Customer Reviews

Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, Vol. 4

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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And then, as Mark Evanier relates in his Afterword, the "Fourth World" project came to an abrupt halt.

This volume, the fourth and final colletion of Jack Kirby's most famous DC project, allows us to observe the final moments of the original run of titles, and the somewhat haphazard resolution that was tacked on by Kirby years later, when DC gave him another shot at his famous property. As anyone who ever talks about Kirby will stress, he was endlessly creative, and the "Fourth World" is often considered his most personal work in the comics medium.

The previous three volumes of this series followed a basic pattern: one issue of "Jimmy Olsen", followed by an issue of "New Gods", then an issue of "Forever People", and an issue of "Mister Miracle", repeated three times over. However, here we get a different and in some ways more wholistic collection of stories. Kirby's final issues of "Jimmy Olsen" were included in the third volume, so he is absent here, which I would consider a plus, all things considered, since they tended to be the weakest segments. We get the eleventh and final issues of both "New Gods" and "Forever People", each of which attempts to wrap up their characters' stories as best they can in limited space; in "New Gods", Orion, acknowledging his status as Darkseid's biological son (revealed in the third volume), faces off in mortal combat with his adoptive brother Kalibak the Cruel; the Forever People, meanwhile, who have been young soldiers in the war between Darkseid and Highfather, end up, in a sort of bizarre happy ending, trapped forever in the Infinity Man's idyllic universe, and walk off into the sunset to explore their new home, far away from the war of gods.

The bulk of the collection, though, consists of issues of "Mister Miracle", which lasted a full seven issues more than the others did. After Mister Miracle and Big Barda escape from Apokolips, where they adventured for most of the previous volume, they return to Earth, accompanied by Barda's former team of Female Furies (Lashina, Mad Harriet, Stompa, Bernadeth). They rejoin Oberon and meet a new promoter, Ted Brown, the son of the original Mister Miracle, resuming their attempt to live away from the god war and become famous performers. Along the way, of course, they inevitably run afoul of villains such as Madame Evil Eyes, a murderous British colonel who seems a parody of Shaw's "Pygmalion", and the memorably-named Nazi war criminal Von Killowitz (Kirby was creative, not subtle). Mister Miracle even takes on an apprentice, a black youth named Shilo Norman.

For most of these issues, Kirby avoids the wider Fourth World mythology in favour of superhero exploits (which Evanier says was a strategy to try and save the book). The series ends, though, as fans of the characters' later DCU appearances would expect, with Mister Miracle and Big Barda's wedding, an event that every major Apokolips villain tries to crash (actually, they prompt the wedding, as much as anything), with guest appearances by Orion, Lightray, and Highfather, before the New God heroes leave their mortal companions and return home (the other Furies seemingly go back to Darkseid's service, given where we see them next in the "Even Gods Must Die!" special).

Finally, there is the aforementioned special and the graphic novel "Hunger Dogs!", which marks the end of Kirby's contribution to the mythology (although future DCU series would ignore it, and many other aspects of Kirby's original series, in order to make fuller use of his original concepts before he started to wrap them up). It is not a wholly satifactory ending, though it is interesting to see Kirby incorporate ideas about the increased mechanization of society (which even the arch-villain Darkseid finds unsettling and deletrious) and the atomic weapons race. "Hunger Dogs!" does not conclude the prophecy of Darkseid and Orion's destiny, but it provides a bit of closure, while simultaneously leaving the future of the New Gods wide open.

If you have read the previous three volumes (and you should, if you mean to understand the Fourth World properly) then you know what to expect from the King: wild imagination in art and story, somewhat dated, but well worth your time if you enjoy older comics.

What must be understood that this volume is heavier on the Mister Miracle stories; with no Forever People or Jimmy Olsen (both of which made their vows in the third volume of this series). The forward and afterward give you the inside information of what was happening; which was the powers that were at DC had yanked the Fourth World out from Kirby as he was hitting his stride. Leaving the New Gods unfinished much like Charles Dickens "The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Mister Miracle was pushed by these events into the land of Super Heroics. Still considering the New Gods saga (with exception of an appearance by Superman and Deadman in the Forever People) largerly went on without interaction with the rest of the DC Universe; a tribute to Kirby's story telling.

