Jack Kirby's two wartime kid gangs share their first adventure together in a novel-length tale written and illustrated by Howard Chaykin! When the Boy Commandos arrive in New York on the trail of a secret Axis agent, they're greeted as turf invaders by the crime-fighting Newsboys! Can these kids put aside their rivalry and join forces to protect the home front? This issue also includes the story "Turn on the Heat," starring the Newsboy Legion, from STAR SPANGLED COMICS #27, written and illustrated by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
Howard Chaykin's witty and nostalgic script outpaces his art. Most of the art is solid, and the designs of the costumes at the end are definitely amusing, but something about the faces feels off. The shading on their skin makes them look like they're covered in scars when closeup, and the faces can be hard to tell apart in a comic without colorful costumes. That's made up for with the writing style, that combines a kid-gang style of fun with a noir detective feel that effective evokes war comics for kids from The Golden Age. Read Full Review
Odds are you'll know whether or not The Newsboy Legion And The Boy Commandos Special #1 is "your kind of comic" before you even give it a glance at your LCS. If it's not, then it won't be. If it is, then it will be " and may even exceed your expectations. Read Full Review
The artwork is classic Chaykin, but what makes the story sing in places is the coloring. Wil Quintana conveys the bright lights of Broadway, or the blackouts of Paris, with amazing effectiveness. His work also elevates Chaykin's rendering, which despite for 30 year admiration for his work, is not always the best. Nevertheless, I wish for Chaykin and Quintana to do a book of Damon Runyon tales in comic book form. Read Full Review
Howard Chaykin's tribute to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon's 'kid gangs' is weird and dark, and certainly won't make any new fans of the Newsboy Legion and Boy Commandos. Read Full Review
As a fan of these Jack Kirby properties and much of Howard Chaykin's work, I was surprised to see it look so unfinished and poorly-plotted. The story itself is serviceable, but runs a bit too long without anything interesting happening, which is not a good use of my two extra dollars for this issue. Die-hard fans only need apply here. Read Full Review
Like previous Kirby 100 specials, we are treated to a Kirby “Grabber” starring the Newsboy Legion by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. This was a fun Golden Age tale and a great addition to this somewhat ho-hum special. Read Full Review
The first half of the story just drags along interminably, with a threat that's not particularly interesting and very little quarter given to new readers, or readers trying to re-familiarize themselves with characters that haven't popped up in a DC Comic in umpteen years. While one doesn't need Chaykin to reinvent the wheel, having it spin in full rotation would be helpful. Read Full Review
I liked the art.
But what the hell was that????
This was just awful dialogue and storytelling that made it near impossible for me to maintain interest through. I hope the other specials are nowhere near this bad.
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