Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 101
July 21, 2013
Restoring Comic Books: This Time it Counts
Comics have lost credibility with fans around the whole issue of death. With each passing superhero death, it's garnered less public notice and been taken less seriously by fans. When you know a character will live on no matter what.
And how can DC and Marvel keep characters and concepts fresh and regain fan credibility. Two big suggestions come to mind:
1) This Time it Counts: The 2002 MLB All-Star game was an unmitigated fiasco. Running low on players, it was decreed that the all-star game would end after 11 innings. It ended in 7-7 tie to the boos of the fans.
Fans felt players weren't taking it seriously, nor was the MLB. That's when baseball decided to make a change with the, "This Time It Counts" advertising campaign and the decision to have the league that wins the All-Star game get home field advantage in the world series.
Comic book companies need to have their own, "This Time It Counts" when it comes to superhero deaths. Next time a superhero dies, it should be actually be their swan song. Yep, they're really really dead.
Now, of course, their needs to be wiggle room. Far be it from me to suggest that every time a book ends looking like the hero died that he has to be dead.
What I am saying is that if a hero: 1) is considered to die in the superhero universe and 2) is dead as far as we know, and 3) you put out special funeral issues: the character better not be alive under some lame deus ex machena.
That doesn't respect the readers or the characters. Next superhero or supervillain death should count for keeps.
2) Give Heroes an Ending
Superheroes are different than other characters developing in that the companies think their stories can or should go on forever.
This leads to a lot of implausible reboots, as well as a rapid unrealistic changes in the character.
Most characters should be brought to an ending: perhaps it's death, perhaps it's a debilitating injury, maybe it's retirement, maybe it's discovering a greater purpose for their life. The idea that their career continues forever and that we change the characters in hackish ways is pure folly in any other type of writing.
Comic book companies should commit to ending most of their major characters within the next 10-20 years while ushering in a new generation of heroes.
There are probably a few exceptions: Captain America and Superman remain strong symbolic characters who really represent a type of archetype that's going to be needed. As long as they don't mess it up, than that's fine. Batman is probably one they can't shake as a comic book series. But the rest? Replace.
Tell their stories, bring them to an end: happy, sad, or indifferent, but respectful of all the character is and stands for and open up creativity: Heroes and villains alike.
If companies do that and they hire talent that can create really great characters, they'd actually put some dynamism into a genre of graphic arts that needs it.
Such an idea would not affect their efforts in other media. For example, If the Spider-man character were brought to a fitting end, it would not stop anyone from making a Spider-man TV show as these shows are their own universe.
It also wouldn't stop a spin-off comic based on the show or another volume of Untold Tales of Spider-man. DC has shown with Tales of the Dark Knight and now Adventures of Superman that you can make a good comic selling non-continuity stories.
Such an approach would revitalize the superhero universes and show respect for readers and fans. While I doubt Marvel or DC would take it, an upstart company would be far smarter to follow this model than the traditional one that has created impossibly tangled storylines.
And how can DC and Marvel keep characters and concepts fresh and regain fan credibility. Two big suggestions come to mind:
1) This Time it Counts: The 2002 MLB All-Star game was an unmitigated fiasco. Running low on players, it was decreed that the all-star game would end after 11 innings. It ended in 7-7 tie to the boos of the fans.
Fans felt players weren't taking it seriously, nor was the MLB. That's when baseball decided to make a change with the, "This Time It Counts" advertising campaign and the decision to have the league that wins the All-Star game get home field advantage in the world series.
Comic book companies need to have their own, "This Time It Counts" when it comes to superhero deaths. Next time a superhero dies, it should be actually be their swan song. Yep, they're really really dead.
Now, of course, their needs to be wiggle room. Far be it from me to suggest that every time a book ends looking like the hero died that he has to be dead.
What I am saying is that if a hero: 1) is considered to die in the superhero universe and 2) is dead as far as we know, and 3) you put out special funeral issues: the character better not be alive under some lame deus ex machena.
That doesn't respect the readers or the characters. Next superhero or supervillain death should count for keeps.
2) Give Heroes an Ending
Superheroes are different than other characters developing in that the companies think their stories can or should go on forever.
This leads to a lot of implausible reboots, as well as a rapid unrealistic changes in the character.
Most characters should be brought to an ending: perhaps it's death, perhaps it's a debilitating injury, maybe it's retirement, maybe it's discovering a greater purpose for their life. The idea that their career continues forever and that we change the characters in hackish ways is pure folly in any other type of writing.
Comic book companies should commit to ending most of their major characters within the next 10-20 years while ushering in a new generation of heroes.
There are probably a few exceptions: Captain America and Superman remain strong symbolic characters who really represent a type of archetype that's going to be needed. As long as they don't mess it up, than that's fine. Batman is probably one they can't shake as a comic book series. But the rest? Replace.
Tell their stories, bring them to an end: happy, sad, or indifferent, but respectful of all the character is and stands for and open up creativity: Heroes and villains alike.
If companies do that and they hire talent that can create really great characters, they'd actually put some dynamism into a genre of graphic arts that needs it.
