Comic Coverage

Summer Reading: Dark Lord, The Rise of Darth Vader

"Two there should be; no more, no less.
One to embody power, the other to crave it."

– Darth Bane

Of all the Star Wars fiction that Lucasfilm cranks out like sausage, the only books that hold any appeal for me are the ones involving major characters from the Star Wars movies...particularly Episodes IV through VI (otherwise known as "The Good Ones").

Sorry...I just can't get fired up about a Sith Lord from 7,000 years ago or the solo adventures of marginal characters like X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles.  If I'm going to take the time to read a Star Wars novel, it's gotta focus on what I've termed "The Core Characters" (you know who they are).  Further raising the bar, I gravitate toward Core Character stories that take place within the time frame of the six Star Wars movies, preferrably immediately before or after a specific film.  For example, I'd much rather read Timothy Zahn's new Allegiance novel (taking place immediately after Star Wars IV: A New Hope) than his Thrawn Trilogy (which took place five years after Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi).  True, both settings feature many of the same Core Characters, but the ones tied closer to the movies just seem more relevant....at least to me.

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader easily fulfills both criteria, since it not only features Darth Vader (my favorite of the Core Characters), but also takes place immediately following the events of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith.  In other words, a no-brainer book purchase....and the perfect book for my plane ride to and from San Diego.

Written by experienced Star Wars author James Luceno, Dark Lord delves into the mind of Anakin Skywalker as he comes to grips with his new existence as a cyborg and his complex relationship with his master Darth Sidious, a.k.a. Emperor Palpatine. By the way, I have plenty of plot details ahead, so consider yourself officially Spoiler Warned!

Unreal.

Yes, my family and I are all okay.  Thanks for the concern.

As a Twin Cities resident, I've driven over the I-35 bridge thousands of times, with never a thought that anything like this could happen.  Obviously, it can and did happen...and in due time we'll find out why, though I get irritated at the TV news jackals already looking to point the finger of blame at someone. 

Let's rescue and recover everyone out of the river first, shall we?

Simply unreal.  At this writing, 4 people have died, 20 are missing and 60 were injured. It certainly drives home how quickly your life can change...or end.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all of my fellow Minnesotans who were affected by this unbelievable tragedy.

Profiles in Villainy: Chemo

Chemo © DC Comics

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Friday Night Fights: How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Rhino?

Though the average supervillain will stick to fighting the same superhero for their entire evil career, there have been rare occasions when a supervillain will jump ship and move to another superhero's rogues gallery.

One of the most high profile transfers was The Rhino. Originally a foe of Spider-Man, the Pachyderm Powerhouse left Spidey's rogues gallery for a shot at the Major Leagues, namely by taking on THE HULK himself!

Making his Hulk-foe debut in The Incredible Hulk #104 (1968), the Rhino received an upgraded costume and a strength-enhancing blast of Gamma Rays from the same guys who originally made him a Spider-Man supervillain. Sent to snatch Bruce Banner from military custody, the Rhino predictably triggered Banner's transformation into the Hulk, who then let loose with his customary smashing and alienated soliloquies.

In the resulting chaos, the Rhino attempted to slip away...which prompted the fight-hungry Hulk to bait him with "Why do you run from Hulk? Are you AFRAID?"

With that, the battle begins (click on the panels above for a ringside seat).

Illustrated by Marie Severin (one of my absolute favorite Hulk artists), enjoy this lesson in abject humiliation, face-to-pavement interaction, and ill-advised career moves.

Why do I celebrate such brutal violence? Ask Bahlactus!

Simply the Best: More Fun=Divine Retribution?

Beginning in 1936, More Fun Comics was the first publication of the company that would one day be known as DC Comics.  It was also the first comic book to publish original material rather than simply reprinting newspaper strips, featuring a variety of genres such as funny animals, westerns, espionage, and supernatural adventure all under one roof.

By 1939, the covers of the series shifted from cartoony, lighthearted scenes to more realistic depictions of danger and suspense...making the "More Fun" title seem increasingly irrelevant and ironic, reaching borderline absurd levels of irony with the introduction of The Spectre on the cover of issue #52 (1940). 

Created by Superman writer Jerry Siegel and artist Bernard Baily, the Spectre was the spirit of murdered cop Jim Corrigan, given nearly limitless power by The Voice (which everyone understood to be God) and sent back to Earth to eradicate evil. 

