Revisiting NEW GODS 0

[Zonker]

On 10/5/2023 at 10:13 AM, shadroch said:

Does the cosmi-force trump the Astro-force? how about The source?

New Gods #2 was the first Kirby DC I read, and the last.  I can't say exactly why, but it didn't impress me and I had better things to spend my 15 cents on.  A few months later, I read an issue of Mister Miracle, on a bus trip, and was not a fan. I realize Kirby had to work within DCs established order but a real editor could have done wonders with these first two issues. 

Yeah, Kirby couldn't really be bothered to work out a grand unified theory for his made-up physics.  Stan Lee may have had no earthly idea what real-world transistors were, but he consistently reinforced the idea that was the Stark techno-magic powering Iron Man's suit.  Kirby's Mister Miracle suffered from this the most, I think.  Seems like he was constantly getting out of death traps by revealing some newly identified hidden micro circuitry embedded in his costume, powered by the Source.   

[shadroch]

Kind of like Courageous Cat; only you knew that was satire.  When others fleshed out Kirby's creation, it worked much better. It's a shame Moore didn't recreate them instead of the Charlton characters.  I'm curious how other forumites enjoy these, especially if it is their first time reading them.

[Dr. Haydn]

On 10/5/2023 at 7:57 AM, Prince Namor said:

 

ON NEWSSTANDS FEBRUARY 1971

New Gods #2 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by Vince Colletta) Letters by John Costanza

Cover by Jack Kirby (inks by Vince Colletta)

Part ONE:

With this issue we finally get a good look at Darkseid, as well as his right hand goon Desaad. Kirby really is knocking it pout the park with his art... even Colletta can't ruin it. 

I always got an unintended chuckle out of O’Deadly. It makes Darkseid sound Irish.

[Dr. Haydn]

A bit of minutiae here:

When John Costanza did the lettering during this era, he always arranged for the page number on page 13 to have white numbers on a black background. You can see it in the early 70s Kirby stuff, as well as the O'Neil-Adams Green Lantern-Green Arrow series.

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS APRIL 1971

New Gods #3 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by Vince Colletta)

Cover by Jack Kirby (inks by Vince Colletta)

It's good to see Light-Ray getting involved (the perfect yin to Orion) and we also get the introduction to the Black Racer. 

Part ONE:

Edited October 8, 2023 by Prince Namor

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS DECEMBER 1970

New Gods #3 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by Vince Colletta)

Part TWO:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS DECEMBER 1970

New Gods #3 - To and From the Source by Mark Evanier and Steve Sherman

 

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS DECEMBER 1970

New Gods #3 - Original cover art

[Prince Namor]

The letters page to #5 concerning this issue (#3)

[Prince Namor]

Here's Jon B. Cooke again, this time from 2011 on the Black Racer:

    Vietnam war hero and wounded paraplegic Willie Walker is chosen to become the alter ego of the messenger of death, The Black Racer. The former sergeant lives in a state of perpetual paralysis in the Metropolis ghetto apartment of his sister Verna and her husband Ray Johnson, bedridden beside a window that is adjacent to a tenement rooftop. When Sugar-Man executes Screamer in full view of Willie Walker, clad in hospital gown and neckbrace, laying still in his bed, the criminal turns his attention to the possible witness. “Oh-oh! A witness to the bang bang!” Willie has a reputation, at least in the neighborhood, as the assassin exclaims, “Hey! I know you! Sergeant Willie Walker! Big Vietnam hero! Can’t walk, talk — or even feed himself! Lotsa Medals — but one big bad wound, eh, Willie?” Sugar-Man aims his pistol at the veteran but is thwarted by The Black Racer who has been observing the thug.

    Then, so too does The Black Racer turn his attention to the unfortunate invalid. “Walls are nobarrier to The Black Racer! He enters the room of Sergeant Willie Walker!” The harbinger of doom says, “I hear a call! A voice invoking my name!” Standing over the bed, the armored celestial observes a wide-eyed Walker. “The voice is yours! I can hear it! This is why destiny has lead me here! I understand now! And even I must do destiny’s bidding! For one of your value, The Black Racer must bow!” The messenger of death offers his hand. “Come! Take my hand! You will not live — you will die! But you will have that what you have earned — the freedom of a great power!” Miraculously Willie’s hand moves to reach out to The Black Racer! “Fear not! See? Your hand moves! Yea — even as it reaches out — the rest of your body stirs to follow!”

