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| Image copyright DC COMICS |
Apparently, it wasn't JACK KIRBY's idea to guest-star DEADMAN in The FOREVER PEOPLE - he was asked to include him by, I think (too lazy to check), CARMINE INFANTINO. The result was an entertaining enough story (continued from the previous issue), but it wasn't really the Deadman that Deadman fans knew and loved. However, it was by the Jack Kirby that Jack Kirby fans knew and loved, and that was good enough for them, so who are we to argue?
As a Deadman fan and a Forever People fan I have to say it's a downright weird combo. I only ever had the second half of the story for several years, but enjoyed it enough. Deadman is out of his element, the atmosphere is all wrong, but that's not Kirby's fault, because he was instructed to give Boston Brand that "Kirby touch". Apparently Deadman was supposed to appear in New Gods and Kirby shunted him into FP instead. Thank goodness for that.
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When I first read the two issues of FP with Deadman back in 1973 (we got them late here, and they lay in spinner-racks for longer), I wasn't overly familiar with the character, RJ, so I didn't really notice the difference. However, I enjoyed them, and it's interesting to speculate on what Kirby would've done with Boston Brand in a regular title.
ReplyDeleteI still have these 2 issues of FP fromthe early 1970s and have to say I didnt liek them at all (I wasn't a fan of "Forever People" at all) I was more into Neal Adams version of Deadman (imho brilliant) and just didn't understand why he was in the FP - thank goodness Kirby opposed having DM in New Gods (maybe the DEMON)
ReplyDeleteYeah, PM, Deadman would have worked better in The Demon, but unfortunately Kirby hadn't created him yet. Maybe someone will team them up one day if it hasn't happened already.
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