of haunted dreams and foes claiming to be figures of myth, these stories were perfect examples of the fast-paced, slam-bang adventures that made Simon & Kirby the most celebrated comics talents of the 1940s.

on sale August 12 • 304 pg, FC, $39.99 US

-Link- Evanier on upcoming BEST OF S&K book

by

Mark Evanier reports that he’s got an actual advance copy of Titan’s THE BEST OF SIMON AND KIRBY in hand, which means that it should be available through the usual channels in mere weeks.

And Harry Mendryk, who did art restoration for the book, has a copy too, and shows off the cover under the dustjacket.

ISBN-10: 1845769317
ISBN-13: 978-1845769314

Amazon.com link

If asking at a comic shop, you might want to have this order code from Diamond handy: DEC084249

New and Upcoming Kirby

by

Catching up on some Kirby release info, stuff’s been coming out steadily this year. One I missed on solicitations was that THOR #600 reprinted several “Tales of Asgard” shorts as backups, but more on that in a bit. Biggest release of the year so far is tomorrow, a collection of Kirby’s dozen OUR FIGHTING FORCES issues.

March 11, 2009 – THE LOSERS BY JACK KIRBY HC
March 4, 2009 – COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR – Volume 7
February 25, 2009 – MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 1 TPB
February 25, 2009 – MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE MIGHTY THOR VOL. 8 HC
February 11, 2009 – THOR #600 (several Tales of Asgard short stories)
February 4, 2009 – MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 1 TPB (a few covers and a short back-up)
January 28, 2009 – MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 3 HC

And a few new things announced from Marvel. The TALES OF ASGARD mini-series will presumably include all 49 five-pagers from JIM/THOR #97-#145, and probably six rather than five issues as listed, but with Marvel you never know. I’m guessing a collection of them soon after is likely, if not certain, and hopefully the “modern coloring” won’t be that bad. I assume that recent THOR #600 was a sample of what to expect, so if anyone picked that up and wants to comment, feel free. And all three of Kirby’s YELLOW CLAW issues from the 1950s are included with some other fine stuff , much of it never reprinted before, in one expensive book.


THOR: TALES OF ASGARD BY STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY #1 (of 5[?])
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
The legend has come true! By the will of the gods, I am alive! I am invincible! I am — THOR!!! And so began the very first epic tale of Marvel’s most revered hero, the mighty Thor, whose legend would grow alongside the success of Marvel comics, making him the most exciting super hero of all time! Never has Thor been more sensational than during these early tales, crafted by Marvel’s greatest, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Re-live classic Norse mythology in the mighty Marvel manner as well as Stan and Jack’s stories of the Norse Gods and Thor before he came to Earth as Don Blake. Witness as these masters breathe life into the thunder god and some of Marvel’s most enduring characters: Helmdall, Balder, Loki, Odin and Hela. Read these stories as never before with all-new, modern coloring and six extraordinary interlocking covers by current THOR artist Olivier Coipel. Collecting the “Tales of Asgard” backup stories from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #97-104

48 PGS./$3.99


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA BLACK KNIGHT/YELLOW CLAW VOL. 1 HC
Written by STAN LEE, AL FELDSTEIN & VARIOUS
Penciled by JOE MANEELY, JACK KIRBY, JOHN SEVERIN, FRED KIDA & VARIOUS
Cover by JOE MANEELY
From the heroic times of King Arthur to the dangers of the Cold War, the Atlas Era brings you the greatest adventure stories from the 1950s. Presenting the original series of two legendary characters that have bridged the decades – all the way from the Atlas Era to the Avengers and Agents of Atlas – Black Knight and Yellow Claw are must-haves for every Marvel maniac! Sir Percy of Scandia may appear to be a foppish weakling, too timid to fight and the scorn of Camelot, but only Merlin knows the truth: Sir Percy is the gallant Black Knight! Come to drive Modred de Monfort from King Arthur’s court, he wields the ebony blade against Norman invaders, dragons, imposters and usurpers to the throne. With the pencil of Atlas great, Joe Maneely, delineating the action,Black Knight is a sure-fire classic! Then comes Cold War tales of mystery, espionage and world domination from the pages of Yellow Claw! Illustrated by the incomparable trio of Joe Maneely, John Severin and –in a rare mid-50s Atlas appearance– Jack Kirby, F.B.I. Agent Jimmy Woo’s mission to capture the century-old mystic from the root of the Himalayas is packed with gritty crime and unimaginable adversaries, from mind-bending mutants and UFO the Lightning Man to Temujai the Golden Goliath and the Living Shadows! Collecting BLACK KNIGHT #1-5 & YELLOW CLAW #1-4.
256 PGS. $59.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3515-9