Jack Kirby's One Man Army Corps!

DouglasDanger

"The protagonist is corporate nobody Buddy Blank, who is changed by a satellite called Brother Eye into the super-powered OMAC (One Man Army Corps). Enlisted by the Global Peace Agency, who police the world using pacifist means, OMAC battles the forces of conformity in this short-lived but legendary series that serves as a companion to the JACK KIRBY'S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS series."

So I have always wanted to read this series, but individual issues are rather pricey. I really enjoy what I have read of Kirby's stuff, and this looks crazy and awesome. There was a an excerpt that popped on scans_daily a few weeks ago, which can be seen here. It is a crazy thing with Kirby insanity in a setting that seems inspired by 1984 and where he thought society was headed or something.

It turns out that DC is publishing a hard cover collecting the 8 issues of OMAC! I've found it on Amazon.

Has anyone actually read this? Comics Should be Good loves the shit out of it.

Has anyone read the John Byrne mini-series?

Algertman

This series consist of the craziest comicbook cover I have ever seen.

DouglasDanger

I want that hard cover so bad. I am totally getting it when it comes out. I guess Paul Pope's Solo issue has an OMAC story in it.

jkylefulton

The original Kirby series is crazy wacky. If I had to guess Algertman's cover, I bet it's this one:



Fucking crazy box women!

Also, the Byrne miniseries is some of the best work of his career. Top notch art (with duotone) and a good story.

DouglasDanger

jkylefulton

Some examples from the Byrne miniseries, spoiled for size:

DouglasDanger

That is some amazing artwork. The covers look really cool too.

DouglasDanger

So my lovely wife got me the hardcover OMAC trade as an early Christmas present. It's totally kick ass and awesome. It is so damn kick ass and awesome and crazy. It does make me sad that it is only 8 issues though. I'm halfway through the tpb, which means I have read half of all of the OMAC there will ever be.

I guess John Byrne did a miniseries and Paul Pope did a short in his issue of SOLO. I'll probably track those down some day, but I am worried about John Byrne's OMAC. There are maybe a half a dozen people I want near OMAC, and he is not in that list. Not at all. Grant Morrison and Cam Stewart, Rick Remender and any of the Fear Agent guys-- especially Opena, Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen, Manhake and Pascal Ferry, Paul Pope, Mike Hawthorne... OK, maybe it more than six.

from comics should be good

jkylefulton

Again, Byrne's OMAC was some of the best work of his career. I'm not talking about LAB RATS Byrne, I'm talking about UNCANNY X-MEN / FANTASTIC FOUR / NAMOR / MAN OF STEEL Byrne.

Jacobkosh

jkylefulton wrote: »

Again, Byrne's OMAC was some of the best work of his career. I'm not talking about LAB RATS Byrne, I'm talking about UNCANNY X-MEN / FANTASTIC FOUR / NAMOR / MAN OF STEEL Byrne.

Interesting! I'm going to have to check that out.

And I picked up the OMAC HC myself a while back. It's great stuff, and I'm thrilled to see a thread about it. What's interesting is how you can strip away the Kirby bombast and it's actually a not-completely-embarrassing look into the near future from the 1970s.