Kamandi 1

"Can this be the world that Grandad sent me to the surface to reclaim? Is this his dream of a joyous homecoming!?"

―Kamandi

"The Last Boy on Earth"

Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth
Title:	"The Last Boy on Earth"
Volume:	1
Number:	1
Cover price:	.20
Cover date:	October-November, 1972
Publisher:	DC Comics
Credits
Ex. Ed:	Carmine Infantino
Writers:	Jack Kirby
Pencilers:	Jack Kirby
Inkers:	Mike Royer
Cover artists:	Jack Kirby
Cover inker:	Mike Royer
Letterers:	Mike Royer
Editors:	Jack Kirby
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"The Last Boy on Earth" is the title to the first issue of the sci-fi/adventure series Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth by DC Comics. The story was written, illustrated, and edited by Jack Kirby with inks by Mike Royer. Kirby & Royer also provided the cover art illustration to this issue. This issue shipped with an October-November, 1972 cover date and carries a cover price of .20 cents per copy.

Synopsis[]

Kamandi is the so-called "Last Boy on Earth". Growing up in an apocalyptic future, he rides a raft down the flooded streets of what was once Manhattan. He sees a group of nomadic humans who flee at the sight of him. While studying them, Kamandi hears an explosion emanating from his command bunker headquarters. He races back to the base to find that someone had set off the booby traps.

Running inside, he is shocked to discover that two wolf-men named Fen and Stek have murdered his grandfather and stolen some documents that they found within the bunker's walls. The wolves attack Kamandi, but he shrugs off the assault with some well-placed karate moves. They chase him down into the tunnels that run beneath Command D, but Kamandi pulls down some wires that strikes the water, electrocuting them.

Emerging from the tunnels, Kamandi takes the Wolves' wagon and drives away. A short time later, he comes upon another amazing sight - a squad of armored Tiger-Men embroiled in armed combat against some Leopard-Men. Kamandi finds himself caught in the middle of the conflict and is captured by the Tiger-Men. The Tiger-Men leader Great Caesar bring him back to the Royal City where he is imprisoned.

Kamandi meets a dog man named Doctor Canus, who is the caretaker of Caesar's prisoners as well as the keeper of a giant nuclear warhead - a holdover from the days before the Great Disaster. Inside Canus' private laboratory, Kamandi meets one of the Nuclear People - Ben Boxer. Kamandi is ecstatic at the chance to meet another human being.

"The Last Boy on Earth"[]

Featured characters

Kamandi

Supporting characters

Ben Boxer
Doctor Canus
Grandfather

Villains

Great Ceasar

Minor characters

Fen
Stek

Organizations

Tiger Empire

Races

Dogs
Humans
Leopards
Nuclear People
Tigers
Wolves

Animals

Horses

Locations

Earth-AD
New York

Items

Atomic warhead
Handguns
Great Caesar's laser rod
Machine gun
Rifles
Whip

Vehicles

Miscellaneous

Notes & Trivia[]

The character of Kamandi was created by writer and artist Jack Kirby. DC publisher Carmine Infantino had tried to acquire the license to produce books based on the Planet of the Apes film series, but when he could not secure the rights to the films, he tasked Kirby with creating a title that shared similar themes to the movies. Kirby drew upon an old unused story he crafted in 1956 called Kamandi of the Caves and re-worked it into a theme in-line with what Infantino wanted.

"Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth 1" redirects to this page.

This issue shipped to retailers on August 29th, 1972.

This issue is divided into three chapters:

Part I: The Last Boy on Earth
Part II: A Wolf
Part III: The Royal City Kennels

The cover to this issue is an homage to the 1968 Arthur P. Jacobs film, Planet of the Apes. The Statue of Liberty can be seen in ruins in the background of the cover - an obvious reference to the climatic reveal at the end of Planet of the Apes.