Guest Post: Jack Kirby's 1970s Series

Doug: Thomas F. drives this train today, and he's got the King on his mind.

Thomas F.: Jack “King” Kirby is best-known for his Silver Age contributions to the comic world. He was the co-creator and illustrator of the Fantastic Four, Thor, Incredible Hulk, Avengers, X-Men, and of course, Captain America. Not Spider-Man, though. For a look at Jack Kirby’s rendition of Spider-Man from as far back as January 1964, check out The Amazing Spider-Man #8 (or a reprint such as Marvel Tales #145), where Kirby penciled the backup story, inked by Steve Ditko, “Spider-Man Tackles the Torch!”

It is no exaggeration to claim that Jack Kirby was one of the most influential contributors to the comics genre to ever live. Few can deny that Kirby was an unparalleled expert at drawing eye-popping monsters, aliens, sci-fi weaponry, and futuristic technology. And most of it looked fully functional.

 

My own favorite Kirby creation is Darkseid (with the possible exception of the Silver Surfer). Gotta love those cosmic tales, rivaled only by Jim Starlin’s Warlock.

And what do you all think of Kirby’s version of Superman? It sure was different. Many people hated it—no one more so, apparently, then the DC bigwigs, who ordered that Al Plastino’s version of Superman’s face be plastered over most of those drawn by Kirby—behind his back.
It was Kirby’s Seventies stint, however—a period when he insisted on total creative control, and when he was able to produce Kirbyesque works as he saw fit—that he really shone. Granted, Kirby enthusiasts have long held widely-differing views on his Seventies creations. As for myself, I personally regard Kirby’s Seventies output to be the peak of his inventive skill and a time where he was able to showcase the full range of his genius—especially at DC.

Kirby fans are all aware that he left Marvel in the autumn of 1970 to work for the “Distinguished Competition,” which is how Marvel dryly referred to the opposition. This abrupt departure sent shockwaves throughout the comic book industry—just imagine it! Kirby jumping ship! And it wasn’t long before DC began a marketing campaign advertising Kirby’s upcoming works—major titles that the “King” himself would write, draw, and more often than not, edit.

*For this post, I’ve specifically chosen works that Jack Kirby both scripted and penciled (not just one or the other). Note: Kirby’s run on Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen lasted from #133-139, 141-148; his run on Our Fighting Forces lasted from #151-162; his run on Amazing Adventures lasted from #1-4; and his run on Captain America lasted from #193-214 plus Annuals #3 and #4.

DC COVER SELECTIONS: 1st Issue Special #1 feat. Atlas; 1st Issue Special #5 feat. Manhunter; 1st Issue Special #6 feat. Dingbats of Danger Street; Demon #1; Forever People #1; Kamandi #1; Mister Miracle #1; New Gods #1; OMAC #1; Our Fighting Forces #152 feat. Losers; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133.

            

MARVEL COVER SELECTIONS: 2001: A Space Odyssey #1; Amazing Adventures #1 feat. Inhumans and Black Widow; Black Panther #1; Captain America #200; Devil Dinosaur #1; Eternals #1; Machine Man #1.

Cosmic Odyssey, Part Four: The Final Hour

Cosmic Odyssey 4
Book Four :Death
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Mike Mignola
Inker: Carlos Garzon

Karen: Just a note before we start -I apologize for the reduced number of images in this review. Unfortunately, my TPB began falling apart in my hands, as you can see in the picture below. So to avoid having any more pages come loose, I had to be very careful and that meant making a minimal number of scans.

Karen: We've reached the final book in this star-spanning tale, and nothing less than the fate of our universe is at stake. Things are looking pretty desperate too. The clock is ticking down on an anti-life bomb set to go off on Earth. We watch the seconds pass as the parademon with a hole in his midsection and the re-animated policeman, Joe Bester, stand-by to greet oblivion. But the timer hits zero and nothing happens -no explosion. The parademon is stunned and angry. Of course it's the work of Batman and Forager.They then push the deactivated bomb over on the parademon, seemingly pinning him under it. Thinking that Bester will be an easy target, they spring on him, but he proves surprisingly tough. He clobbers Batman but Forager takes Bester's head off with his shield, revealing that the cop was actually a robot. Wow -he's as brutal as Orion. Batman's impressed with his work though. They're just about to start disassembling the bomb when the parademon comes roaring back, grabbing Batman by the arm and smashing him around the cave. He even breaks Batman's leg, and the caped crusader is on the verge of passing out...

