Update coming tomorrow. I've been working evenings, during our busy season (with an hour commute added on) and have just been a bit worn down). Kind of like being hit by the Omega Effect.

Forever People #2



Our cover sees yet another Kirby collage, with the background cityscape. Too bad the technology to reproduce it wasn't there; or, at least, not economical enough for a comic book cover. However, Kirby's line art comes through and we see MANTIS!



No, not that Mantis, Kirby's, from his original 1967 concept drawings...



Our story begins with the Forever People blocking traffic, as the seek directions.



The cops want them to find a parking lot and clear out, the people make fun of them as hippies. ig Bear asks what a hippie is, and a sarcastic stranger obliges. Big Bear is so tickled he expresses his joyous appreciation to the man...



The gang departs and the scene shifts to Darkseid, who has awakened Mantis, one of his most powerful agents, who came to Earth in search of conquest, without Darkseid's permission. That ain't good...



Mantis makes a bargain with Darkseid to conquer the world for Darkseid, which Mantis says is a done deal! In fact, he says "done" repeatedly. Until he is finally done.

The super-hippies arrive in a slum area, where a kid on crutches (not Freddy Freeman) meets them and asks them if they are real.  Beautiful Dreamer talks to the boy, while the others fret about danger signals from Mother Box. Then, the boy's Uncle Willie (!!!) shows up, waving his gun (!!!!!!!). Beautiful Dreamer sends images into his mind and he then sees the kids as normal, nice people, with "fun names!" He settles down and shows the kids a place they can stay. We then cut to a creepy cemetery (as opposed to a happy cemetery) and an ominous clock striking the hour, then underground to Mantis, emerging from his pod. That might have been scarier if we hadn't already seen Mantis dragged out of the pod by Darkseid's minions, then hop back into it. Oh, well. He's off to start some mayhem.

Back in the city, the FP are furnishing their new place, with cast off junk. Typical hippies! They even get westerns on a broken-down tv, thanks to Serifan's cartridges, from his hatband. He gives a capsule to young Donnie (the lame boy) who then goes on a psychedelic trip. Kids, never take candy from hippies, you dig?



Donnie's trip is interrupted by a news bulletin, about Mantis and his attack on the city. Serifan rouses the others and they realize they need more power. Up in the air goes Mother Box and the kids unite to become the Infinity Man (or release him, whichever really occurs. We see Mantis smashing up the place, with the police futilely trying to stop him. Infinity Man hits the scene, and gets his hinder whupped and body frozen. Darkseid is pleased and introduces us to Desaad, who is basking in the fear that Mantis has generated...



Is that dude creepy or what?

Mantis rains fire down on the city, while Infinity Man, using powers developed in a place where natural laws do not apply (Trump Tower?), frees himself from the block of ice. He then proceeds to launch his comeback on Mantis, blasting him in the kidneys and sending him slithering back to his pod. Darkseid watches him slip into it and dis-es his minion. He does not plan, unlike Darkseid, who will find the link to the Anti-Life Equation.

Well, it's all very silly and trippy and not much is accomplished. The Forever People never get directly involved in the conflict, just sick the Infinity Man on them. Pacifism is one thing, violence by proxy is another. Kirby is kind of caught between wanting to celebrate the idealistic youth of the time and telling a two-fisted adventure story. Kirby spent the early part of his life fighting, in neighborhood gangs and then against the Nazis; so, he's not the sidelines kind of guy. He seems to admire the ideals of youth; but he has too much knowledge of how the world actually works. Again, this is an idealistic book, and is more metaphorical than the other 4th World books. Still, we get a great intro to Desaad, who is probably the slimiest character ever created in comics, which made it great when he was voiced by Rene Auberjonois, on Superfriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, after playing Clayton Endicott, on Benson. He did so well, he repeated the role on Justice League.

Mister Miracle #2



Truth time; this is my favorite of Kirby's 4th World covers. It's simplistic design makes the image pop out. Mister Miracle is moments from death, with Oberon running to rescue him. Plus, we have a hint of Granny Goodness. This makes you want to open the book.

