What do you think?
Rate this book
New Gods (1971) #1-11+
New Gods by Jack Kirby
NEW GODS, the cornerstone of Jack Kirby's early 1970s "Fourth World" line of comics, is collected in its entirety in a single trade paperback.
In 1971, following his move from Marvel Comics to DC, writer/artist Jack Kirby unleashed the "Fourth World" comics -- four interconnected series. The centerpiece of these titles was NEW GODS, which introduced the warring worlds of Apokolips, ruled by the dread Darkseid, and New Genesis, led by the philosophical Highfather. A sprawling cast of characters was led by Orion, son of Darkseid, raised on New Genesis as a savage warrior on a world of peace. And while Darkseid scoured the Earth in search of the deadly Anti-Life Equation, Orion battled his minions Kalibak, Canto and others, with the help of his New Genesis allies Lightray, Metron and others.
Collects NEW GODS #1-11, plus the 48-page story "Even Gods Must Die," written and illustrated by Kirby in 1984, and the original 1985 graphic novel by Kirby, THE HUNGER DOGS, which was designed to be a bookend to the entire "Fourth World" epic.
In 1971, following his move from Marvel Comics to DC, writer/artist Jack Kirby unleashed the "Fourth World" comics -- four interconnected series. The centerpiece of these titles was NEW GODS, which introduced the warring worlds of Apokolips, ruled by the dread Darkseid, and New Genesis, led by the philosophical Highfather. A sprawling cast of characters was led by Orion, son of Darkseid, raised on New Genesis as a savage warrior on a world of peace. And while Darkseid scoured the Earth in search of the deadly Anti-Life Equation, Orion battled his minions Kalibak, Canto and others, with the help of his New Genesis allies Lightray, Metron and others.
Collects NEW GODS #1-11, plus the 48-page story "Even Gods Must Die," written and illustrated by Kirby in 1984, and the original 1985 graphic novel by Kirby, THE HUNGER DOGS, which was designed to be a bookend to the entire "Fourth World" epic.
440 pages, Paperback
Published September 4, 2018
89 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Jack Kirby
2,801 books476 followersJack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg) was one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books, and the co-creator of such enduring characters and popular culture icons as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Captain America, and hundreds of others stretching back to the earliest days of the medium. He was also a comic book writer and editor. His most common nickname is "The King."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 27, 2019
Orion of New Genesis battles the forces of Darkseid at every turn! But what is their connection? Can Orion stop Darkseid before he seizes the Anti-Life Equation?
I've been wanting to read this saga for decades. My first encounter with the New Gods was when Darkseid became a regular villain on The Superfriends. A little later, I picked up Who's Who in the DC Universe and became enthralled with the saga of the New Gods and Orion vs. Darkseid. Now, probably thirty years later, I've finally read it.
The New Gods is a sprawling epic, the comics of cosmic scope that Jack Kirby was known for. Orion goes to war to save his adopted home against the father that sent him there in the first place, a war that will take him from New Genesis to Earth to Apokalips.
Without giving away too many nuts and bolts, this is the Kirbiest of Kirby books, combining the things I love about Thor, the Silver Surfer, and the Fantastic Four into one epic adventure. Kirby was at his peak during New Gods 1-11 and he pulled out all the stops. There is one epic battle after another, cosmic vistas, creatures of all description, philosophy, cheesy silver age dialogue, the whole magilla.
The New Gods was a foundational work much like the Fantastic Four, laying the groundwork for stories that DC would do decades later, most without Jack Kirby. So many big ideas and interesting characters are thrown around, many of which an entire series could be built around.
My highlights would be Orion, Lightray, and Forager teaming up against Mantis and the Bugs and the Death Wish of Terrible Turpin, when an earth cop takes a Daredevil-level beating trying to arrest Kalibak. If a New Gods movie gets made, it should be a buddy movie featuring Orion and Lightray.
My major gribe is that Jack Kirby wasn't allowed to wrap things up before New Gods was cancelled. Even Gods Must Die and the Hunger Dogs were followups over a decade later but both the art and stores aren't up to snuff. Shit, Kirby was probably around 80 at the time so he can't really be faulted. Still, I have to dream about what might have been. Lastly, I found it interesting that the New Gods were referred to as Eternals or Celestials on several occasions since Kirby would create The Eternals with a lot of the same inspiration when he returned to Marvel not long after the New Gods wrapped.
The New Gods was the Kirbiest of Jack Kirby books. Four out of five stars.
I've been wanting to read this saga for decades. My first encounter with the New Gods was when Darkseid became a regular villain on The Superfriends. A little later, I picked up Who's Who in the DC Universe and became enthralled with the saga of the New Gods and Orion vs. Darkseid. Now, probably thirty years later, I've finally read it.
The New Gods is a sprawling epic, the comics of cosmic scope that Jack Kirby was known for. Orion goes to war to save his adopted home against the father that sent him there in the first place, a war that will take him from New Genesis to Earth to Apokalips.
Without giving away too many nuts and bolts, this is the Kirbiest of Kirby books, combining the things I love about Thor, the Silver Surfer, and the Fantastic Four into one epic adventure. Kirby was at his peak during New Gods 1-11 and he pulled out all the stops. There is one epic battle after another, cosmic vistas, creatures of all description, philosophy, cheesy silver age dialogue, the whole magilla.
The New Gods was a foundational work much like the Fantastic Four, laying the groundwork for stories that DC would do decades later, most without Jack Kirby. So many big ideas and interesting characters are thrown around, many of which an entire series could be built around.
