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Joe Kubert Presents #1-6
Joe Kubert Presents
For over seven decades, Joe Kubert helped create some of the most memorable characters and stories in history. Now, the legendary, industry-defining creator unleashes an anthology-style graphic novel with original stories with far ranging characters and settings. Included in this new collection are tales featuring heroes from his most famous works, Sgt. Rock and Hawkman, as well as the gritty war epics he is best known for.
Don't miss this new graphic novel, with contributions from Brian Buniak and Sam Glanzman. Collects issues #1-6.
Don't miss this new graphic novel, with contributions from Brian Buniak and Sam Glanzman. Collects issues #1-6.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2013
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About the author
Joe Kubert
715 books57 followersJoe Kubert was a Jewish-American comic book artist who went on to found the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman. His sons, Andy Kubert and Adam Kubert, have themselves become successful comic-book artists.
Kubert's other creations include the comic books Tor, Son of Sinbad, and Viking Prince, and, with writer Robin Moore, the comic strip Tales of the Green Beret.
Kubert was inducted into the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997, and Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998.
Kubert's other creations include the comic books Tor, Son of Sinbad, and Viking Prince, and, with writer Robin Moore, the comic strip Tales of the Green Beret.
Kubert was inducted into the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997, and Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 16, 2022
Kubert is a legend, but I'm still searching for something that I really enjoy by him. This was his final published work, he passed away while it was coming out. It's a 6 issue series presenting some unpublished and new work by Kurbert.
It also has a good amount of work by some of Kubert's friends Brian Buniak and Sam Glanzman. I had zero interest in these comics. They seem fine enough, but I skipped over them.
Some of the work is very sketchy and feels unfinished. The Hawkman story is probably the reason to check this out, it's his attempt at revisiting the character and putting in a definitive tale.
Which Kubert book is worth checking out? I think I'll check out his Tarzan books. I want to dip my toes into the Tarzan universe. Tor also looks cool, I think Kubert draws a great barbarian/wild man like John Buscema.
I know his war stories like Sgt Rock (also featured here) are super popular.
It also has a good amount of work by some of Kubert's friends Brian Buniak and Sam Glanzman. I had zero interest in these comics. They seem fine enough, but I skipped over them.
Some of the work is very sketchy and feels unfinished. The Hawkman story is probably the reason to check this out, it's his attempt at revisiting the character and putting in a definitive tale.
Which Kubert book is worth checking out? I think I'll check out his Tarzan books. I want to dip my toes into the Tarzan universe. Tor also looks cool, I think Kubert draws a great barbarian/wild man like John Buscema.
I know his war stories like Sgt Rock (also featured here) are super popular.
August 29, 2022
Joe Kubert Presents was a six issue anthology series headed up by Joe Kubert. Kubert aimed to do a series with a variety of comics in it, like the comics he read as a kid. Seeing as how there are stories featuring Angel & Ape, Hawkman, Sgt. Rock, the USS Stevens, and others, I'd say it accomplishes that.
The stories are hit or miss. I like the Kubert Hawkman story and the Sgt. Rock story is fantastic. I loved Sam Glanzman's USS Stevens stories, and I enjoyed the Angel and the Ape stories stories by Brian Buniak quite a bit. Some of the stories had great Kubert art but just didn't hit for one reason or another. All things considered, I think this accomplishes what Kubert set out to do. It's a shame he died before the first issue went to press and never got to see it in print.
The stories are hit or miss. I like the Kubert Hawkman story and the Sgt. Rock story is fantastic. I loved Sam Glanzman's USS Stevens stories, and I enjoyed the Angel and the Ape stories stories by Brian Buniak quite a bit. Some of the stories had great Kubert art but just didn't hit for one reason or another. All things considered, I think this accomplishes what Kubert set out to do. It's a shame he died before the first issue went to press and never got to see it in print.
May 21, 2018
This series was a great tribute to Joe Kubert, as well as Sam Glanzman, who contributed stories about the USS Stevens during WW2. Some say this collection of stories is uneven, and I can understand that. The Angel and Ape tales didn't necessarily fit in with the tone of the book, and the creator on those wasn't a legendary name like Kubert and Glanzman. But this book is a testimony to creators who helped build and shape the comics industry into what it is today. These men are truly giants of the genre, especially Kubert, whose oeuvre spanned stories of Hawkman in the Golden and Silver ages, to the war comics of the 60s and his iconic portrayal of Sgt Rock, to the 80s when his art graced the covers of All-Star Squadron and many other books.
