(I originally read these comics in mid July 2015)
The 'Kirbyverse' titles from Topps Comics were published between 1993-'94 and were developed from unrealised Kirby koncepts. 'Secret City Saga' is the best. Roy Thomas overwrites and Steve Ditko underdraws, with other Marvel Universe founding fathers like Dick Ayers and Don Heck pitching in for its one-shot tie-in titles 'Bombast,' 'Night Glider,' and Captain Glory.' It's very old school, even with contemporaneous touches like the presence of a certain blowjob-loving President as a character, and must have seemed very much out of sync with the likes of the Image explosion.
Secret City Saga trading card art by Steve Ditko and Art Adams
I couldn't even bring myself to read 'Satan's Six,' because the art is some of most grotesque and off-putting I've ever seen in an allegedly professional comic, the few Kirby pages in issue # 1 not withstanding. Take a look at the covers for yourself. It took me literally years to source the three issues of volume two and they won't even get read, the art is so horrific. The fact they still have the death penalty in the US gives me hope that one day "artist" John Cleary will see justice for his crimes committed here.
Kurt Busiek's and Neil Vokes' 'TeenAgents' is just about readable. 'Silver Star' brings back the character originally launched by Pacific Comics in the '80s, and 'Victory' teams up all the Kirbyverse characters in the one comic. The latter two were intended and four and five-issue series respectively, but the line collapsed before they could be completed.
Jack Kirby died months before those final issues were published. It's probably opening a copy of 'Satan's Six' that did it.