My highlights would be Orion, Lightray, and Forager teaming up against Mantis and the Bugs and the Death Wish of Terrible Turpin, when an earth cop takes a Daredevil-level beating trying to arrest Kalibak. If a New Gods movie gets made, it should be a buddy movie featuring Orion and Lightray.
My major gribe is that Jack Kirby wasn't allowed to wrap things up before New Gods was cancelled. Even Gods Must Die and the Hunger Dogs were followups over a decade later but both the art and stores aren't up to snuff. Shit, Kirby was probably around 80 at the time so he can't really be faulted. Still, I have to dream about what might have been. Lastly, I found it interesting that the New Gods were referred to as Eternals or Celestials on several occasions since Kirby would create The Eternals with a lot of the same inspiration when he returned to Marvel not long after the New Gods wrapped.
The New Gods was the Kirbiest of Jack Kirby books. Four out of five stars.
June 22, 2025
This was an interesting one, on the one hand I did find it difficult to read but I do have to give it some leeway because it was written in the 70’s. In the other hand the actual stories and world here was really impressive and I enjoyed seeing how the new gods began, especially considering darkseid and Orion play such a big part in the dc universe!
Overall I did enjoyed this it just took me a while to get through.
Overall I did enjoyed this it just took me a while to get through.
March 26, 2021
While I find some of the language and dialogue at times a bit old fashioned, one cannot deny the sheer magnitude of diversity and influence that Jack Kirby has implemented in the New Gods. Darkseid was the inspiration for both the creation of Thanos AND Darth Vader and much of the plot points and mythology in this series inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars and also inspired the 1980’s He-Man cartoon series and many other sci fi stories. Kirby’s art style also influenced the creation of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. The art work is some of the best in the comics world. Personally I think Jack Kirby is the best comic book artist that has ever lived and certainly the most influential. He isn’t among my favorite writers, but his creativity and mythology he has added for both Marvel and DC is boundless. A few issues could use some better language, but the overarching story and hierarchy of the New Gods is quite fascinating. The one shot graphic novel Hunger Dogs is the highlight finisher of the series, it is quite good and a surprisingly climatic ending for the series. I’d like to explore more of the fourth world and I’ve considered purchasing the omnibus in the near future. DC has also released a comic accurate figure line for some of the characters which I think is neat. I think Kirby was really the genius of both Marvel and DC. In some ways more than Stan Lee, but in other ways not. Kirby was not involved in the creation of Spider-Man, but he did create the fantastic four.
February 12, 2021
Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga is an explosion of creativity and world-building and I love every second of this New Gods title. Orion is a fascinating character, the great hero, the necessary violence it takes to stand against and defeat fascism. The art is top-notch with some great designs and beautiful splash pages full of detail. Issue 6, going into issue 7, are fantastic. The origin of Orion is one of the most exciting things I've read in a comic, watching everything unfold and knowing what it means.
November 16, 2018
Nice to have all eleven issues collected, with the 1984 continuation, Hunger Dogs.
Oddly enough, I think Kirby's mythology is less interesting here than in Mister Miracle and the Forever People. Here it is mostly Orion punching on monster armies from space... Although I have always been enthralled by issue seven, "The Pact."
Oddly enough, I think Kirby's mythology is less interesting here than in Mister Miracle and the Forever People. Here it is mostly Orion punching on monster armies from space... Although I have always been enthralled by issue seven, "The Pact."
May 5, 2023
Recently I glossed over a black and white collection of the original eleven issues of the New Gods series. This version is in color and includes “Even Gods Must Die!” and The Hunger Dogs, and thus represents the complete Orion saga from Jack Kirby’s Fourth World.
When I read Hunger Dogs a few years back, i found it to be a more satisfactory concluding point than fans have typically afforded it, although reading it back now, and the complete saga, I actually appreciate it more. Kirby’s writing is operatic in a grand superhero comics fashion throughout. It’ll never be mistaken for high literature, but in its fashion it reaches almost Shakespearean heights at times, not only in scope but even wording. Always cutting directly to necessity, the reader will have to fill in the blanks along the way, as Kirby introduces one character after another, down to the resistance figure of Himon on Apokalips itself in Dogs.
This time I read the saga as a Cold War allegory (Dogs was published only a few years before its conclusion, boldly asserting what the end of the Soviet Union would suggest was its true state). And while the United States certainly didn’t collapse into a wandering Jewish state (and there’s your other metaphor), Kirby did get to have his ending, both factions permanently compromised. All it lacks is that definitive fight between father and son, but Orion has a different fate, a return to his homeworld and a peaceful retirement, if anything a perfect repudiation of his prior existence.
So it’s fair to say that few enough readers, and subsequent creators, have grasped Kirby’s achievements. And try as they might, within or without the Fourth World, few have managed such a spectacle.
When I read Hunger Dogs a few years back, i found it to be a more satisfactory concluding point than fans have typically afforded it, although reading it back now, and the complete saga, I actually appreciate it more. Kirby’s writing is operatic in a grand superhero comics fashion throughout. It’ll never be mistaken for high literature, but in its fashion it reaches almost Shakespearean heights at times, not only in scope but even wording. Always cutting directly to necessity, the reader will have to fill in the blanks along the way, as Kirby introduces one character after another, down to the resistance figure of Himon on Apokalips itself in Dogs.
This time I read the saga as a Cold War allegory (Dogs was published only a few years before its conclusion, boldly asserting what the end of the Soviet Union would suggest was its true state). And while the United States certainly didn’t collapse into a wandering Jewish state (and there’s your other metaphor), Kirby did get to have his ending, both factions permanently compromised. All it lacks is that definitive fight between father and son, but Orion has a different fate, a return to his homeworld and a peaceful retirement, if anything a perfect repudiation of his prior existence.