Such an idea would not affect their efforts in other media. For example, If the Spider-man character were brought to a fitting end, it would not stop anyone from making a Spider-man TV show as these shows are their own universe.
It also wouldn't stop a spin-off comic based on the show or another volume of Untold Tales of Spider-man. DC has shown with Tales of the Dark Knight and now Adventures of Superman that you can make a good comic selling non-continuity stories.
Such an approach would revitalize the superhero universes and show respect for readers and fans. While I doubt Marvel or DC would take it, an upstart company would be far smarter to follow this model than the traditional one that has created impossibly tangled storylines.
July 18, 2013
Should All Good Superheroes Come to An End?
Over the past few years, Marvel has been publishing a series of comic series imagining the end of several classic characters including Iron, The Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, and the latest is Daredevil: End of Days. Of course, these are are all alternate Earth stories. Any fan knows that after 50 years, Marvel will never let any of these franchises end for good.
The big problem with superhero comics may be that the character's and concepts of the team are relatively stale due to a lack of innovation and new characters.
Consider the current roster of the Avengers, 17 of the 18 members were created 30 years ago or more.
Many of the most prominent members of the DC Universe date back to the 1940s in their origins.
In some ways, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem except for the innovation of Stan Lee, who brought continuity to the world of comic books and let his character change and grow.
Prior to this, characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were like many other fictional characters, particularly in the funnies. They'd be as likely to age and change as Popeye the Sailor or Mickey Mouse. They remained forever ageless and continuity between adventures was limited.
But people decided they liked continuity and so both Marvel and DC did it. They let their characters change, grow, and have ups and downs.
But all this growth and change to the status quo presented a real problem for comic book companies. Were characters getting too old to appeal to youth of today? Had the continuity got too complex for people to understand? The DC universe has rebooted twice in the past 30 years. And characters in both universes have had major plot changes undone for the most improbable reasons. Characters were repeatedly violated to serve the companies' agendas.
The comic book companies have seen fit to do a wide variety of head fakes with fans, killing off characters only to bring them back through well-worn tricks of the trade. The public is really catching on. It was breaking news when Superman died in 1993, it was national news when Captain America bought it in 2007. The news of Peter Parker's death in Amazing Spider-man #700 was greeted with a yawn. The comic book companies have even managed to do death to death, taking the drama out of even that event.
Is there a way back for Superhero comics? Sure, and it stars with actually giving some hereos an end.
To be continued in next post...
When reading a book review about the decline of the superhero comic book industry, where the top selling books sell hundreds of thousands when they used to sell millions. The article asks and answers a key question:
If no cultural barrier prevents a public that clearly loves its superheroes from picking up a new "Avengers" comic, why don't more people do so? The main reasons are obvious: It is for sale not in a real bookstore but in a specialty shop, and it is clumsily drawn, poorly written and incomprehensible to anyone not steeped in years of arcane mythology.
In a much hyped series from Marvel Comics this summer, for example, the Avengers fight the X-Men for inscrutable reasons having to do with a mysterious planet-devouring cosmic force, a plot that makes no sense to anyone not familiar with ancient Marvel epics like "The Dark Phoenix Saga." The story is told in two titles, one called "Avengers vs. X-Men," with a big "AvX" logo on the front, and the other called "AvX," with a big "Avengers vs. X-Men" logo on the front, presumably so you can keep them straight.
The big problem with superhero comics may be that the character's and concepts of the team are relatively stale due to a lack of innovation and new characters.
Consider the current roster of the Avengers, 17 of the 18 members were created 30 years ago or more.
Many of the most prominent members of the DC Universe date back to the 1940s in their origins.
In some ways, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem except for the innovation of Stan Lee, who brought continuity to the world of comic books and let his character change and grow.
Prior to this, characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were like many other fictional characters, particularly in the funnies. They'd be as likely to age and change as Popeye the Sailor or Mickey Mouse. They remained forever ageless and continuity between adventures was limited.
But people decided they liked continuity and so both Marvel and DC did it. They let their characters change, grow, and have ups and downs.
But all this growth and change to the status quo presented a real problem for comic book companies. Were characters getting too old to appeal to youth of today? Had the continuity got too complex for people to understand? The DC universe has rebooted twice in the past 30 years. And characters in both universes have had major plot changes undone for the most improbable reasons. Characters were repeatedly violated to serve the companies' agendas.
The comic book companies have seen fit to do a wide variety of head fakes with fans, killing off characters only to bring them back through well-worn tricks of the trade. The public is really catching on. It was breaking news when Superman died in 1993, it was national news when Captain America bought it in 2007. The news of Peter Parker's death in Amazing Spider-man #700 was greeted with a yawn. The comic book companies have even managed to do death to death, taking the drama out of even that event.
Is there a way back for Superhero comics? Sure, and it stars with actually giving some hereos an end.
To be continued in next post...
July 16, 2013
Letters from the Past: Fun Facts about 1960s Comic Book Fans
I'm owner of several of the officially licensed Marvel Comic DVD collections for Iron Man, Fantastic Four, and Amazing Spider-man.
