Before Linda Carter, there was Cathy Lee Crosby as Wonder Woman, if only for an ever so brief moment. Watch all the CLC/Wondy action this holiday season.
And, while you’re at it, Warner Bros. has got you covered with the second season of the much acclaimed, “Superboy.” They both are on their way starting December 11.
More details follow:
Filed under Superheroes, Superman, Television, Warner Bros., Wonder Woman
It saddens me to report that cartoonist Joe Kubert has passed away today. He leaves a huge legacy of work in comics, including “Sgt. Rock.” I felt like I had gotten to know him a little by taking one of his correspondence courses, which is part of The Kubert School.
Thankfully, the work carries on with Mr. Kubert’s two sons, both successful cartoonists, Andy and Adam. They regularly create work and are part of The Kubert School.
DC Comics has a six issue run of “Joe Kubert Presents,” an anthology to debut this Halloween.
Filed under Comics, DC Comics, Joe Kubert
May 5 is not only Cinco de Mayo, it’s also Free Comic Book Day! And the selection of free comics is quite nice this year which you can look at over here.
Unless you’re one of those adorably annoying young parents who always seems to hog the staff’s time, or you’re one of those hoarders who has only come for free stuff, all are truly welcome to celebrate Free Comic Book Day at your local comics shop. Without wanting to sound mean, those most welcome are the regular readers, or aspiring regular readers of comics. And for you, Free Comic Book Day offers that added value of genuine sneak previews. Leading the pack, is the latest news on the next wave of “The New 52” line-up of titles from DC Comics. Here’s a look at some of what you’ll get. To start with, we’ve got amazing cover art by legendary artist Jim Lee, who also illustrated five interior pages including a gorgeous four-page gatefold. You also get quite a suprise with the full story in this issue plus a nice selection of previews of new titles joining “The New 52.”
TRINITY WAR
The opener is an all-new story written by New York Times bestselling author Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, Ivan Reis, Gene Ha and Kenneth Robert. Welcome to your new event. It has an intriguing take on Pandora’s Box.
Also included are previews for BATMAN INCORPORATED, DIAL H, EARTH 2, G. I. COMBAT, THE RAVAGERS and the one that really stood out for me, WORLD’S FINEST. It just looks like a lot of fun: a team-up of Huntress and Power Girl! Paul Levitz gets to shine as one of the most knowledgeable writers of DC Comics history. And you’ve got the artist team of two other legendary talents, Kevin Maguire and George Perez. This is the story of two women, two worlds and one mission: to return home! What more can you want?
Filed under comic books, Comics, DC Comics, Free Comic Book Day, The New 52
Dick Sprang is your friend if you prefer your Batman to be more surreal and offbeat. If you want your Batman deep in his cartoon roots, and not so allied with CSI, then Zap, Pow, Boom, Bang, it’s Dick Sprang!
The above image is from a lithograph that Sprang created for DC Comics in 1995. Comics Alliance does a wonderful job of going over the details. What it comes down to is, Sprang, along with a special select group of artists from the Golden Age, essentially did what they had to do. Sprang outshone many of them but he, like the rest, just did his work and let Bob Kane, “the creator of Batman,” take the credit for it. Flash forward a few decades, and people come to appreciate an artist like Sprang. You have DC Comics doing the honorable thing by showcasing his work in reprint volumes and even bringing the old man out of retirement to do a double-page spread. Sprang has left us but he is hardly lost to obscurity.
It was a notion that the Batman I was looking for lived in old issues of “World’s Finest” that led me to Dick Sprang and his magical world.
The Jokermobile, for instance, is a perfectly Sprangian concoction and is included in an insightful essay at Matt Seneca’s blog. Sprang was completely steeped in cartoonland wizardy. And that is what I’d like to see in Batman today!
The above work graces the cover of the current issue of “Alter Ego,” #107. What exactly this illustration was created for has been completely forgotten! But here it is back from the dead and quite a lively spectacle. You’ve got Robin tied up to a speeding truck while Batman is jumping off another speeding truck going in the opposite direction. Batman secures himself to the truck that Robin is tied to, manages to break the windshield and even control the steering wheel!
