Several Kirby reprints just announced from Marvel.  His complete 1970s run on Captain America, previously collected in 3 softcover volumes, gets a massive hardcover edition.  A collection of a recent Thor storyline includes Kirby’s final issue of the series, and the following issues concluding the story he started, and a collection of 1970s Thor includes a run of a dozen issues, three of which featured Kirby covers.  The new softcover release of Doctor Strange in the Masterworks line will apparently include the original covers, unlike the original hardcover release.  It sounds like it’ll be all the covers, not just the handful that feature Doctor Strange, if so that’s a few Doctor Strange covers by Kirby , a lot of Human Torch covers (some with the Thing) and a few Nick Fury covers.  Sadly they’re still cutting it off a few issues prior to finishing Ditko’s run. Some of the early Loki stories are included in a collection of a recent Loki mini-series.

By the way, Marvel’s been running a few unannounced reprints in the back of some books, I guess in an attempt to justify the increasingly ludicrous amount they charge for a new comic.  The first Captain America story was reprinted in STEVE ROGERS: SUPER-SOLDIER #1 and the 1965 “Origin of Captain America” from TALES OF SUSPENSE #63 ran in CAPTAIN AMERICA: FOREVER ALLIES #1.  Presumably there might be some more that I didn’t hear about.

CAPTAIN AMERICA BY JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS HC
Written by JACK KIRBY
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY
It’s Jack Kirby at his finest in some of the kookiest Cap stories of all-time! During the height of their partnership, Captain America and the Falcon face racism and government corruption with fists and shields raised! The deadly Secret Empire has infiltrated American society and plans to drive the entire country into war with their madness-inducing Madbomb! And amid battles with mutated men and armies with deadly weapons, has Cap found love? Featuring the threats of Arnim Zola and Agron! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #193-214, CAPTAIN AMERICA ANNUAL #3-4 and CAPTAIN AMERICA’S BICENTENNIAL BATTLES.
568 PGS./Rated A …$74.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4960-6

THOR: SIEGE AFTERMATH TPB
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Penciled by RICHARD ELSON & DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Fan-favorite writer Kieron Gillen continues his bestselling and critically acclaimed run, reteamed with artists Doug Braithwaite and Richard Elson. On the eve of the Siege of Asgard, fiendish Loki set loose the monstrous Dísir on his own people — and to serve his ends, he brokered a deal with Hela, mistress of the Asgardian dead, to safeguard the spirits of the departed from the threat he created. Now, Loki is dead and his threat is ended. Or is it? A crafty loophole in Loki’s contract with Hela allows Mephisto, the lord of Hell and the Dísir’s new master, to unleash the carnivorous killers on Asgard again. Plus: In a classic tale from the titanic triumvirate of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Neal Adams, Thor finds himself trapped in Loki’s body…and in Hell! Collecting THOR #611-614 & THOR (1966) #179-181.
152 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4638-4

THOR: THE QUEST FOR ODIN PREMIERE HC
Written by LEN WEIN
Penciled by TONY DEZUNIGA, JOHN BUSCEMA & WALTER SIMONSON
Covers by JOHN BUSCEMA & JACK KIRBY When Odin disappears from Asgard, it’s up to Thor and allies the Warriors Three, Balder and Sif to find him! See Thor quest across the vastness of space, through alien worlds and upon the dreaded Doomsday Star! Plus: an unexpected battle between Thor and Odin, father vs. son! Featuring the villainy of the Stone-Men from Saturn, Sporr, the Grey Gargoyle, the Enchantress, the Executioner, the Soul-Survivors, the Destroyer and, of course, Loki—on the throne of Asgard itself! Collecting THOR (1966) #255-266.
224 PGS./Rated A …$29.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4981-1

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 1 TPB
Written by STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO
Penciled by STEVE DITKO
Cover by STEVE DITKO
From the incomparable imaginations of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko comes beginning of the one of comics’ most innovative adventurers—Doctor Strange! A vain man driven by greed and hubris, Dr. Stephen Strange was a world-renown surgeon until the night a car accident crippled his hands. Broken and destitute, he journeyed to Tibet to seek a cure from a legendary healer, but found not a man of medicine but the venerable Ancient One and the path to the mystic arts! Lee and Ditko reinvented the super hero with the Amazing Spider-Man, but from Dr. Strange’s eerie house on a Greenwich Village corner they created entire new dimensions and terrors that remain unmatched nearly 50 years later. And you can experience them all from page one with the Marvel Masterworks! Including the first appearances of mystical menaces including Baron Mordo, Eternity, Dormammu, Nightmare, and the Mindless Ones, as well as the lovely Clea and Dr. Strange’s right-hand man, Wong. Including every story, every pinup, every cover this painstakingly restored volume is a must-have for everyone’s comic book library! Collecting STRANGE TALES #110-111 & #114-141
312 PGS./All Ages …$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4564-6

