Jack Kirby did a 2-page segment featuring Superman and Lex Luthor in this benefit book for African famine relief efforts, inked by Al Milgrom and written by Ed Hannigan with a plot by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson. Some nice super-action against a cosmic menace.
Published 1986
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
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
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
Oh, Cap, if only you knew the degrading spectacles you and your shield would be part of in the 1990s…
In this issue, Cap and the Falcon, on the hunt for the Madbomb, are held in the hidden HQ of the New Society and forced to participate in the violent Kill-Derby in order to recover Cap’s shield. Man oh man, wild combat on turbo-charged skateboards, does it get more Kirby than that? Some nice scripting, as Kirby plays off the contrast of the idealistic Cap and Falcon with the greed based thoughts and actions of the New Society. I like this bit from the last page:
SOMEHOW, THE NAZI GHOST NEVER SEEMS TO DIE WITHIN MAN. IT MARCHES WITH INSANE PRIDE… RESPECTING NOTHING… TAKING EVERYTHING AND IGNORING THE PAIN OF OTHERS. CAP SIGHS IN RESIGNATION. HE WILL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR HIS SHIELD.
D. Bruce Berry inks Kirby on the 17-page story while Frank Giacoia inks the cover.
This cover from the 1970s is a bit too busy with the multiple bits of squiggles and crackle, and probably needs some more differentiated colouring and inking to make it clear that the bottom half is supposed to be underwater. I do like the tech in the background, though.
Al Milgrom inks on this one.
Published 1976
Some nice skeleton action on this cover, very moody. I’m not sure what’s going on with the villain, though, with some sort of bird motif on the mask, lionish hands (from the comments, he apparently looks different inside, with more bird-themed hands). Dan Adkins provides the inking on this one.
Published 1976