Tuesday, August 31, 2010

"Whatever Happened To Johnny Thunder?" (December, 1980)



Johnny Thunder was "DC's longest running and most durable western character." After John Tane made a deathbed promise to his mother to "become a school master and teach your pupils that books are more powerful than bullets," he couldn't follow in the footsteps of his sheriff father. However, the old man couldn't keep up with the lawless, so John assumed the identity of Thunder to help keep the peace. He'd color his blond hair black, disguise his voice... even ride a different horse!

This was all well and good, until John came to suspect blond Jeanne Walker to be the strawberry bandit Madame .44, and she was on to him as well. While .44 was a self-proclaimed "Robin Hood," Silk Black was pure outlaw, as his gang robbed the local bank. Tane and Walker ducked for cover separately, while their alter egos emerged to give chase.

Johnny Thunder was winged in the shoulder and briefly blacked out. Sheriff Tane drew on Madame .44. Silk Black made his getaway, followed by Madame .44, followed by the sheriff, and finally the recovered Thunder on his horse, Black Lightning.

As rain fell, Sheriff Tane lost the trail, but his son caught sight of Silk laying in wait for the madame, and offered cover fire. A rock slide ensued, sending Thunder, .44, and their horses over a cliffside leap into the river below. Madame .44 broke her arm in the fall, and would have drowned if not for Johnny.

Silk Black continued to fire on the pair from above, so while the madame offered left-handed cover fire, Johnny Thunder waited for a lightning flash to reveal the outlaw's position. "Silk Black's limp body falls where it can never be found..."

The storm had washed away Tane and Walker's disguises, and their injuries insured the sheriff would know who Johnny Thunder and Madame .44 really were. Though they had an amiable ride to the sheriff's office, John had to turn Jeanne in. However, John saw to it his father arranged for a full pardon from the governor, and the sheriff was proud to see his son had been his secret "deputy" all that time.

Johnny Thunder and Madame .44 continued to patrol Mesa City as a couple, while in their real lives they settled down with their two children, Becky and Chuck, to whom they were open about their adventures.

This back-up story from DC Comics Presents #28 was crafted by Mike Tiefenbacher and Gil Kane.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Direct Currents: Monday, August 30, 2010



George Perez Delays Teen Titans: Games Over Surgery


Who Wears The Watchmen?


Return To The Amalgam Age Of Comics


BLOGS


The Aquaman Shrine
Atlantis Chronicles #2 - April 1990
Atlantis Chronicles #3 - May 1990
Cover to Cover: DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #11
Cover to Cover: DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #15
Cover to Cover: Best of DC Digest #7

Being Carter Hall
Hawkman Plushie

Charlton vs Mighty MLJ
Fawcett Fridays: Number One with a Bullet
Steelers Sundays: Steel vs Sarge Round 2

Comics Make Me Happy!
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 59
DC 75: Twenty-One Cool Booster Gold Covers
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 58
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 57
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 56
Clothes Make the Man. (Or Villain.)

Continued On 2nd Page Following
Superman/Batman #75: She Was Physically Forgotten But Then She Slipped Into My Pocket With My Batmobile Keys...

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
2010 Wonder Woman #302 Notebook and Twin Pocket Folder Style #3009DC

The Idol-Head of Diabolu
Batman: The Brave And The Bold #18 (August, 2010)
DC75: J'Onn... My family... My Family--! (Justice League America #39, 1990)
Justice League of America #203: "Deleted Scene"
2010 Martian Manhunter Brightest Day Variant Cover by Ryan Sook & Co.
2010 "Girls are from Mars" Miss Martian art by Jemma Salume

Justice League Detroit
2010 Justice League of America #217 Twin Pocket Folder and Notebook Style #3009DC

Power of the Atom
The Palmer Posterior #6134009

Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
And Then There Was That Other Time That Perry White Had Amnesia
S For Science!! (Or, Himmler Has Need Of Your Brain!!)
Great Moments In Product Placement
Batmanomics

Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Review: Justice League Of America #48

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Nursing History in the DC Universe

It may come as a surprise to the modern public, but nursing does not have the most reputable history. Growing out of the stereotypical woman's role of caretaker, outside of those with divine callings like nuns, nurses were typically among the dregs of society. It was low skilled labor for people willing to expose themselves to the ill for little to no money. There wasn't much in the way of formal training until the 19th century, and the respect afforded to nurses has been a fairly recent development. As this has become a field of interest to me, I thought it might be fun to take a walk through nursing history as it might be reflected in the DC Universe...

