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jayspa65's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This volume, the fourth and final collection of Jack Kirby's most famous DC project, allows us to observe the final moments of the original run of titles, and the somewhat haphazard resolution that was tacked on by Kirby years later, when DC gave him another shot at his famous property. As anyone who ever talks about Kirby will stress, he was endlessly creative, and the "Fourth World" is often considered his most personal work in the comics medium.
The bulk of the collection, though, consists of issues of "Mister Miracle", which lasted a full seven issues more than the others did. After Mister Miracle and Big Barda escape from Apokolips, where they adventured for most of the previous volume, they return to Earth, accompanied by Barda's former team of Female Furies (Lashina, Mad Harriet, Stompa, Bernadeth). They rejoin Oberon and meet a new promoter, Ted Brown, the son of the original Mister Miracle, resuming their attempt to live away from the god war and become famous performers. Along the way, of course, they inevitably run afoul of villains such as Madame Evil Eyes, a murderous British colonel who seems a parody of Shaw's "Pygmalion", and the memorably-named Nazi war criminal Von Killowitz (Kirby was creative, not subtle). Mister Miracle even takes on an apprentice, a black youth named Shilo Norman.
For most of these issues, Kirby avoids the wider Fourth World mythology in favor of superhero exploits. The series ends, though, as fans of the characters' later DCU appearances would expect, with Mister Miracle and Big Barda's wedding, an event that every major Apokolips villain tries to crash (actually, they prompt the wedding, as much as anything), with guest appearances by Orion, Lightray, and Highfather, before the New God heroes leave their mortal companions and return home (the other Furies seemingly go back to Darkseid's service, given where we see them next in the "Even Gods Must Die!" special).
Finally, there is the aforementioned special and the graphic novel "Hunger Dogs!", which marks the end of Kirby's contribution to the mythology (although future DCU series would ignore it, and many other aspects of Kirby's original series, in order to make fuller use of his original concepts before he started to wrap them up). It is not a wholly satisfactory ending, though it is interesting to see Kirby incorporate ideas about the increased mechanization of society (which even the arch-villain Darkseid finds unsettling) and the atomic weapons race. "Hunger Dogs!" does not conclude the prophecy of Darkseid and Orion's destiny, but it provides a bit of closure, while simultaneously leaving the future of the New Gods wide open.
If you have read the previous three volumes (and you should, if you mean to understand the Fourth World properly) then you know what to expect from the King: wild imagination in art and story, somewhat dated, but well worth your time if you enjoy older comics.
The bulk of the collection, though, consists of issues of "Mister Miracle", which lasted a full seven issues more than the others did. After Mister Miracle and Big Barda escape from Apokolips, where they adventured for most of the previous volume, they return to Earth, accompanied by Barda's former team of Female Furies (Lashina, Mad Harriet, Stompa, Bernadeth). They rejoin Oberon and meet a new promoter, Ted Brown, the son of the original Mister Miracle, resuming their attempt to live away from the god war and become famous performers. Along the way, of course, they inevitably run afoul of villains such as Madame Evil Eyes, a murderous British colonel who seems a parody of Shaw's "Pygmalion", and the memorably-named Nazi war criminal Von Killowitz (Kirby was creative, not subtle). Mister Miracle even takes on an apprentice, a black youth named Shilo Norman.
For most of these issues, Kirby avoids the wider Fourth World mythology in favor of superhero exploits. The series ends, though, as fans of the characters' later DCU appearances would expect, with Mister Miracle and Big Barda's wedding, an event that every major Apokolips villain tries to crash (actually, they prompt the wedding, as much as anything), with guest appearances by Orion, Lightray, and Highfather, before the New God heroes leave their mortal companions and return home (the other Furies seemingly go back to Darkseid's service, given where we see them next in the "Even Gods Must Die!" special).
Finally, there is the aforementioned special and the graphic novel "Hunger Dogs!", which marks the end of Kirby's contribution to the mythology (although future DCU series would ignore it, and many other aspects of Kirby's original series, in order to make fuller use of his original concepts before he started to wrap them up). It is not a wholly satisfactory ending, though it is interesting to see Kirby incorporate ideas about the increased mechanization of society (which even the arch-villain Darkseid finds unsettling) and the atomic weapons race. "Hunger Dogs!" does not conclude the prophecy of Darkseid and Orion's destiny, but it provides a bit of closure, while simultaneously leaving the future of the New Gods wide open.
