Kirby's Fourth World Gets Animated

[Andy Bentley caps his look at Jack Kirby's New Gods by looking at how they get picked up in the animated DCU.]

When Bruce Timm and co* approached the Superman Animated Series in 1996, they already had the Emmy award winning Batman: The Animated Series under their belt. The Superman character was nowhere near as relevant as Batman, so they took great lengths to make Superman and his world feel modern. One of the ways they did this was to incorporate the Kirby style into various objects. Timm explains:

When the time came to do Superman, we really didn't know what to do that would make it visually different from Batman but at the same time just as cool. We didn't wanna go back and make it look just like the Fleischer cartoons; I didn't want anybody to put our show up against Fleischer's and say, "Well look, they're doing the Fleischers, just not as well." One of the things we wanted to do with Superman was to kind of "Marvelize" Superman a little bit. That's why the police don't just carry handguns, but these Kirby-like weapons. All of the science-fictional elements in this series-whether it's a tank or something from outer space-has a kind of Kirby feel to it, or at least we try to. Even in the pilot, the origin story, there's this Brainiac satellite floating around Krypton and we tried for the longest time to come up with a design for it, and we didn't come up with anything I really liked. I found this Kirby gizmo in one of the Kirby comics and I turned it upside-down and said, "Hey! That's our satellite." There are things like that all the way through the show where we would just find Kirby-ish elements and turn them into things in the Superman show.

The other issue was that Superman's villains paled in comparison to Batman's rouges gallery. Timm goes on to explain:

Even Gods Must Die and The Hunger Dogs

[Andy Bentley finishes up his look at every issue of Jack Kirby's New Gods.]

“Even Gods Must Die!” - New Gods (reprint series) #6. November, 1984
“The Hunger Dogs!” DC Graphic Novel #4. March 1985

Mister Miracle #18 marked the end to the New Gods series at DC and as the 1970’s rolled on, there were two failed attempts to continue the story with different creators. It would take seventh iteration of the Super Friends animated series, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, to spark Kirby’s return. Super Friends needed some impressive villains for the Justice League to battle and Darkseid and his crew were a perfect fit. Kirby was hired to recreate several of his characters and was compensated well for his efforts. The Super Powers toy line was a huge success which led to DC to reprinting the series and then asking Kirby to conclude it.

This brings us to “Even Gods Must Die!”, which appears in the last reprinted issue towards the end of 1984. It opens on Orion entering Apokolips on what would appear to be the day of the fabled “final battle”. Immediately, I noticed a decline in the quality of the art. There are glaring perspective and anatomy issues and the art consistently felt flat. Mark Evanier mentions in the afterword that Kirby’s drawing hand had begun to fail him, so it would be cruel for me to dwell on it. Suffice to say, the art is a visual cue that the times have changed.

Mister Miracle 17 & 18

[Andy Bentley's pen-ultimate, or pen-pen-ultimate, look at every issue of Jack Kirby's New Gods.]

Mister Miracle #17 “Murder Lodge!”
Mister Miracle #18 “Wild Wedding Guests”

This is my 50th post on Kirby’s Fourth World, which also happens to be the end of the Fourth World Saga in sequential form. I cannot sum up the finale any better than the jacket liner to the Omnibus which proclaims “Kirby’s Epic Saga Concludes!”. It certainly does, but not in the fashion with which it began.

Let’s get the penultimate issue out of the way. Miracle, Barda and Shilo (now decked out in a red and yellow sidekick uniform) have their vehicle break down in an unknown part of town and seek refuge in a creepy old hotel. If you’ve ever seen any episodes of Scooby Doo, you know the rest of the story. The bad guy doesn’t dress as a ghoul or ghost, but he utilizes plenty of trap doors and knockout gas on our heroes. In the end, it turns out the trio resembled another trio of fugitives spotted in the area. Hence, the hostile treatment. The cops take the bad guys away and that’s really all that needs to be said.

Now, onto “Wild Wedding Guests”. The issue opens on the standard preparation of an escape act when suddenly there’s an attack of shock-grenades from above. The culprit is Virman Vunderbar, a formidable opponent from Apokolips. Miracle and Barda avoid the explosion with the help of Miracle’s boot-lasers. Then, out of nowhere, the two profess their deep and undying love for one another! Sure, there were hints several issues back, but I was hoping for at least a bit of a slow natural progression on this front. The blame probably lies on the abrupt cancellation of the title and not necessarily on Kirby’s plotting.

