Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus 2

Jack Kirby's Fourth World #2

by Jack Kirby

Continuing the 4-book series collecting the work of Jack Kirby! DC collects four series -- THE NEW GODS, THE FOREVER PEOPLE, MISTER MIRACLE and SUPERMAN'S PAL JIMMY OLSEN -- in chronological order as they originally appeared. These comics spanned galaxies, from the streets of Metropolis to the far-flung worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips, as cosmicpowered heroes and villains struggled for supremacy. In this second volume, collecting NEW GODS #4-6 ,FOREVER PEOPLE #4-6, JIMMY OLSEN #141-145 and MISTER MIRACLE #4-6 , the evil Darkseid's schemes continue to unfold while the New Gods, Forever People, Mr. Miracle and other heroes battle his many minions!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction, Science Fiction

396 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2007

About the author

Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg) was one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books, and the co-creator of such enduring characters and popular culture icons as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Captain America, and hundreds of others stretching back to the earliest days of the medium. He was also a comic book writer and editor. His most common nickname is "The King."

Reviews

[Randy Lander · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the first volume of Fourth World is notable for its introduction of many characters and concepts, it is the second volume where things really get rolling. The third contains some of the best stories, but that doesn't mean there aren't some famous ones in here, such as "The Glory Boat" and "Funky Flashman."

My favorites in this volume are actually "The Man From Transilvane!" and "Genocide Spray!", a two-parter introducing the notion of a whole world that existed alongside ours in miniature and had some nifty twists on movie monsters, and I also loved the "Sonny Sumo!" character and story, which I hadn't read before, since this was my first real exposure to The Forever People stories. Actually, given how much I really like Mister Miracle, and didn't really like the concept of Forever People when anyone else handled them, I was surprised at how much I liked Kirby's Forever People stories.

This is a strong volume, occasionally off on weird tangents that don't pay off but usually a pretty good indicator of why this stuff is so well-regarded. There's a tinge of sadness in reading this to realize that it didn't succeed commercially, because it's clear that Kirby had enough concepts here to write and draw out the rest of his life, and I sure do wish there was more Kirby Fourth World to read.

Walt Simonson's introduction is a good read, Mark Evanier's afterword insightful and informational as usual and the pages of Kirby's original pencils in the back a true delight.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus, Volume 2
Author: Jack Kirby, Vince Colletta, John Constanza, Mike Royer
Publisher: DC Comics
Publishing Date: 2007
Pgs: 270
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REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:




The Fourth World. The New Gods, The Forever People, Mister Miracle and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen -- in chronological order as they originally appeared. These comics spanned galaxies, from the streets of Metropolis to the far-flung worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips, as cosmic-powered heroes and villians struggled for supremacy. In this second volume, the evil Darkseid's schemes continue to unfold while the New Gods, the Forever People, Mr. Miracle and others heroes battle his many minions.
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Genre:
DC Comics
Graphic Novels
Omnibus
Jack Kirby
Classics
Science Fiction
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Cover and Interior Art:
The combat between the human-like primitives and the goblin-ape types splash page when Metro takes Esak into the past on his Mobius chair for study purposes is awesome. Great art.

Tropes:
Big Barda in the bathtub...gratuitous, yet introspective.
Hmm Moments:
Orion's dark, bestial nature is very much the forefather of Beserker Wolverine.

Uhm Moments:
So the heroes flew off and left the old man lashed to the mast of the wooden ship by himself.

Calling the Ball:
Still disorienting with the way this was presented. Would've been better with Jimmy Olsen, The New Gods, Mister Miracle, and the Forever People as separate collections. Other than Kirby and the chronology, the relationship between these books was sparse to non-existent. Though doing it this way does give you the same effect as the original readers would've had.

Meh / PFFT Moments:
The Don Rickles-Goody Rickles issues of Jimmy Olsen sucked and then sucked some more. Wonder if that was a corporate decision to shoehorn him in. And it was a rough portrayal too. He doesn't translate well to the comics.

Having Scott and Barda escape Baron Bedlam's trap offscreen is anticlimactic, severely.

Of course, the Forever People point out to Sonny Sumo that he must have a connection to the Anti-Life Equation while still in Desaad and Darkseid's clutches. They couldn't possibly be listening in. Pfft.

Wait...What?:
Big Barda: “The little rat...he needs a disciplined tongue.” … … …kay.

The Sigh:
Kirby was still very much connected to the early 60s and earlier in the ways that he had his characters talk and interact. Course so was DC at that point. The evolution towards a more modern parlance in comics was just beginning and wouldn't really reach fruition until the DC Explosion/Implosion and the Marvel heyday that was just dawning. The hip lingo that all the kids were using is like nails on a chalkboard.

