Thứ Tư, 30 tháng 9, 2009

Cover Appearances of the JLA Members

This came up in the guest post by M. Hamilton, and I thought it was an interesting enough topic to be given its own post. I went through the covers of Justice League of America to see who did (and who didn't) appear on each cover through 1969. I broke it down 20 issues at a time:

As you can see, Superman and Batman only made rare appearances on the cover of JLA during the first 20 issues. Note that Green Arrow was not inducted until #4 (the Atom in #14, and Hawkman in #31), so aside from them, the Martian Manhunter was the first member not to appear on a cover, Green Arrow was the second, MM the third and then Aquaman became the first to miss two covers in a row.

In JLA #21-40 we see Superman and Batman becoming more regular features on the cover. Wonder Woman's consecutive string of covers ends with #25, while Green Lantern is first missing from #32. The Flash makes it to #33, but just barely, as his run of appearances includes this one from JLA #21:

Correction: As pointed out by sharp-eyed Tom Brevoort in the comments, those aren't the Flash's hands between Green Arrow and Superman, but actually Green Arrow's hands, rather awkwardly drawn (especially the right hand). So in fact Green Lantern had the longest run of the core JLA five. Good catch, Tom, you should be an editor. ;)

The Atom goes missing for a total of 19 issues, from 26-44; obviously his small size made including him on the cover somewhat difficult.


You can see Batmania writ large in this set of issues, as he appears on the cover for 13 consecutive issues, and the first one that doesn't include him has the adult Robin (of Earth 2) featured prominently. Batman was also the only JLA member to appear on the cover of the first issue of a JLA/JSA teamup between JLA #37 and #73, and the first JLA member to be the only JLA member on a cover with JLA #46. Of course that doesn't begin to tell the story as Batman was almost always in the foreground of these covers to take advantage of his newfound popularity with the TV show.

Doing rather well during this entire period was Green Arrow, who made the cover of JLA 40 times out of 74 issues. Not bad considering that his backup feature in World's Finest had been canceled in 1964 and that he seldom appeared anywhere else in the DC universe from 1964-1969. Aquaman, who had his own book, missed 43 of 77 covers, and only appeared on 11 covers after #28. Atom, also a headliner, only appeared on 8 covers from #21-#60.

Who made the most covers? The Flash appeared on 59 covers of JLA by the end of 1969, while Green Lantern made 58.

Number 602


Do two half-men make up one whole man?


I noticed the title similarity to these Atlas Comics stories, but the titles are all that's alike. "Half Man, Half...?" is from Menace #10, 1954. "Half Man" is from Uncanny Tales #22, but my scans are from the 1970s reprint in Crypt of Shadows #9.

"Half Man, Half...?" is drawn by Robert Q. Sale, a staple of the Atlas bullpen. At one time Sale shared studio space at the Charles William Harvey studios with Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, John Severin and Charlie Stern. This 1949 cartoon illustration by Severin is from The Art of Harvey Kurtzman, The Mad Genius of Comics by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle.

Sale is seated with his back to us, and is singing along with a radio commercial. It's said that Sale stuttered, but could sing radio jingles with no impediment.

"Half Man" is an allegory about Jim Crow and the treatment of African-Americans in the U.S. after returning from World War II. They rightfully felt they'd be recognized for their service and given full rights as citizens. Even in 1954 when dealing with such subject matter as race, the main characters shown are white. It undercuts the point, but publishers tread a little more lightly in those days when they were scared of losing readers in areas of the country where segregation was the law.

"Half Man" is credited at the Atlas Tales website to "Fass?" which means Myron Fass, and the question mark means they aren't sure. I'm not familiar enough with Myron Fass' comic art to make a determination, but I know a bit about Fass's later life as a publisher of sleazy and exploitation magazines, including the Eerie Publications line. You can read about Myron Fass here.











**********
Say what?

I could take you more seriously if you'd stop wearing mouse ears.

From Atomic War #3.

Thứ Hai, 28 tháng 9, 2009

Echo #15


Echo #15
CBZ | Sep 2009 | 23 Pages | 13 MB
Dillon loves Annie, but the murdered Annie now lives inside Julie, and Julie thinks the whole thing is bizarre. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, Julie and Dillon must stop HeNRI from activating its ill-fated Super Collider. But, with Special Agent Ivy Raven and half the army on their trail, getting anywhere near the secret facility will be almost impossible. Almost.