Mister Miracle 15 & 16

[Andy Bentley, going through Jack Kirby's New Gods, has reached that point where Mr Miracle is in that long, dark, editorially-screwed tea-time of the soul. Bear with him. Jack's bizarre return and outlandish non-ending are right around the corner.]

“The Secret Gun!” and “Shilo Norman, Super Trouble!”

Mister Miracle 15 introduces Shilo Norman, a troubled youth who Mister Miracle takes on as an apprentice by issues end. Norman would eventually succeed his mentor in Grant Morrison’s metaseries, Seven Soldiers. When I first saw Norman as Mr. Miracle, I scoffed at the idea. Scott Free was MY Mister Miracle. Now that I see there is precedent for Norman, my views have changed. This is a phenomenon that has occurred several times for me in the Fourth World series. The idea of a DNA Lab in metropolis that cloned Superman into a boy was ridiculous for me at age 14, but once I learned of the DNA lab’s origin in the pages of Jimmy Olsen, the fact became acceptable. If the Death of Superman is to be treated as a stand alone novel, then the writer revealing a cloning lab beneath the city halfway through the novel is suspect. However if the DC comic narrative is thought of as one large story, then the reveal seems congruent to the fantasy world.

Mister Miracle 13 & 14

[Andy Bentley looks at the next two issues of Miracle Man as part of looking at all the New Gods stuff.]

Mister Miracle #13 The Dictator’s Dungeon
Mister Miracle #14 The Quick and the Dead

Mister Miracle 13 and 14 share a number of similarities as Jack Kirby begins to settle into a groove for his final few issues. The villains, King Komodo and Madam Evil Eye, are not from Apokolips, but they share an inspiration: the third reich of Germany. Komodo is revealed to be a fugitive WW2 German scientist which is part of the inspiration for Darksied’s perverse assistant Desaad. Madame Evil Eyes is posing as the leader of a satanic cult and satanism has been linked to Hitler’s army in many forms of fiction, most notably Raiders of the Lost Ark. Both villains have secret lairs with hidden panels and trap doors for Mister Miracle to evade. Miracle ultimately disposes of both of them by using some amazing and previously unseen powers originating from the circuitry in his cowl. These resolutions were the most disappointing aspects of the issue as Miracle’s powers seem to grow with every issue.

Mister Miracle 11 & 12

[Andy Bentley continues his look at Jack Kirby's New Gods series -- for the final volume, generally considered to be a major fall off, he is going to look at two at a time. I, myself, wanted to read all of the New Gods issues after Final Crisis, but stopped right around here.]

“The Greatest Show Off Earth”
“Mystivac”

From here on out, I’m going to combine two Mr. Miracle reviews into one post. As mentioned previously in my column, the other Fourth World titles have been suspended indefinitely and Kirby has a mandate to make the Mr. Miracle title friendly to new readers. The result is a standard superhero tale with little mention of Apokolips or any other aspect of the ongoing saga.

“The Greatest show on Earth” involves the return of Doctor Bedlam to once again challenge Mr. Miracle’s skills as an escape artist. This is the first repeat villain we’ve seen in the series which is a sign something is off. If you do not remember, Bedlam is merely a consciousness which can inhabit any of the blank animate robots he controls. Like his last appearance, this one centers around the power of the mind and overcoming fear. The plotting is quite familiar: an elaborate trap that Miracle escapes with a generous contribution from his mother box.

The New Gods #11

[Andy Bentley. Kirby's New Gods Epic. Every issue. I was late putting this up folks. Sorry. End of term stuff, as usual.]

“Darkseid and Sons”

The final issue of The New Gods appropriately contains the most conclusive and important chapter of the Fourth World Saga to date. The issue features the second battle between Kalibak and and Orion, but this iteration has more depth and meaning. Kirby also reveals more backstory around Darkseid which makes his tale more shakespearean than totalitarian. Although it isn’t the ending Kirby hoped for, he finds an appropriate one for the situation.

