I agree about Orion; it was nice to see that he was practicing what he had been learning and wanted there to be peace for Scoot and barda.  Also agree about Barda falling into the damsel role.  I give Kirby a bit of a pass, as he was of the generation where adventure stories were always about the hero rescuing the maiden; but, give him credit for taking his heroines beyond that.  Sue Storm was probably the worst of his modern lot, for being the damsel; but, she broke out of the mode occasionally.  Sif was generally strong on Thor and Barda was pretty strong through the run here.  It seemed more like Kirby kind of fell back on that when he moved Mister Miracle away from the 4th World and into more mundane superhero/mystery stories.  It's like his mind clicked over to a different template for those stories, than the 4th World-centric ones.


What does bug me is how, as you said, barda has been used after Kirby, more as window dressing for Scott than a warrior in her own right.  Barda and Wonder Woman should be drinking buddies after a big fight and everyone else should be soiling themselves when Barda gives them a nasty look.  I'd love to see Barda and the furies in the hand of someone like Gail Simone, though I'm not sure how she would do with the mythical element.  Actually, mulling it over, I'd love to see Elaine Lee write them, with Mike Kaluta drawing them, based on Starstruck.  Bruscilla would fit right in, with the Furies. 

Kamandi #6



Overstreet alert: bondage cover!

So, did the bikers capture them or were Flower and Kamandi having a bit of consensual fun, when they were interrupted? You decide!

Kirby, on the other hand, says Kamandi and Flower were driving their new vehicle (given to them at the end of last issue) when they collide with a group of bikers...



The bikers seem concerned about the humans' welfare, while kamandi is concerned about getting a few shots off. One of the bikers knocks out Kamandi with a truncheon and colelcts the pair when the vehicle crashes to a halt, hoping no one is injured. The bikers turn out to be park rangers! (and lions)



Flower and Kamandi wake up in a wildlife sanctuary (!!!). Kamandi's rifle is gone, but their gear is intact. The explore the area, when Kamandi is attacked by mute humans. he beats them off and Flower laughs that he is now their leader, which doesn't amuse Kamandi. They look around some more and find the remains of an old, exclusive community. The pair are observed by some poachers...



The poachers are pumas and they speak of the mythical land of Zuu, the origin of the lions and other animal-men, though they say they were here long before the lions. Kamandi and Flower encounter the humans again, who respond to Kamandi as if he is the alpha-male. Kamandi is still wary; but, Flower says he can teach them to be like him. This is interrupted by the poachers' attack, which Kamandi fights off, as the lion rangers observe through binoculars. They are intrigued by Kamandi.

Kamandi and Flower explore the old houses and find working power and stoves, and fresh food! They eat and find shelter from the rain, discovering blankets and pillows. Kamandi realizes this is a zoo for humans! As Kamandi muses, the poachers sneak in and grab Flower. They fire on Kamandi, who is warned by Flower. he fires back and demands Flower's release. The pumas threaten to kill her unless Kamandi hands over the rifle. Flower breaks free and is shot when she shields Kamandi. The lion rangers rush in an apprehend the poachers; but, they are too late to save Flower.



This is a really good issue, as Kirby turns the table on zoos and people's perceptions of animals. To the pumas, the humans represent money, for trophies and the like; to the lions, they are an endangered species to be protected. The lion rangers care for humans just as park rangers and zoo keepers care for animals. When Flower is killed, Sultin, the lead ranger remarks upon the sadness of Kamandi and that Flower was a pretty thing, for an animal. It makes you stop and think about the reverse of the situation, when an animal sees its mate killed by hunters, poachers, or just due to an accident. Do they feel the same emotions we do? It also shows us that some of the animal-men care about the fate of humans, despite their feelings of superiority over them. Quite a thoughtful issue. Kirby is moving beyond just paralleling the Planet of the Apes story and is starting to present his ruminations on the relationship between human and animal, in his own metaphorical way. Mark Evanier described Kirby as a very deep thinker and we are seeing it here.

One other thing that stuck me about the issue, later on, was that Flower is topless the entire issue. Her hair and other things strategically hide the fact that she is bare-breasted. However, no hint of a breast is seen, most likely due to the Comics Code, if I were to guess. It is so matter of fact that i didn't realize it until the poacher attack on the house and had to go back and look over the earlier art. There is nothing erotic or tantalizing about it; it just is and seems totally natural. Of course, Flower and the other humans' genitals are hidden by loin cloths and skirts; there has to be some clothing.

I did note that there is no scene inside of Kamandi and Flower trussed up and transported on a wagon, like on the cover. I guess DC was using the cover to tantalize. There is a reason that Overstreet noted bondage covers and DC had quite a few of them, in the early 70s (Lois Lane and Wonder Woman had a ton of them!).

Kamandi #7



Our story picks up where we left off last issue, after Flower's death, at the hands of gorilla poachers. Kirby gives us a funeral, with a unique honor guard...



The lion rangers grumble a bit about it...



