Revisiting NEW GODS 0

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS DECEMBER 1970

Forever People #1 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by the horrible Vince Colletta)

Cover by Jack Kirby (inks by Frank Giacoia)

Al Plastino (Superman alterations, uncredited)

An amazing, action packed first issue!

Part ONE:

Edited April 14 by Prince Namor

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS DECEMBER 1970

Forever People #1 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by the horrible Vince Colletta)

Al Plastino (Superman alterations, uncredited)

Part TWO:

[Zonker]

I've always been impressed that Kirby found something fairly original to do with Superman: explore his loneliness as such a powerful being living among the rest of us mere mortals.  We had seen before some angst associated with him being the last surviving Kryptonian, but not so much about Superman just wanting to pal around with other super-beings, no matter where they're from. It was good to see Kirby get the chance to follow up on this thread later in his  Jimmy Olsen run (#147's "A Superman in Super-Town") 

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS FEBRUARY 1971

Forever People #2 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by the horrible Vince Colletta)

Cover by Jack Kirby (inks by Colletta)

Part ONE:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS FEBRUARY 1971

Forever People #2 - Written, Drawn and Edited by Jack Kirby (inked by the horrible Vince Colletta)

Cover by Jack Kirby (inks by Colletta)

Part TWO:

[Prince Namor]

ON NEWSSTANDS FEBRUARY 1971

Forever People #2 - 

[Zonker]

Mark Evanier & Steve Sherman certainly were no Stan Lees.  

"Many of our other readers are no better off than you."
"You can hardly expect to understand everything by the end of the second issue."
"No one ever said comic books were easy to understand."

If Stan were plugging this, he'd be congratulating us all on how intelligent we were to be following this saga, a work of unparalleled genius in the annals of literary masterpieces.  And inviting us discerning readers to write in with our own theories as to what was going on or what would be happening next, in order to share how very smart we were with our fellow sophisticated comics connoisseurs.  

[Prince Namor]

On 4/27/2024 at 5:03 AM, Zonker said:

Mark Evanier & Steve Sherman certainly were no Stan Lees.  

"Many of our other readers are no better off than you."
"You can hardly expect to understand everything by the end of the second issue."
"No one ever said comic books were easy to understand."

If Stan were plugging this, he'd be congratulating us all on how intelligent we were to be following this saga, a work of unparalleled genius in the annals of literary masterpieces.  And inviting us discerning readers to write in with our own theories as to what was going on or what would be happening next, in order to share how very smart we were with our fellow sophisticated comics connoisseurs.  

True.

But personally, I never needed anyone to congratulate me on what I could figure out for myself though. And one too many Marvel issues promising me 'The Greatest Story You'll Ever Read!', only to be sorely disappointed in a... well, in a nowhere NEAR great story (or art) much less EVER... and I knew pretty quickly I didn't want to be a part of any cult that followed a boy who cried wolf. 

Gerry Conway's disappointing conclusion to the Jackel/Gwen Clone Saga in ASM #149 (July 1975) - mandated by Stan's 'Bring Gwen back!' - had left me shaking my head like... wtf was THAT? - while at the same time Jim Starlin disappearing from Captain Marvel and Strange Tales (I didn't know they gave Warlock his own book until almost 10 years later) put me on somewhat of a hiatus from comics for the next 8 years... I wasn't impressed with the gimmicky way Marvel sold books or how my favorite artists never seemed to stick around...

I came back strong in the mid-80's with ASM #249's cover making me wonder who was this Green Goblin in an Orange Costume and the mystery again held me for a few years until... they dropped the ball on THAT storyline as well. For ME, the Stan Lee way of doing comics - it's the Greatest! It's Collectible! You're SO smart! - was just a big disappointment. It felt like being talked to like a child.

It worked I guess though. For people SELLING those books - I'm sure it was great - but I was a reader who was a fan of the art - and the superhero books just didn't hold my attention. 

Thankfully alternative comics DID (including Vertigo). That kept me in it more than anything throughout the 90's... no promises needed there. I found what I liked. 

[Prince Namor]

In the process of writing TWO books at once so... sorry if I've gotten behind here... hope this helps!