After an opening prologue where Kalibak breaks free from the police force, the scene shifts to Orion and Lightray at their friend Dave Lincon’s apartment. Here, Orion is at his most manic and crazed. Kirby might has well drawn foam on the corners of his mouth. This characterization is unfortunately the one Morrison uses for his JLA run. I much rather the stoic and passionate version found in the early issues of the saga which is similar to the take Bruce Timm had in the recent DC cartoons. Although the attitude is grating, Orion’s point is quite welcome. His argument to Lightray is that they must be more proactive and take the fight to the villains of Apokolips. An organized effort from New Genesis to take on the invaders from Apokolips is something I have been looking forward to for quite a while. The point becomes moot when Orion learns of Kalibak has escaped and is moving quickly toward their location.

Forever People #11

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at the New Gods, where he takes on the last of the Forever People. On a personal note, I wish I had a good reason for not updating the blog yesterday but the truth is I just plain forgot. Sorry about that. Also -- what is the origin of this "five guys become / summon one guy" thing as seen in The Forever People, Voltron and Captain Planet?]

“Devilance The Pursuer”

This marks the final issue of the Forever People and with it Kirby provides at least a temporary resolution for the teens from New Genesis. The story features the return of a forgotten character and even a brief appearance by Darkseid and Dessad, but the issue is one long chase scene that provides very little in new concepts or deep characterization.

The final antagonist for the Forever People is Devilance The Pursuer, who bears more that a passing resemblance to the Manhunters, the robots the Guardians of the Universe retroactively used to police the space sectors before they enacted the Green Lantern Corps.. This is no coincidence, as Kirby would go on to create these cold and unrelenting soldiers in DC Comics 1st issue Special #5 in 1975. Devilance, like the Manhunters, is clad in red, carries a staff, and has an undeniable will to capture his prey. He shows up on the Forever People’s doorstep and tracks them over many lands to a final showdown on an unknown island. The FP’s take him on one by one to varying degrees of success and it isn’t until the return of the Infinity Man that the group is able to take the Pursuer head on.

Mister Miracle #10

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods. I make a comment below about Morrison.]

“The Mister Miracle to Be!”

As I opened the fourth and final Omnibus of Jack Kirby’s Fourth world, I was taken aback by the table of contents. There were no less than 9 Mister Miracle stories and only one remaining Forever People and The New Gods titles. I quickly turned to the introduction by Paul Levitz, who recently stepped down from the office of President and Publisher of DC Comics. Paul wrote a concise and affectionate letter about Kirby and his work at DC Comics. Levitz reinforced the fact that Kirby was the first to plan a series of interwoven titles rather than have the connections made after the fact ala the Marvel universe. He also praised Kirby for his imaginative storyboarding - something I believe Kirby learned through his love of film. The letter reinvigorated my spirit and I plunged into the first Mister Miracle issue. Unfortunately, the story did not live up to Levitz’ send off.

Lost Revisited - Season 2

[Andy Bentley continues his revisiting of LOST. I make a brief comment below.]

Space Ghost: But why, Warren?
Warren: Well... (laughs) (dramatic sting music) Never mind why. The past is just the future that already happened. Now come on over here and I'll cradle you.
-Space Ghost Coast to Coast, September 4, 1998

To recap, our survivors of Oceanic 815 have been scattered. Jin, Michael, and Sawyer have had their ship destroyed and Walt abducted by “The Others”. Charlie, Claire, Sun, Shannon and Sayid are at the beach camp and Jack, Kate, Locke and Hurley are standing over the blast door looking down at.....

The Hatch

The Hatch leads down to an underground station known as The Swan which will replace the waterfall camp as the other main setting on the island. The station was once one of many outposts for the DHARMA initiative, a 1970’s research outfit that was exploring the island’s “unique properties”. DHARMA loses a bit of it’s mystique and mystery after seeing this past season, but the discovery of it’s remnants is still excellent - particularly the orientation film. The film is spooky with it’s institutional look, weird synth soundtrack and it’s deliberate omitted scene. The fact that it’s all from 30 years ago gives the mystery more heft. The Station provides many modern conveniences including running water for a bathroom and shower, music, literature, processed food, and unfortunately a fresh set of guns and ammo. These modern conveniences are a large part of the survivor’s desire for rescue. With them satiated, the second season becomes less about survival and rescue, and more about the mystery of the island and it’s inhabitants. However the most significant aspect of The Swan is...