I've been pretty much finished buying trade paperbacks and one of the best features of these DVDs is that they are complete comics. Complete with ads (which are occasionally hilarious such as one of Dr. Doom selling T-shirts and calling the Hulk, "Good, sir") and my favorite feature, "letters."
I've find the letters sections of these magazines to be the most interesting bonus. Fans of today have their thoughts about heroes and their Silver Age adventures. What did the original fans think and want these characters to do?
Surprisingly, there are some common themes. Even in 1966, for example, there were some fans who were ready for Aunt May to pass on and Peter to grieve and move on.
Politics was a hot topic as well. In a 1966 letter published in Amazing Spider-man #35, Art Raveson had a big idea for Spider-man. He wrote that he desperately hoped that rather than being just another do-gooder that Spider-man would become, "the first intellectual left wing superhero, helping to stop wars, supporting S.N.C.C., C.O.R.E., and the NAACP, singing the songs of Bob Dylan, and ever so often commenting on the works of Jean Paul Satre." The bullpen boys joked that they'd wait for future letters and the response from the John Birch Society.
In Issue 38, H Doyle Abernathy, declaring himself politically neutral said the idea might nice for Mr. Raveson but not so much for Spidey. "It is not the purpose of a super-hero to indoctrinate readers with any specific political credo. If you succeed in present democracy as superior to tyranny, courage to cowardice, and brotherhood to bigotry, they you will accomplish all that can be expected in the political and social realms."
Marvel's editors responded, "We kind of agree with you. We try to keep the moral tone and entertainment value of our mags as high as possible. But when it comes to political philosophies, we figure that's best left to those who specialize in that area."
Of course, this would go by the board in years, as when Stan Lee gave way to younger writers, comics at Marvel would get a lot more political both at Marvel and at DC. Though thankfully Art Raveson didn't get his wish about Spidey becoming the type of character that Green Arrow became at DC.
The other big observation I've had reading through the letters is how wrong our take on the comics of the 1960s and 70s are. It's assumed that Stan Lee and other writers were writing to an audience of kids which is why their material was generally cleaner than what's followed in later decades. Yet when I read the letters page, I'm impressed by how literate all these people writing into the comic book magazines are.
Some identified themselves as members of the Armed Services overseas, one was from a housewife with kids of comic-reading age, and there are plenty of letters from college kids.
Spidey-mania spread far outside young people. One letter writer wrote that Spidey was a hit with his chemistry professor. The Iron Man book appears to have been read by many engineers or at the very least, engineering and mechanics fans who gave constant feedback on the realism of Tony Stark's wizardry.
Certainly, there were plenty of kids who read Spider-man and other books, but when you read the often-erudite letters that came in, it's hard to conclude the magazine didn't appeal to adults.
It's not that the 1960s Comics were written to kids. It's that modern adults tastes have grown more cynical and darker when it comes to the world of comic books.
I've been pretty much finished buying trade paperbacks and one of the best features of these DVDs is that they are complete comics. Complete with ads (which are occasionally hilarious such as one of Dr. Doom selling T-shirts and calling the Hulk, "Good, sir") and my favorite feature, "letters."
I've find the letters sections of these magazines to be the most interesting bonus. Fans of today have their thoughts about heroes and their Silver Age adventures. What did the original fans think and want these characters to do?
Surprisingly, there are some common themes. Even in 1966, for example, there were some fans who were ready for Aunt May to pass on and Peter to grieve and move on.
Politics was a hot topic as well. In a 1966 letter published in Amazing Spider-man #35, Art Raveson had a big idea for Spider-man. He wrote that he desperately hoped that rather than being just another do-gooder that Spider-man would become, "the first intellectual left wing superhero, helping to stop wars, supporting S.N.C.C., C.O.R.E., and the NAACP, singing the songs of Bob Dylan, and ever so often commenting on the works of Jean Paul Satre." The bullpen boys joked that they'd wait for future letters and the response from the John Birch Society.
In Issue 38, H Doyle Abernathy, declaring himself politically neutral said the idea might nice for Mr. Raveson but not so much for Spidey. "It is not the purpose of a super-hero to indoctrinate readers with any specific political credo. If you succeed in present democracy as superior to tyranny, courage to cowardice, and brotherhood to bigotry, they you will accomplish all that can be expected in the political and social realms."
Marvel's editors responded, "We kind of agree with you. We try to keep the moral tone and entertainment value of our mags as high as possible. But when it comes to political philosophies, we figure that's best left to those who specialize in that area."
Of course, this would go by the board in years, as when Stan Lee gave way to younger writers, comics at Marvel would get a lot more political both at Marvel and at DC. Though thankfully Art Raveson didn't get his wish about Spidey becoming the type of character that Green Arrow became at DC.
The other big observation I've had reading through the letters is how wrong our take on the comics of the 1960s and 70s are. It's assumed that Stan Lee and other writers were writing to an audience of kids which is why their material was generally cleaner than what's followed in later decades. Yet when I read the letters page, I'm impressed by how literate all these people writing into the comic book magazines are.
Some identified themselves as members of the Armed Services overseas, one was from a housewife with kids of comic-reading age, and there are plenty of letters from college kids.
