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Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth #1-20
Kamandi by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 Vol. 1 (Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth
A great disaster has destroyed civilization, leaving a young boy to search for safe haven in a world populated by mutated animals and strange wonders. Join Kamandi’s band of anthropomorphic supporting characters as they search for answers and adventure across the wastelands of Earth! In this volume, legendary comics creator Jack Kirby introduces a whole new world as Kamandi faces dangers unimaginable with an open heart, a savvy mind, and brave friends! Collects Jack Kirby’s run on Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth #1-20.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2011
62 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Jack Kirby
2,800 books475 followersJack 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."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 27, 2024
Late in the 1970s, I was 13 years old, thinking vaguely about girls, when I noticed a new comic book entitled, Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, issue #1. Any thoughts of girls went out the window, as I was taken in by the artwork and story. Jack Kirby was responsible for most of the ideas included in this speculative work with Mike Royer only contributing by inking and lettering the book.
The concept was very similar to the Planet of the Apes, except that instead of only apes, Kirby's future Earth is populated with myriad animals walking on two feet and capable of human speech. The premise lies in a "Great Cataclysm" apocalyptic event whereas most of the human population has been either wiped out by some nuclear occurrence or retrograded somehow. The human survivors that remain unchanged were those fortunate enough to find bunkers for protection.
In fact, the first issue begins with Kamandi stepping out of the bunker for the first time. (The bunker is called Command D. I guess that is where Kamandi gets his name from.) Stepping out of the bunker proves to be a very costly hazard which sours Kamandi on finding any type of haven from the apocalyptic undertakings in the bunker. Instead Kamandi begins his exploration of what used to be the United States of America.
Needless to say, the artwork is fantastic. The Omnibus is printed on high quality glossy paper which makes Jack Kirby's work fairly pop from the pages. The stories are quick-paced, speculative fiction at their best. The writing is not overly wordy. The action is dynamic. There is a lot to love here. Plus, my nostalgia muscles were tickled quite joyfully.
The concept was very similar to the Planet of the Apes, except that instead of only apes, Kirby's future Earth is populated with myriad animals walking on two feet and capable of human speech. The premise lies in a "Great Cataclysm" apocalyptic event whereas most of the human population has been either wiped out by some nuclear occurrence or retrograded somehow. The human survivors that remain unchanged were those fortunate enough to find bunkers for protection.
In fact, the first issue begins with Kamandi stepping out of the bunker for the first time. (The bunker is called Command D. I guess that is where Kamandi gets his name from.) Stepping out of the bunker proves to be a very costly hazard which sours Kamandi on finding any type of haven from the apocalyptic undertakings in the bunker. Instead Kamandi begins his exploration of what used to be the United States of America.
Needless to say, the artwork is fantastic. The Omnibus is printed on high quality glossy paper which makes Jack Kirby's work fairly pop from the pages. The stories are quick-paced, speculative fiction at their best. The writing is not overly wordy. The action is dynamic. There is a lot to love here. Plus, my nostalgia muscles were tickled quite joyfully.
September 1, 2022
I may be the first one to review this 50 year old debut of Kamandi (the last boy on Earth). For fans of Jack Kirby, that amazing artist of Marvel, DC Comics and others, this is a must read. Why?
Because Kirby was also responsible for the story. Did Jack Kirby see the original movie of Planet of the Apes or just have a general impression of its plot? Either way, this is one of the craziest plots anchored by some excellent artistry.
Time out! GR does not have a listing for the Kindle/Comixology version but for $0.99 you can see Kirby’s artistry in more detail than the original comic book.
Kamandi’s world is not the Planet of the Apes….unless the Apes are not the dominant species. There are nation-states governed by lions and by tigers and by “hostile phantoms”….oh, my!
And there are nuclear weapons.
Kirby starts stirring the pot in this episode where Kamandi is captured by the Tiger King and kept as a “pet.” Twenty four pages packs a lot of material that will be expanded in future episodes.
As usual with a Kirby production, you don’t need LSD to find yourself on a precarious mind-blowing trip.
Because Kirby was also responsible for the story. Did Jack Kirby see the original movie of Planet of the Apes or just have a general impression of its plot? Either way, this is one of the craziest plots anchored by some excellent artistry.
Time out! GR does not have a listing for the Kindle/Comixology version but for $0.99 you can see Kirby’s artistry in more detail than the original comic book.
Kamandi’s world is not the Planet of the Apes….unless the Apes are not the dominant species. There are nation-states governed by lions and by tigers and by “hostile phantoms”….oh, my!
And there are nuclear weapons.
Kirby starts stirring the pot in this episode where Kamandi is captured by the Tiger King and kept as a “pet.” Twenty four pages packs a lot of material that will be expanded in future episodes.
