The back-up story in this issue is a reprint of the Inhumans story from the back of THOR #150 (1968), a 5-page Kirby/Sinnott story that starts the three part adventure of Triton’s first visit to the outside world. Triton’s a great character when drawn by Kirby/Sinnott, very powerful. In his initial outing, he comes across a creature who turns out to be a costumed man in a film production. He allows himself to be taken prisoner by the humans in order to find out more about them.
Published 1981
Two Kirby reprints in this issue. “I Was the Invisible Man” is from STRANGE TALES #67 (1959), a 7-page story inked by Christopher Rule. And there’s another one of those hands across the chin I mentioned a while back.
This story involved a young scientist coming up with a device that enables him to move at incredibly fast speeds, effectively invisible to the human eye. He craves fame, and decides to operate in secret for a while, creating a national sensation about an “Invisible Man”, before revealing himself. Unfortunately he doesn’t count on the side-effects of his untested process, which prematurely age him. A nice story, with a lot of inventive visual effects, and a nice change from the giant monster stories that dominate these reprints.
Not that I don’t loves me some giant monsters, as seen in the second Kirby reprint, the Kirby/Ayers “Goom, The Thing from Planet X”, a 13-page story from TALES OF SUSPENSE #15 (1961). A scientist mocked for his theories about life on hidden nearby worlds experiments in a secluded area, getting the attention of the monstrous Goom, who plans to conquer the Earth. The scientist returns to his lab and contacts more of Goom’s people, and is branded a traitor to humanity, only to be saved as it’s revealed Goom is an outcast from his otherwise peaceful race. Rather odd ending speech, about how humanity has nothing to fear from alien contact, since any species advanced enough will surely be peaceful, considering how many Kirby stories and essays run counter to that, in fact are based on the opposite view.
Published 1974
Another debut issue without a follow-up (although parts of the story were later integrated into the greater DC Manhunter mythos by other creators). The story opens up with a bang, as the Manhunter confronts Chopper, a killer obsessed with his cave of disembodied heads and masks. Some weird images in those pages.
We find out that this Manhunter is aging, and fears he might be the end of a long line of Manhunters, but fate intervenes, giving public defender Mark Shaw an ancient lion medallion, so he becomes the new Manhunter and plans to take care of mob boss The Hog.
![1st Issue Special #5 [1975]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/12/1st-Issue-Special-5-1975.jpg)
D. Bruce Berry inks the 18-page story, and the cover is a modified version of the splash page (flipped and with a few other changes). Kirby also writes a text page for the back.
Published 1975
This is one of my favourite of Kirby’s attempts to draw Doctor Strange. Still very Kirby, without question, but also using Ditko’s designs well. I love that look on Baron Mordo’s face. And of course the added bonus of the funnier half of the FF in Beatle wigs, well, there’s a book worth 12 cents just for the cover. Some fine Chic Stone inking on this one.
Published 1965
This was, of course, the first, and presumably last, 3-D Cosmic Book.
An interesting curiosity is probably the most generous description of this comic. The story (by Ray Zone) involves an attempt by the evil Circe of planet 2D attempting to alter history so that humanity never discovers depth perception or something, and our hero Stereon being sent to stop her. Along the way we learn about the history of 3-D technology, including several movie stills and the like. Like I said, odd, but I did like the the concept of a Cyclops as the natural enemy of a 3-D hero.
Mike Thibodeaux inks the Kirby art in this issue, a 15 page uncoloured 3-D story, front cover (colour, non-3-D), backcover (colour, 3-D) and inside front cover pin-up of Vedeora (black and white, non 3-D). Apparently it came with a set of 3-D glasses that (infamously) mentioned Kirby as “King of the Comics” and had some art, but every copy I’ve ever seen with glasses had a generic pair (I used to see it in quarter bins all the time, and must have bought and given away six or seven copies).
Published 1982
In “I’ll Find You In Yesterday” the Forever People have been scattered through time by Darkseid’s Omega Effect, and their friends of New Genesis, including Esak, ask Highfather to help them.
![The Forever People #7 [1972]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/12/The-Forever-People-7-1972.jpg)
I just can’t read Esak’s few pages in the original Fourth World books and not wonder exactly what Kirby had in mind for him that place him where he was for “The Hunger Dogs”.