Juxtaposition:
The New Genesians and the Apokoliptans, both seem to not care at all about collateral damage. The New Genesians do, but only after they're threatened by the Apokoliptans.

Anachronism:
“One side, diplomat!” ...Yeah that tells him to get the hell outta your way.

The orphan soldiers in Granny Goodness' orphanage taunt Scott Free, the future Mr Miracle, as they punish him for failing to subsume himself into the cruelty of the Cult of Darkseid. "Jab those electro-rods! Jab! Jab!" and "Here comes, Mushy-Bottom! We've been waiting for you, Mushy-Bottom!" with the response, "We'll harden you up!" ... ... ...kay. I guess? Those three quotes are in two scenes, back-to-back. There are alotta closeted and not-so-closeted S&M overtones in New Genesis and Apokolips stories. Even in the early 70s, someone in editorial had to see how that sounded...though maybe not.

Logic Gaps:
Jimmy Olsen and the Newsboy Legion flying to Scotland in the Whiz Wagon, a multiuse Swiss Army knife vehicle aero, ground, and submersible transport. But, when they get there to explore and find the true story of the sea monster of Loch Trevor, they go out in a rubber dinghy instead of taking the advanced submarine vehicle that they just got out of.

Logic gaps and hipster dialogue, if you can get passed it, Kirby's stories, imagery, and character creation is awesome.

Questions and Answers:
Psychic vampires, Count Dragorin... Had Dracula not slipped into the public domain yet when this was new? Dracula fully entered the public domain in 1962. So…okay.

Missed Opportunity:
Wish Seagrin did more than just appear to die and provide motivation to Orion to explore what's going on in the ocean.

The mega rod and mother box were lessened in later comics and have largely disappeared as a hero's weapon in modern DC comics. As a Deus-ex-whatsis they were excellent. But when DC started treating the New Gods like just another bunch of capes, they move away from that.

Sonny Sumo, the wrestler, and Sagutai the Combat Machine were cool characters that should have reappeared later.

Shark-seed is a great visual. Missed opportunity that the GL villain The Shark and the Superboy villain King Shark weren't connected back to these guys. I know everything doesn't have to be continuity, but shared universe connecting the dots is part of the fun.

I’m seeing a theme. Kirby left a bunch of bits and pieces that could’ve been ramped up by later writers who instead got caught up in reinventing the wheel.

Dreamcasting:
Imagining John Cena as Orion instead of Peacemaker.
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Last Page Sound:
Knowing what to expect lessened the impact of the multi-cliffhanger with the four different comics as you approached the end of the story. I'll be back for volume 3.
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[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wondrously wild, wonderfully weird epic of Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga continues. Don't miss The Glory Boat, the arrival of Big Barda, the all-too-short appearance of Sonny Sumo, Superman vs. a 20th century twist on the vampire, the destructive music of the six man San Diego Five String Mob, the New Newsboy Legion on the trail of loch monster in Scotland, a parody of Stan Lee and Roy Thomas in the questionable characterizations of Funky Flashman and his toady Houseroy, the wildly bizarre menace of Mad Harriet, Stompa, Lashina & Burnadeth, the introduction of Angry Charlie, more mischief from Mokkari & Simyan and all this only scratches the surface. It's one thrilling chapter after another at a pace that is as relentless as it is explosive. Read it and see why Jack Kirby is called the King of Comics.

[Chadwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously. You can't fuck with Jack Kirby. The man's brain was like a supernova, spewing out insane concepts and characters in all directions at a rate no one else could possibly ever keep up with. Sometimes the dialog in this book is a little clunky. Sometimes plot-points just get dropped, for no apparent reason. Ignore that. The Glory Boat, Funk Flashman, Mad Harriet, Boom Tubes, Don Rickles, the Newsboy Legion, the Deep Six. These are the concepts you should focus on. Oh, and Big Barda. I love Big Barda. And seriously, Mister Miracle is probably the best idea for a superhero comic ever. Every single issue is an insane deathtrap with a ridiculous supervillain at the controls. beautiful stuff.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel about this the same as I did about Volume 1, which is to say not great. It started making more cohesive sense in the last third, though, so I guess I'll see it through.

The things I do for.... who am I doing this for?

[Jason Hissong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirbay in full force!

This is the legendary Kirby at the top of his game. His own creations, his own vision, 100% imagination of the finest order. It's great superhero comics. A story that winds and twists and mosaics together rather than a straightforward, simplistic linear narrative in parts. Think tapestry, not single coloured thread.