As usual with a Kirby production, you don’t need LSD to find yourself on a precarious mind-blowing trip.
February 9, 2025
Las historias de Kamandi carecen de la grandeza de otras del Kirby de los 70. Algo evidente en las dobles páginas con las que "abría" cada tebeo, con un dibujo magnífico pero sin la acumulación de efecto atiza que lograba en las ilustraciones que presentaban Los eternos o lo poco que he leído de El cuarto mundo. Sin embargo, como se ve en esas mismas páginas, Kamandi apuesta por una aventura en paisaje extraño donde da un poco igual que todo huela a El planeta de los simios y la trama muchas veces se reduzca en ver quién captura al chico (algo que en varios números sucede en repetidas ocasiones). La imaginación de Kirby y su dinamismo se bastan para mantener una peripecia constante repleta de hallazgos (el germen que anhela consumirlo todo, los tigres piratas, los leones moteros, el uso de un diario del pasado para narrar el presente...).
¡Que alguien reedite 2001!
¡Que alguien reedite 2001!
January 23, 2024
This was one of my favorite comic book series from my childhood, and Kamandi still holds up as wonderful escapist fiction. I revisit the dystopian-class-reversal world of Kamandi every couple of years and am always delighted at it's blend of action, adventure, mystery and excitement. While Kamandi does not always sit well with all comic book fans, or even with fans of Jack Kirby, it should delight anyone who craves adventure, has a strong suspension of disbelief and is young at heart. If you are a fan of either the original Jonny Quest or Planet of the Apes, you should check out Kamandi - and if, like me, you are a fan of both - you will love Kamandi.
Update: As a kid, I would re-read all my comics every summer. Kamandi was always one of the first and one that I was always eagerly looking forward to re-reading. I’ve read these comics so many times I’ve lost count, and it still has the thrilling edge of your seat excitement filling page after page.
Update: When this series was first coming out this volume contains both the five issues (#1, 3, 4, 8, 9) that made me fall in loving obsession with this series, and the five issues (#2, 5, 6, 7, 10) that I missed which resulted in massive frustration and caused me to make Kamandi the first series to which I got a subscription. So half of the first ten issues I’ve read so many times that I can almost recall them from memory and half that still feel like new when I reread them now. But in either case, Kamandi represents a series that I cannot imagine ever getting tired of. Kamandi is a series that illustrates Kirby’s boundless imagination as well as his ability to get distracted, head off on tangents, and refocused over and over again.
Another update: I’ve just reread this and I find myself thinking back to my first encounter with these issues. This volume opens up with what became the first issue of my unbroken run of issues. After having missed half of the issues from the first ten, I knew I needed to ensure I wouldn’t miss anymore, so I purchased my first subscription to a comic book, that began with issue #13. The issues with Kamandi dealing with the Sacker’s Department Store were among my favorites and while I didn’t quite grasp of the significances imbedded in the Watergate and Washington DC stories, I still found them fascinating. I can’t help but feel the Chicago Gangsters arc might have been inspired, at least in part, by the “A Piece of the Action” episode of the original Star Trek series and Westworld/Futureworld films.
Update: As a kid, I would re-read all my comics every summer. Kamandi was always one of the first and one that I was always eagerly looking forward to re-reading. I’ve read these comics so many times I’ve lost count, and it still has the thrilling edge of your seat excitement filling page after page.
Update: When this series was first coming out this volume contains both the five issues (#1, 3, 4, 8, 9) that made me fall in loving obsession with this series, and the five issues (#2, 5, 6, 7, 10) that I missed which resulted in massive frustration and caused me to make Kamandi the first series to which I got a subscription. So half of the first ten issues I’ve read so many times that I can almost recall them from memory and half that still feel like new when I reread them now. But in either case, Kamandi represents a series that I cannot imagine ever getting tired of. Kamandi is a series that illustrates Kirby’s boundless imagination as well as his ability to get distracted, head off on tangents, and refocused over and over again.
Another update: I’ve just reread this and I find myself thinking back to my first encounter with these issues. This volume opens up with what became the first issue of my unbroken run of issues. After having missed half of the issues from the first ten, I knew I needed to ensure I wouldn’t miss anymore, so I purchased my first subscription to a comic book, that began with issue #13. The issues with Kamandi dealing with the Sacker’s Department Store were among my favorites and while I didn’t quite grasp of the significances imbedded in the Watergate and Washington DC stories, I still found them fascinating. I can’t help but feel the Chicago Gangsters arc might have been inspired, at least in part, by the “A Piece of the Action” episode of the original Star Trek series and Westworld/Futureworld films.
October 3, 2022
Two generations later, Kamandi continues to be a unique and interesting series. The awesome art of course lays the foundation, but there's just as much imagination in the antropomorphic worldview, and a number of the stories also have a strong emotional sting, rare for the time.