The Golden Rule: Popularized in various forms throughout the world, including ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and amongst the followers of Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Taoism, and more. One of the most basic ethical tenants in any society.

Pre-and-Post Common Era (A.D.): Hillel the Elder taught the Jewish people the virtues of cleanliness, brotherly love, honesty, charity, humility, patience and a gentle demeanor. Most importantly, he explained "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn" Jesus Christ extended this teaching to the gentiles, with "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" and the story of the Good Samaritan. Marcus, the Golden Gladiator, active in Rome.



3rd - 4th Century: In the Roman Empire, several wealthy matrons converted to Christianity and established houses to care for the ill and destitute through a unisex staff. Under the influence of St. Jerome, Saint Fabiola was among their number. The Deaconess groups were suppressed by Western churches in the Middle Ages, but would resurface occasionally over the centuries.

1095-1272: Orders of crusader knights aided wounded comrades in battle, and built hospitals which established health administration standards throughout Europe. Among them were the Teutonic Knights and the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights Hospitaller. The Knights of St. Lazarus were dedicated to caring for syphilitics, lepers, and those with chronic skin conditions. The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas were not so charitable, and broke with the Knights Templar before their dissolution and absorption into the Knights Hospitaller.

1633: The Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul founded by St. Louise de Marillac and its namesake. Among those in their care are victims of The Blood Red Moon, a group of vampires led by Mary Seward.



1645: First North American hospital founded in Montreal by Jeanne Mance.

Mid-to-Late 18th Century: Rabia Choraya, the highest paid and most respected woman in the Moroccan Army, served as head nurse during the French & Indian War.

James Derham was born into slavery and owned by several doctors. One, Dr. Robert Love, encouraged Derham to practice medicine.

Bess Lynn acted as a traveling frontier nurse who privately seethed against the British. Fearing reprisal against her family, Lynn assumed the costumed identity of Miss Liberty to fight a patriotic battle for the United States in the American Revolutionary War. Miss Liberty was occasionally joined by Tomahawk and Dan Hunter, who found her body crushed under the Liberty Bell during a battle with Hessian troops.

1783: James Derham bought his freedom from money earned as a nurse. While still in his twenties, he opened a successful medical practice. Derham is recognized as the first African-American to formally practice medicine in the U.S., although he lacked any degrees. An expert in throat diseases and the relationship between climate and illness, Derham mysteriously disappeared in 1802, leaving behind no family.



Early-To-Mid 19th: Effective tribal nursing saved Lazarus Lane after his being struck by lightning, although the trauma led to his becoming the masked vigilante El Diablo. Improper tribal nursing contributed to Jonah Hex's face.

1836: Theodore Fliedner reinstituted the Order of Deaconesses through a small German hospital, where Florence Nightingale would eventual receive training.

1854: Soldiers in the Crimean War suffered such inadequate medical care that it caused a public outcry in Great Britain. Florence Nightingale was asked to help with the problem, and with her female nursing staff, affected miraculous change. Through the use of sanitary practices, Nightingale managed to reduce mortality rates in some areas by as much as 40%. "The Lady with the Lamp" offered continuous care, checking on her charges through the night. Nightingale was the first nurse to wield enough political influence to pressure a government, and championed an institutional commitment to documentation and precaution against the spread of infectious disease. Nightingale literally wrote the book for early nursing theory, and used a £4500 honorarium from the British people to develop the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in 1860.



1861–1865: Escaped slave and "Underground Railroad" conductor Harriet Tubman worked for the Union Army as a cook, nurse, armed scout and spy. Sojourner Truth also provided care to fugitive slaves.

"Mother" Mary Ann Bickerdyke served as chief of nursing under Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Outspoken and determined, no authority could come between her and the best care for her boys. Mother Bickerdyke was revered by all, setting up many hospitals and helping sort out veterans issues after the war.

Clara Barton established an agency to obtain and distribute medical supplies to Union soldiers, and was heavily involved in the treatment of their casualties during the war. Barton was also placed in charge of finding missing Union soldiers.

Dorothea Dix served as Superintendent of Army Nurses, although her equal care for Confederate soldiers endeared her to few in the North. She would later lobby for the construction of the first American mental institutions.

