New Gods #5

New Gods #5 (On Sale: August 12, 1971), has a cover by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer.

We begin with "Spawn" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Mike Royer. Orion is captured by Slig of the Deep Six, but manages to break free and kills Slig in battle. Meanwhile, Sgt. "Terrible" Turpin of the Metropolis police force starts investigating the mystery of Inter-Gang's actions in the city and Kalibak arrives on Earth looking for Orion. Reprinted in New Gods #3 (1984), Jack Kirby's New Gods TPB (1998), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and New Gods by Jack Kirby TPB (2018).

Our first backup is Manhunter in "Scavenger Hunt" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Joe Simon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #74 (1942). While attending a costume party, Paul Kirk interrupts a dispute between two guests, Henry and Big Droop. Kirk suggests settling the dispute by competing in a scavenger hunt. Then as the Manhunter, Kirk assists Henry in tracking down and capturing Crusher Burns, a wanted felon, that is Henry’s target for the hunt. As a result, Henry successfully completes his mission and wins a date with Patty, another party guest.

We end with "Introducing Fastbak" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. Fastbak, a young god of New Genesis, is surpassed in speed only by Lightray, but his races are usually cut short for singing practice. Reprinted in Jack Kirby's New Gods TPB (1998), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and Black Racer and Shilo Norman Special #1 (2017).

edited by Jack Kirby.

Forever People #5

Forever People #5 (On Sale: August 3, 1971), has a cover by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer.

We begin this issue with "Sonny Sumo" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. Mother Box helps heal Sonny Sumo of burn wounds after he fights a robot. Then it transports Sonny to Happyland, where he helps break the Forever People free of Desaad's traps. When Desaad's guards attack them, Sonny takes the advice of Mark Moonrider and unites his will with that of the Mother Box, putting their enemies to sleep. 

Darkseid, watching from afar, realizes that Sumo possesses the Anti-Life Equation. He decides that the Forever People must be killed, and Sumo captured. Reprinted in Jack Kirby's Forever People TPB (1999), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and Forever People by Jack Kirby TPB (2021).

Next, we have the Sandman in "Crime Carnival" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Joe Simon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #84 (1943). Four men begin a robbery spree, using carnival talents in their crimes. Sandman investigates, but the criminals give him the slip using a convertible van. Sandman deduces that they are members of a carnival and catches up to them again. This time he sees through their ruse of the trick van and captures them.

We end with  "Lonar" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. Lunar, poking amidst the ruins of an "old gods'" battlefield, liberates a great white horse, Thunderer from suspended animation. Reprinted in Jack Kirby's Forever People TPB (1999), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and New Gods Special #1 (2017). 

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Mister Miracle #4

Mister Miracle #4 (On Sale: July 13, 1971), has a cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta. 

This issue begins with "The Closing Jaws of Death" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. This story introduces Big Barda, Mr. Miracle's lover and friend from Apokolips, who arrives on Earth to help him escape from Dr. Bedlam's trap. Reprinted in Jack Kirby's Mister Miracle TPB (1998), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and Mister Miracle by Jack Kirby TPB (2017).

Next up is "Pirate or Patriot?" by Jack Kirby and reprinted from Real Fact Comics #1 (1946). Facts about Jean Lafitte,  who warned the Americans that the British planned on invading New Orleans.

We end with the Boy Commandos in "The Romance of Rip Carter" written and penciled by Joe Simon and inked by Jack Kirby and reprinted from Detective Comics #82 (1943). Rip Carter and the Boy Commandos are sent on a mission to destroy a Nazi supply tunnel in Italy. Their plane is shot down and the Commandos are forced to bail out. They are found by Italian resistance fighters and returned to the allied forces. Rip reports that his mission to destroy the tunnel has failed, but his commanding officer explains that his wrecked plane the Rosalind K crashed into the tunnel, completing the mission.

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #141

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #141 (On Sale: July 8, 1971), has a cover by Jack Kirby and Neal Adams.

Our new material is "Will the Real Don Rickles Panic?" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. Clark Kent is almost taken to Apokolips by the UFO, which is a trap of Darkseid's, but is rescued by Lightray and sent back to Earth. Morgan Edge is visited by Don Rickles, but Jimmy Olsen and Goody Rickels appear in his office and are about to combust from the Pyro-Granulate. 

