Blogotional: Comic Art

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Comic Art

One barely knows where to begin to discuss today's New Gods Character. Is he the greatest creation every from the pen of Jack Kirby? Certainly he is the greatest character from the New Gods. He is Darkseid.

The son of Yuga Khan and Queen Heggra, Prince Uxas, second in line to the throne of Apokolips, plotted to seize power over the planet. When his brother, Drax, attempted to claim the fabled Omega Force, Uxas murdered him and took the power for himself; transforming him into a rock-like creature, and taking a new name: Darkseid.[2] At some point, he falls in love with an Apokoliptian scientist named Suli, with whom he has a son, Kalibak; however Suli is poisoned by Desaad on Heggra's behalf, who believes that Suli was corrupting her son. Following Suli's death, Darkseid's heart grew even colder, and has Desaad poison Heggra, finally becoming the supreme monarch of Apokolips. Darkseid had briefly been forced by his mother to marry Tigra, with whom he also had a son; after murdering his mother, Darkseid had both Tigra and their son, Orion, banished on Apokolips.

Nice people wouldn't you say. Darkseid may be the only character ever to truly give Supes a run for his money. Oh sure, it was Doomsday that killed the big guy, but Darkseid has often manipulated him like a cat with a bird.

Old Darkseid's not looking for much just ultimate power and control of ALL universes. A man, after all, has to know his limitations.

You also have got to love the look. Those heavy stone lines through the face and a more subtle and effective application of the basic idea that lead to the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing. Whereas in Ben Grim, Kirby used the idea to create something both monstrous and lovable, here he has simple created menace - pure menace.

Some of Kirby's creations have been rendered better, but not this one. No one should ever draw this guy but Kirby, which means they should have retired him a long time ago, but he is just to good a character to stop.

BTW, enjoy the video at bottom. It fits the character to a "T" - even if it is crappy TV rendered animation.