Kubert died shortly after this first issue hit the stands, but pretty much the entire six-issue set of stories were already in the can, so his curation serves as a last testimony to one of the giants of the industry. So thankful to DC for letting Kubert have this series, and for the input of the other creators, who still have and had stories in them to tell.
We miss you, Joe.
Kubert died shortly after this first issue hit the stands, but pretty much the entire six-issue set of stories were already in the can, so his curation serves as a last testimony to one of the giants of the industry. So thankful to DC for letting Kubert have this series, and for the input of the other creators, who still have and had stories in them to tell.
We miss you, Joe.
September 17, 2017
Celebrate the life and art of DC Comics legend Joe Kubert in this collection of stories. Joe Kubert Presents in a decades old project that Kubert had been pitching for quite some time. It features stories starring some of Kubert's most iconic characters including Hawkman and Sgt. Rock. There's also tales of heroes that Kubert dreamed of doing but never got the chance such as the last boy on Earth, Kamandi and Jack Kirby's rhyming hellion, the Demon.
Some stories are either all-new material or never before published works. His stories of SPIT, an 18th century waif who takes up on a whaling ship hearkens to Kubert's inspiration of Melville's Moby Dick. Then explore the first few chapters of the Redeemer. This era-spanning adventure tells of a man who is constantly reincarnated in order to prove his worth as the redeemer of humanity. This was originally to be a 12-issue maxi-series in the 80s but for one reason or another, it just never got past the initial product stages.
Not all of these stories are of Joe Kubert's. Hoping to share the spotlight with some unsung friends of his, Kubert highlights fellow war illustrator Sam Glanzman and up-and-comer Brian Buniak.
Sam Glanzman was a Navy seaman in the Pacific theatre during World War II. His adventure's aboard the USS Stevens are chronicled here. The level of detail on the ships and planes is amazing. His stories are powerful and tear-jerking. It's amazing stuff.
Brian Buniak was tasked with writing and drawing a multi-issue episode of the Angel and the Ape. Based on an idea by Joe Kubert, Buniak has the unlikely detectives solving a pair of murder attempts on identical twin restaurateurs and then taking on a mad scientist who has created an evil android version of Ape!
Overall, Joe Kubert Presents was a fantastic read. It's tragically poignant that this was Kubert's last work. It's almost as if the art educator knew that his time was coming to a close. If his Sgt. Rock story was the last story to chronicle the DC Comics war hero, I would be more than okay with that.
With a slew of Kubert pieces along with the long awaited Redeemer chapters and Sam Glanzman's recounts of WWII, this is an essential read for DC fans and collectors of war comics. Who am I kidding?! This is a must read for any comics fan!
Some stories are either all-new material or never before published works. His stories of SPIT, an 18th century waif who takes up on a whaling ship hearkens to Kubert's inspiration of Melville's Moby Dick. Then explore the first few chapters of the Redeemer. This era-spanning adventure tells of a man who is constantly reincarnated in order to prove his worth as the redeemer of humanity. This was originally to be a 12-issue maxi-series in the 80s but for one reason or another, it just never got past the initial product stages.
Not all of these stories are of Joe Kubert's. Hoping to share the spotlight with some unsung friends of his, Kubert highlights fellow war illustrator Sam Glanzman and up-and-comer Brian Buniak.
Sam Glanzman was a Navy seaman in the Pacific theatre during World War II. His adventure's aboard the USS Stevens are chronicled here. The level of detail on the ships and planes is amazing. His stories are powerful and tear-jerking. It's amazing stuff.
Brian Buniak was tasked with writing and drawing a multi-issue episode of the Angel and the Ape. Based on an idea by Joe Kubert, Buniak has the unlikely detectives solving a pair of murder attempts on identical twin restaurateurs and then taking on a mad scientist who has created an evil android version of Ape!
Overall, Joe Kubert Presents was a fantastic read. It's tragically poignant that this was Kubert's last work. It's almost as if the art educator knew that his time was coming to a close. If his Sgt. Rock story was the last story to chronicle the DC Comics war hero, I would be more than okay with that.