If you have read the previous three volumes (and you should, if you mean to understand the Fourth World properly) then you know what to expect from the King: wild imagination in art and story, somewhat dated, but well worth your time if you enjoy older comics.
cleheny's review
4.0
The final volume of the Omnibus is a letdown after the tremendous stories in the previous volume. It contains the final issues of The Forever People (#11) and The New Gods (#11), and the final 9 issues of Mr. Miracle (#10-18). And it has Kirby's final contributions to his epic, the 1984 "Even Gods Must Die!" (New Gods reprint series #6) and the 1985 graphic novel, The Hunger Dogs!.
According to Mark Evanier's Afterword, Kirby learned that The Forever People and New Gods were "suspended" (i.e., cancelled) as he was writing #11 of the former. Evanier doesn't tell us if Kirby abandoned whatever he plans he had for the team's last issue to write what got, "Devilance the Pursuer," but it would make sense if he did. In issue #8, "The Power!," Darkseid had let the Forever People go, telling Desaad that he didn't kill children. There are then two awkward issues in which Kirby had to shoehorn Deadman into that comic, no Apokoliptian villains or New Gods folks in sight. And then, suddenly, issue #11 opens with the Forever People on the run from Darkseid's relentless hunter and assassin because, for some unknown reason, Darkseid has decided that he does, indeed, kill children (or, at least, has them killed). The entire issue is essentially a chase story, with the Forever People barely a step ahead of their pursuer. Finally, they are able to summon Infinity Man, for the first time since issue #3 ("Life v. Anti-Life!"). The Forever People's fate is kind but also anti-climactic. This story might have worked if Kirby had had time to set it up--if we knew why Darkseid had decided to kill them, even though they hadn't had dealings with him or Apokolips since the last time he spared them--if we had a sense of how long Devilance had pursued them. Instead, the issue reads as Kirby's best attempt at providing some closure to their story under the last-minute circumstances of the cancellation.
Similarly, "Darkseid and Sons!" is also rather abrupt in its end, though it gets there with a little more grace. Kalibak, who has been in police custody since "The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin," is released by the police commissioner because he promises to get his side to discuss peace. Why anyone believes this is beyond me. Of course, as soon as he's free, he exits through the wall and tracks down Orion for the major battle. And then we learn some really interesting, and contradictory, things in a Darkseid/Desaad scene. Darkseid seems to both want Kalibak and Orion to kill each other and, at the same time, doesn't want anything of the sort. Or maybe he unconsciously wants Orion to win.
When Kalibak and Orion do fight, it's an epic battle. But Kalibak ends up getting the upper hand, and it looks like Orion is going to die. And, once again, Darkseid does something unexpected. Why Darkseid behaves the way he does isn't clear. I don't take him at his word that he's just pissed off that someone is interfering in the battle. I think he's generally angry about the consequences of that interference, though why he cares about Orion at all is a mystery, especially given his treatment of his son during Orion's childhood (as revealed in "The Pact!"). And then the battle ends rather surprisingly. The final panel is less effective than it otherwise probably would have been if Kirby had had time to plot out the ending instead of only one issue after news of the cancellation.
The remaining Mr. Miracle issues are not wonderful. Scott, Barda, and the Female Furies arrive on Earth after escaping Apokolips. After an uninspiring encounter with a new villain that would only be slightly over-the-top for '60s Bond villains, they put together a new act, involving everyone. But, after issue #11, the Furies vanish without a trace or comment. Essentially, Kirby dropped all references to the Fourth World. Even Scott's mother box is referred to as his "circuits." So we get a series of one-off adventures that aren't particularly compelling. Scott then takes in Shilo Norman, a young (maybe 12 or 14?) Black kid who wants to avenge his murdered brother. Shilo is a poor kid from the "inner city" with apparently no other family or means of support who also knows judo (and knows it well). Plus, he's fast and a natural at escape artistry. So he becomes Scott's apprentice. But all of the stories are earth-bound and not particularly interesting.
The final issue, "Wild, Wild Wedding Guests," is another rushed farewell to Kirby's remaining Fourth World characters. It's not clear how much notice Kirby had of the cancellation, but it wouldn't be surprising if it was the same amount as his previous stories in this epic. So a lot of stuff happens in a very short period of time. Within 4 1/2 pages, Scott and Barda have suddenly confessed their passionate love for each other, even though their relationship had been platonic to that point. The decision to get married takes place only 2 panels later. And most of the major Apokolyptian villains show up out of the blue to kill them (Granny Goodness, Virmin Vundabar, Kanto, and Dr. Bedlam). Why? It's not clear, as the whole point of Scott returning to Apokolips and winning his freedom through trial by combat (issues #7-8) was so that they wouldn't be under constant attack by Apokolips. No explanation is given for why there's suddenly a villain team-up to kill them.