It's a treasure to have the oppurtunity to read one of the driving forces of 20th Century comics in top form, at the pinnacle of his career. One can see Kirby grow in these pages, and especially see the confidence grow compared to reading, say, the Fantastic Four.

It's great superhero comics. A product very much of its time but still relevant, still hyperkinetic in its energy and style.

I loved it.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something really unmoored about all of this. I mean, the stories don't really work as stories. Every character has more power than can be imagined and so it's hard to feel any dramatic weight.

But there's something about the spirit and perhaps spirituality here that keeps it engaging. There's the (probably wrong) sense that in the end a truth will be revealed. Yet it's clear that Kirby himself is kind of grasping around here.

Also they're fun-looking and engage in, I guess, a form of mock combat.

So no it doesn't succeed like a Full House or a Spider-man where it's really competent. And no it doesn't succeed like a great masterwork where it reveals something. The quality here is much more ephemeral.

[Richard Guion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Kirby really hit his stride as his Fourth World books hit their fourth issues. In Mister Miracle, Big Barda was introduced and gave his world a spark. In Forever People, Sunny Sumo appeared and answered the question about what a human with the anti-life equation would do. In Jimmy Olsen, a number of classic horror characters appear and we find out their really a scientific experiment gone awry. One of Kirby's best New Gods stories, Glory Boat, features Lightray alongside Orion and the humans accidentally caught up in the war. Kirby's artwork is dynamic and off the charts.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second volume a lot of the exposition falls away and the larger story starts to emerge, though the relationship between the parts remains murky as yet. The stories get very strange, very Manichean, and Darkseid makes his first real appearance in a casually murderous way. Kirby remains a much stronger artist than scripter, but that is damning with faint praise.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, Kirby's Fourth World is all over the place, uneven, and sometimes downright insane, but I love it! Kirby's unbridled energy and imagination are on full display in this volume, which is stronger and more coherent than the first. A generous sampling of several of Kirby's pencilled pages makes this volume indispensable. (Also read in 2014)

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Groan... The art work is great, but the poor dialog and flat characterizations are though to get through. I appreciate Kirby as an innovator in the medium. And you must admire the imagination and scope of the 4th world... but it's tough to read.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Gods are still the highlight. Superman's Pal Jimmy Olson is just plain embarrassing (I'm amazed that Walt Simonson calls that comic one of his inspirations in his foreword). Lots of fun to be had reading these old stories.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

DARKSEID RUNNING AN EVIL AMUSEMENT PARK OF EVIL. DARKSEID CALLING A GUY "GRANDPA". BIG BARDA <3

[Devero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un volume di notevole spessore: dopo i primi albi raccolti nel numero 1, qui vediamo l'affresco disegnato da Kirby espandersi in molte direzioni. Balzano all'occhio alcune cose, tra cui le differenze nelle diffcoltà tra i personaggi delle varie testate. Mentre i giovani della Forever People finiscono sempre con l'uscire dai guai con difficoltà, i guerrieri esperti Orion e Lightray anche se messi a dura prova ne escono senza quel senso di difficoltà.
Allo stesso modo Mr. Miracle e Barda assomigliano sempre più ad Orion e Lightray nella loro decisione di affrontare gli avversari.

Gli umani di contorno variano, e così le loro reazioni. In realtà il tutto appare naif, ma se ci si ferma un poco a riflette su chi fu Kirby e sulla sua vita ci si rende conto che il Re stava mettendo sulla carta le sue opinioni e la sua filosofia di vita. Nel ragazzo pacifista che si sacrifica per salvare la sorella, caratterialmente fragile, ed il padre, pomposo veterano della Seconda Guerra che di fronte alla minaccia avrà un crollo, non c'è giudizio ne condanna per nessuno dei tre, ma solo pietà e compassione. Questi sentimenti Kirby, veterano dei campi di battaglia in Francia e Germania, probabilmente li ha sempre nutriti, ma li vediamo apparire nelle sue opere solo nella maturità. Un poco perché certi sentimenti necessitano di tempo per essere espressi da un anziano figlio della Grande Depressione, un poco perché qui, nella saga del Quarto Mondo, Kirby ha il pieno controllo (o quasi) sulla sua opera.

Infatti qui vediamo che Vince Colletta, noto inchiostratore ma inadatto per Kirby, viene sostituito da Mike Royer e da Bruce Barry, almeno su alcuni albi.
Non intendo aggiungere altro sulla lunga polemica di chi vede Colletta come rovinatore del lavoro di Kirby, ma a me pare che il suo migliore inchiostratore fu Joe Sinnott, e tutti gli altri restano un gradino sotto.

