Category Archives: Upcoming Kirby

Upcoming Kirby – Five-Oh, King and Complete

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A few major Kirby releases are scheduled or re-scheduled for early next year, appearing in the latest solicitations from Diamond. KING OF COMICS seems to be on track for February from Mark Evanier’s recent updates. Hopefully this solicitation of COMPLETE v5 will be the one to actually result in a book coming out, as well as wider availability of v4, which I gather quite a few people missed. And of course KIRBY FIVE-OH, the book format special taking the place of the fiftieth issue of THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR, should be amazing (it’ll also be available from some places that TJKC normally isn’t, such as from Amazon from the link below).


king.jpgKIRBY: KING OF COMICS HC
by Mark Evanier

Jack Kirby created or co-created some of the comic book world’s most popular characters, including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and The New Gods. This book serves as an authorized, visual celebration of the one and only “King of Comics” and his groundbreaking work.

HC, 9×12, 224pgs, FC SRP: $40.00


k50.jpgKIRBY FIVE-OH: 50 YEARS OF KING OF COMICS TP
by John Morrow & Jack Kirby

The publication that started the TwoMorrows juggernaut presents Kirby Five-Oh!, a special look at the best of everything from Jack Kirby’s 50-year career in comics! The regular columnists from The Jack Kirby Collector magazine have formed a distinguished panel of experts to choose and examine the best Kirby story published each year from 1938-1987! Plus, the best covers from each decade! Jack’s 50 best unused pieces of art! His 50 best character designs! Also, profiles and commentary by the 50 people most influenced by Kirby’s work! To wrap it up, there’s a 50-page gallery of Kirby’s powerful raw pencil art, and a deluxe color section of photos and finished art from throughout his entire half-century oeuvre.

SC, 14 x10, 168pgs, PC SRP: $19.95


THE COMPLETE JACK KIRBY TPs
by Jack Kirby & Joe Simon

The work of Jack Kirby, “The King of Comics,” continues to be reprinted in this ongoing series. This time it’s two volumes from the fall of 1947, and features a red-hot series of stories by Kirby in his prime! Volume 4 contains material including “My Date,” “The Flyin’ Fool,” “Lockjaw the Alligator,” crime stories, and the first issue of Young Romance. Volume 5 features three Flyin’ Fool stories, his last Lockjaw the Alligator, and Earl The Rich Rabbit stories; crime from Headline Comics; and high-school humor from My Date Comics.

VOLUME 4—SC, 8×11, 160pgs, B&W SRP: $25.00
VOLUME 5—SC, 8×11, 160pgs, B&W SRP: $25.00

Upcoming Kirby – OMAC and Captain Marvel from DC

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Pair of Kirby items in the latest DC solicitations. Another “Countdown” branded one-shot with some Kirby, this time the great OMAC #1 (though you might want to hold off on that if you just want that story, since a reprint of the full OMAC series is likely only a few months away). And some early Kirby shows up in a reprint of some Captain Marvel stories. Presumably, from the page count of the book, only one of the four Kirby stories from CAPTAIN MARVEL ADVENTURES #1 [1941] will be included. Reprints of the full issue can be found in SHAZAM ARCHIVES #2 and in THE COMPLETE JACK KIRBY #2.


COUNTDOWN SPECIAL: OMAC
Written by Jack Kirby, Jim Starlin and Len Wein
Art by Kirby, Mike Royer, Starlin, Romeo Tanghal, George Pérez and Pablo Marcos
Cover by Ryan Sook

Witness the origins of OMAC in this spectacular 80-page giant collecting O.M.A.C. #1 (1974), WARLORD #37-39 (1980), and DC COMICS PRESENTS #61 (1983)!
On sale February 6 80 pg, FC, $4.99 US


SHAZAM: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP
Written by Bill Parker, Dennis O’Neil, Elliot S! Maggin and others
Art by C.C. Beck, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Barry Kitson and others
Cover by Alex Ross