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Power Girl #5


Power Girl #5
CBR | Sep 23, 2009 | 23 pages | 12 MB
“Space Girls Gone Wild!” part 2 of 3! As the trio of sexy alien marauders continue their rampage across Earth, Power Girl tries to figure out how to stop ‘em! But with aliens this gorgeous, readers won’t ever want them to leave! Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray; Art and cover by Amanda Conner; variant cover by Guillem March

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The Spider: Judgment Knight #2


The Spider: Judgment Knight #2
CBR | Sep 23, 2009 | 32 Pages | 12.2 MB
The Spider: Judgment Knight is a gorgeously done graphic novel from Moonstone, and now it's going to be a series. It is based on The Devil’s Paymaster from The Spider Magazine, May, 1941 with distinctive noirish black-and-white artwork. A mix of hardboiled prose and art, each page has three sections, prose top and bottom, about half the page, and an art panel in the middle, half the page. As you look at two facing pages, the art is one continuous panel stretching across both. They call it wide-vision, and it makes for a unique perspective onto a true pulp fiction character. "Judgment Knight" is the series tag, with each issue apparently titled. Issue #2 is titled, "Tomahawks From Hell". I'm still looking for Issue #1, though.

The body count is high as the most ruthless crime fighter of all time stars in his very own wide-vision graphic novel! Adaptation of the Spider classic “The Devil’s Paymaster”. A murderous ghost terrorizes New York City, dealing gruesome agonized death to any who stand in the way of his quest for power. The Spider finds himself wounded and caught in a desperate battle within America’s very symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty. At stake, the fate of millions and the life of the woman he loves. Story by Will Murray; Art by Giovanni Timpano, Cover by Gary Carbon
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Tales From Wonderland: The Cheshire Cat (One-Shot)


Tales From Wonderland: The Cheshire Cat (One-Shot)
CBR | June 17, 2009 | 32 Pages | 20.7 MB
I thought Zenescope had their series of one-shots entitled Tales of Wonderland complete when i posted them here last March 18, 2009. As stated in said post, the continuity is that this series serves as prequel to Zenescope's hugely popular Grimm Fairy Tales spin-off Return to Wonderland. It turns out Zenescope has one more tale to tell, Tales From Wonderland: The Cheshire Cat, released just yesterday, June 17, 2009. As with the others of this title, it is about another Lewis Carroll character, the eponymous Cheshire Cat, that eventually appears in the storyline of the gruesome Return to Wonerland.

Decades ago a regular house cat was sent into the unnatural realm called Wonderland. Not long after did that feline grow to become another entity altogether as it formed a consciousness and self-awareness that only Wonderland could provide and found a power that turned an innocent kitten into a killing machine. Now the feline they call the Cheshire Cat is trapped back in this world and is beginning to develop something that never seemed possible: a conscience. After being taken in by a caring sorority girl, the once evil being is finally getting a taste of what being loved and cared for truly feels like. Can this cat change his stripes or will the evil inside of him ultimately be unleashed?
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The Incredible Hulk #602


The Incredible Hulk #602
CBR | Sep 23 2009 | 34 Pages | 16.8 MB
X marks the spot as the most insane father and son duo in the Marvel Universe take on one of the Green Goliath’s most formidable adversaries. That’s right, it’s the JUGGERNAUT, bi–bi–boys and girls! What happens when an unstoppable force meets the Old Power and the gamma-fueled genes of the Strongest One There Is? Massive destruction and emotional revelation, that’s what! Continuing the acclaimed writer Greg Pak’s return to the “Incredible Hulk", plus, in the “Savage She-Hulk” backup story written by Fred Van Lente, Lyra takes on the all-new Gamma Corps Black!

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Grimm Fairy Tales Giant-Size #1


Grimm Fairy Tales Giant-Size #1
CBR | Jan 21, 2009 | 58 Pages | 26.1 MB
I thought I had completely posted the entire the Grimm Fairy Tales series of comic books together with its spin-offs in avaxhome but i certainly overlooked this one by Joe Brusha & Martin Moniel, published last January 21, 2009. The first giant-sized issue from Zenescope's hit Grimm Fairy Tales series. This special double-sized issue explores Belinda's mysterious past, re-imagining the classic fairy tale The Boy Who Knew No Fear. This leads to my subsequent Grimm Fairy Tale post.

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Conan the Cimmerian #14


Conan the Cimmerian #14
CBR | Sep 23 2009 | 29 Pages | 22.5 MB
After Conan left Cimmeria and entered into a successful career as a brutal mercenary, he became the leader of Princess Yasmela's Khorajan army. In the calm after a successful campaign, Conan quickly tires of his pampered life as the princess's protector and lover. While Joe Kubert shows us what trouble a restless barbarian can get into on royal palace grounds, Tim Truman takes us back to the Cimmerian village of Conan's youth -- where a surviving Skrae creature claws its way toward Fialla, Conan's mother. Writer: Tim Truman, Ben Truman; Artist: Joe Kubert, Tim Truman; Cover Artist: Joseph Michael Linsner

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Trivia Quiz #33: Answers

1. What villain was responsible for Professor X losing the use of his legs?

Lucifer was the guilty party as Professor X revealed in X-Men #9

2. What organization did Flash Thompson start?

Flash Thompson founded the Spiderman Fan Club (Forest Hills Chapter).