Spidey-mania spread far outside young people. One letter writer wrote that Spidey was a hit with his chemistry professor. The Iron Man book appears to have been read by many engineers or at the very least, engineering and mechanics fans who gave constant feedback on the realism of Tony Stark's wizardry.
Certainly, there were plenty of kids who read Spider-man and other books, but when you read the often-erudite letters that came in, it's hard to conclude the magazine didn't appeal to adults.
It's not that the 1960s Comics were written to kids. It's that modern adults tastes have grown more cynical and darker when it comes to the world of comic books.
July 10, 2013
Book Review: Marvel Masterworks Amazing Spider-man, Volume 2
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 2 by Stan LeeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Some of the finest Comic Books ever are collected in this book. This 2nd Masterworks Collections collects the Amazing Spider-man Issues 11-19 and Annual #1.
The book begins with a two part arch against Dr. Octopus and then issues #13-15 introduces Mysterio, Green Goblin (with guest stars the Enforcers and the Hulk), and Kraven, staples of the Spider-man universe.
The in Spider-man Annual #1, we meet perhaps the greatest supervillain team ever led by Doctor Octopus and with the Vulture, Kraven, Mysterio, and Sandman. In addition to this, Stan Lee works in a cameo for nearly every hero in the Marvel Universe from Thor to Dr. Strange and Captain America. The Human Torch gets two: one to promote the Fantastic Four and one to promote his own stories appearing in Strange Tales. We also see J Jonah show a little bit of humanity with some thinly camouflaged concern about Betty Brant leading him to put aside his feud with Spider-man to enlist Spider-man's help. He even talks to a Spider in desperation to get the message through! In addition to the main feature, you also get some nice early descriptions of Spider-man powers and some fantastic art portraying Stan Lee at work.
#16 features Spider-man fighting daredevil under the influence of the ringmaster.
The book ends with a final story arch from #17-#19. Flash Thompson has started the Spider-man fan club and Green Goblin decides to crash the party. During the fight Spider-man hears that Aunt May has taken ill and rushes away from the fight creating confusion with many believing him a coward. Issue 18 is an absolute nightmare for our webslinger as he for the first time considers hanging them up in a story that's resolved wonderfully in Issue #19.
The book has everything. Great fight, great drama, some pretty good comic relief as usual via the writing of Stan Lee. Peter Parker is growing and learning as a character, becoming a real hero in the face of media cynicism and his own self-doubt. This is Spider-man at his best and Stan Lee at his best as a writer.
There are two minor negatives. First, Steve Ditko's original drawing of Kraven is rather crude compared to other more polished work on the Hunter. Secondly, Daredevil guesses Peter's exact age in Issue 16. But 5 months later when they tangle in Daredevil #6, DD guesses merely that Spider-man is under 20.
Minor points to be sure, but this is a great collection to own either is this book or part of
Essential Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 1.
View all my reviews
July 9, 2013
Review Superman Adventures Volume 1 and Volume 2
Superman Adventures Vol. 1: Up, Up and Away! by Mark MillarMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is from the Superman Adventures series Comic Book series based on Superman: The Animated Series from the 1990s. It collections Issues 16, 19, 22-24.
The first story has Clark Kent finding himself powerless and someone else is flying around as Superman. What's going on? An okay story with a decent solution. Grade: B
In the second story, Someone's put a Billion Dollar price on the head of the President and it's up to Superman to protect the President from an assassin. Really great twist ending to this one. Grade: B+
The third and fourth stories are a two-party story from Issues 22 and 23. Electronic failures are happening around the world and Superman considers and eliminates likely suspects such as Lex Luthor and Livewire, finally concluding that someone had gotten into his Fortress of Solitude-Brainiac. He flies up there to confront him. The story takes some great turns and Superman gets key help from an unlikely source.
The story even had some a religious subtext as Dr. Hamilton flew up to the North Pole and mocked those who were praying by candles. Yet, when things took a horrible turn, Hamilton said, "Good Lord." Brainiac remarks, "A man of science using a religious phrase is most interesting." Indeed it is and so is this story. Grade: A+
Finally, the Parasite's back and he steals Superman's Powers and goes on a week long spree of terror. Superman still has days to go until he's back at full strength, but will he wait that long? Grade: B+
Overall thoughts:
The book's shines a great light on the unrelenting selfless heroism of Superman. These stories leave no doubt that the Superheart of Superman is far greater than his superpowers.
At the same time, I did have an issue with the way Parasite's powers worked in this story. His inability to Hold Superman's power for days on end seemed completely at odds with how the TV series had portrayed his powers and since this was based on the TV series, it should have been consistent.
However, this is a minor point, particularly with a book that includes "The War Games" story arch.
Superman Adventures Vol. 2: The Never-Ending Battle by Mark MillarMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Superman's Never Ending Battle is chronicled in this second series of Tales taken from the pages of the all ages print, Superman Adventures Issues 25-29.