So it’s fair to say that few enough readers, and subsequent creators, have grasped Kirby’s achievements. And try as they might, within or without the Fourth World, few have managed such a spectacle.
March 30, 2018
This is the core series of Kirby's Fourth World epic. In these 11-issues is the thematic central battles in the opening of the war between the gods of New Genesis and Darkseid and his minions of Apocalypse. These stories focus of Orion and his struggles with personal demons and the parademons of Apocalypse. Orion fights the Deep Six, Kalibak and a host of other villainous types all doing the bidding of Darkseid. This is Kirby at the height of his creative power and crafting what he had hoped would be a huge, sprawling epic. Sadly, the readers of DC comics of the early 70s just couldn't quite wrap their heads around Kirby's brilliance and this series was canceled long before it should have been. Thus Kirby was never able to properly complete this saga. Still these 11 issues are great fun, and illustrate what Kirby might have done with Thor had he been given more control of that title during his tenure there. Also included is the graphic novel The Hunger Dogs produced years later, when Kirby was given a change to "wrap-up" the story line from the interlocking Fourth World titles. While this is not as good as the earlier work, it is still undiluted Kirby.
It's also worth noting that when Kirby returned to Marvel, he created The Eternals (The Eternals Omnibus) which builds off many of the themes he'd begun here in New Gods.
It's also worth noting that when Kirby returned to Marvel, he created The Eternals (The Eternals Omnibus) which builds off many of the themes he'd begun here in New Gods.
July 12, 2021
This isn't Kirby's strongest work, even though it is rather good. Art wise, I really think Kirby is at the top of his game here. The first few issues are inked by Colletta, who famously butchered all artwork, but after that Mike Royer takes over! It is like Kirby unleashed! I know that Kirby had a LOT of problems with how much credit is given to Stan Lee over there collaborations, but one thing that is always clear to me is that Kirby did need someone to wring him in a bit. He is just throwing a million ideas at you all at once. It can be kind of overwhelming. I can't help but think an editor might have made these stories a bit more readable. Kirby is also a bit weak at dialogue. He basically writes the same way he draws, with loud boastful action! What you are left with is this intense action thriller that never lets up for a single second. It almost gives you whiplash when you read it.
January 15, 2021
It’s hard to describe Jack Kirby’s gloriously mad creations for DC in the ‘70s. As the central part of his “Fourth World” Saga, New Gods is campy, cosmic, psychedelic, epic, mythic, action-packed, operatic, nonsensical genius. It’s a brilliant mess of a book.
June 14, 2023
A story decades ahead of its time and in some ways still not quite ready to be considered what it was upon publication and still is; a work of visual and literary genius.
A story where we are presented with two distinct dichotomies of good and evil and other beings in between who all start to fade in and out of moral ambiguity leaving us wondering if such two ideas can truly be separated.
But it never looses that operatic, large scale, space opera feeling to it as this is a story that stretches from planet to planet, land to sea, timeline to timeline.
Jack Kirby will always be the king and this, his crown jewel.
A story where we are presented with two distinct dichotomies of good and evil and other beings in between who all start to fade in and out of moral ambiguity leaving us wondering if such two ideas can truly be separated.
But it never looses that operatic, large scale, space opera feeling to it as this is a story that stretches from planet to planet, land to sea, timeline to timeline.
Jack Kirby will always be the king and this, his crown jewel.
June 14, 2020
Krásna kirbyovská kresba verzus príbeh smerujúci odnikiaľ nikam. Základy, z ktorých bude vychádzať vesmírna línia DC verzus hlúpučké retro ako Black racer, černošské stelesnenie smrti na lietajúcich lyžiach, Darkseid načúvajúci spoza roha alebo štyri ľudské postavy, ktoré formou dialógu v každom zošite pripomínajú svoje meno a priezvisko. Toto je čítanie pre otrlých.
August 19, 2024
I recognize the impact of this series, but I had trouble connecting with it.
September 10, 2019
3.5 stars. Absolutely bonkers sci-fi/super hero epic that gets increasingly incomprehensible as it goes along, but is gorgeous to look at all the way through. It suffers from the typical silver-age plotting that Kirby probably learned from Stan Lee, where characters narrate what they’re doing as they do it. On the other hand, the sheer ambition in the ideas and the epic scope make this really unique—if often confusing—experience that is very different from the typical super hero fare. Give it a try if you’re up for something completely “out there.”
January 11, 2019
A work of mythic proportions. It does suffer from the storytelling of the time that was not always as easy to follow from issue to issue, but this is a titanic work of comic creation
September 23, 2019
While he may not be as obscure to the general public as he once was, Jack Kirby would still elicit more blank stares of non-recognition than his much more famous creative partner, Stan Lee, ever will. Lee, with his outsize personality and penchant for self-promotion, became the face of Marvel Comics while Kirby was more content to stand back (although recent examinations of the history of Marvel Comics paints a less rosy glow of how Lee treated his long time associate). When Kirby found himself under appreciated by his longtime flagship publisher, he moved over to DC in the early 70s which led to the creation of what is now called the "Fourth World", the flagship title of which was New Gods. Recently collected in a new trade paperback edition, the entirety of Kirby's work on New Gods is now available again.