Our story opens with Scott and Oberon assembling some kind of robot, which turns out to be a "follower" which will mimic his movements. Look at the graphic elements of the page...



That detailing around the panels serves both as a border and to give a cohesive theme to the mechanics involved in the robot, as well as the storytelling. Kirby was one of the great visual experimnetors in comics, along with Neal Adams and Jim Steranko, and Will Eisner and Jack Cole before the younger crowd.

Just as Scott is trying out his new toy, a machine strikes...



Scott is blasted and seemingly knocked out or possibly killed. Oberon rushes to grab an extinguisher and fights the fire. he can't find Scott in the smoke, when he finally encounters the revived young man, free of the straightjacket he had been bound in. They aren't sure about what just happened; but, Scott wants to soldier on with his practice. We cut to an old mansion, where we are introduced to Kirby's grand creation of Granny Goodness, the evil witch and dominatrix who turns innocent children into weapons of destruction. This is Mother Goose twisted for evil.



We watch as Granny dispenses sadistic punishment on her soldier lackeys and learn that she ran the "orphanage" from which Scott escaped. She is going to make him pay for rebelling!

We get more info about Mother Box, as she was wounded in the blast. Scott feeds her his love to help her repair. Oberon is astonished at the living computer. Scott is back at the escape drawing board, recreating the cover (minus costume) and Mother Box helps him time his escape to the instant, as he gets loose from his bonds and dodges the spears fired at him. As he speaks of Mother Box, Oberon has come to the conclusion that Scott is not from Earth and Scott tells him he came to Earth via a Boom Tube. so, now we know he is of the world of the New Gods and Darkseid.

Oberon cleans up, after Scott leaves the room, and the "follower" reactivates and stands. Just then, Granny's thugs attack, thinking the robot is Scott. they blast it and Oberon and take them back to Granny. Scott overhears, while donning his costume, and follows, debuting his Aero-Discs. We cut to Granny's mansion, where here dogs are yapping about capturing the rebellious Scott Free, while Granny reveals that she serves Darkseid. She goes to see her prize and discovers the robot, instead. She tosses it as Scott bursts into the room.

Kirby uses the Aero-Discs to bring a sense of motion, as Scott speeds through the room and scoops up Oberon. Granny is quicker then her goons and activates a trap, which snares Mister Miracle and Oberon, sealing them in the X-Pit!



Scott and Oberon find themselves sealed in a transparent cage, with tortures activated by circuitry. Scott cycles through them, setting fires, getting blasted by electricity, water and rising mud. he tries to holgd Oberon aloft, as the mud covers him.

We cut to Granny and see her cry crocodile tears as she has lost her precious Scott, but she is comforted by her prise from Darkseid. Just then, her prize explodes and Scott and Oberon appear, unharmed. Scott tells how Mother Box analyzed the traps and tortures and sensed radiation, which strengthened her and Scott jammed her into the cage circuits, causing feedback which destroyed Overlord. he then proceeds to taunt Granny with his success and his rebellion, telling her to dry up and blow away, as he departs with Oberon. Scott shows that Granny, like all bullies, is a coward in the face of someone who stands up to them, unafraid. He shows that she has no real power but the fear of those who behold her. Meet her fearlessly and she falters. He is victorious.

This is a fantastic issue and one of my favorites of the series. Granny is one of Kirby's greatest villains, which is why she has been used almost as much as Darkseid. the idea of a twisted granny who abuses, rather than loves is horrifying and Kirby gives her an appearance to match. Her personality also elevates her above Darkseid's other minions, making her truly memorable. The issue also abounds with action and excitement, as Kirby has figures flying and battling, while also having them strive against natural elements. it is an epic tale, worthy of a master of epic saga. It again demonstrates why Mister Miracle was the most successful of the 4th World characters and books. Everyone can relate to the idea of escaping from and triumphing over the things and people that torment you, while Kirby makes it look spectacular. This was a character that embodied action, much as did Captain America and Stuntman. In other words, it's right up Kirby's alley.

