Book Review: Jack Kirby's Devil Dinosaur Omnibus

Jack "King" Kirby was perhaps the most prolific comic book creator ever. He had a hand in creating or co-creating many characters that are now part of popular culture, such as the Fantastic Four, Thor, Captain America, the Hulk and many others. Without him, Marvel Comics would not be the entertainment empire it is today. His artistic style influenced the entire comic book industry. His characters seem to leap off the pages as if with a life of their own. Kirby's drawing style became the standard for most super-hero comics.

With the success that Marvel has had for the past decade in turning its comic properties into movies, it is only fitting that it would re-publish the works of its greatest creators. This allows people to experience the early adventures and major story lines that influence the movies coming out today. It also allows people to obtain comics and stories at a reasonable price whereas the original comics would run sometimes thousands of dollars or more. Marvel has released different versions of books at different prices. There are the standard trade paperbacks which run from twenty to thirty-five dollars. These are followed by the Marvel Masterworks series which are around fifty dollars. However, the cream of the crop when it comes to classic reprints is the Omnibus series. These books are gorgeous with hard covers, sewn binding and archival quality paper. Marvel has put out many Omnibus books over the last six years, with the work of Jack Kirby being the most prominent.

One of these Omnibuses is Jack Kirby's Devil Dinosaur. This book collects the entire nine issue run of the series. What the series boils down to is a boy and his dog, but with a prehistoric boy and his dinosaur. Theirs is a world where man and dinosaur live side-by-side, not as friends but as mortal enemies. It is a hostile world, but in it we meet Moon-boy, a prehistoric man who befriends Devil Dinosaur, a red T-Rex. Throughout their adventures, they have to deal with hostile tribes, fierce dinosaurs, witches, and even aliens. The stories are not too deep, they mostly boil down to which monster they will fight in the story. However, that is not to say that they are simplistic stories. Moon-boy and Devil's relationship is more than man and pet. They are equals in each others eyes. Devil protects Moon-boy and we see Moon-boy change from being a captive in the early issues to actually taking a hand and helping out in the predicaments they find themselves in the later issues. The action is well-plotted and filled to the brim with charging dinosaurs and fierce warriors. The real draw of this book is Jack Kirby's artwork. It leaps off the page with lush, vibrant colors. Kirby's characters seem to move with fluidity and grace. Even in mid-leap or mid-action, one can see the full range of motion these characters create.

Devil Dinosaur was one of the last series Jack Kirby created for Marvel Comics. Even though it did not last long, it is a good example of Kirby at his unbridled, imaginative and creative best. The Devil Dinosaur Omnibus is a great collection of the off-beat tales of the "King of Comics" final Marvel Comics work. Highly Recommended.