The New Gods #10

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods.]

“Earth...The Doomed Dominion!”

New Gods #10 brings Mantis and his army of bugs to Earth which validates Orion’s warnings to the police department of impending doom. The conclusion to the battle is rather simple with a few interesting details.

As Mantis begins the march of the oppressed bugs towards Earth, the defector Forager is already there and causing quite a stir. He has pinched some food from a local bakery and is bounding across the city with the police in pursuit. My thoughts immediately drifted to Spider-Man who also crawls around in a half red suit, often on the wrong side of the law. Eventually the police capture him and take him to police HQ where Orion and Lightray are being detained. Forager recognizes Orion who greets Forager with disgust. Forager proclaims he is not a bug, and one of them. He removes his mask to reveal his human visage which convinces Lightray. This clears up some of my confusion on race and species on New Genesis, but also raises some more questions. However there’s no time for that with Mantis approaching. The district attorney orders the trio to stay, but Lightray whisks them away in a flash of light. The three hide above on a rooftop until Mantis and his horde approach. The battle begin in a kinetic splash page between Mantis and Orion and Forager and the bugs. Lightray realizes the numbers are against them and flies off to look for another option. I’m again struck by how well Orion and Lightray compliment one another. If the New Gods do in fact exist after Final Crisis, I’d like to request an Orion - Lightray book. Lightray discovers a Sonic R&D building which houses a transmitter that can reach the entire city. He requests their services to transmit a special frequency that only the bugs can hear. This turns the tide of the battle as Mantis and the bugs double over in pain, clutching their ears. They return to New Genesis via a boom tube as Orion, Lightray and Forager stand triumphant.

The Forever People #10

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods.]

“The Scavengers!”

Deadman overstays his welcome in this second issue of his team up with the Forever People. Kirby’s apathy towards the character shows in the story’s flaws in continuity and resolution. DC editorial foisted this team up upon Kirby and it proves editorial must respect the boundaries of creative.

We open on a quasi-futuristic carjacking complete with magnetic boots and ejector seats. The criminals are a group known as The Scavengers and they have a Diabolik-type feel with mysterious code names and wild technology. They’re run by the director who bears more than a passing resemblance to the Batman villain, Humpty dumpty. He also has a hook for a right hand, implying he is the true killer Deadman is seeking out. The Scavengers have been scouting The Forever People for their super powers which in turn reveals Deadman’s resurrection to the Director.

Mister Miracle #9

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods. I am not going to lie to you. I literally just forgot to blog today, which is why this is going up after midnight. Sorry.]

“Himon!”

Like “The Pact!” before it, “Himon!” opens with a note from Mr. Kirby thanking us, the readers, for indulging his efforts on this issue. I’m at a loss as to what I’m indulging, as I found Himon to be as enjoyable as “The Pact!” before it. Kirby finally gives us the details of Scott Free’s escape from Apokolips which delves heavily into freedom of creative expression- something that if you have been following along, is a common theme in Kirby’s work at DC.

“Himon!” takes place after “The Pact!” but before the first issue of Mr. Miracle. The prologue sets up the issue’s villain, Willik, who is in the slums of Apokolips looking the legendary peaceful objector to Darkseid’s regime named Himon. Willik rounds up the people of the area and demands Himon step forth. Believing Darkseid’s subjects would willingly die for his regime, he sets the entire crowd afire to weed out the rabble rouser. With this act (and one further in the story), Willik becomes a more dangerous villain that any of Darkseid’s colorful flunkies we have seen before. His costume is not flashy, he has no gimmick or powers, yet he proves he will murder innocents for Darkseid rather than just threaten it. Kirby’s Fourth World is often said to have one foot in the past and one in the future. Willik is the villain of the future.

LOST revisited - Season 1

[Andy Bentley takes a look at the first season of LOST. I make a brief comment at the bottom.]