When read as a whole the capture/escape formula gets a little old, and one might wish for a bit more world/character development in a modern piece, but even absent that, this is a fun read.
When read as a whole the capture/escape formula gets a little old, and one might wish for a bit more world/character development in a modern piece, but even absent that, this is a fun read.
January 6, 2021
Este es el Kirby que amo: ideas locas una tras otra; a diferencia del Cuarto Mundo, la cosa no se hace pesada porque hay acción en cada número y presenta siempre situaciones nuevas. Ideas loquísimas que duran una revista y luego se descartan para presentar una nueva.
Tal vez le falta una mayor conexión argumental entre las historias, pero el torrente de ideas es parte del estilo del rey, lo que lo hace original en el medio.
El dibujo es maravilloso también, claramente favorecido por el entintado que potencia el dibujo en vez de querer corregirlo.
Veremos cómo concluye todo en el tomo 2. Hasta ahora, amor puro y admiración.
Tal vez le falta una mayor conexión argumental entre las historias, pero el torrente de ideas es parte del estilo del rey, lo que lo hace original en el medio.
El dibujo es maravilloso también, claramente favorecido por el entintado que potencia el dibujo en vez de querer corregirlo.
Veremos cómo concluye todo en el tomo 2. Hasta ahora, amor puro y admiración.
November 23, 2023
Jack Kirby's take on Planet of the Apes moves fast and has lots of fun ideas. Along with OMAC, this is one of his more creatively successful works from the late 60's/early 70's.
January 1, 2016
Right, right, so the obvious thing to think you first learn about Kamandi The Last Boy On Earth is that it’s a cheap knock-off of the Planet of the Apes, right? Well technically you’d be right, but in a more profound sense, you’d be wrong.
I mean, yes, Kamandi lives on a post-apocalyptic Earth where animals, including gorillas, have assumed supremacy over nature and mankind has been reduced to vermin. And I’ll admit that that is the Statue of Liberty on the cover.
But those details fade into atoms of triviality when considered in the context of the book’s authorship. Kamandi was created by Jack Kirby, that genius who with only pen and ink invented such luminaries as Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and that old monster Darkseid himself!! He’s really creative, that’s what I’m saying.
And that creativity oozes through each page of Kamandi. Our protagonist is befriended by Ben Boxer, a descendant of humanity’s greatest minds who wears an ancient space suit to contain the radioactivity spewed forth by his body. When he presses the nuclear reactor in his chest he becomes an invincible, and gains a resemblance to the Silver Surfer. Later, Kamandi encounters bipedal lions who work as rangers in a nature reserve, humanity being the endangered species in question. The finale of this volume involves a malevolent dwarf using his psychic powers to unleash an omnicidal germ to an unsuspecting planet!!
All of which would make a very good movie. DC should probably focus on making cinematic adaptions of this franchise instead of Superman.
If you like the story lines in your stories unhinged and your comic art beautiful, check out Kamandi!!
I mean, yes, Kamandi lives on a post-apocalyptic Earth where animals, including gorillas, have assumed supremacy over nature and mankind has been reduced to vermin. And I’ll admit that that is the Statue of Liberty on the cover.
But those details fade into atoms of triviality when considered in the context of the book’s authorship. Kamandi was created by Jack Kirby, that genius who with only pen and ink invented such luminaries as Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and that old monster Darkseid himself!! He’s really creative, that’s what I’m saying.
And that creativity oozes through each page of Kamandi. Our protagonist is befriended by Ben Boxer, a descendant of humanity’s greatest minds who wears an ancient space suit to contain the radioactivity spewed forth by his body. When he presses the nuclear reactor in his chest he becomes an invincible, and gains a resemblance to the Silver Surfer. Later, Kamandi encounters bipedal lions who work as rangers in a nature reserve, humanity being the endangered species in question. The finale of this volume involves a malevolent dwarf using his psychic powers to unleash an omnicidal germ to an unsuspecting planet!!
All of which would make a very good movie. DC should probably focus on making cinematic adaptions of this franchise instead of Superman.
If you like the story lines in your stories unhinged and your comic art beautiful, check out Kamandi!!
August 7, 2013
Count the rating as 3.5 out of 5. My understanding is Kirby started this book up with the idea of dumping it on other creators so he could concentrate on the New Gods. Well that never happened and the book is a pretty good adventure for such a throw away origin. It's basically a play on "Planet of the Apes" except with more races of animals being evolved and Kamandi being the last "boy" (more of a young adult/late teen the way this plays out) discovering how crap the world is. The setting allows Kirby to go pretty far out with his ideas. the only real problem is that in the twenty issues reprinted in this volume, Kamandi is basically kidnap bait constantly in need of rescue. Which makes him not necessary the easiest character to get behind, especially when their is a scientist dog that is much more interesting. Art wise, this seems extra rushed compared to most of his DC work at this time, but he can still knock you out with a panel.