3. Jeopardy-style: Flash Thompson, Mysterio and the Chameleon. (That's the answer, what's the question?)

Who were the three people who dressed up as Spiderman (other than Peter Parker) in the first 20 issues of Amazing Spiderman?

4. What villain was Professor X's step-brother?

The Juggernaut was Professor Xavier's step-father's son.

5. What position did Professor X play in football?



The Prof was a quarterback in football.

James Murton came, he saw and he kicked major league butt on this quiz, getting all five answers correct. RAB got the first four correct. ShadowWing Tronix got #4, while Jacque Nodell was right on #1 and #4. Sorry Jacque, but while Flash Thompson may be an enemy of Peter Parker, he's a big fan of Spidey! And Ralph C doesn't realize it, but the Chameleon has been in his kitchen; did you really check that meter reader guy's ID carefully?


Number 601


"Outside the forbidden pages of deSade..."


Seduction of the Innocent by Fredric Wertham, M.D., is often mentioned in comic book circles but how many have actually read it? I read it a couple of times over 40 years ago and a lot of it is still vivid to me, especially in the illustration section with the out-of-context panels and covers. They were taken as examples from the worst comics Wertham could find.


"Veiled Lady" is from St. John's Authentic Police Cases #2, and is a reprint from Red Band Comics #16. Both of the appearances were in the 1940s, and long off sale by the time Wertham used them in his infamous 1954 book.

The whole silly story is best known for the first panel, page two (also the panel on top of this page). Dr. Wertham said this in a caption, "Outside the forbidden pages of deSade, you find draining a girl's blood only in children's comics." Like his other choices, he never gave any context to the panels, just used them for their shock value.

Wertham was not the only anti-comics crusader. There had been organized efforts against comic books practically since their inception. By the time Seduction was published the public clamor had reached a peak, had even provoked senate hearings. The Comics Code was an industry attempt to keep comic books on the stands, because there were boycotts going on. The illustrations in Seduction, including this crazy "deSade panel," had a lot to do with bringing major changes to an industry.






Chủ Nhật, 27 tháng 9, 2009

Superboy #90



This was a common theme in the DC Silver Age; people were always looking into the future or the past via a television set. The appeal is pretty obvious; who wouldn't want to be able to turn on your TV and see his or her future life? In the story, Lana Lang is helping her father clean out an old laboratory, when she notices a "time-viewing machine" that Professor Wilton had been working on. According to her father, it never worked, but Lana does a little "tinkering" and before long she's watching:



So she decides to try to change the future. She's learned from watching the TV that Lois' parents are from nearby Pittsdale, where a cousin lives. Lois' school starts early, so Lana can spy on her at class. When she sees Lois leave a sample of her work for the student newspaper, Lana pounces:



But as it happens, Superboy sends a gust of wind through the town to prevent an avalanche, and this blows Lana's fake sample out the window. Lana decides what the heck, but Lois had seen her composition blowing away and replaced it with a carbon copy, so she gets on the student newspaper.

Lana sees another opportunity here:



So she puts a tiny speaker (the text says "microphone" but this is clearly wrong) in Lois's desk so she can give the answers to Lois, who believes the voice she's hearing must be telepathy. But Superboy has tested an experimental new explosive for the military which knocks out radio communications for a few minutes, and Lois fails the telepathy test despite Lana's attempts to help her.

Later, Lana tries to help Lois win a scholarship in sculpture. She hires a "starving artist" to help:



He creates a beautiful sculpture of a cat, but Krypto happens by, and indulging himself for a moment, he destroys any chance Lois had of avoiding journalism as a major. Lana is beaten for now, but she resolves to return to Pittsdale again; I don't know if this actually happened or not.

Comments: As I have mentioned many times, the inexorable nature of fate is a very common theme in the DC universe during the Silver Age. In a memorable pair of stories in 1959, both Batman and Superman were shown their fates had the most important and traumatic experiences of their lives not occurred. Of course, for Bruce that was his parents' murder, and for Kal-El it was the destruction of Krypton. In the former, Bruce becomes Batman anyway, while for Kal, he becomes the Superman of Krypton.

It was already well-established that one could not change the past in the DC universe; in a famed story in Superboy #85, Clark uses a time viewer (yep) to observe the assassination of President Lincoln. But when he goes back in time to prevent Booth from killing him, Lex Luthor is hiding out in that time period and he prevents Superboy from saving the president.

This makes a great deal of common sense. If Superboy saved Abe Lincoln, then he would grow up in a world where Abe Lincoln was not assassinated, and therefore he wouldn't go back in time to save Lincoln, who would be assassinated, so Superboy would go back to save him, so he wouldn't die, etc. You can see the problem.