    Miracle begets miracle as Sgt. Willie Walker speaks and rises in his bed! “Wha–? I can move! I-I can move! — A-and speak! I can speak — Who are you?” The Black Racer only replies as he takes the earthling’s hand, “In your despair — you summoned me!” But Willie is upset. “Why don’t you answer me? I’m scared! More scared than I ever was in combat! Good Lord! I’m standing! This can’t be happening! What am I saying! It’s happened! I’m whole! I’m strong! I’m no longer half-alive! Willie Walker no longer needs this aid!” He takes off the neck brace and suddenly notices the empty suit of armor laying on the floor at the foot of the bed. “Wha–? The armored stranger has collapsed! He lies motionless on the floor! There are so many questions I have to ask him!” Lifting up the helmet, the combat veteran turns it and out flows tiny grains. Willie exclaims, “Dust! There is nothing in this armor — but dust! He’s gone!”

    Then begins the transformation. A brilliant glow suddenly flows from the war hero. He understands now. “But the meaning of this, now, begins to dawn on me — I’m changing — I-I am morethan Willie Walker!” He has become The Black Racer!

    After completing his first mission on Earth, The Black Racer flies back to the apartment where his alter ego is bedridden, explaining, “Tonight’s mission ends! I return to the ghetto of Sergeant Willie Walker!” He floats through the atoms of the building, appearing in Willie’s room. “There are no barriers for him now! Willie Walker now has the freedom of the farthest dimensions! Willie Walker is now one of many messengers! All who make the one entity — The Black Racer! The one who transferred his power to Willie has returned to The Source! The Source is all! The Source gave me this knowledge — this power! It was The Source that chose Willie Walker for this mission! I must still do its bidding! I Return as Willie Walker! I touch my helmet and vanish as I am!”

    Suddenly The Black Racer is transformed into the prostate form of the war veteran and, within a few seconds, Willie’s sister Verna and her husband Ray enter the room, fretting that they had left the invalid alone and of Sugar-Man’s rampage earlier in the evening. As one of them ponders, “Poor Willie! What must he be thinking?” a caption reads, “Willie Walker’s eyes grow wide! He is aware! He now knows his next quarry! Who is it? Him? — Her? — You?”

    The following issue, after The Black Racer has taken Seagrin to his Valhalla, he streaks across the Metropolis sky, glimpsed by a police officer. “Casey! Look! Up there! Did you see it?” Casey responds, “I don’t see anything but that fire! Cough! Cough!” The next captions read: “But he is there! Swift! Silent! Present at the finish of a man — or a god! Even stranger is his destination! When he makes his descent, it is in the humblest of places — the ghetto district! Ahead of him is a tenement of fading brick! Then a wall! Then — a window! Without hesitation, he enters, through material barriers that are not for him! For a moment, the room is lit by a blinding flash! Then — it’s gone! Sergeant Willie Walker has come home! Where but in the hands of a paraplegic, made helpless by war, would a wandering, god-like being have placed the most awesome power?” Just after the eternal changes back into his paralyzed alternative identity, Verna bursts into the room, which is filled with vapors. “Under the constant care of his sister and her husband, who would suspect that Sergeant Willie Walker is The Black Racer, messenger of death!?”

    During the climax of the regular series, we last see Willie Walker being cared for by his sister. “In a shabbier district of the city, the gathering clouds of disaster have yet to shroud the sky! Willie Walker lies still as ever! — Unable to move — for all time!” Verna administers medicine and the caption says, “Willie Walker is also forever silent! His eyes can move, but at this moment they are fixed on the distance –! — A distance far beyond his room –!” After his sister despairs that her brother “just doesn’t seem to hear or see us anymore,” husband Ray responds, “Willie’s lost in the stars, Verna! I think nothing here has any meaning for him now!” The caption to follow states ““And what does Willie think? And see? — And hear? What of the voice that calls to him — from — out there — !”

    Here we witness the most explicit connection, I suspect, that Willie and his alter ego have with The Source, the closest to an omnipotent God (capital “G”) we get in this series when that disembodied voice is heard by the stricken Willie Walker. “It’s time, Willie! A messenger is needed! — A messenger, both swift and — final!” The next caption reads, “…A messenger of death — !! With powers beyond the standards known by men! Powers that can make an invalid rise and stand firm with new strength!” The voice orders him, “On your feet, Willie! You can do it! That’s it, Willie! The change is coming! Even as you stand, the change is taking place!” And then: “Where the commanding voice comes from is a mystery to Willie! He only knows that it changes him! And with that change he is given a grim mission! And a new name!” Willie Walker is no more. In his place stands: “Once again — I’m The Black Racer!”

