Found this on the web, future action figures of the New Gods, circa Jack Kirby, and just had to stop and appreciate the design sense that Jack had once again.Despite the fact that Orion's jaw looks like its already been in a fight with Kalibak, and Lightray, sadly being portrayed all too well looks like a grinning idiot, how, and I repeat, HOW can you not want a freakin' Mister Miracle? Man does that costume look good in 3D. And Darkseid? Yeah, I'll take the father and the adopted son please.
Jack was so far ahead of his time that we should just label some things on "Kirby-time" and leave it at that.
3 comments:
I've mentioned this elsewhere, but it may be worth repeating: Lightray here looks more like a Darwyn Cooke character than a Kirby character...and the Darkseid figure looks more like a Starlin reinterpretation than anything to do with Kirby's original.
(Subsequent artists have always drawn Darkseid as if they thought he was Thanos or Mongul and given him wide shoulders and massive pecs. If we go back to the actual Fourth World stories, Orion's daddy had a much leaner build and didn't resemble a pro wrestler. He was a general, and wouldn't dirty his hands fighting; he had flunkies and helpers for that. To me it diminishes Darkseid to make him a musclebound bruiser. If DC wanted someone for that role, Kirby gave them Kalibak...)
On the plus side, Scott Free and Orion look just right -- though the latter looks a bit dull without his astro-harness -- and I wouldn't mind a Barda figure showing the same fidelity to the original design.
true, the buff factor of darkseid has been pumped up, but then, thanos was a 98 lb weakling as well if you look at Iron man #55 (and, considering the art, you had best not). I think that there was a natural inclination to have to beef him up so that he could be imposing confronted with the well muscled hero.
Lightray does look rather cooke-ish, but then,since cooke does a good '50's kirby, i figure no harm no foul.
c'mon, doesn't mister miracle look asolutely killer?!?
Absolutely yes. I used to think the MM and Orion figures DC Direct released seven years ago were the best Kirby-derived action figures we'd ever see...but if this photo is anything to go by, these new versions nail it. That's why I'd want a new Barda to go with the new Scott!
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