Tra le storie notevoli di questo volume troviamo, oltre allo scontro decisivo tra i Deep Six e la coppia Orion-Lightray, anche una feroce satira di Stan Lee e Roy Thomas nei personaggi di Funky Flashman e Houseroy. Feroce e spietata, degna di un uomo dal carattere sanguigno e deciso quale fu Kirby. Il giudizio che Mr. Miracle e Barda danno di Flashman è, in fondo, sia il giudizio che ne da Kirby, sia la posizione di altri artisti che Kirby conosceva, per come la vedeva lui almeno.

Su Jimmy Olsen invece assistiamo ad una storia immaginifica ma strana, quella di un esperimento di biologia che crea un micro-mondo con delle forme di vita che mimano i personaggi di film horror e sanno di essere destinate alla distruzione. Questa assurda storia è un omaggio ai molti film di mostri della Hammer in primo luogo, ma anche una sottile interpretazione di ciò che la TV ed il cinema potrebbero essere, ossia mezzi di controllo e manipolazione mentale.

Diciamo che dare 5 stelle a questo volume è normale, perché è Kirby. Il prologo di Simonson e la chiusura di Evanier comunque aggiungono molto.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 3 out of 5]

El trabajo de Jack Kirby en el Cuarto Mundo sigue siendo una labor titánica que ECC nos trae en formato tomo de tapa dura y con una cuidadísima imagen para un interior que está completamente a la altura en cuanto a dibujo y guión.

En los comics recogidos en este segundo tomo continuamos adentrándonos en la gigantesca mitología que Kirby creó para DC y que presentó en cuatro series, una que tenía ya su propia historia (Jimmy Olsen) y tres creadas para que el guionista y dibujante pudiera mostrar todas las ideas que tenía sobre ese Cuarto Mundo: Forever People, New Gods y Mister Miracle; y es en estas tres donde a mi parecer la historia tiene mayor fondo y trascendencia. Quizá sea porque (en este tomo en concreto) las historias de Jimmy Olsen acompañado por Superman, el Guardián y la Pandilla de Repartidores quedan a otro nivel frente a los mitos que surgen a borbotones y la profundidad del resto de las historias. En Forever People nos encontramos con los jóvenes de Nueva Génesis atrapados en manos del sádico Desaad, mientras se presenta al personaje de Sonny Sumo, un humano con el secreto de la Ecuación de la Antivida en su mente; en New Gods, seguimos acompañando a Orion, que aliado con Lightray tiene que hacer frente a los Seis Profundos, enviados de Darkseid para manipular la fauna oceánica y crear grandes monstruos; y en Mister Miracle, asistimos a la presentación de personajes del peso de Big Barda y las Furias Femeninas. Frente a todo esto, las historias de Olsen y Superman enfrentados a los monstruos clásicos encarnados en el planeta "Transilvane", o enfrentados junto a una especie de grupo de rock psicodélico, se quedan un poco flojas.

Una lectura densa, sin duda, pero interesante y llamativa, quizá no sorprendente después de prácticamente sesenta años en los que hemos visto prácticamente de todo, pero que aún llama la atención por la épica narrativa del verbo y el dibujo casi hiperbólico del Rey...

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tomo casi tan bueno como el primero donde Kirby nos sigue soprendiendo con sus ideas e imaginación desbordada creando una serie de personajes y un universo que poblarían las páginas de DC en buena parte de las colecciones de la editorial en los años posteriores a esta obra.

De las cuatro series me sigue sobrando la de Jimmy Olsen que es con diferencia la más chorra.

Mi favorita sigue siendo la de Los jovenes eternos, con esa pandilla de jovenes hippies con superpoderes enfrentandose a Darkseid y siendo capturados en una especie de parque de atracciones de pesadilla llamado Happiland de donde conseguirán escapar gracias a Sonny Sumo, otro gran personaje creado por Kirby.

En la de los Nuevos dioses veremos a Orion y Light ray enfrentarse a los seis profundos y descubriremos más cosas sobre el pasado del cuarto mundo de la mano de Metron, que viajará en su silla a los límites de su Universo, donde se encuentra el Muro de la Fuente y verá a los gigantes prometeicos, de colosales dimensiones. Se trata de Antiguos Dioses que desafiaron al Muro y trataron de atravesarlo para conseguir el conocimiento total. Pagaron su fracaso siendo reducidos a un estado comatoso. Millones de años después flotan en el vacío espacial como colosales figuras inertes.

