World Famous Comics: Challengers of the Unknown Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Archive Editions)
Challengers of the Unknown Archives, Vol. 1 (DC Archive Editions)
By: Jack Kirby, Dave Wood Publisher: DC Comics Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: DC Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 168 Publication Date: August 01, 2003 Release Date: August 01, 2003
Product Description: CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN ARCHIVES VOL. 1 reprints theoriginal 1950s tales of four death defying adventurers and their impossibleand unimaginable exploits. After surviving the crash of a small aircraft,test pilot Ace Morgan, daredevil Red Ryan, heavyweight boxing champ RockyDavis, and marine scientist Professor Haley unite themselves in a missionto explore the unexplainable for the good of mankind. This beautifulhardcover edition tells the earliest adventurers of these four men ofdifferent backgrounds and personalities as they encounter powerful aliens,deadly robots, and creatures of unknown origins.
For Kirby fanatics only DC has done an excellent job in the reproduction of this and its companion volume. The quality of the art and color are clear, sharp and first rate. So don't hesitate to buy these 2 volumes if you're concerned about the technical aspects. The problem is simply that these stories are pretty forgettable. Jack Kirby's art is decent enough given the constraints of DC's house style, but lacks the dynamics of the monster stuff he was doing at Marvel at the same time. There are moments of imagination and inspiration, but they are few and far between. The Challengers themselves are totally uninteresting as characters -- they have no personalities, and have no real interplay with one another. The fact that they all wear the same dull purple jumpsuits only accentuates their lack of individuality. The plots are mostly straightforward, lacking the plot twists or the cleverness that were the hallmarks of DC's best writers (Gardner Fox, John Broome, Edmond Hamilton). Reading these stories makes it clear why this was one of DC's second string titles. Of the 2 volumes, volume 2 is the better one, in that most of the stories are inked by the great Wally Wood. So, if you're a Kirby fanatic, you'll want this in your library. But if you're looking for content that's entertaining, you can do better.
Kirby without Stan Lee This Archive Edition of four Showcase tryouts and the first two issues of Challengers of the Unknown presents a delightful kalidescope of romping Jack Kirby action. Very different from anything else in the late 1950's DC universe.The Showcase issues are each one very long and complexly developed story unlike most of the '50s period DC comics that favored multiple stories. This is just one of many touches that prefigure aspects and characteristics of the Marvel renaissance several years in the future.Part of the joy of this collection is picking out pieces of the future Marvel Universe : a whole story that parallels FF#24 the Infant Terrible, along with monsters and dragons similar to preheroe Marvel horror issues, along with a rock creature with a hide like the Thing and robots that look like Ironman. The list goes on and on. The ProtoMarvel aspect is not the only reason to buy this book, however. The stories and art are fantastic, with Jack Kirby at his peak creating a kinetic collage of action and a plethora of monsters and threats that are truely dizzing per issue. Just like the Fourth World series of books in the 1970's these stories give you a chance to see what KIrby could do without Stan Lee and it is terrific, but also telling, in the absence of the Marvel magic that Stan contributed. No real humor, no flip, hip dialogue and no Shakespearian introspection.After reading these wonderful stories you can see how special the Lee/Kirby team really was. Archive Editions are great but expensive--this one is worth every penny IF you are a Kirby fan. The stories are a hard to describe mix of H.P. Lovecraft and SciFi. Truely fantastic, but unimaginable to me that any 1950's DC editor would not have his head spinning then go into seizures to see this stuff printed with a DC logo. Kirby did not stay long on this series .Volume 2 ,in the future , has the rest of his limited run -more joy for us! If you have read this far your wallet should be lighter, you will not regret it!
What Jack Kirby did between Joe Simon and Stan Lee The American comic book reached its low point in the 1950s, primarily because the Comics Code gutted EC comics, which meant not only the horror titles like "Tales of the Crypt" but also the science fiction and war titles as well. During that period the team of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, creaters of Captain America, The Boy Commandos, and the Newboy Legion, ended their partnership as well. Kirby turned to a concept that he had been kicking around and the "Challengers of the Unknown" was published by DC Comics in 1957. The Foreword by Paul Kupperberg in this volume will help put the comic in historical perspective.
Our story begins in "Showcase" #6 with the crash of a small airplane from which four men walk away: Ace Morgan, the war hero and test pilot; Rocky Davis, the heavyweight boxing champ; Red Ryan, the mountain climber and circus daredevil; and Professor Haley, a deep sea scientist. When the quartet walked away from the plane crash they declared that they were now living on "borrowed time," and the next thing we know they are wearing purple uniforms and playing hero. Since, by rights, they should be dead, they are fearless and foolhearty, even by comic book standards. This particular comic book was unusual in that issues usually had a single story, which was quite against the norm at that point in history. That was really more innovative than having a group of relatively normal guys be the heroes. However, the menaces they fought were almost always extraordinary: prehistoric monsters hatched from giant eggs, criminals traveling throught time, and angry aliens.
Volume 1 of the DC Archive Edition of "Challengers of the Unknown" collects "Showcase" #6-7, #11-12, and, "The Challengers of the Unknown" #1-2, including the original covers from this Silver Age classic. The chief attraction here is the art by Kirby, with the first four scripts being written by Dave Wood. These are essentially superhero comic books without superheroes. Much is made of the fact that four years later Kirby and Stan Lee would create the Fantastic Four for Marvel Comics, but seeking out the parallels is only half the fun. These comic stand on their own as fairly unique and ambitious, although once Kirby left they quickly fell out of favor.
Pre-Fantastic Four Kirby at Its Best!!!!!! This is Jack Kirby at his best. Just before he made his switch to Marvel from DC he set loose on the world another Fantastic Four-the Challengers of the Unknown. Their adventures did not lack from their lack of super powers, if anything they were enhanced by it. Some of the stoires echoed Kirby's big monster stories for Marvel where ordinary men battled beings from beyond the norm. A great read with that DC silver age feel and yet that feeling of Marvel power. The next volume will have Wally Wood mixing in with Kirby and I can't wait for it!!!!
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