But the wedding gets even wilder, as the big names in The New Gods show up for the impromptu wedding (without any need for invitations!). The Source has proclaimed that there will be a wedding, and, for some unexplained reason, Scott and Barda will then have to leave Earth to live in Supertown. It's a rushed affair, as everyone (even the Apokolips bad guys, who are also wedding "guests") are afraid of Darkseid showing up. And then he does, a split second after all of the other Fourth Worlders depart. As weird and rushed an issue as this was, it's worth it for Darkseid's final words, overheard only by Shilo and Oberon.
10 years after DC cancelled Kirby's Fourth World series, he was invited back to conclude it, though apparently not in the way that he wanted (). The passage of time, compounded by a confused approach to publishing Kirby's story, harms the story. Kirby's artistic skills had noticeably declined (even to someone like me, who is less sensitive to artistic nuances). Darkseid's depiction, in particular, suffers. The menace inherent in his 1970s appearances is lacking. Additionally, Mark Evanier's afterword explained that DC originally wanted Kirby to wrap everything up in one issue. When that proved impossible (not surprisingly), he was offered a graphic novel, instead. Kirby's original story was incorporated into the larger finale, but, apparently, pages were interspersed with new ones (plus, Evanier points out that graphic novel pages are sized differently than comic pages, so there was resizing).
"Even Gods Must Die!" starts with Orion's return to Apokolips and his attempt to rescue his mother, Tigra, and leads directly to The Hunger Dogs. There are some really interesting ideas in Kirby's finale. Darkseid, whose malevolence and desire for total control dominated Kirby's epic, has lost his spark. Apokolips has mastered the mechanics of war; it produces chemical weapons and the Fourth World equivalent of nuclear bombs. Its warriors, so central to his earlier stories, are relegated to the sidelines. They provide security for weapons factories. And war is conducted largely from a distance, through bombing runs rather than the pitched battles that (eventually) led to Izaya's epiphany. In this world, Darkseid is almost an afterthought. His evil genius was the motivating force in so many of Kirby's Fourth World stories; events would never have developed as they did without Darkseid's active involvement. By The Hunger Dogs, Darkseid seems largely unnecessary to Apokolips' war machine.
Orion's story takes an unexpected turn. It feels like a bit of a disappointment, given how Kirby's original stories set up the expected climax. Tony Laplume's 2018 review makes an interesting point about Orion's ending: "Anyway, Orion’s victory against Darkseid is in rescuing his mother, in finding love. In short, in rejecting everything Darkseid stands for. If Orion only ever saw himself previously as the warrior, he now has new definitions, and a new purpose. All Darkseid has is decaying illusion." This is a thought-provoking take and it has merit, though I think, if this was Kirby's intention, it is given short shrift by the abrupt way in which Orion's triumphs are portrayed ().
The most disappointing aspect of the story is what happens to a character with a small role in The New Gods and Forever People but who plays a pivotal role in Kirby's final tale..
Apokolips' Hunger Dogs--the people on the absolute bottom rung of Apokolips' society--take a more prominent role in the story. Their disaffection and willingness to resist Darkseid's regime is in direct contrast to Mr. Miracle #9 ("Himon"), where the "Lowlies" (a/k/a "Hunger Dogs") are eager to destroy Himon, who is the entirety of Apokolips' resistance to Darkseid. Perhaps Darkseid's diminishing personal menace explains the growing resistance and resentment among his people. Nonetheless, it is Highfather's decision that brings about the collapse of Darkseid's regime.
According to Mark Evanier's Afterword, Kirby learned that The Forever People and New Gods were "suspended" (i.e., cancelled) as he was writing #11 of the former. Evanier doesn't tell us if Kirby abandoned whatever he plans he had for the team's last issue to write what got, "Devilance the Pursuer," but it would make sense if he did. In issue #8, "The Power!," Darkseid had let the Forever People go, telling Desaad that he didn't kill children. There are then two awkward issues in which Kirby had to shoehorn Deadman into that comic, no Apokoliptian villains or New Gods folks in sight. And then, suddenly, issue #11 opens with the Forever People on the run from Darkseid's relentless hunter and assassin because, for some unknown reason, Darkseid has decided that he does, indeed, kill children (or, at least, has them killed). The entire issue is essentially a chase story, with the Forever People barely a step ahead of their pursuer. Finally, they are able to summon Infinity Man, for the first time since issue #3 ("Life v. Anti-Life!"). The Forever People's fate is kind but also anti-climactic
Spoiler
(they end up on the idyllic planet of Adon, where Infinity Man was largely confined after his defeat at Darkseid's hands, and they cheerfully head off to explore it, untroubled by the fact that they have no idea if and when they will return to their own people)Similarly, "Darkseid and Sons!" is also rather abrupt in its end, though it gets there with a little more grace. Kalibak, who has been in police custody since "The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin," is released by the police commissioner because he promises to get his side to discuss peace. Why anyone believes this is beyond me. Of course, as soon as he's free, he exits through the wall and tracks down Orion for the major battle. And then we learn some really interesting, and contradictory, things in a Darkseid/Desaad scene. Darkseid seems to both want Kalibak and Orion to kill each other and, at the same time, doesn't want anything of the sort. Or maybe he unconsciously wants Orion to win.