An earth-shattering volume collecting stories from Whiz Comics #2,Captain Marvel Adventures #1,137,148, Marvel Family #21, 85, Shazam! #1, 14, DC Comics Presents Annual #3, Superman #276, L.E.G.I.O.N. ’91 #31, Power of SHAZAM! #33 and Adventures in the DC Universe #5.
Advance-solicited; on sale March 26 – 224 pg, FC, $24.99 US

Upcoming Kirby – Marvel in February 2008

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Some interesting items coming up from Marvel. The long promised “lost issue” of FF, newly finished by the original collaborators, comes out, in an attractive sounding and affordable package. Not sure what the status is on the “finished with modern scripting, inking and colouring” version that had been mentioned before is. Also HULK gets an Omnibus, with about half the book being Kirby. In more obscure reprints, the second Masterwork of Hank Pym stories will have a bunch of Kirby covers, and AVENGERS CLASSIC gets to some non-Kirby material, but will still have a page of Kirby if they continue to run the original covers inside.


ffla.jpgFANTASTIC FOUR: THE LOST ADVENTURE
Written by STAN LEE
Pencils & Cover by JACK KIRBY

IT’S THE COMIC BOOK EQUIVALENT OF A LOST BEATLES TRACK! Together, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby produced 102 consecutive issues of FANTASTIC FOUR. But there was a 103rd story they’d begun in 1970, but never finished-until now! Working from copies of Jack’s penciled pages, Stan Lee and Joe Sinnott have reunited, to complete the work they started almost four decades ago! Plus, this super-sized issue includes reproductions of Kirby’s unlinked penciled pages, with border notes and analysis by John Morrow, and a complete reprint of FANTASTIC FOUR #108 by Stan Lee and John Buscema, which incorporated some of the material from the lost story as a flashback.
64 PGS. $4.99


THE INCREDIBLE HULK VOL. 1 OMNIBUS HC
Written by STAN LEE & GARY FRIEDRICH
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, STEVE DITKO, MARIE SEVERIN, GIL KANE, BILL EVERETT, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN ROMITA, DICK AYERS, MIKE ESPOSITO & BOB POWELL
Cover by JACK KIRBY
Variant Cover by ALEX ROSS

Dr. Robert Bruce Banner may have the appearance of a mild-mannered scientist, but after being caught in a gamma bomb explosion, he became the unstoppable engine of destruction know as the Incredible Hulk! Marvel is proud to present the tales of everyone’s favorite man-monster from the very beginning: From the earliest Stan Lee and Jack Kirby issues that put an irradiated angle on the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde complex to the Steve Ditko’s psychological slobbernockers in TALES TO ASTONISH and the Jade Giant’s return to his solo series, this Hulk-sized collection is the foundation for every purple-pants’d adventure ever! Featuring artwork by a who’s who of Marvel Age luminaries and scripts by Stan “The Man” Lee, they’ll introduce you to General Thunderbolt Ross; the tortured woman who loves both the man and the monster, Betty Ross; the Leader; the Abomination; and a series of earth-shaking fights between the Hulk and the Silver Surfer, Thor, Giant-Man, Namor, Hercules and more! Collecting the first adventures of the Jade Giant in one painstakingly restored volume with every page, every pinup and every letters column. Not to mention unused covers, critical essays and bonuses galore! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK #1-6, TALES TO ASTONISH #59-101 and INCREDIBLE HULK #102.
752 PGS. $99.99


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ANT-MAN/GIANT-MAN VOL. 2 HC
Written by STAN LEE, LARRY LIEBER, LEON LAZARUS & AL HARTLEY
Penciled by DICK AYERS, DON HECK, STEVE DITKO, LARRY LIEBER, CARL BURGOS & BOB POWELL
Cover by JACK KIRBY