Inside the magazine, you will find a nice little interview with Dick Sprang, from 1993, conducted by Shel Dorf, one of the founders of the San Diego Comic-Con. The interview gets lost in the details as these fanzine type of things tend to do but that’s okay. Mostly, you get a sense of what it is was like back in the ’40s in New York hustling for illustration work and finally landing a big time gig. A man in a suit approaches, Sprang, a young eager artist. He asks him to draw three Batman pages of script in four days. Sprang delivers. Then he asks him to do a whole Batman comic book, fifteen pages in fifteen days, maybe sixteen if he needs it. But, there’s a war on, so there are no guarantees. Sprang’s work will be stockpiled in anticipation of laying off artists, including possibly Sprang himself. Sprang agrees and the rest is history. The interview does well with history but the forest gets lost for the trees. It’s only at the very end that any mention is made of Sprang’s use of composition. Sprang, being at heart a company man, plays down his accomplishments. But we do get a glimmer as when he says, “You can draw lines that illustrate the artist’s thoughts.” That Sprang did most eloquently.
Here are the particulars on “Alter Ego,” #107:
ALTER EGO #107 (84 pages with color section, $8.95) is a big BATMAN issue, featuring an unused Golden Age cover by definitive Dark Knight artist DICK SPRANG! Headlining this bat-centric issue is a SHEL DORF interview with SPRANG (Batman, the Superman/Batman team, etc.) and JIM MOONEY (Batman, Superman, Robin, Supergirl, Tommy Tomorrow, Spider-Man, Marvel Team-Up, Son of Satan, etc.)! Plus there’s rare and unseen Batman art by BOB KANE, JERRY ROBINSON, WIN MORTIMER, SHELLY MOLDOFF, CHARLES PARIS, and others! Part II of the TONY TALLARICO interview, conducted by JIM AMASH! Plus FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, and more! Now in FULL COLOR! Edited by ROY THOMAS.
Filed under Batman, Comics, DC Comics, Dick Sprang
When has Superman ever been barefoot?
We are one issue away from the close to the first story arc since the relaunch of “ACTION COMICS.” With Issue 7, Grant Morrison and Rags Morales return to the main story, after a special two-part origin story pencilled by Andy Kubert, and bring us back to the larger-than-life energy they have maintained. In this issue, Morrison gets to further play with some iconic Superman tradition, namely Brainiac and the miniature city of Kandor, the last surviving community from the destruction of Superman’s home planet, Krypton. This is what this story has been leading up: What happens when Lex Luthor tries to take over Earth by entrusting his life and everyone’s else’s to a mysterious alien intelligence. The aliens, of course, take advantage of Lex Luthor and all hell breaks loose! And so it happens here and with all the trimmings!
Mr. Morrison, not only a stellar writer, has got to be one of the great collaborators in comics too. Mr. Morales, in charge of pencils and Mr. Rick Bryant in charge of inks, provide a brilliant team for the artwork. We are never going to not want Superman stories, especially when we have such talent. What Rags Morales does with Superman is pretty amazing. He’s brought to life a youthful, rugged and distinctive character. He is by no means generic. It’s a very specific version and we hope that spirit carries over into the future with more and more artists up ahead.
I’ll just say for this post that it’s great to see how Morrison and Morales have rediscovered Superman and all the potential details. In this issue, Superman tries out his hyperspeed. General Lane pleads with Superman to reconsider. The fatest he’s been clocked is 6oo mph. How can he possibly ratchet that up to 25,000 mph? Superman shrugs it off and away he goes. He blows out his farmer’s boots and ends up barefoot. When was the last time, if ever, that we’ve seen Superman barefoot? As he races into space, with a makeshift oxygen tank, his clothes become tattered to the point that he’s nearly naked. This is Superman as vulnerable as he gets. At this point, he is literally “ill suited” for his role! But, of course, that will change.
Action Comics # 8 is out on April 4. Check out DC Comics for more details.
Filed under Comics, DC Comics, Grant Morrison, Superman
Ali Baba in flip flops? He’s a handsome and hip dude, like you’d expect in a work by Bill Willingham. But Ali Baba has got to do some fancy footwork in “Fairest,” like running for his life and climbing up walls. As cool as he looks sporting flip flops, he’d be much better off upgrading to something more substantial. Anyway, it’s cool since we’re in a lovely fantasy world. Yes, as any fan of “Fables” has come to expect, this dazzling spinoff is fanciful cool!
