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Two for the price of one this time around, Crivs - SUPERMAN'S PAL THE NEW JIMMY OLSEN #s 139 & 141 (a two-parter, 140 being a giant ish containing non JK reprints), which I originally purchased in the early '70s. I've always thought (and often said) that JACK KIRBY's turn on Jimmy Olsen was the best thing he ever did at DC COMICS, and these two mags (along with #s 142 & 143) are ample testimony to that fact. An interesting plot, great art (inked by the unfairly maligned VINCE COLLETTA), and mostly (with the odd exception) freer-flowing dialogue than Kirby normally delivered, the tale rips along at a cracking pace and is hugely entertaining.
I bought ish 139 twice at two different times. My failing memory prevents 100% certainty, but I may've first got it while on holiday in Blackpool in 1973, (definitely) later buying another copy from a local newsagent's back home - purely because the pristine newness of the cover appealed to me. DC republished all of Jack's Olsen issues (sans '40s reprints) a year or so back in a single collected edition, so if you missed them in the '70s (being either too busy or unborn), you can now catch up on them. Check out your nearest comics store or bookshop right away - though they may be cheaper on Amazon or eBay. In the meantime, you can whet your appetite by perusing the powerful pages on dynamic display in this 'ere pulsating post.
Got a favourite Kirby Jimmy Olsen issue? If so, tell your fellow Crivs which one (or ones, if it's a two-parter) in our captivating comments section.
12 comments:
Read them when they came out and didn’t understand them. I still don’t . What was Kirby trying to say ?
I thought most of the JO stories stood up quite well, PS (and still do) - it was the Fourth World stuff that was a little lacklustre. As I type, I'm listening to Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman, who seem to regard all of Jack's DC stuff as brilliant. Mr. Evanier thinks that because Jack's stuff is still being reprinted, it proves that it deserved to be a success back when it was first published.
I think that overlooks the fact that a cult has built up around Jack since his death, and that people want to read the work of someone who publishers (and others with a vested interest) are actively engaged in trying to promote interest in. Customers may buy the books, but is their opinion of the work any better than those who read the stuff back in the day and were underwhelmed by it? I doubt it. Also, it's already been paid for and is there to be exploited, so DC will exploit it.
These were my two favourite Kirby JO issues as well even although I had no idea who Don Tickles was. Like Phil I found Kirby's JO and other titles at DC hard to understand in places but overall I enjoyed it. What I liked about these issues was the Guardian this was the first time I had seen him. I always thought the character had potential
My favourite issues were these two, the Transilvane ones (142 & 143), and the last two Kirby did, Victor Volcanum (147 & 148). Yeah, The Guardian could've been DC's Captain America, but he was underused until sometime in the '90s, when he got a bit more attention.
Don Tickles? You're inventing your own characters now, McS.
Lol I think it's a better name than Rickles.
That's given me an idea for a character - Tom Tickles.
Crivens wouldn't be the same without Paul's spelling mistakes :)
And let's not forget his lack of consistent punctuation, CJ. Credit where credit is due.
At the time, I was probably at least vaguely aware of who Don Rickles was, although I don't recall him being particularly popular with younger audiences. He was a frequent guest on TV variety shows and talk shows, and he was a semi-regular in the Beach Party movie series with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Some kids may have also recognized him from his appearances as a guest star on Get Smart, Gilligan's Island, The Munsters, and The Addams Family. He was also in Clint Eastwood's action-comedy Kelly's Heroes sometime around 1970.
I liked Kirby's Jimmy Olsen stuff, and I enjoyed the Rickles issues, and the two-part story in #142 and #143 with the classic Universal-type monsters.
DC probably hoped a lot of Kirby fans would follow him from Marvel, and they may have hoped the Guardian would become their own Captain America. But they were disappointed on both counts.
Still, some of the Fourth World concepts lasted for years and remained in canon, e.g., Darkseid as a recurring villain.
BTW, JO #140 reprinted the first two Nightwing and Flamebird (Superman and Jimmy as Batman & Robin-type heroes in th bottle city of Kandor) stories, as well as a story with Jimmy being inducted as an honorary member of the Legion of Super Heroes. All three stories from the early 1960s.
The first time I remember even knowing about Don Rickles was when he appeared in the JO mags, TC. I don't think he was so well-known in the UK as the US.
Some of Jack's characters gained more prominence in the DC Universe when readers-cum-creators, eager to play in Kirby's sandbox, started featuring them in stories - and even getting series launched about Fourth World heroes and villains. None of them ever lasted long if I recall correctly.
I've actually got JO #140, TC, but I didn't include it because - apart from some reused JK art on the contents page - it is, as you say, all reprint.
Thanks for commenting.
My spulling and punturation are imuculate.
Just like your eyesight, McS. Hey, a hat trick!
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