Sally Louisa Tompkins, a philanthropic nurse, sponsored a hospital to treat Confederate soldiers. Tompkins was commissioned as a captain, and the only woman to serve as a member of the Confederate States Army.

Authors Walt Whitman and Louisa May Alcott both served as nurses for stints.

1873: Linda Richards became the first professionally trained nurse from the United States. Richards introduced nurse's notes, doctor's orders and the practice of nurses wearing uniforms.

1879: Mary Mahoney became the first professionally trained African-American nurse in the United States, and would champion equal opportunities for minorities in the field.

1881: Clara Baron founded the American Red Cross, and served as its first president. The following year, the Geneva Convention allowed links to the International Red Cross and operation in time of peace.

1893: Lillian Wald coined the term "public health nurse" while beginning to care for low income patients. Wald herself lived in the slums to provide better and more immediate care. This grew to include all manner of social work out of the Henry Street Settlement and Visiting Nurse Service.

The Nightingale Pledge was introduced.



1911: Elizabeth Kenny began her earliest work on polio treatment, to which she would devote decades, earning world renown, and elevating the public opinion of nursing.

1915: British nurse Edith Cavell executed by firing squad for aiding in the escape of two-hundred Allied soldiers. Hans Von Hammer wept.

1916: Public health nurse and activist Margaret Higgins Sanger saw publication of the far reaching sexual health pamphlet What Every Girl Should Know. Max Mercury heartily approved of her sneaking diaphragms into the country. The same year, Sanger was imprisoned for thirty days after opening the first birth control information clinic in the U.S.



1920: The 19th Amendment passed, thanks to the help of feminists like nurse Lavinia Dock, who also campaigned in favor of legislation for nurses to be governed by themselves, rather than physicians. Dock co-founded the precursor to the modern National League for Nursing.

1921: American Birth Control League founded by Margaret Higgins Sanger, who would finally open a legal birth control clinic in 1923. Sanger would later be considered the founder of Planned Parenthood.

1925: Pioneer nurse Mary Breckinridge founded the Frontier Nursing Service, and would develop one of the U.S.'s first midwifery schools.

1938: The Nurses Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery was erected in order to honor the fallen caregivers of World War I. The first super-heroes began to appear.

World War II: Lacking enough nurses to care for the large number of casualties, auxiliary care givers like "practical" nurses were called to aid, under the supervision of more fully trained/experienced nurses.

1942: Twenty-one Australian nurses were massacred by the Japanese on Banka Island. Meanwhile, Princess Diana of Paradise Island becomes a nurse.

1951: Vocational Nursing standards established in the United States, creating the LPN/LVN designation. The Justice Society of America disbanded rather than unmask before HUAC.



1965: Introduction of the role of nurse practitioner.

Vietnam War: Of 11,000 American servicewomen station in country, 90% were nurses. Most volunteered straight out of school, and all are honored by the Women's Vietnam Memorial near Washington, D.C.

A bit of peas in the potatoes, but I needed to study, and don't you feel enriched?

Saturday, August 28, 2010

DC75: Celebrating Seventy-Five Years of DC Comics

National Allied Publications was founded in 1934, but observes its birthday as represented by the February 1935 publication date of New Fun, "The Big Comic Magazine," which ran six issues. It was replaced by New Comics in December, which changed its name after a year to New Adventure Comics before dropping the "New" in 1938. By then, Detective Comics had launched what would become the namesake of DC Comics in March of 1937, and the June 1938 cover-dated debut of Superman in Action Comics #1 would define the company forevermore.

DC Bloodlines and associated blogs celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday of DC Comics...

DC75: Top Character Covers of the Dodranscentennial






CSBG's Top 75 Most Memorable Moments in DC Comics History




DC75: The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the Dodranscentennial


Characters:

My Love Affair With The Doom Patrol and How Keith Giffen Makes Me Smile
Black Canary
Bronze Tiger
The Elongated Man
Firestorm
Hawkman & Hawkwoman
The Huntress
Martian Manhunter
Wonder Woman
Zatanna

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Direct Currents: Thursday, August 26, 2010



I know I've threatened this before, but if Direct Currents suddenly disappears, someone else feel free to continue without me...

Oddio Comic 19 - Adventure Comics #276 - "Aqua-Thief of the Seven Seas"

One day, Aquaman makes a salvage dive, little suspecting that by doing somebody a good turn, he will ruin his good name! So long and thanks for all the fish, you Aqua-jerk!