I bought most of these when they came out. Starting with JO. I was just getting into Kirby art. I was focused on the art, not the story so much.

Later I realized that others had a problem with the writing and pacing. And I went along with that thought; that Kirby needed an editor to slow down his storytelling and let things happen at a digestible pace.

But seeing this thread now(in my 60s) I see the sheer explosion of one man's creativity; it makes me marvel at the fact that this stuff got published. What other artist has been given such incredible freedom by a corporate publisher to just machine gun all these ideas non stop?

I would agree, to a point.  Here's the point; Kirby's intention was to start the books and hand them off to others.  Mark Evanier talked about how he wanted guys like Steve Ditko and Don Heck to take over after the first few issues, in his afterword in the 4th World Omnibus.  he mentions that Kirby talked about Ditko for Mister Miracle, Heck or John Romita for the forever people (and I think Heck would have done a . er, heck of a job on that kind of material) and Wally Wood on Orion (as New Gods was originally to be called).  However, that's not what DC wanted and what they locked into Kirby's contract.  He was required to produce 15 pages of story and art per week, for his page rate (which was the highest in the industry; but, with that rather massive catch).  That's 60 pages of story and art a month!  Most artist's heads would explode with india ink at the thought of that.  So, Kirby wanted to get it going and let others run with it, the same as he had at Marvel, and DC and Timely, before.

All of that said, I don't think Stan had the right mindset for something like this; at least, not New Gods.  I could possibly see Stan dialoguing Forever People or Jimmy Olsen; maybe Mister Miracle; but, I doubt I would have enjoyed the results.  Kirby was looking at serious, old-fashioned myth, in a sci-fi context.  That was Thor at Marvel; but, more in the hands of Kirby, in his Tales of Asgard stories, where Stan had almost no involvement.  As it was, the regular Thor stories were more of Jack's plot, according to most sources.  Forever People is more about ideas and philosophies and I can see Stan being able to work within that, with the livelier personalities of the youths.  I can possibly see the Jimmy Olsen stories, with them being more like the FF, exploring weird scientific mysteries, with a lively group of energetic characters.  However, the sticking point there would be the alienation that Kirby brought out in his Superman.  here's a character so different from everyone. Sure, he thinks of himself as an Earthman, thanks to his upbringing with the Kents; but, lingering in the back of his mind is still the fact that he is different.  That was a key personality element missing from the Superman stories of the day.  A few of the young turks, like Denny O'neil and Elliot Maggin were starting to touch on that; but not with the same emotional depth I see in Kirby's early issues.  I think the 80s/90 Superman crews latched onto it better, thanks to Kirby's inspiration.

There are weaknesses, though.  Kirby was very much a stream of consciousness creator, so, his destination in all of this is a bit nebulous.  As such, he kind of gets distracted by new material and lets ideas and threads from previous stories kind of sit there.  I kind of agree with Red Oak Kid that he could have used some editorial insight, from someone like Archie Goodwin, who could say, slow down a bit jack; let's let the readers absorb some of this, for a bit, before we hit them with more.  Kirby's deal made him his own editor, except that Carmine Infantino could overrule him, and it sounds like some of the old guard were whispering in Carmine's ears (or maybe it felt that way, to some).  Who knows what Kirby would have done if he had been given his way.  i think his ideas about collecting the stories and have them be interconnected series was revolutionary and DC could have really run with it, if they had the, um, er, brass to do it.  Alas, DC wasn't one for taking big chances; certainly not then.  had this been the Kahn regime, I think we would have had a much different history.

Forever People #3



This is a fantastic Kirby cover, which really brings home the theme of the issue, as we will see. The muted colors on the foreground figures pulls focus to the Justifier, one of the villains of the issue. The word balloon hammers home Kirby's target: fascism! "Live by my rules or die!"

Kirby begins the issue with a quote:

"That is the great thing about our movement--that these members are uniform not only in ideas; but, even the facial expression is almost the same."