Karen: Darkseid and the Demon are in the Anti-Life Entity's (A.L.E.)'s dimension, and the Lord of Apokolips channels tremendous mystical energy through the Demon and fires it at A.L.E. Much to his shock, the Entity shakes off the attack. Realizing he cannot dominate the creature, Darkseid decides to steal just a small bit of its essence, and then high-tail it back to his own reality. But as he makes his escape, one of the A.L.E.'s returning aspects blasts him and he and the Demon wind up back where they were, facing the Entity again.

Karen: On New Genesis, the heroes have returned and are puzzled as to where Highfather, Orion, and Darkseid have gone, as well as the mysterious Mr. Blood (aka the Demon). John Stewart wanders off, still overwhelmed with guilt and remorse over his actions that lead to the destruction of the planet Xanshi. He's not certain he can go on living with millions of deaths on his conscience. 

Karen: On Earth, it seems that the parademon is about to break Batman's neck when Forager comes to the rescue. The brute drops Batman, but Forager earns some broken ribs and is hurled aside, unconscious. Batman struggles to rise as the creature reactivates the doomsday device. OK, this sequence and the previous one on New Genesis points out one of the things that has bothered me throughout this series: there are entirely too many two-page sequences in these books. Just as you start to get into a scene, it ends, and we move on to another one. It feels like too many "quick-cuts" in a film. It's very unsatisfying.

Karen: We shift now to the Anti-Life universe, where it looks like Darkseid and the Demon are about to be engulfed by the Entity. Suddenly a beam of light hits them and pulls them away. They see Highfather, Orion, and one other -Dr. Fate! This was the mysterious friend that Batman called back in the first issue and asked to keep an eye on Darkseid. Fate states that the five of them all are connected to a different elemental source of power, and that by pooling their resources, they can yet hope to stop the A.L.E. The heroes are arranged in a star pattern he calls the "cinque of cosmic power"  and Fate then names off the different sources of energy: his is 'intellectual magics;' the Demon taps primal mystical forces; Darkseid brings anti-life to the table, turning the enemy's power against him; but then, Fate says Orin and Highfather both use the mysterious Source. Wait a minute -didn't he say that each of them was linked to a different power source? This seems like a lapse on Starlin's part. Anyway, channeling their might, the five beings deliver a tremendous blast of power against the A.L.E., forcing it back. But it's a temporary measure at best. Fate takes his allies and flees to a parallel dimension. Realizing that the A.L.E. will soon recover and gain access to that dimension as well, Fate makes a choice: he will sacrifice that dimension, creating a "mystic firebreak" to trap the creature in its own realm. So Dr. Fate is powerful enough to actually destroy an entire dimension. I had no idea. Wouldn't that put him right up there with the Spectre? Although he briefly ponders whether he has the right to wipe out a whole dimension, he does it anyway.

Karen: The group is returned to New Genesis in the blink of an eye, where the heroes are startled by their sudden appearance. Fate explains that he has trapped the A.L.E. in its own realm by destroying the dimension that bridged their two realities. Darkseid is outraged, as he feels used by Fate. He threatens the mystic, but Superman quickly steps in and tells him to stand down, or face the combined might of the assembled heroes. Darkseid apparently sees nothing to gain in a direct confrontation and storms off, and everyone's about to declare victory, when Highfather reminds them that they still don't know what has happened with Batman and Forager on Earth. Starfire wants to go back to the planet to ehlp out, but surprisingly, both Martian Manhunter and Superman shoot her down, saying where would they find them? It's a big planet. really? Superman, with all his powers, couldn't locate Batman or the bomb? You'd think he would at least try! Highfather then gravely says all they can do is wait, and hope the Milky Way galaxy isn't destroyed. I understand that the writer is trying to generate drama here but it seemed very unrealistic to me that these heroes would just sit on their hands and do nothing.

