Karate Kid #15

KARATE KID #15 (1978)
Writers: Bob Rozakis & Jack C. Harris
Pencils by Juan Ortiz
cover by Rich Buckler

At long last, we have reached the ending of the Karate Kid series.

Since it coincided with the so-called “DC Implosion”, it’s often assumed that Karate Kid was one of the victims… but apparently the series was already headed for cancellation anyway.
His last hurrah was a cross-over with the post-Kirby Kamandi series… which itself will be cancelled just one issue later.

The premise isn’t that bad: Karate Kid is headed for the 30th century to find a cure for *sigh* “Diamondeth”, but for some reason he misses and lands in Kamandi’s post-apocalyptic future.

This raises an issue that DC faced at the time with regards to its various futures. While Marvel established that there are multiple timelines, so there were no problems having time-traveling stories that contradicted each other… DC was supposed to have only one future for Earth-One.
So Kamandi, who lives in a 30th century where most of the world is populated by animals mutated into humanoids by a nuclear war, SHOULD have been relegated to a different part of the multiverse.

Unfortunately Kamandi proved to be surprisingly popular, so DC was hesitant to officially declare that he lives on Earth-86 (as it was later called, sometimes it’s Earth-AD).
Instead they call this an alternate future, which is a term I don’t recall DC using for anything else pre-Crisis.

Also Karate Kid is here because the Time Lord sabotaged his time machine, but really does ANYONE care about that side of the plot?

To be fair, I don’t think anyone cared about Karate Kid kicking a dog person in the face either.

Meet the Kamandi supporting cast: Red Alien Chick, Dog Scientist, Dog Sherlock Holmes, Dog Doctor Watson and Topless Hippie Girl.

Kamandi is not around because he has been kidnapped by lobster people, and now I realize that trying summarize the plot of Kamandi makes you sound like you’re on acid.

Don’t believe me? The lobster people are surfers who are attacked by a time traveling terrorist that makes reverse tidal waves.

While Karate Kid tries to understand that part of the plot (good luck!!!), Red Alien Chick uses her powers to transmute Diamondeth back into Iris.

That turned out well.

Karate Kid is then kidnapped by the surfer lobster people…

…put inside a giant movie projector that runs on giant eggs…

…which means he’s going to star in a movie where Kamandi plays Bruce Lee.

Clearly a fitting ending to this series, but it does continue on Kamandi #58.

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Historical significance: 0/10
 

Silver Age-ness: 10/10

Does it stand the test of time? 0/10
Anyone jumping into this without reading Kamandi will be COMPLETELY lost. Heck I read the previous issues before this review and I’m still not entirely sure!!!