So ultimately it's good, but not great stuff from the King.
So ultimately it's good, but not great stuff from the King.
October 14, 2011
I never read these comics growing up, but they are weird and wacky fun to read now in this beautiful hardcover collection. Kamandi is the last boy on Earth, which has suffered from a great apocalyptic disaster. Kamandi emerges from a hidden bunker, fully versed in human history and language, but totally unaware of the world outside. Which is dominated by all kinds of intelligent animals: Tigers, Lions, Leopards, you name it. Humans are around but they have devolved into savages with limited speech. Any Planet of the Apes fan would get a kick out of this. The first 15 issues are wildly imaginative, with Kirby throwing out fantastic concepts and settings.
August 31, 2024
A comic of its era.
Jack Kirby did some amazing art and wrote some classic stories that really hold up. This, unfortunately, doesn't hold up well. The art is amazing, but the story is from a bygone era. Makes me wish I'd read it way back when. I would have loved it.
Jack Kirby did some amazing art and wrote some classic stories that really hold up. This, unfortunately, doesn't hold up well. The art is amazing, but the story is from a bygone era. Makes me wish I'd read it way back when. I would have loved it.
April 26, 2023
Jack Kirby's "Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth" is a barely disguised "Planet of the Apes" rip-off, but I love it. The hero at its core is a teen, raised in a bunker after a radioactive event and finally emerging to discover a world drastically different from the one he'd learned about through filmstrips and microfilm.
Animals now rule the Earth! Humans are reduced to the role of mindless beasts as tigers ride chariots and shoot lasers, gorillas commute on vines through the ruins of Las Vegas and lions stock California game preserves with near-feral humans.
Kamandi discovers it all with relish, rushing from one scrap to another like classic Prince Valiant. He's not afraid to throw a punch or snatch a blaster, and Kirby and inker Mike Royer capture this new world with beautiful, energetic art. Kirby's humanoid animals are memorable and expressive, and he introduces a whole range of additional gonzo elements: giant grasshoppers and rat scavengers and a cargo cult modeled on the Apollo program...but inhabited by radioactive supermen with the ability to change to solid steel.
The storytelling doesn't advance much beyond the "fight of the month," but Kamandi is appealing and energetic and lots of fun. A lively book from a master of the art.
Animals now rule the Earth! Humans are reduced to the role of mindless beasts as tigers ride chariots and shoot lasers, gorillas commute on vines through the ruins of Las Vegas and lions stock California game preserves with near-feral humans.
Kamandi discovers it all with relish, rushing from one scrap to another like classic Prince Valiant. He's not afraid to throw a punch or snatch a blaster, and Kirby and inker Mike Royer capture this new world with beautiful, energetic art. Kirby's humanoid animals are memorable and expressive, and he introduces a whole range of additional gonzo elements: giant grasshoppers and rat scavengers and a cargo cult modeled on the Apollo program...but inhabited by radioactive supermen with the ability to change to solid steel.
The storytelling doesn't advance much beyond the "fight of the month," but Kamandi is appealing and energetic and lots of fun. A lively book from a master of the art.
December 27, 2024
I feel bad saying this but this is really bad. I'm reading now some pulp and fantasy books and comics from the 50s to 80s and this just doesn't hold up. The world build is paper thin, the geography of places and distances has no weight, characters are shallow and without distinction, no meaningful relationships whatsoever. The art is also bad. Characters always have that weird open mouth horrified expression, compositions are boring or unorganized, every animal character basically looks like a copy of all other animals in its species right down to the attire color. I was shocked to find this is of the later works of Kirby, never read anything by him but would've expected it to be from before he got polished because this is anything but.
December 19, 2017
It's a shame the writing is not on par with the visuals. I should have loved this because it's just so weird. But the stories are as boring as the ideas are creative? That doesn't even make sense does it? I mean, with this many strange ideas, there should be some more interesting stories and characters. I liked it more when Kirby did this with Devil Dinosaur.
September 16, 2025
Best art of Kirby's career.
This contains the first twenty issues of Kamandi which was the only title Kirby started at dc which was not cancelled. The artwork is amazing but Kirby treats each comic as a chapter in a novel. A comic should have a beginning, middle and end and should not be a link in a chain.
This contains the first twenty issues of Kamandi which was the only title Kirby started at dc which was not cancelled. The artwork is amazing but Kirby treats each comic as a chapter in a novel. A comic should have a beginning, middle and end and should not be a link in a chain.
April 21, 2020
Not the greatest Jack BUT a great one. So the 2 books, this one and the second that follows with the remaining stories, are a worthwhile experience, full of quotes from other great science fictions novels and films.
Battles and mass scenes are visually powerful!
