Posted - December 27, 2023

Forever People 2

The panel below is not a the splash page, but it is right after, a wonderful panel showing the Forever People with their awesome car in the middle of a busy city street.

They don't drive out of there, they phase out. Nice.

From his meeting with Superman and the Forever People Darkseid does not return to Apokolips, he stays on Earth to meet with another denizen of Apokolips - Mantis. Even against Darkseid Mantis insists the Earth is his.

Darkseid makes a pack with Mantis.

From what I can gather of this brief meeting Mantis is a powerful creature that needs some kind of "charging time" in his pod.

Back to the Forever People, they phase into a nearly desolate town. They meet a young boy, Donnie and his rather nervous uncle.

And here we find out Beautiful Dreamer's particular talent: illusion. She "changes" the garb of herself and the others to calm Uncle Willie down.

Since the town is mostly desolate, the Forever People are able to negotiate for a place to stay.

And now some atmospheric panels from Kirby

And the Mantis awakes.

Serifan reveals his unique equipment.

He gives Donnie a cosmic cartridge and Donnie goes through something that is wonderfully captured by this beautiful panel.

Mantis goes into a city-wide rampage and Serafin is forced to interrupt a nicely drawn breakfast.

The Infinity Man is again summoned.

As a demonstration of his power Mantis is able to energize and weaponize objects - reminds me of Gambit of the X-Men.

Infnity Man attacks Mantis and it has all the illustration reverberates with the power Kirby is known for.

Mantis, with his varied powerset, is able to encase Infinity Man in an "ice cage".

Darkseid watches and reveals that it is in his interest that Mantis sow fear in the city.

Mantis demonstrates his thermal touch.

He is not the only one with a varied powerset as Infinity Man escapes from his bonds.

During their second round, Infinity Man causes Mantis to lose his energy reminding us that Mantis requires some form of charging.

With that Mantis flees and Infinity Man switches places with the Forever People.