The story of New Gods consists of the original 11 issues published at the beginning of the 70s, a concluding story created when DC republished the original series around a decade later, and a final graphic novel, The Hunger Dogs, published in 1985. Kirby is the credited writer and penciler on the entire collection. When I first received my copy I had ordered, I was looking forward to digging into the product of one of comic's pioneers. Many of Kirby's most famous trademarks are there, especially his penchant for bringing elaborate alien environments to life with his pencil. What is also there is a type of storytelling that is no longer in vogue, and this volume revels in it. It is not the fault of Kirby, per se, but more an artifact of the times it was created in. The characters often speak in a expository style, telling us backstory while talking to other characters who should already know what they are being told, as well as a penchant for often stating the obvious. Hardly a serious show-stopper, but a bit repetitive after some time. A bigger issue is that, to use the words of another reviewer here on Goodreads, the story becomes "impenetrable" as it goes, and I can't disagree with that assessment. The first issue introduces some story threads that seem to get lost along the way, including one significant plot element that seems to be a cornerstone of the tale to be told, yet after the first issue seems to disappear altogether until it is paid lip service in the concluding tale. Over the course of the volume, the focus seems to shift and becomes more fuzzy as it goes, and you wonder if some of this is from feedback of editors overseeing the work. While at least one classic character, the villainous Darkseid, became a staple of the DC universe, many of the other characters in New Gods were unknown to me, and they, frankly, don't leave much of an impression.
One of New Gods weaknesses, and this is again largely out of Kirby's control, is that, if you had just read the initial 11 issues, would feel like a story that just stops abruptly, as DC pulled the plug on the series after a single year of publication, and you can't help but consider that, like a TV series that gets canceled after just starting to tell a longer story, it is not helped by it's rather fast conclusion. The last two parts of the story do wrap it up, but it feels abbreviated still.
I don't want to be hard on New Gods, it is very much a product of it's time and fell victim to the vicissitudes of the comics industry, but reading it with this much time removed, it doesn't quite reach the lofty heights I had walked in thinking it might reside in. But, again, it is certainly worth the trip for another contribution by Kirby to comics.
The story of New Gods consists of the original 11 issues published at the beginning of the 70s, a concluding story created when DC republished the original series around a decade later, and a final graphic novel, The Hunger Dogs, published in 1985. Kirby is the credited writer and penciler on the entire collection. When I first received my copy I had ordered, I was looking forward to digging into the product of one of comic's pioneers. Many of Kirby's most famous trademarks are there, especially his penchant for bringing elaborate alien environments to life with his pencil. What is also there is a type of storytelling that is no longer in vogue, and this volume revels in it. It is not the fault of Kirby, per se, but more an artifact of the times it was created in. The characters often speak in a expository style, telling us backstory while talking to other characters who should already know what they are being told, as well as a penchant for often stating the obvious. Hardly a serious show-stopper, but a bit repetitive after some time. A bigger issue is that, to use the words of another reviewer here on Goodreads, the story becomes "impenetrable" as it goes, and I can't disagree with that assessment. The first issue introduces some story threads that seem to get lost along the way, including one significant plot element that seems to be a cornerstone of the tale to be told, yet after the first issue seems to disappear altogether until it is paid lip service in the concluding tale. Over the course of the volume, the focus seems to shift and becomes more fuzzy as it goes, and you wonder if some of this is from feedback of editors overseeing the work. While at least one classic character, the villainous Darkseid, became a staple of the DC universe, many of the other characters in New Gods were unknown to me, and they, frankly, don't leave much of an impression.
One of New Gods weaknesses, and this is again largely out of Kirby's control, is that, if you had just read the initial 11 issues, would feel like a story that just stops abruptly, as DC pulled the plug on the series after a single year of publication, and you can't help but consider that, like a TV series that gets canceled after just starting to tell a longer story, it is not helped by it's rather fast conclusion. The last two parts of the story do wrap it up, but it feels abbreviated still.
I don't want to be hard on New Gods, it is very much a product of it's time and fell victim to the vicissitudes of the comics industry, but reading it with this much time removed, it doesn't quite reach the lofty heights I had walked in thinking it might reside in. But, again, it is certainly worth the trip for another contribution by Kirby to comics.
November 18, 2023
Knowing next to nothing about Kirby's New Gods, I toyed with the idea of splurging on the Omnibus, but settled on this. I'm glad I didn't go all out. I enjoyed it to a point, but while Kirby's skills as an artist and a plotter are great, his skill as an editor and finisher are not. It's too bad he and Stan Lee had the falling out. It seems that both did their best work when collaborating.
The "soaring epic" storyline is only skin deep. Biblical titles and plot elements create an illusion of gravitas, but as you go through it, things quickly become an episodic "super hero" story. Since the "gods" can die, and since obviously the "gods" are subject to the sovereignty of the "Source," and their planets can die too, they are little more than "powerful humans" in the mold of any other comic book metahuman. So, what is meant by "gods" in the first place? It doesn’t seem to have the same meaning as it would in another storytelling context.
Even the names of the planets, "New Genesis" and "Apokolips," are misnomers. The Greek word "apocalypse" translates to "revelation," not destruction or hell. They are more metaphors for DC and Marvel Comics, with Orion and Mr. Miracle as stand ins for Kirby's persona (one the war vet, one the artist) than a true "epic story."
I have another caveat for newer readers though. It seems obvious, but because this was written in the 70’s - the storytelling is very much of its time. So that means a lot of silliness that might be a little self aware but is still played pretty seriously. Smoke capsules in car tailpipes. Goofy human characters as reader surrogates who say things like, "But I'm Victor Lanza! An insurance executive! A family man! My wife makes me carry an umbrella in case it rains!"
