O.M.A.C #4 – A Review

Story and Art: Dan Didio & Keith Giffen
Inks: Scott Koblish
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Travis Lanham
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
O.M.A.C created by Jack Kirby

This is not Jack Kirby’s OMAC and it certainly isn’t the one from Countdown. It’s a strange amalgamation, updated for the 21st century, coming across as familiar, but totally fresh at the same time. Most of all it’s FUN! I really dig it and the latest installment was another totally tripped out, non-stop adventure.



Remember those blurbs at the top of late-70’s Marvel Comics that basically summed up the character in one paragraph? Well, O.M.A.C has one too:

“THIS PAST WEEK, KEVIN KHO HAS SEEN HIS LIFE TORN ASUNDER AS THE SENTIENT SATELLITE KNOWN AS BROTHER EYE TRANSFORMED HIM INTO THE UNSTOPPABLE BIO-TECH WEAPON: O.M.A.C. AS A ONE-MACHINE ATTACK CONSTRUCT, KEVIN IS FORCED TO FIGHT AGAINST HIS WILL. TRANSPORTED FROM ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT BY BROTHER EYE, HE NEVER KNOWS WHERE HE MIGHT APPEAR NEXT…”

And what a week Kevin’s had. He becomes O.M.A.C the first time while he’s going to the bathroom at work in Metropolis (#1). Is transported to Texas (in a literal “BLINK” of an eye) and encounters a hash slinger who can transform into a concrete giant (#2). Ends up in prison in Louisiana where he tangles with the Psi-Fi Man while being chased by Max Lord’s Checkmate Elite team, led by Sarge Steel (#3). This issue opens with Brother Eye finally “blinking” him back home, but Kevin quickly finds out that he’s not going to get the chance to resume a normal life anytime soon.

Kevin returns to his house, relieved that his crazy ordeal is over, but Brother Eye isn’t going to leave him alone. “Eye OWN you….Eye TOOK control of YOUR life. You need me to WATCH over you…to PROTECT you.” Brother Eye can communicate with Kevin by appearing (in the form of a Kirby-Kracklin’ blue eye) on any electronic display such as a HDTV screen or smart phone. He tells Kevin that his house has been searched while he was missing. Although, the room is spotless, Kevin still notices little things out of place and in an OCD fit rearranges everything replete with sound effects. When Kevin mentions his desire to explain everything to his girlfriend, Brother Eye forbids it and threatens to turn her into some sort of bio-tech construct too. “Don’t you DARE go near hear, you S.O.B! I’ll do whatever you want – Just LEAVE her ALONE!” “Glad you see it my way.”, Brother Eye coldly responds.

Back on the job, Kevin’s boss isn’t responding too well to his “family emergency” excuse to explain his weeklong absence. HR isn’t going to let him use paid leave either. And since he can’t tell his girlfriend, Jody, what’s really going on, she gives him the cold shoulder. As she storms off, Brother Eye offers some encouragement. “Eye thought that went well.” Brother Eye suggests that Kevin should rest some more after taking the bus home, but Kevin wants to take the subway instead, because it’s faster. “Unacceptable.” Kevin ignores him and heads down to the station beneath the street where surprisingly Brother Eye can’t communicate with him anymore. “Hey Brother Eye! Know What? YOU SUCK!”

Kevin’s reprieve is short-lived when a nearby ventilation grate explodes and out pops several enormous bio-tech alligators. You can tell they’re composed of O.M.A.C type technology, because their heads have a glowing CGI effect. Kevin runs into the sewers and calls out to Brother Eye for help, but there is no answer. With the creatures nipping at his heels, Kevin finally gets through when he starts to climb up a manhole ladder.

“Brother Eye! Are you there?! Can you hear me NOW?! [Funny, I didn’t get that joke the first time around.] I want you to do something. ANYTHING! Get me out of here!”

“Are you sure? You seemed content to shut me out earlier.”

“It was a mistake, I’m sorry!”

“IS that all you have to say?”

“OMACTIVATE!”

“Thought you would see it my way.”

One “KATH-LOOOM” later (so powerful that it destroys the street above and sends the alligators flying to the surface) and O.M.A.C is on the scene. He’s a lot like the “dumb” Hulk and almost always speaks in single word sentences. He tries to resist Brother Eye’s control, even as he obeys him. [Like a teenage son (or a three-year old) being asked to do chores around the house by their father. I have both, folks!] O.M.A.C disposes of the alligators in SPECTACULAR fashion (with a beautiful splash page). Afterwards, Brother Eye “blinks” him home, transforming him back into a thoroughly beaten Kevin. He weakly asks why Brother Eye chose him. No time for an answer this issue.

With Morkarri’s (yellow-dude with the facial tattoos from the old Jimmy Olsen comic) failure to subdue O.M.A.C with the alligators, Max Lord is enlisting another monster to stop him – Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. I have a sinking suspicion that I’ll be going back to my LCS to get Frank’s first three issues in preparation for the two-part cross-over beginning in issue #5. I also think O.M.A.C will make a cameo appearance in S.H.A.D.E. #4 out next week.

I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!

The interactions between Brother Eye and Kevin are great. It’s almost like watching an Abbott and Costello routine with Brother Eye being the straight man. It’s an interesting relationship too, because Brother Eye is so cold and manipulating, but also strangely caring for Kevin at the same time. You totally sympathize with Kevin and his out-of-control life.

The art by Giffen and Koblish bursts with energy. It’s pure Kirby without aping Kirby. There are a lot of sound effects and Lanham really shines by making each one of them uniquely stylized. However, the whole package becomes even more impressive with Hi-Fi’s colors. The coloring is astounding, especially the bio-tech portions, where the original art has to be manipulated with a computer to get the dazzling effect. You couldn’t have had made this series 35 years ago!

I’m totally hooked on the story. The dialogue is great and so is the pacing. I even enjoy the corny elements like how each title is another variation on O.M.A.C. This issue was “OFFLINE MESSAGING, ANNOYING CIRCUMSTANCES”. I’ll try one myself…

GRADE A+: An OUTSTANDING, MONSTROUSLY AWESOME COMIC! It’s also one of the best of the New 52.