4 issue test #39 - Kamandi Challenge

We’ve got an interesting one here, first it’s a continuation of an old DC comic style, and we have the titular Kamandi.

Kamandi is a character I only have a passing interest in. He was created by Jack Kirby as a rival to Planet of the Apes when DC couldn’t get the rights to the franchise. Jack Kirby is a legend in comics, creating the New Gods for DC and also having a hand creating a lot of Marvel staples, along with Stan Lee of course. They call him ‘The King’ for a reason.

But to the DC Challenge idea. This is where things get a bit more intriguing. Usually a 12-issue mini-series like this would have a consistent writer and artist on the whole arc. Here, though, each issue is tackled by a different artist and writer. There is a bit of a game about setting narrative traps, where an issue would end on a cliff-hanger the next writer would have to resolve. Of course, it couldn’t be impossible, since the writer would have to provide their own idea for a resolution.

Seeing how this is tackled, it doesn’t really fit the 4-issue test style I usually use, so there may be some changes to the style I use here, but we’re still looking at the first 4 issues, so let’s take a look.

#1 opens after the great disaster, Kamandi is woken up, he wanted to be in school early as he has much to do and runs off for the bus, his carer tells him it’s unlikely they’ll start without him. He runs past a familiar face or two before he’s stopped by the policemen, it’s his job to protect him like the world depended on it. Suddenly the artificial shell is shattered by something that shoots lasers. Everyone in the town bears arms to defend the town, except Kamandi who’s forced to run. He heads back to his grandma Iris, who takes to a portal. His parents foresaw something and promised to leave a trail, find them and they can save the world.

He’s pushed through the portal is Iris reveals herself to be a robot and destroys the attackers. In the portal he sees visions and certain words. ‘Find your parents’ ‘God watchers’ ‘Bay of Bones’ ‘Mirage Makers’ ‘Snow Wizards’ ‘Remember Command D’ and ‘Save the world’

When he wakes up, he’s taken by a Tiger person and stuffed into a cage. He’s taken into an arena, to do battle with Tiny the giant Gorilla for Prince Tuftan.

This first part of #1 was written by Dan Didio, the head of DC Comics with art from Keith Giffen, and it’s decent artwork, nothing especially problematic and fits nicely with the world. The problem with Didio’s story is he felt like he needed to make a lot happen, but only with 1/3 of an issue to do it. This really could’ve done with just being the first issue but we’re less than half way through at this point

Rating 6.5/10

In the arena, Kamandi stabs Tiny in the eye forcing his release, but Prince Tuftan thinks it’s just luck. Kamandi heads to the arena wall only to discover it’s electrified, he gets an idea and lures Tiny over, the shock from the wall knocks him out, getting cheers from the crowd and getting Prince Tuftan’s attention. He didn’t think humans were that smart. He asks for an explanation from his lead scientist Dr Canus, get it? Canus, Canine, he’s a dog.

Kamandi had books in his bag which Tuftan thinks were stolen. He leaves Dr Canus to take care of him. Canus soon works out that Kamandi can not only talk but understand speech as well. Kamandi tells of his mission but Dr Canus says it’s too dangerous, he’d be eaten within hours. Dr Canus takes Kamandi on a tour of the city. The Great Caesar is returning and, if trained, Kamandi could face against his champion in the arena.

Kamndi recognises a symbol on the entrance to the hall of war but it’s forbidden. King Caesar returns and is dragging with him a nuclear warhead, an ‘instrument of the gods.’ Panicked, Kamandi escapes into the Hall of War and discovers they’re stockpiling weapons, none of which hold a candle to a nuke. He’s attacked by some Jackdaws which he tries to use to escape but is soon recaptured by Dr Canus, who says Caesar is about to wake up the god, he’s planning to detonate the warhead.

The second part of #1 is written by Dan Abnett with Dale Eaglesham providing the art. The Kamandi in this story is more resourceful and cunning than in the first part, which is strange given no time is supposed to have passed. Still, it does slow things down a bit to show us the world of the tiger people. The artwork remains good, even if I think Kamandi is drawn a little too muscular. He’s supposed to be the last BOY on earth.

Rating 7.5/10

#2 opens with Kamandi desperately trying to escape before the warhead detonates, he’s caught and brought to King Caesar as the warhead reaches the end of its countdown, but there’s no detonation. Instead it’s the leader of the Gorillas, who use the warhead as a Trojan horse to his allow his armies to track down the hidden Tiger city. Kamandi escapes again and heads to the museum of war, hoping the bird guards will be busy but unfortunately that’s not the case, he found a bird who throws what looks like explosive batarangs which bring the building down and send them to the basement, Kamandi finds a tarp and upon removing it finds the Mobius chair.