Hank Pym and his ladylove, Janet Van Dyne, make their highly requested return to the Marvel Masterworks in the concluding volume of Ant-Man/Giant-Man’s Silver Age adventures! Penned by no less than “The Man” himself, Stan Lee, and illustrated by an unmatched cadre of Bullpen embellishers from “Dazzling” Dick Ayers and “Sturdy” Steve Ditko to Golden Age greats Carl Burgos and Bob Powell, you’ll need high pockets to hold onto the action and adventure that’s in store for you. Giant-Man and the winsome Wasp have the decks stacked against them as they go up against an array of antagonists from the wild and weird Human Top, Porcupine, Colossus and the Wrecker to the Incredible Hulk, Attuma and Spider-Man! Also presenting the debut of the world’s tallest Avenger’s new look and the Wasp’s own solo feature! You don’t need to be one of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe to know it’s time to reserve your copy today!
Collecting TALES TO ASTONISH #53-69.
304 PGS. $54.99


AVENGERS CLASSIC #9
Written by STAN LEE & DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
Art by DON HECK & JUAN DOE
Cover by ART ADAMS

Marvel proudly introduces…Wonder Man! The newest, most dynamic surprise character from the world-famous House of Ideas! Destined to become one of the most provocative, exciting, talked-about new characters of the year! Wait till you see him in this legendary yarn by Stan Lee and Don Heck from AVENGERS #9! Plus, an ALL-NEW Wonder Man adventure, with art by up-and-coming sensation Juan Doe!
32 PGS. $2.99

Upcoming Kirby – Various items

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A few new Kirby items due early next year in the latest solicitations. I’ve also just updated the new Kirby announcement page on some previously announced items which have been postponed. DESTROYER DUCK will probably see a colour edition, including the Savage Dragon crossover, sometime in the future. CAPTAIN VICTORY is delayed so they can get some better source material. Here’s some info if you can help with that. SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE GREAT DISASTER, which had one Kirby reprint, is off the schedule for now.


COUNTDOWN SPECIAL: THE NEW GODS

Written by Jack Kirby; Art by Kirby, Mike Royer & Vince Colletta; Cover by Ryan Sook

The newest 80-page Special revealing past tales related to the main characters of COUNTDOWN sheds light on the New Gods! Included here are the Kirby masterpieces MISTER MIRACLE #1, FOREVER PEOPLE #1, and NEW GODS #7!

80pg. Color $4.99 US
On Sale January 2, 2008


JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 4

Written by Jack Kirby; Art by Kirby, Mike Royer, D. Bruce Berry and Greg Theakston; Cover by Kirby

This fourth and final volume collects the remaining issues of these classic series – THE NEW GODS, THE FOREVER PEOPLE and MISTER MIRACLE – in chronological order as they originally appeared! Also included in this volume are Kirby’s sequel to THE NEW GODS, plus the graphic novel THE HUNGER DOGS – featuring 25 pages restored to Mike Royer inks – and rarely seen Kirby art from DC’s WHO’S WHO series, all from the mid-1980s.

424pg. Color Hardcover $49.99 US
On Sale March 26, 2008


THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1

Written by STAN LEE, LARRY LIEBER, ROY THOMAS, ROBERT BERNSTEIN, DON RICO & AL HARTLEY
Penciled by DON HECK, GENE COLAN, JACK KIRBY & STEVE DITKOCover by JACK KIRBY
Variant Cover by ADI GRANOV
Variant Cover FEATURING IRON MAN MOVIE IMAGE

