These two actually appeared together in a fun one-shot written by George Perez and illustrated by Ron Lim & Terry Austin. Still, wouldn't you have loved to have seen Jack Kirby get a chance to craft a tale featuring these two powerhouses? Nobody could draw the Surfer like Kirby. And when he got hold of Superman, he took him to places the character had never been before. I imagine that we would have seen a beautifully drawn tale full of far out concepts if The King had gotten the opportunity.
Masterful. but its Kirby, so of course!!!
ReplyDeleteRequest: Please, Please use Amethyst for some kind of pairing ;o)
Amethyst will definitely appear.
ReplyDeleteYeah Kirby definitely owned Surfer, but then he was great with basically any character he touched. Although with DC, they didn't necessarily like his take on Supes, and I'll be honest, I can't say I totally disagree with them. Yes I know, that's sacrilegious, but sometimes an artist runs across a character that doesn't quite fit his style of drawing. It happens.
ReplyDeleteI will though highly recommend buying the DC Direct version of Kirby's Superman action figure, because that one really does translate awesomely in 3-D. That figure, and the other New Gods' ones positively rock!
Would love to Kirby's New Gods translated to film, but with the lackluster results of Green Lantern, such a wish is uncertain.
ReplyDeleteI was about to second Amethyst, and I see you have her coming up. So all I can say about that is that I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and this is another top-notch cover.
I could be wrong but that looks like a 1980's "Super Powers" Superman more than a 1970's "Jimmy Olsen" version.
ReplyDeleteOh, and @Dale: You're right about Kirby and Kent. It's not the art or the figures that's the problem, it's the basic character. Kirby's heroes took their body language from the survival tactics of growing up in violent urban areas. There's a persistent predatory presence in that environment and it singles out the weakest, so his heroes are some combination of three projected behaviors conducive to steering the cowardly predator away. The first is stoic (Captain America, Blackbolt), which says, "I fear nothing". Second is raging bull (Hulk, Orion), which says, "I'm more trouble than I'm worth". Last is Brooklyn wiseass (Thing, Nick Fury), which says, "I'm at ease in this dangerous setting which means I probably have friends close by. You'd be better off being my friend, too, or moving on." The open faced and genial mid-western farm boy is not something with which Kirby would instinctively identify. Understand, sure, but not empathize with. Therefore his Superman looks perfect on covers and splash pages but reads a little 'off' in stories.
Good eye! That Superman is indeed from Super Powers.
ReplyDelete@ pblfsda.
ReplyDeleteExcellent analysis of Kirby and his work as a reflection of his life.
The Perez/Lim Surfer/Supes comic was one of the most popular in my high school classroom in the last two years. It literally fell apart because it was read so often.
ReplyDeleteAstute comics-biz people take note...
I second that awesome analysis by pblfsda. I never really thought about it like that in those terms. You're probably right. Maybe the powers that be over at DC felt the same way, thus reading the stories where they had their own in house team of artists modify or even completely re-draw Kirby's Superman faces and covers.
ReplyDeleteWeird to think Kirby wasn't deemed good enough for Superman, even though Superman is a religious sci-fi character and that's has Kirby written all over that concept.
Oh a Supes' is Jewish too boot, like Kirby, so there.....