Included is the new New Gods story from the baxter paper reprints of Kirby's New Gods saga followed by the reprint of the scarce Hunger Dogs graphic novel. Unfortunately the work is not as tight as the original run of New Gods; Kirby had changed and these works seem somewhat disjointed. Still bad Kirby is better than most comic creators on their best days.

I'd say buy this volume for the Mister Miracle reprints (much better than those crappy black and white volumes DC palmed off on us a few years ago) and discover some stories that are often overlooked in the greater Fourth World saga.

This fourth and last volume of "Jack Kirby's Fourth World" is a melancholy conclusion to a wonderful series. "New Gods" and "Forever People" both had the plugs pulled on them while "Mr. Miracle" limped to a conclusion through a number of more conventional superhero story lines. At least "Forever People" had a conclusion which is more than one can say about the end of "New Gods." The end of "Mr. Miracle" is quite satisfying. Kirby's attempts to close the "Fourth World" through the "Hunger Dogs" stories are also included though they fall flat. The series ends with a collection of Kirby's art and the profiles on leading "Fourth World" figures from the "Who's Who" issues DC ran at the end of the 80s. The essays that introduce and close the work are, as has been the case throughout the series, excellent. The art is wonderful. Having now read all four volumes of the "Fourth World" series, I recognize Kirby's vision and find it compelling. But "Fourth World" remains incomplete; a what if that never properly ended. This work by Kirby is like "Edwin Drood" by Charles Dickens or Mozart's "Requiem"; it is the "what if" that haunts us as well as the content itself.

What a great series. Absolutely perfect. Through the first three volumes I was wondering where all the Mister Miracle issues were. Well, they are right here in this final volume. This book is practically all Mister Miracle. With the addition of the "Hunger Dogs" graphic novel that appeared sometime after the regular series were all cancelled. Looking back on these collections it's impossible to imagine DC cancelling these titles. Kirby is at his peak here with the work for DC Comics. It doesn't get more creative and out there than the Fourth World. It's horrible stain on DC that these titles didn't go on to reach their natural conclusions.

Also, be sure to pick up the marvelous companion volume, The OMAC Omnibus, which is perhaps my favorite collection of Kirby at DC.

Comics don't get a whole lot better than Kirby's Fourth World saga. I can't recommend this volume enough. I found the size of the book and the paper stock quality especially appealing. The inclusion of Kirby's Who's Who entries is a really nice bonus. The Hunger Dogs graphic novel is worth the price alone due to its rarity and high dollar value it commands at comic conventions.

The fourth volume wraps up Kirby's Fourth World unsatisfactorily. The endings are rushed as Kirby started moving on to other things; this experiment having failed it was time for new ideas. The strange thing is DC has been going back to thee concepts for decades and will continuer to do so because of Kirby's vibrant imagination. Only Mr. Miracle's run continues for a few more books but the "trap/escape" pattern starts to wear thin as Kirby's interest wanes. The inclusion of THE HUNGER DOGS where Kirby no longer at the top of his powers attempts to wrap up his Fourth World at least tries to supply some closure but it is compromised by space and circumstance. Kirby's story was an epic and it couldn't be wrapped up successfully in this format. The FOURTH World was a truly epic event in comics; a true departure from the norm and their influence cannot be discounted. While not always successful Kirby pushed comics to new heights and these collections give you an opportunity to truly appreciate them. A special thanks to Mark Evanier, whose excellent commentaries at the end of each volume were welcome additions to these works.

I read the first 3 volumes, and waited awhile to get the 4th. It was worth the wait! Not as satisfying as actually having Kirby continue the way he wanted in the 70s, of course, but a very good reproduction of his work.