THOR & LOKI: BLOOD BROTHERS HC
Written by ROB RODI
Penciled by ESAD RIBIC
All-New Cover by ESAD RIBIC
There are two sides to every story. You’ve heard Thor’s — now it’s time to hear Loki’s. Odin’s least favorite son rewrites Asgardian lore from his perspective, featuring the breathtaking painted artwork of Esad Ribic (WOLVERINE). In this story, Loki’s insatiable lust for power, his conflicted sentiments toward Sif, his antipathy toward Balder, and the deep-seated feelings of longing and resentment toward his older brother, Thor, and uncaring father, Odin, will take on new meaning. And if that’s not enough, just stare at the lush painted art by Ribic – you won’t be disappointed! This collection comes packed with extras including the original series pitch, cover sketches, character studies and more! Collecting LOKI #1-4, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #85, THOR #12 and material from JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #112.
152 PGS./Parental Advisory …$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4968-2

AVENGERS: THE ORIGIN HC
Written by JOE CASEY
Penciled by PHIL NOTO
Cover by PHIL NOTO

The true story of the Avengers is revealed right here! This extravaganza reveals previously untold details of the historic first meeting of Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp! You only THINK you know the full story. From Joe Casey (AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES) and artist extraordinare Phil Noto! Also includes a special reprint of AVENGERS #1. Collecting AVENGERS: THE ORIGIN #1-5.

Rated A …$24.99

ISBN: 978-0785143567

For some reason you can expect a lot of Thor books from Marvel in the next year.  Here are a pair that include a few Kirby stories along with a variety of later stuff.

THOR VS. HERCULES TPB
Written by STAN LEE, GERRY CONWAY, TOM DEFALCO, RON FRENZ, MICHAEL AVON OEMING, BOB HARRAS, GREG PAK, FRED VAN LENTE & STEVE ENGLEHART
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, JOHN BUSCEMA, GARY HARTLE, SCOTT KOLINS, JACKSON GUICE, REILLY BROWN & RON FRENZ
Cover by JOHN BUSCEMA
Greatest friends or greatest rivals? Asgard or Olympus? Hammer or mace? God of Thunder or Prince of Power? When two half-human gods such as Thor and Hercules meet up, they come to blows as often as they join forces against threats such as Pluto and Ares! No matter the world, no matter the stakes, no matter the property destruction, see these two demigods seek to prove who is the strongest—even when they switch costumes! Women and mead not provided. Collecting JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY ANNUAL #1, THOR (1966) #126, #221, #356 & #437, THOR ANNUAL #5, THOR: BLOOD OATH #3-4, INCREDIBLE HERCULES #136 and material from THOR #400.
208 PGS./Rated A …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4974-3

THOR: WORLDENGINE PREMIERE HC
Written by WARREN ELLIS & STAN LEE
Penciled by MIKE DEODATO JR. & JACK KIRBY
Cover by MIKE DEODATO JR.
Thor and Beta Ray Bill have taken ill! Yggdrassil, the World Tree, has been grafted with an engine to hasten its destruction and bring about Ragnarok and the end of the world! What mysterious villain is behind it all, and can Thor figure it out in time to save all of existence? And when the God of Thunder finds an unlikely ally in the form of Amora, the Enchantress, his longtime foe, could there be romance blossoming between these age-old enemies? Plus: the first appearance of the Enchantress and the Executioner! Collecting THOR (1966) #491-494 and JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #103.
112 PGS./Rated A …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4982-8

As you may have heard, it’s just been announced that Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross will do something called KIRBY: GENESIS for Dynamite.  Links and a large copy of the promotional poster by Ross over here.  As Busiek mentions, and as seen in the poster, this will include not just previously published Kirby Estate owned concepts like Captain Victory, Silver Star, Satan’s Six, Phantom Force and The Ninth Men but also a lot of things never published or seen in single illustrations.  Galaxy Green (from the proposed “Fat City Comix”) is there on the bottom middle next to Egghead.  Honir and Sigurd (from the “Gods” portfolio) are there on the right, near Paranex the Fighting Fetus.  A couple of those aliens to the right of what I assume is the grasping hand of Darius Drumm are from a 1972 piece seen in the centerfold of the 2004 TwoMorrows KIRBY UNLEASHED portfolio.  On the other side of the hand, I’m not even sure that guy has a name, but he was on a recent KIRBY COLLECTOR cover and apparently done the same time as Kirby’s original New Gods proposal.  A few of the other characters are vaguely familiar (I think one of the small figures is Ramses), probably from issues of the KIRBY COLLECTOR, a few others are complete mysteries.