    Did Willie Walker die when The Black Racer first took his hand? The celestial death-dealer seems explicit about that, given The Black Racer’s comment, “Come! Take my hand! You will not live — you will die! But you will have that what you have earned — the freedom of a great power!” Yet the figure that remains is recognized by his sister and brother-in-law as Willie Walker. It appears that many others have assumed the role of the Messenger of Death — “Willie Walker is now one of many messengers! All who make the one entity — The Black Racer! The one who transferredhis power to Willie has returned to The Source!” — and begs the question, many others over time, one at a time… and/or simultaneously? Interesting to ponder…

[Prince Namor]

A response by a reader to Cooke's article I think hits it on the head perfectly:

    It’s always seemed to me that all super-heroes, their names, and their costumes, are fairly absurd. What happens is, after the reader has seen a character for some time, the name and costume become accepted. I honestly have a hard time thinking the Black Racer’s costume is any (maybe a little?) more ridiculous than Superman’s.

    And no doubt he’s got the cooler name by far. Superman has some real negative Randian aspects to it. Of course, the original Superman was an anti-fascist so that counters the negative.

    Evanier has said The Black Racer wasn’t a character intended for the Fourth World. Infantino urged Kirby to introduce him out of an awareness Kirby had shown people at Marvel his concept drawing for the Fourth World, as well as a completely revamped Thor. The Black Racer may have been a variation on the Black Sphinx character Kirby pitched on spec to Marvel. 

    For me, when I look at Kirby’s work, I take the super elements in context. I don’t see Willie as a secret identity, or the Racer as a super-hero. As I see the story it’s an example of a fairly common type where an author wants to deal with a Grim Reaper figure. Bergman’s The Seventh Sealis an example.

    In Kirby’s story, Mr. Death (The Black Racer) needs a human host to enter our world. By introducing Walker Kirby was able to insert the figure of a badly crippled soldier. This almost certainly ties in with Kirby’s opposition to the Vietnam war. Walker is a wasted life. Then Kirby places him along side another wasted life from Walker’s home turf. Kirby on several occasions mentioned how easy it was for kids from his childhood turf to end up as criminal types. Kirby is contrasting the decency of Walker whose valuable life has been wasted in a pointless war, against someone who has taken another path. Both men ended up on the wrong end of a gun. Walker loved and cared for by his sister (an indication of their family character) is given something of an escape when he is borrowed by the spirit of the Racer. Although the Racer retains a personality of his own when using Walkers body as a conduit, we are made aware that Walker in some way along for the ride. He’s not acting, but he’s aware of what the Racer is doing. The Racer interestingly isn’t an avenger as Kirby makes clear. He is first seen stalking Lightray. Lightray is the embodiment of purity and goodness, so Kirby makes it (ah-hem) Black and Light the Racer might touch anyone.

    As a little kid, this kind of story bugged me slightly. I’d think, “How can this guy be death? He’d be racing around the globe like Santa Claus to keep up with everyone who’s dying.” These kinds of stories aren’t trying to follow a child’s logic. Death spends weeks traveling with the knight in The Seventh Seal, the kind of continuity comic book fans worry about isn’t always the concern of a storyteller.

[Prince Namor]

In the afterword of the 4th World Omnibus (Vol. 1), Mark Evanier wrote that issue 3 was already plotted and drawn, when Carmine Infantino said he wanted more new characters in each issue and brought up previous concept sketches of the Black Racer. So, Kirby had to change the story.

Talk about a bummer for Jack... he'd gotten away from dealing with Lee changing his stories and asking for silly crossovers, only to now get the same thing from Infantino... at least he wasn't getting his writers pay stolen anymore. Though in the end, NOT getting it stolen would backfire. Lee always had a reason to keep a series going - he was getting paid for work he didn't do. Infantino wasn't. 

[Zonker]

On 10/7/2023 at 4:22 AM, Prince Namor said:

In the afterword of the 4th World Omnibus (Vol. 1), Mark Evanier wrote that issue 3 was already plotted and drawn, when Carmine Infantino said he wanted more new characters in each issue and brought up previous concept sketches of the Black Racer. So, Kirby had to change the story.