With a slew of Kubert pieces along with the long awaited Redeemer chapters and Sam Glanzman's recounts of WWII, this is an essential read for DC fans and collectors of war comics. Who am I kidding?! This is a must read for any comics fan!
December 1, 2016
Joe Kubert (1926-2012) was one of the all-time great comic book artists. The bulk of his work was done for DC Comics, including many Hawkman and Sergeant Rock stories. Joe Kubert Presents was his final series, a tribute to him by the company he’d done so much for. Mr. Kubert was given free rein to choose which stories to do, and which other creators he wanted to share the spotlight with. Rather than risk an announcement of the series ahead of time only to not be able to deliver (this had happened to him before), Mr. Kubert insisted on having several issues “in the can” before it was put on order forms for retailers. The sixth issue was nearly complete when he died.
The first issue leads off with “Hawkman”; this iteration is closest to the science fiction-inspired Silver Age version, but not in continuity with any previous story. Katar Hol and his partner Shayera (Hawkgirl) are sent from the utopian planet Thanagar to observe Earth up close and determine what steps should be taken in the future. The Thanagarians worry that the Earthlings will not mature out of their destructive behavior before they develop interstellar travel.
The aliens land in Africa, observe the wanton slaughter of wildlife and environmental destruction, and decide to visit a nearby village. Unfortunately, this particular village sits atop a toxic waste dump; the poverty-stricken villagers have become economically dependent on the storage fees. The villagers worry that the Thanagarians have come to stop the practice and react badly.
While I understand the good intent of the story, it really does look like technologically advanced white people lecturing primitive native Africans on proper respect for the environment. And the Hawks destroy the natives’ livelihood and leave without considering that consequence, so their victory leaves a bitter aftertaste.
“Spit” is a recurring feature about an orphan who runs away from the orphanage and winds up stowing away on a whaling ship. In short vignettes, he suffers much abuse, but eventually learns how to survive at sea and decides to become a whaler. The first few chapters are in sepia tone, but the finale is mostly in full color. One (landlubber) character is implied to be a pedophile, but is thwarted before he can do anything.
“The Redeemer” is three chapters of a series Mr. Kubert solicited back in the 1980s before he discovered he wouldn’t be able to deliver it on time. Jim Torkan is the title character, a man who reincarnates across time and space to gain the wisdom he will need to eventually save the human race from itself. He is the target of the Infernal One, who sends agents to tempt Torkan from the path of righteousness, so that the Redeemer will be under his control.
The first two chapters take place in the far future, as Torkan is a scientist whose space station is invaded by murderous robbers seeking a chemical he’s developed that can control minds. His love interest is actually an agent of the Infernal One who tries to convince him to join up with the would-be dictator to save his own skin. The third chapter has Torkan as an ex-Confederate soldier just after the Civil War. The story carefully avoids mentioning what the Confederacy fought for beyond “justice and right” (hint: slavery), but it was all a waste and Torkan is without purpose. He gets involved in a treasure hunt, but at the end discovers something more precious than gold: himself.
“Farewell” was Kubert’s last Sergeant Rock story. The son and grandson of one of Easy Company’s soldiers visit a D-Day beach and the cemetery nearby. They discuss the possible death of Rock, but in the end it doesn’t matter if he is buried here–a piece of each soldier who fell rests with every other soldier.
“The Biker” is about a wounded Afghanistan veteran and motorcyclist who bunks down for the night in an abandoned house. But maybe not as abandoned as it looks. Some excellent coloring work here.
Then there are two stories written by Joe Kubert, but with art by other people. “The Ruby” (art by Henrik Jonsson) is about bandits attacking a Himalayan temple–it turns out to be a possible origin story for an obscure DC character. “Devil’s Play” (art by Brandon Vietti) is a Kamandi story, as the last boy on Earth battles the animal-men that have taken over the planet. This story offers a different explanation for the Great Disaster than usual.
The series also contained several “U.S.S. Stevens” stories by Sam Glanzman, telling tales of his WWII service aboard that destroyer. “The Figurehead” is the most interesting of these, featuring an eccentric crewmate of Mr. Glanzman’s who may or may not have had unusual abilities (it’s possible that this is a sailor’s yarn and he’s pulling our leg a bit.) This material has been collected separately, along with Mr. Glanzman’s other memoirs.