The quote is from Adolf Hitler. Make no bones about it, Anti-Life is Fascism, pure and simple. Darkseid's ultimate goal is the total domination of life in the Universe, to bring it completely under his control, where every mind is uniform in its obedience to him, as the leader; or fuhrer. That is Fsacism; the total subjugation of free will to the state and its leader. Blind obedience. Kirby fought these forces head on. When he and Joe Simon created Captain America, they sent a message to the fascists, as Cap punches Hitler on the cover. American fascists came out of the woodwork and made threats to Timely. Legend has it that one call came into the offices, threatening to beat Simon & Kirby into the ground. Kirby grabbed the phone and told the caller to meet him outside the lobby and went down to find an empty sidewalk. Kirby knew fascist were nothing but petty bullies and the way to stop bullies is to stand up to them. He did it on the comic page in the 1940s, then put on a uniform, picked up an M-1 and went out and did it on the battlefield. 30 years later, he returned to the fight on the comics page.

Kirby spells out Anti-Life at the start. We see an expressionless crowd. They hang on the every word of the unseen orator, speaking their agreement that they are being destroyed by outsiders, how their every setback is the fault of others, who work against them. We see this orator...



He is Glorious Godfrey, the evangelist preaching the gospel of Anti-Life. he tells the crowd that they can wield death and pain and put on masked helmets to become Justifiers, and set right their world. become mindless soldiers in the service of violence and terror. Attack those who are unjust, who oppose you. You are justified! It is the gift of the great Darkseid!



The scene shifts to Donnie's apartment, where a Justifier has smashed his way in and has Donnie in his clutches, the massive bully holding a lame boy, threatening him and calling him garbage. Beautiful Dreamer casts an illusion and fakes out the Justifier and the kids get Donnie to safety. The Justifier sets of a bomb, though the Forever People and Donnie are safe. They get Donnie to sanctuary and go off to confront Glorious Godfrey, who they recognize as the voice behind these thugs. We see the Justifiers in action; stormtroopers of Anti-Life:



The Justifiers cart people away, while Godfrey watches from afar. The scene shifts and the Forever People arrive at their destination; a tent ralley with Glorious Godfrey. They unite with Mother Box and bring forth the Infinity Man, who infiltrates the revival. he confronts Godfrey and destroys his hypnotic organ. He seems to gain the upper hand, when he is confronted with Darkseid, whose power is greater and cripples the Infinity Man, forcing him to return the Forever People. They stand up to Darkseid...



But aren't powerful enough and are knocked unconscious by Desaad. They are carted away by Justifiers, to be taken to the Camp of the Damned, where they and others will be the playthings of Desaad.

Darkseid is Hitler, Godfrey is Goebbels, Desaad is Mengele. Make no mistake, this is fascism. We know what this camp is, we know what happened. The cry, "Never forget!" carries great meaning to the generation who fought fascism and were sacrificed to it.

There is more to this story though. Jack Kirby hated Richard Nixon with a passion. In him, he saw the embodiment of the fascist mindset. Nixon was noted for anti-semitic slurs and utter paranoia. He used fascist methods against those he perceived as enemies. mark Evanier has said how much of Darkseid reflected Kirby's view of Nixon, as well as every petty tyrant; but, especially Hitler and Nixon. Kirby didn't just base Godfrey on Goebbels. he looked closer to home. Rev. Billy Graham...



Graham was an intimate of Nixon and a fiery orator. In 2002 and 2009, some of Nixon's tapes were released to the public and found graham agreeing with anti-semitic sentiments expressed by Nixon. Graham apologized and said the context of one was misinterpreted. Whether Kirby felt Graham was an anti-semite, i don't know. What is clear is that he modelled the look of Godfrey on Graham. Graham's "crusades" were broadcast on tv and he was a prominent public figure, with access to the halls of power. If Nixon is embodied in Darkseid, than you can see how he might choose to model Darkseid's evangelist of Nixon's religious confidant, regardless of whether he believed that Graham agreed with Nixon's fascist ideas or not. Graham was notable for insisting on integration at his revivals and working with Martin Luther King, though he also gave voice to segregationists, when he let Texas governor Price Daniel speak at one of his services. Graham also held controversial views about the Vietnam War, a war which Kirby opposed. So, there is a context for Kirby's use of the man as a template. We see how Godfrey is pampered by subordinates and many have criticized the opulence of many evangelicals, who seem to use religion to build their own wealth. Even Pope Francis has criticized the wealth of some of the church hierarchy, in contrast to world poverty.