Karen: On Earth the clock is ticking -specifically, we're down to 29 seconds before the big bang. Batman can barely manage to crawl over to where the big bad alien stands before the bomb control panel, and when he gets there, he receives a kick that sends him flying. Being a bad guy, the alien has to make a speech about how there's nothing Batman can do to stop the bomb, and of course, that's when Forager comes to and attacks the creep. He's ducking and weaving until Batman tells him to forget the alien, stop the bomb. Right at the last second, the New God smashes the control panel with his shield. There is an explosion, but it's not the bomb going off. Apparently the control panel exploded, although I have to be honest and say it wasn't 100% clear from the art. Batman is at first just elated that the world hasn't been blown out of existence, but then he begins to be concerned over Forager. He calls out for him, but there's no answer. A panel showing Batman's face with a shocked expression, saying "Oh Lord!" tells us everything we need to know. The alien has been wiped out at least. Batman call for some help with clean-up.

Karen: Superman and Lightray leave New Genesis to assist Batman, while J'Onn J'Onzz goes off to find Green Lantern John Stewart, as he is concerned about him.Stewart has grabbed a gun from a trophy case, and orders his ring to fly out 20 light years and wait for him til he calls it back. If it doesn't hear from him in an hour, the ring is to go find Hal Jordan. It's pretty obvious where this is going. Stewart can't deal with his failure on Xanshi. He puts the gun to his head and holds it there for a while (3/4 of a page). Then he puts it down  and J'Onzz asks him, "Well?" He goes on to harangue him about how he obviously doesn't have the 'right stuff' to be a super-hero, as it requires making decisions and being able to accept responsibility for the outcomes of one's actions. If he can't handle that he should just shoot himself and get it over with. Tough-love, Martian-style. Of course, Stewart puts down the gun and calls back his ring. Stewart stalks off with a "Screw you, J'Onzz" and the Martian smiles, his work done. I suppose J'Onn was able to forgive Stewart, as he must have figured he'd adequately punished himself. 

Karen: A boom tube opens and Superman returns, supporting Batman, while Lightray carries a wrapped body. As the stunned heroes look on, Batman simply says that Forager gave his life to prevent Earth's destruction. Orion, as sensitive as ever, says, "Who would have thought the bug had it in him?" and Batman promptly clocks him. "His name was Forager!" Batman yells. Orion strides off, perhaps chastised, and at that moment, the group realizes that Darkseid, that clever guy, has made off with the gadgets containing the Anti-Life aspects. Back on Apokolips, Darkseid gloats over his little victory, as he has forged a piece of pure anti-life. really, what does that even mean? I think I much preferred it when Darkseid was seeking after the Anti-Life Equation. That seemed to be much more abstract and interesting than just some sort of cosmic super-weapon. Anyway, apparently Darkseid is satisfied with how things turned out. On New Genesis, Highfather tells Orion that Forager's body will be returned to the Insect Empire, and he wants Orion to accompany it. When the warrior asks why, the monarch tells him that he hopes the trip will teach him something. "Such as?" "Tolerance," Highfather replies. After a pause, Orion says, "As you wish, Highfather."

Karen: "Cosmic Odyssey" is not a bad story -but it does feel like it is stretched out far too long for what it is. It follows the old formula of splitting the heroes into small, more manageable pairings, and this too is not a bad thing. But there was nothing here that felt especially exciting or novel to me. Perhaps the biggest letdown was the decision to make "Anti-Life" yet another anthropomorphic being. Haven't we seen this done before? It felt like Starlin was turning Darkseid into Thanos here, with Anti-Life standing in for Death. The segment with Batman facing an extra-terrestrial in the Gotham sewers might have been my favorite part of the whole book, because it actually felt fun. Much of the rest of the story felt like a slog and the constant inter-cutting back and forth, with a couple of pages devoted to one set of characters and then another couple to a different set, and so on, really lead to a drawn out pace for the books. Doing this in a regular size  comic is no big deal but in a 48 page book, it pulls the pace down. I don't know that I would recommend this TPB to any but the most devoted fan of cosmic comic action.