The idea that the future is unchangeable is a different thing; you can argue that leads to fatalism. However, it was certainly necessary in this case, as we all knew from years of reading Superman that he did actually know a reporter named Lois Lane.

The second story features Supertot. Martha and Jonathan are taking a cruise with the toddler when he leaps overboard to chase some fishes. The couple are heartbroken, although not for the reason the cruise ship crew assumes. They know Clark will survive, but they may never find him again.

Sure enough, he makes it to Metropolis where he is put up for adoption. But the first couple he's adopted by discover his appetite is boundless:



The second couple are spooked when Supertot decides to imitate the moving men he'd seen during the day:



And an inventor and his wife are similarly startled:

And so it happens that Supertot is back at the orphanage when Ma and Pa Kent come searching for him.

Comments: Cute story; you could argue that this again was fate working its mysterious way to make sure Clark would be raised by the Kents.

The third story is something of a key in the Silver Age; it features the first time anybody other than the Kents had known that Superboy was secretly Clark Kent. Pete Ross had been introduced a few issues before as Clark's buddy, and in this issue we learn (as does Clark via super-hearing) that Pete's a loyal pal, when a pair of costumed guys invite Pete to a party, but specify that they don't want Clark tagging along:



So Clark decides to take some more secret identity risks in order to be around Pete Ross, and when they go camping one evening, the inevitable occurs:



But for once, the story doesn't end with the secret identity discoverer getting amnesia, or being convinced he was wrong. In fact, Pete subs for one of Superboy's robots when it malfunctions. Pete Ross would remain the only other person to know Superboy/Superman's secret identity in the Silver Age.

Comments: A fine little story, with great characterization for Pete. Unfortunately, there turned out to be little that the writers could do with him, and so he really only made a dozen or so appearances in the Silver Age.

Tales from Wonderland: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (One-Shot)


Tales from Wonderland: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (One-Shot)
CBR | Sep 23 2009 | 35 Pages | 18 MB
The next issue of Zenescope's Tales From Wonderland series of one-shots. Following the Tales From Wonderland: The Red Queen one-shot released last June 24, 2009 is Tales from Wonderland: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. As the title says, and as with others, it's a story about characters that appear in Zenescope Entertainment's related Grimm Fairy Tales titles. It also includes a back-up story, "The Arrangement Chapter Three", continuing from The Cheshire Cat and The Red Queen one-shots.

A young teen is constantly pushed by his demanding and overbearing father but what happens when the father and son find themselves transported to a world that can easily turn everything you know into a nightmare of epic proportions? The tables are turned as two men become three and one of them seeks a new kind of revenge. Enter a world where madness reigns supreme, enter the world of Wonderland! Includes Part 3 of the back-up story “The Arrangement.” Writer: Raven Gregory; Artists: Axel Medellin and Salvador Navarro
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Grimm Fairy Tales: Beyond Wonderland #6 (of 6)


Grimm Fairy Tales: Beyond Wonderland #6 (of 6)
CBR | 2 Covers | 31 Pages | 14.9 MB
The final confrontation that has been building for months - Calie versus her brother Johnny, the newly crowned sadistic Mad Hatter! New York City is the battleground for their final battle and when the smoke clears only one of them will be left among the living. Will Johnny's evil triumph over Calie and lead to the destruction of our world? The final issue to the smash hit series is here and it is not to be missed!

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Grimm Fairy Tales: The Piper #4 (of 4)


Grimm Fairy Tales: The Piper #4 (of 4)
CBZ | 33 Pages | 16.5 MB | Jul 2008
The shocking conclusion of the series that reinvents the classic horror villain is here. In a final showdown for his life Sean must find a way to defeat the being that preys on human souls. But he realizes only one thing may be able to stop the Piper and he might be the only person who possesses the gift to do so. Includes a shocking and unexpected ending that you need to see to believe!

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Anita Blake, The Laughing Corpse - Necromancer #5 (of 5)


Anita Blake, The Laughing Corpse - Necromancer #5 (of 5)
CBR | Sep 23, 2009 | 36 Pages | 21.4 MB
The second chapter of best-selling author Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake thriller concludes! Voodoo priestess Dominga Salvador put a curse on professional vampire hunter Anita Blake, making the hunter the hunted. And for the first time since she was attacked by Dominga’s monsters, Anita comes face-to-face with the most-feared witch in America. It’s a showdown that sets the stage for THE LAUGHING CORPSE’s final act: EXECUTIONER!

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Grimm Fairy Tales: Beyond Wonderland #5


Grimm Fairy Tales: Beyond Wonderland #5
CBR | 24 Pages | 13.2 MB
The ultimate game of chess begins as Johnny and Calie face off for the first time since sister sacrificed her kin into the realm of madness and terror. But Johnny is hell-bent on wreaking more havoc before he confronts his dear sis and decides that a murder spree is just what the doctor ordered.

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