“Its comin' back around again” - R.A.T.M. People of the Sun

In the summer of 2004, I obtained the screener copy of the first two episodes of LOST. I was intrigued by the concept, particularly the sci-fi aspect to the show. But it also had a lot of hollywood gloss to it and I doubted the show would ever move beyond the island. When I saw the creepy title sequence had survived the summer and made it to broadcast, my respect for the show grew. By the time I saw Walkabout, the episode which cleverly reveals Locke’s paralysis in the final moments, I was completely hooked. I’ve watched all the episodes in real time week-to-week which is something I now rarely do. Many of my friends have blown through a season or three and then felt helpless to be at the mercy of ABC’s scheduling. With all of us losties now eagerly awaiting February 2010, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the show: 1 season a month.

First seasons feels a little incongruent to a show as a whole and Lost is no exception. The actors feel a bit less genuine in the 1st 12 episodes or so but soon settle into their characters. Many of the people we follow from the crash try desperately to rid themselves of their past lives but all end up back where they started. Let’s go over the principal players:

New Gods #9

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at the New Gods.]

“The Bug!”

This issue introduces readers to Forager, a character I have only seen in the Justice League cartoon series. In the episode, Twilight, Forager bravely rescues Wonder Woman and Batman in New Genesis yet he seems to have a self esteem issue. “I’m just a Bug” is the line I remember from him. Forager appears to be defeated by a social class system where the New Gods in the golden floating city above look down upon the lowly people below. A heavy handed metaphor, but that’s the way Kirby likes them. In the end, he is commended by the New Gods for protecting the children of New Genesis. By the end of this issue, Forager has arrived on Earth to seek out Orion which leads me to believe similar accolades from the New Gods are on the way.

The opening soliloquy by Kirby explains that “micro-life” emanated from the great clash between the New Gods bringing forth Forager and the race of Bugs that he belongs to. Kirby uses the words “Toxic” and “Festering” to describe this race of... well what exactly are they? They appear to be humans in superhero outfits that resemble insects to varying degrees. They have a hive type of culture where drones are sent out to hunt for food by a queen. However Forager is different than the rest of his species. His mentor (and consigliere to the Queen), Prime One, explains that Forager is more evolved because he questions the nature of their lives and sees a future where their race could roam New Genesis free of persecution. Prime One seems to suggest that their prison is self made and that the bugs must overcome their own fears first. However there is definite contempt for their species by the New Gods as we see flying drones sent by High-father that spray a sort of pesticide that kills the food crazed bugs.

This rumination on the way of the world is interrupted by a familiar face. Kirby has brought back Mantis who’s powers fit the insect theme nicely. Mantis has been rabble-rousing the Bugs into a war with the New Gods in order to carve a spot on the planet for themselves. This sets up a Magneto/Professor X type of conflict with only Forager on the side of peaceful integration. He returns to find his mentor, Prime One, about to be executed by the queen. It is explained that this is ritual, yet it feels like he’s being killed for his views. Forager leaps to save him but is restrained by the royal guards. Prime one offers one last command to Forager: Find Orion. With his Obi-Wan Kenobi gone and his people set to murder him for heresy, Forager attempts to escape to the surface of New Genesis but is instead pulled into an boom tube pointed towards Earth. Where Orion is. Very convenient.

During all this, Orion has been healing his wounds from Kalibak on the rooftop of one Eve Donner. Eve is a playwright who compassion towards Orion turns to pity after she sees him shouting at the heaven’s for Darkseid. Once healed, Orion and Lightray take off towards Dave Lincoln’s apt where the authorities are ready to take the two in. Whether they will oblige will be revealed next issue.

Orion has the smaller part of this A + B story, but it does setup a contrast and comparison between him and Forager. Forager’s savior, Orion, is as one sided and visionless as the bug culture. Both men seek freedom from tormentors, and are looking to escape their heritages. Orion is abrasive and unlikable whereas Forager’s intellect and optimistic spirit are refreshing and could motivate others. Maybe a little Forager will rub off on Orion next issue. We shall see.

Final Musings

-The caste system of New Genesis bring me back to the question of races on these planets. Are bugs a subspecies descended from the gods? If so, why have they forsaken them? If the bugs lacked a human resemblance, how different would the story be?

-Prime One refers to the New Gods as “Eternals”. This word was obviously bouncing around Jack’s head as he would go on to create The Eternals over at Marvel in ’76 which explored many of the themes seen in The Fourth World saga.