As the Marvel Age of Comics exploded on the pop-culture scene, super hero after super hero that redefined the genre leaped forth from the imagination of the Marvel Bullpen. Adventurers and innovators, scientists and high-school bookworms, they were amazing men and women with all the failings and foibles of you and me. And there are none that touch both that adventurer ideal and human reality as Tony Stark, the Invincible Iron Man. A jet-setter, playboy, and brilliant scientist, Tony is cut down to Earth when a battlefield explosion rips into his heart. Only by creating the amazing Iron Man armor can he stay alive! Packed with the debonair and debutantes, Cold War monsters and sultry super-spies, the Iron Man Omnibus presents the stories of one of comics’ most intriguing characters from the very beginning! Featuring the first appearances of such classic Marvel characters as the Mandarin, the Black Widow, Hawkeye, the Crimson Dynamo and the Titanium Man in lushly-illustrated stories by “Dazzling” Don Heck, Gene “The Dean” Colan and scripted by no less than Stan “The Man” Lee himself, this is the go-to volume for the Iron Man fan. Including every page, every pinup, and every letters column. Not to mention unused covers, critical essays, and bonuses galore!

Collecting TALES OF SUSPENSE #39-83 & TALES TO ASTONISH #82
720 PGS./All Ages …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2900-4


AVENGERS CLASSIC #8

Written by STAN LEE & DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
Art by JACK KIRBY & MICHAEL AVON OEMING
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS

See the mighty Avengers trapped! See the Teen Brigade in action! See action, drama, thrills as only Marvel can present them! Can you think of any one man whose power is greater than that of the Avengers? Don’t answer that! Not until you meet Kang, the Conqueror, who’s destined to rank as one of the most unique villains of all time! Reprinting the classic Avengers #8 by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, fully restored and recolored, plus an all-new Avengers adventure!32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

Upcoming Kirby – Rawhide Kid and more

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Pair of Kirby reprints from Marvel just announced. The second RAWHIDE KID hardcover is a little surprising. That finishes up Kirby’s run doing RK stories, although he was still on covers for another dozen issues, plus a non-series western short. Really good issue of AVENGERS in this month’s AVENGERS CLASSIC, too.


rkmm2.jpg

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: RAWHIDE KID VOL. 2 HC

Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, JACK DAVIS, DON HECK, DICK AYERS, GENE COLAN, PAUL REINMAN, AL HARTLEY & SOL BRODSKY
Cover by JACK KIRBY

They’re not just the pair that created the world’s most-famous super heroes; Stan Lee and Jack Kirby prove they’re the kings of all comics, with a one, two-gun second Rawhide Kid Masterworks!

The man from the Texas town of Rawhide, Johnny Bart, is the fastest draw in the wild West, but that kind of reputation doesn’t come easy, and with the law on his trail it’s all for one for the Rawhide Kid. Every no-good varmit west of the Mississippi from Mister Lightning to the Barker Brothers to Jasper Jelko is looking to build his rep over the Kid’s dead body, and when you’ve got friends like Jesse James, who needs enemies?!

So do yerself some good book learin’, reserve your copy today, and one day you might be just as good as the roughest, toughest, rootin’est, tootin’est cowboy who ever kicked back a glass of milk! Collecting RAWHIDE KID #26-35.

272 PGS. $54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2684-3


AVENGERS CLASSIC #7

Written by STAN LEE & DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
Art by JACK KIRBY & MICHAEL AVON OEMING
Cover by ART ADAMS

The mighty Avengers face their darkest hour as Iron Man finds himself on trial and an ensorcelled Thor battles his teammate — with the Enchantress, the Executioner and evil Baron Zemo waiting to pick up the spoils in this extraordinary Marvel epic! Reprinting AVENGERS #7 by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, with an all-new adventure for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes from writer Dwayne McDuffie (FANTASTIC FOUR) and artist Michael Avon Oeming (POWERS)!

