Comic Coverage

Am I Blue?

According to the self-appointed "experts" among us, the Monday closest to January 24th is supposedly the most depressing day of the year, which would make today the "Blue Monday" of 2007. Blue Monday, as the story goes, is the perfect storm of (A) dreary weather, (B) the arrival of maxed-out Christmas credit card bills, (C) the realization you've blown your New Year's resolutions and (D) a marked lack of energy and motivation to do anything about it.

I'm not sure I buy into any of that, but just in case there's any truth to it, I thought I'd mark the occasion with a little contest. Who knows? Maybe it'll even pull you out of your Blue Monday funk.

Blue Monday: The Contest

I've tracked down every comic book character I can find with the word "blue" in their name and posted them below. Jot down as many names as you can, then click here to email them to me. Whoever gets all of the names correct, or whoever gets the most names correct before Friday, January 26th (whichever comes first), will win a free Super Powers T-shirt from my Secret Identity shop (click on the shirt to get a closer look at the design).

Good luck, and remember:

Have a Depressing Blue Monday!

We Have a Winner!

As I mentioned in my previous post, we've got a winner for the Blue Monday contest.  Our pal Mike Albert (a.k.a. Siskoid) from New Brunswick, Canada got every blue-themed hero correct...winning a free Secret Identity T-shirt while simultaneously blowing my mind.  He even got the Blue Tracer, for crying out loud!

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

First of all, congratulations to Mike...and thank you to everyone who participated.  Maybe it can become an annual event (though I may have exhausted every character with "blue" in their name).

Second, it's time to clue you in on who these guys are.  Here's the original Hollywood Squares grid of the boys in blue, followed by the answer key:

Top Row (left to right):  Blue Jay (DC Comics), the original
Blue Power Ranger (Saban Entertainment, Inc.),
Blue Beetle II (DC), and Blue Tracer (Quality Comics)

Second Row: Blue Streak (Holyoke Comics), Blue Bolt (Novelty
Press), Blue Devil (DC), and Blue Diamond (Timely/Marvel)

Third Row: Bluestreak (Marvel Comics), Blue Beetle I (Fox Comics),
Blue Circle (Rural Home Publishing), and Boy Blue (DC/Vertigo Comics)

Bottom Row: Blue Blaze (Timely/Marvel Comics), Blue Shield (Marvel
Comics), Blue Bolt (Hero Comics), and Blue Beetle III (DC Comics)

Good job, Mike! The shirt's on its way!   

Blacklisted!

Now that I've reached my one year "blogoversary", I thought I'd extend the blatant self-congratulation an extra day by running a little contest similar to the "Am I Blue?" contest I ran back in January.

Instead of blue, this time around I'm picking the perfect blogoversary celebration color:  BLACK!  Okay, it's not the ideal celebration color, but hey...there's a ton of black-themed comic book heroes and villains, so that's the color I'm going with.

Your mission?  Take a look at the 32 "blacklisted" characters below, jot down as many names as you can, then email your answers to me (use the corresponding numbers with each name).

Whoever gets all of the names correct, or whoever gets the most names correct by midnight on Friday, August 24^th (whichever comes first), will get mugged!  That is, they'll win a free coffee mug from my Secret Identity shop (with over 40 designs to choose from).  That's "free" as in "free shipping" as well, so go ahead and take a crack at it....it literally won't cost you a thing!

Oh, one more thing:  I'm going to turn off the comments for this post, since I don't want anyone "borrowing" the answers of others to complete their own lists.  In the age of Google and Wiki-assisted research, I've gotta do something to keep it challenging! 

With that, have fun completing your "Black Ops" mission!

Blacklisted: The Winner (and the Answers!)

Earlier this week, I threw down the gauntlet and collectively challenged you to identify 32 comic book characters with the word "black" somewhere in their name.  Some were good guys, some were bad guys...some were ridiculously easy to guess, while others weren't guessed by anybody! Mwah ha haaaa!

Well, a small army of you took up the challenge and sent me your guesses.  After combing through them like a teacher carefully correcting tests, we've got a winner! 

Tobey Cook of Bremerton, Washington (and the Cosmic Rants blog) got an amazing 28 out of the 32 black-themed characters.  Congratulations, Tobey!  Your free mug from my Secret Identity shop is on its way!

Thanks to everyone who participated...I hope you had fun!  I'll try to put together some more comics-themed challenges for you in the months to come.

Oh, and last but not least,
here's the official answer key to

1. Black Widow: Blast! I didn't fool anyone with her old costume! Originally an Iron-Man foe, now a bonafide Marvel hero.

2. Black Terror: A Golden Age superhero published by Nedor Comics, but eventually passing into the public domain.  He will be appearing in Superpowers, an upcoming Alex Ross project for Dynamite Comics.

