Captain America Epic Collection: The Swine

Legendary Marvel master Jack Kirby concludes his exciting 1970s Captain America run!

Jack Kirby concludes his 1970s Captain America tenure with stories that only the King of Comics could create! It begins when the Falcon goes missing in an other-dimensional asylum -- that’s run by the inmates! The tale of the Night People and Agron the Unburied One is a tense sci-fi horror thriller. Then comes ＂The Swine,＂ a storyline packed with iconic moments like the debut of Arnim Zola, the return of the Red Skull and Nazi X -- the android with Hitler’s brain! Also featuring two Annual exploits with the Black Star and Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! In Kirby’s stead, Marvel legend Roy Thomas re-present’s Cap’s origin and puts him face-to-face with a twisted, twelve-foot version of himself, the Ameridroid.

COLLECTING: CAPTAINA AMERICA (1968) #201-221 & ANNUAL (1971) #3-4

Born Jacob Kurtzberg in 1917 to Jewish-Austrian parents on New York’s Lower East Side, Jack Kirby came of age at the birth of the American comic book industry. Beginning his career during the rising tide of Nazism, Kirby and fellow artist Joe Simon created the patriotic hero Captain America. Cap’s exploits on the comic book page entertained millions of American readers at home and inspired U.S. troops fighting the enemy abroad. When World War II ended, the public’s interest in super heroes waned; Kirby turned his artistic talents during the 1950s to other genres, such as monsters, Westerns and crime -- as well as the first-of-its-kind Young Romance Comics. In 1961, Kirby returned to super heroes to illustrate what would become the defining issue in Marvel Comics history: Fantastic Four #1. Written by Stan Lee, the team’s debut revolutionized the industry overnight. In contrast to the staid artwork of his predecessors, Kirby’s illustrations seemed to leap off the page with eye-popping action and drama. For the next decade, Kirby and Lee would introduce a mind-boggling array of new characters -- including the Avengers, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Silver Surfer and the X-Men. Taken together, Kirby’s groundbreaking work with Lee formed the foundation of the Marvel Universe. In the early 1970s, Kirby moved to DC Comics, where his boundless creativity continued. He returned to Marvel in 1975, writing and illustrating Captain America and introducing his final major concept, the Eternals. With the explosion of TV animation during the 1980s, Kirby’s talents turned to the small screen. Comic fans quickly recognized his work on such series as Thundarr the Barbarian and Turbo Teen. Kirby died in 1994, but his influence on the comic book industry is as strong as ever. His work has inspired a generation of professional artists and modern writers who continue to explore his vast universe of concepts and characters.