In other words, a scenario that wasn't exactly bursting with fun...much less "More Fun".

Despite the disconnect with the title, the Spectre's uniquely eerie and surreal adventures earned him a year's worth of covers, eventually ceding his marquee status to a new supernatural character named Dr. Fate.  Though most of the Spectre's fourteen cover appearances were pretty unremarkable, one of them (quite literally) towers over the rest.  More Fun Comics #54 (April, 1940) featured the terrifying tableau of a gigantic Spectre striding through a battlefield, making easy work of the enemy's toy-like soldiers and airplanes. 

The Ghostly Guardian's piercing stare seems to suggest a barely-restrained wrath and power...perhaps tapping into the resistance of 1940 America to project its power into Hitler's Europe (this cover being published before the U.S. officially entered World War II)...or (in hindsight) symbolizing the atomic might unleashed upon Japan five years later.

Or maybe the giant battlefield Spectre represents a deeper, darker wish that our wars could be instantly ended by a wrathful, god-like figure who would pluck our weapons and death machines from our hands like a parent punishing a disobedient, destructive child.

Whatever the image means to any given person, I think most can agree that it's one of the most powerful, arresting images to ever grace a comic book cover.  So powerful in fact, that I believe Alan Moore echoed the scene in his masterwork Watchmen(1986)...swapping the supernatural Spectre for a similarly omnipotent (though science-based) Doctor Manhattan.  The scene was also updated for the cover of The Spectre #19 (1994), a testament to the enduring and "looming" presence of the Spectre.

Dear Editor: A Thunder God's Work is Never Done

Comic book letter pages of any era are fun to read, but I find the letters printed from the late 1950's through the 60's especially entertaining.  When compared to today's more cynical "been there, done that" seen-it-all internet fan community, the letter-writing fans of that era had an endearing (and refreshingly non-jaded) brand of enthusiasm.  Sure, they had their share of cranks, too...but for the most part, they were a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed bunch that obviously loved reading comics.

For example, take this gem from The Hammer Strikes, the letters page from Journey Into Mystery #121 (1965). A lad named George Tsakiris from New York loves reading the adventures of Thor...but doesn't quite get the "Neverending Battle" aspect of the superhero's life.  Let's check out George making the case for Thor to get a day off once in awhile, followed by Smilin' Stan's playful reply of mock exasperation:

Cheee! Yeah, Stan had a good point there. Though George's heart
was undoubtedly in the right place, I don't think the world was
quite ready for a special All-Napping issue of Thor.

Of course, with the slow-moving, "decompressed" storytelling that defines today's comics, maybe George (if he's still reading comics) finally got his wish for relaxed, action-free superhero stories.

Cover to Cover: The Dog Days of Summer

The Crime-Fighting Canines of Comics!

The phrase “Dog Days of Summer” has traditionally referred to the hottest period of the summer, typically falling between early July and late August.  In other words, right about now….so what better time of the year to take a look at the unusually intelligent, super-powered and (in some cases) cape-wearing members of the comic book Adventure Dog community?

Though he was a wolf in the original comic strip version of The Phantom, Devil was eventually identified as a dog.  Loyally serving the Ghost Who Walks alongside Hero the horse and Fraka the Falcon, Devil was essentially a well-trained attack dog with no special powers.

 

The Legion of "O"

Who knows when or why the trend started...all I know is that by the late 1950's and early 60's, super villains with vaguely Spanish-sounding names ending in the long "O" ("Oh") sound were suddenly the rage.

DC Comics seemed particularly infatuated with "O" villains, as you can see from their "Legion of O-Negative" below. 

From the top left we've got Bizarro, Despero, Mano, Starro, Eclipso, Koko, Computo, Kanto, Dr. Psycho, Destructo, Professor Ivo, Titano, Amazo, Universo, Kanjar-Ro, Evillo, Villo, Count Vertigo, Chemo, Sinestro, and Metallo.

Making their brave stand against the villainous Legion of O-Negative was a small band of heroes whose names also ended with DC's favorite vowel.  The odds were certainly stacked against them, considering their team was made up of two dogs, a baby, a caveman, a terminally ill teen, two adults of questionable sanity, and a monkey. But what they lacked in numbers (as well as intelligence and opposable thumbs), they made up for in raw power.