Whatever Kirby's views on the state of the country and figures within it, he has crafted a tremendous allegory of fascism here. He shows how a small group of failures, matched with a charismatic orator, build a movement where scapegoats are blamed for every perceived slight. They give voice to those who seek others to blame for their own shortcomings and feelings of inadequacy. They use terror and violence to attack those "enemies," mindlessly following the dictates of their leader. they remove "undesirables" and herd them off to camps and ghettos, never to be seen again. They hide behind masks and uniforms and always attack the weakest and back down when faced with those who will stand and fight. Kirby lived it and brought this warning to a new generation. This issue will convince you that Kirby was a great writer and a deep thinker.

Mister Miracle #3



Alert to the Overstreet Guide; bondage cover!!!!

Please note the 5,000 maniacs. Guess Natalie Merchant hadn't joined yet. Also, MM is looking mighty white! Maybe be jostled around by the crowd has made him queasy.

Our story opens as a Boom tube does. We see some robotic figures (animates, Kirby tells us) emerge carrying another. He is gently set down and then a man materializes in his place.



It is Dr Bedlam, the master of mental terror. he sends his other animates back and sits down to make a phone call. Nothing is scarier than a phone solicitor!

Back at the ranch, Scott is strapped into a death device and Oberon is fretting as the phone rings. Isn't always the way; the phone always rings when you are in the middle of avoiding being crushed by a granite block, while chained up in some weird frame. Well, maybe at an S&M club. Scott tells Oberon to get it and Oberon asks if he's nuts. Scott gets out of the trap and tells Oberon to get it now. It's Dr Bedlam and Scott takes the call.



Scott agrees to meet for battle, then prepares by showing Oberon, via Mother Box, what bedlam is like. They experience various terrors, until the finally escape the psychic assault. Scott goes off to face Bedlam, and the Chandler Tower.



There, Bedlam tells him all he has to do is make it to the bottom and walk out the lobby. The catch? bedlam drops a pill into the ventilator shaft that drives 5,000 people in the building into raving maniacs. Oh, and he seals the outside of the building. Scott must descend through the crowd of crazies.



Scott is eventually overcome by sheer numbers and finds himself carried off and dumped into a handy trunk. It's wrapped in rope and chains; but, the considerate maniacs make sure he can breathe.



They then pick up the trunk and carry it to an open stairwell, where they chuck it over the side, to plummet 45 floors.



How will Scott escape? Whose luggage was that? What about the previous contents? Can the owner file a damage claim for the air holes punctured into it and the scratches and dents? Tune in next issue!

All in all, it's a bit of a light issue, though it ends in suitable cliffhanger fashion. Dr Bedlam makes an impact with his arrival and Scott builds him up as a terrifying foe, via his demonstration to Oberon. However, Bedlam has always struck me as a bit of a weak foe. Acting through his animates doesn't make him that threatening. he's not as creepy as Desaad or as terrifying as Granny Goodness. he just kind of seems to be a lower echelon flunky for Darkseid. he's also lacking in personality, though the phone call bit is a nice touch. He is evil, in a rather cold, calculating manner.

Kirby's still kind of feeling his way around with Mister Miracle. Last issue gave us Granny, which was a big step in the evolution of Scott Free. This seems more like an obstacle to overcome, than a link to the epic nature of the 4th World. It's all very standard superhero action, like any issue of Daredevil with the Purple Man, or Iron Man with the Controller. The hero has to fight the crowd, without hurting the innocents, and get to the mastermind at the center. It's not bad; just a bit run of the mill, for Kirby.