By sitting in it he activates it, Prince Tuftan and Dr Canus grab on and are taken with him. A void filled with many old comic books. Kamandi is woken up by Dr Canus, they both want to know how he used the mobius chair. He has no idea. The arrive at San Diego, which panics Canus and Prince Tuftan, they’ve crossed into the Wild Human reserve. So, regular San-Diego then. Before we get anywhere with that Tuftan and Dr Canus are killed by Manhunters. He drops his weapon, and jumps off the edge of something to escape.

#2 was written by Peter Tomasi with art by Neil Adams. It looks satisfying and they manage to use this issue to clear the slate of all the characters from #1 and allow them to change course with the plot. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but they could’ve done that just as easily with Kamandi escaping alone and without introducing Manhunters. And yes, the manhunters don’t appear in the next issue.

Rating 7.5/10

#3 opens with some somethings sending their man-bat creatures to save Kamandi from the fall, Manhunters will not be mentioned for the time being. They take him to their home, which appears to be on a ship, believing him to be a god, thanks to a photo of him (and part of his mother) sent from the ‘Island of gods’ and craft him a plant creature, Vila. She says that she’s his which Kamandi is uncomfortable with, especially since that involves eating her. He talks to the bat creatures who say they’re in danger of torture or death if they disobey the masters.

Kamandi draws blood, proving he’s not a god to them, but as they’re about to punish them, they’re attacked by an army of man-bat creatures. Those that were captured are now believed to be tainted and are equally a target so Kamandi rescues them. They head to Sun Cult island but they’re soon attacked by the native Jaguar inhabitants. They roast the man-bat creatures and prepare Kamandi and Vila to be eaten by their giant Jaguar god.

#3 was written by Jimmy Palmiotti with Artwork by Amanda Conner. This pair do work on the Harley Quinn series and we responsible for my favourite DCYou Title, Starfire. So suffice it to say I enjoyed this issue both visually and through it’s story, it continues to build the world, adding new characters (many of which I’ve glossed over) and continuing to put Kamandi through the mill. It’s not as charming as the Starfire issues, though and I’m still struggling to work out what the animal was leading the first group.

Rating 8/10

#4 opens with Kamandi and Vila confronted by the Jaguar goddess, Kamandi escapes and uses his blade against the beast, spilling oil rather than blood. He is then eaten. But inside he finds a couple of Jaguars, again amused that Kamandi can talk. The swallow reflex didn’t act properly with Kamandi, so they try again with Vila, they do tear her apart but she’ll regenerate soon enough. The lead leopard is Professor Kano and his hunchbacked sidekick is R’lash. They were born to the Jaguar people below but were exiled for using technology, which was seen as an affront to the Jaguar god. They used their expertise to craft a god to take over. Kamandi asks to be taken away but they want to study him. Figuring he’d get an answer like that, Kamandi pulls a gun he’d found (which would’ve been nice to see) and shoots the computer.

They escape the robot and see a jet attached to it that they might be able to use. They blast off but the glass is cracked. Vila had already passed out so he places an oxygen mask on her and is too late to put one on himself. Kamandi wakes up in the desert, the plane having crashed there, he runs back to find Vila who’s heavily dehydrated. They head toward a wall and hear some kind of drumbeat. It’s machine which grabs them and knocks Kamandi out.

Kamandi awakens and finds Vila well, but it’s not over yet. They find out from a Kanga-Rat that the wall hides where the great disaster began. They’re told to choose weapons and head to the surface. And they’re told they have to race in the Kanga Rat murder society. Good luck, next writers, you’ve got to make essentially the pod racing from the Phantom Menace interesting.

#4 was written by James Tynion IV with art from Carlos D’Anda. Once again, it’s a well-written issue with some interesting characters and decently-written dialogue. If anything, though, the pattern of Kamandi going from one place to another and nearly getting killed each time is starting to wear in, they’ll have to be creative if they don’t want this series to become stale. The artwork is good.

Rating 7.5/10

Overall Rating – 7.5/10

Conclusion: With regards to artwork, I wish they’d make Kamandi look a little younger, but otherwise I am thoroughly enjoying this series and will be continuing to read it for its 12-issue run. There are still a lot of questions to be answered and many writers to get it done.