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| Images copyright MARVEL COMICS |
When JACK KIRBY returned to MARVEL in 1975 after his 5 year sojourn at DC COMICS, he pretty much regurgitated what he'd been doing over at the Distinguished Competition - at least in the case of The ETERNALS and DEVIL DINOSAUR. The former was similar to The NEW GODS and the latter resembled KAMANDI to a degree. As far as DD goes, part of the reason was because there was talk that Kamandi was being considered for development as an animated TV series, so Marvel wanted a property that could likewise be developed to compete with their rivals.
Surprisingly, The Eternals proved to be a tad more successful than New Gods, in that it lasted for 19 issues in comparison to the other's mere 11, but Devil Dinosaur petered out after only 9. It was the last comicbook that Kirby ever produced for Marvel, and although it was mildly entertaining, it was hardly the blockbuster hit that readers were expecting from the The KING's return. Kirby's art could in no way be described as realistic, as Devil's plastic jaggy teeth, devoid of even the slightest hint of detail, inarguably testified.
Entertaining and professional as they were, Jack's later efforts demonstrated just how much he needed STAN LEE. Without him, he just couldn't seem to reach the heights that both men, in unison, had formerly scaled with ease. Jack Kirby was a spent force, out of fashion with the comics-buying public and never again to attain the success he'd enjoyed at Marvel in its nascent years.
That's the trouble when you're a giant whose shoulders others stand upon; eventually you end up at the bottom of the totem.
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And hey, if MOON-BOY was the very first human, then just what the heck were the rest of his tribe? They sure look like the same species to me.