Por último la serie de Mr. Milagor despega aquí con la presentación de las furias de Darkseid, un ejercito de féminas entrenado por la abuelita Maldad y al cual pertenece Big Barda( otro gran personaje) que ayudará a Mr. Milagro a escapar de las garras de Darkseid.
Como curiosidad destacar que una de las furias, Lashina, será más adelante parte del escuadrón suicida e incluso llevará a los niembros del escuadrón a Akropolis en una misión.
Conocia a este personaje de esa serie y descubrir sus orígenes ha sido una grata sorpresa y la confirmación de hasta donde llegan los tentáculos de este original cómic.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the second volume of Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, the connections between the various comics' narratives become more apparent. But there is no overlap between the books, so the reader is in a privileged position. Each set of heroes (Jimmy, Superman, and the Legion in Jimmy Olsen; the Forever People in their eponymous comic; Orion and Lightyear in The New Gods; and Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, and Oberon in Mr. Miracle) sees only a slice of the larger conflict, but the reader can start putting together the bigger picture. And it's an impressive one.

In a contemporary comic, the bigger picture would be one grand scheme where the component parts, spread among the various titles, would all come off as part of the master plan (until the heroes are able to unite and defeat the villains in the climax). But that's not what happens with the Fourth World. Darkseid does have an overarching goal: to find the mind that contains the Anti-Life Equation, take the formula from that person, and then dominate the universe. But he's not averse to taking over Earth and enslaving its people, or destroying New Genesis, either. So his minions are involved in multiple schemes that don't always appear complementary. For example, the "Evil Factory"--the counterpart of "The Project"--is the source of most--though not all--conflict in Jimmy Olsen. Its goal is to mutate the human genetic structure to create powerful monsters that can help conquer humanity. The Forever People are most directly implicated in Darkseid's search for the Anti-Life Equation; their story starts with his abduction of Beautiful Dreamer (because he believes that she is one of the few who holds the secret to the Equation) and they most frequently interact with Darkseid and some of his most powerful lieutenants (Mantis, Desaad, and Glorious Godfrey). Orion and Lightray do battle with other Darkseid minions (Intergang and the Deep Six), but there is no meaningful discussion of Darkseid's pursuit of the Anti Life Equation. And Mr. Miracle continues to remain outside the rest of the conflict; Apokolips' villains continue to attempt to attack him, but those attempts are not tied to Darkseid's main objective. Although this could be seen as poor plotting, it shows the chaotic nature of Darkseid's fascist philosophy--yes, all of Apokolips apparently lives to work his will, but they don't appear capable of working together to achieve it. And so there are multiple schemes that, if they come to fruition, will definitely destroy the Earth and may lead to Darkseid getting the Equation (assuming the person they need isn't killed off in one of the many schemes). But it will be fairly messy getting there.

Some highlights of this volume are The Forever People #4--in which the heroes are trapped in Desaad's torture camp, which masquerades as an amusement park, The New Gods #6 (The Glory Boat), Mr. Miracle #4, where we first meet Big Barda, and Mr. Miracle #6, where we meet Barda's fellow Female Furies: Mad Harriet, Stompa, Lashina, and Bernadeth.

The Forever People #4 is a particularly chilling issue that shows why Desaad earns his name. The heroes have been captured by Darkseid after he captured them in the previous issue following Infinity Man's defeat. They are tortured by Desaad, who has trapped many humans in his camp. But they are all effectively tortured by unwitting fellow humans because Desaad has disguised his camp as an amusement park. So Mark Moonrider desperately calls for help from people who laugh and point at him, not realizing that they see a skeleton in a cage in a tunnel of horror. Beautiful Dreamer is sedated and hypnotized; as park guests are encouraged to wake the "Sleeping Beauty" by saying the right words and win $1000, she sees horrible monsters and hears threatening sounds. Big Bear appears as a teddy bear in a marksman game; when he appears in the window, guests "shoot" at him, but the percussive impact of the shots is magnified into powerful sonic waves that buffet him. Serafin's and Vykin's tortures are linked; Vykin's head is repeatedly exposed on the tracks of a roller coaster, and Serafin must unfailingly kick the right lever in order to save his friend--one mistake, and Vykin is dead. This is a really smart setup, and the torment each faces is compounded by the horror of being tortured by unwitting people. This issue is also terrific because of a moment when Darkseid walks amongst the crowd, who think he is just another of the attractions; it is only a small child who recognizes the evil in their midst. And it introduces Sunny Sumo, a Japanese wrestler whose mental abilities will be instrumental in saving our heroes.

