Review: Kirby- Genesis

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“My version would have revealed the exuberant, self-assured supervision with which we have dressed ourselves since time immemorial. The superheroes and superheroines of comics, in my view, embody the idealism and innate motivation of humanity. ” – Jack Kirby, on the plaque that adorned the spacecraft Pioneer 10, launched by NASA in 1972.

captain America, Sandman original, Young Legion, Green Archer, Challengers of the Unknown, Fantastic Four, the Avengers originals, the X-Men originals, the Inhumans, the new gods, the eternal, Mister Miracle

It's just a part. Just a part. We could spend an entire day here listing the creations of a single genius. Yes, all of those above were created by a single guy, in association with other comic book geniuses. Jack Kirby it's a colossus. A comic book giant. If at any point in your life you identified, got excited and excited, or got emotional about superheroes, you owe this genius one. Forgive us if this introduction seems a little too passionate, but it's impossible for a fan of comics, and even more so of superheroes, not to be moved when talking about this sacred monster, who with his seemingly infinite creativity, basically helped to define directions for science fiction and pulp literature after World War II, in addition to grounding the very concept of the superhero in the contemporary collective imagination.

Throughout the span of his life, which lasted for most of the 20th century (1917-1994) Jack Kirby thought, created and gave life to hundreds of heroes who left a legion of fans from countless places and countless age groups. when talking about Jack Kirby, you can see a rare, almost impossible, and interesting phenomenon among comic book fans: unanimity. The expressions of its characters, human and sensitive, contrasted with the magnitude of its scenarios and events, so that, although it spoke about cosmic events, epic battles and space gods, we could identify with its protagonists and immerse ourselves in the events of their lives. .

Because, for Kirby, superheroes are more than men and women wearing underwear over their pants, fighting for no reason against their opponents. They are a concept. An idea. And this idea represents what humanity has best: hope, the ability to overcome, the power to go beyond your own imagination. And Kirby presents these characters, their art and their philosophy with grace and grandeur. The characters mentioned at the beginning are known to everyone (especially their creations for the Marvel, in partnership with another colossus, Stan Lee) because, to some extent, they represent what we believe or would like to be able to do as a species: explore the unknown, perform wonders, challenge the very nature of the universe and go beyond.

Well, to the immense joy of Kirby fans in Brazil, the Mythos Publisher released last year (2014) the album Kirby: Genesis, which presents the first eight numbers of the homonymous series. But, contrary to what the beginning of this review may suggest, this album, released in a deluxe version, living up to what its content offers, was not written or designed by Jack Kirby. Strange? Calm down, we explain.

Remember the legion of fans we referred to above? For this legion is not just made up of poor and ignorant fans like this reviewer. It is also made up of other comic book geniuses, who have succeeded and are succeeding the master with dignity, honoring his legacy. Among these geniuses are none other than Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. Along with the good designer Jack Herbert, they rescue characters created by Kirby, less known to the general public, but no less exciting, such as Captain Victoria, Silver Star, Tiger 21, Glorious Knights, among others, and forged an epic story, the height of the aesthetics and grandiloquent narrative of the teacher.

The album's story is both a great tribute and a great celebration of superheroes, science fiction and pulp literature. In it, the Pioneer 10 probe, launched decades ago by NASA, finds a mysterious artifact in space, which arouses the curiosity of ancient and powerful beings from the deep universe (if the plot of the first movie of the Star Trek series is ringing in your head ( from the original series, not the Abrams remake), congratulations; you're a good SyFy fan). These beings, upon arriving on Earth, awaken ancient and hidden forces of the world, reveal secret heroes and forgotten lands, and turn the planet into a target for heroes, villains and beings from space.

Comics in their purest state. The ninth art comes to life through the soul of Jack Kirby.

These events are witnessed on the spot by a young man (subtly) named… Kirby. Kirby Freeman, like all good superhero comics protagonists, ends up unwittingly involved in these cosmic events that plague the Earth when his platonic love Bobbi is abducted and transformed by a mythical entity called the Midnight Swan, who directly participates in these events. To rescue his lover, Kirby ends up being a cabin spectator of the unbelievable events that, overnight, transform the real world as we know it into a place of impossible beings and phenomenal powers.

The task of honoring the GM's legacy without turning it into a cheap slot machine or low-quality comic book isn't for everyone. But the good comic book fan knows the Busiek/Ross team. In their CVs, “only” one of the seminal works of comics and mandatory reading for anyone who wants to know the ninth art: the masterpiece Marvels. No one better to stand up to than Jack Kirby represents. The album has some fantastic assets: the art, of the characters and settings in general, is designed by the good Jack Herbert. A dynamic and modern design, but based on the unmistakable traits and aesthetics, mainly of the cosmic characters, created by Kirby. But in the epic moments, in the highlights, Herbert's drawing is interspersed with Ross's paintings, giving these moments an unparalleled shine. Ross' hyper-realistic, verging on perfection art is familiar to comic book fans and is seen here in all its glory. Don't berate yourself if you spend minutes stuck to those beautiful images. It's natural. This reviewer even turned a picture of the Silver Star into his computer wallpaper.

Complementing the stunning art by Ross and Herbert, we have the equally dynamic and engaging narrative of Kurt Busiek, who was given the most difficult task. For Kirby, though an innovative and creative genius, was a product of his time. To many contemporary readers, his narrative and arguments may seem dated or verbose. And that's where all of Busiek's talent reveals itself. For he manages to find the fine balance between a contemporary narrative, more serious and dynamic, which uses the image to speak for itself (there also valuing Ross' magnificent art), and the epic and imposing characteristics of Kirby's creations. In the hands of less skilled writers, these characters could seem flat and one-dimensional. In Busiek's hands, they come to life and personality and it's not too difficult to choose between them your favorite hero and your most despicable villain.

Kirby: Genesis It's not even a must-read. But it's delicious. If you like superheroes, you'll find a great party here, a celebration of what we loved and grew up reading. If you don't like it, maybe this album is the perfect opportunity for you to change your mind. If you don't know superheroes, welcome to them and to Jack Kirby. Your universe just got more epic, more exciting and bigger. Much bigger.

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