Brian Buniak gives us “Angel and the Ape”, based on the Bob Oksner series about private detectives Angel O’Day (an attractive human woman) and Sam Simeon (a cartoonist who also happens to be a gorilla.) It’s not quite in continuity with any other appearance of the characters, but as a comedy strip, continuity was never a huge issue. The pair are hired to prevent a restaurateur from being murdered; they do so but he is shot anyway, and they have to figure out whodunnit. After they solve that case, a reporter gets the story of their origin (or at least Angel’s version.) There’s an energy and attention to humorous background details reminiscent of early Mad, but sometimes the exaggerated art style can go a bit off.
If you are a fan of Joe Kubert’s art, this volume is a must-have; if you’re indifferent to that, the stories are only average, and the problematic material may knock this down a star or two for you. I liked this very much.
The first issue leads off with “Hawkman”; this iteration is closest to the science fiction-inspired Silver Age version, but not in continuity with any previous story. Katar Hol and his partner Shayera (Hawkgirl) are sent from the utopian planet Thanagar to observe Earth up close and determine what steps should be taken in the future. The Thanagarians worry that the Earthlings will not mature out of their destructive behavior before they develop interstellar travel.
The aliens land in Africa, observe the wanton slaughter of wildlife and environmental destruction, and decide to visit a nearby village. Unfortunately, this particular village sits atop a toxic waste dump; the poverty-stricken villagers have become economically dependent on the storage fees. The villagers worry that the Thanagarians have come to stop the practice and react badly.
While I understand the good intent of the story, it really does look like technologically advanced white people lecturing primitive native Africans on proper respect for the environment. And the Hawks destroy the natives’ livelihood and leave without considering that consequence, so their victory leaves a bitter aftertaste.
“Spit” is a recurring feature about an orphan who runs away from the orphanage and winds up stowing away on a whaling ship. In short vignettes, he suffers much abuse, but eventually learns how to survive at sea and decides to become a whaler. The first few chapters are in sepia tone, but the finale is mostly in full color. One (landlubber) character is implied to be a pedophile, but is thwarted before he can do anything.
“The Redeemer” is three chapters of a series Mr. Kubert solicited back in the 1980s before he discovered he wouldn’t be able to deliver it on time. Jim Torkan is the title character, a man who reincarnates across time and space to gain the wisdom he will need to eventually save the human race from itself. He is the target of the Infernal One, who sends agents to tempt Torkan from the path of righteousness, so that the Redeemer will be under his control.
The first two chapters take place in the far future, as Torkan is a scientist whose space station is invaded by murderous robbers seeking a chemical he’s developed that can control minds. His love interest is actually an agent of the Infernal One who tries to convince him to join up with the would-be dictator to save his own skin. The third chapter has Torkan as an ex-Confederate soldier just after the Civil War. The story carefully avoids mentioning what the Confederacy fought for beyond “justice and right” (hint: slavery), but it was all a waste and Torkan is without purpose. He gets involved in a treasure hunt, but at the end discovers something more precious than gold: himself.
“Farewell” was Kubert’s last Sergeant Rock story. The son and grandson of one of Easy Company’s soldiers visit a D-Day beach and the cemetery nearby. They discuss the possible death of Rock, but in the end it doesn’t matter if he is buried here–a piece of each soldier who fell rests with every other soldier.
“The Biker” is about a wounded Afghanistan veteran and motorcyclist who bunks down for the night in an abandoned house. But maybe not as abandoned as it looks. Some excellent coloring work here.
Then there are two stories written by Joe Kubert, but with art by other people. “The Ruby” (art by Henrik Jonsson) is about bandits attacking a Himalayan temple–it turns out to be a possible origin story for an obscure DC character. “Devil’s Play” (art by Brandon Vietti) is a Kamandi story, as the last boy on Earth battles the animal-men that have taken over the planet. This story offers a different explanation for the Great Disaster than usual.
The series also contained several “U.S.S. Stevens” stories by Sam Glanzman, telling tales of his WWII service aboard that destroyer. “The Figurehead” is the most interesting of these, featuring an eccentric crewmate of Mr. Glanzman’s who may or may not have had unusual abilities (it’s possible that this is a sailor’s yarn and he’s pulling our leg a bit.) This material has been collected separately, along with Mr. Glanzman’s other memoirs.
