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The original New Gods series was briefly resurrected, runnig for 8 issues until falling victim to ths DC Implosion.
This series was made without Jack Kirby's involvement and apparently a lot more conventional.
That's pretty much all I know, but Grant Morrison has said in interviews that he prefered it to the original Kirby issues when he was younger.
Is that when Orion had his makeover and wore the yellow headsock? Then, no. Just based on that alone, it's terrible.
Seriously though, it's too bad if that series was actually good, because Orion's new look turned me off of ever wanting to pick that up.
I did like the redesign but I never thought of it as the same comic or character. It actually reminds me of Archie Goodwins Manhunter. I liked one issue where the Flash has to help Orion shrink down from Promethean giant size . I actually have never read the series thought but I am curious about it?
My first exposure to the New Gods was the JLA/JSA crossover that also saw Perez take over after Dillon died.
And then my next exposure was the Super Powers figures and the Garcia-Lopez promotional art.
So I actually liked the designs from Conway's run. Especially after Perez made them look so nice.
Even though Orion seemed inspired by Brainwave's look from the '70s All-Star Comics, and would later be recycled as Geo-Force's style.
I would later see him with the helmet on his head and think it was a downgrade. And I would sometimes confuse him with Peacemaker.
I had the same reaction with Marvel's Havok and that weird mask of his after reading David's X-Factor and going back to see his earlier appearances.
Now... the look made for his Super Powers action figure, which made him look like a red Mr. Freeze... That was horrendous, in my opinion.
[QUOTE=j9ac9k;5638083]Is that when Orion had his makeover and wore the yellow headsock?[/QUOTE]
Is that what you call it? I have to admit I'm a sucker for that design feature. I was instantly attracted to any super-hero who had the good sense to wear this type of mask--Wally West as Kid Flash, the Shield, Firestorm, Medusa--for some reason this really suited any red-headed character. Maybe because it's like a matchstick in flame.
I never knew what to call it. Is "headsock" the technical term? Doesn't seem right to me. I would think a headsock is whatever Deadman is wearing over his head. If it's a sock--then it's a sock with the toe cut out.
I never bought the original Jack Kirby NEW GODS run at the time. In the early 1970s, my dentist had them in his waiting room--so that's how I read them. An ambiguous memory. Whereas I bought FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL 13--the unlucky last number of the series--which had the "Return of the New Gods." And then I picked up the revival of NEW GODS when it came out (I got most of those issues)--it may have said "Return of" on the covers but the official title was NEW GODS.
I can't say as Orion was my favourite New God when I saw him in my dentist's waiting room. With his new mask, I liked him better. And those Conway comics had artwork from Don Newton, so that was a win. As a title it was in keeping with most the comics from Conway's Corner. In hindsight, it probably wasn't faithful to Kirby's vision.
The series I liked more than this was the revival of MISTER MIRACLE--which had stories from the two Steves--Englehart and Gerber--and art by Marshall Rogers and Michael Golden.
I'm more or less a Kirby purist across the board. Even the really great runs, like Simonson's Orion, there's a voice in my head needling me about the fact that Darkseid is presented as a physical combat threat beyond his use of gadgetry and the omega effect, whereas in Kirby he wasn't. That's just one of several examples from Simonson, who almost certainly provides the best post-Kirby treatment of the New Gods in my opinion!
That said, I read the "Return" issues, and while I definitely didn't think they were on Simonson's level (much less the "King") I can also honestly say that those issues didn't bug me [i]that[/i] much more than the usual DC treatment of the New Gods by the likes of Grant Morrison, Tom King, Mark Evanier, Jim Starlin, etc.
You know outside of Simonson who everyone agrees just got the New Gods better than anyone since Kirby I really think John Byrne had a pretty good grasp on them too. You could tell he respected the source material.
[QUOTE=Zero Hunter;5639605]You know outside of Simonson who everyone agrees just got the New Gods better than anyone since Kirby I really think John Byrne had a pretty good grasp on them too. You could tell he respected the source material.[/QUOTE]
Well, except for the time he had Big Barda and Superman.... well, nevermind...
Overall it wasn’t great. The art was very weak and definitely didn’t capture the otherworldly Kirby vibe. I did like that it explored some of the lesser used New Gods like Lonar but trying to turn Orion into a more traditional DC “house style” superhero was a terrible move.
At least there was a great Crisis crossover between Earths 1 and 2 which helped establish Darkseid as a true cosmic threat to the entire DCU.
The New Gods return wasn't anything I was too crazy about. It obviously was an attempt to bring the New Gods more in line with standard super-hero stuff and back in those days, many of us old guys were teenager who ate it up. What I liked was the weird stuff Englehart and Gerber was doing with Mr Miracle. That seemed to more in line with taking Kirby's ideas and advancing rather than dragging them back into the superhero sandbox.
I've always loved the concept and the character designs, but Dini & Timm on STAS are the only people who've ever made TNG make any sense to me. Although I have seen Simonson's artwork for his run and sweet jesus is it beautiful.
[QUOTE=Adekis;5639330]I'm more or less a Kirby purist across the board. Even the really great runs, like Simonson's Orion, there's a voice in my head needling me about the fact that [B]Darkseid is presented as a physical combat threat beyond his use of gadgetry and the omega effect, whereas in Kirby he wasn't.[/B] That's just one of several examples from Simonson, who almost certainly provides the best post-Kirby treatment of the New Gods in my opinion![/QUOTE]
This is often an issue for me as well, and I think one that a lot of other media grapple with. It's hard to get those subtle and mysterious powers right in the context of a story. Making him fistfight like Thanos is easier.
[QUOTE=j9ac9k;5638083]Is that when Orion had his makeover and wore the yellow headsock? Then, no. Just based on that alone, it's terrible.
Seriously though, it's too bad if that series was actually good, because Orion's new look turned me off of ever wanting to pick that up.[/QUOTE]
Did they change Orion's personality or just his appearance?
Best part of RETURN OF TEH NEW GODS was the artwork by Don Newton. Best artist to draw the characters in the 70's.
I rarely find that Kirby's artwork appeals to me. Too blocky.
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