The Glory Boat is a stunning issue, as well. It is the climax of Orion's battle with the Deep Six--Apokoliptian water villains--and the leviathan they created to destroy shipping. But the story is more than just a fight between New Genesis (Orion and Lightray) and Apokolips (Deep Six, leviathan). A human family--a father and his two children--get caught up in the drama because their yacht was wrecked by the monster. The father, Farley, fought in WWII (at Normandy) and is ashamed of his son, Richard, a conscientious objector. The tension between warriors and pacifists isn't played out between Orion and Lightray, or Orion and Richard, but rather between Farley and Richard. And the choices that they make define and devastate them. There's already so much going on in this issue that it seems impossible to successfully introduce a human family and its troubled dynamics (along with the ensuing philosophical debate) into an already-eventful story. But it works well, and, once read, it seems impossible to imagine the story without them. Though I'm not much of an art connoisseur, the 2-page spread at the climax (with the second page considered by many to be the finest page ever drawn by Kirby) is amazing.

And the introduction of Big Barda and the Female Furies to Mr. Miracle's story is a welcome one. Barda is great. Yes, she's drawn as a pinup bombshell, but she's absolutely no nonsense and takes no s--t. When Scott takes delivery of a civil war cannon in #5, she has no time for the delivery men who are ogling her and making a big fuss about getting the cannon off of their truck and onto the ground. Similarly, she has no patience for Funky Flashman, Kirby's satiric swipe at Stan Lee. And Barda's ability to take down her former comrades--while all the while keeping the Apokoliptian battles from Funky's view--is impressive.

This volume continues to make me glad that I'm re-reading Kirby's Fourth World saga; there is a lot here to appreciate.

[David Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is some of Kirby's finest work. Has anyone created more epic characters than Jack? Nope. It's a great visual feast. The New Gods, The Forever People, and Mister Miracle continue the brisk narrative that characterizes Kirby's work. His artwork continues to be bold and spectacular.

Lightray joins Orion in his struggles against the forces of Apokalips here on earth, Sonny Sumo, possessor of the secrets of anti-life that Darkseid wants so much, joined the Forever People, and an interesting, sensual warrior from Apokalips, Big Barda joins Mister Miracle. These new characters add tension and energy to the story line of New Genesis against Apolkalips. Kirby shows no problem here in handling with adroitness a great number of characters at once. I thought, however, that the five issues of Jimmy Olsen slightly weakened as Kirby had Jimmy Olsen and Superman in one story, while the Newsboy Legion and the Guardian were onto something different. The narrative pace slowed down a little. Kirby also added elements of popular culture, Dracula (Count Dragora) and the Loch Ness Monster, perhaps to give life to a story that seems to be waning down.

Highlights for me include the visionary, hyper-intense 'The Glory Boat', fusing a tale of father/son conflict with Kirby-powered technological transcendence and 'Funky Flashman'which is a must for anyone curious to see Kirby's caustic satirical take on his former collaborator Smilin' Stan Lee. It was fun to read these stories. I highly recommend it to comic book readers or fans of graphic novels.

[K De · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King is at the peak of his creative powers. New Gods, Forever People, Mister Miracle, and Jimmy Olsen! What a mind to create this cosmic tapestry. This universe he created still has power to move any reader. The characters that he created and the stories that he tells still has amazing relevance for the current events of the 21st century. Read the first story in the volume which features the Forever People in the clutches of the evil Desaad's torture devices, "Kingdom of the Damned". The house of torture is set in a amusement park with the patrons of the park actively viewing the torture but in a fun house mirror methodology. This can be analogous to what the US population and corporate media are doing in the 21st century!!! Read it and read it again to see and appreciate the manifold meanings within each story.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the Jimmy Olson and the Newsboy Legion stuff is pretty weak, (there's a whole subplot inexplicably featuring both Don Rickles and a completely unrelated Don Rickles lookalike character???) the Fourth World Saga contains some of Kirby's greatest work. There are countless splash ones that stop you in your tracks with incredible monsters, grimacing brutes, and needlessly-complicated sci-fi contraptions. There is a tremendous sense of scale captured by Kirby that is truly awesome to behold.

And the best part is of course Big Barda and Mister Miracle. Their relationship is summed up by a two-page spread juxtaposing the titanic Big Barda lifting a cannon above her shoulder with one arm next to Scott Free constrained within a devilish bondage contraption. It's giving "Step on me, mommy"

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus continues to see pages filled with incredible art and gonzo creativity. Sinister carnivals, battles of the gods, miniature worlds modeled after all monster flicks--it's all here.