The Legion of O-Positive (from top left):  Metamorpho,
Supremo, Krypto, Mento, Rovo, Mighto, Anthro, and Beppo.

Ahh, but just when we think the Legion of O-Positive stands a chance, in rushes the Brotherhood of O-Negative Villains from Marvel Comics, no slouches in the O-villain department themselves.

Lead by Magneto (top left), their ranks include (in order):
Ultimo, Mysterio, Baron Mordo, Wendigo, Baron Zemo, Mesmero,
Rhino, Nuklo, Mephisto, Mentallo, Colosso, Vibro, Zarrko, and Electro.

But just when all hope appears lost, the battle is joined by the celebrity might of entertainment sensation Charo, the deep-thinking secular saint Bono, and early 80's Playtex spokeswoman Brenda Vacarro!

Okay...I'll stop now.

Friday Night Fights: Demi-God Demolition!

At the bidding of his royal highness Bahlactus, I shall tell you the tale of the demi-god Hercules and his epic supper club battle with fedora-wearing thugs from Thor #125 (1965). Let me grab my mandolin and sing for you:

"The Ballad of Hercules and the Street Lamp Enema!"

...and, most likely, the "lower regions" of the hapless driver as well! OUCH!

The Highlight Reel: Down Amongst the Dead Men

To say Swamp Thing Annual #2 (1984) blew me away would be an extreme understatement.

Taking the American comic book scene by storm in the early 80's, British writer Alan Moore almost single-handedly ushered in a more sophisticated brand of storytelling that, in many respects, continues to this day.  After hearing the buzz surrounding Moore's successful reimagining of DC's Swamp Thing, I gave it a try with issue #31...finding it every bit as good as the buzz indicated.  In the story, the demonic arch-enemy of Swamp Thing, Anton Arcane, sends the soul of his niece Abigail to Hell...leaving it up to Swamp Thing to save the woman he loves.

The story continues in Swamp Thing Annual #2 with the masterpiece "Down Amongst the Dead Men". Making his first of many journeys into the supernatural realms, Swamp Thing essentially "wills" himself into the Great Beyond, meeting a number of familiar characters along the way. However, to give the impression the story is merely a routine "flyover" of DC's supernatural characters does it a disservice...because Moore's beautiful, poetic gift with words make the journey a fascinating, mysterious, occasionally disturbing, awe-inspiring, and utterly unforgettable experience.

Like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, the Swamp Thing is escorted by three major figures of DC's supernatural set.  The first was the jocular Deadman, the third a newly-frightening Demon...and between them both, the Phantom Stranger...who informs the Swamp Thing that before he enters the kingdom of Hell, he'll first need to obtain permission of the highest order (click on the panels for a larger view)...

Wow.  I still get chills when I see this scene.  For those of you unfamiliar with the huge, white-faced guy...that's The Spectre.  He was about as close to God as you could get in the DC Universe back then...yet he'd never before been portrayed quite like this.  This was unprecedented...and a perfect example of the grandeur Alan Moore helped restore to comics (after Jack Kirby's light grew dim). 

Of course, it would be criminal for me to overlook the amazing artwork of Steve Bissette and John Totleben, who created a rich, terrifying look that seemed like a cross-pollination of trippy Peter Max posters and the eerie gothic engravings of the 19th century.

What comes after this scene is just as amazing, as the Phantom Stranger and the Spectre engage in a fascinating exchange...ending with an unforgettably chilling line.

If you've never read this story, you owe it to yourself to track down a copy.  If you have read it...what did you think?

Classic Ads: Count Dante...Deadliest Hairdresser Alive!

Anyone remotely familiar with mid-70's comic books should instantly recognize the ominous, sneering figure on the left as Count Dante'...the Deadliest Man Alive! (Click on the ad for a larger view)

As a relatively new comic book reader in the summer of '75, this bizarre, dangerous-looking character obviously made quite an impression upon my nine year-old imagination.  For a naive country-boy like me, the ad's talk of "fighting arts" and "death matches" was simultaneously fascinating and a bit scary. 

Were there really people who fought in these so-called death matches?  Could the world's most deadly fighting secrets really be mine?  Is that really his hair?

