New Gods Special #1

   It's wonderful to see the comics companies rolling out a lot of love and respect for Jack Kirby, the King of Comics, who helped create many of Marvel's greatest comics in the '60s, and then he moved over to DC and crafted characters and concepts that continue to shape that universe, too.

   This month marks his 100th birthday, so there are quite a few comics out honoring his legacy - like this one, the New Gods Special.

   It includes two new stories - both feature Orion, the powerful son of Darkseid who fights against his father and for New Genesis, and a six-page reprint of a story by the King.

    The second story by writer / artist Walt Simonson is a little gem, loaded with big monsters and some brief insights on Orion and the New God named Seagrin.

   The opening story by writer / artist Shane Davis and inker Michelle Delecki pits Orion against his monstrous brother Kalibak and features Lightray and Bug. It feels like a standard New Gods adventure until the final battle, which takes a surprisingly graphic and unsettling turn, with broken bones and blood flying.

   For a story intended to honor Kirby, that's not something Kirby would have done. His stories were loaded with action, adventure and powerful fights - but never (to my memory) ventured into the realm of graphic violence.

   I would have enjoyed this issue a lot more if it had done likewise.

Grade: B-

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