3. Black Mamba: Marvel supervillain. Member of the Serpent Society.

4.  Black Hood: Vigilante hero published by DC under its short-lived Impact imprint.

5. Black Tarantula: Spider-Man villain.

6. Black Orchid: Mysterious DC superheroine.

7. Black Lightning: DC's first African American superhero in his original costume.

8. Blackout: Supervillain of Nova.

9. Black Condor: Originally a flying superhero published by Quality Comics, now owned by DC.

10.  Black Talon: Voodoo-themed Marvel supervillain.

11.  Black Cat: Golden Age superheroine published by Harvey Comics.

12.  Blackhawk: Ace WWII pilot and leader of the Blackhawk Squadron.  Like Black Condor, originally a Quality Comics character who now appears in DC Comics.

13. Black Panther: Marvel's (and comics') first black superhero.

14. Blacklash: Whip-wielding Iron-Man villain.

15. Black Knight: Swashbuckling Marvel superhero.

16. Black Canary: DC superheroine and soon-to-be Mrs. Green Arrow.

17. Black Swan: Marvel supervillain.

18. Black Racer: The New God personification of Death, as envisioned by Jack Kirby.

19. Black Spider: Batman villain.

20. Black Cobra: Golden Age superhero published by Ajax/Farrell publications.

21. Black Adam: Evil opposite number of Captain Marvel.

22. Black Goliath: Size-changing Marvel superhero.

23. Black Thorn: DC Comics vigilante heroine.

24. Black Bolt: Marvel superhero, leader of the Inhumans.

25. Black Manta: Arch-enemy of Aquaman.

26. Black Alice: DC Comics anti-hero.

27. Black Flash: The personification of death for DC Comics super-speedsters.

28. Blackbriar Thorn: Villainous DC Comics sorcerer.

29. Blackfire: Evil sister of the Teen Titans' Starfire.

30. Black Bison: Native American villain of the original Firestorm.

31. Blacksmith: Flash supervillain.

32. Black Zero: Kryptonian terrorist responsible for Krypton's destruction.

Whew!  There you have it!

Punch Superman....Win a DVD!

As you saw from Saturday's review of the new direct-to-video Superman: Doomsday DVD, it didn't exactly make my All-Time Top Ten list.

However, that's not going to stop me from giving it away to the lucky winner of the Great Superman Beat-Down Contest!

How do you win?  Easy...just direct your attention to the Superman Beat-Down Gallery below.  As you can see, Superman's been at the receiving end of some spectacular thrashings over his nearly 70 year career, illustrated by some of the best illustrators in the business.

Your task is to identify the artists who penciled each beat-down scene, then email me your answers.  The first person to guess them all correctly, or to get the most correct by 6:00 PM on Tuesday, September 25th will win the Superman: Doomsday DVD, a black armband (to publicly demonstrate your grief), and maybe a few other surprises. Heck, I'll even throw in shipping!

Oh, like I do with all my contests, I'll be switching off the comments so nobody nabs the correct answers from other contestants. 

With that, good luck and have fun!

The Great Superman Beat-Down Contest...The Winner!

Thanks to everyone who participated in The Great Superman Beat-Down Contest, but as you know...only one could emerge victorious!  Doomday?  Would you please do the honors of announcing our winner?...

Thanks, big guy....and congratulations to Fernando for guessing 10 of the 12 mystery artists correctly. Your Superman: Doomsday DVD prize package is on its way!

As for the artists of the Superman Beat-Down Gallery,
here they are:

1.  Neal Adams

2.  Ross Andru

3.  John Byrne

4.  José Luis García López

5.  Gil Kane

6.  Wayne Boring

7.  Bob Oksner

8.  Curt Swan

9.  Jon Bogdanove

10. Dick Dillin

11. Rich Buckler

12. Frank Miller

The Great 2008 Time-Travel Contest

As the old year winds down and a new one approaches, it's natural for thoughts of the future, the past, and other concepts of time to be on our minds.  Here on New Year's Eve, more than any day of the year, the passage of time is the most keenly felt as we figuratively "step forward" from one year into the next.

Well, when it comes to the fanciful world of comic books, passing forward or even backward in time is a much more literal experience, as various heroes and villains alike are able to travel through time as casually as we might cross the street. 

With these time travelers in mind, I thought it would be fun to make the jump into 2008 with a little contest.  I've scoured the comic book time stream to find twenty four characters that have either traveled through time or can manipulate time in some way. Jot down as many names as you can, then click here to email the list to me (be sure to use their corresponding numbers). The contestant who gets all of the names correct, or gets the most names correct by 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 3rd (whichever comes first), will win a set of three magnets from my Secret Identity shop . The magnets measure just over 3" x 2" and you can choose any three designs you'd like.  I'll announce the winner on Friday, January 4th, so time to get busy!