Anyway, Moonrider and Dreamer wind up at the scene of Lincoln’s assassination, Vykin among Spanish explorers looking for gold in Florida and Big Bear in old England, where he’s on hand for the events that give rise to the legend of King Arthur. Meanwhile, Serifan and the Super-Cycle are attacked by Glorious Godfrey and his Justifiers. Fortunately, Highfather acts with his Alpha-Bullets power to counter Darkseid’s Omega Effect, bringing back the time-lost members and saving Serifan by transporting him to Japan, where he’s reunited with Mother Box, left in a temple there by Sonny Sumo, who lived out his life in the past, outside of Darkseid’s reach.
Bit of an odd story, I’m not sure how it actually fits in what the series was trying to say, but with some great visuals and really nice Highfather scenes (although “Alpha-Bullets” lacks the oomph of “Omega Effect”. But then, Darkseid clearly has better PR people working for him).
Also in this issue, a 2-page “Lonar” story, where he shows off his newly found battle-horse to Orion, and a reprint of the cover and 10-page Sandman story from ADVENTURE #80 (1942), “The Man Who Couldn’t Sleep”, one of my favourite Sandman stories, involving a millionaire driven crazy and to crime by his inability to sleep.
Mike Royer inks the cover, 24-page lead story and 2-page backup.
Published 1972
I’m not sure how effectively Rawhide could have been hiding in that tree, and where he’s pointing his guns, but otherwise a very nice cover extending the Marvel Age of crossovers to the western line. Inks are by Sol Brodsky, according to the GCD.
Published 1964
“The Little Man Laughs Last” is the 6-page Kirby/Ayers reprint from RAWHIDE KID #29 (1962) in this issue (mislabeled as being from RK #25). Starts with one of my favourite RK splash pages, of the Kid jumping from a horse to a stagecoach. On the stage he finds two larger men who mock his general shortness, and a girl who defends him.
![The Mighty Marvel Western #34 [1974]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/12/The-Mighty-Marvel-Western-34-1974.jpg)
After the stage is stopped by bandits, the larger men men are quick to turn coward, leaving it to the Kid to save the day, earning a kiss from the girl, which sends him riding for the hills. Fun ending to a pretty good story, with lots of action and some really good inking by Ayers.
Published 1974
In “Brigadoom” Jimmy and the Newsboys continue their investigation of strange beings in Scotland, including a great two-page spread of various beasts, and the introduction of one of my favourites, Angry Charlie.
![Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #145 [1972]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/12/Supermans-Pal-Jimmy-Olsen-145-1972.jpg)
Their investigation eventually leads them to the Evil Factory, and battles with sea beasts and dinosaurs, and where Jimmy is experimented on and reverted to a powerful pre-historic form. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman pursues the San Diego Five String Mob, only to see them escape in a Boom Tube. We never do find out what all that was about. The Superman scene this time seems like an afterthought, kind of a “have to have Superman in here somewhere” scene.
Colletta inks the 24-page story, with Murphy Anderson doing the usual touch-ups. Anderson inks the full cover. An alternate cover for this issue was inked by Steve Rude for the cover of the first of the current JIMMY OLSEN reprint books.
Back-up this issue is the cover and lead story from STAR-SPANGLED COMICS #11, the fifth Newsboy Legion story from 1942, “Paradise Prison”, a 13-page adventure which sees the kids, after hearing claims of brutal treatment at a reform school (where they themselves could have been sent if not for the good word put in for them by Jim Harper), have themselves sent up. The warden, Mr. Goodley, puts up a fake front of running a comfortable reform school so the kids don’t inform the Guardian, but they’re able to see through his ruse.
Also of note, this issue has a full page ad to order the first issues of IN THE DAYS OF THE MOB and SPIRIT WORLD, which mentions Kirby prominently. It claims the books sold out quickly and they’ve “gone back to press with a special run”, but I suspect that’s not true and these were copies returned or maybe never even distributed.
Published 1972
This is the final issue of the 1970s SANDMAN series (with one unused story seeing print later). It’s noteworthy for providing the final chance for Wallace Wood to ink Kirby’s pencils in the 18-page story, which otherwise makes as little sense as most Sandman stories. Doctor Spider manages to capture the Sandman and Glob, and plans to use the Sandman’s magic whistle to force President Ford to turn power over to him.
![The Sandman #6 [1976]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/12/The-Sandman-6-1976.jpg)
Unfortunately for him, no one takes Doctor Spider threatening the President with the Sandman’s magic whistle very seriously (which is a pretty funny scene, I’ll grant you), and Brute and Jed are able to mount an attack and rescue the prisoners.
Wood’s inks on Kirby are always interesting. He’s not quite as heavy with his own style as he was on some of their 1950s work together, but still a lot more than the usual Kirby inkers of the mid-1970s. While I prefer the style of Royer in general, it was nice to get one example of this kind of inking from the period.
Published 1976