The Golden Guardian appears, having forced Ugly Mannheim to give him the antidote, and cures Jimmy and Goody, having already cured himself and the Newsboy Legion. Don Rickles, maddened by the happenings, hitches a ride out of Edge's office with two members of the police bomb squad. Reprinted in Jimmy Olsen: Adventures by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 TPB (2003), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen by Jack Kirby TPB (2019).

Our reprint is  (The Story of the Newsboy Legion)  written by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, penciled by Jack Kirby, and inked by Joe Simon and reprinted from Star Spangled Comics #7 (1942). One evening in Suicide Slum, York City, rookie cop Jim Harper gets beaten up by some thugs and decides to take a new approach to crimefighting. He breaks into a costume shop, assembles an "action outfit" that includes a sturdy shield and a crash helmet, leaves some money on the counter, and goes after the gang. He finds them in a pool parlor and smacks the hell out of all of them. He can't arrest them, so he ties them up and leaves them for the regular police. Also one of them drops his wallet, and Harper checks the serial numbers on some of his cash; it turns out to match the serial numbers from an earlier ransom payment.

The next day, Harper arrests four quasi-delinquent, roller-skate-equipped young newspaper vendors, all orphans, pushed into crime by financial desperation, for shoplifting a hardware store. He accompanies them to their hearing and asks the judge to keep them out of reform school and remand them to his personal custody. He wants to try a different approach with these kids and legally becomes their guardian.

The boys don't exactly reform instantly, and soon a local lowlife, Frankie the Fence, uses them as a distraction for an armed robbery, in which a man is killed. This doesn't sit well with the boys, who go visit Frankie to tell him off, but Frankie decides to shut up these potential witnesses with a gun. The Guardian bursts into the room, and takes down the fence with one big roundhouse punch, then lets him get away, hoping he'll run back to his unknown boss. 

Frankie pulls himself together and runs to the waterfront, gets in a boat, and speeds away, pursued by the Guardian, who borrows an unguarded boat, and who is in return pursued by the Newsboys, who now are stymied; the Guardian took the last boat. They convert a wooden wagon into a makeshift rowboat, and follow along as best they can, figuring along the way that a nearby lighthouse is the likeliest place for a hideout. 

This turns out to be correct, and at the lighthouse, the Guardian has run into trouble. Frankie's boss, Chips Carder, a smuggler, has managed to head-konk the Guardian unconscious. The boys show up; Guardian sees them and the bad guys don't. Guardian suggests, in language that only Big Words understands, that they should paint the lighthouse light red. They very quickly accomplish this, then charge inside to brawl with Chips and Frankie, while the red light above draws the Coast Guard, who arrive just in time to shoot Chips Carder as he draws a bead on the Guardian's back. While the USCG is sorting things out, the Guardian slips away, and motorboats back to shore.

Before their first adventure is even over, the boys begin to suspect that the Guardian is Jim Harper.

Edited by Jack Kirby.

New Gods #4

New Gods #4 (On Sale: June 15, 1971), has a cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta.

We begin this issue with The New Gods in  "O'Ryan Gang and the Deep Six" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. Seagrin, an oceanic New God, is found murdered by the police and Orion. He deduces that forces from Apokolips have found a way of screening their operations from a Mother Box. To find the "jammer", he enlists the help of his four new friends from Earth, calls himself "O'Ryan", and sends them to infiltrate Inter-Gang. They do so and trick the Inter-Gangsters into exposing the jammer device. Orion destroys it, then seeks out the Deep Six, the murderers of Seagrin, and is caught by Slig, one of the Deep Six members. This has been reprinted in New Gods #2 (1984), Jack Kirby's New Gods TPB (1998), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and New Gods by Jack Kirby TPB (2018).

Our first backup story is the Manhunter in "The Secret of the Buzzard's Revenge" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Joe Simon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #73 (1942). Empire City is plagued by a costumed crook called the Buzzard. Police Inspector Donovan and his men are killed by the crook. Inspired by Donovan’s death, big-game hunter Paul Kirk (sometimes called Rick Nelson) dons a costume of his own and pursues the Buzzard, deciding that hunting a human game will be more challenging. He captures the Buzzard and his men and begins his career as Manhunter. This was the first Simon/Kirby Manhunter and was a different character than the Manhunter, also named Paul Kirk, which appeared in Adventure Comics #58-72.