Oh, and just as I've done with previous contests, I'll be disabling this thread's comments to make sure nobody cribs answers from other contestants.  It's all gotta come from your own brain (or Googling skills). With that said, have fun and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We Have a Winner....

The Great 2008 Time Travel Contest is over, and the winner of the Secret Identity magnet set is Chris Roberson. The guy only missed three characters, can you believe that? Congratulations Chris, and thanks to everyone else for sending in their entry.

Now, let's see...who are all of these assorted time travelers?

1. Chronos- Arch-enemy of the Atom (DC Comics).

2. Kang the Conqueror- Time traveling tyrant (Marvel Comics).

3. Voodoo- A human/alien hybrid whose powers include time manipulation.  Member of the WildC.A.T.S. (Wildstorm Comics).

4. Doctor Yesterday- Villain whose advanced armor can manipulate time as well as travel through time (Marvel Comics).

5. Time Trapper- Time-twisting villain of the Legion of Superheroes (DC Comics).

6. Dr. Tyme- Doom Patrol foe who could speed up or slow down time (DC Comics).

7. Superwoman- A 20th century heroic identity of Kristen Wells, a 29th Century history professor (and descendant of Jimmy Olsen).

8. Lord Chronok- Leader of a time-traveling army bent on destroying all superheroes (Marvel Comics).

9. Time Lord (a.k.a. "Epoch")-  Master of the 4th dimensional Chronal Cube and enemy of the Justice League (DC Comics).

10. Dr. Doom- Fantastic Four arch-villain who developed Earth's first time machine (Marvel Comics).  Possibly an ancestor of Kang the Conqueror.

11. Dark Angel- A demonic, time-altering foe of Wonder Woman (DC Comics).

12. Rip Hunter, Time Master- An inventor and adventurer who travels through time in his Time Sphere (DC Comics).

13. Widget- A sentient robot able to open dimensional portals and travel through time (Marvel Comics).

14. Booster Gold- A glory-seeking wannabe superhero from the 25th Century (DC Comics).

15. Clock King-  Enemy of Batman who uses an advanced device to warp time (Batman Animated Series).

16. Time Traveler- A sentient manifestation of the Enigma Force and ally of the Micronauts (Marvel Comics).

17. Extant- Time traveling villain who could also warp the fabric of time (DC Comics).

18. Immortus- Immortal preserver of the timeline and a later identity of Kang the Conqueror (Marvel Comics).

19. Hourman III- An android from the 853rd Century whose advanced technology granted him a vast array of time perception and manipulation powers (DC Comics).

20. Pharoah Rama Tut- A time-traveling alias of Kang the Conqueror who sought to conquer Earth in its ancient past (Marvel Comics).

21. Per Degaton- Time-traveling enemy of the Justice Society who also possessed a precognitive "time vision" ability (DC Comics).

22. Waverider- Able to freely manipulate and travel through time; policed the time stream as a member of the mysterious Linear Men (DC Comics).

23. Scarlet Centurion- Villainous time-traveling son of Kang the Conqueror (Marvel Comics).

24. Justice Peace- Agent of the Time Variance Authority who patrols the time stream (Marvel Comics).

So, there you have it.  A time traveler for every hour of the day.  Some were easy, some were excruciatingly obscure...but regardless of the degree of difficulty, I hope you all had a fun time trying to figure them out. (okay, enough with the time puns)

In The Red (a.k.a. "Who Wins The Watchmen?")

Hey, I think it's time for another color-themed contest, don't you?

As I've done in the past with black and blue, this time I'll be shining the spotlight on characters with the word "RED" in their names...and it's up to you to identify as many as humanly (or inhumanly) possible. To make things even more interesting, I've also included characters with "Scarlet" and "Crimson" in their names...so you'll definitely have your work cut out for you.

The first person to correctly identify all 32 characters...or to identify the most characters by high noon on Tuesday, April 29th will win a Watchmen trade paperback.  You know, that eternal classic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons with that big RED drop of blood on the cover?  Yeah, that one. 

This contest might be a bit tougher than previous ones, but come one...it's for Watchmen!  A cerebral story like that can only be won through intense brain power (or Jedi Google skills)!

As with the other contests, I'll be switching this post's comments off to ensure nobody scoops up the hard-won answers of previous posters.  So, to submit your answers, click here to shoot me an email.

Well?  What are you waiting for?  Get to work!

In The Red: The Winner (and the Answers)!

Late last week, I challenged you to identify 32 red-themed comic book characters, each with the word "red", "crimson", or "scarlet" somewhere in their names.  Although nobody got all of them right, Thomas Aderholt managed to nail a staggering 31 out of 32 names (missing only character #5). Congratulations, Thomas...your copy of the Watchmen trade paperback is on its way!