-Forager’s design is just plain awesome. Like many other action figure enthusiasts, I am anxious to get ahold of the new figure of him. A Wal-Mart exclusive:

The Forever People #9

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods.]

“Monster in the Morgue”

This latest issue borrows from the DC Brave and the Bold concept with the New Genesis teens beginning a team up with the newly resurrected Deadman. The afterword in the Omnibus explains that this plot was foisted upon Jack Kirby by DC editorial which Kirby wasn’t that enthused about. However his displeasure is not palpable as Kirby blends his fourth world characters well with elements of the horror genre.

We’re introduced to the villain of the week who is definitely cut from the mad scientist cloth. “Doc” Gideon is a part time morgue worker who’s obsessed with resurrection. His Frankenstein monster is a large male in tattered clothes and a bandaged head. When he pulls the lever which sends an “electro-organic” shock through the corpse, it doesn’t reanimate him. Rather, it brings back Deadman, the ghost of circus trapeze artist Boston Brand who possesses the ability to jump into and control living beings. This resurrection is lost on Gideon who returns to his home to sulk.

Mister Miracle #8

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods -- though he will be missing a few issues, as he explains. I make a brief comment below.]

“The Battle of the Id!!”

NOTE: This is usually the point where I would review the Jimmy Olsen title. However after reading issue #148, I found little to write about. The comic has become independent of the Fourth World saga, and the stories have become generic. I will continue to read the issues and will make a note in a subsequent column if I find anything interesting. But for now, I am just going to focus on New Gods, Forever People and today’s installment, Mister Miracle.

This issue is the conclusion of Mister Miracle’s, aka Scott Free’s assault on Apokolips to resolve his lingering issues from his tormented childhood. In the last issue, Miracle willingly surrendered to Granny Goodness in order to get closer to her whereabouts. Instead he was shipped off to section zero, which is rumored to be the worst Apokolips has to offer. His companion, Big Barda, is determined to save Scott but realizes she will need an army to do so. She returns to the home of the Female Furies, an all female team of women warriors which she used to command. The opening splash age depicts the Furies is a wild state of agitation. They’re fighting over who will command the team with Barda gone and the debate as devolved into battle. The Furies’ costumes have that Kirby signature look which makes one wonder what a Wonder Woman book would have looked like under Kirby’s pen. Another distinct detail is that many of the furies (and another woman seen later in the book) have wide eyes and tiny pupils, a look that says “madness”. Kirby seems to subscribe to the theory that war is a man’s game and any woman who stays long enough on Apokolips will be driven over the edge by it. At the sight of this bickering, Barda separates two combatants and proclaims herself leader once more. Simple, but effective.

New Gods #8

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods. I make a brief comment below, that spoils the end of Final Crisis (I don't think I need spoiler warnings if the thing has gone to graphic novel, right?)]

“The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin!”

The struggle between my preexisting knowledge of the animated New Gods and the original Fourth World comics comes to a head with this, Dan Turpin’s swan song. There was no way to read this comic without the feelings resurfacing from watching Apokolips...Now!, The two part season finale of Superman: The Animated Series. For those who are unaware, Dan Turpin is featured throughout the second season of the cartoon as a Detective of the Metropolis Police Department. He’s also modeled to resemble King Kirby himself and has a sacrifice in these episodes which mirrors the one in this issue. The real life Kirby died right around the time of the episodes so the whole thing becomes a very poignant emotional event for comic book fans. This issue has some strong character moments, but they don’t have the emotional resonance that Bruce Timm and his crew provided on the small screen.

The premise to this issue is not a new one to comic book readers. Villain (Kalibak) cuts a path of destruction through the city (Metropolis) in order to bring out the hero (Orion) to do battle. Orion heads this call, with his partner Light Ray at his side. Again, I’m enjoying the dynamic between the two of them as it doesn’t fall into cliche bickering like, for instance, the DC characters Hawk and Dove. Light Ray is the answer to Orion’s mercurial temper, asking Orion to be cautious or to think things through. However Light Ray also realizes they’re at war and does not cross Orions path during this crucial battle.