Anyway, hopefully in the publication we’ll see a lot of pages of the Kirby designs, and maybe this will help expedite the publication of the long-delayed Captain Victory collection and maybe some books of all the other Kirby-owned comics (haven’t heard anything about the Destroyer Duck collection in a while, either, although those characters probably aren’t part of this deal, being co-owned by Steve Gerber, just as it seems the Joe Simon co-owned characters aren’t involved).

A few years ago Graphitti Designs re-issued many of the t-shirts Marvel produced in the 1960s, most of them having original Jack Kirby art.  More recently they did a Galactic Bounty Hunters shirt, still available.  Now, they’re getting into some of Kirby’s DC characters:Page 374 of the July 2010 Previews if you’re asking for it at a comic shop, no doubt soon to be added to the Graphitti website for ordering as well.

Those are nice, but I’m a bit surprised they didn’t go with a Darkseid for the initial offering.

Some big Kirby stuff coming late this year. A Simon&Kirby classic comes out in the first of hopefully many Boy Commandos collections. Thor gets a big book in advance of his feature film debut, and the FF softcover colour collections continue.

THE BOY COMMANDOS BY JOE SIMON AND JACK KIRBY HC
Written by JOE SIMON and JACK KIRBY
Art and cover by JOE SIMON and JACK KIRBY
One of the most popular of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s “kid gang” comics, the Boy Commandos were an international team of kids dedicated to fighting the “Ratzis.” Includes stories from DETECTIVE COMICS #64-73, WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #8-9 and BOY COMMANDOS #1-2.
On sale November 24 • 256 pg, FC, $49.99 US

THE MIGHTY THOR VOL. 1 OMNIBUS HC
Written by STAN LEE with LARRY LIEBER & ROBERT BERNSTEIN
Penciled by JACK KIRBY with JOE SINNOTT, DON HECK & AL HARTLEY
Cover by JACK KIRBY
Whosoever holds this Omnibus, if he be worthy, shall possess the epic stories that began the saga of the Mighty Thor! While vacationing along the coast of Norway, Dr. Donald Blake happened upon a secret chamber and inside it found a strange, gnarled cane. Upon striking the cane a shower of lightning rained down and the hobbled doctor found himself transformed into the Mighty Thor, God of Thunder and champion of Asgard! Stan Lee and Jack Kirby crafted an epic of power and myth, drama and action, and in this painstakingly-restored Omnibus collection, you’ll experience it all from the very beginning. Including the first appearances of Odin, the mischievous Loki, noble Balder, Heimdall, the warriors three— Volstagg, Hogun and Fandrall—and the lovely Jane Foster. Packed with the fan-favorite Tales of Asgard, classic battles from Thor vs. the Hulk and the unstoppable Destroyer to the Absorbing Man and the Executioner, along with letters pages and bonus features galore, it’s Mjolnir-class package that’s a must for every Asgardian to be. Collecting JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #83-120 and ANNUAL #1.
768 PGS. $99.99

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 4 TPB
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY
Stan and Jack are back with another classic FANTASTIC FOUR collection, earning the title “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” and throwing in a little extra to boot! It all starts off with the origin of that epitome of evil, Dr. Doom. Find out how Doom’s face was scarred and how Reed Richards is connected with that fateful day. Witness the birth of an evil quartet to rival the FF—the Frightful Four! Join the Battle of the Baxter Building as a de-powered FF teams with Daredevil against Dr. Doom in a fight to the finish that’ll loosen your fillings! There’s also monster menaces galore from the Mole Man to Dragon Man and out-of-this-world villains from the shape shifting Skrulls to the undersea warlord Attuma! But it’s not just the panel-bursting action that makes FF great, it’s the personal drama. How will Johnny and Sue respond when the father they thought dead returns? When Reed pops the question will the Invisible Girl say, “Yes,” or do visions of Namor dance in her head? They’re not just classics, one and all, they’re Masterworks! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #31-40 & ANNUAL #2
272 PGS./$24.99

A trio of upcoming Marvel books in various formats. Four previously un-reprinted Vision stories in the GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS v5 book. Hopefully when they’re done there’ll be a book of just the Vision stories so you won’t have to buy four $60 hardcovers just to get them all. SILVER SURFER #18 gets another reprint in the softcover Masterworks line, and a run of 1970s THOR issues that had Kirby covers gets a reprint (you’d think there was a movie coming out or something), presumably including all the relevant Kirby covers, at the very least including one as the overall cover.

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