Customer Reviews

Collected Jack Kirby Collector, Vol. 5

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For any fan of Jack Kirby, the Jack Kirby collector is like being a kid with the keys to the toy store. Cover to cover Kirby! The Collected Jack Kirby Collector vol. 5 gathers together issues # 20 - 22 of the Jack Kirby Collector. At 224 pages the book is jammed with dozens of pages of previously unpublished Kirby artwork, articles, and interviews, including several with Kirby himself. Issue #20 features a look at Kirby women and has an interview with Kirby's daughter Lisa who reveals a lot about the man she knew as a husband and father, rather than the comic artist that most fans knew. Lisa discusses the move from New York To California in the late 1960's, due in large part to her asthma. She also talks about how being the daughter of Jack Kirby got her backstage to meet people such as Paul McCartney and Gene Simmons of KISS. It's a wonderful interview that shows just how much a loving father and husband that Kirby was. Another interview subject is artist Dave Stevens who discusses not only how Kirby influenced him, but also how the Kirby household became a gathering place for young, aspiring artists in the 1970's as Jack would allow them down into his studio and even swim in his pool. Betcha Todd McFarlane wouldn't do that!

The theme of issue #21 is Jack's wackiest work and not surprisingly, most of it focuses on the work he did at DC in the early 1970's on titles such as OMAC, Kamandi, Kobra, The Demon, and his various Fourth World works. Writer Mark Coale provides readers a brisk trip through all of these wildly imaginative Kirby sagas. Gil Kane is the subject of a lengthy interview in this issue. Kane is quite frank, particularly for one of the old-timers, as he discusses his career in comics as well as his relationship with Jack Kirby. While Kane acknowledges Kirby's claim to being the savior of Marvel Comics in the early 60's, Kane is quick to credit Stan Lee as equally responsible for Marvel's success. It's a great interview!

John Cooke writes a great article about the history of Topps Cards involvement in comic publishing and focuses on Kirby's final project before his passing dubbed the "Kirbyverse" and featured characters such as Captain Glory, Nigh Glider, and Bombast. Former Marvel writer/editor Jim Salicrup was chosen to edit the new Kirby titles and he provides a detailed backstory about negotiating with Jack, and the creation of the line and ultimately, why it didn't work.

Issue #22 stood out for me as it was the all villain issue. In "So Glad to be Soooo Baaadd!", writer R.J. Vitone lists the top ten Jack Kirby & Joe Simon villains of the golden age. Naturally the list features Captain America's arch-villain The Red Skull, as well as some other lesser known villains such as Kai-Mak the Shark God, The Black Talon, and the Ringmaster of Death. This Ringmaster was actually the father of the more well-known Silver Age Villain of the same name.

In separated articles, Mark Alexander and Mike Gartland take a look at perhaps the most famous, and certainly most power villain that Kirby ever created, the planet-devouring Galactus! Looking at Fantastic Four # 48 - 50 which introduced Galactus and his herald the Silver Surfer, the storyline is, arguably, the pinnacle of Kirby's career. Other articles take a look at a similar God-like villain Darkseid, created by Kirby as a part of the Fourth World series.

Other interview subjects throughout the book include Bruce Timm, Mike Mignola, and Steve Rude, as well as three interviews with Kirby himself. There is so much in this book that it can almost be a bit daunting. As long as Two Morrows Publishing continues to put out the Jack Kirby Collector, Kirby fans will always have something to smile about.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I must say that I thoroughly enjoy reading all of the Collected Jack Kirby Collector's that I own. At the time I was reading his comics in the seventies I really didn't appreciate them. So, I get to re-live some of my childhood and, at the same time, get to realize what a master he truly was. The man was a well-spring of creativity!