Battles and mass scenes are visually powerful!
February 26, 2021
The occasional issue of this would be pretty fun, but the stories are two similar from issue to issue and too many ideas seem to be drawn from other big science fiction hits of the era, most obviously Planet of the Apes.
April 17, 2025
Collect them all.
It takes a few minutes to get used to the art style of Kirby but once hooked most of the other artists fail to compare and the details in each panel just spoil the reader
It takes a few minutes to get used to the art style of Kirby but once hooked most of the other artists fail to compare and the details in each panel just spoil the reader
August 15, 2020
Loved these comics as a kid and this brought back all the memories.Superheroes have never done it for me give me a Kamandi or Conan anytime
February 27, 2025
Very fun, very goofy. Homie has no nuance and kicks his way out of and into most situations.
July 8, 2025
Loved this as a kid and still do as a old bloke
March 12, 2013
This omnibus volume collects the first half of the 1970's comic Kamandi," written and drawn by Jack Kirby. The series diverges from Kirby's usual superhero fare, set instead in a post-apocalyptic world gone mad. The many similarities to the "Planet of the Apes" movies are clearly and intentionally set up as we see a ruined Statue of Liberty in the two-page splash of the first issue. The exact nature of the planet wrecking Great Disaster is not revealed, but it is explicitly referred to as a natural disaster, rather than the more usual nuclear war.
The series is framed as a coming of age tale. The teenaged Kamandi and his grandfather are the last two residents of underground bunker complex which has housed a community of survivors for generations (the exact time span is unclear, but appears to have been at least several hundred years). The complex has a library with information about the pre-disaster world, but conditions aboveground are unknown. While Kamandi is out scouting, looters break into the bunker and murder his grandfather. When Kamandi confronts the murderers, they are revealed as not men, but intelligent, bipedal wolves.
Orphaned and alone, Kamandi strikes out across the remains of the United States. He encounters mutant humans, and a whole host of speaking, technology-using animal life forms: A tiger society based on Rome, a Gorilla city, the "United States of Lions." As a comic artist, Jack Kirby is one of the best. His action scenes have an exuberant vitality second to none. However, as a comic writer, many of his stories and conceits are illogical and implausible. Kamandi suffers from a good deal of this. A lot of what happens in this book seems to be based not on good storytelling, but on what Jack Kirby felt like drawing. The speaking animals feel like an attempt to take "Planet of the Apes" and turn it up to eleven. The explanation of how Ben Boxer transforms is completely ludicrous- A heart that acts like a nuclear cyclotron? What does that even mean?
To be fair, there is a story near the end of this compilation explaining how the animals gained intelligence and the use of language. I consider it the best chapter of the book, tying together a human researcher from before the Great Disaster and his post-Disaster Gorilla counterpart. At the time of the disaster, a great deal of an experimental drug was spilled into the Washington DC water table. This mutagenic substance multiplied the mental abilities of animals far beyond normal levels. The resultant hyperintelligent animals were the ancestors of the creatures encountered by Kamandi. How or why they became bipedal and took over human technology while humans became feral and barbaric is not explained, however. Sadly, plot holes are part and parcel of this series.
Despite my problems with the writing, I enjoyed the artwork. Kamandi also serves as an interesting prelude to the TV series Thundarr the Barbarian, a later Kirby project. I don't doubt his enthusiasm for the project, but the quality of the story and setting is uneven. Not superb, but worth looking at if you are a fan of Jack Kirby.
The series is framed as a coming of age tale. The teenaged Kamandi and his grandfather are the last two residents of underground bunker complex which has housed a community of survivors for generations (the exact time span is unclear, but appears to have been at least several hundred years). The complex has a library with information about the pre-disaster world, but conditions aboveground are unknown. While Kamandi is out scouting, looters break into the bunker and murder his grandfather. When Kamandi confronts the murderers, they are revealed as not men, but intelligent, bipedal wolves.
Orphaned and alone, Kamandi strikes out across the remains of the United States. He encounters mutant humans, and a whole host of speaking, technology-using animal life forms: A tiger society based on Rome, a Gorilla city, the "United States of Lions." As a comic artist, Jack Kirby is one of the best. His action scenes have an exuberant vitality second to none. However, as a comic writer, many of his stories and conceits are illogical and implausible. Kamandi suffers from a good deal of this. A lot of what happens in this book seems to be based not on good storytelling, but on what Jack Kirby felt like drawing. The speaking animals feel like an attempt to take "Planet of the Apes" and turn it up to eleven. The explanation of how Ben Boxer transforms is completely ludicrous- A heart that acts like a nuclear cyclotron? What does that even mean?
