One of Jack Kirby's lesser creations, the Last Boy of Earth roamed a dystopian Earth where animals were both intelligent and anthropomorphic, forming their own cities and cultures.
Kirby, of course, could make anything entertaining (heck, he made Jimmy Olsen worth reading), so we were treated to innumerable menaces of all shapes and sizes as Kamandi fought for survival.
Which brings us to the Kirby tribute book that's wrapping up next month. The idea is a basic one: a creative team picks up each issue and resolves the cliffhanger left by the previous team, tells a short story, and then ends on a cliffhanger for the next team to sort out.
The result has been a (mostly) interesting run of action / adventure tales, with not much in the way of emotional growth - but lots of destruction and plenty of explosions.
Whether I was committed to the whole series or not, I would have grabbed this issue just for the art of Walt Simonson. A powerful artist and designer, he's one of the few able to channel the spirit of Kirby's work while working in his own unique style.
The story is by Rob Williams, and it covers the bases, throwing in some space battles, heroic sharks, killer robots and lots more fun.
While a few of the stories have been a bit too grisly, they've tapped into the Saturday movie serial feeling they're meant to evoke - and each creative team has apparently had fun with the idea. It's a shame to see it end!
Grade: A-
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