DC Comics; October 1970
Cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta (and probably Al Plastino)

Title: “Jimmy Olsen Superman’s Pal Brings Back the Newsboy Legion!”
Synopsis: A dangerous assignment sends Jimmy Olsen in search of the “Mountain of Judgement” as Kirby’s Fourth World epic debuts.

Writer: Jack Kirby
Penciler: Kirby
Inker: Vince Colletta

Review: “Kirby is here!” exclaims the cover. And, with that, the Bronze Age of comics begins. It’s hard to imagine how this comic would have been received by readers in 1970, or if they were aware of the historical shift they were witnessing. But, to modern readers, Jimmy Olsen #133 is one odd comic. As with much of his ’70s output, writer/artist Jack Kirby wrestles here with the social upheaval of the 1960s. Mix in some Golden Age characters (the annoying Newsboy Legion), a few “King”-sized concepts and Kirby’s painfully clunky dialogue, and this issue has an almost surreal quality.

Grade: B

Cool factor: Kirby at DC … the Fourth World begins … as does the Bronze Age!
Not-so-cool factor: The Newsboy Legion — especially “frogman” Flipper Dipper — is painfully uncool. But DC’s decision to have the heads of Kirby’s Superman and Jimmy Olsen renderings redrawn by other artists is uncooler, still (see Mark Evanier’s POVonline for the details).

Notable: Fourth World begins. … First appearance of Morgan Edge. … Includes a one-page text biography titled “Jack Kirby — Continued.”

Character quotable: “I’ve a hunch I’ve wandered into a dropout society! Anything can happen here!” — Superman, supersquare.

A word from the writer/artist/editor: “(National Periodicals) is the place to be, in order to watch the medium lock into our turbulent times and fish for the future. For in that future, comics should be bigger than ever and the forerunner to newer and more stimulating trends.” — Jack Kirby, in an introductory biography in this issue.

Copyright ©2014 Off the Wahl Productions, all rights reserved. Each week, T. Andrew Wahl takes a look at a Bronze Age Fantastic First.