To be fair, there is a story near the end of this compilation explaining how the animals gained intelligence and the use of language. I consider it the best chapter of the book, tying together a human researcher from before the Great Disaster and his post-Disaster Gorilla counterpart. At the time of the disaster, a great deal of an experimental drug was spilled into the Washington DC water table. This mutagenic substance multiplied the mental abilities of animals far beyond normal levels. The resultant hyperintelligent animals were the ancestors of the creatures encountered by Kamandi. How or why they became bipedal and took over human technology while humans became feral and barbaric is not explained, however. Sadly, plot holes are part and parcel of this series.
Despite my problems with the writing, I enjoyed the artwork. Kamandi also serves as an interesting prelude to the TV series Thundarr the Barbarian, a later Kirby project. I don't doubt his enthusiasm for the project, but the quality of the story and setting is uneven. Not superb, but worth looking at if you are a fan of Jack Kirby.
March 6, 2023
Wow, that was a lot of running, jumping, shooting at things and explosions. Pretty much everything I would have wanted in a comic as a kid. Yeah, Kamandi doesn't change one bit in the twenty issues contained in this volume but The King knew his readers weren't showing up each month for talking heads and feelings.
What you do get though is a heaping dose of Kirby's wild imagination. Sure, this comic came about from the purely commercial decisions of his editors (Hey Jack, I hear the kids are wild about these Planet of the Apes movies, let's do something like that - but not too like that or we'll get sued. Now get to work!) but Kirby really lets loose and turns the world of Earth A.D. (After Destruction) into something all his own. From tiger-man armies based on Julius Caesar to genetically altered humans who can cover themselves in metal in an instant to survive radiation to weird, big brained mutants who can command you with a thought, Kirby never lets up on new ideas.
Also, the art. While I'm sad that this volume only contains one of Kirby's wild collages his splash pages at the front of each issue are really amazing. Some I had to stare and stare at because of all the action and detail. Honestly, it really is hard to over estimate Kirby's skill at both rendering amazing art and using the power of sequential story telling to get this point across. There are several multi-panel pages in Kamandi that are just master classes in how comics should work. It's particularly crazy when you consider that Kamandi was one of three comics Jack Kirby was writing and drawing monthly at the time.
I will say all of this energy and character stasis does become a bit of a grind to read after awhile. I'm not sure Jack Kirby ever intended this work for adults, and I sure don't think he ever though someone would blaze through twenty issues of his comic in a couple of weeks, so some of the flaws become apparent after a while. There are even a few storylines, like the one that works over Watergate (timely!) and that turns Chicago into a weird robot 1920's gangster land (Seriously, there is so much more to Chicago than Al Capone *sigh*), that feel pretty phoned in. Then again - writing three comics a month will do that to you.
Over all, if you want some old school comics fun you really can't go wrong with this volume. I mean, DC really gives you a ton of value with this reprint package. I suspect the art and color in Kamandi have never looked this good and it's a lot to read for the price point. If you love ADVENTURE!, old school comics and Jack Kirby art than you should run right out and pick this up.
What you do get though is a heaping dose of Kirby's wild imagination. Sure, this comic came about from the purely commercial decisions of his editors (Hey Jack, I hear the kids are wild about these Planet of the Apes movies, let's do something like that - but not too like that or we'll get sued. Now get to work!) but Kirby really lets loose and turns the world of Earth A.D. (After Destruction) into something all his own. From tiger-man armies based on Julius Caesar to genetically altered humans who can cover themselves in metal in an instant to survive radiation to weird, big brained mutants who can command you with a thought, Kirby never lets up on new ideas.
Also, the art. While I'm sad that this volume only contains one of Kirby's wild collages his splash pages at the front of each issue are really amazing. Some I had to stare and stare at because of all the action and detail. Honestly, it really is hard to over estimate Kirby's skill at both rendering amazing art and using the power of sequential story telling to get this point across. There are several multi-panel pages in Kamandi that are just master classes in how comics should work. It's particularly crazy when you consider that Kamandi was one of three comics Jack Kirby was writing and drawing monthly at the time.
I will say all of this energy and character stasis does become a bit of a grind to read after awhile. I'm not sure Jack Kirby ever intended this work for adults, and I sure don't think he ever though someone would blaze through twenty issues of his comic in a couple of weeks, so some of the flaws become apparent after a while. There are even a few storylines, like the one that works over Watergate (timely!) and that turns Chicago into a weird robot 1920's gangster land (Seriously, there is so much more to Chicago than Al Capone *sigh*), that feel pretty phoned in. Then again - writing three comics a month will do that to you.
Over all, if you want some old school comics fun you really can't go wrong with this volume. I mean, DC really gives you a ton of value with this reprint package. I suspect the art and color in Kamandi have never looked this good and it's a lot to read for the price point. If you love ADVENTURE!, old school comics and Jack Kirby art than you should run right out and pick this up.
