REVIEW: 1st Issue Special #5

Edited, written and drawn by Jack Kirby
Inked and lettered by D. Bruce Berry


Review by Will Dubbeld

Ah, 1970s DC comics . . .
That particular decade and the one following hold many of my favorite tales from the halls of Distinguished Competition. Not cut from the same cloth as the downright bizarre and ofttimes asinine 1950s-60 DC books, the '70s and '80s walked that line between rock solid storytelling and sublimely weird. Spinning off of an avalanche of counterculture and societal change, books like Brother Power and Swamp Thing reflected a sort of changing of the guard between the Gold and Silver Age and that which was to come. 1st Issue Special, in my mind, was an important (though hardly pivotal) part of that movement.

As near as I can tell, 1st Issue Special was fundamentally a 'tryout' anthology book. 1 issue dedicated to a particular character or story, throw it against the wall, see if it sticks. It spawned some hits (Warlord) and quite a few misses (Dingbats of Danger Street, Lady Cop . . . ), and Manhunter from 1st Issue Special #5 seems to fall somewhere in the middle.



Scripted by King Kirby in his DC heyday, the comic reflects a simplistic Golden Age storytelling methodology. Logic and in-depth plots have no place here, only showcasing the art and action while moving the plot forward. A prime example is how the Manhunter character comes to fruition.
Mark Shaw, an attorney frustrated with the system, yearns for JUSTICE. As it happens, his uncle has heard tales of an organization called The Shan who employ warriors called Manhunters. Mark's uncle believes these justice-seekers exist still and bids his nephew to contact them via a mystic (technological?) lion medallion he has in his collection of Manhunter artifacts/memorabilia. No joke.
The next day, Mark receives a package in the mail containing his Manhunter uniform, weapons, and presumably decoder ring.

It's just that easy, folks.

Granted, had Kirby been allotted more than one issue to tell his tale the plot may have been fleshed out a bit more, but we'll not know for sure. As it stands, the story is moved along at a breakneck pace with no real beats for character development or the like.

There's a brief tussle with some goons send to snuff Mark and his uncle, and *boing! Mark jumps out of a second-story window in pursuit of criminal Al "The Hog" Beefer.
Who looks like Lips Manlis of Dick Tracy fame. Interspersed in the story is segments with the Grand Master of the Shan and the Manhunter who preceded Mark. This Manhunter has told the Grand Master, to paraphrase, "I'm gettin' too old for this shit", which perhaps explains Mark's fast track to crime fighting Manhunter status.
That's what we're gonna go with, anyway...

Although Kirby's storytelling skills may get some scrutiny from readers, I personally find it endearing as it harkens back to a simpler era of comicdom unburdened by crossovers, mega-events, and market shares. The real star of the book, unsurprisingly, is Jack's art.

Dynamo poses and big, fat Kirby Devices, along with eye-catching set dressing, make the book in my opinion. Say what you will about Kirby's art, the man was a genius when it came to design. Look at characters like Orion and the New Gods, or devices like Galactus' ship and the Ultimate Nullifier. Nobody but Jack Kirby could have dreamed up those unique creations. Möbius, maybe . . .

1st Issue Special ends with an essay by Kirby about justice and the question, "Want to see the clash between Manhunter and 'The Hog'? If so, write and tell us!"

Evidently people did not, because I'm fairly certain Mark Shaw's Manhunter didn't see much action until DC shoehorned the Shan sect into Green Lantern Manhunter lore. Unfortunately, this installment of 1st Issue Special was a flash in the pan with readers.
. . . but not this reader. I'm not a diehard Kirby purist, but The King made some great comics and among them is Manhunter.