Even the main character, Orion, is supposed to be a conflicted, brooding hero trying to overcome his violent nature, but I kept cracking up at how over-the-top and brutish he was (yes, I understand some of that is purposeful, but boy is it extreme), to the point where most characters, even his friends, are like "Wow, you're really brutal and kind of a d*ck, maybe take it easy?"
So, for me, it was a muscle car with no engine. I'm glad I bought it, because it satisfied my curiosity. The art, as you might suspect, is fantastic, and this volume works well as demonstration of Kirby’s considerable skills as a draughtsman.
The "soaring epic" storyline is only skin deep. Biblical titles and plot elements create an illusion of gravitas, but as you go through it, things quickly become an episodic "super hero" story. Since the "gods" can die, and since obviously the "gods" are subject to the sovereignty of the "Source," and their planets can die too, they are little more than "powerful humans" in the mold of any other comic book metahuman. So, what is meant by "gods" in the first place? It doesn’t seem to have the same meaning as it would in another storytelling context.
Even the names of the planets, "New Genesis" and "Apokolips," are misnomers. The Greek word "apocalypse" translates to "revelation," not destruction or hell. They are more metaphors for DC and Marvel Comics, with Orion and Mr. Miracle as stand ins for Kirby's persona (one the war vet, one the artist) than a true "epic story."
I have another caveat for newer readers though. It seems obvious, but because this was written in the 70’s - the storytelling is very much of its time. So that means a lot of silliness that might be a little self aware but is still played pretty seriously. Smoke capsules in car tailpipes. Goofy human characters as reader surrogates who say things like, "But I'm Victor Lanza! An insurance executive! A family man! My wife makes me carry an umbrella in case it rains!"
Even the main character, Orion, is supposed to be a conflicted, brooding hero trying to overcome his violent nature, but I kept cracking up at how over-the-top and brutish he was (yes, I understand some of that is purposeful, but boy is it extreme), to the point where most characters, even his friends, are like "Wow, you're really brutal and kind of a d*ck, maybe take it easy?"
So, for me, it was a muscle car with no engine. I'm glad I bought it, because it satisfied my curiosity. The art, as you might suspect, is fantastic, and this volume works well as demonstration of Kirby’s considerable skills as a draughtsman.
October 11, 2025
I was kind of expecting and hoping this to be completely set on New Genisis and Apocalypse to be honest. That seemed like the only logical choice having read the Jimmy Olson Fourth World saga books. That was a glimpse into the world, and the New Gods will be completely into that world.
It turned out not to be like that, as most of it does take place on earth, but still it manages to show off the Fourth World beautifully, I love this series.
This genuinely feels like a modern day legend about gods, it's incredible, and just like those legends of old, the New Gods have been on earth. They're in Metropolis! Isn't it weird that there are no other DC characters in this? I mean yeah, but does it matter? The New Gods are genuinely amazing and cool characters (which is a word I don't use lightly, and don't use in general because it makes me sound like a kid from the 80s). Orion's conflict with himself, Lightray being the most joyous guy ever, Metron being the best character in fiction, Darkseid suggesting Esak should kill himself, the oh so ominous and phenominal Black Rider who coincidentally, just like Vykin the Black has black in his name, probably because Jack thought it sounded cool, no doubt. And lest we forget the Highfather. What an interesting batch of characters, really hope I didn't forget any, just like Kirby forgot about Forager in The Hunger Dogs.
Speaking of The Hunger Dogs, you know how uncanny it is to go from early 70s comics to mid 80s comics. Comics truly are an ever evolving art form. Anyway, this Graphic Novel continuation of The New Gods, is exactly what I expected the original series to be. Now that I got what I wanted, I honestly can't tell which is better, they're both peak, except obviously there's a lot more freedom given artisticly and story wise in a graphic novel than a bi-monthly series, also like previously mentioned, it's the 80s now, comics have changed. Less words, more dynamic panels to keep the reader engaged and show off the wonderful art, more room for experimentation, among other stuff the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Modern Age of comics brought.
Mister Miracle and the Forever People better be as peak as this or I'm going to cry, the bar is pretty fucking high
It turned out not to be like that, as most of it does take place on earth, but still it manages to show off the Fourth World beautifully, I love this series.
This genuinely feels like a modern day legend about gods, it's incredible, and just like those legends of old, the New Gods have been on earth. They're in Metropolis! Isn't it weird that there are no other DC characters in this? I mean yeah, but does it matter? The New Gods are genuinely amazing and cool characters (which is a word I don't use lightly, and don't use in general because it makes me sound like a kid from the 80s). Orion's conflict with himself, Lightray being the most joyous guy ever, Metron being the best character in fiction, Darkseid suggesting Esak should kill himself, the oh so ominous and phenominal Black Rider who coincidentally, just like Vykin the Black has black in his name, probably because Jack thought it sounded cool, no doubt. And lest we forget the Highfather. What an interesting batch of characters, really hope I didn't forget any, just like Kirby forgot about Forager in The Hunger Dogs.
Speaking of The Hunger Dogs, you know how uncanny it is to go from early 70s comics to mid 80s comics. Comics truly are an ever evolving art form. Anyway, this Graphic Novel continuation of The New Gods, is exactly what I expected the original series to be. Now that I got what I wanted, I honestly can't tell which is better, they're both peak, except obviously there's a lot more freedom given artisticly and story wise in a graphic novel than a bi-monthly series, also like previously mentioned, it's the 80s now, comics have changed. Less words, more dynamic panels to keep the reader engaged and show off the wonderful art, more room for experimentation, among other stuff the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Modern Age of comics brought.