Kalibak’s motivations are simple hatred towards all of New Genesis, however in the Superman animated series, they added jealousy for Darkseid’s attention. Orion still fights for New Genesis, but the glee he takes in hurting Kaliback is as apparent as it was taking down Slig in issue 5. During the battle, Orion loses his helmet and Light Ray retrieves it for him. Ashamed of his visage, Orion keeps his head pointed away from Light Ray and yells “You saw my true face!”. Of course Orion had revealed his “true face” long before the Helmet came off.

Kalibak is defeated by then end of the issue, however it takes the intervention of the mortal Dan Turpin to do so. Turpin has been keeping track of the Fourth World invasion of his city/planet and is determined to put an end to it. Like most humans, Turpin is unnerved by the otherworldly or alien, and must make the supernatural fit into his world view. His refrain throughout the issue is that he’s going to put all of the New Gods behind bars, as if a human prison could hold any of them. Despite his officers pleas, Turin continues to jump into the battle with Kaliback, firing weapons and launching grenades while his body endures a tremendous amount of damage. Fighting towards victory without concern for one’s life is something Kirby saw a lot of during wartime. He might have drawn inspiration from wild cowboys and cutthroat soldiers from the movies as well. I also saw the battle as a meta struggle between the early “cops and robbers” comics Kirby started on and the superhero comics of the Silver Age. A guy in a fedora and a gun couldn’t compete with Spiderman or the Fantastic Four with young males in this era. Yet those older comics are where Kirby got his start, so he holds them in high regard. Why else would he bring back characters like Turpin and the Newsboy Legion? I doubt this was a conscious decision on Kirby’s part, but it’s something I saw from my point of view.

It takes the full electrical output from the city to knock out Kalbak - a moment to reinforce the power of humanity. Turpin appears to survive the experience, which is something his animated counterpart does not. Because of this discrepancy, I assumed Turpin would die by the end of the comic. This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the issue, but it does make me realize that my objectivity for this project is ultimately compromised by the interpretation of these characters in other media.

Final Musings

-So Orion is in Metropolis, then? Maybe that’s the reason for all the traveling in the Jimmy Olsen title. I’m hoping for an Orion/Superman team-up down the road.

-Under Kirby’s pencil, people that have been beaten up take on a rocky, cragged look to their faces - not unlike The Thing from the Fantastic Four

-As pointed out in the forward, Kalibak has been on that building, doing his best King Kong impression, since New Gods #5. Not a big error in my book

-There’s some ambiguity in Orion and Kalibak’s shared past. Orion says the two fought when they were young, however Kalibak constantly refers to him as a New Genesis being and seems shocked at the reveal of Orion’s face. Hopefully we’re in for another flashback ala The Pact!

[Dan Turpin takes on a very strange role in Morrison's Final Crisis: he becomes the unwilling human host for Darkseid and dies when he dies (i think) -- from Batman's Bullet or Superman's singing or something. It is a strange fate to give him, especially when you remember that a lot of people thought he was a stand in for Kirby. The human trying to stand against the New Gods, BECOMES the worst of them; Kirby is figured as his most horrible and despotic creation? This reading does not really work for me -- there must be a better way to read Turpin in Final Crisis: who's got it?]

[I have also been thinking about the "Modernization" of Darkseid in post-Kirby appearances and I guess the things that don't ring right with me are just the fact that more than once Darkseid appears wearing a mask, which seems beneath his Satanic grandeur, and the fact that he comes from somewhere, that he was young at some point. Morrison writes him as a cosmic force of nature (Darkseid IS), and I like that. I bet there is a great argument that Darkseid is weaker in Morrison's hands, and I am totally open to hearing it.]

Forever People #8

[Andy Bentley continues his issue by issue look at Jack Kirby's New Gods. I make a brief comment below.]

“The Power!”

In the last Mister Miracle review, Geoff and I questioned Kirby’s ultimate definition of the anti-life equation. This issue of Forever People provides the most concrete depiction of the equation yet, however I’m not convinced Kirby will not change the rules further down the road.