32 PGS. $2.99

Upcoming Kirby – Captain Victory hardcover

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Image brings another deluxe hardcover helping of 1980s Kirby later this year, with a big collection of the complete Captain Victory.



cvic.jpgCAPTAIN VICTORY AND THE GALACTIC RANGERS HC

story JACK KIRBY
art JACK KIRBY, MIKE ROYER & MIKE THIBODEAUX
cover JACK KIRBY & MIKE ROYER
376 PAGES FC
NOVEMBER 28 $44.99

Image Comics’ archival collections of JACK “KING” KIRBY’s creator-owned work Pacific Comics continue with CAPTAIN VICTORY AND THE GALACTIC RANGERS! Featuring lovingly re-constructed color work, this deluxe hardcover chronicles the adventures of Captain Victory and his unique crew of space rangers as they battle such foes as the lethal Lightning Lady, the uncanny Wonder Warriors and the ominous Blackmass. A must-have for any Kirby Collector!

Collects CAPTAIN VICTORY #1-13 and CAPTAIN VICTORY SPECIAL #1

Upcoming Kirby – Odd Jimmy O. reprint

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I don’t really follow current goings-on at DC enough to know what connection 35-year-old Jimmy Olsen stories have with DC’s current linewide crossover, but here you go.

Also, for those interested in such things, action figures of Darkseid, Orion, Lightray and Mister Miracle coming out next year based on Kirby’s art (though it seems to me the molding emulating the squiggles looks like it’s carved in their bodies).


COUNTDOWN SPECIAL: JIMMY OLSEN 80-PAGE GIANT
Written by Jack Kirby; Art by Kirby, Mike Royer and Vince Colletta; Cover by Ryan Sook

Collecting SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #136 and #147-148, featuring Jimmy’s dealings with the DNAlien and Cadmus!

80pg. Color $4.99 US

On Sale November 7, 2007

Upcoming Kirby – Marvel in October 2007

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Pair of books to mention here. GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS gets collected (is the last issue out yet?) and the monthly reprints of AVENGERS continue. Also of note, Marvel continues to reward their customers by offering a new printing of FF MASTERWORKS v6 which promises a superior restoration of the artwork to previous printings (can anyone confirm if the recent OMNIBUS which collected those issues used this new restoration or the earlier version?).


JACK KIRBY’S GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS HC
Written by LISA KIRBY & STEVE ROBERTSON
Penciled by MIKE THIBODEAUX
Cover by JACK KIRBY

An All-New series featuring characters and concepts created by Jack “King” Kirby! Meet the Berkleys, your typical suburban California family. But when young Garrett Berkley discovers his parents’ secret — that the science-fiction stories his father writes aren’t fiction at all, but autobiography — he’s blasted into a whole new universe of adventure, mystery and danger. Now, Jack Berkley must put down his pen, reassemble his old team and take up the mantle of being a Galactic Bounty Hunter for one final mission! Collecting JACK KIRBY’S GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS #1-6.

256 PGS. $24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2628-7


AVENGERS CLASSIC #5
Written by STAN LEE & DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS

Another epic in the annals of the strongest super-team of all! Witness the mighty Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Giant-Man and the wonderful Wasp defend against the incredible Hulk and “The Invasion of the Lava Men!”?a tale only Stan and Jack could tell! Plus: An all-new story written by Dwayne McDuffie (FANTASTIC FOUR) spotlighting Cap and Thor’s earliest partnership!

32 PGS. $2.99

Upcoming Kirby – DC and more

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The newest solicitations for the direct market have a few previously mentioned Kirby items. For those who want to buy Mark Evanier’s KIRBY – KING OF COMICS from their comic book retailer, it’s listed in the books section, on or about page 400, with the order code “JUL07 4078”. Meanwhile, JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 3 has a number of classic bits, including my favourite Fourth World story, “Himon”. And the first of Kirby’s FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL one-shots, featuring Atlas, has a tenuous enough link to some other DC stuff to show up in SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE GREAT DISASTER FEATURING THE ATOMIC KNIGHTS AND HERCULES VOL. 1 TP. Couldn’t they find a way to connect the Dingbats to that stuff? (and more seriously, no OMAC?)