Brian Buniak gives us “Angel and the Ape”, based on the Bob Oksner series about private detectives Angel O’Day (an attractive human woman) and Sam Simeon (a cartoonist who also happens to be a gorilla.) It’s not quite in continuity with any other appearance of the characters, but as a comedy strip, continuity was never a huge issue. The pair are hired to prevent a restaurateur from being murdered; they do so but he is shot anyway, and they have to figure out whodunnit. After they solve that case, a reporter gets the story of their origin (or at least Angel’s version.) There’s an energy and attention to humorous background details reminiscent of early Mad, but sometimes the exaggerated art style can go a bit off.
If you are a fan of Joe Kubert’s art, this volume is a must-have; if you’re indifferent to that, the stories are only average, and the problematic material may knock this down a star or two for you. I liked this very much.
February 27, 2018
I can certainly appreciate the technical mastery on display in this book, even if all the stories aren’t for me. Joe Kubert was a true ace.
Includes:
The Redeemer - Kubert’s “lost” epic spanning time and space in search of a man who might redeem the whole human race, one choice at a time.
Angel and the Ape - Brian Buniak’s silly fun with two weirdly compatible detectives.
Spit - Kubert’s riff on Moby Dick.
USS Stevens - Sam Glanzman telling war stories.
Includes:
The Redeemer - Kubert’s “lost” epic spanning time and space in search of a man who might redeem the whole human race, one choice at a time.
Angel and the Ape - Brian Buniak’s silly fun with two weirdly compatible detectives.
Spit - Kubert’s riff on Moby Dick.
USS Stevens - Sam Glanzman telling war stories.
December 8, 2018
It's Joe Kubert writing and drawing some of his favorite characters, his own creations, and even a few pieces that previously never saw publication. Included also are a few of Joe's favorite writers and artists at their finest.
There really isn't anything I can say that can do this graphic novel justice, so just out already and
Find it! Buy it! Read it! Immediately!
There really isn't anything I can say that can do this graphic novel justice, so just out already and
Find it! Buy it! Read it! Immediately!
April 7, 2022
I grew up reading Silver Age DC comics, and that means I grew up reading comics by Joe Kubert. I adore this, the last comic from the mind and the pen of a luminary that I love.
January 13, 2016
As one would expect from a multi-author and -illustrator anthology that contains content from among the genres of science fiction, war, nautical fiction, humor, et al, the quality of Joe Kubert Presents is extremely inconsistent. There's nothing that ties the various stories together thematically, and the tone of the jocular Angel and the Ape is worlds removed from something like the poignant Sgt. Rock, making for a jarring read at times. Some of the stories were clearly written and drawn quite a while ago, as in the case of a yarn where the superhero Hawkman blatantly talks down to his female partner Hawkwoman while they are menaced by a group of superstitious, spear-wielding, loincloth-clad African tribesmen, content that would never have been approved by DC Comics in this highly sensitive day and age. Unfortunately, regardless of their date of origin there's not a whole lot to any of the various stories: Hawkman carries a heavy-handed environmentalist message that was common in the mid-to-late 1980s, Angel and the Ape is an offbeat comedy with a very interesting art style that I regrettably didn't find particularly funny, Spit is is too short to accomplish anything meaningful with its tale of a child on a whaling ship, U.S.S. Stevens is a surprisingly tedious wartime autobiography, Redeemer is a sci-fi story centered on a reincarnating protagonist, an intriguing premise that was executed in a terribly generic manner, and there are a handful of other short pieces not really worth talking about.
As the art in the book is from Joe Kubert and artists he hand-picked, all of the stories look very good despite a wide range of of artistic styles. It's just a shame that the quality of writing was so mediocre in comparison.
As the art in the book is from Joe Kubert and artists he hand-picked, all of the stories look very good despite a wide range of of artistic styles. It's just a shame that the quality of writing was so mediocre in comparison.
September 28, 2015
Great artwork, worth the price alone. Mostly solid stories, though few you'd really be missing out on if you missed. Budiak's "Angel and Ape" is cute initially, but runs out of steam, and Glanzman's U.S. Stevens stories are good. Kubert's contributions are gorgeous, but not as fully realized as his best work.
December 5, 2013
A really enjoyable read. What a great perspective on some of the events of WW2 is provided by USS Stevens.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews