(Mostly) Out today, so...

...we'll just take a quick glance at a few panels from Superman #276, "Make Way for Captain Thunder!" Written by Elliot S! Maggin, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Bob Oksner.

When young Willie Fawcett mysteriously and suddenly appears in Metropolis, and finds he seems to have maybe moved twenty years into the future; he uses his magic word and belt buckle to transform into Captain Thunder! Who is inexplicably evil, so he and Superman can fight...

Captain Thunder, of course, is a really, really thinly veiled pastiche of Captain Marvel...or Shazam, if you must. Per the Marvel Family Web, this story was originally intended to be the first DC appearance of Captain Marvel; but may have been scrubbed and CM replaced, to save up for the bigger All-New Collector's Edition Superman vs. Shazam. Which doesn't really explain how "Captain Thunder" is more fun here, fighting the awesome Monster League of Evil, than Captain Marvel would be in years of DC stories. The Monster League deserves a 52-reboot more than "Shazam" does...

Have a good Black Friday! Unless you work retail, in which case I recommend getting all your screaming out now...

Read more!

There's obscure references, and then there's comic book obscure references.

I could've sworn there was going to be a remake of Logan's Run by now, but in today's culture, it would be less a cautionary tale then a call to arms. Oddly, even though I'm old enough I should've caught it on cable as a kid, I didn't see it until I was in college. (I'm still trying to catch Damnation Alley and Silent Running, though...)

Coincidentally, the Planet Express Crew ends up in college this issue, and there's cameos from Hogwarts School, a Talosian, the Breakfast Club, and below...

Halby and Blue from Evan Dorkin's vastly under-rated Hectic Planet! Nice. They're the two in the hats in the lower row. Look, you really should go read it, OK? Not sure Blue was actually blue, though, most of the series was in black and white, but who's going to know? Well, you now, I suppose.

From Futurama #16, "Kickin' It Old School" Script by Ian Boothby, pencils by James Lloyd, inks by Steve Steere, Jr. Read more!