The somber scene is interrupted by gorillas, who launch a grenade attack, while Sultin and his men, and Kamandi give chase. Kamandi gets knocked out and before you can say Fray Wray, he finds himself tied to a stake, as a sacrifice for something big, kept away by a giant wall. The apes summon Tiny, who comes a callin and likes his new toy; but, doesn't like the shouty apes. Much smashing ensues and Tiny plays with his toy, which doesn't like the way Tiny plays...



Sultin and his "men" help Kamandi escape and Sultin takes him to see the lion city, where he learns about the United States of Lions, and their forefathers who came from the fabled land of Zuu (Washington Zuu, Philadelphia Zuu, Chicago Zuu). Meanwhile, Tiny comes looking for his toy and mayhem erupts, and the lions take to the sky, in biplanes. Well, we know how this ends. Tiny scoops up Kamandi and climbs the highest tower in the city. The lions come buzzing and shooting and poor Tiny meets his end, falling to his doom. A sadness overcomes all, especially Kamandi, who feels responsible.  Tiny just wanted to get his treasure back.  Surely, t'was booty that killed the beast!

Sorry.

This is a fun adventure, as Kirby plays around with King Kong and adds his own twist. It does remind me of the much later episode of Thundarr, where a group of apes resurrect a mechanical Kong, at a derelict movie studio. It would have been truly epic if it had been Mechani-Kong



but, that was not to be. The more I read Kamandi, the more I see how much Steve Gerber, Marty Pasko and Ruby-Spears swiped from the series. Oh, Kirby is doing his own bits of larceny; but, he is adding his own spin to it. Thundarr did, too, though Kirby is such a massive inspiration to that animated series, apart from the designs he created for it. It's too bad Jack killed Tiny here, as it would have been nice to see him return. As it is, he's a bit of a cross between Kong and a child-like Ben Grimm.

Justice, Inc. #2-4

In the 1970s, both DC and Marvel experimented with a lot of genres and ideas. one of those was reviving the great pulp heroes who had inspired the superheroes. DC scored a coup in getting the greatest and best known, The Shadow, while Marvel got their hands on his greatest rival, Doc Savage. DC enjoyed success with Denny O'Neil and Mike Kaluta's Shadow and went after another hero, The Avenger, from the creator of Doc Savage! Well, that had always been a lie. Doc Savage and The Avenger were both credited to Kenneth Robeson; but, that was a house name, used at Street and Smith. Doc Savage was, primarily, written by Lester Dent; but, Dent was not the author. Paul Ernst wrote The Avenger, though Lester Dent and Walter Gibson (author of the Shadow) contributed ideas. The Avenger ended up a bit of a hybrid of Doc and the Shadow and went on to his own adventures, which were quite well done. The series lasted 24 issues, ultimately failing to reach the heights of the Shadow, Doc Savage, the Spider or G-8.

The Shadow and Doc Savage were revived in a series of paperback releases, reprinting their earlier adventures. The Avenger was revived too, with further adventures added by Ron Goulart. DC got the rights to the character and put Denny O'Neil on it.



The first issue had art from Al McWilliams, and retold the origin of Richard Benson, aka The Avenger. While travelling with his wife and daughter by airplane, Benson goes off to use the restroom. When he comes back, he finds them gone and no one knows who they were or what happened to them. The shock turns Benson's skin and hair white. He also finds that his face has become malleable, like clay, allowing him to alter his appearance. He arms himself with a small .22 cal pistol, known as Mike, and a slim dagger, Ike. With Mike and Ike he investigates his family's disappearance and discovers they were murder as part of a hijacking conspiracy. Benson puts together a team of assistants to aid him, including African-American couple Josh and Rosabel Newton, in a rather unique feature of the day. They are portrayed as educated peopleand quite brave, which was a far cry from most depictions in the pulps and in period movies.

Kirby came on board with issue 2 and stayed until the end, in isse 4.



Kirby did the covers of 2 and 3, while Joe Kubert did 1 and 2.

In issue 2, The Avenger goes up against the Skywalker, who wrecks a train, which Richard benson just happens to witness, while lying his plane. Afterwards, he comes upon the house of millionaire inventor Robert Grant, who is murdered by thugs, though they don't get away, thanks to Josh Newton and Richard Benson (who somehow lands upon the scene).



They trace a connection to Darcy Abel, a man who owned the train and was funding Grant. It turns out he arranged this and the Skywalker, with his weapon, which brings down buildings, to blackmail Chicago into paying him $5 million. Of course, Richard benson stops him.

Kirby handles the action well and he is right at home with a pulp hero. Kirby was a life-long fan of the pulps and a voracious reader. The Avenger was right up his alley. Denny O'Neil struggles a bit with this hero and the story lacks the atmosphere that made the Shadow so great. It's a bit more in the Doc Savage world, without the grandeur, but with the weird hook of Benson's disguise-capable skin. O'Neil really doesn't have a good handle on the character. It's a shame Ron Goulart wasn't writing comics, too. The plot itself is adapted from one of the original stories and is a fairly standard pulp plot, also used often in movie serials (including King of the Rocketmen, The Spider's Web and The Shadow of the Eagle and Hurricane Express, with John Wayne).

