Hail to the King.
IDW’s latest Artist’s Edition, featuring the astonishing work of Jack Kirby on The Mighty Thor, is an must-buy for anyone who calls themselves a Kirby fan.
The oversized tome, which features Kirby’s stunning artwork in its original inked but uncoloured glory. Six full issues are reprinted in the collection: Journey Into Mystery issues 111, 117 and 118 and Thor #134, #135 and Thor Annual #2. Stan Lee provided the words to Kirby’s art, with Artie Simek and Sam Rosen handling the inking duties.
In addition to the six full issues, the volume also features 10 select covers, all inked by frequent Kirby collaborator Vince Colleta. Ten additional splash pages were chosen for inclusion, with all but one the first page in their respective issue (the lone exception is page six from Journey Into Mystery #83).
Some of the pages have held up better over the decades than others, but for me, the yellow just ads to the classic feel of Kirby’s work.
Twenty-eight additional pages were selected for the volume as well, spanning both Journey Into Mystery and Thor’s eponymous title. In addition to Colleta, inks were provided by Joe Sinnott, Dick Ayers and George Roussos (as George Bell).
The volume kicks off with Thor in pitched battle with Mr. Hyde and Cobra as Jane Foster lays prone beside them. It’s a stunning image and a perfect start to a near flawless tome.
Being a Kirby fan, it’s hard for me not to pick every single page as my favourite, but if I had to narrow it down to one, it would be page 3 from issue #134, The People Breeders. The page features Galactus, his hands busy with a typically fantastical piece of Kirby tech.
This is a book Kirby fans need to have in their collection, no question.
