Jack Kirby's The Demon [Hardcover]

Jack Kirby (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When Kirby’s ambitious Fourth World saga failed to be the blockbuster DC envisioned when they hired the comics legend away from Marvel in the early 1970s, the company asked him to come up with some nonsuperhero concepts. Among his proposals was one about a demon from hell named Etrigan, who is bound to a reluctant human host, Jason Blood. The Demon’s horror-comics roots were somewhat afield from the costumed crime fighters that were Kirby’s forte, although it harkened back to the monster comics he drew at Marvel before reviving the superhero genre with Fantastic Four, and Etrigan did possess powers including superhuman strength and magical abilities. Kirby’s over-the-top story lines, overwrought dialogue, and, above all, singularly dynamic artwork placed The Demon more in line with his larger-than-life superhero epics than with, say, the moody EC horror stories of two decades earlier. Although Kirby’s original series ran for only the 16 issues collected here, Etrigan remains a popular supporting character in the DC Universe, even appearing in Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. --Gordon Flagg

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics; First Edition edition (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401219160
• ISBN-13: 978-1401219161
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fear The Demon and Don't Fear the Paper, December 6, 2008

By 

M. B. RENTZLER (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jack Kirby's The Demon (Hardcover)

Jack Kirby's entire run on the Demon, in one book. While a lot of people are into the New Gods, this somewhat macabre super hero/horror fusion does not get the props it deserves. The entire series takes place with no interaction with the rest of the DC Universe and still is enjoyable.

Krby bult this character to last, he has been used by countless other artist and writer and even been on TV (JLA Animated).

As for the paper issue. I rather like the paper, the coloring is great and gives you the feel of a "real" comic book. I hate it when a reprint is on glossy paper that shines under a lamp so you cannot read it. As for it "yellowing" as another reviewer stated this is speculation. The books is light in weight, and the binding stays open flat. I tried to see if there is any info on what sort of paper is used, it does not say. But you know for the Amazon price I will roll the dice and take my chances; the Kirby Books from the Fourth world series are still in good shape and have the same paper. Heck some of my older Marvel essentials printed on news print have not yellowed.

So in closing I say fear the Demon, not the paper.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Demon is a Bargain, December 14, 2008

By 

Christopher Fama (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jack Kirby's The Demon (Hardcover)

The Demon is an entertaining comic by Jack Kirby. Like many of his DC creations, it never finds a firm footing: its neither a super hero comic or a horror comic. There are no sub-plots that join issue to issue, a device Stan Lee used to enhance the reading experience, and sales. That being said, its still pure entertainment as a quick read, and features some stunning art.

There are two types of fans of "collected editions" like the Demon: people who collect them for their own sake, and readers nostalgic for the original comics.

Collected edition fans often judge these books by their production values - including paper choice. A few reviewers in this camp claim the paper used in these volumes is not durable, a curious claim considering there is no evidence to support it. At $2 and issue, this volume is certainly far more economical than a new comic at $3 - plus its hard bound. Case in point: Demon comics from the 70's can still be bought almost newstand fresh on eBay, and this paper is of a far higher quality - though similar in presentation.

Nostalgic fans generally prefer DC's paper choice as its far closer to the medium used to print the original comic. I fall into this camp because I believe the artists knew they were working with newsprint, and tailored their work to it.

Collected editions often replicate the coloring of the original books -- isn't it kind of a wasted effort to use paper that makes it looks totally different?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just the best of the rest!, March 2, 2009

By 

R. D. Snyder (Yellow Springs, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jack Kirby's The Demon (Hardcover)

I've been a Kirby fan for about 50 years. But I'd put off buying "The Demon" - even though I have most of the other Kirby reprints (even Silver Star). I have a great nostalgia for Kirby, and I needed a Jack fix, so I bought The Demon (at full price from the local comics store). I'd really forgotten how great it is! It really is Jack at the top of his game, and not just the best of the rest. Great art. Great writing. How could I have forgotten?