THE 99 Part 2: Who Are These Islam-Based Superheroes?


'Joker & Lex': The DC Comics 'Calvin & Hobbes' Tribute Art


JLA #50 Hides Message From Ethan Van Sciver To His Readers…


Finally An Out Gay Superman

Two days ago, Bleeding Cool exclusively ran the first promo shot of Superman XXX before it was officially released, featuring Ryan Driller assuming the classic Christopher Reeve Superman pose....


BLOGS


The Aquaman Shrine
Aquaman: The Animated Series
Aquaman at Comic Book U
Cover to Cover: Best of DC Digest #5

Armagideon Time
Regarding Tawny

Being Carter Hall
Read: Flash Comics #18

Charlton vs Mighty MLJ
World's Wickedest Wednesdays: Bad Bugs

Comics Make Me Happy!
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 60

Continued On 2nd Page Following
It's 2010 and UPC Codes Are Still Gigantic

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
2009 Rittenhouse Justice League of America Archives Sketch Cards by Tom Valente

Diversions of the Groovy Kind
Batman #269's (August 1975) "The Daily Death of Terry Tremayne" by Reed and Chan"The Daily Death of Terry Tremayne" by Reed and Chan

Every Day Is Like Wednesday
Some things I noticed about Action Comics Weekly #602

Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!
Amanda Waller's kids

The Idol-Head of Diabolu
CSBG's Top 75 Most Memorable Moments in DC Comics History

Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
The REAL Reason Not To Store Our Nuclear Waste In Yucca Mountain

Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Review: Tiny Titans #31

DC75: The Attack of the Giant Dogs! (Strange Adventures #138, 1962)



The Atomic Knights strip that ran in early 1960s issues of Strange Adventures was chock full of memorably off-the-mark predictions of a dire, post-nuke future. Medieval armor rendered bulletproof thanks to the healing power of radiation. Salt creatures drinking up scarce water supplies. Atlantean survivors attacking during Thanksgiving, 1990. However, the image that people most fondly recall wouldn't appear until midway through its sporadic four year run.

The Knights found a pair of giant mutant dalmatians that had managed to survive four years after the nuclear winter. When two of their members were captured, the dogs helped track the lost Knights down. Then, Gardner Grayle and Wayne Hobard mounted the dogs like horses, and rode them in a successful rescue mission. Best of all, the dalmatians were mixed sex, and soon gave birth to a litter of few rides. Today, if someone mentions the Atomic Knight, the first thing you recall are those dog mounts, and Jack Kirby appropriated the idea for his biggest hit of the '70s, Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth.

As an aside, when I was a kid, I had a coverless copy of DC Super Stars of Space #2. Most of the issue was turned over to a three part Adam Strange/Hawkman adventure that I never read. It helped to visually introduce me to Strange, but I wasn't interested in DC's Silver Age storytelling, and I've never liked Carmine Infantino's art. The only tale I did read was "The Origin of the Atomic Knights," because it was just such an oddity to see actual armored knights in the post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland of 1986. That's memorable unto itself, and the lovely Murphy Anderson art didn't hurt.

Check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Direct Currents: Wednesday, August 25, 2010



Jo Chen's Wonder Woman Pencils From Her Mystery Project Astound

Jo Chen's high-powered rendering abilities have been proven in comics via "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," UDON Capcom work and "Runaways" cover art, but some of the greatest gems in her portfolio came via these Wonder Woman pencils she made for DC's licensing department, destined for an unnamed mystery creation.

Winick Leads DC's Lost Generation

Judd WInick spoke with CBR News about the second act of his bi-weekly series "Justice League: Generation Lost," hinting at what's still to come in the hunt for the man who no longer exists, Maxwell Lord.

Former 'Batman' artist continues 'Archie' tale

Artist Norm Breyfogle broke into comics in the early 1980s and was a popular Batman artist for six years on "Detective Comics," "Batman" and "Shadow of the Bat." Now, he's drawing another iconic character: Archie Andrews, the most popular teen humor character in comic book history.

DC In New York – Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

President of DC Entertainment Diane Nelson has been adamant to me on the issue, regarding the suggested move of DC Comics from New York to Los Angeles...

Annotations: Breaking Down 'Batman' #702 [Spoilers]

We continue our annotations of the Grant Morrison run by breaking down "Batman" #702, by Morrison with art by Tony Daniel, complete with SPOILERS. This issue: the long-sought-after connective tissue between "Final Crisis" and "Return of Bruce Wayne", as well as the reason why we got to hear Bruce narrating all of these events. Last issue I was wondering what the point of this story was. This issue, nowhere near as confused.

