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
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.
The second volume of WHAT IF CLASSIC, including Kirby’s cover to #9 as the front cover, and featuring Kirby’s full issue from #11 (most recently also reprinted in VISIONARIES v1).
Apparently the Pure Imagination CD-Rom of the first two volumes of THE COMPLETE JACK KIRBY also came out. Anyone pick it up, feel free to comment.
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
There have just been some updates on the Kirby Museum and Research Center site, including adding an online payment option for donations through PayPal, and some pencil pages from this story, including transcripts of Kirby’s margin notes.
This issue features the Losers on a mission in Italy, sent to capture a Nazi general. They encounter Henry Jones, a black American soldier who was in the 1936 Olympics, and his competitor in that race, the German soldier Bruno Borman. The story ends with a great foot race through a mine-field. A lot of fun stuff in here, especially the art which is full of great Kirby action poses, especially anything with Jones in action.
![Our Fighting Forces #159 [1975]](http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/kirby/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2005/12/Our-Fighting-Forces-159-1975.jpg)
Mike Royer inks the 18-page story and D. Bruce Berry inks the cover.
Published 1975
Big month, the SILVER STAR book, reprinting the entire series from Kirby’s pencils, should be interesting, more on that later. My thoughts on the VISIONARIES v2 selection are here . The hardcover for Gi/Ant-Man is surprising. It’ll be about half Kirby, including every story he drew for the feature. ESSENTIAL NOVA will have three Kirby covers.
SILVER STAR – GRAPHITE EDITION
160 page 8×11 Trade Paperback – by Jack Kirby
Legendary artist Jack Kirby first conceptualized Silver Star in the mid-1970s as a movie screenplay, complete with illustrations to sell the idea to Hollywood. Too far ahead of its time for Tinseltown, Jack instead adapted his “Visual Novel” as a six- issue mini-series for Pacific Comics in the early 1980s, making it the last original creation of his career. Now, in SILVER STAR: GRAPHITE EDITION, “King” Kirby’s final, great series is collected at last, this time reproduced from his powerful, uninked pencil art! Read the complete story of Homo-Geneticus, the New Breed of humanity that spawns both hero (Silver Star) and villain (the nefarious Darius Drumm), leading to one of the most action- packed narratives and spellbinding climaxes ever conceived on a comics page! And as a special bonus, read Kirby’s provocative screenplay, reproduced in its entirety, including illustrations and never-published character sketches! Plus there’s pin-ups and other rare Kirby art, and an historical overview to put it all in perspective. A percentage of profits from this book go to the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center, so don’t ask, just buy it! $20.00 cover price.
MARVEL VISIONARIES: JACK KIRBY VOL. 2 HC
Written by JACK KIRBY, JOE SIMON & STAN LEE
Pencils & Cover by JACK KIRBY
Humor, horror, westerns, war, romance, espionage and, of course, super-heroic adventure…many domains, but only one King. From the Two-Gun Kid, Sgt. Fury and Agent Jimmy Woo to the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and beyond, the talent of Jack Kirby underlies the history and future of Marvel! See Captain America’s first appearance… all three of them! Witness the first Avengers/X-Men battle, and learn the origin of Professor X! Cower before Doctor Doom, wielding the power of the Silver Surfer! The Yellow Claw! Mangog! Fin Fang Foom! Otherworldly dinosaurs, mutant seagulls and more await as comicdom’s commemoration of Kirby continues!
Collects CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1, MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #23, YELLOW CLAW #4, STRANGE TALES #89 and #114, TWO-GUN KID #60, LOVE ROMANCES #103, X-MEN #9, TALES OF SUSPENSE #59, SGT FURY #13, FANTASTIC FOUR #57-60, NOT BRAND ECCH #1, THOR #154-157, and DEVIL DINOSAUR #1.
344 PGS. $34.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2094-7
Trim size: Oversized
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ANT-MAN/GIANT-MAN VOL. 1
Written by STAN LEE, LARRY LIEBER & ERNIE HART
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, DON HECK, LARRY LIEBER & DICK AYERS
Cover by JACK KIRBY
Burned under the magnifying glass of overwhelming demand, Mighty Marvel has given in to give you our smallest hero in his big Masterworks debut! Lee and Kirby’s second hero creation, scientist Hank Pym, invented an amazing growth serum and a cybernetic helmet making him the Astonishing Ant-Man! Teamed up with the winsome Wasp, the tiny twosome battle a sensational array of mini- and maxi-sized menaces from the Scarlet Beetle to the Black Knight! And if that’s not enough to occupy a man of science, he’s also defending the good ol’ U.S. of A’s secrets from the commie hordes! But we’ve got more than just miniature mayhem for you, True Believer. You can look forward to the birth of the biggest Avenger there ever was—Giant-Man—so run, don’t walk, and reserve your copy today!
Collecting TALES TO ASTONISH #27, 35-52
288 PGS. $49.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2049-1
ESSENTIAL NOVA VOL. 1 TPB
Written by MARV WOLFMAN & LEN WEIN
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA, SAL BUSCEMA, CARMINE INFANTINO, GENE COLAN & ROSS ANDRU
Cover by JOHN BUSCEMA
Before NEW WARRIORS, Nova was one of the seventies’ most scintillating stars and it shows! Be it murder mystery or cosmic clash, the Human Rocket rises to the occasion! Historic heroes! Futuristic fiends! War with the Skrulls! Special guest-appearances by Spider-Man, the Thing and… Moses!? Collects NOVA #1-25, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #171 and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE ANNUAL #3.
512 PGS. $16.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2093-9