Cosmic Odyssey, Part One: The Players Gather

Cosmic Odyssey #1 (1988)
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Mike Mignola
Inker: Carlos Garzon


Karen: Over the next four weeks I will look at Jim Starlin's and Mike Mignola's 1988 four-part series, Cosmic Odyssey. I'm working from a TPB version  that unfortunately does not include the original covers nor does it show where the issues began and ended, but with a little detective work, I believe I have figured it out. It's really frustrating to me when publishers don't include covers, or just run stories together. I much prefer to have things presented in their original format. But this will work.

Karen: In the book The Art of Jim Starlin: A Life in Words and Pictures, Starlin describes how the project began. As usual, Starlin went down his own path. "DC had just published a series called The Books of Magic, which apparently mapped out the mystical DC universe. They wanted the same sort of thing for their science fiction characters. I wasn't all that into this idea and wrote up the script for Cosmic Odyssey the way I wanted to. No one seemed to be bothered by this and the talented Mike Mignola was given the assignment of pencilling it. It was only when his pages started coming in that someone up at DC finally noticed I hadn't written the book they'd asked for, but by then there was nothing much to be done about it since two issues had already been inked. So they dumped it out on the stands with next to no promotion, figuring that it would sell what it did and that would be the end of that." 

Karen: Starlin wryly adds, "Twice a year since 1988, Mike and I have been getting healthy royalty checks for Cosmic Odyssey from DC Comics. It doesn't look like it's ever going to go out of print."

Karen: So what is it that makes this series so popular? The easiest answer is to point to the cast of characters: it's got Superman, Batman, and Darkseid all front row center, with a gaggle of Kirby Fourth World characters in supporting roles and Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern John Stewart, and Starfire from the Teen Titans, although she hardly seems to be the same character (I don't think Starlin had any feel for her -she was most likely included to pull in the Titans fans). The sheer number of super-heroes is sure to bring some readers in. Then of course, it's also got a grand space adventure, with big stakes (the universe!), so that helps. Some people might pick it up just because Starlin wrote it, or because Mignola drew it.There seem to be any number of reasons that it's stuck around all this time.


Karen: Honestly, I read this as something of an outsider. I didn't read the books when they came out. I think I did pick up the first issue, but didn't find myself that interested. But now, after having read Kirby's Fourth World tales via two Omnibus editions, and being a Starlin fan, I wanted to see what he had done with these characters. It's different for me reading this series than say reading something like the Infinity Gauntlet or some other big cosmic story in the Marvel universe. My connection to the Marvel characters is strong, and when things happen to the characters, I feel it. With the DC characters, I am much more detached. I approach this more with a sense of curiosity than anything else.

Karen: I do wish Starlin had been able to draw the story as well as write it. Nothing against Mignola, who does a good job, but his art takes some getting used to. I read Hellboy and appreciated its quirkiness there, but I don't know that I find it well-suited to this cosmic tale.

Karen: The first issue opens with Superman and Lightray of the New Gods flying into Gotham City right as a boom tube opens up and a bunch of Apokolips soldiers come marching out. The misshapen creatures panic at the sight of the two heroes and re-open their dimensional transport and escape, but one misses the tube and winds up cowering in an alley way, terrified at being left alone on this alien world. Mignola does a nice job using a series of panels that gradually pull away from the soldier to depict his sense of isolation.


Karen: The scene switches to a planetoid in the Alpha Centauri system. The New God Metron sits in his Moebius chair, comatose. A boom tube shatters the silence and Darkseid arrives, accompanied by a group of technicians. They examine Metron and inform Darkseid that all of his data records are intact. They bring him back with them to Apokolips, where Darkseid studies the information and comes to a conclusion that does not please him: he's going to face a power greater than his own, and in order to overcome it, he has to call on the help of those he despises: heroes.