The final backup is "Coast Guard Reconnaissance" written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and reprinted from Boy Commandos #12 (1945).

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Forever People #4

Forever People #4 (On Sale: June 1, 1971), has an odd cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta. The real news with this cover is the revamping of the entire DC line increasing in price from 15 to 25 cents and in size from 32 to 48 pages. This might be seen as an OK deal if the additional 16 pages were new, but they were not.

We begin this first expanded issue with the Forever People in "The Kingdom of the Damned" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. The Forever People are taken to Happyland, an amusement park run by DeSaad, who tortures them in various inventive ways there. Darkseid searches for a mind which can comprehend the Anti-Life Equation. And the Forever People's Mother Box, about to be executed by Desaad, phases out and winds up in the hands of martial artist Sonny Sumo. This tale has been reprinted in Jack Kirby's Forever People TPB (1999). Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 2 TPB (2012), and Forever People by Jack Kirby TPB (2021).

Our backup reprint is the Sandman in "The Unholy Dreams of Gentleman Jack" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Joe Simon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #85 (1943). Prisoner Jack Jarvis dreams of a life of luxury in jail. He also wants Sandman imprisoned in solitary confinement. When Jarvis is released, he creates a jail for himself to make his dream come true. Then he summons Sandman, locking him in an airtight room. Sandy rescues his friend and together, they end Jarvis’ dream.

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Brother Power, the Geek #2

Brother Power, the Geek #2 (On Sale: September 5, 1968) has a cover by the legendary Joe Simon, the creator of Brother Power. Not a bad cover this time out.

"A Visit from the Dead" is by Joe Simon though like last issue the artwork is generally credited to Al Bare and Bill Draut and Jack Oleck is considered the co-writer. As we last left Brother Power, the Geek he had driven his motorcycle off a bridge to a watery doom. As we pick up the story while fishing some kids accidentally hook a Geek. Then a guy named the Baron decides to steal Brother Power’s boots, so then he and his gang fly their homemade bi-plane to go do it.

Brother Power kicks their butts and recaps his origin. The kids get him a job in a market, where he starts as a mover and bag boy but moves up the ranks. He ends up finding work and encouraging other hippies (the group from the first issue show up) to do so, eventually getting hired by the J.P. Acme Corporation just as it was taken over by the wicked Lord Sliderule. Brother Power's ingenuity still made the assembly line run more efficiently.

Lord Sliderule launches an unmanned space missile that malfunctions and explodes and the factory is surrounded by tanks who want to destroy the Geek. Geek runs into the Baron, who has become a hippie, and has a glider crash into the tanks. Brother Power was last seen being shot into space on orders from Governor Ronald Reagan, after trying to prevent the sabotage of a rocket launch by Mad Dawg and his gang, knowing it would be blamed on hippies. yeah, it wasn't the tightest of plots.

This was the final issue of Brother Power, The Geek and it has long been regarded as one of the biggest flops in DC history. However, the demise of Brother Power, the Geek had little to do, actually, nothing to do with sales. While sales were modest, Brother Power's real problem was with some of the old-time DC staff. To be precise, Mort Weisinger.

Carmine Infantino has claimed in several interviews following his retirement that Superman editor Mort Weisinger disliked the character very strongly, and petitioned DC publisher Jack Liebowitz to shut down the title. Infantino and others who knew and worked with "Uncle Mortie" have said that Weisinger harbored an admitted dislike for the hippie subculture of the 60's, and felt that Simon portrayed them too sympathetically.

According to Joe Simon, the third issue was canceled just before the finished artwork was to be set up for print duplication, and to this day Simon refuses to discuss exactly what the plot of this issue was about, nor release any of the original art.

Would Brother Power, the Geek ever became a mainstream hit at DC? I kind of doubt it, but it certainly would have had a longer shot. Most of the books that DC killed during this time period were given a full year to make it or die; Geek never got that shot.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Brother Power, the Geek #1

Brother Power, the Geek #1 (On Sale: July 4, 1968) has a cover by the legendary Joe Simon, the creator of Brother Power. Man do I dislike the color on this one.