Mister Miracle and the Forever People better be as peak as this or I'm going to cry, the bar is pretty fucking high
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2023
Easily Kirby's most ambitious comic series in his career, New Gods is the epic saga of the destruction of a world which leads to the succeeding "New Gods" to live in the dualistic extremes of an idyllic New Genesis and the hellish Apokolips. The story follows Orion of the New Gods and allies Light Ray and Metron as they rescue humans from prison camps on Apokolips while trying to prevent Darkseid from unleashing war. Concepts that were introduced in parallel in the pages of "The Forever People" like the Anti-Life Equation, Boom Tubes, etc. are all just as prevalent here making for a sweeping sci-fi saga.
While the short run can be pretty uneven and was truncated too early, it's the story from New Gods #7 that will remain the reason why this is one of my favorite Kirby comics of all time. The story as told in "The Pact" is a brilliant piece of space opera - the melodramtic themes of abandoned children and long-running family feuds works in beautiful contrast with the epic scale of the conflict between New Genesis and Apokolips. Just as the Kirby/Lee run of Fantastic Four built the Marvel Universe, Kirby recreates that magic here and casts the foundational stone on which many DC stories have since been told on.
This edition also includes the graphic novel The Hunger Dogs, which was meant as a means for Kirby to wrap up story elements left hanging after the original 11 issue run and premature end to his "Fourth World Saga". This is definitely the work of less inspired Kirby, both from an imagination standpoint and even artistically. It's still worth reading for any fans of Kirby's "Fourth World" stuff, but I'd temper expectations here. Kirby's true follow up to the New Gods was probably what he did in the pages of Eternals during his return to Marvel Comics.
Overall, New Gods remains one of Kirby's most notable and strongest contributions to superhero comics, with Kirby on top of his game both as an artist and a storyteller.
While the short run can be pretty uneven and was truncated too early, it's the story from New Gods #7 that will remain the reason why this is one of my favorite Kirby comics of all time. The story as told in "The Pact" is a brilliant piece of space opera - the melodramtic themes of abandoned children and long-running family feuds works in beautiful contrast with the epic scale of the conflict between New Genesis and Apokolips. Just as the Kirby/Lee run of Fantastic Four built the Marvel Universe, Kirby recreates that magic here and casts the foundational stone on which many DC stories have since been told on.
This edition also includes the graphic novel The Hunger Dogs, which was meant as a means for Kirby to wrap up story elements left hanging after the original 11 issue run and premature end to his "Fourth World Saga". This is definitely the work of less inspired Kirby, both from an imagination standpoint and even artistically. It's still worth reading for any fans of Kirby's "Fourth World" stuff, but I'd temper expectations here. Kirby's true follow up to the New Gods was probably what he did in the pages of Eternals during his return to Marvel Comics.
Overall, New Gods remains one of Kirby's most notable and strongest contributions to superhero comics, with Kirby on top of his game both as an artist and a storyteller.
July 20, 2021
This great all-in-one edition of the New Gods by Jack Kirby collects all his stories for DC Comics from the 1970s through the mid-1980s, when he finally got the chance to finish his epic about Orion vs. Darkseid.
As a kid, I hated the fact that Kirby left Marvel for DC and I didn't really "get" the whole Fourth World thing that Kirby did, which included the New Gods, Jimmy Olsen, the Forever People, and Mister Miracle. Adding insult to injury, at least for the first few issues, he took along inker Vince Colletta, one of the worst--and laziest--inkers in comics. Once Kirby found out Colletta was selling him out to Marvel, giving them an advance look at Kirby's pencils, he was done and Mike Royer entered the scene as Kirby's finisher and letterer, a marked approval on the art. But I still hated the stories.
Fifty years later, I intensely admire Kirby's concepts and characters. His writing? Well, still not so much. He is a horribly stilted and awkward writer, but the power of his pencils had not diminished in his shift to DC. The Fourth World saga, with New Gods as its centerpiece, was cancelled after 11 issues and Kirby went back to Marvel. But he was allowed to finish his saga in the 1980s and this book collects it all: the first 11 issues, the 1980s reprints and two "new" stories: the set-up to his conclusion, and the conclusion itself, the graphic novel, The Hunger Dogs. It's awkward and strange and Kirby shows his age in his fifth decade of creating comics, but it's also a bravura almost-last hurrah from the most creative man in comics. They don't call him "King" for nothin', folks.
As a kid, I hated the fact that Kirby left Marvel for DC and I didn't really "get" the whole Fourth World thing that Kirby did, which included the New Gods, Jimmy Olsen, the Forever People, and Mister Miracle. Adding insult to injury, at least for the first few issues, he took along inker Vince Colletta, one of the worst--and laziest--inkers in comics. Once Kirby found out Colletta was selling him out to Marvel, giving them an advance look at Kirby's pencils, he was done and Mike Royer entered the scene as Kirby's finisher and letterer, a marked approval on the art. But I still hated the stories.
Fifty years later, I intensely admire Kirby's concepts and characters. His writing? Well, still not so much. He is a horribly stilted and awkward writer, but the power of his pencils had not diminished in his shift to DC. The Fourth World saga, with New Gods as its centerpiece, was cancelled after 11 issues and Kirby went back to Marvel. But he was allowed to finish his saga in the 1980s and this book collects it all: the first 11 issues, the 1980s reprints and two "new" stories: the set-up to his conclusion, and the conclusion itself, the graphic novel, The Hunger Dogs. It's awkward and strange and Kirby shows his age in his fifth decade of creating comics, but it's also a bravura almost-last hurrah from the most creative man in comics. They don't call him "King" for nothin', folks.