Karen: Back on Earth, weeks after the initial boom tube incident in Gotham, Batman is called in to investigate a missing policeman. Commissioner Gordon tells Batman that others have gone missing in the area too. Batman decides to use himself as bait and puts on a disguise and wanders around the area. He soon determines that whomever is abducting people is utilizing the sewers, and he makes his way down into them.He finds a hideout, and realizes that his target is too big to be human. Further, he finds technology of alien origin. But the real surprise is when he finds bodies  (and parts of bodies) hung up like meat in a meat locker. This sight even gets to Batman (this was back when he was still somewhat human, after all), and he becomes more determined than ever to stop this thing. Unfortunately, he soon runs into the Apokolips refugee and discovers him to be a towering brute. Batman somewhat foolishly still tries to take him on and gets thrown around like a rag doll. As much as he hates to do it, Batman takes the alien's own gun and uses it on him, blowing a nice big hole in his center.He heads off to get the police but when they return, the alien is gone! What's more, the missing cop, who Bats had seen hanging up like a side of beef, is also missing. The Darknight Detective is puzzled, but he's on the case.

  
Karen: The White House is paid a visit by an ambassador from New Genesis, who has brought a list of names of Earth ambassadors they would like to meet with. Superman is on the list, and he helps to gather the rest: Batman, Green Lantern John Stewart, The Martian Manhunter, Starfire, and an old man named Mr. Blood. Once they're assembled, the New God fires up his mother box and they're transported to New Genesis. Mignola ably mimics Kirby's otherworldly paradise, replete with giant statues, abstract shapes, and an abundance of foliage. The heroes are greeted by New Genesis leaders Highfather, Orion, and Lightray. Superman immediately begins asking questions, realizing the whole "diplomat" thing was a ruse. Highfather apologizes for having to lie to them, and then another voice says, "It was my idea." Darkseid then steps into the light. Mignola draws Darkseid so stout he at times looks like Thor's pal Volstagg! Superman sees red and goes flying at him, but is repelled. Orion restrains the Man of Steel as the New Gods explain that they have formed a temporary alliance with Darkseid, due to a terrible threat that must all soon face.



Karen: In order for the heroes to understand what they are about to face, Highfather has to give them a history lesson. Really, it's more like a short course- it goes on for 7 pages. That's one of the luxuries of having 48 page issues. To boil it down, millenia ago, two highly advanced civilizations, one humanoid and the other non-humanoid, came into contact and wound up going to war. They threw all sorts of nasty weapons at each other, but the war went on. Finally the humanoid race stumbled upon the answer: the anti-life equation. This discovery was harnessed with technology, a cannon that would wipe out the aliens' solar system. But when it was fired it went haywire, exploding and consuming the humanoids' world and then spreading through more and more star systems. It seemed as though it would tear through the entire universe, but suddenly, without warning, it turned back on itself and imploded. Somehow, two planets orbiting a star survived the cataclysm -New Genesis and Apokolips. They were thrown back to a primal state, and somehow separated from the rest of the universe, reachable now only by boom tube.

Karen: J'Onn J'Onnz asks what this has to do with the current situation. Darkseid explains that although he had long been seeking the secrets of the Anti-Life Equation so has Metron -although for different reasons. He and Highfather believe that although Metron is now catatonic, he still retains the knowledge he gleaned of the Anti-Life Equation. That's where J'Onn comes into play. USing his telepathy, he is able to link with Metron's mind and see what happened to him. We then get a five page flashback told from Metron's point of view, which describes how his thirst for knowledge drove him to learn about the Equation. After he had deciphered the last part of the equation, Metron  went to an unoccupied part of space and triggered the formula. It hurled him into another dimension, to the source of the Equation. It was there that he discovered the truth -the Anti-Life force is a sentient being. Metron's presence has alerted it to a way into our universe. As the New God tried to escape, the Anti-Life entity reached out for him. Metron managed to close off our universe, but not before four aspects of the Anti-Life entity were able to pass through into our universe. 

