Writer – Jack Kirby
Artist – Jack Kirby
Inker – D. Bruce Berry
Letters – D. Bruce Berry
As the alien Me emerges from the chamber where Doctor Canus is performing his special kind of magic called science, he and Kamandi are taken aback at the beautiful woman they see before them. Though she seems a little disoriented, she is just as deadly as ever and for the moment, she is not exactly the friendliest. Jack Kirby’s latest addition to the cast is a bit of a mystery due to the fact that as of now, she could be friend or foe. Back on Tuftan’s ship, Kirby is continuing to up the tension between the Tiger Prince and Ben Boxer to the point where they can hardly stand each other. Tuftan is a changed man and of late, he is a Tiger that is almost unrecognizable – becoming much harder than he used to be. Ben cannot agree with everything that Tuftan has been doing, especially when it has come to the Apes that were attacking them and when he considers executing Ramjam, Ben has had enough. Part of what makes this book as good as it is can be chalked up to the interpersonal relationships between the characters, specifically Ben and Tuftan in this issue. That does not mean that Kamandi just sits by the wayside for this story, for once he hears the battle upon the seas begin again, he and Doctor Canus steal the alien ship to aid their comrades. As for Me, she has now been renamed Pretty Pyra by Kirby and as simplistic and as ridiculous as it is, it does describe the alien woman quite accurately. For the last two thirds of the story, the action and excitement build to a very thrilling crescendo that finds everyone in the middle of a battle upon the ocean. It gets a little crazy when the alien ship gets involved and even more so when Pretty Pyra decides to intervene. The fight does not last very long after Pretty Pyra is finished and it leaves everyone wondering just what is going to happen next with her on the loose and being as powerful as she is. Also, now that Tuftan has discovered that Ben was the one that let Ramjam loose, will he seek to persecute him for it or realize that he was in the wrong? A fun issue by Kirby that never fails to entertain.
4 out of 5
Categories: Comics, Issue by Issue