Tomorrow from DC Comics, “Infinity and the Forever People” #1 hits stores. A highly anticipated and publicized release, it’s DC’s first major foray into Kirby’s most famous and popular DC creations in the New 52, outside of Darkseid or little excursions into the Fourth World present in “Wonder Woman.” It’s also co-written and illustrated by Keith Giffen, who did a popular — albeit brief — run on “OMAC” during the launch of the New 52 alongside Dan Didio.
I mean, if anything is a selling point, it’s that Keith Giffen is writing and illustrating your New 52 Kirby book, right?
Well, that’s no longer really the case. As announced at USA Today, different artists will be taking over art duties for Giffen on #2 and #3, despite Giffen being previously solicited as the artist of both issues. “Forever People’s” second issue will be illustrated by Tom Grummett, and the third will be illustrated by Jim Starlin, which is a pretty strange throwaway announcement buried in an interview piece the day before a first issue is released. Philip Tan will still be drawing September’s solicited “Future’s End”/Five Years Later issue.
To be fair, Starlin’s issue does sound decent. As mentioned in the interview, “it’s basically Beautiful Dreamer having a conversation with the Anti-Life Equation,” which sounds pretty fun. It also mentioned that Giffen will return for October, which I’m sure many fans will appreciate. Yet, on the eve of the book coming out, it seems like a very weird time to announce such a massive change to a series, especially one that sees the first arc of the book so drastically changed from its ostensible original intention. Given the pre-order situation that exists in comics, I imagine for many fans this is like being told they paid tickets to see 2014 Tony Award Winner Neil Patrick Harris live in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, but tonight’s performance will replace Harris with Matthew Broderick.
“Infinity Man and the Forever People” #1, still illustrated by Keith Giffen, debuts in stores tomorrow.