Karen: Darkseid has theorized that these four aspects will seek out four planets to destroy, and that the destruction of any two of them will cause such instability to our galaxy, that it will collapse. The heroes are incredulous, but Highfather backs up Darkseid's statement, so that's good enough for them. Darkseid tells them he's chosen teams to go to each planet: Superman and Orion to Thanagar, Batman and Forager ( a type of sub-New God) to Earth, Starfire and Lightray to Rann, and Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter to Xanshi. He outfits each team with a device to capture the aspect and then uses a boom tube to send them to their targets. Once on Earth, Batman stops at a payphone(!) and makes a call to someone, asking them to keep an eye on Darkseid (!!). What is the Dark Knight up to, hmmm? Back on New Genesis, Darkseid and Highfather turn to Mr. Blood, who has been neglected throughout our tale. Blood asks what his role is to be. "You are to be a part of a duet," Darkseid says. A curtain is drawn back and the twisted, emaciated body of the Demon is revealed.  

Karen: This first issue unravels rather slowly, as all of the pieces are put out on the board and the plan is revealed. This is my major complaint with this issue -it drags. And as much as I enjoy Batman's role in things, really, why would he be chosen? He's strictly an Earth-bound character, who, granted, is terrifically clever and determined, but not suited to adventures involving other worlds. But the answer of course is he might be the most popular character in the DC universe, so if you're doing a limited series, he's going to be in it. I also have a hard time seeing the New Genesis folks agreeing so readily to an alliance with Darkseid, but again, you have to move the plot forward somehow. So right now, the most interesting and compelling part of the story for me was the segment with Batman dealing with a murderous cannibalistic alien, even though I'm not sure Batman should really be in this type of story! In part two, the story moves on to alien worlds. Will it prove to be more exciting? 

Return of the New Gods

DC 1st Issue Special #13 (April 1976)
"Lest Night Fall -Forever!"
Plot and editing: Gerry Conway
Dialogue: Denny O'Neil
Art: Mike Vosburg

Karen: This is certainly an oddity in my collection. I was looking through my old DC books, trying to find a one-and-done to review, since we have an acknowledged lack of DC books here at BAB, and ran into this title. This was my first exposure to the New Gods, and I can honestly say, it was not a memorable one. In fact, although my memory in general seems to be going south these days, I still tend to remember my comic book trivia fairly well, but I didn't remember a darn thing about this book! I imagine I read it once and filed it away, and never looked at it again. So in some ways, it's like a brand new book to me. So let's take a look at this strange offering, shall we?

Karen: First off, I have little experience with Mike Vosburg, but based on his work here, color me unimpressed. It's not terrible artwork, but it certainly doesn't pop. I guess I would call it passable, but it has a rough, almost unfinished  look to it. Particularly if one were to compare it to Kirby, it comes off lacking. Also, after the cool Dick Giordano cover, well, it feels like a letdown. The splash page features Orion, in a less than inspired new uniform (really, a big "O" on his chest?) attacking some Apokolips goons. The truce between the New Gods and Apokolips has been broken, and Orion has come to Earth, where he finds his half-brother, Kaliban, and a bunch of Darkseid's troops. As Orion and Kaliban fight, we get a flashback, with Orion recalling recent events in New Genesis. We see Highfather, Metron, Big Barda, and Scott Free, aka Mister Miracle, although he is not dressed in his standard super-hero outfit. Orion had just returned from a scouting mission to Apokolips and came back with the disturbing news that their long time enemy was preparing for war, and planned to invade Earth. No sooner had Orion shared this information then New Genesis was attacked by parademons. The New Gods fight off the creatures, with Orion thinking, "I cannot help myself! I glory in warrior's work - in violence and destruction!" Metron ultimately uses his Mobius chair to create a boom tube to send the parademons hurtling back to Apokolips. Highfather reluctantly tells Orion to do "whatever is necessary"  and sends him to Earth. Orion takes this to mean killing Darkseid, and heads off for our blue planet, which brings us back to the present.

