The second (and final) volume of the MARVEL MONSTERBUS books is another giant tome that collects the work of scripters Stan Lee, his brother, Larry Lieber, and illustrator Jack "King" Kirby. The two volumes together weigh in at a hefty 10 pounds! The comics that these stories appeared in were published before the great superhero renaissance that began with the first issue of the legendary Lee/Kirby collaboration, FANTASTIC FOUR, published by Marvel Comics in 1961.
Lee and Kirby went on to a career of comic book greatness that remains popular today. The late Jack Kirby has been rightly crowned the "King of Comics", as he churned out thousands of pages of art work and became known for his dramatic use of foreshortening which added a dynamic touch to the comic panel.
Kirby's work on the Marvel Atlas "monster" titles, such as STRANGE TALES, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY, TALES OF SUSPENSE and TALES TO ASTONISH shows his artistic evolution that burst into full bloom with the advent of the so-called "Marvel Age" of comics. The examples below are typical of the unbounded imagination that he put to each sheet of illustration board for decades.
I managed to wrangle a copy of the second massive tome of Marvel monster comics using online discounts and coupons from Barnes & Noble. When it arrived on my doorstep, I almost threw my back out picking it up! This was a two-handed package, folks.
Nicely shrink wrapped, the book awaits my many hours of enjoyment which I am certain it will provide. The only thing keeping me from it is finishing up the 872 pages of Marvel monster goodness from the first volume!
From the publisher:
MARVEL'S KIRBY MONSTERS REVIEW CONCLUDES WITH THIS SECOND MASSIVE MONSTERBUS!
Comicdom’s famous monsters are on the loose! Marvel presents the concluding volume in our complete collection of Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby’s Marvel Monsters. Marvel’s late-1950s/early-1960s period was famous for its twist-ending tales, alien invaders, and especially for its towering monster menaces — and no one drew giant monsters like Jack “The King” Kirby! It’s page after page of Grogg, Ogg, the Creature from Krogarr, Fin Fang Foom, and many, many more! These stories aren’t just a fun atomic romp, they’re the training ground where Stan Lee and Jack Kirby honed their creative partnership, learning each other’s strengths, and building an unmatched rapport. In these pages, you’ll find out out that the mother of the Marvel Age of Comics was—a monster!
Collecting material from STRANGE TALES (1951) 87-100 & ANNUAL 1; JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) 71-82; TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) 22-38; TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) 20-38; AMAZING ADVENTURES (1961) 3-6; and CHAMBER OF DARKNESS (1969) 4-5.