The colors alone are a feast for the eyes. Andrew Dalhouse lays on a rich palette, lots of deep purples and earth tones, pulsating throughout the comic. Phil Jimenez on pencils and Andy Lanning on inks work beautifully together to give us a larger-than-life dreamscape. Considering that the majority of this story involves the interactions between Ali Baba and a dud of a magic genie he’s stuck with, much depends on the solid characterization in the writing and the art.
“Fairest” is to focus on all the female characters in the world of “Fables” and somehow determine which is the fairest of them all. Is that even possible? Well, this is one of those deals where the journey is as much fun as the stated goal. For this first issue, you’d be surprised at how much you can invest in the fates of a prince of thieves and his little imp of a sidekick. The stated goal, rescuing the pretty damsel in distress, is only part, a small part, of why you’re reading this. That said, our two adventurers manage to get themselves into quite a lot of trouble and isn’t going away any time soon.
For those of you keeping score at home, “Fairest” is a significant title. It ushers in a whole new chapter in the world of Vertigo Comics. This is the title that DC Entertainment leads in with as they debut a whole new website dedicated to their more “alternative” line of comics along with a dedicated app. Gone are the days, well sort of, of when Vertigo was that unpredictable “not ready for primetime player.” I hope not. It’s just that, with such a higher profile, you wonder if any of the edge has been smoothed away. Well, we’ll see.
There’s the truly retro Batman of the Golden Age, there’s the dangerous Batman, the goofy Batman and, of course, The Dark Knight. For my money, if I were to invest in Batman, I’d go with the campy Batman of the ’60s along with anything else that places Batman in a more offbeat light. Looking over what is currently on bid at eBay, I’d go for Batman, #69, from February, 1952, with cover art by Win Mortimer. You can bid for it here. For more information on this beauty, you can go to dc.wikia.com.
“WORLD’S FINEST” will be relaunched in the second wave of “The New 52” DC Comics titles. You can read all the details over at The Source. Of course I’m thrilled to see the return of “Batman Incorporated.” But I was immediately curious about “World’s Finest.” When I think of this title, it brings to mind numerous Batman and Superman smackdowns, often quite funny, or odd buddy moments. I love that campy fun. Is there no room for one DC Comics title that pokes fun at its star superheroes? Granted, by the ’80s, this title had kicked that sort of satire to the curb. But, in the spirit of rediscovering the magic of comics, I’d have gone back to this title’s roots. The teaser for the new “World’s Finest” coming out in May left me scratching my head:
Paul Levitz is one of the guardians of superhero tradition so, sure, his story will not disappoint fans. And those will be fans of everything to do with Earth 2, which is a hell of a lot of fans.
But there’s already “Earth 2” as part of the next wave of The New 52:
Not enough, huh? Is irony dead? No, but there’s no room for it in this latest version of “World’s Finest.” I know, I know, it’s all about the Dark Knight but it’s healthy to lighten up a bit. Isn’t it? The fans don’t think Batman is real, do they? Well, maybe some do.
Filed under Batman, comic books, Comics, DC Comics, Superman, The New 52, World's Finest
Jerry Robinson, the key creator of The Joker, has passed away.
The Los Angeles Times has a feature in their “Hero Complex” column you can read here.
Filed under Batman, comic books, Comics, DC Comics, Jerry Robinson, The Joker
It took a long time for Superman to become the Superman we’ve come to know today. And it took a long time for “Action Comics” to do the same. With the mega-relaunch of 52 DC Comics titles, it is “Action Comics” that is one of the must-see titles. Lucky for all of us, we can try to keep up with all the titles as best we can but, if I could only pick one title to follow, I would choose “Action Comics.” One of the special things about “Action Comics” is that, back in 1938, in the span of a dozen pages, a crudely formed “Superman” first set foot on the comics page and ushered in the world of superheroes. Ever since, the talented folks at DC Comics have been refining the character to perfection. This is the very first time that “Action Comics” had experienced a roll back to Issue Number One. In 2011, Superman sets foot on the comics page with an already formidable presence and, with Grant Morrison as writer and Rags Morales as artist, he is under the best of care.