In "Almost World's Finest" Bruce Wayne is being held hostage by the Mad Hatter who demands that Batman appear to save Wayne or else Wayne will be killed. With Nightwing out of town and Robin strangely missing, Batgirl needs help and Superman comes to town. The story has features. On one hand, Superman is almost too nice in the story. Batgirl finds that the arrival of Superman frustrates her efforts at enhanced interrogation as the villains know Superman won't let her play rough. When Superman interrogates a criminal, he weirds Batgirl out by buying him coffee afterwards.
Come on! Superman may be a boy scout but he isn't a wimp. Golden Age Superman could get it done in terms of interrogation, as have many other versions. And what's with Batgirl having an attitude towards Superman that we'd normally associate with Batman. On the other hand, the story does raise questions. Gotham is clearly a different type of city. As Commissioner Gordon says, "People here are too scared to look up in the skies." It raises a question. Would Superman be a different hero in Gotham? Or would Gotham be a different city if Superman lived there? Ponderous, but still the story gets only a B from me.
Mr. Mxyzptlk makes an appearance in "Yesterday's Man of Tomorrow" when frustrated with his attempts to defeat the adult Man of Steel decides to travel back in time and dupe young Clark Kent. But will he be happy with the results? We see a little different side of that inter-dimensional imp in this story. Grade: B+
"How Much Can One Man Hate?": A story that focuses on Lex Luthor's quest to destroy Superman and what drives it. Lex Luther ultimately tries to replace Superman with Superior Man (someone at Marvel Comics must have read this issue) but who is Superior Man? The solution is pretty good. What really makes the story work is a look at what makes Lex Luthor Superman's enemy? Good stuff. Grade: A
"Jimmy Olsen v. Darkseid"-In this story, Kalibak from Apokolips to take Superman back, but in a classic mix up, Superman and Jimmy Olsen change bodies. Now it falls to Jimmy to find his way to Apokolips and rescue Superman before the torturers destroy Superman and Jimmy's body with him. This is a fun story reminiscent of traditional Silver Age style Jimmy Olsen adventures. Grade: A
"Bride of Bizarro"-Bizarro is back after hitching a ride with the Main Man (i.e. Lobo) and he's in search of a bride--Lois Lane. Lobo keeps Superman occupied while Bizarro courts Lois. A good story for the guest characters alone, though Superman is a bit slow on the uptake at a couple points. Grade: B+
Overall, these are not quite as good as the previous collections but with so many great Superman characters jammed into a 112 page digest, this books packs a powerful punch for fans of good Superman stories.
View all my reviews
July 8, 2013
Holy Flashback Batman, It's Batman '66
Usually, I'm not reading current comic book titles at all. Most of my graphic reading material is 40-70 years old. However, DC has released a couple of digital first titles that are worth some attention:
Batman '66 #1
There are few things that are more reviled among hardcore Batman fans than the 1966 Batman series. Basically, they feel that they took the gritty creation of Bob Kane and turned him into unanimated Dudley Do-right that was played for laughs.
DC and its parent company Warner Brothers has shown little interest in resolving the rights issues with Fox to at last give the show a DVD release. However, the series remains very popular with fans who (like me) were first introduced to Batman and Robin in this very fun series.
After Tim Burton's Batman movies, Batman: The Animated Series, the Christopher Nolan Batman series, and a series of Batman comic stories that are darker than a black hole, DC decided to give us Batman '66, a series of comic books based on the TV show continuity as a digital first release.
">Batman '66 #1 written by Jeff Parker manages to get the series started off right. It introduces to our key characters with Parker capturing them almost pitch perfect versions of Batman, Robin, Chief O'Hara, and our special guest villain, the Riddler. The plot is pretty basic: The Riddler breaks up a picnic where Commissioner Gordon is being honored and it's up to Batman to stop him. Riddler is Frank Gorshin's definitive version of the character.
The electronic story has an almost animated feel to it as several of the ninety-five screens are repeats with the previous but with a bit of dialog or action added in.
It really captured the spirit of the series right up to its final screen with its teaser for the next issue.
The question is, "Will Jeff Reynolds be able to maintain this nostalgic tone without falling into modern comic book tropes that turn off some readers like me? Will we see character like Egghead and Louie the Lilac. Find out same Bat Day, same Bat comic.
Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5.0
Adventures of Superman #10
The Adventures of Superman takes one shot stories out of current continuity written by a rotating crop of writers. This has actually been a series of decent stories that do a better job of capturing the spirit of Superman.
This issue, "A Day in the Life" focuses on a day in the life of Superman's most bitter foe, Lex Luthor.
The stories not bad, but it's hardly that original. We basically get to see how Lex Luthor spend a day being an evil genius CEO. Laughing merrily as he lays a group of scientist and keeping a notebook, an evil notebook.
Superman faces a robotic foe he fights all day long prior to a confrontation with Lex that's far from climatic.
Really, it's hard to plum new information on Lex Luthor, and to try and do so in a short digital release story was probably the author's reach exceeding his grasp.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.0
I expect better for Issue 11 which is written by Tom DeFalco.
Batman '66 #1
There are few things that are more reviled among hardcore Batman fans than the 1966 Batman series. Basically, they feel that they took the gritty creation of Bob Kane and turned him into unanimated Dudley Do-right that was played for laughs.
DC and its parent company Warner Brothers has shown little interest in resolving the rights issues with Fox to at last give the show a DVD release. However, the series remains very popular with fans who (like me) were first introduced to Batman and Robin in this very fun series.
After Tim Burton's Batman movies, Batman: The Animated Series, the Christopher Nolan Batman series, and a series of Batman comic stories that are darker than a black hole, DC decided to give us Batman '66, a series of comic books based on the TV show continuity as a digital first release.
">Batman '66 #1 written by Jeff Parker manages to get the series started off right. It introduces to our key characters with Parker capturing them almost pitch perfect versions of Batman, Robin, Chief O'Hara, and our special guest villain, the Riddler. The plot is pretty basic: The Riddler breaks up a picnic where Commissioner Gordon is being honored and it's up to Batman to stop him. Riddler is Frank Gorshin's definitive version of the character.
The electronic story has an almost animated feel to it as several of the ninety-five screens are repeats with the previous but with a bit of dialog or action added in.
It really captured the spirit of the series right up to its final screen with its teaser for the next issue.
The question is, "Will Jeff Reynolds be able to maintain this nostalgic tone without falling into modern comic book tropes that turn off some readers like me? Will we see character like Egghead and Louie the Lilac. Find out same Bat Day, same Bat comic.
Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5.0
Adventures of Superman #10
The Adventures of Superman takes one shot stories out of current continuity written by a rotating crop of writers. This has actually been a series of decent stories that do a better job of capturing the spirit of Superman.
This issue, "A Day in the Life" focuses on a day in the life of Superman's most bitter foe, Lex Luthor.
The stories not bad, but it's hardly that original. We basically get to see how Lex Luthor spend a day being an evil genius CEO. Laughing merrily as he lays a group of scientist and keeping a notebook, an evil notebook.
Superman faces a robotic foe he fights all day long prior to a confrontation with Lex that's far from climatic.
Really, it's hard to plum new information on Lex Luthor, and to try and do so in a short digital release story was probably the author's reach exceeding his grasp.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.0
I expect better for Issue 11 which is written by Tom DeFalco.
July 6, 2013
Sample Saturday: Getting Rid of An Assassin the Easy Way
Some times there are ways to avoid a superhero battle when you're just not in the mood as we read in this excerpt from Tales of the Dim Knight:
A car engine roared outside. Dave peeked between the living room blinds. A guy in a black leather catsuit, carrying a laser rifle, climbed out of a washed-out, slate blue Toyota with a dented-in passenger side door.
Dude, he was really not up for a superhero battle today. Dave sighed, ran to the kitchen, changed into Powerhouse, and tore out the back door into the yard. He flew over the house to the front yard. Cat Guy fired a beam of energy at Powerhouse.
He dodged left and glared at Cat Guy. “What do you want?”
“I’m here to kill you.” Cat Guy fired continuous laser streams at him.
Powerhouse dodged. “Why?”
“Because someone’s paying me.”
“What will you do with the money?”
Cat Guy stopped firing and lowered his weapon. “I’d buy a sports car and go to Hawaii.”
Powerhouse landed. “Tell you what. How about you don’t kill me, and I give you a sports car and fly you to Hawaii?”
Cat Guy stared, gaping. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I just really don’t want to be bothered. I’m busy playing Legos.” Powerhouse super-imagined the Toyota turning into a red Lamborghini.
Cat Guy jumped in the car and whistled. “This is all right. How about Hawaii?”
A small jet engine winked into existence on the back of the car. Powerhouse pointed. “This will carry you all the way there.”
Cat Guy hesitated. “What’ll I tell the mob? I don’t want any cement shoes, man.”
Powerhouse transformed Cat Guy into Red Hawaiian Shirt Guy. “Tell them I took your clothes and car and threw you across the ocean.”
Red Hawaiian Shirt Guy waved. “Thanks, man.”
“Have a good trip.” Powerhouse activated the jet engine and the car soared into the sky. He flew back behind the house and changed into mild-mannered janitor Dave Johnson.
Read more exciting er-action in Tales of the Dim Knight available for 99 cents on the Kindle through Sunday.
June 29, 2013
Sample Saturday: Deleted Scene Edition
Because of the deletion of multiple point of views, this scene from Tales of the Dim Knight is not the paperback book and wasn't in the original Kindle Edition but is in the new second Kindle Edition:
“Why do they not recognize the flag?”
Miss Invisible glanced over the muscles bulging from Captain France’s costume. Maybe a beret would help. “People do think you’re patriotic in those colors.”
Captain France leaned against an overturned trashcan in the alley. “They think I’m American until I speak. Why can’t they tell the difference between red, white, and blue and blue, white, and red?”
Miss Invisible shook her head. Days like this, she wondered why she ever let that man in her bed. “It’s beyond me.”
Blue food coloring fell from a window and splashed all over them.
Captain France wiped at his suit. “What is this?”
Two men carrying automatic weapons dropped down. The taller said, “Ahmed wants to see you.”
“Ahmed who?” asked Captain France.
“You’ll see. Come with us.”
Captain France stood, hands in the air. “But, of course.”