You've shown us in all your threads that there now are more different memories about the work that Kirby did than there are people doing the remembering! 
No doubt this is a consequence of us being much more interested in the minutia 50 years later than they were at the time, racing to meet their monthly publication deadlines.  Nobody was bothering to write this history down at the time.

Below is Mark Evanier's recollection published in DC's "Baxter series" reprint of the New Gods from 1984.  Here he makes it sound like he sees Kirby dream up the Black Racer on the spot in 1971, and then...

[shadroch]

Kirby has his humans dressed like it is still 1964. Normal men did not wear suits and hats in the 1970s. O'Ryan and his buddy look like typical Shield Agents from the 1960s, with dialog out of a 1950s comic. 

I always thought the Black Racer was one of his weakest creations, a blatant rip-off of the Silver Surfer.  I will admit my friend, who was a Haitian immigrant, loved the character.

[LowGradeBronze]

Hoping we'll see a Kamandi thread, similar to this one. The Mike Royer inked & lettered Kamandi issues are just gorgeous. Kirby's sense of design, individual panel design as well as page design, is incredible. 

[Prince Namor]

When comics had gone from 10 cents to 12 cents in the Fall of 1961, the backlash was felt far and wide.

Superman 820,000 to 740,000 (down 120,000 copies!)

Batman 485,000 to 410,000 (down 75,000 copies!)

Archie 458,000 to 457,000 (only down 1,000 copies!!)

Marvel featuring lesser known content, nearly shut its doors again after falling...

Tales to Astonish 184,000 to 139,000 (down 45,000 copies!)

Tales of Suspense 184,000 to 126,000 (down 58,000 copies!)

 

In the summer of '69, prices would again go up, from 12 cents to 15 cents

Superman 636,000 to 511,000 (down 125,000!)

Archie 566,000 to 515,000 (down 51,000 - even Archie felt it!)

Batman 533,000 to 355,782 (down 178,000!)

Marvel had a few titles that didn't get hit as bad...

Amazing Spider-man 379,000 to 372,000  (down only 7,000!)

Fantastic Four 344,000 to 340,000  (down only 4,000!)

Marvel DID feel the sting on a few others...

Thor 295,000 to 266,000  (down 29,000!)

Daredevil 295,000 to 242,000  (down 53,000!)

X-Men 273,000 to 235,000  (down 38,000!)

Avengers 276,000 to 239,000  (down 37,000!)

 

That's a 2 cent increase in 1962, and a 3 cent increase 7 YEARS later in 1969, so you can imagine the effect it would've had on DC's books in May of 1971, a little under TWO years later to jump UP in price 10 CENTS to a 25 CENTS. Especially when Marvel held their ground at 15 cents for TWO additional months, raised the price on just 18 of 27 titles to 25 cents for July (many of them reprint titles), had only ONE month where the full line went to 25 cents (August), then undercut DC by 5 cents in September by going to 20 cents across the entire line*.

THIS is what the brand new titles at DC faced going into June of 1971, and in our case, specifically Jack Kirby's New God's on issue #4, just as the series was kicking into high gear.... their competition at 10 CENTS CHEAPER!

Archie's remained at 15 cents until early January 1972.

Charlton's went to 20 cents in June.

Gold Key resisted until Fall of 1972 going to 20 cents.

Harvey had been experimenting with more content and a 25 cent price point for a few years, but their regular 32 page comics remained at 15 cents until December of 1971.

 

So basically DC was 10 cents MORE expensive on all of their books through the summer of 1971 and only once fall hit did it go to only 5 CENTS MORE expensive.

 

 

* Fear, Marvel Spotlight, Marvel Tales, Marvel Triple Action, Monsters in the Prowl, and Special Marvel Edition would stay at 25 cents for one more issue - again, mostly reprint work - Marvel was struggling to find enough artists and writers to come up with new content at the time - and then all of these would convert to 20 cents their next issue.  

Edited October 8, 2023 by Prince Namor

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1971

New Gods #4 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by Vince Colletta)

Cover by Jack Kirby (inks by Vince Colletta)

Part ONE:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1971

New Gods #4 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by Vince Colletta)

Part TWO:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1971

New Gods #4 - DC's price apology...

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS JUNE 1971

New Gods #4 - Letters from #6 concerning THIS issue....