Monday, September 26, 2016

Marvel-ous Mondays: "The Power of Ka-Zar!" by Lee and Kirby

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Is there a better way to kick off a new week than by looking back at a little-seen Stan Lee/Jack Kirby collaboration? Nuuuuh-uh! Here's one of Stan and Jack's last team-ups "The Power of Ka-Zar!" After a couple years without split-books (remember Tales to Astonish with Hulk and Sub-Mariner, Tales of Suspense with Captain America and Iron Man, and Strange Tales with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Dr. Strange?), Marvel brought the format back with Amazing Adventures (featuring the Inhumans and the Black Widow) and, the subject of today's post, Astonishing Tales with Dr. Doom and Ka-Zar! After playing around with Ka-Zar as a guest-star in a variety of Marvel mags and then in an ish of Marvel Super-Heroes (#19), Marvel's first swingin' super-hero (hey, he was around--or at least a version of him was around--in the pulps before Marvel Comics #1 was even published, baby!) was finally given a regular strip. Lord Kevin Plunder remained in AT for 20 issues (May 1970-July 1973), then graduated to his own self-titled mag that ran for 20 issues of its own (October 1974-November 1976). Okay, enuff with that blabbin'--here's "The Power of Ka-Zar!" from Astonishing Tales #1!
Cover art by Marie Severin and Bill Everett











Inks by Sam Grainger!

8 comments:

  1. Ok, when are you running the next issue, Groovester? Don't leave us hanging! I always dug Kraven as the perfect villain for guys like DD, Spider Man, and Sad Sack. Didn't Marvel kill him finally?

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  2. How cool! Ka-Zar vs. Kraven? That is a PERFECT match-up, and Stan and Jack are the perfect guys to handle it too. What a fun story, and what a great idea.

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  3. Kamandi as an adult. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cool. Oops, wrong character. This stuff is still great to see! It's a kick to also see Jack Kirby's version of Kraven

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  4. Way cool to see Kamandi as an adult. Just kidding, but it was really neat to see this Kirby Ka-Zar unfettered -- I think the following issue had Maries SEverin alterations -- and a unique version of Kraven.

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  5. Yeah it doesn't get better than Ka-Zar vs Kraven! The Lord of the Jungle vs the Ultimate Hunter! Please give us part 2 Groove!

    - Mike from Trinidad & Tobago.

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  6. Loved this! Remember when comic stories used to actually MOVE? One panel after Kraven declares the hunt is to begin, what happens? THE HUNT BEGINS! No messin' around back in the day! Love it.

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  7. Sam Grainger inking Kirby looked great. I believe this was their only collaboration.

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  8. This wasn't one of Lee and Kirby's best collaborations,and it's not surprising considering it was produced during the dissolution of their partnership on Marvel's flagship comics.After the next issue,it was taken over by Gerry Conway and Barry Smith,whose teaming was more interesting and evocative during their short tenue together.

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


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