Miss Invisible disappeared, except for the sticky substance. One of the men slugged her with his rifle butt. She screamed at the pain throbbing in her side and re-appeared.'
“Ahmed knows your tricks. They’ll be quite useless. Come this way.”
The men led them to a car. Two feet short, their captors stopped, a blank, confused look coming over their faces.
Someone screamed, “Look up there!”
“Huh?” the men said and looked up even though if Miss Invisible didn’t know better, she’d think the voice came from the manhole leading to the sewer.
Miss Invisible and Captain France jump kicked the stupefied men.
The manhole cover lifted up. “Come this way, to safety.”
Captain France muttered, “There had better not be. alligators down there.”
The two heroes held their noses and followed their new friend.
There's even more available in Tales of the Dim Knight 2nd Kindle edition available for 99 cents through 7/8.
“Why do they not recognize the flag?”
Miss Invisible glanced over the muscles bulging from Captain France’s costume. Maybe a beret would help. “People do think you’re patriotic in those colors.”
Captain France leaned against an overturned trashcan in the alley. “They think I’m American until I speak. Why can’t they tell the difference between red, white, and blue and blue, white, and red?”
Miss Invisible shook her head. Days like this, she wondered why she ever let that man in her bed. “It’s beyond me.”
Blue food coloring fell from a window and splashed all over them.
Captain France wiped at his suit. “What is this?”
Two men carrying automatic weapons dropped down. The taller said, “Ahmed wants to see you.”
“Ahmed who?” asked Captain France.
“You’ll see. Come with us.”
Captain France stood, hands in the air. “But, of course.”
Miss Invisible disappeared, except for the sticky substance. One of the men slugged her with his rifle butt. She screamed at the pain throbbing in her side and re-appeared.'
“Ahmed knows your tricks. They’ll be quite useless. Come this way.”
The men led them to a car. Two feet short, their captors stopped, a blank, confused look coming over their faces.
Someone screamed, “Look up there!”
“Huh?” the men said and looked up even though if Miss Invisible didn’t know better, she’d think the voice came from the manhole leading to the sewer.
Miss Invisible and Captain France jump kicked the stupefied men.
The manhole cover lifted up. “Come this way, to safety.”
Captain France muttered, “There had better not be. alligators down there.”
The two heroes held their noses and followed their new friend.
There's even more available in Tales of the Dim Knight 2nd Kindle edition available for 99 cents through 7/8.
June 27, 2013
Tales of the Dim Knight Second Kindle Edition 99 Cent Sale and Enter to Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card
I'm please to announce the new Kindle Edition of Tales of the Dim Knight has been released.
This second edition includes:
---A discussion guide for book clubs.
---Alternate Ending to the Book
---Nine other deleted scenes.
The revised Kindle version is on sale 7/8 for $0.99.
But as they say on TV, that's not all. Today only, Tales of the Dim Knight is the featured book of the day on Mamma Says Read. And we're giving away a $10 Amazon gift card. You can enter many ways, including by purchasing Tales of the Dim Knight today.
So click here to do enter.
This second edition includes:
---A discussion guide for book clubs.
---Alternate Ending to the Book
---Nine other deleted scenes.
The revised Kindle version is on sale 7/8 for $0.99.
But as they say on TV, that's not all. Today only, Tales of the Dim Knight is the featured book of the day on Mamma Says Read. And we're giving away a $10 Amazon gift card. You can enter many ways, including by purchasing Tales of the Dim Knight today.
So click here to do enter.
June 22, 2013
Sample Saturday: Hero With Powers
In Fly Another Day, Dave Johnson tries some heroics without powers:
Dave and Naomi walked out of the Kirkland Performance Center. Dave slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “So what did you think?”
Naomi strolled in silence way too long before speaking. “Hearing people perform a vintage Radio show in the 21st Century wasn’t what I expected.”
“It was cool. It’s too bad they didn’t do Superman.”
Naomi smiled. “You look quite dapper tonight, Dave.”
“In a gray turtle neck and black jeans?”
“For you, that’s dressing up.”
Dave peered at Naomi’s navy blue polka dot dress. “Well, you were the best dressed woman there.”
Naomi blushed. “I was overdressed! The theaters I went to that summer in New York, people dressed up for, not just show up in their normal casual wear.”
“That’s how I like it.”
They approached near to their car. Naomi fished in her purse for her keys. “Has that whole food route helped you?”
Dave whipped his keys out and pressed the
button that unlocked the car. “It’s not leaping tall buildings in a single bound, but when I’m delivering meals to folks in need, I feel useful and like life’s got a point. I even have a business idea.”
Naomi stopped in her tracks. “Did the aliens abduct my husband again? You’ve never talked about starting a business.”
Sure, he’d only dreamed about it quietly until they started going to the shrink, but he wasn’t going to admit that was helpful at all for the world. “I’ve been thinking that, with all the kids in town, Bryerton needs a kid-friendly comic book store.”
Naomi kissed Dave on the cheek. “Okay, you’re still my husband, but that idea sounds like an oxymoron to me, honey. Some comics are nasty.”