Karen: Kaliban seems to have the upper hand in their fight, but Orion manages to break free. His brutish half-brother grabs a war club and swings it at his head, but Orion dodges it and uses his astro-force to knock Kaliban through the floor. About two years ago I read volumes one and two of the Kirby Fourth World omnibus, and I have to say, I'm really missing Orion's original look and his whole astro-harness get-up. It was a unique look. Here, Orion looks like any other generic, force blasting hero. He moves on in search of Darkseid but instead finds Granny Goodness. Gotta love these Kirby names. Granny manages to blast Orion and knock him out. 

Karen: Back on New Genesis, Highfather sits in a big comfy chair looking worried next to a gigantic fireplace. That New Genesis really looks like  a nice place to hang out. Suddenly Metron materializes and tells Highfather that the Source has become active,and takes him to see a large wall standing in the middle of a field. It is the Wall of Prophecy, and the Source has written, in glowing letters, "When son slays father chaos reigns." Well that seems pretty obvious, right? Orion has gone off to kill Darkseid, his pop, and this makes it sound like that might not be such a good idea. But Highfather seems mystified by it all. Apparently the New Gods are not immune to senility -or maybe this was just Conway's way of slipping in some exposition. Metron explains to the reader -er, Highfather -that he has used a boom tube to locate Darkseid. It turns out the fiend is not on Earth after all, but back on Apokolips, where he and Doctor Bedlam have somehow attuned Darkseid's heartbeat to Earth's sun in such a way that if Darkseid dies, the sun will explode. After having revealed this shocking bit of news, Darkseid has another surprise: he senses that Metron and Highfather are watching him, and grinning, shuts off their boom tube. Although I thought most of Vosburg's art was rough, his Darkseid here is effective (if a bit lean). Highfather finally gets the meaning of the message from the Source and he and Metron realize they have to stop Orion from finding Darkseid.

Karen: Orion has his hands full with Granny Goodness' thugs, who wait just a little too long to start his beating, giving the warrior time enough t orecover and instead beat the stuffing out of his would-be tormentors. He busts out of a window only to realize he's no longer on Earth but in Apokolips, near Darkseid's palace. He decides to go after him, when he's attacked from behind by Kalibak. Tired of dealing with his half-brother, Orion puts everything he has into his punch and sends the brute flying right through the wooden door of the palace. Orion storms in and demands to see Darkseid, and lo and behold, there he is. After callously dismissing Kalibak, Darkseid strides over to Orion and tells him that if he kills him, he'll also wind up destroying the Earth. Orion angrily accuses Darkseid of lying, and works himself up into a frenzy, building up to unleash his astro-force. But before he can blast Darkseid, Metron and Highfather arrive and stop him, rather anti-climatically I might add -they just tell him to stop, and he does. No struggle, no mad dive to divert an energy blast, nada. With Orion powered down, Darkseid goads him, saying that if he'd killed his father, he'd feel guilty. Orion seems genuinely confused about how he'd feel. The New Gods depart, and return to New Genesis, where Orion continues to brood amongst the beauty and happiness around him.

Karen: My understanding is this was a bridge between Kirby's original New Gods series and a second series that began with issue #12 (July 1977). If it was supposed to be an introduction to the New Gods and the Fourth World concepts for new readers, it fails at that task. Surprisingly there's no recap, no introductions or explanations given. The book assumes you know who these characters are, which seems really odd given how careful writers typically were in the 70s to make sure to include a recap for readers of even the previous issue. There is a brief text feature at the end that has a few sentences that discusses the war between Apokolips and New Genesis, but that's it.  Now that I have read Kirby's New Gods series I had no trouble reading this issue, but back when I bought it? I probably didn't have a clue what was going on, which is why it went unread all these years. I'm not one of those people who thinks that only Kirby can do the New Gods (I thought Starlin had a decent handle on the characters and mythology in Cosmic Odyssey), but this is pretty bland fare.   I'd recommend this issue only for New God completists, whomever they might be (do they exist?). It certainly isn't a great work of comic book art.