Space Monkey Comics Log 08212020: For the Love of Kirby, Pre-Harley Suicide Squad, and More

In 1970, Jack "The King" Kirby left Marvel Comics, where he helped invent much of the Marvel universe we know today, and signed a three-year contract with their competitor, DC Comics. And though the previous decade saw him co-create some of pop culture's most enduring characters, his output at DC -- including works like the Fourth World Saga, Kamandi the Last Boy on Earth, and O.M.A.C. -- made it clear that Kirby still had tons of creative energy to spare.

Among his notable creations during this time was Jason Blood, a knight in Camelot who found himself permanently bonded to the demon, Etrigan by Merlin (yes, that Merlin). Now immortal, Blood operated as a demonologist in modern day Gotham City, turning into Etrigan when circumstances called for his special touch. Such a simple premise -- on the surface not unlike Jekyll & Hyde or the Hulk -- but imbued with so much unique potential, what with the supernatural angle and its super heroic setting. It's no wonder Etrigan the Demon is still around, and can today be seen alongside some of DC's other occult-themed characters like Zatanna and John Constantine in Justice League Dark.

So with that said, I'm happy to say that several issues of Kirby's original all-too-brief run on The Demon have been added to the Space Monkey Comics store. I would regularly display these when I was out doing cons and expos, but they never made it to the online store for some reason. These books are in great condition considering their age.

(I've got such a huge soft spot in my heart for Kirby, particularly his work in the early to mid 1970s, and The Demon is no exception.)

Kirby's art style has often been described as cinematic, with its ability to feel bigger than the page itself. Look no further than his earlier epic work on Fantastic Four (did someone say Galactus?) and Thor for examples. This boldness only grew as his style continued to evolve in the early '70s. And though it's only in recent years that many of his co-creations have made it to the big screen, the power of his influence has been felt in comics for decades.

Speaking of cinema -- over 30 years before Will Smith and Margot Robbie would gear up for the Suicide Squad film, and more than a decade before the character of Harley Quinn even debuted, the Suicide Squad made a huge splash in their ongoing comic series which ran from 1987-1992. Though names familiar to today's readers/viewers like Amanda Waller and Deadshot were still part of the original roster, the series also featured the likes of then (and still) relative unknowns like Bronze Tiger and Nightshade. Writer John Ostrander and artist Luke McDonnell both became synonymous with the title during its 65-issues (plus an annual and a special). That's a pretty good run for a team of b-list villains.

We've just added several issues of the Ostrander/McDonnell run on Suicide Squad to the store. Hopefully you can fill in some gaps in your collection.

Also new to the store:

The Invaders (another title I have a soft spot for)

Captain Marvel (not Carol Danvers, but rather the Kree military captain Mar-Vell), making his return during Marvel's Secret Invasion event

Ultimate Nightmare and Ultimate Extinction, two parts of a trilogy that introduced the Ultimate Universe's version of Silver Surfer and Gah-Lak-Tus (Galactus... there's that name, again!)

Plus assorted odds and ends, which is a nice way of plastering over the fact that I can't remember what else I added this week. Check out the Space Monkey Comics store yourself to see if anything catches your eye!

Till next time!