“Exactly why we need a comic book store that doesn't sell those.”
“I guess we do finally have some money saved up. Let’s pray about it. If it still sounds like something we want to do, we can work on it.”
Was that a yes or a no?
The cry of an old man pierced the air. “Leave me alone!”
Dave sped toward the screaming, his arms and legs pumping full steam.
Naomi called. “Dave, wait for me!”
Dave turned down an alley packed with garbage cans.
A hood held a knife at an elderly man’s throat and sneered. “Seven dol-lars? What am I supposed to get with that?”
“A five year term in the State pen.” Dave clenched his fists on his hips. He might have lost his superpowers, but he could
still wisecrack like a pro.
The miscreant spun in a slow circle and glared. “Who are you?”
“Someone who thinks you shouldn’t rob old men. Give him his wallet and leave him alone before someone gets hurt.”
The hood laughed. “Okay, wise guy. As a bone for you being so amus-ing, I’ll let this waste of space live and simply take what you’ve got on you.”
The hood charged toward Dave with the knife. “Hand over the wallet or you’ll be the one who gets hurt.”
Dave jumped out of the way and grabbed the elbow of the knife arm. Dave squeezed and twisted the hood’s arm.
The hood pulled a switchblade out of his pocket with his right hand and slammed the blade into Dave’s stomach. Pain sliced through him in agonizing waves as the hood cursed at him. “I can use both hands, fool.”
Naomi screamed.
Dave gasped, clutched his stomach, and fell onto his knees. Batman had never had to face an ambidextrous hood.
The world faded around Dave as his face raced toward the pavement.
Find out what happens in Fly Another Day.
Dave and Naomi walked out of the Kirkland Performance Center. Dave slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “So what did you think?”
Naomi strolled in silence way too long before speaking. “Hearing people perform a vintage Radio show in the 21st Century wasn’t what I expected.”
“It was cool. It’s too bad they didn’t do Superman.”
Naomi smiled. “You look quite dapper tonight, Dave.”
“In a gray turtle neck and black jeans?”
“For you, that’s dressing up.”
Dave peered at Naomi’s navy blue polka dot dress. “Well, you were the best dressed woman there.”
Naomi blushed. “I was overdressed! The theaters I went to that summer in New York, people dressed up for, not just show up in their normal casual wear.”
“That’s how I like it.”
They approached near to their car. Naomi fished in her purse for her keys. “Has that whole food route helped you?”
Dave whipped his keys out and pressed the
button that unlocked the car. “It’s not leaping tall buildings in a single bound, but when I’m delivering meals to folks in need, I feel useful and like life’s got a point. I even have a business idea.”
Naomi stopped in her tracks. “Did the aliens abduct my husband again? You’ve never talked about starting a business.”
Sure, he’d only dreamed about it quietly until they started going to the shrink, but he wasn’t going to admit that was helpful at all for the world. “I’ve been thinking that, with all the kids in town, Bryerton needs a kid-friendly comic book store.”
Naomi kissed Dave on the cheek. “Okay, you’re still my husband, but that idea sounds like an oxymoron to me, honey. Some comics are nasty.”
“Exactly why we need a comic book store that doesn't sell those.”
“I guess we do finally have some money saved up. Let’s pray about it. If it still sounds like something we want to do, we can work on it.”
Was that a yes or a no?
The cry of an old man pierced the air. “Leave me alone!”
Dave sped toward the screaming, his arms and legs pumping full steam.
Naomi called. “Dave, wait for me!”
Dave turned down an alley packed with garbage cans.
A hood held a knife at an elderly man’s throat and sneered. “Seven dol-lars? What am I supposed to get with that?”
“A five year term in the State pen.” Dave clenched his fists on his hips. He might have lost his superpowers, but he could
still wisecrack like a pro.
The miscreant spun in a slow circle and glared. “Who are you?”
“Someone who thinks you shouldn’t rob old men. Give him his wallet and leave him alone before someone gets hurt.”
The hood laughed. “Okay, wise guy. As a bone for you being so amus-ing, I’ll let this waste of space live and simply take what you’ve got on you.”
The hood charged toward Dave with the knife. “Hand over the wallet or you’ll be the one who gets hurt.”
Dave jumped out of the way and grabbed the elbow of the knife arm. Dave squeezed and twisted the hood’s arm.
The hood pulled a switchblade out of his pocket with his right hand and slammed the blade into Dave’s stomach. Pain sliced through him in agonizing waves as the hood cursed at him. “I can use both hands, fool.”
Naomi screamed.
Dave gasped, clutched his stomach, and fell onto his knees. Batman had never had to face an ambidextrous hood.
The world faded around Dave as his face raced toward the pavement.
Find out what happens in Fly Another Day.
Christians and Superheroes
I'm a Christian who writes superhero fiction (some parody and some serious.)
On this blog, we'll take a look at:
1) Superhero stories
2) Issues of faith in relation to Superhero stories
3) Writing Superhe ...more
On this blog, we'll take a look at:
1) Superhero stories
2) Issues of faith in relation to Superhero stories
3) Writing Superhe ...more
- Adam Graham's profile
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