The Kamandi Challenge: Breaking Down The Cliffhangers (SPOILERS!) With Carlos D'Anda

Today, DC released the fourth issue of The Kamandi Challenge, by James Tynion IV and Carlos [...]

By Russ Burlingame

Today, DC released the fourth issue of The Kamandi Challenge, by James Tynion IV and Carlos D'Anda, which picked up on the cliffhanger left behind by last month's creative team, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner.

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(Photo: DC Entertainment)

The concept of The Kamandi Challenge is that each incoming writer/artist team will leave a cliffhanger to be picked up by the previous team, "challenging" them to get the characters out of the mess they've put them in.

The series was conceived not only as a fun event series and a way to make the Kamandi property something that DC can use again, but as a celebration of the hundredth birthday of Jack Kirby, which will come later this year.

At the end of the third issue issue, Kamandi was chained up and about to be eaten by a truly gigantic jaguar -- and by gigantic, we mean like sixty feet tall. By the end of the issue, the character found himself going on a desert road race with mutant kangaroos -- and not the nice kind you might see in Tank Girl.

Artist Carlos D'Anda joined us to discuss three quick questions that we've been asking each successive creative team. You can see them below.

You can also check out both of this issue's cliffhangers in the attached image gallery.

What was your reaction to the cliffhanger you received?

I was immediately cracking up when I saw the pages from Amanda Conner! The whole thing was ridiculous in the BEST way possible. James Tynion's handling of our story was really funny and so over-the-top, but it still maintained this dark fringe to it that I loved. The whole scene in the stomach of the "god" had me laughing when I read James' dialogue. It was a very surreal mix of (the classic) Planet of the Apes and Monty Python!


What did you pay forward to the next creative team?

Knowing that Ivan Reis was the artist on the issue following ours gave me a big ol' smile! I seriously doubt that there's ANYTHING you can throw at Ivan that he wouldn't just draw beautifully, so in my case, I just hope that I gave him a fun "beat" to start his story from, and that my designs were hopefully not TOO much of a pain to draw.

How have you been inspired by Kirby?

As a comic book artist, and knowing what goes into drawing a page, you realize how insane his compositions, storytelling, and the power of his figures truly are — and how RIDICULOUSLY productive he was! I don't understand how he did it! His designs are nothing short of awe-inspiring. And so iconic! The fact of the matter is that two-thirds of superhero comics (and now movies) out there right now would probably not exist without Kirby's visual genius.

MORE The Kamandi Challenge:

The first four issues of The Kamandi Challenge are availble in comic book stores and online at ComiXology today.

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