Kamandi gets Artist’s Edition treatment from IDW in May

When Jack Kirby left Marvel for DC Comics, he was given carte blanche to create as many new worlds and characters of his choosing. One of those creations is the subject of an upcoming Artist’s Edition from IDW Publishing this May.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth, is one of Kirby’s most endearing and enduring characters. In a world long removed from the age of super heroes, Kamandi survived a great disaster and made both friends and foes among the altered animal kingdom that ruled the planet.

With Kamandi, Kirby created a series that was unlike anything that had come before, and it further cemented his legacy.

Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, calls Kirby “the greatest creator in the history of comic-book storytelling, period.” Eastman said Kamandi was his favourite character growing up and “now, at the age of fifty-two, he still is. This series was the reason I decided to dedicate my life to comics, hoping and dreaming if I worked hard, I could try to follow in Kirby’s giant footsteps.”

The Artist’s Edition comprises issues 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 9 from the classic series, along with additional covers and bonus material in an oversized 12” x 17” volume. IDW Artist’s Editions are the size of the original art board and, wherever possible, the art inside is scanned from the original artwork.

This will be the second of Kirby’s DC work to get the Artist’s Edition treatment; last year, select issues of his seminal work, The New Gods, were published in that format.