Well, one ad for Mego Superheroes or X-Ray Specs later, Count Dante and his deadly world faded from my hummingbird-like attention span...but years later, whenever I came across this classic ad, I'd wonder:  "Who was this 'Count Dante' and whatever happened to him?"

Well, my curiosity finally got the best of me and, a few Google searches later, here's what I came up with:

FACT: The Count was born John T. Keehan in 1939. Growing up in a wealthy Chicago family, he eventually became involved in the early Karate programs of the 1950's. 

FACT: Keehan became an expert in Judo, Jui-jitsu, Gung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan, Shaolin Boxing, Kempo, Karate, Yawara, Boxing, Wrestling, Aikido and Kibo...awarding himself the title The Crown Prince of Death.

FACT: While he mastered every deadly art known to man and demon, he also found time to serve as the director of a wig and hair-piece company(!), eventually becoming a "world famous hair stylist" and creator of the "natural seductive hairstyle" of many top Chicago models and Playboy Bunnies.

FACT: Keehan co-founded the United States Karate Association (USKA).  He later became disillusioned with the formality of conventional karate and developed his own "street effecive" style dubbed the Dan-Te or "Dance of Death" system.

FACT: In the late 60's, Keehan changed his name to Count Juan Raphael Dante, claiming that his parents were secretly royalty from Spain who'd fled to America during the Spanish Civil War (which may or may not have actually happened).

FACT:  He retired undefeated from professional competition in 1968 when he became Grandmaster of the Black Dragon Fighting Society in the United States and Canada.

FACT:  At various times, Dante and the pupils of his school (or "dojo") became involved in "The Dojo Wars", a chop-socky swirl of attempted arson, booze, dynamite, building invasions, and ultimately the death of one of Dante's students.

FACT:  Dante died in his sleep in May of 1975, due to internal hemorrhaging from a bleeding ulcer (kinda anti-climactic, huh?).  I was expecting "died after single-handedly defeating five hundred nunchuck-wielding zombies".

NOT A FACT:  It's rumored that Dante's 1975 death was actually a clever ruse, allowing him to assume a third identity, this time as mellow painter Bob Ross.  Exchanging his throwing stars for a fan brush and Magic White, Dante/Ross appeared on the PBS series The Joy of Painting...until dying for real in 1995.

So, there you have it.  The murky world of Count Dante in all its death-dealing, hairdressing, and nature-painting glory.  If you want to find out more about this fascinating figure (and who wouldn't?), you might want to check out In Search of Count Dante, a recent documentary film by Floyd Webb.

Ironically, when I saw this ad in the spring/early summer of 1975, Dante had just died. Allegedly.

The King of Rock & Roll and the World's Mightiest Boy

Today marks 30 years since the death of rock-n-roll legend Elvis Presley. Apparently, Elvis was a comic book fan as a young teen back in East Tupelo, Mississippi, and reportedly loved Fawcett's Captain Marvel Jr. character. Some have suggested he may have even styled his hair to resemble Cap Jr.'s unique hairstyle.

The picture on the left is one of my favorite "inside jokes" from Kingdom Come (1996), the alternate future epic by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. Instead of Cap Jr. influencing Elvis, this time around it was Elvis who inspired the look of the adult Captain Marvel Jr., who now called himself King Marvel.

For the ultimate look at the connection between Elvis and Captain Marvel Jr., you've gotta check out the amazing Secret Origin of Elvis and Captain Marvel Jr. at the endlessly entertaining (and inspiring) Dial B for Blog.
Word has it that curator Robby Reed will be starting up the blog again on August 31st! Be there!

Which Came First: The Vision or The Red Tornado?

A few months back, I posed the question "Which Came First: The Doom Patrol or the X-Men?", one of the enduring Unsolved Mysteries of superhero comics.  Of course, I didn't come up with any definitive answer, but that's the fun of an unsolved mystery, right?

Well, another unsolved mystery that's always fascinated me was the virtually simultaneous first appearances of DC's Red Tornado and Marvel's Vision characters.

The Red Tornado took his first bow in Justice League of America #64, which sported a cover date of August, 1968.  A mere two months later, the Vision appeared in Avengers #57.  You're probably thinking "What's the big mystery?  The Red Tornado beat the Vision by a whole two months!"  Ahh, but you have to keep in mind the process of creating a comic book, which (at the time) took about three to four months from concept to printed product, so it would have been impossible for Marvel to rip-off DC within that tight of a time frame.  In short, just like the X-Men and the Doom Patrol before them, the Red Tornado/Vision debuts appear to be a genuine cosmic coincidence!