August 26, 2025
I went into this volume with an open mind and very much aware that most of the included work was quite dated with it having been published in the early 1970s. But while it did have its moments, I couldn't help but to come away disappointed in its totality.
First, the bright spots. Kirby's artwork is striking. It's particularly good when he opens up a full page and just unleashes a big, impressive scene. With some updated conventions, this is art that could not only support a modern book, it could float it. The art is also inconsistent, but the highs justify the occasional lows.
The broad ideas here are fun and imaginative. Wild ideas were a strength of Kirby's, and that absolutely comes through here. The dual worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips, the many denizes of each and their ways and means. I got a kick out of all of it.
Unfortunately, those ideas sometimes prove overly broad. The promise of setup is rarely delivered upon in New Gods. And when it is delivered, it doesn't quite stick the landing. Part of the blame for this could fall on the sudden cessation of the original New Gods series, but when Kirby returns to the material to tie it up in two later issues, we actually reach the nadir of the volume. So it's hard to solely attribute the book's fizzling nature to that.
The dialogue here is also a real slog. Again, some of that isn't necessarily on Kirby, as we're dealing with conventions from long ago, but there are times when what's being said and seemingly intended doesn't even make whole sense. And that's more difficult to pin on dated conventions.
I'm glad that I read New Gods, and I'd still give it a cautious recommendation to others who want to explore Kirby's work and comics history in general, as in some ways New Gods was ahead of its time. But I have to be realistic in judging the book as a reading experience today, and by that standard, it's harder to recommend it.
First, the bright spots. Kirby's artwork is striking. It's particularly good when he opens up a full page and just unleashes a big, impressive scene. With some updated conventions, this is art that could not only support a modern book, it could float it. The art is also inconsistent, but the highs justify the occasional lows.
The broad ideas here are fun and imaginative. Wild ideas were a strength of Kirby's, and that absolutely comes through here. The dual worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips, the many denizes of each and their ways and means. I got a kick out of all of it.
Unfortunately, those ideas sometimes prove overly broad. The promise of setup is rarely delivered upon in New Gods. And when it is delivered, it doesn't quite stick the landing. Part of the blame for this could fall on the sudden cessation of the original New Gods series, but when Kirby returns to the material to tie it up in two later issues, we actually reach the nadir of the volume. So it's hard to solely attribute the book's fizzling nature to that.
The dialogue here is also a real slog. Again, some of that isn't necessarily on Kirby, as we're dealing with conventions from long ago, but there are times when what's being said and seemingly intended doesn't even make whole sense. And that's more difficult to pin on dated conventions.
I'm glad that I read New Gods, and I'd still give it a cautious recommendation to others who want to explore Kirby's work and comics history in general, as in some ways New Gods was ahead of its time. But I have to be realistic in judging the book as a reading experience today, and by that standard, it's harder to recommend it.
September 12, 2025
Even when looking at this work through the lens of time I'm still shocked at how bad Jack Kirby's writing is. He seemed to be constantly trying to either lampoon, or reclaim lost pride and territory and all that it really accomplished is a sad rendition of bad and over obvious dialogue. This book as a story has almost no overall cohesion and the small episodes are little more than strange character sketches with a splash of concept that is usually tacked on by the addition of a random new character rather than from the Orion's inner struggles. It's all rather sad. Normally I allow for the overstated writing of the late 60's and early 70's, but New Gods takes us to a whole new level of naming convention cringe and suffers even more when you start to see that because of this Kirby kind of hamstrung himself by writing what is very apparently a Mighty Thor clone. I admit that I kind of spaced out the last 100 pages or so of this 1 or 2 star story.
But
Holy shit could the man draw! Every page is dynamic with something to tease or interest us with in unique and brightly colored retro futuristic delirium. I adore the level of detail, and stylistic choices that might got into something as simple as s speaking device or bizarre flying transport. This book is 400 pages of pure science fiction joy for the eyes! 5 star art!
But
Holy shit could the man draw! Every page is dynamic with something to tease or interest us with in unique and brightly colored retro futuristic delirium. I adore the level of detail, and stylistic choices that might got into something as simple as s speaking device or bizarre flying transport. This book is 400 pages of pure science fiction joy for the eyes! 5 star art!
October 16, 2022
Kirby really tried to forge a mythology of the modern age with this shit and the energy he poured into that task crackles on every page and comes through in not just the larger arc of Orion and Darkseid but the tragic little details and side stories throughout.
Forager, raised in the humanoid insect colonies beneath New Genesis whose quest is to prove to the Gods they are more than pests, was a favorite.
Also love the Hunger Dogs belated conclusion. While the original comics were meant to be a mythology for the reality of the 70s, in Hunger Dogs we see these icons take darker turns as Kirby wrestles with the 80s being even worse than he imagined. Darkseid himself is downright depressed by the world of soulless automation and reality shaping power he has achieved through the power of the microchip.
But Kirby manages to put a hopeful bow on things in the end, with a resolution that says no matter how hopeless things seem sometimes it's as simple as setting a new course and leaving the past behind.
Forager, raised in the humanoid insect colonies beneath New Genesis whose quest is to prove to the Gods they are more than pests, was a favorite.
Also love the Hunger Dogs belated conclusion. While the original comics were meant to be a mythology for the reality of the 70s, in Hunger Dogs we see these icons take darker turns as Kirby wrestles with the 80s being even worse than he imagined. Darkseid himself is downright depressed by the world of soulless automation and reality shaping power he has achieved through the power of the microchip.