Amazingly, the randomness coheres into a larger theme, a statement about free will vs. fascism rendered through the lens of a fish monsters riding on some massive cosmic whale. There's also a lot of fun with "Funky Flashman," a flim-flam man and con artist who's commonly regarded as a stand-in for Stan Lee. The art for Big Barda and the Furies she fights is evocative and creative, and the shared storyline is building as it goes.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are pretty great. Mister Miracle is the stand out for me. I love all the crazy deathtraps Kirby comes up with for Mister Miracle to escape from. The fun part is they are all designed by Mister Miracle himself as part of his act. This volume sees the introduction of Big Barda. Right from the get go, she's the same character you've seen for years with her full battle suit and mega rod. When she's out of costume though, she runs around like a female bodybuilder in a bikini. This volume also has a two parter in Jimmy Olson where Don Rickles visits Metropolis along with his doppelganger Goody Rickles. The afterward by Mark Evanier details how that came about. Those afterwards are great. Evanier was Kirby's assistant at this time and provides a lot of behind the scenes info.

[Benja Calderon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirby sigue expandiendo este nuevo universo, presentándonos nuevos personajes, algunos tan iconos como Big Barda, otros que quizá en el mundo mainstream del comic no sean tan recordados, pero no dejan de ser importantes como Sonny Sumo. Y a pesar de que ya llevamos 20 numeros unitarios, la trama no se hace cansina, ni repetitiva, pero se siente que algo ,más grande se está armando y Kirby de a poco nos va preparando para ello

[Jesús Martín · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libertad, versatilidad, olla exprés, creatividad, imaginación, espectacularidad. Y nadie más como él. Los cómics deberían llamarse "kirbies".

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bestseller by the most popular postwar writer for children of all ages.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to the first, it's packed full of wild ideas that sometimes miss but mostly hit. Kirby's character designs continue to be really imaginative.

[Eric Skillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit I didn't always "get" Kirby—the early Marvel stuff was cool, but I always prefered Lee/Ditko to Lee/Kirby (sacrilege, I know!)—so I was always just a little skeptical of the whole cult of Kirby. But I have to say, these Fourth World stories have totally turned me around.

On one level they're totally unhinged, balls-out craziness. Pure pop art—Kirby's style by this point has gone completely off the deep end into abstraction, and it's amazing to look at. (Has anybody built a Kirbytech/Mother Box skin for the iPhone yet, by the way? I would totally use that.)

But it's also really fun to look at the real-world parallels: New Genesis and Apokolips as the US and Russia, playing out their cold war with Earth as a sort of cosmic Vietnam; Mister Miracle the conscientious objector; Jimmy Olsen and the Newsbody Legion as the noncombatant civilians drawn unavoidably into the war, etc, etc, etc... Not that it's ever polemical at all, but the layers underlying the stories are very interesting.

A lot of people complain about the dialogue, and it admittedly takes some getting used to, but I've actually grown quite fond of it's kooky poetic stylings. Plus, I think Kirby doesn't get enough credit for those times he's intentionally ludicrously over-the-top: possibly my favorite line so far is when Doctor Bedlam first appears, shrouded in mystery, viewed only from behind, very dramatic. He villan-monologues for a but, plotting Scott Free's doom. Then, in the last panel of the page, he picks up a telephone and announces "Nothing can be hidden from one such as I, Scott Free! Your telephone number is known to me!" Pure comedy gold!

There are certainly some chapters that are better than others (the Don Rickles bit is best left unmentioned), and oh my god those redrawn Superman and Jimmy Olsen heads are horribly jarring, but overall these books are just hard to put down. I was worried I'd get a little bored with the Fourth World as I read more of it, (as I have been with a lot of superhero-type comics reprint projects), but I find myself getting more and more drawn in. I'm already steeling myself for the frustration when I get to the end, since Kirby never got to finish these as he intended. (That said, I'm very curious to read The Hunger Dogs, the much-maligned after-the-fact wrap-up story.)

Also worth noting: the packaging here is a huge part of the appeal. The fantastic, newsprint-y paper these are printed on has to be the absolute best reprinting of old-style four-color color comic books I've ever seen. And if you don't think that's important, then obviously you haven't tried to read through any of those garishly colored "Archive" editions—some of them are almost unreadable! Anyway, kudos to the DC production department!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things finally pick up in the Fourth World here. Big Barda is introduced, along with the wonderful dynamic that is Mister Miracle/Barda/Oberon. Also introduced in this volume are pretty much the rest of the major villains of Apokolips (the Female Furies, Colonel Vundabar, Deep Six) as well as perrenial Mister Miracle pest Funky Flashman (an obvious rip on Stan Lee ) and the debut of the Omega Effect! It was also nice to finally read the story that has been touted by many people for years to be near the top of Kirby's best - "The Glory Boat" from New Gods #6.

