Another 1970s cover, this time inked by Joe Sinnott. I like the look of those demonic hands reaching up, looks kind of like something from a 1950s BLACK MAGIC story combined with 1960s super-heroics. Plus of course Sinnott inking Thor makes you think of what might have been…

Published 1976

Only one Kirby piece in this issue of DC’s character guide, inked by Greg Theakston.

A very nice look at the enigmatic Forever People character, who would trade places with the team when he was needed for battle. A nice character, one of Kirby’s strong, confident, optimistic types, which comes across nicely in these little vignettes.

Published 1986

After drawing the first 8 issues, Kirby went to just drawing the covers for AVENGERS with this issue (returning to layout a few issues a while later).

I have to say, that’s way to big an intro blurb for a character as lame as Wonder Man.

Is this the first “floating heads” cover that Marvel had? I know the format became a bit of a cliche in 1970s Marvel team books, but were there any before this one?

Chic Stone inks the cover this time.

Published 1964

You tell ’em, Ben.

This issue has an edited reprint of FF #93 (1969), finishing off the “Thing Enslaved” storyline. Reed, Johnny and Crystal follow the trail of the Skrull slave ship while Ben fights Torgo in the arena, holding his own and trying not to harm Torgo while figuring out how to stop the Skrull threat to the homeworlds of their slaves.

The rest of the FF finally arrive and dress up in 1920s mob wear themselves as they make their way to the arena. The story ends kind of abruptly after that, I’m not sure if it was supposed to go somewhere else at first and changed for the usual reasons or what. Lot of nice bits in the art, like the flying 1920s car over the faux-1920s city, Torgo leading the final rebellion of the slaves after the FF free them of the fear of retribution against their home planets and Reed, Johnny and Crystal in 1920s garb.

Two pages edited out, both of Ben in the arena. One is just a recap of what we know from the previous issue but the other is right before this page so the first half of Torgo’s sentence is missing. I hope the money from that Hostess ad was worth it, Marvel…

Frank Giacoia was the inker on the story and cover here, doing a great job of filling in for Joe Sinnott and keeping the look of the book consistent.

Published 1978

Minor landmark time here at ye olde Kirby webloge, with this book I have comments and samples up here of 400 Kirby publications that you can peruse using those alphabetical and chronological lists over in the sidebar (once I update them in a few minutes).

The ever-dependable Frank Giacoia inks this very sharp cover for a Thing/Iron Man crossover that brings back one of the most obscure characters from the original FF series (I think Prestor John just appeared in one issue as more of a sidenote, don’t know if he was in any non-Kirby stuff in the interim).

Published 1975

Chic Stone inks this cover (*), from soon after they finally realized that the Thing was the breakout star of the FF, not the Torch, and brought him in as the co-star for STRANGE TALES. Kind of a shame they realized that after the point where Kirby was drawing anything but covers, as it would have been very fun to see what he could have done with a series starring Ben. Good cover here, always good to see close-quarters combat in the Mighty Kirby Manner.

(*)possibly Sol Brodsky

Published 1964