Thursday, 12 May 2016

KIRBY 'KOCK-UPS' - PART ONE: "WHERE DID THE TIME GO?"

Images copyright DC COMICS

Having dug out my JIMMY OLSEN back issues recently for the purpose of illustrating the preceding post, I decided to re-read the complete 15 issue run and re-acquaint myself with the awesome adventures first published back in the early 1970s.  I then reached for my handy, two volume collected set from 2003/'04 (which every true JACK KIRBY fan should have on their bookshelves), rather than risk damaging the original comics.

The end page of the group's adventure which occurred 'twixt the previous page shown and this one

Look at the first page above.  See SUPERMAN zooming towards that materializing BOOM TUBE?  In between scene-switching to what was simultaneously happening to his best pal Jimmy and The NEWSBOY LEGION at LOCH TREVOR over in Scotland in this ish, a whole ten days had elapsed by the time Olsen's adventure was over in the next, and the scene switched back again to show ol' Supes' encounter with whoever was arriving on Earth from (as yet) parts unknown.

According to Tommy, ten days have elapsed between this issue and the previous one...

There's no way Superman took ten days flying through the secret tunnels under The COSMIC CAROUSEL nightclub 'til meeting MAGNAR, so it just goes to show that even the fabulous Jack Kirby sometimes took his eye off the ball when relating his FOURTH WORLD epic.  One thing puzzles me though - why did it take me so long to spot this Kirby 'kock-up'?

...yet here's Supes still approaching the Boom Tube - just where we left him last issue

Next time I re-read these epic issues, I'll pay far stricter attention and see what bumblin' boo-boos I can spot that Jack missed.  Not that anybody can blame him overmuch - after all, he had at least four different mags on the go at the same time.  Overall, 'the boy done good'!