And Then I Read: KIRBY GENESIS 4

Images © Roslyn Kirby Family Trust.

I want to like this series. I enjoy the work of writer Kurt Busiek and artist Alex Ross, while the other artist here, Jack Herbert, is also doing a fine job. Unfortunately, the massive amount of characters thrown into the series have made it seem rather chaotic and impossible to follow for me. Imagine if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Marvel era had begun with the FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL featuring the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Remember that one? Every Marvel character appeared, often in crowd scenes. It worked because we'd had a few years to get to know many of the characters in their own series or featured as villains or cast members. Gradually. Here it's all new (unless you were a reader of some past books like Kirby's SILVER STAR, which I was not), and after a few pages it all starts to blur for me into a brightly-colored mosaic that will not stay in my brain after I turn the page. Sorry, guys, that's just the way it is for this old-timer, hope younger readers are there for you.

Cool art. But, at first I thought the giant head was one character and Silver Star another, until I looked closer and realized it was the same head-gear.

Mildly recommended.