Issue 3 features a new story, created by Denny O'Neil, which returns a villain from the Shadow, Col. Sodom (he was a general in The Shadow #5; must have been demoted, after his defeat). He has a serum that turns people into monsters and tries to force chemist Fergus MacMurdie into aiding him, until the Avenger gets involved. MacMurdie's wife is turned into a monster and killed.



The Avenger disguises himself as the second best chemist in the nation, sure that Sodom will come for him, which he does, at an auto show. Fights ensue, people are turned into monsters and villains are defeated. This is more like it and Kirby appears to have a blast with it.



Issue 4 gets back to the cliched plot of planes being destroyed, though by flocks of exploding gulls! It turns out to be an insurance scam and we get a fight aboard a dirigible (not a blimp, as O'Neil calls it, as it had a rigid internal frame, which blimps don't) and a fight on the wings of a biplane. Neither Kirby nor O'Neil seem to be aware of how lifting gas is carried in a dirigible (in fuel cells, spread through the ship, rather than an envelope, as in a blimp).



All of that is besides the point. It just seems less, after the previous story. It didn't matter, as The Avenger didn't fare any better in comics than he did in the pulps.

DC later came back to the character, with a two-part painted mini-series, in the late 80s, from Andy Helfer and Kyle Baker. It didn't set the comic world on fire, either, and was mostly an adaptation of that first Avenger story, again. Richard Benson has since returned in DC's First Wave comics and at Dynamite, in Justice, Inc. The title, which was the title for the first Avenger adventure, has been used in place of the Avenger, thanks to Marvel's trademark for The Avengers.

Personally, I think the series could have been better if Kirby had been turned loose on it, to write and draw, though he was reluctant to work on the characters of others. At this point, he was just producing pages to fulfill his contract, rather than create something new (or at least, something big) for DC.

I really have to read Kamandi one of these days... that looks like awesome stuff.

So there is an Omnibus coming out? Excellent! I figured it was likely with the challenge and all, but I hadn't see it yet

Demon #8

Harry and Randu are showing Etrigan around Jason Blood's apartment, trying to stir memories of Jason and,perhaps, bring him back. We see the wonders colelcted by Jason...



(Man, can Kirby create the exotic or what? The fine art world didn't know what it was missing!)

Along the tour, they discover that a pistol and sword of Merlin's are missing and discover a hole in the wall. Etrigan enters the hole and finds a passage down to the sewers, where he encounters a masked and cloaked figure, with Merlin's sword...



Etrigan relieves this mysterious man of the sword and he flees through the sewers, to his lair. There, we see the pathetic creature and a mannequin he calls Galatea. he longs for his lost love and is searching for her. He plays a pipe organ to soothe his loneliness.

Meanwhile, Etrigan feels change coming over him and sleeps, where Jason Blood awakes and is met by Harry and Randu, and a cop. They return home and later recount their adventure to Glenda. harry proposes another party, with everyone dressed as our phantom. Randu snarls at him about the last party and the phantom idea is dropped, though Glenda is keen for another party. Yeah, well, she only has herself to blame for what follows. At the party, Glenda is dressed in a toga and along comes someone dressed as the phantom; the actual Phantom. He nabs her and carries off his Galatea, taking her to his lair to revive her memories of him. There is something familiar about him and his voice, though. Glenda tries to reason with the madman, to no avail. She pulls his mask off to reveal the scarred face underneath.

Prior to the party, Jason experiments with the Philosopher's Stone, trying to find a way to banish Etrigan. he seems to succeed, which proves disastrous when the Phantom strikes. Jason is unable to fight the Phantom and seemingly unable to unleash Etrigan, and suffers injuries. In the end, we are left to wonder if Etrigan is truly gone or if ke can't be killed, as Jason says.

If all of this sounds familiar, it's because Kirby is swiping from the Phantom of the Opera, the Lon Chaney version. When Glenda pulls away the mask he looks very much like Chaney's makeup, though with heavier scarring. There is little original in all of this, apart from the Galatea connection to Glenda, rather than her being a protege of the Phantom, as is Christine Daae to Erik, in Gaston Leroux's novel. Nothing earthshatteringly brilliant here, though Kirby is great with the atmosphere and look of things. You get the sense that the supernatural is less Kirby's natural oeuvre than science fiction and adventure, though he rises to the occasion, as we saw last issue, with Klarion. This feels more like filler material, for Kirby, until a better idea enters his head.

We are at the halfway point, for the Demon. So far, Kirby seems like he is just riffing, putting together stories like a jazz artist creates a piece of music. The idea of an epic, suggested at the beginning, with Morgaine Le Faye has not really played out. Instead, the series has been more episodic, with different monsters, many borrowed from Universal and other cinematic horrors. Klarion gave us something more in the realm of terror; but, not much else. You can see the seeds of things; but Kirby moves along, tossing out ideas and then discovering the next one. Kamandi seems the more natural playground for him and he indulges more. The Demon would be the one to inspire others, either directly, in their treatment of Etrigan, or thematically, as in Mike Mignola's Hellboy.