Patricio Betteo Performs Head-Shrinking on Batman and Iron Man [Art]

Patricio Betteo tends to stretch out his subjects with the kind of top-heavy frames that Sam Kieth loves and elongated limbs that would fit right right in in an Ashley Wood book. His takes on Batman and Robocop make them look like they belong in an old-timey cartoon working out on the Jersey Shore, but his playful use of simple shapes and color palettes just make his pictures all the more striking.

10 of the Weirdest Erotic Superhero Fan Art Pictures

One of the Rules of the Internet -- #34, specifically -- states that if it exists, there is porn of it. Whether you're thinking of "Mythbusters," the "I Ching," or even the geography of the planet Earth itself, rest assured that someone out there has spent untold time and effort into making a dirty version and uploading it to DeviantArt.

Four Pages Of Action Comics #1 Goes For $6350

Can’t afford a copy of Action Comics #1 now it’s a million dollar topping comic book? Well, how about just a page of it?

A few variant covers for Tuesday

BRIGHTEST DAY #9 by David Finch and #10 by superstar Ivan Reis, DCU: LEGACIES #5 by the legendary Walt Simonson, GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD WARRIORS #2 by newcomer Felipe Massafera, another wonderful Brian Bolland ZATANNA cover (for #5, natch) and an energetic Lee Bermejo SUPERMAN #703 piece.


BLOGS


The Aquaman Shrine
Aquaman Header Original Art by Craig Hamilton
Atlantis Chronicles #1 - March 1990
Super Friends Centerpiece

Being Carter Hall
DC Comics Stacked T-Shirt

Charlton vs Mighty MLJ
Team-Up Tuesdays: The "S" Teams of Justice

Comics Make Me Happy!
Who Knew Martians Were So Hypocritical?!

Continued On 2nd Page Following
Kellogg's Batman and Robin Postcard Cutouts

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
2010 Vintage-style Wonder Woman Character Poster by Michael Myers

Every Day Is Like Wednesday
Go read my interview with Sholly Fisch at Newsarama (if you'd like)

Girls Gone Geek
Wanted: Ben Caldwell’s Wonder Woman

The Idol-Head of Diabolu
DC Comics Mega Sampler 2010 (July)

Siskoid's Blog of Geekery
Hey, JMS...

Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
Romance Comics Are From Venus

Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Review: Justice Society Of America #42

Vibrational Frequencies
Bane's head turn for the New Batman Adventures.

Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #2 (June-July, 1975)



Sparring in white karate tunics which tucked into black belts above their white briefs, Richard Dragon and Benjamin were clearly very comfortable with their bodies and sexuality. At a standstill, O-Sensei called, "Enough! ...Again, you have proven that I can teach you no more-- as you proved yourselves in Africa! For all things there is a time-- and now, though it burdens my heart, it is time for you to leave me!" The pair of masters said their goodbyes, gathered their things, and most importantly, changed into blazin' '70s threads. Can you dig it? Benjamin rocked a hoop earring like a pirate, while the Dragon sported a green silk neck scarf tied into an ascot, both busting out tight purple pants. Them boys were in that temple a long time.

On their way out, the pair were flagged down by Carolyn Woosan, who claimed to be the goddaughter of the O-Sensei. She had never come up in the seven years Benjamin had studied, but the boys regardless accepted her at her word and offered to escort her to the airport. Carolyn was set to study at New York University, and since Dragon was also hitting the Big Apple, he was set to protect her the whole way. Within a few hundred yards of the temple, martial arts thugs, awfully Caucasian for a bunch operating out of Kyoto, began falling out of the trees. The kung-fu fighters made short work of their lot, and on questioning one, learned they had been hired by a tall man in a white suit with rubber gloves to snatch the girl. Why? Nobody knew.

That night in San Francisco, Mister Shiruto returned to the dive hotel at which he was staying. Desk clerk Consuela was murdered via hypodermic needle by a man calling himself "The Swiss." In service to Shiruto's ex-employer, the Swiss was after laser beam frequencies the Asian man had developed but departed with. Shiruto never wanted his concepts to fall into evil hands for the purpose of war, and killed himself with a pair of scissors rather than squeal. "You fool! How dare you destroy yourself... and cheat me of my pleasure! Perhaps it does not matter! I saw him mail a letter-- to his niece Carolyn, no doubt!"