Grant Morrison has spoken about the mind-boggling honor it is to write for DC Comics superheroes. He acknowledges them as gods: “Superman is Zeus, Batman is Hades, Aquaman is Neptune!” He is fully aware of the magnitude of these characters and how they will take on characteristics of the era they are part of. There’s been a World War II Superman, a Cold War Superman, a Family Man Superman. Well, it seems like it’s been awhile since Superman has fully engaged with the times. Morrison has had to go back to the roots of Superman and find what’s authentic about him as well as make as relevant as he should be. He’s probably had to juggle some corporate decisions too: Make Superman Younger. Make Him Edgier. I’m not sure where the Harry Potter eyeglasses came from. You’ll see those same specs in the “Superman” title. Was it a corporate decision or did it originate with Morrison? It may very well have been Morrison’s idea. The point is that Morrison is well up to the task and much more. Does he make him edgier? Yes, and that plays into going back to his roots. Superman started out being brash and out of control. We have come full circle: We are in the thick of a youth dominated/gadget obsessed era that embraces being brash and out of control.
We all want to make a difference on our blogs, our uploading of video, our social networking and our constant chatter on smartphones. Superman is right in line. He is overtly idealistic. He is righteous. He is young and fresh and looking to make things right anywhere he can. With great power comes great responsibility? Superman show us how overwhelmed he is with both. In “Action Comics #1,” from 1938, Superman flies through the sky with a terrified lobbyist. In 2011’s “Action Comics #1,” Superman again takes on the power elite. This time it’s the industrialist, Glen Glenmorgan, and Superman gives him a ride he will never forget. While Superman most likely does not, or ever will, use Twitter, Clark Kent is fully plugged in. He is constantly checking in with his new pal, Jimmy Olsen. The idealism of saving the world takes on greater meaning when, with Facebook and Twitter, you potentially can be heard around the world. This technology seems to work well for Kent but seems to work against Superman. No sooner has he put Glen Glenmorgan in his place and made him confess to his crimes, than Glenmorgan sets out to destroy Superman. And how do we destroy people these days? Through lies, deception and taking it to the media! Not much different from the past but with an added kick no doubt. Glenmorgan, CEO of Galaxy Broadcast Systems, knows a thing or two about manipulation. By Issue Three, “World Against Superman,” Glenmorgan has announced undisputed proof that Superman is an “alien creature from another world.” He’s not an emissary, he’s a creature.
Lex Luthor knows a thing or two about manipulation too, along with torture and a whole slew of other crimes. Thanks to Glenmorgan, Superman was tricked into saving passengers from a speeding train and was subsequently pinned by the train long enough to be captured by the military. Lex Luthor makes a point of calling the prisoner an “It” instead of the humanizing “He” or “Him.” Only when tensions go through the roof, does Luthor lose his cool and demand the next form of torture: “Shock him!”
Morrison’s writing and Morales’s artistry cast a more complex light on Superman, give him an added dimension. It’s truly fascinating to see. Morrison brings in as much nuance and subtlety as you can to the classic cat and mouse story: Superman versus Lex Luthor, or some other bad guy. It’s interesting to see what set things in motion: Superman exposes Glen Glenmorgan, one of the most influential and corrupt industrialists in the world. Glenmorgan sets about “turning the tables” on Superman. Again, this is a fairly common thing to have Superman turn into the “bad guy” so it all depends on the writing. Morrison provides us with quite a sinister figure with Glenmorgan. We can feel his anger, his vanity and his need for vengeance. Then set that in contrast with the naive Superman who does not yet fully appreciate how twisted some people can be. Superman only wants to see justice done. Glenmorgan only cares about Glenmorgan. He has no qualms about telling outright lies. For him, deception is a way of life. It’s not enough for Glenmorgan to put Superman in his place. He needs to “turn the tables” and turn Superman into the “bad guy.” It is a very sophisticated and twisted psychology that throws Superman through a loop.
As Inspector Blake tries to make clear to Clark Kent, while the inspector and his officers conduct yet another search of his apartment: “Mr.Glenmorgan–He’ll destroy you if you continue to harass him, in The Star or on your blog, am I clear? What you call corruption, grownups call realpolitik…look it up.” Clark’s response: “You need to be the cop you wanted to be when you were a kid.” Poor Clark Kent and poor Superman! Still in his dungarees, and looking a bit like Li’l Abner, Superman sure has his work cut out for him and we’ve got another Superman story for the ages.
Filed under Comics, DC Comics, Grant Morrison, Superheroes, Superman, The New 52
