Jack Kirby, who died in 1994, was one of the comic-book industry's most famous creators. Much has been written about his contributions to Marvel Comics - he worked with Stan Lee in creating the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men, among others - and the continuing legal battle in which Mr. Kirby's family is trying to win the copyright to those figures.
Less has been written about Mr. Kirby's contributions to DC Comics, where he also created, or co-created, a legion of characters and concepts. One of them was Kamandi, the last boy on earth, who is the star of the collected edition that sits at No. 3 on the graphic books hardcover best-seller list this week. The series ran from 1972 to 1978. It was set in a future in which the planet has been devastated by a “Great Disaster,†and in which the ruling class is evolved animals. The first omnibus collected issues 1 to 20; this second, final volume collects 21 to 40 and includes a confrontation with a giant crab monster and a quest for Superman's costume. Other works by Kirby that have been included in this omnibus format include “Challengers of the Unknown,†the “Fourth World†saga and “The Demon.â€
As always, the complete best-seller lists can be found here, along with an explanation of how they were assembled.
