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Steve Ditko cover/art; 2nd Molten Man (4/66)
On this late-period Ditko Spidey issue, we have the extra special treat of Jack Kirby inking Ditko's cover pencils, resulting in a dynamic image, indeed. It's pretty well known that by this point in the run, Ditko and Lee were barely speaking, and pages for this series would often arrive at Lee's offices fully finished, with nary a plot point used from Lee's outline, only spaces on the page left for Lee to slap in some dialogue. It's interesting that these later books, despite the non-collaboration Ditko was insisting on, somehow seem the most stable, well-rounded, and overall solid of the early original run, perhaps speaking to the artistic sympatico that neither man was willing to admit to or utilize. Perhaps by this point, each knew the other's tricks so well that words may have been unnecessary anyway. At any rate, all that turmoil somehow resulted in solid entertainment that lasts to this day.


Artist Information

Jack Kirby is called 'The King of Comics' for a reason, during his career that spanned six decades he gave us many of the most iconic characters the medium would ever see. From his introduction of Captain America at the height of World War II it was clear he wasn't your ordinary comics artist. But it was his creative explosion at Marvel Comics in the 1960's that cemented his legacy, over a short period of time Kirby would give us The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, Thor, Ant-Man and Nick Fury just to name a few. Kirby would then go to DC and create his Fourth World, introducing Darkseid, Mister Miracle, The New Gods and a host of cosmic supporting players. Long live The King.