KIRBY: KING OF COMICS HC
by Mark Evanier
Jack Kirby created or co-created some of the comic book world’s most popular characters, including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and The New Gods. This book serves as an authorized, visual celebration of the one and only “King of Comics” and his groundbreaking work.
HC, 9×12, 224pgs, FC $40.00


JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 3 HC
Written by Jack Kirby
Art by Kirby & Mike Royer
Cover by Kirby

The third of four volumes collecting Jack Kirby’s classic 1970s classic “Fourth World” magnum opus! In this volume collecting THE NEW GODS #7-10, THE FOREVER PEOPLE #8-10, SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #146-148, MISTER MIRACLE #7-10, Darkseid’s deadly schemes reach Earth as Orion of the New Gods battles Kalibak, son of Darkseid, the Forever People run afoul of the DC Comics hero Deadman and more!

on sale November 21 396 pg, FC, $49.99 US


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE GREAT DISASTER FEATURING THE ATOMIC KNIGHTS AND HERCULES VOL. 1 TP
Written by John Broome, Gerry Conway, Jack Kirby and others
Art by Murphy Anderson, Jack Kirby, Walter Simonson and others

This thrilling volume collects futuristic tales from Strange Adventures, First Issue Special, Hercules Unbound, Kamandi, Weird War Tales, House of Mystery, Superman, Amazing World of DC Comics, and House of Secrets!

on sale October 24 576 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

Upcoming Kirby – Don’t Yield, Buy SHIELD

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Pair of reprints scheduled for Marvel in September. AVENGERS CLASSIC continues, with the re-introduction of Captain America. The recent first issue also indicated that they’ll be including the original letter columns in the series. Bigger news is that SHIELD gets a Masterworks volume, running straight through to the end of Kirby’s involvement with the series, including a few side trips. A lot of these are just Kirby layouts, but some are full pencils, and the artists doing the finishing on the others are some top notch guys.


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. VOL. 1 HC
Written by STAN LEE, JACK KIRBY, ROY THOMAS & DENNIS O’NEIL
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, JIM STERANKO, JOHN SEVERIN, JOE SINNOTT, DON HECK, HOWARD PURCELL & OGDEN WHITNEY
Cover by JACK KIRBY

Having revolutionized everything from war to Westerns to good ol’ super heroes, in 1965 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby set their sights on the spy game. With Cold War covert ops snagging headlines and James Bond topping the box office, Marvel’s greatest minds unveiled a whole new wild world upon the comic book faithful. So break out your Priority A-1 Clearance, and get ready to dive into the world of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Featuring more amazing gadgets and world-dominating baddies than you can shake a Heli-Carrier at, this Masterworks collects, for the first time ever, the complete early S.H.I.E.L.D. extravaganzas. With guest stars including Tony Stark, Captain America, and Nick’s trusty team of Dum Dum Dugan, Gabriel Jones, and Jasper Sitwell, not to mention the Marvel debut of comics visionary, Jim Steranko, this book is truly a watershed of Silver Age wonder! You know it. We’re not going to hold you back, so say it loud, say it proud, “Don’t yield, back S.H.I.E.L.D.!” Collecting STRANGE TALES #135-153, TALES OF SUSPENSE #78 and FANTASTIC FOUR #21.

288 PGS $54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2686-7


AVENGERS CLASSIC #4
Written by STAN LEE & DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY & MICHAEL AVON OEMING
Cover by ART ADAMS

Captain America may be dead, but witness his classic rebirth into the Marvel Universe in “Captain America Joins…the Avengers!” — a tale destined to become a magnificent milestone in the Marvel Age of Comics! Witness the tragic death of Bucky and the triumphant return of the Golden Age’s greatest hero in an instant classic that could only be told by legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! Plus: take a new look at the ultimate man out of time, as writer Dwayne McDuffie (FANTASTIC FOUR) and artist Michael Avon Oeming (POWERS) craft an all-new 9-page story starring the one-and-only Captain America!

32 PGS. $2.99