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Face Value: Jack Kirby “Fourth World” Edition

By | August 15th, 2017
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They say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. While that might be true for prose, it’s not entirely true for comic books. Comic books are a visual medium and more times than not, it’s the art that draws you in. With so many comic books coming out these days, a cover that stands out from everything else on a wall of new releases can determine how well it sells. I know that I’ve picked up new titles solely based on the cover.

It is with that in mind that we bring you Face Value, a column where we will be looking at the best covers in comics, both new and old, every two weeks. This month, “Mister Miracle” #1 debuted and it is the most buzzed about comic book all year. It is a really good comic book and I got to thinking about Jack Kirby and how his creations have still resonated with so many DC fans and creators. With it being Kirby’s 100th and the launch of “Mister Miracle,” I figured this month would be a good time to look at some of Kirby’s best covers at DC, focusing on his cosmic characters. I will be honest, I haven’t read much of this but this is a column about covers and Kirby was the greatest this medium had.

New Gods #1 by Jack Kirby

This is where it starts, with this cover. “New Gods” and the characters within, especially Orion, would usher in a new world for DC that they hadn’t seen before. This cover seems like it’s a fairly simple setup but this character design was something you never saw in comics. This was a new level of science fiction at a major comics publication that was known for characters like Superman and Batman. This cover makes a statement.

Mister Miracle #1 by Jack Kirby

The thing I love about old comic book covers is how they truly get to the point. This cover is tells me everything I want to know about Mister Miracle yet makes me yearn for more. These lines are so beautiful and the colors are just perfect. This rocket is coming right at you.

New Gods Volume 2 #1 by Jack Kirby

Darkseid is. Darkseid is.

As far as DC lore goes, Darkseid might be the most important character that Kirby created. He’s going to pop up in the movies soon and he’s a character who’s faced off against the heaviest hitters of the DC universe. One of the things you’ll see a lot of in these covers is that Kirby used every single inch of his cover space. This is really just a shot of Darkseid looking like he’s plotting something as he literally holds the Earth but every single piece of the page is used. Kirby’s Darkseid is always the one I immediately think of when the character comes to mind.

The Forever People #1 by Jack Kirby

Part of Kirby’s DC work was “The Forever People,” a different team book compared to his other “Fourth  World” work. They were supposed to be a team that more fit in with modern kids. I like this cover because you get a clear vision of these characters in amazingly bright colors with the contrast of Superman behind them.

The Forever People #4 by Jack Kirby

Remember what I just said about old comic book covers? They tell you everything compared to covers today and sort of act like the first page of the story. I see this, I have to read it. Kirby again uses every inch that he can and the varying degrees of despair in our heroes and evil triumph in the villains is excellent. He was such a fantastic visual story teller.

New Gods Volume 2 #5 by Jack Kirby

More “New Gods” here with this cover from the later part of the second volume. I kind of hate yellow as a color but it really works here because Kirby could do no wrong. . This is a great action image that once again feels like the first page of the story rather than a teaser image. We even get a little teaser of a new character debuting in here which again, highlights how differently stories were told back then.

Continued below

The Forever People #10 by Jack Kirby

So I’m a huge fan of Deadman. Kirby apparently wasn’t and was persuaded to use him since the character wasn’t sticking with people and so he threw him into “The Forever People.” Again, look at these characters. There is so much drama in every single reaction and in the moving action of Deadman getting hit.

Mister Miracle #11 by Jack Kirby

Most covers of “Mister Miracle” feature Mister Miracle trying to get out of some trap. This trap is a doozy but what I like so much about this cover is the perspective. The bottom feels far away. You can feel this height and because of that, this cover feels urgent. It feels like this might be it for our hero. It isn’t but it might be!

Mister Miracle #2 by Jack Kirby

Like the cover before this, I am drawn to the actual trap that Mister Miracle is in and how Kirby conveys that to the reader. Even Mister Miracle looks alarmed and worried that this might be it for him. These covers always feel like this is going to be the last issue ever and when done right, that feeling never gets old. I love the movement of the knives and the blue background in contrast to Mister Miracle’s design is really good.

New Gods #10 by Jack Kirby

This feels like the most bombastic cover of all of the ones we’ve looked at. The characters are huge and with a white background, your eyes are drawn right to them and what they are doing. Kirby goes with an exaggerated situation like the action is coming right at you.

What are some of your favorite Jack Kirby covers from his years at DC? Let me know in the comments below!


//TAGS | Face Value

Jess Camacho

Jess is from New Jersey. She loves comic books, pizza, wrestling and the Mets. She can be seen talking comics here and at Geeked Out Nation. Follow her on Twitter @JessCamNJ for the hottest pro wrestling takes.

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