Thanks to everyone who participated...I hope you had fun!  Stay tuned for more comics-themed challenges in the months to come.

So...who were all of those In The Red
characters, anyway? Here's the official answer key:

1. The Red Hood: An old Batman villain who later became...The Joker!

2. Crimson Fox: A DC Comics French superhero and member of the Global Guardians.

3. Red Tornado II: Android member of the Justice League.

4. Red Wolf: A Native American superhero appearing in Marvel Comics.

5. Red Dragon: Golden Age superhero published by Street and Smith from 1943-44.  Taken from quite possibly the most gruesome cover I've ever seen pitched specifically to "Boys and Girls".  Yick.

6. Mr. Scarlet: Golden Age superhero published by Fawcett Comics, mentor of Pinky the Whiz Kid.

7. Crimson Dynamo: Iron-Man's evil Soviet counterpart.

8. Red Arrow: Formerly Speedy, sidekick of Green Arrow.

9. Red Ryder: The cowboy hero that will always be associated with his "Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle" a young Ralphie Parker had to have in the movie A Christmas Story.

10. The Scarlet Centurion: Time-traveling Marvel villain and son of Kang the Conqueror.

11. The Crimson Avengers: A very early Golden Age hero, seen here wearing his original Shadow-like costume.

12. Red Guardian: The Soviet answer to Captain America and one-time adversary of the Avengers.

13. Red Power Ranger: Chop-socky teen hero from the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers TV series.

14. The Red Ghost: In addition to turning invisible and intangible, this classic Commie villain was also the master of three super-powered apes.  Yes, really.

15. Red Rube: A Golden Age hero published by MLJ Comics (precursor of Archie comics). By shouting "Hey, Rube!", young Reuben Reuben transformed into an adult superhero with a vast array of powers and abilities (sounding suspiciously close to Fawcett's Captain Marvel).

16. Red Robin: Superhero identity of former Batman sidekick Dick Grayson in Kingdom Come, an alternate future set in the DC universe. Recently, another former Robin named Jason Todd has adopted the Red Robin identity.

17. Omega Red: X-Men villain and Soviet counterpart of Wolverine.

18. The Red Bee: Golden Age superhero published by Quality Comics who fought crime with a "stinger gun" and a swarm of trained bees, one of whom he affectionately named "Michael". You can't make this stuff up, can you?

19. Red King: Justice League villain.

20. The Scarlet Witch: Mutant sorceress and long-time member of the Avengers (before she flipped out and scrambled all of reality).

21. Red Raven: Flying Golden Age superhero published by Timely (Marvel) Comics.

22. Crimson Commando: X-Men foe and former member of the Freedom Force, the first government-sponsored mutant team.

23. Red Mask: Western hero published by Magazine Enterprises during the mid-50's cowboy craze.

24. Red Panzer: Agent of the Third Reich and enemy of Wonder Woman.

25. Red Shift: One of the many heralds of space-god Galactus.

26. Red Sonja: The "She-Devil With a Sword" introduced in Marvel's Conan series.

27. Red Star: A DC Comics Russian superhero, originally known as "Starfire".

28. Red Tornado I: One of the first superhero parodies, Maxine "Ma" Hunkel posed as a male superhero by sporting a homemade costume and fighting crime in her New York neighborhood. She's most famous for her blundering cameo appearance in All-Star Comics #3 (1940), the official debut of the Justice Society of America (thereby making Ma an honorary member of the very first superhero team).

29. Scarlet Spider: Heroic identity of Ben Parker, the clone of Peter Parker (from the infamous Spider-Clone saga)

30. Red Skull: Arch-enemy of Captain America.

31. Scarlet Scarab: Egyptian supervillain who fought the Invaders during WWII.

32. Rocket Red: An individual member of the Rocket Red Brigade, an armored force that was created to defend the former Soviet Union.

There...you now know more red-themed characters than you ever cared to know about!

Oh, before I forget, Thomas not only got 31 of the 32 characters, but he also sent along five additional red-themed characters I had overlooked.  Here they are:

Red Torpedo
Agent Crimson
Red Blazer
Red Demon
Red Rocket
Red, White & Blue

Now that's what I call "going above and beyond the call of duty"!

P.S.: On a completely unrelated note, be sure to check out Brian Disco Snell's much-deserved skewering of DC's horrendous Countdown series. Several bloggers have slammed this wretched, meandering mess...but nobody hits the bulls-eye quite like Snell. I thankfully bailed after the first three or four issues, but for those of you who put all that time and money into following the year-long weekly series, let Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep (one of my daily "must visit" blogs) soothe your pain!