The latest human to wield to power of command is ‘Billion dollar’ Bates, a stereotypical southern business tycoon who has gathered massive wealth and power by using his power of persuasion in business dealings. Early on in his career, he searches out a satanic cult known as The Sect who defines his ability as an otherworldly power. The Sect consists of an underground race of pink, hairless humanoid beings dressed in blue robes. In the prologue, several unseen people infiltrate the Sect and plan something involving Bates. In the following captions, Kirby explains Bates has built a massive compound above The Sect which is protected by his own private military. The caption is composed as a limerick, with much alliteration. It flows well - better than certain text pieces in past issues.

With love. From me. To You.

[Andy Bentley writes about Beatles: Rock Band]

One of the happiest experiences of my life occurred in the winter of 2006 at Skidmore College’s Beatlemania. Professor of Music, Gordon Thompson, organizes the concert each year to allow students and faculty to perform The Fab Four’s songs and to celebrate all things Beatles. My brother was in his senior year there, and we organized a group with two of my friends, Tom and Adam. Being mostly non-faculty now student, we were relegated to one song, Eight Days A Week. To say I was nervous is to put it mildly. As I walked on stage, my guitar became a foreign object and my hands began to sweat. I shook myself out of it and began the infamous upward chord progression



I glanced over at a group of Asian girls who were swaying to the beat in the front row and I smiled and nodded. I knew all would be well, even if I missed a note or two. It was amazing to be on stage playing this song everyone in the room knew and loved. My mom came up to us afterwards, beaming with pride and wearing her Beatles pin - an original from her youth. I put up video of the performance on Youtube the next day with some trepidation. We all know how nasty the internet can get and I didn’t want this experience marred by an 11 year old with a ‘tude. I’m happy to say it’s up to about 80,000 views and barring a few complaints, it has mostly received praise from the viewers.

The Beatles are a universal truth, maybe one of the last ones we’ll ever experience. Nathan Rabin of the Onion’s AV podcast suggests that the emotional response to Michael Jackson’s death was not just for the performer, but for the death of a cultural consensus. Every fan of music had Thriller, and everyone had Sgt. Peppers. But today’s music has become very splintered for a myriad of reasons. He goes on to say that current works of art that do have a wide spanning audience such as The Davinci Code have to be watered down and homogenized for the masses. There is a nostalgia factor at work there, yet I still can’t see another Beatles ever happening. What music form the 90’s would have such a massive presence in forty years? Nirvana? Maybe, but I don’t think they were around long enough. It’s an interesting topic, one not limited to music. No one is going to touch the ratings record MASH’s finale had because there’s so many choices on cable TV. Comics probably aren’t ever going to hit that 1 million orders mark they used to. Even video games don’t have the massive hold on youth as they used to.

But I digress. I’m supposed to be reviewing The Beatles: Rock Band for you. I purchased the game-only PS3 edition as I already had the instruments from the first Rock Band. The trademark Beatles instruments are fun, but just not in my budget for this week. The Guitar Hero/Rock Band phenomenon began with studio musicians recording the tracks for game because Harmonix couldn’t afford the rights to the originals. As the games grew in popularity, and the music industry fell into the toilet, bands suddenly realized this was a great marketing tool to get their music to new and young consumers. So by now, it was safe enough for Sir Paul and Ringo to sign off on this recreation of their careers. George’s son, Dhani, also contributed heavily to the game.

The game follows the careers of the Beatles as they move from the Cavern in Liverpool, to the Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium, Budokahn, the studio and finally the roof top of Abbey Road. The character models are cartoonish at times, but they thankfully don’t veer into creepy animatronic mode. The gameplay is essentially Rock Band 2 and ranges to being very easy to quite difficult (I still can’t get 5 stars on I Saw Her Standing There in expert mode!!!). 48 tracks total and you can soon go online and purchase Abbey Road, Sgt Peppers and Rubber Soul. The greatest part of the game are the dreamscapes that accompany songs that weren’t performed live. These are pure sugar for Beatles fans:



There are plenty of people who find the whole idea of Rock Band or Guitar Hero rather silly. But for a long time gamer like myself, I just see it as further immersing yourself in the experience of the game, which from the look of Nintendo Wii sales seems to be the future for the gaming industry. When I got home and played my first song, I got a little bit of that feeling I had back at Beatlemania. I recommend the game for any Beatles fan who is willing to try something different or a gamer for is a fan of the Rock Band series.