What makes their dual debut such a "cosmic coincidence"?  Here, let's compare their first appearances and chalk up the astounding similarities:

Comic Coverage: One Year Later!

Has it been one year already?  To think a year ago I kicked this thing off, not knowing if I'd have anything interesting to talk about beyond two weeks (if that).  Looks like I made it past the two weeks, huh?

Anyway, thanks to everyone who's stopped by over the past year.  The growth in traffic has been very encouraging both here and at Secret Identity (my Cafepress shop).  As I enter my second year of blogging, I hope to continue some of the more popular features as well as expand into some fun new areas (maybe some video shenanigans...who knows?). 

Again, thanks for all the support. You've all helped make an incredibly fun hobby all the more rewarding.

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!

Cover to Cover: Welcome to the Jungle

Superheroes Catch Jungle Fever!

Jungle life
We're living in the open
All alone like Tarzan Boy.
Hide and seek
We play along while rushing 'cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon.
—Tarzan Boy, by 80’s one-hit wonder Baltimora

Ever since Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan of the Apes burst onto the scene in 1912, the world’s jungles have been overrun by a virtual stampede of loincloth and leopard skin wearing imitators.  Their roll call is a nearly endless list of exotic sounding, two-syllable names like Bomba, Tom-Tom, Kaanga, Ramar, Sheena, Nyoka, Lorna, Rulah, Wambi, Zago, and Zegra.

However, an altogether different branch of the comic book Jungle Genre included a number of costumed superheroes that either made the jungle their home, or (for whatever reason) had temporarily defected from civilization and “gone native”.

Among the costumed heroes who enjoyed the jungle’s “home field advantage” was Leopard Girl. Wearing an outfit similar to that of Wildcat, the Cheetah, and the modern Catwoman, Leopard Girl shared Jungle Action #2 (1954) with a couple of generic members of the Loincloth Brigade and the gorilla hero “Man-oo the Mighty”.  In a tough spot, she could utter the “cry of the leopard” and summon a group of real leopards to her aid (or a “leap” of leopards if you want to get technical).

Simply the Best: The Neal Adams Wrap-Arounds

It was cool enough that DC's early 70's line of 100-Page Super Spectaculars not only featured new stories, but scads of reprints from the mysterious and (at that time) largely unseen "Golden Age of Comics".

It was cool enough that the 100-Page Spectaculars had no interior ads to gobble up the page count.

It was cool enough that the Super Spectaculars were pretty much the biggest, fattest comics a kid could buy for 50¢.

Though never really a sales success for DC Comics, their 100 Page Super Spectaculars were the coolest thing a young comic book fan could hope for.  What could possibly make them any cooler?

A Neal Adams Wrap-Around cover, that's what!

Indisputably the hottest comic book artist of that generation, anything Adams touched always seemed that much cooler, and his covers for a trio of Super Spectaculars were certainly no exception. As if the fact that Neal Adams drew them wasn't enough, these particular covers were:

1.  "Wrap-Around" covers, which (as the name implies) feature one continuous image encompassing both the front and back covers.

2.  Perfect examples of "crowd scene covers", one of my favorite sub-categories of comic book covers. I've always loved covers packed with characters, whether embroiled in action or in a classic "yearbook" shot of gathered heroes. Pouring over the small details while trying to identify everyone was a true joy for me as a kid (and, yes, as an adult).

The first of the "Adams 100-Page Trilogy" was titled World's Greatest Superheroes (click on the cover images for a larger look-see).

Published in late 1971, the cover featured the line-ups of both the Justice League of America (front cover) and the legendary Justice Society of America (back cover), including the Golden Age (or "Earth-2") versions of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.  By the way, did you catch the little switcheroo with the two Wonder Women?  See, at the time, the Earth-1 Wonder Woman had forsaken her costume and powers for the life of an Emma Peel-like adventurer, so the more classic-looking Wonder Woman of Earth-2 was moved to the cover, while the white-garbed Diana Prince was moved to the back cover with the JSA. Sneaky, huh?

The next Adams wrap-around cover was for Batman #238 (1972), which featured a disparate gathering of Batman, Robin, the Doom Patrol, Aquaman, Sargon the Sorcerer, Plastic Man and, as if that somehow wasn't enough, the entire Legion of Superheroes (including the loopy Legion of Super-Pets)!

The final (and my personal favorite) of the three covers is the spectacular Superman #252 (1972), featuring "The World's Greatest Flying Heroes" soaring through a bright yellow sky.

As an avowed Golden Age groupie, I loved the inclusion of so many first generation superheroes, such as Kid Eternity (upper left), the Ray, the Spectre, the Shining Knight (on the winged horse), the original Green Lantern, and many others.  Another great touch I appreciated was the Golden Age Hawkman (flying next to Superman) wearing his original helmet with the full hawk's beak.  Normally, the full-beak hawk helmet looked silly to the extreme...but here, after Adams got done with it, strangely cool looking!

"But Wait! There's MORE!"

Yup.  That's not quite the end of what made the 100 Page Super Spectaculars so gosh-darned Super Spectacular.  In addition to the widescreen majesty of the Neal Adams wrap-around covers, each issue also included a handy visual key and character bios on an inside cover, so young fans could confirm the identities of the heroes they recognized and learn about the ones they didn't!
Imagine that...making things easier for a new reader!  Looks like the modern comics biz could learn a thing or two from those primitive Old-Schoolers!

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!

Super Neighbors

Every summer our neighborhood families put together a block party, usually based around some kind of theme. As you'd expect, everyone has a blast as we catch up on what everyone's been up to, play some games, eat some really good food, have a beverage or two, then gab around the fire until it's way past our bedtimes. 

This year, some of the neighborhood kids took over the planning from the adults (we were only too happy to relinquish it), and went with a comic book superhero theme (I swear I didn't talk them into it). Taking place this past Saturday, we were encouraged to come in costume, but...because it was summer and not quite Halloween, the costumes were on the modest side.  In fact, my family and I showed up wearing only Superman shirts (from dad's surplus of Superman attire).  Other neighbors showed up with some really funny stuff, my favorite of which was my neighbor Jeff dressed as "The Powernap", essentially a guy wrapped in a blanket wearing a pair of eye blinders (you can see him pictured below).

The kids even planned a "superhero trivia" game, which prompted all of my neighbors to beg for me to be on their teams (since everyone knew I was the neighborhood comic book geek).  Gee...so that's what it feels like to be a ringer!  So...who won?  Why, the MY TEAM, of course!  Heh.

Anyway, here's my family and I as The Super Neighbors (I'm the one with the dorky lightning bolts embarrassing the heck out of my teenagers).

Plus a few more of our nutty neighbors:

Obviously (and once again) a fun time was had by all.

Profiles in Villainy: The Reverse-Flash

Forgive me.  With the Minnesota State Fair in full swing, it's only natural
that my fellow Minnesotans and I would have corndogs on the brain.

Reverse Flash © DC Comics

Click here for more Profiles in Villainy!

Summers Past: The JLA & JSA team-ups (part one)

I've been at this comic book collecting thing for awhile, and part of the fun has always been hunting down and (occasionally) completing major runs of a specific title.  Earlier this year, I bragged-up my 50+ years of Superman comics, so now I thought I'd cover another major milestone of my collection.

But before we get to that, let me set the stage a bit. 

One of the great summer traditions when I was growing up was the annual team-up between the Justice League of America and their Earth-2 counterparts the Justice Society of America.  Fascinated by all-things JSA and Earth-2 from the first moment I saw them, I anxiously awaited the annual JLA-JSA meeting from about the mid-70's onward. Since then, I've managed to collect every JLA-JSA team-up from the first one (1963) all the way through to the final one of the so-called "Pre-Crisis era" (1984).

Despite what the calendar says, we all know summer really ends when the new school year begins (which is next week for us), so what better way to mark the waning days of summer than by taking a look back at those legendary JLA-JSA team-ups of summers past?

Besides listing issue numbers and cover images, I'll also be including some additional information and art along with my own impressions for each of the team-ups. However, since there were a whopping twenty-two of them, logic (and compassion for my readers) dictates that I should probably break up the survey into smaller, easy-to-digest sections. 

WARNING: If stories from simpler times aren't your thing, or if extended nostalgia trips make you crazy, click on any of the excellent blog links in my sidebar and I'll see you another day.  But for those of you who share my fond memories for the JLA-JSA adventures, or if you're a newbie who wants to learn more about them, let's get started!

Lil' Spidey Hits the Minnesota State Fair

As I've said before, the Minnesota State Fair seems to be a natural hang-out for the super-folk. This year, it looks like Lil' Spidey (a.k.a. Aiden Lee) had a fine time hitting the high swings and the fun house. Click here to see more of Spidey's State Fair adventures, courtesy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press website.

Summers Past: The JLA & JSA team-ups (part two)

As the summer winds to a close, I thought I'd revisit the legendary team-ups of the Justice League and their Earth-2 pals the Justice Society.  If you missed part one, click here.  If not, kick back and enjoy part two... 

Okay, then...where was I? Oh, yeah...

Justice League of America #64-65 (1968)

Roll Call: 

JLA: Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Hawkman, Green Arrow and JLA mascot Snapper Carr.

JSA: Starman, Flash, Hourman, Black Canary, Dr. Fate, the Atom, Sandman, Green Lantern, Dr. Mid-Nite, Hawkman, Mr. Terrific and Red Tornado II.

Villains:  T.O. Morrow, the faceless androids, cosmic creatures, animated souvenir statues of Amazo, Starro, Dr. Light, the Diamond Creature and Super Duper.

Summary: An android calling himself the Red Tornado stormed a JSA meeting and demanded to join the team, so they invited him along on a mission.  While responding to a bank robbery with four JSA members, Reddy accidentally destroyed them (oopsie!), which made him wonder if he was created by some sinister hand for that very purpose. It turned out he was absolutely right, as the evil scientist T.O. Morrow revealed his master plan to eradicate the JSA using technology stolen from the future (which included the Red Tornado himself).

Learning this, Reddy attacked his creator, but instead ended up killing the rest of the JSA with a blast from a "FuturEnergy" gun (oopsie!).  With the JSA out of the way, T.O. Morrow then turned his focus to the JLA by sending an array of strange creatures, animated JLA trophies and even energy duplicates of their sweethearts to kill the Earth-1 heroes!

Like the JSA before them, the JLA are eventually "killed" by FuturEnergy, with only a barely-functioning Red Tornado left to save the day.  Reddy bridged the dimensional gap to Earth-1 and revived each JLA member with a kiss from their real sweethearts.  He then revived the fallen Earth-2 heroes, who (despite the android's horrible track record) immediately granted him full JSA membership.  True to form, Red Tornado greeted the good news with "I wish I was human" yearning and moping.

Highlights:  The Red Tornado's child-like earnestness as he tries to prove himself to the JSA, as well as the surreal casualness of both the JSA and the JLA being "killed" by FuturEngery.  These days, it would have been a twelve part series. Then?..a plot device!

 

Lowlights: Writer Gardner F. Fox's continual reliance upon generic, spontaneously-generated monsters to eat up the page count.

Artist Dick Dillin's perpetual inability
to draw Superman's S symbol.

Friday Night Fights: Uncle Sam's Righteous Vandalism!

During my ongoing survey of the legendary JLA & JSA team-ups, I've come across some pretty spectacular fight scenes.

With all of that multiple-earth mayhem to chose from, the scene that just seemed right for the All-American Labor Day Weekend featured the personification of America itself:  Uncle Sam!

Taken from Justice League of America #108 (1973), the JLA & JSA are helping Uncle Sam and his Freedom Fighters liberate Earth-X from Nazi rule.  Breaking into smaller squads, the heroes track down and destroy Nazi mind-control machines hidden in various locations across the planet. In this chapter, Uncle Sam, Black Condor, Sandman and the Elongated Man arrive at a twisted version of Mount Rushmore, which includes a bust of the hated Adolph Hitler!

After making short work of the Nazi guards, Elongated Man deduces that the mind-control machinery is actually located within the Hitler bust itself...which was magic to Uncle Sam's ears (and fists).

After a quick assist from E.M., it's Uncle Sam with the windup... AND THE PITCH!...completely obliterating the granite visage of Herr Schickelgruber and the hidden mind-control device.

GOD BLESS AMERICA...AND BAHLACTUS!