Spoiler
First, Darkseid bemoans the fact that Kalibak and Orion have fought each other since childhood, "But destiny has always kept one from killing the other! However, it the event of destiny's failure, Darkseid shall intervene!" Which sounds like he wants one of them to kill the other (and, presumably, Kalibak be the victor since Darkseid appears to hate Orion). But Desaad realizes that Darkseid doesn't actually want Kalibak to kill Orion and questions his leader. Darkseid immediately replies that, "Darkseid explains his motives to no one!" Fortunately for us, however, in the next two panels, he does just that. By this point in the epic, we know that Darkseid is Orion's father, but we now learn that Kalibak is his other son by another mother (and, apparently, one he loved--or at least wanted--unlike Orion's mother, Tigra). But it appears that no one--other than Darkseid--knew that (Desaad having poisoned Kalibak's mother--Darkseid's first wife--on Queen Heggra's orders some time after their secret wedding and Kalibak's birth).When Kalibak and Orion do fight, it's an epic battle. But Kalibak ends up getting the upper hand, and it looks like Orion is going to die. And, once again, Darkseid does something unexpected.
Spoiler
Kalibak has shown beyond-his-normal strength plus strange new powers, and Darkseid figures out that Desaad is somehow feeding Kalibak's energy and power in exchange for feeding off the emotions of the battle. Darkseid is furious that Desaad is using his own powers on Darkseid's sons for Desaad's selfish purposes, but Desaad, reasonably, points out that Kalibak is benefitting from his manipulation and Apokolips will win the battle. But Darkseid shows an interest in Orion's welfare that has been well hidden until now: "Orion may be dying! Crushed by your meddling, scheming brain! And his final agonies are coursing through you--feeding your cursed needs--!" So he kills Desaad, which is a bit of a shocker.Spoiler
The Black Racer shows up just as Orion has gotten the upper hand and kills Kalibak.Spoiler
Orion quotes a prophecy about the "father of Apokolips" meeting his "banished son" in the fire pits and admits to himself that he is Darkseid's son.The remaining Mr. Miracle issues are not wonderful. Scott, Barda, and the Female Furies arrive on Earth after escaping Apokolips. After an uninspiring encounter with a new villain that would only be slightly over-the-top for '60s Bond villains, they put together a new act, involving everyone. But, after issue #11, the Furies vanish without a trace or comment. Essentially, Kirby dropped all references to the Fourth World. Even Scott's mother box is referred to as his "circuits." So we get a series of one-off adventures that aren't particularly compelling. Scott then takes in Shilo Norman, a young (maybe 12 or 14?) Black kid who wants to avenge his murdered brother. Shilo is a poor kid from the "inner city" with apparently no other family or means of support who also knows judo (and knows it well). Plus, he's fast and a natural at escape artistry. So he becomes Scott's apprentice. But all of the stories are earth-bound and not particularly interesting.
The final issue, "Wild, Wild Wedding Guests," is another rushed farewell to Kirby's remaining Fourth World characters. It's not clear how much notice Kirby had of the cancellation, but it wouldn't be surprising if it was the same amount as his previous stories in this epic. So a lot of stuff happens in a very short period of time. Within 4 1/2 pages, Scott and Barda have suddenly confessed their passionate love for each other, even though their relationship had been platonic to that point. The decision to get married takes place only 2 panels later. And most of the major Apokolyptian villains show up out of the blue to kill them (Granny Goodness, Virmin Vundabar, Kanto, and Dr. Bedlam). Why? It's not clear, as the whole point of Scott returning to Apokolips and winning his freedom through trial by combat (issues #7-8) was so that they wouldn't be under constant attack by Apokolips. No explanation is given for why there's suddenly a villain team-up to kill them.
But the wedding gets even wilder, as the big names in The New Gods show up for the impromptu wedding (without any need for invitations!). The Source has proclaimed that there will be a wedding, and, for some unexplained reason, Scott and Barda will then have to leave Earth to live in Supertown. It's a rushed affair, as everyone (even the Apokolips bad guys, who are also wedding "guests") are afraid of Darkseid showing up. And then he does, a split second after all of the other Fourth Worlders depart. As weird and rushed an issue as this was, it's worth it for Darkseid's final words, overheard only by Shilo and Oberon.