January 23, 2024
This was one of my favorite comic book series from my childhood, and Kamandi still holds up as wonderful escapist fiction. I revisit the dystopian-class-reversal world of Kamandi every couple of years and am always delighted at it's blend of action, adventure, mystery and excitement. While Kamandi does not always sit well with all comic book fans, or even with fans of Jack Kirby, it should delight anyone who craves adventure, has a strong suspension of disbelief and is young at heart. If you are a fan of either the original Jonny Quest or Planet of the Apes, you should check out Kamandi - and if, like me, you are a fan of both - you will love Kamandi.
Update: As a kid, I would re-read all my comics every summer. Kamandi was always one of the first and one that I was always eagerly looking forward to re-reading. I’ve read these comics so many times I’ve lost count, and it still has the thrilling edge of your seat excitement filling page after page.
Update: When this series was first coming out this volume contains both the five issues (#1, 3, 4, 8, 9) that made me fall in loving obsession with this series, and the five issues (#2, 5, 6, 7, 10) that I missed which resulted in massive frustration and caused me to make Kamandi the first series to which I got a subscription. So half of the first ten issues I’ve read so many times that I can almost recall them from memory and half that still feel like new when I reread them now. But in either case, Kamandi represents a series that I cannot imagine ever getting tired of. Kamandi is a series that illustrates Kirby’s boundless imagination as well as his ability to get distracted, head off on tangents, and refocused over and over again.
Another update: I’ve just reread this and I find myself thinking back to my first encounter with these issues. This volume opens up with what became the first issue of my unbroken run of issues. After having missed half of the issues from the first ten, I knew I needed to ensure I wouldn’t miss anymore, so I purchased my first subscription to a comic book, that began with issue #13. The issues with Kamandi dealing with the Sacker’s Department Store were among my favorites and while I didn’t quite grasp of the significances imbedded in the Watergate and Washington DC stories, I still found them fascinating. I can’t help but feel the Chicago Gangsters arc might have been inspired, at least in part, by the “A Piece of the Action” episode of the original Star Trek series and Westworld/Futureworld films.
Update: As a kid, I would re-read all my comics every summer. Kamandi was always one of the first and one that I was always eagerly looking forward to re-reading. I’ve read these comics so many times I’ve lost count, and it still has the thrilling edge of your seat excitement filling page after page.
Update: When this series was first coming out this volume contains both the five issues (#1, 3, 4, 8, 9) that made me fall in loving obsession with this series, and the five issues (#2, 5, 6, 7, 10) that I missed which resulted in massive frustration and caused me to make Kamandi the first series to which I got a subscription. So half of the first ten issues I’ve read so many times that I can almost recall them from memory and half that still feel like new when I reread them now. But in either case, Kamandi represents a series that I cannot imagine ever getting tired of. Kamandi is a series that illustrates Kirby’s boundless imagination as well as his ability to get distracted, head off on tangents, and refocused over and over again.
Another update: I’ve just reread this and I find myself thinking back to my first encounter with these issues. This volume opens up with what became the first issue of my unbroken run of issues. After having missed half of the issues from the first ten, I knew I needed to ensure I wouldn’t miss anymore, so I purchased my first subscription to a comic book, that began with issue #13. The issues with Kamandi dealing with the Sacker’s Department Store were among my favorites and while I didn’t quite grasp of the significances imbedded in the Watergate and Washington DC stories, I still found them fascinating. I can’t help but feel the Chicago Gangsters arc might have been inspired, at least in part, by the “A Piece of the Action” episode of the original Star Trek series and Westworld/Futureworld films.
September 26, 2024
I went into Kamandi knowing that I'd be looking extra hard to find Jack Kirby's authorial touch; by 1972, Kirby was already a comic book legend for his role in co-creating most of Marvel's masthead characters (except for Spider-Man and Wolverine) and house style, and as a result was given free reign over the series as writer, artist, and editor. Immediately apparent, of course, is his use of bright colors and fantastical gadgetry, an element he'd developed while drawing (and frequently writing) The Fantastic Four. What I noticed while reading this, however, was the way he created motion by placing his characters in awkward poses, implying that they had to have reached this position mid-movement. It's a striking contrast to modern artists, who, for whatever reason, tend to draw their characters in more comfortable poses, suggesting stillness (that is, when they're not just reusing an illustration for three panels in a row). Modern artists also seem to possess a lack of imagination in how to frame their characters; though there are exceptions to this, they seem to place their characters more comfortably in the panel than Kirby, who would seemingly try to bust his characters out of their white, lined prisons. Another difference is detail; Kirby's drawings are far more impressionistic than those of modern artists, who tend to focus on the minutiae of costumes and machinery (perhaps this is why they don't pose their characters well). Kirby is far less interested in the details of Kamandi's skirt or guns than he is in conveying the idea of Kamandi to his readers with strong, unusual shapes and bright colors. These uncommon shapes would famously bring his Fourth World series to life, also for D.C. But all this analysis didn't stop me from enjoying Kirby's work; I think he was one of the greatest comic book artists who ever lived, and one of the most enduring masters of the medium.