Benjamin was impressed with the walled villa in Lower Manhattan Richard's father had left him after dying in a plane crash. Too bad about the goons with mace that soon blinded Dragon, only to contend with Benjamin. Four against one aren't such bad odds for someone of Ben's skill, but one drew a gun as Richard's vision was clearing. Dragon leapt to save his friend, but Ben still took a shot to the leg, breaking it. Further, an attacker managed to escape with Carolyn. Richard Dragon allowed another several free shots, which he absorbed by focusing his chi, then let loose on the poor jerk. The hired tough was soon begging for mercy and offering up information. Ben suggested calling in the police, but Dragon insisted the only way to restore their honor was to save Woosan themselves, or rather himself, on account of Ben getting shot again.

The Swiss began torturing Carolyn Woosan about the letter her uncle had sent, about which she knew nothing, since she hadn't checked her mail in days. Richard Dragon found their location, kicked down a door, and took on toughs armed with ancient weapons, I guess because they were observing handgun laws. Dragon cut Carolyn loose and kicked butt, but at the end of the issue, things looked bad. Carolyn was alone running through the streets of New York at night, the Swiss was in pursuit, and Dragon was at a loss to further help.

"A Dragon Fights Alone!" was written by Denny O'Neil, based on his novel with Jim Berry under the collective pen name Jim Dennis. Art was by Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss and Al Milgrom. Hardly uncommon for the '70s, not only was the illustration style entirely different from that seen in the debut issue, but even from page to page in this one. Starlin probably laid out most if not all of the pages, but only a handful bear the look of his finished pencils. Alan Weiss appeared to most heavily influence the style of art throughout the book, but it seems likely embellisher Milgrom did most of the heavy lifting in finishing each page.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Direct Currents: Tuesday, August 24, 2010



"Young Justice" Is In DC Continuity

More details have emerged about Cartoon Network’s "Young Justice" animated series including the fact that the show takes place on Earth 16, placing it firmly in DC Comics' continuity. SPINOFF has the details.

First Image From Superman XXX: A Porn Parody

And here he is. Not only a porn star, with an X-styled Superman logo, he is also. apparently, a qualified parajumper, which will enable Vivid to film scenes in the air, with the chute hidden under his cape. You really will believe a man can fly. And do other things as well.

Deviant Art Versus Comic Book "Inkers." Wait, What?

Deviant Art, possibly the top site for artists to show off their skills, has betrayed a baffling ignorance of comics art in their decision to remove the art ("deviations") of an inker over copyright claims, as explained by veteran inker Bob Almond.

Superboy Fights Mulleted Lex Luger (And No, That's Not a Typo) [Video]

Despite the fact that it ran for four seasons during my childhood, I don't have a lot of memories of the 1988 "Superboy" TV show, which featured an awful lot of writing from ComicsAlliance favorite Cary Bates. I'm pretty sure the fact is that I never watched it, because if I had...

The 9 Craziest Moments of the Silver Age Batman Annuals

This week sees the latest release from the "DC Comics Classics Library" line, which -- despite its extremely awkward name -- has been a showcase for some great stories that haven't gotten the reprints they deserve. This time around, they're offering up "Batman Annual" #4 - 7, a quartet of 80-page giants from the mid-sixties.


BLOGS


The Aquaman Shrine
DCU: Legacies #4 - Oct. 2010
DC Dynamics Aquaman Statue - 2010

Being Carter Hall
White Lantern Hawks -- Variant Cover Image

Charlton vs Mighty MLJ
Marvel Mondays: Energetic Egyptians

Comics Make Me Happy!
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 61

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
I Could Never Be Your Wonder Woman

Every Day Is Like Wednesday
Review: Harley Quinn: Preludes and Knock-Knock Jokes

Firestorm Fan
Super Powers: Darkseid… of the Moon

The Idol-Head of Diabolu
DC75: Daddy Is Dead, Child (Justice League America #38, 1990)

Once Upon A Geek
My Wife is a Wonder Woman

Power of the Atom
The All New Atom #11 (July, 2007)

Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
Barry And Iris

Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Supergirl On Smallville

DC75: I Am Now Wearing This Building! (JLA #31, 1999)



Aside from Huntress, Steel was probably looked on as the least powerful member of the second Morrison/Porter JLA group. He had no official super powers-- just a guy in easily trashed high tech armor. Certainly Triumph seemed unconcerned once he took Steel's armor and left John Henry Irons crawling through ducts in the JLA Watchtower dressed only in boxer-briefs. Underestimating Irons' genius led to Triumphs defeat, as Steel had installed new weaponized security systems throughout the Watchtower which he could control from his workshop. "I'm everywhere... I am now wearing this building! And the entire Watchtower is my armor now. So think rationally and stop what you're doing before I have to use this equipment."