10 years after DC cancelled Kirby's Fourth World series, he was invited back to conclude it, though apparently not in the way that he wanted (
Spoiler
according to Mark Evanier, he wanted to end it with Darkseid and Orion both dying after a climactic battle in Armagetto's fire pits"Even Gods Must Die!" starts with Orion's return to Apokolips and his attempt to rescue his mother, Tigra, and leads directly to The Hunger Dogs. There are some really interesting ideas in Kirby's finale. Darkseid, whose malevolence and desire for total control dominated Kirby's epic, has lost his spark. Apokolips has mastered the mechanics of war; it produces chemical weapons and the Fourth World equivalent of nuclear bombs. Its warriors, so central to his earlier stories, are relegated to the sidelines. They provide security for weapons factories. And war is conducted largely from a distance, through bombing runs rather than the pitched battles that (eventually) led to Izaya's epiphany. In this world, Darkseid is almost an afterthought. His evil genius was the motivating force in so many of Kirby's Fourth World stories; events would never have developed as they did without Darkseid's active involvement. By The Hunger Dogs, Darkseid seems largely unnecessary to Apokolips' war machine.
Orion's story takes an unexpected turn. It feels like a bit of a disappointment, given how Kirby's original stories set up the expected climax. Tony Laplume's 2018 review makes an interesting point about Orion's ending: "Anyway, Orion’s victory against Darkseid is in rescuing his mother, in finding love. In short, in rejecting everything Darkseid stands for. If Orion only ever saw himself previously as the warrior, he now has new definitions, and a new purpose. All Darkseid has is decaying illusion." This is a thought-provoking take and it has merit, though I think, if this was Kirby's intention, it is given short shrift by the abrupt way in which Orion's triumphs are portrayed (
Spoiler
When we first meet Bekka, she and Orion are already in love, and Tigra's rescue takes place completely off-panelThe most disappointing aspect of the story is what happens to a character with a small role in The New Gods and Forever People but who plays a pivotal role in Kirby's final tale.
Spoiler
Esak was a child of New Genesis in the original Fourth World tales who sometimes traveled with Metron as the latter continued his pursuit of absolute knowledge. Apparently, those travels were an important part of Esak's life because, by the time of The Hunger Dogs, Metron has disappeared to parts unknown and Esak is, essentially, abandoned. It appears that no one on New Genesis thinks of checking in on him or keeping him part of the community. Instead, he isolates himself in a lab, conducting experiments (into the Fourth World equivalent of splitting the atom) that end up scarring him. This disfigurement drives him to leave New Genesis and ally with Apokolips. But there's no real explanation of Esak's motives or decisions. Admittedly, Himon's sin--creating the X element that Darkseid leverages for Metron's help in creating transporter technology--was never explained in Kirby's story. But we don't know if that's because Kirby didn't have a chance to tell us. This gap in Esak's story strips it of its power. Esak's final moments are poignant, but they could have been more effective if we understood how he ended up as Apokolips' chief scientist and creator of devastating weapons.Apokolips' Hunger Dogs--the people on the absolute bottom rung of Apokolips' society--take a more prominent role in the story. Their disaffection and willingness to resist Darkseid's regime is in direct contrast to Mr. Miracle #9 ("Himon"), where the "Lowlies" (a/k/a "Hunger Dogs") are eager to destroy Himon, who is the entirety of Apokolips' resistance to Darkseid. Perhaps Darkseid's diminishing personal menace explains the growing resistance and resentment among his people. Nonetheless, it is Highfather's decision that brings about the collapse of Darkseid's regime.
Spoiler
Apokolips' attacks ravaged New Genesis' surface, and Highfather decides to destroy the devastated planet, launching Supertown onto a cosmic journey into the unknown. The resulting destruction ends up doing incredible damage to Apokolips, driving even his armies to abandon Darkseid. Kirby ends his story with both hope and despair;Spoiler
the New Gods of New Genesis search optimistically for a new home, while Darkseid is thrust from power (though Kirby assures us he will rise again).ekansthepokemon's review
4.0
You can tell Jack Kirby was getting close to the end of the series run by the way stories just fall off and plot lines were dropped (DC's fault, not his) but I'll be damned if he doesn't still put everything he has into trying to tell good stories.
librarimans's review
5.0
My review is as much for the Fourth World as this volume. It's a shame that Kirby was never able to finish his magnum opus, but thankfully his ideas and characters live on in the DCU.
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