March 26, 2020
In a time of comfort reading, I read Kamandi. It was the first comic that I ever collected. It was the first of my 40,000 plus comic book collection. I still enjoy reading Kamandi 46 years later. It is my favorite work of this era for Kirby at DC. Yes, the Fourth World is fantastic, the Demon is nasty fun and Omac was some interesting food for thought but Kamandi is still my favorite. The stories are light innocent Sci-fi action but they are also well told and the art is Kirby at his best. Mike Royer and D. Bruce Berry do a great job inking Kirby. Thank god there is no Vince Colletta work in here. I think that Kirby's post Marvel work showed the world which voice was the real voice of the Marvel age and it wasn't Stanley Leiber. My only complaint with Kirby during this era was that he was that was not the greatest wordsmith. he had a great imagination but putting the words in the characters mouths was not his strong suit. Read all of Kirby's work during this era and you will not be disappointed.
August 26, 2025
Spectacular!
https://youtu.be/Ap87nc7hTeI?si=Mot1T...
I had a ball reading this collection of the first twenty issues of Jack “King” Kirby’s post-apocalyptic head-trip. A response to DC missing out on the Planet of the Apes license to Marvel, Kirby doubled- tripled- quadruple-downed with a world not just of mute, animalistic humans and civilized, talking apes, but multiple anthropomorphic animal civilizations: dogs, lions, tigers, and more get their chance to piss Kamandi off by treating him like an animal.
What I didn’t remember from the scattering of Kamandi comics I read as a kid was just how angry an angry young man Kamandi was. He’s temperamental almost to the point of mania… and honestly kind of a dick, especially to his disappointing fellow humans.
Kirby’s best in class art and over the top imagination are on full display here—an absolute gem.
https://youtu.be/Ap87nc7hTeI?si=Mot1T...
I had a ball reading this collection of the first twenty issues of Jack “King” Kirby’s post-apocalyptic head-trip. A response to DC missing out on the Planet of the Apes license to Marvel, Kirby doubled- tripled- quadruple-downed with a world not just of mute, animalistic humans and civilized, talking apes, but multiple anthropomorphic animal civilizations: dogs, lions, tigers, and more get their chance to piss Kamandi off by treating him like an animal.
What I didn’t remember from the scattering of Kamandi comics I read as a kid was just how angry an angry young man Kamandi was. He’s temperamental almost to the point of mania… and honestly kind of a dick, especially to his disappointing fellow humans.
Kirby’s best in class art and over the top imagination are on full display here—an absolute gem.
January 12, 2015
At once wildly imaginative and creatively bankrupt. Narratively boring from issue to issue. There are characters, but no characterization to speak of. Kamandi's Prince Valiant-style balls-to-the-wall punch-based problem-solving is nearly fun, but any character Kirby writes is annoying and boring, Kamandi most of all. Kirby's art is better than his writing, but it's still hardly excellent. The poor dynamics of his action scenes mean that characters are forced to constantly explain what is going on ("I'm falling through the floor!"). The art suffers from Kirby's trademark samey posework, plus aesthetics that make for better posters and covers than interior art.
Still, I love it. It's imaginative and schlocky and harmless. It's a hot mess with pedigree.
Still, I love it. It's imaginative and schlocky and harmless. It's a hot mess with pedigree.
March 29, 2013
Really great and fun stories. Jack seems to be having a really good time drawing all the animals and bizarre creatures. This seems like the perfect title for a guy like Kirby to just go nuts on. I think Kirby was at his best during the 70's, and this book is just more evidence of that.
The one drawback of the book, and it's a big one, is the repetitive nature of the stories. Each issue can be boiled down to the same plot over and over. It did make it difficult at times to read, but when I think back on it, I think I'll remember all the fun stuff going on, and not the repetition.
The one drawback of the book, and it's a big one, is the repetitive nature of the stories. Each issue can be boiled down to the same plot over and over. It did make it difficult at times to read, but when I think back on it, I think I'll remember all the fun stuff going on, and not the repetition.
April 18, 2016
I finally finished reading this thing, and man, it was pretty awesome. It's less philosophical than some Jack Kirby comics, but there are still some interesting ideas about man vs. nature and the ways we've affected the world. Lots of great action, freaky creatures, and wild sci-fi ideas too; you never know what's going to happen next, and it's pretty awesome to see Kirby let his imagination loose. Now I need to try to obtain the second and final volume, and then read stuff like The Demon, Devil Dinosaur, and his 70s run on Captain America...
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