Check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial

Monday, August 23, 2010

Direct Currents: Monday, August 23, 2010



Deconstructing the Massive Biblically-Inspired White Lantern Cover Art

The DC Comics Source blog has just released the combined image of the White Lantern variant covers by Ryan Sook, who previously blew us away with his work on "Kamandi" in "Wednesday Comics." The image features the heroes involved in The Labors of the Twelve, the twelve heroes and villains revived by the White Entity, and given a specific task to complete before they can completely live again. The twelve heroes are featured in a circular way that seems to suggest the art of the Sistine Chapel, in front of a scene that represents the origin stories of the entities of the Lantern Spectrum -- stories that may tie into the origin story of life itself, as described in the Bible.

Islamic Archetypes THE 99 Meet DC's JUSTICE LEAGUE In Oct.

One Muslim entrepreneur's goal to present positive images of Islam has paid off, with a crossover with DC's iconic superheroes in October

Fisch Explores "The Brave and The Bold"

We spoke with child psychologist and comic book writer Sholly Fisch who shared which heroes will co-star in the new title first issues and the differences between this series and his "Super Friends" run.

25 Emblematic Comics Of The '70s -- A Lengthy First Draft In Partnership With CR's Readers

It's not a list of the best comics of that decade or even the most influential. There are omissions that would likely drive a number of comics fans nuts. I did include one novelty comic book on the list, but I did so because I thought it was the one that did the best job of all those books of telling a memorable story. Otherwise, for the sake of this list there's a line in the sand for a lot of those works that ends up being pretty hard to cross.

The Superhero SkyMall Catalog Offers Mile High Super-Shopping

Since superpeople spend a vast majority of their time trying to conquer and/or save the world, they sure don't seem to have a lot of hours in the day to go shopping for life-enhancing novelties. You may find yourself wondering how these exceptional men and women manage to do it all. After all, there's no way the Punisher can run around shooting people all day and maintain a tomato garden. It's just not possible!

Latvia's Graffiti Super-Heroes Are Depressingly Awesome

One of the best things about being a comics journalist (aside from the ample opportunities to talk about Batman) is that people will occasionally send me strange, wonderful things. Such is the case with an email I got from ComicsAlliance reader Zak, who sent over a set of pictures of super-hero graffiti decorating the streets of Riga, Latvia depicting some of our favorite characters undergoing some pretty hard times:

"WOULD YOU STEP INTO MY OFFICE, PLEASE?"

Superman's JLofA employee performance evaluation sheet (by Batman)

Wonder Woman and The Brady Bunch Team Up in Early '70s Animated Weirdness

In the great pantheon of television crossovers that includes Steve Urkel meeting Uncle Jesse, Lennie Brisco teaming up w John Munch, and everyone who appeared in "Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue," the time-traveling adventures of the "Brady Bunch" kids with Wonder Woman from the animated '70s show "The Brady Kids" ranks up there as one of the weirdest.


BLOGS


The Aquaman Shrine
Justice League Pin-Up - 1996
Aquaman on The Colbert Report - 8/19/10
Cover to Cover: Best of DC Digest #13

Being Carter Hall
JLoA #217 Notebook Featuring Hawkman

Charlton vs Mighty MLJ
Fawcett Fridays: Red-and-Blue Heroes True

Comics Make Me Happy!
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 63

Continued On 2nd Page Following
My Fave Splash Page of the Week, and Some Rambling on Tom DeFalco

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman: Who is Wonder Woman? TPB

Every Day Is Like Wednesday
The 8/11 DC Nation column by Eddie Berganza

Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!
Who Is the Mysterious Collector?

The Idol-Head of Diabolu
The Brave and the Bold Annual #1 (2001)

Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
Superman vs. Mr. Miracle in DC Comics Presents #12 (1979)

Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Baltimore Comic-Con Wishes

DC75: Top Character Covers of the Dodranscentennial

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Updated 12/7/11