You can't say DC wasn't trying new ideas, as Joe Orlando reacalled in Comic Book Artist #1, "Carmine (Infantino) called me into his office and told me I was Joe Simon's editor. Joe had Brother Power the Geek's first issue written and drawn so I just did the paperwork. I didn't think that it was my kind of book but it was Joe Simon! Can I give him corrections?! Not me! Am I going to stand in the way of the man who originated Romance comics? So Brother Power, the Geek did not become the Newsboy Legion but it was fun working with Joe"

This first issue, "A Thing is Born," credits the story and art to Joe Simon, yet it has been widely reported that in actuality the book was co-written by Jack Oleck and drawn by Al Bare and Bill Draut. Regardless of the actual creators, the first issue opens with a motorcycle gang running over a group of hippies. Seeking refuge, some of the hippies hide in a tailor shop, and one of them puts his clothes on an old dummy to dry them by the radiator. The dummy is struck by lightning and comes to life. The motorcycle gang burst in, and the dummy fends off their attack.

The hippies quickly dub him Brother Power and alternately, the Geek (the book was originally supposed to be called “The Freak” but higher-ups at DC thought that was too drug-related). They teach the Geek to talk, but naturally it is their version of English is 60’s comic book hippie lingo.

Our two hippie friends and Brother Power go to the Psychedelic Circus Parade, but it’s actually a trap by the motorcycle gang from earlier, the Mongrels. Brother Power is kidnapped, and the hippies band together to save him, dressing in weird superhero costumes. It’s described in the actual dialogue as a “comic book hero happening!” There is a huge fight which also involves a strong man, but the good guys get free and Brother Power becomes leader of the flower children.

After this, Brother Power decides to run for congressional office (I'm not making this up), but the gang comes after him. Confronted by the gang again there is another fight and and then the cops get involved. The book ends with Brother Power driving a motorcycle off a bridge to a watery doom.

To say this is not your typical DC comic book is to put it mildly. According to Simon, the concept behind Brother Power was derived heavily from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, right down to reanimation with the use of lightning. At the same time, Simon was also attempting to capture the sort of "wandering outcast philosopher" characterization that made Marvel Comics' Silver Surfer a cult hit amongst the college student readers of the period.

Brother Power has long been regarded as one of the biggest flops in DC history; next issue being his last, but as I will go into next issue, the demise of Brother Power, the Geek had little to do, actually, nothing to do with sales. See you then.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Hawkman #26

Hawkman #26 (On Sale: April 18, 1968) has a cover by Dick Dillin and Charles Cuidera.

"Last Stand on Thanagar" is by Raymond Marais, Dick Dillin and Charles Cuidera. This is Marais' first story for DC and may be an alias. Marais is also credited with work on The Sub-Mariner at Marvel and Flash Gordon at King. This is the first of ten stories he would write for DC. Hawkman and Hawkgirl are called home when the Thanagarian fleet in the Ilian quadrant falls. When General Ariosto, head of the winged police force, addresses the assembled operatives, he announces that one of the them is a traitor, who has leaked defense information through his Absorbascon. The Synaptic Felxometer reveals the traitor to be Katar Hol, who escapes with Shayera's help.

Stalked, with Shayera in custody and the real traitor loose, Hawkman heads to subspace and Earth to determine who stole his Absorbascon. Meanwhile, Queen Elba of the Infinite Empire has ordered her man on Earth, Colonel Alpheus, to stop him.

Hawkman had recently discovered the Egg of Harun on Earth, which he believed to be a harmless relic, but which is actually a nullifier device invented by the enemies of the Empire, and which had prevented its conquest of the Universe for three centuries. Katar escapes with the egg into hyperspace, although his ship is badly damaged and is attacked when he approaches his home. His ship is destroyed and Hawkman is wounded, but he still manages to get to headquarters, and gives the egg to Ariosto, which raises doubts in the general's mind whether he is truly a traitor.

The back-up story is "The Rocket Lanes of Tomorrow" from Real Fact Comics #1 penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Joe Simon.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.