But Kirby manages to put a hopeful bow on things in the end, with a resolution that says no matter how hopeless things seem sometimes it's as simple as setting a new course and leaving the past behind.
December 12, 2024
While it was interesting to explore the origins of DC Comics' New Gods, this was a long, slow read. In addition to the general tell-don't-show style of older comics, many of the original issues were oversized 52-page books. I ended up skimming the Hunger Dogs graphic novel because I was just ready to be done.
The cliffhanger of the original series, left by obvious cancellation, is disappointing. Some of the character designs are extremely silly, such as Black Rider's skis and even Orion's harness. Still, the imagination on display is amazing, and there is interesting ground work laid for future DC storylines. It is a shame that Kirby faced so many obstacles from the editors in bringing his vision to fruition. It is obvious at a certain point that he is just treading water as DC apparently didn't want the series to conclude. It is also interesting to read that the Fourth World was originally intended to be used as a storyline in Thor with Marvel.
The cliffhanger of the original series, left by obvious cancellation, is disappointing. Some of the character designs are extremely silly, such as Black Rider's skis and even Orion's harness. Still, the imagination on display is amazing, and there is interesting ground work laid for future DC storylines. It is a shame that Kirby faced so many obstacles from the editors in bringing his vision to fruition. It is obvious at a certain point that he is just treading water as DC apparently didn't want the series to conclude. It is also interesting to read that the Fourth World was originally intended to be used as a storyline in Thor with Marvel.
January 19, 2025
This just didn’t work for me at all. I can respect the history here, but as a story, it’s a mess—choppy, overwritten, and lacking direction. The focus is on Darkseid obtaining the anti-life formula… until it isn’t. Then the focus is on Orion and Darkseid having a showdown… until it isn’t. Then it all wraps up in a graphic novel that skips all over the place and has very little to do with what came before it. It’s tough because the mythology is really, really cool, but there’s so little focus on that because there’s so much focus on Orion punching the bad guy of the month. In the end, I can respect what Kirby built here, but that doesn’t make it any less of a slog to read.
February 12, 2022
Started out very well, then.....
This is the best of the Jack Kirby-created series that I have read. The first year is superb - well told stories that flow well. The last part is rushed and jumps around. It seems Kirby had a much longer story in mind, and was forced to end it a year or more earlier than he expected. The last few comics are jilted and largely summarized in narration, unfortunately. Still, the New Gods stories, ironically, rely very little Deus Ex Machina, as most of Kirby's other stories do, so they are much more enjoyable to read. As always, the art is good.
This is the best of the Jack Kirby-created series that I have read. The first year is superb - well told stories that flow well. The last part is rushed and jumps around. It seems Kirby had a much longer story in mind, and was forced to end it a year or more earlier than he expected. The last few comics are jilted and largely summarized in narration, unfortunately. Still, the New Gods stories, ironically, rely very little Deus Ex Machina, as most of Kirby's other stories do, so they are much more enjoyable to read. As always, the art is good.
March 19, 2022
I've never been a fan of DC, and I think the only stories I've read are some of the more famous stories (Killing Joke, Kingdome Come, etc.). I didn't like this series at all. I still have high hopes for Darkseid in other TPBs I have, but this story was a stinker. Bad dialogue (I don't think Kirby used a period in the entire 11 issue series, just !s) and the story was all over the place. I was hopeful that the last two stories would be better (Kirby had a 10 year gap to write them), but no. Ugh, just such a mess.
April 9, 2022
My journey through Kirby's Forth World Saga original series run comes to an end with New Gods. There were many characters introduced in this series, including Esak. Poor Esak. I did find The Hunger Dogs a bit confusing but it was nice to see Kirby's original conclusion to the saga. Kirby's art is bursting with energy. You can see why he is The King. Now, on to what came after. First stop, Kirby's Super Powers 1985 mini-series written by Paul Kupperberg which picks up from the end of The Hunger Dogs and stars the DC Universe heroes alongside Darkseid and Co...
March 21, 2020
How about “using workers comp does not influence any decisions about your employment. Job retention, with all employees at the temple, is contingent on a variety of factors such as the quality of your performance when you do work, the needs of the pre-school, and the needs of the congregation as a whole. I’m sure you understand that at this time those needs are much more uncertain than normal given the current situation.
April 12, 2020
Kirby's The New Gods, from the 4th World and the DC Universe, features the fantastic artwork that Kirby created similarly in the Marvel Universe.
For the first eleven issues of the New Gods, Kirby wows us; "Even Gods Must Die," the bridge story, carries us well; unfortunately, The Hunger Dogs, the graphic novel, does not echo Kirby's earlier work. Thus, I rate this Kirby collection 4 stars.
For the first eleven issues of the New Gods, Kirby wows us; "Even Gods Must Die," the bridge story, carries us well; unfortunately, The Hunger Dogs, the graphic novel, does not echo Kirby's earlier work. Thus, I rate this Kirby collection 4 stars.
November 19, 2021
One of Jack Kirby's finest works. A space opera cosmic saga that still relevant in today's DC universe.
My only knowledge in the New Gods is Darkseid and after reading this series I was introduced to other rich-colorful characters. The story is interesting and I love the backstories especially Darkseid and Highfather. The art is the Kirbiest of Jack Kirby from block shaped characters to Kirby crackle. He is indeed the King.
My only knowledge in the New Gods is Darkseid and after reading this series I was introduced to other rich-colorful characters. The story is interesting and I love the backstories especially Darkseid and Highfather. The art is the Kirbiest of Jack Kirby from block shaped characters to Kirby crackle. He is indeed the King.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews