Comic Coverage

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

For those coming in late, part one covered the humble beginnings of what became a treasured annual tradition: the JLA-JSA team-ups.  Part two chronicled the expansion of the concept, as ever-greater threats were met with ever-increasing numbers of superheroes.  We now find ourselves in 1973, as the superhero head count just keeps going up! 

Justice League of America #107-108 (1973)

Roll Call: 

JLA: Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Elongated Man, and the Red Tornado (now a JLA member).

JSA: Superman, Flash, Hourman, Sandman, and Dr. Fate.

The Freedom Fighters of Earth-X: Uncle Sam, the Human Bomb, Doll Man, Phantom Lady, Black Condor, and the Ray. Flashback cameos of Plastic Man and the Blackhawks.

Villains:  The Third Reich of Earth-X.

Summary: When a new dimensional transporter malfunctioned, three JLA members and three JSA members were mistakenly sent to yet another alternate earth, where they were immediately attacked by high-tech Nazi troops.  Just when things were looking grim, our heroes received an assist from the Freedom Fighters, the native superheroes of the nightmarish "Earth-X".  Following the battle, Uncle Sam (yes, that Uncle Sam) gave the JLA and JSA a quick history lesson, explaining that the German Third Reich of Earth-X had won World War II, and now controlled the entire planet using mind control devices stationed in various locations.

Wasting no time, the three teams combined their forces to hunt down and systematically destroy each of the mind control devices, and met with heavy resistance along the way.  When the final device was smashed, the JLA & JSA suddenly attacked the Freedom Fighters, indicating yet another mind control machine was in operation. Free of the device's control, the Red Tornado discovered it orbiting around the planet.  After an encounter with "Adolph Hitler" (actually just an android), Reddy smashed the satellite and freed his teammates.  Following a round of handshakes and back-slapping, the repaired dimensional transporter returned the JLA and JSA to their respective worlds.

Highlights: Wow...where to begin?  This one definitely makes the Top Five cut, since there's so much to like here. 

When I'm not reading fiction, I enjoy reading history..and occasionally I blend the two by reading "alternate history" fiction, so obviously the victorious Third Reich of Earth-X is a fascinating concept in and of itself.  Add to that the revival of Golden Age characters originally published by Quality Comics along with the generous number of battles with high-tech Nazis, and you've got yourself one heck of a story. 

Dick Dillin's artwork never looked better than when Dick Giordano was inking it (as he does here), evoking the work Giordano did with Neal Adams around the same time period.  Oh, and you'll be happy to learn that the Earth-2 Superman finally received his own subtly distinctive look with this story (the graying temples and Golden Age "S" symbol I was going on about in Part II).

Lowlights:  None come to mind.  This really is one of the very best.

Classic Ads: If the Boots Don't Fit, You Must Acquit

Back before O.J. Simpson was a shameless pariah, he was the pitchman for a variety of 70's and 80's products...such as stylish Dingo Boots. 

Take a creepy walk down memory lane as the "Dingo Kids"
meet and gaze adoringly at the future double murderer.

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

Way back in the summer of 1963, two legendary teams of superheroes bridged the dimensional gulf and shared an adventure. That adventure became an annual event, which continued on for another twenty-one summers. 

I've been fondly remembering each of those summer adventures, which you can catch-up on by reading parts one, two, and three.  We now find ourselves in 1978, fifteen years after that first fateful meeting...

Justice League of America #159-160 (1978)

Roll Call: 

JLA: Superman, Flash, Elongated Man, and Hawkman. Cameo appearances by Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Red Tornado, and Black Canary.

JSA: The Huntress, Dr. Mid-Night, Wonder Woman, and Star-Spangled Kid. Cameo appearances by Superman, Dr. Fate, and Green Lantern.

The Heroes of Yesterday: Jonah Hex, Viking Prince, Miss Liberty, Black Pirate, and Enemy Ace.

Villains:  The Time Lord and his computer, The Eternity Brain.

Summary: As the JLA and JSA enjoyed an elegant dinner at the swanky Club 22, five heroic figures from the past suddenly burst through the walls and plunged a number of the modern-day superheroes into a mysterious coma. Unsure of why or how they had done such a terrible thing, the oddly superpowered time-lost figures fled the scene.

Meanwhile, in the year 3786 A.D., the Time Lord and his time-manipulating "Eternity Brain" computer gloated over the attacks they engineered.  However, unknown to the Eternity Brain, the Time Lord actually feared the sentient computer and was plotting to destroy it with the unwitting help of his historic champions, the JLA and the JSA. The plan appeared to work, since the vengeful JLA and JSA followed the "history warriors" across time and space, straight to the Time Lord's Palace of Eternity.  One by one, the castle's defenses defeated the superheroes, sending them into the same coma-like state as their teammates back in 1978. One remaining hero, the Elongated Man, rose to the challenge and managed to destroy the Eternity Brain...proving to himself that he wasn't a "circus clown" unworthy of JLA membership.

Highlights: Er...not many to speak of here.  Yeah, it was intriguing to see historical heroes brought into the mix, but check out the Lowlights to see how that worked out. I thought the reluctance and fear of the Time Lord toward the Eternity Brain was an interesting twist to the standard supervillain motivation.  Elongated Man's big save at the end of the story was also nicely done.

Also, a tiny Atom hooked to a tiny I.V. on
a hospital bed.  Awww....ain't that cute?

Lowlights: While it was a novel idea to include some of the historical heroes of DC's past, granting them immense yet nonsensical superpowers while whisking them around the time stream was a really poor way to utilize them. Because of the breakneck pacing and the bewildering sci-fi surroundings, they were little more than one-dimensional, cliche-spouting caricatures.  The modern day heroes didn't fare much better, since their bizarrely overheated emotions and endless internal monologuing only added to the feeling of sensory overload.  Top it off with some exceptionally weak Dick Dillin art, and it's safe to say this story is one of the most forgettable JLA-JSA team-ups in my entire collection.

Gold Nuggets: Bulletman...the Original Head-Banger.

The Obscure Adventures of Comics' Greatest Generation!

Could there anything cooler
than having the ability to fly?

Of course not.  Well, unless you count having the ability to fly while crashing through stuff head-first!

Such was the life of Jim Barr, who developed the amazing Gravity Regulator Helmet to fight crime as Bulletman!  Realizing the importance of a couple having shared interests, Jim made a Gravity Regulator Helmet for his girlfriend Susan, who became his partner Bulletgirl (and later his wife). Heck, he even made a helmet for his dog (as...you guessed it...Bulletdog).

Published by Fawcett Comics, Bulletman was second only to Captain Marvel in popularity, who was even outselling Superman at one point..so obviously kids of the 1940's appreciated the intrinsic coolness of flying through stuff head-first while wearing canary yellow tights.

In Bulletman #5 (1942), Jim and Susan encountered the skeezy Dr. Riddle.  Much like the the Riddler of Batman fame, Dr. Riddle enjoyed leaving cryptic riddles for victims and pursuers alike.  After multiple pages of riddles, traps, narrow escapes and cat-and-mouse pursuit, Bulletman finally turned the tables on Dr. Riddle and offered him a riddle of his own...

Ahh...nothing like the smell of due process in the morning, hmm?

Note to my fellow Children of the 70's:  The Golden Age Bulletman should in no way be confused with Bulletman, the Human Bullet of the G.I. Joe Super Adventure Team....despite having the same name, bright red tunic and the cool ability to fly through stuff head-first.

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

The team-ups of the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America were a much-anticipated annual tradition for an entire generation of comic book fans...including me!  In fact, I became such a fan of their summer meetings that I've managed to collect all twenty-two of them.  I thought it would be fun to list them all, along with some of my own impressions.

Before I head into the fifth and final part of my series, I hope you've enjoyed parts one, two, three and four.  Putting this together has taken a bit more work than I initially thought it would, but really...it's been a labor of love.  These stories, lumps and all, were a big part of my "wonder years"...so it really has been a joy to get back into them again and to share them with you.  With that, let's finish this thing off...starting with a massive five part crossover with the All-Star Squadron...

Justice League of America #207-209 and
All-Star Squadron #14 & 15 (1982)

Roll Call: 

JLA: Superman, Firestorm, Hawkman, Zatanna, and Aquaman.

JSA: Green Lantern, Power Girl, Starman, Huntress, and Dr. Fate.

The All-Star Squadron: Commander Steel, Liberty Belle, Robotman, Johnny Quick, and Firebrand.

Villains:  Per Degaton; Ultraman, Power Ring, Superwoman, Owlman, and Johnny Quick; Nuclear the Magnetic Marauder.

Synopsis: As various JSA members hopped into their transmatter cube to visit the Earth-1 universe...you guessed it...something went wrong! Instead of the JSA exiting from the JLA's transmatter cube, it was the Crime Syndicate from Earth-3 in full attack mode!

After their evil doppelgangers soundly trounced them, the JLA transported to Earth-2 for answers and found the JSA's headquarters in ruins.  Not only that, but the world was ruled by the JSA's old time-traveling foe Per Degaton.

So where did the JSA go?  Well, they appeared on Earth-Prime (where we live), which they discovered had been devastated by a nuclear war.  After battling the standard post-apocalyptic mutated humans, the JSA traced the atomic devastation back to the history-twisting machinations of Degaton during Earth-Prime's 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. 

Back on Earth-2, Superman flew the JLA back in time to 1942 for a clue on what happened to the 1982 JSA. Instead of finding the JSA, they (almost literally) ran into members of the All-Star Squadron (composed of other Golden Age heroes owned by DC Comics).  After getting everyone up to speed, the assembled heroes headed for the White House to meet with the always-available (and jovial) President Roosevelt.  During their Oval Office meeting, Degaton broadcast a video message to FDR and other world leaders demanding that he be made Ruler of Earth.  If not, he would unleash his nuclear arsenal (which he had stolen from 1962).

Got all that?  Good...because we're not done yet!

Once the JLA and the All-Star Squadron were joined by the time-jumping JSA, they split into smaller teams to hunt down Degaton's hidden stash of twenty-seven nuclear missiles.  Despite members of the Crime Syndicate guarding each location, the heroes defeated them and dismantled the weapons.

Next on the agenda, the heroes jumped to 1962 to prevent Degaton from stealing the missiles in the first place.  At that point, with the Crime Syndicate sent back to Limbo and Degaton totally defeated, time reverted back to its proper course...ensuring that the JLA-JSA meeting that opened the story could proceed without incident (and plenty of snacks).

Highlights: I was glad to see some of the more obscure Golden Age heroes brought into the mix through the All-Star Squadron (which was kinda the whole point of that series).  Speaking of which, I thought the chapters taking place in All-Star Squadron (parts 2 and 4) were the strongest of the two titles, mainly because of the fantastic artwork by Adrian Gonzales and the crisp inking of Jerry Ordway.

Despite having a more secondary role than I'd have liked, it's always good to see the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3.  Degaton's nuclear threat was also an interesting idea, since it used time-travel in such a malevolent new way.  Sure, the JLA villain T.O. Morrow had previously smuggled weapons from the future to use in his crimes, but this was different since the future weapons Degaton had stolen were "our" weapons (real-world nuclear missiles).  Definitely a thought-provoking twist.

Lowlights: Artist Don Heck, God bless him, had always been one of those competent artists who could get the job done, yet his work was never what you'd call flashy or dynamic.  Following his jump from Marvel to DC in the late 70's, Heck turned in art for titles like The Flash and Justice League that, as I said, was certainly competent and did the job of telling the story...but was also as dull as dishwater.  Not the ideal style of art you'd want for an epic time-traveling adventure with a cast of thousands (okay, dozens).

The story had the same frenetic pacing as past JLA-JSA team-ups, but I think what made it even harder to track was the additional element of time-travel...especially since three distinct time periods were in the mix (1942, 1962, and 1982).  Add to that the staggering number of cast members (some of whom I wasn't sure if they were the 1942 or 1982 versions of themselves), villains from yet another alternate earth, three U.S. Presidents, and elements of real political history, and you can start to see how this was a tough tale to follow over five installments.  Easily a third of parts two through five seemed to be spent recapping the adventure thus far...which is usually a sign that you've got too much on your plate.

Despite being a long-time fan of WWII superhero stories, I have to admit I get tired of President Roosevelt's constant cameo appearances.  In so many of the superhero stories set in WWII, especially those written by Roy Thomas (I love Roy, but you can sure tell the guy was a history major!), FDR shows up time and time again as this avuncular secular saint, spouting Solomonic Wisdom while chomping jut-jawed on his cigarette holder.  In fact, the man showed up so often in Roy's WWII stories, he became a sort of "wartime Professor X" (complete with wheelchair) coaching and cavorting with wartime superheroes.

Friday Night Fights: Happy (Belated) Birthday, Jack!

Once again I let the (August 28^th) birthday of the late, great Jack Kirby slip by without a mention...his 90^th birthday, no less!  What kind of a fan am I? (hangs head in shame)

Under the omniscient gaze of mighty Bahlactus, let me rectify that mistake by serving up one of the King's frenetic fight scenes, where concrete walls and metal machinery crumbled like paper mache! Where acrobatics and body contortions no human could possibly duplicate were commonplace! WHERE FISTS AS BIG AS CANNED HAMS PUMMELED FOES WITH SEISMIC FORCE!

From Captain America #106 (1968), Comic Coverage proudly presents:

One of the hundred zillion things I love about 1960's Marvel Comics was their willingness to portray real-world Communist political figures as clowns, creeps, or outright villains.  It didn't happen all the time, mind you, but when it did, it was a beautiful thing.

While clueless left-wing radicals in the United States were wearing t-shirts and hoisting banners of Red China's Chairman Mao Zedong, Jack Kirby made him the mastermind behind Operation Replica ("Take that, Hippies!")!  Creating a nearly-identical Life Model Decoy of Steve Rogers, Mao and his minions sent the robotic agent to America to destroy and replace the real Steve (Captain America) Rogers!  We now join the Cap vs. Evil Robotic Steve battle already in progress (click on the panels to enlarge)...

"Can I get an AMEN?"

____________________________________

Disclaimer:  Any resemblance between movie producer (and Commie dupe) Cyril Lucas and Republican presidential candidate (and former actor) Fred Thompson is purely coincidental.

Those Who Lay In Glass Coffins Shouldn't Throw Stones

Or something like that, right?  Anyway, since I do alot of stuff involving comic book covers, you can imagine all the weird stuff and peculiar trends I've come across in my travels. 

One of those oddities is the surprisingly large number of Superman-related covers featuring glass coffins.  Whether they were in suspended animation or supposedly "dead", members of the Superman Family appeared "under glass" at a frequency unmatched before or since.

Worst. Cover. Ever. (Part 13)

Despite its critical acclaim (or perhaps because of its heavy-handed political soapboxing), Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams' Green Lantern/Green Arrow title was canceled with issue #89 in 1972. For the next several years, Green Lantern's only solo gig was as a backup feature in The Flash (good ol' Barry...letting his buddy stay in the spare room despite the wife's grumbling).

In 1976, the Green Lantern and Green Arrow title was revived, resuming its previous numbering with issue #90.  Though writer Denny O'Neil returned to the title, Neal Adams didn't (probably too busy crusading against something)...so the art chores fell to Mike Grell, who'd been making a name for himself on DC's Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes.

Sort of a "Poor Man's Neal Adams" (right down to the Adams-wannabe signature), Grell's work was wildly inconsistent.  Sometimes there were glimmers of Adams-like polish...yet much more often his work suffered from odd layouts, bizarrely proportioned figures (usually really big heads), unconvincing foreshortening, and dull backgrounds.

All of those weaknesses (and more) were on full display
here on the cover of Green Lantern/Green Arrow #94:

What's so bad about this cover?  Oh, let me count the ways!

1. The odd, tangent-riddled placement of the view screen (and its neutral blue edging) makes it disappear somewhat against Green Arrow's legs.  Pair that with the floor-level image of Green Lantern, and it appears (at first glance) as if Hal is laying on the floor staring up at Ollie's crotch.

2.  Ollie's tiny, whithered left arm holding the bow...a really good example of really bad foreshortening (the illusion of an object dramatically receding into the background).

3.  The two giant gears that Black Canary is strapped to have almost no detail and large fields of flat color...which creates big problems with the area's negative space.  Instead of being an "easy read" that Canary is strapped to a pair of huge gears, the negative space creates the incorrect impression that she's lifting or supporting a big piece of machinery over her head.  Making matters worse is the positioning of Canary's feet...which are a good distance into the room...yet her hands are strapped to gears located behind her in the room through the doorway.  Looks like Mike should have spent less time perfecting Canary's curvaceous torso and more time on her basic positioning.

Also, is it just me, or does her face look like Tori Spelling?

4.  Although an artist doesn't want too much background detail to steal attention from the main characters, I think Mike could have thrown a bit more detail into that vast, dull expanse of an orange wall.  At least throw a shadow from Green Arrow on there!

5.  The villain's word balloons look like an afterthought, desperately crammed along the right edge of the scene.

6.  A great cover can be enhanced by clever headlines or blurbs of copy, which can dramatically increase the "gotta buy it" factor.   Conversely, a lousy cover can be made even worse by unimaginative or nonsensical blurbs...like this cover's "Green Arrow without a beard?  WHY?"  Was that really the most exciting thing they could think of to highlight?  Green Lantern is supposedly dead and Black Canary may be torn asunder at any moment...but we're supposed to be worried about Green Arrow's lack of facial hair?

7.  Ironically presiding over this mess is the "Award Winning Comic!" blurb along the top...a classic example of the old expression "putting lipstick on a pig".

8.  Don't even get me started on the positioning of Green Arrow's arrowhead in relation to Black Canary. Ahem.

Moving along, since this marks the 13^th installment of the nauseating Worst Cover Ever series, what better way to celebrate that dubious milestone of doom and gloom than by featuring another spectacularly bad Green Lantern cover by Mike Grell?   

Green Lantern #103 has it all: comically bad foreshortening on GL, a claustrophobic layout, a flat-faced Black Canary, and a villain with not only the worst costume design in the galaxy (dig that kickin' mini-skirt!), but a body so poorly drawn and contorted that not even his camel-toe KISS boots or that Christmas ornament hanging from his right elbow can fully distract our attention from his unwieldy Ode To Quasimodo frame.

Thoughts on the Iron-Man Trailer

Yesterday, the trailer for Marvel's Iron-Man movie was officially released (no more lousy bootleg video to squint at).  The verdict?

Here...you can see it for yourself in small, medium, and large.  I recommend "large" if your internet connection is up to the challenge.

From various interviews with director Jon Favreau, to the inspired casting of Robert Downey Jr., and the fact that Marvel is producing it, I've had good feelings about the Iron Man movie from the start...but this trailer confirms that this will definitely be one of the better comic-to-film adaptations.

In fact, considering how shabbily Marvel itself has portrayed Iron-Man recently, the movie may even surpass the comics when it comes to treating the character (and his disillusioned fans) with any kind of respect. For the past couple of years, Iron-Man has been made into either a clueless utopian or a mustache twirling villain-slash-political allegory (depending on the writer), so it's heartening so see the character get some love from somewhere in the pop cultural continuum...in this case, from Hollywood of all places!

Anyway, back to the trailer itself. A few impressions:

1. Robert Downey Jr. was born to play Tony Stark. In just the few scenes I've watched, Downey deftly conveys Stark's intelligence, wry sense of humor, borderline arrogance (okay, full-blown arrogance before his accident), and intensity...not to mention the fact that he really looks like him!

2. I like how the original origin has been "transplanted" into a modern context. Instead of the jungles of Viet-Nam, Stark appears to suffer his life-altering injuries in a Middle Eastern hotspot of some kind (as a result of an IED attack). He also appears to fall into the hands of a generic Islamist terrorist gang....though I've heard the Mandarin is the main bad guy...so maybe the thugs are working for him. We'll see.

3. I really have to hand it to Marvel and Jon Favreau for including the original grey "prototype" armor. If any other studio were producing the movie, I'm positive that we wouldn't be seeing the bigger, bulkier armor for fear that it looked too silly or clumsey. That said, the prototype armor's inclusion is a creative risk...and if the film is in danger of jumping the rails at any point, this is it. Favreau's real test as an action movie director will be to pull off these scenes with a minimum of eye-rolling or unintended laughter from the audience. (fingers crossed)

4. The actual Iron-Man armor looks absolutely amazing...and not nearly as bulky or clumsy-looking as I feared it would. I especially loved the shots of Iron-Man in the dark, with only his eye slits and chest piece glowing.

5. Of course, the highlight of the trailer was Iron-Man's flight with the fighter jets (who was escorting who?), and the final shot of Iron-Man snapping on the booster jets. Definitely one of those "whoa!" moments when the comic book images in my head are suddenly translated to the screen.

6. The only negative reaction I had was the inclusion of the old Black Sabbath tune "Iron Man" in the background of a few action shots, and it's distinctive "I...am...Iron Man" sound bite toward the end of the trailer. I don't know...action films (by law) require driving rock soundtracks, but my fear is that by incorporating such an obvious (and borderline campy) head-banger artifact into the film, it may produce an effect or reaction the filmmakers aren't intending. Not a big deal...and it may never find its way into the finished film....but just enough to add a note of caution to my enthusiasm for the film.

So...what do the rest of you think?

Memory Albums: The Soundtracks of Summer

In the midst of some early fall cleaning and organizing, I came across an old box of vinyl record albums I hadn't laid eyes on for years. 

In our current age of ever-miniaturizing technology and super-jukeboxes the size of a credit card, I was a bit taken aback at how large and unweildly those albums seemed...but man, what fond memories they still hold.  You see, as the "first born" in my family, I didn't have older brothers and sisters to inherit albums and absorb music knowledge from...so the first music I really latched onto as a young teenager was movie soundtracks. 

As odd as that might sound, it was certainly the perfect era to discover that kind of music, since epic adventure movie soundtracks were enjoying a grand comeback courtesy of John Williams' mindblowing (and very successful) Star Wars score in 1977.  Over the next five years or so, every summer had at least one unforgettable movie soundtrack, with the vast majority of them composed by Williams.  Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Superman: The Movie (1978), Lord of the Rings (1978), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (composed by John Barry, 1979), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Superman II (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Return of the Jedi (1983)....what a fantastic time to be a teenager!

I spent alot of time listening to those albums as a kid.  I listened to them while reading (books or comics, no doubt), drawing, brooding (as teenagers occasionally do), or just dreaming.  As a whole, the larger-than-life nobility, high adventure, and sheer excellence of that music gave me something more than the passing fancies of pop music ever could. In a word, it was transcendent...even before I even knew the word or what it meant (it was just something I felt).

Of course, all of that music has since been digitized and funneled into my iPod...but I'm still not quite sure what to do with all those old albums. Do I sell them to vinyl collectors...or keep them around to show my grandkids someday?

Sure, they're really not much to look at...just a bunch of black, vinyl discs.  With really cool (large scale) album art.  And liner notes you could actually read without a microscope.  And all kinds of surprises, like the laser-etched "S" shields on my Superman II album (which was DANG cool for 1980, let me tell you):

Oh, yeah...I'm definitely keeping them.

Cover to Cover: Little Women

The Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weenie Wonder Woman

A few months back, I wrote a Cover to Cover column about giant superheroes, so naturally I had to follow it up with one on tiny superheroes, right? 

Right…but while researching the topic, a strange pattern began to emerge that made it clear I needed to narrow my focus.

In addition to the superheroes that used shrinking as part of their M.O. (like the Atom, Ant-Man, or the original tiny hero Doll Man), just about everyone else has been shrunk to a teeny-tiny size at one time or another.  However, when it came to getting small on a comic book cover, Wonder Woman far surpassed them all.

The first tiny Wonder Woman cover I could find was Sensation Comics #55 (1946), where a diminutive Diana faced the threat of the “Bughumans”.

Marvel's Mighty (and Modest) Monsters!

Before Marvel Comics entered the superhero genre with The Fantastic Four in 1961, they published a seemingly endless parade of giant monster stories...featuring hordes of blunt-fingered, gape-mouthed Kirby creatures.

As a founding member of the Fantastic Four, the Thing served as sort of a "bridge" between Marvel's monster-centric past and its superhero future.  You see, not only did the Thing echo the frightening appearance of his sci-fi predecessors, but their affinity for underwear as well!

That's right...you heard me.  Underwear!

Despite their status as giant radiation-spawned behemoths or rampaging alien conquerors, a surprising number of Marvel Monsters demonstrated a remarkable sense of modesty by wearing huge briefs (or boxers) over their unmentionable regions.

Why?  Who knows...I could take the easy route and assume the Comics Code Authority insisted that a monster who walked like a man should also dress like one.  My theory?  Simply this: Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee probably just got a kick out of 200 ft. tall monsters running around in their underwear.

UPDATE:

Thanks to one of my ever-alert readers, it seems I've missed a few proud members of the Modesty Monsters!  Once I found out about Goo-Gam (thanks, Bret!), that quickly lead me to his father GOOM.  While I was chasing down those two guys, Moomba and Zzutak popped up as well!  Here they are...

If anyone else knows of any Underwear Monsters I've missed, leave a comment or shoot me an email! There must be a complete accounting of these unique creatures!

The Highlight Reel: New Beginnings

In the current Spider-Man storyline One More Day, it's rumored that Marvel Comics will be pulling the plug on the marriage of Peter (Spider-Man) Parker and Mary Jane Watson.

Whether it'll be done the usual way (death) or an unusual way (hitting the cosmic re-set button), the ending of the marriage will supposedly clear the decks for a major overhaul of the Spider-Man franchise.  Nobody could be happier than Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada, who's made it clear he's no fan of the marriage. In fact, Joe was so enthusiastic about the story, he's drawing it himself (despite his E.I.C. duties and rusty drawing skills).

In the midst of all this grim marriage-dismantling, I thought it would be a good thing to go back to happier times...when Peter and Mary Jane's love first blossomed in Spider-Man #143 (1975). 

Since her debut in Spider-Man #42 (1966), Mary Jane Watson had been the happy-go-lucky party girl of the Spider-Man cast.  Though she definitely enjoyed flirting with Peter, she was simply a good friend through the years Peter dated his beloved Gwen Stacy.  That would all change when the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) killed Gwen Stacy and shattered Peter's world. Seeing Peter's pain, Mary Jane dropped the party girl pretense and reached out to him in sympathy. 

Over the next couple of months (or years in "real time"), Peter and Mary Jane's friendship continued to deepen.  Following an attempt on MJ's life by the equally demented son of the Green Goblin (Harry Osborn), Peter realized just how important she had become to him.

It's against this backdrop that we join our young couple in the quiet late-night corridors of the Kennedy International Airport, as Pete is about to catch a flight to Paris. As good-byes are said, as small talk runs it course...love begins.

(click on the pages for larger views)

Dear Editor: Metropolis Mailbag...After Dark!

Over my many years of collecting Superman comics, I've certainly read my fair share of Metropolis Mailbag letters pages.  Through all those decades of Mailbags, young fans asked the burning questions like "How do you pronounce 'Mxyzptlk'?" or "Where does he put his Clark Kent clothes when he's Superman?", while the mysterious "editor" patiently answered them over and over again.

However, there were times when those old Mailbags genuinely surprised me, when a question or an answer would suddenly veer off into uncharted weirdness. One such letter was printed in Superman #143 (1961), as one Tony Armalis from Chicago asked a question regarding the marital status of Superman and Lois Lane....followed by an answer from the editor that bumped the normally G-rated spirit of the letters page into the neon-lit world of...

W-W-What?

First, a quick confirmation courtesy of
Webster's dictionary... (click to enlarge)

...and there you have it.   Editor Mort Weisinger invalidating the Lois/X-Plam and Superman/Jena the Space Girl marriages on the grounds that they didn't go all the way!

Wow. Just....wow.

The Wheel of Time Turns

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass,
leaving memories that become legend. 
Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten
when the Age that gave it birth comes again. 

In one Age, called the Third Age by some,
an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose.... 
The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings
nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of time. 

But it was a beginning."

So began The Eye of the World (1990), Book One of Robert Jordan's sprawling Wheel of Time fantasy series.  Although the story featured many of the standard conventions of the fantasy genre, Jordan's vivid characters, breakneck pacing, and attention to detail won me over.  The next two books were equally entertaining.  In fact, The Great Hunt and The Dragon Reborn were so good, I signed on for the duration of the series....wherever it was Jordan wanted to take us.

Well, a funny thing sometimes happens when a writer suddenly has a best selling series on his hands.  Flush with the runaway success of their books, authors (with no argument from their publishers) will often "throw in the anchor" and drag the story out far longer than anyone could have ever predicted. 

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened with The Wheel of Time.  Each book seemed to advance the story slower than the last, while the cast and scope of the story expanded to an almost comical level.  Jordan's once admirable eye for detail became a caricature of itself, as two or three pages at a time would be devoted to describing the architecture of a building, the minute details of a room, or a character's exquisitely embroidered collar.  The once-snappy pacing slowed to a snail's pace, as dry political maneuvering took the place of high adventure.

This dreary slog went on for a number of years, always with the hope that something....anything...would happen to keep me around.  Finally, exhausted with apathy, I threw in the towel at A Crown of Swords (Book Ten).  At that point, there was no end in sight for the series and Jordan had turned his attention to writing a prequel, of all things...so it appeared I made the right decision to leave The Wheel of Time behind.

Flash forward to the 2006 San Diego Comic Con, where Jordan (at eleven books and counting) announced that he would "finish the story in one more book even if it takes a 1500 page hardcover", making Book Twelve, A Memory of Light, the tentative final book of the series.

Sadly, it turns out that the Wheel of Time series will never be finished by Jordan, since he died this past Sunday of a rare blood disease at the tragically young age of 58.  God bless the man and his family for enduring such a long illness...and a tip of the hat to the still-loyal Wheel of Time fans who patiently waited for the finale that would never come.  Yes, apparently Jordan told a few people how he planned to end the story...and I'm sure there are enough notes and materials of Jordan's to piece something together...but still, what a blow to a once-promising series that had lost its way, yet was poised for a (potentially) spectacular send-off.

Despite the frustrations of the later books, I still have fond memories of the first five or six...especially The Great Hunt (my personal favorite of the entire series). A pity the distractions of the Best Seller Machine took Jordan's eye off the ball.  I certainly don't mean to give the impression I'm slamming a dead guy...but having been such a fan for so long, I can't help but feel bad for Jordan.  First, for losing his way through The Wheel of Time and, second, for never having the chance to finish it.

I suspect the problems with The Wheel of Time aren't unique.  Have any of you ever signed onto a series of books that eventually fell victim to its own success? (Books, not comics.  Meandering, artificially-padded stories are business as usual here in the comics world.)

Silver Age Outtakes: The Origin of THOR!

From Journey Into Mystery #83 (1962),
featuring the Origin of Thor!

Simply the Best: Old School Covers 101

It seems most of my favorite comic book covers were published during the so-called "Old School" era, back before today's creative giants ushered in the glorious "New School" era of enlightened sophistication.

(sarcasm mode...disengage!)

Naturally, I haven't lost a wink of sleep over my oddball status as an "Old School Fan". Oh sure, there's a ton of stuff to love about today's style of comics (why do you think I keep reading them?)...but my heart will always belong to the comics of the 70's and 80's. One of my favorite "relics" of the Old School style is the cover of Fantastic Four #147 (1974), featuring the F.F.'s showdown with a fighting mad Namor, The Sub-Mariner.

From top to bottom, there's a ridiculous number of things I love about this classic Old School cover. I'll list ten of 'em...

Grandma & Grandpa's Comics

First of all, Happy First Day of Fall! Since there aren't alot of (okay, any) cover shots of superheroes performing the quintessential fall chore of raking leaves, I turned to the good old Walt Disney Comics of my early years for an image.

As you've probably figured out by now, it doesn't take much to trigger the Nostalgia Gland in my brain...so seeing that wonderful scene of Hewie, Dewie, Louie and their hapless "Unca' Donald" really conjured up some fond memories.

You see, every Sunday after church, it was a tradition for my family and I to stop by Grandma & Grandpa's house for milk and cookies (you can't get much more Norman Rockwell than that, can you?). Following the Cookie Feast, I would retire to their living room with a big stack of Disney and Looney Tunes comic books (and a disparate copy of Superman #187) they kept for just such a purpose. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed those comics, or how many times I read them. Obviously, interwoven with the memories of reading those comics were the warm memories of visiting grandma and grandpa all those years ago. Cookies and comics. How can you beat that?

Even now, whether it's the comics from Grandma and Grandpa's (yes, they're mine now), or comics from another point in my life, isn't it interesting how they can sometimes conjure up memories from specific "eras" of your life? Any special comics trigger those memories for you? Drop me a comment and let me know!

Tomorrow: My review of the Superman: Doomsday video that was released earlier this week. See you then!

At The Movies: Superman-Doomsday

This past Tuesday saw the release of Superman: Doomsday, the first of a new series of animated features adapted from acclaimed DC Comics stories.

Loosely based on the wildly hyped Death of Superman comic book event of the early 90's, the movie has no connection to the previous animated Superman projects (though the basic character design certainly evokes them).

However, Superman: Doomsday's biggest departure from those previous incarnations is probably the movie's PG-13 rating...which may or may not have been the wisest decision.  But I'll cover that a little later.

First off, a brief synopsis...which means you are now officially SPOILER WARNED. From here on out, I'll be discussing plot details and featuring various scenes from the movie...so if you don't want to know, check out some other sections of Comic Coverage.  There's pretty much something for everyone here.

Ready?  Good...I'll see you on the other side of the jump.

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!

Comics Behind the Comics: Green Lantern's Oath

Remember the solemn oath Green Lantern
recites each time he recharges his power ring? 

"In brightest day,
In blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power,
Green Lantern's Light!"

Well, as with all timeless verse, Green Lantern's oath didn't
come together right away. In this inaugural installment
of Comics Behind the Comics, we'll take a look at...

Green Lantern © DC Comics

Don't forget to take a shot at the Great Superman Beat-Down Contest!
You've got until 6:00 pm CST to send in your guesses! The person with
the most correct guesses will win a Superman: Doomsday DVD!

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

Cover to Cover: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Comics' Deadliest Deathtraps!

Though Harry Houdini had gained a measure of fame as a stage magician, it wasn’t until he began performing breathtaking escapes that he was guaranteed immortality.  Whether escaping from handcuffs, ropes, straightjackets, chains, or water-filled milk cans, audiences were thrilled by Houdini’s showmanship coupled with the very real possibility of his failure and death!

Long after Houdini’s actual (and very premature) death, the spirit of his intricate deathtraps lived on. Saturday matinee cliffhangers, the motorcycle stunts of Evel Knievel, the elaborate execution machines of James Bond villains, modern magic stylists like David Blaine and, yes…even some superhero comic book covers seem to owe at least some debt to the great Houdini’s stagecraft.

One of the earliest of the deathtrap covers featured Dr. Zodiak’s Perpetual Motion Machine, a.k.a. “The Pinwheel O' Death” from All Star Comics #42 (1948).

Friday Night Fights: Supes vs. Spidey...The Movie!

After giving us a two week break to mend our wounds while perfecting deadly new moves, mighty Bahlactus begins another cycle of Friday Night Fights...a weekly fever of mass mayhem that grips the violence-prone comic book blogosphere. So, lace up those boxing gloves, break out the smelling salts, and let's hit Friday Night Fights: Sucka-Punch!

Before the reign of never-ending Super Secret Crisis Wars, so-called "Event Comics" were few and far between in the dawning years of my comic book addiction (early to mid-70's).  However, one of the first genuine (and most fondly remembered) Event Comics of that period was the Superman vs. Spider-Man treasury edition (1976).

As the first real crossover between rival publishers Marvel and DC Comics (they co-published a Wizard of Oz treasury edition a year earlier), my fellow ten year-olds and I comprehended enough of the proprietary hurdles involved to really appreciate how special the team-up was...yet at the same time being young enough to truly revel in its primal "Who'd Win In a Fight?" premise.

Needless to say, Superman vs. Spider-Man left me and my pals utterly gobsmacked...and it remains a highlight of my collection all these years later. So much so, I wanted to feature some choice panels for Round One of Sucka-Punch, but due to its unwieldy size and high-grade condition, I didn't feel like mashing it into my scanner.

However, through the miracle of YouTube, I can post the next best thing...an epic video re-creation of Superman vs. Spider-Man! In Spanish, no less!

Don't let Webhead's luchador-like mask or the Man of Steel's five o'clock
shadow fool you...these guys were BORN to play Spider-Man and Superman!

Now, watch as these two gifted actors, the magic of
amateur video, and a pulse-pounding musical score
faithfully bring to life one of comicdom's most epic events!

(except for the part where Superman is hung from a chimney like a Christmas stocking.)

Tempting Toys

I'm not what you'd call a superhero action figure or statue guy.  I understand the appeal, and I've got no problem with people who collect them....but for whatever reason, I'm largely immune to the lure of collecting and displaying superhero figures.

Part of that comes from my feeling that when it comes to displaying superhero figures (toys or statues), it's an "All or Nothing" proposition.  Meaning, if you're going to collect and display superhero figures, you have to go big.  Really big.  Large numbers or, better yet, elaborate displays of superhero figures tell visitors that you are an Official Collector and geeky-hip Pop Cultural Connoisseur.

An excellent example of attaining the readily apparent "Official Collector" status is my pal Tom Richmond's Batman collection, a mightily impressive display of Batman figures and memorabilia from across the decades.

Having zero superhero figures displayed obviously doesn't raise any suspicions...but if you're located somewhere in the middle, with only a few superhero figures displayed here and there, it definitely elicits the "Spock Skeptical Eyebrow Raise" from visitors.  "Is this an Official Collection...or does he play with these?  Is he mature and well-adjusted or a child trapped in a man's body?" 

In short...it's an accumulation rather than a full-blown collection.

Naturally, that weird middle ground is just where I'm at...with a few random superhero statues or toys sprinkled around my home studio/office.  So...I like them enough to display a few of them, but not enough to commit to the Big Collection...making me, as I said, largely immune to buying more.

However, every once in awhile, a superhero statue or toy will come along that cuts through the haze of my toy apathy and demands to be added to my random, eyebrow-raising accumulation of figures.  The latest of these occasional temptations is a collaboration between DC Direct and Dark Horse Comics, featuring four Classic DC Heroes

(click on the image for a better look).

As an unapologetic nostalgia freak, what I love so much about these figures is their pseudo-vintage look, resembling the crude pressed wood and metal-cast toys of the 1930's and 40's (before plastic became the primary material for toys). Adding to the appeal is how closely Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash resemble the distinct art styles of their Golden Age comic book titles.  Packaged in beautiful tin boxes, each statuette comes with a matching pin and full-color booklet (which tells a bit about the character).

Of course, as with most extremely cool stuff, they're a bit on the pricey side ($50 each), but man...they'd sure look great randomly scattered around my studio, wouldn't they?