It's so strange reading these now. I've been so used to the concept of the New Gods and the whole Fourth World corner of the DCU for as long as I've been reading DC Comics (hell, Peter David threw the Super-Cycle in the early issues of Young Justice!), so I take for granted knowing a lot of what these characters are about or where they come from. I have to try and remove my knowledge of past events and try to imagaine reading them for the first time back in the early 70's. You're just coming off this long, strange stretch of what is the Silver Age of comics, where Marvel pretty much re-defined the rules, and here comes Jack Kirby with the craziest ideas and executions possible. Supertown? The Black Racer? D.N.Aliens? Jimmy Olsen - hero? It's all presented so matter-of-factly in these issues, like it's been going on for years and you just missed it all. The only thing I can think to compare it to in present day is what Grant Morrison is playing at in the DCU now, with his Seven Soldiers re-boot and, by way of that, his own re-launch of the New Gods (to be called The Fifth World, I believe). The stories are all very strange as well, they have a lot of new concepts, but who's to say that in twenty or so years (or sooner!) that we won't look back at these current books and say, "Wow - the man is a genius!", kinda like what we can do now with Kirby.

Well, we can still call him "genius" if you look past the two issues stint of "Jimmy Olsen" starring Don Rickles. Those were pretty much Mark Evanier's idea anyway. It's like the cover blurb from Jimmy Olsen #141 - "Kirby says: 'Don't ask, just buy it!' "

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

GLORY BOAT! ANGRY CHARLIE! THE OMEGA EFFECT! GLORIOUS GODFREY (as timely and relevant as ever!)! FUNKY FLASHMAN!

I've said it before. I'll say it again: The Greatest Superhero Comics EVER!
++++++++++++++++++++
The first three volumes are, honestly, my favorite comics ever. Kirby puts so much energy and passion into each page, I'm just drawn right in. Although he's clearly making up a lot of the mythology as he goes along, DC's decision to print the Omnibuses in publication order allows you to see how each element of the cosmology was introduced and spread out into the other titles to become part of the core of the Fourth World.

And volume three... wow! "The Pact," "The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin," and Mister Miracle and Barda's invasion of Apokolips to earn their freedom from Granny Goodness's attacks. The book is just filled with relentlessly exciting and emotionally wrenching sagas - "The Pact" alone would've been a 12-issue maxi-series these days, but Kirby condenses it to 24 pages and captures all of the horror of the war between New Genesis and Apokolips, the cost paid by those involved, and the tragedy, yet hope, of The Pact itself.

Despite Kirby's often seat-of-his-pants plotting, he apparently had a clear enough idea of the bigger picture that the entire thing comes together very organically and very smoothly. It feels real, despite the outlandish technology and otherworld settings.

The fourth volume comes down from the highs of volume 3, focusing often on Mister Miracle's understudy Shilo Norman, completely eschewing the Fourth World elements until the final issue, which shoehorns in as many major Fourth World players as possible, to its detriment. The Hunger Dogs tries very hard to resolve the main Orion/Darkseid feud, and it's a valiant effort, but it's stiff and disjointed. Kirby's artwork also feels uneven and limited in the finale, which is amazing considering how intense and immense it seems in the original Fourth World comics.

Still, even with the uneven denouement, the passion and excitement is just unbeatable. Easily, my favorite comics of all time.

[Christopher Rush · Rating 4 out of 5]

The continuing saga of the Fourth World gets better as it goes along, so stay tuned. The true highlight of the collection is the New Gods issue #6 "Glory Boat." Yes, it does have the distracting inundation of exclamation points (everyone is always shouting in these issues, even in calm situations standing right next to each other), but it finally is a dramatic story with a genuine emotional element. It does have some outlandish embellishments here and there (as every issue seems to outdo the last), but the intensity of what this war is about, its true victims, and the painful choices that sometimes must be made come through far better than in any issue of the overall story to that point. The litany of combatants for both sides increases throughout this collection, and we also get some flashbacks into the former lives of our heroes in small doses. One may be tempted to feel early on the "war" isn't really going anywhere and Kirby seems to be lost trying to tell outlandish tales with no focus, but that concern is ameliorated before too long, and the last half or so of this collection really keeps the interest in the believable story (for a graphic novel, especially if one can overlook the inundation of extraneous exclamation marks). If we ever find out Funky Flashman is patterned after Stan Lee, well, perhaps that may diminish our affection for The King somewhat, but he would probably understand his frustrations (especially at the time) better than we could today, so we will likely let that pass. Excelsior!!!!!!