This was pretty much my evening, yeah. Except I insist on a lightsaber spoon.

From Nextwave #7, written by Warren Ellis, art by Stuart Immonen. Nextwave is, of course, love. I know some of you might have reservations or complaints about the treatment or characterization of Captain Marvel or Machine Man, but keep in mind that before this they had sold approximately six comics total between them.

I don't usually post panels from recent comics, but this panel just spoke to me, and it was a good one for a day misspent watching TV. My wife was working on something, and I was watching Prison Break. It's not as good as 24, but it's usually enjoyable...but it seemed dumber than usual today. Watched Vanished as well, and that had bits that seemed like they belonged in an old Detective Comics issue, but I may have to come back to that.

Enough. I'm scanning more nonsense for later this week, so more later. And Jeff, thanks for the Power Records info! I'm looking forward to checking it out soon.

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A plea for help to the Comic Blogosphere!

First of all, a big thanks for the link to When Fangirls Attack! If you stumbled over here from there, on behalf of Male White Corporate Oppressor Comics, welcome aboard! We'll be talking about the new 'Dr. Light vs. the Female Green Lantern Corps' maxi-series today...No, seriously, welcome, and I don't know what's coming up next either. So, I thought I'd take a second to ask for help.

Conveniently, this ad was in the aforementioned issue of DC Presents with Enemy Ace. Since I'm old, I had a record player as a kid; and since my folks are a bit square (Mom, Dad, sorry!) instead of listening to Zeppelin or Foghat or whatever 70's people listened to, I had comic books on record. "The Action 'Comes Alive' as you Read!" To be honest, I probably didn't have a lot of choice. In the town I grew up, there was one radio station, and all I remember besides 'it sucked' was that it seemed to play a lot of Anne Murray.

(No cable, four channels at best, crappy radio, and of course no internet, but you could buy comics at four different locations within walking distance of my house: two grocery stores, a convenience store, and a weird little grocery that always had the black-and-whites like Savage Sword of Conan . Thinking about it, I'm not sure if this is 'progress.' I seriously wonder if you can comics within 80 miles of this town now.)

An old friend of mine once said, if I had listened to Zeppelin as a kid, I would have become a guitar player. So, by that logic, if my parents had gotten me 'real' records, I might have become a rock god instead of a comic blogger.

Mom, Dad, I don't, and can't, thank you enough. Seriously. Probably saved me from a 'career' in prog rock, at least. At best, I'd be a 'guitar hero' playing the county fair circuit...

The above four issues were condensed on one record, and while I didn't have the accompanying comics to read along with, I listened to those stories, without exaggeration, probably hundreds of times. I grew up in northern Montana in the seventies, and for those of you used to deluges of information and media, it would be like living in a sensory deprivation tank. Except that someone keeps tapping on my tank and asking what the hell's wrong with me. Suffice it to say, I had a lot of time to listen to those stories and play with my Legos and my Megos.

Today, I still have that record squirreled away somewhere, and eventually tracked down copies of the adapted comics.(I have the record version of the Fantastic Four one, which was probably edited to match the audio version, and the new lettering looks like it was done with whiteout and a sharpie.) Whenever I read them, my poor brain can still piece together the sound effects, dramatic declarations, and breathless narration. And, to be honest, what I remember of those records is doubtless a bazillion times cooler than what they actually sound like. But that's not good enough! Has anyone seen these, in MP3 format, for download? Anyone?

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I know Ghost Rider's...punishing this guy, somehow.

A guy with a priest collar yet. Wow, that looks bad. Yay, out-of-context panels! Suffice it to say, that guy was um, evil. And stuff. And not a real priest. And Ghost Rider's not doing anything...icky to him: just burning his soul with hellfire. That's much better!

From Ghost Rider #68, reprinted in The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again #1. "The Curse of Jonathan Blaze!" Written by Roger Stern, art by Bob Budiansky, inks by Josef Rubinstein. This was about the only issue of the old Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider that I got when it was originally coming out. Luckily, it's one of the best ones: a pretty strong retelling of his origin. Johnny is tragic and tortured, and the Ghost Rider seems to really be enjoying punishing evil and being a dick. He was referred to as a 'cursed spirit of vengeance,' but he always seemed to be having more fun busting heads and scorching evildoers than the later versions. Which is probably why the old version is remembered as 'cheesy fun,' and the 90's one is remembered for being 'kewl,' if at all.

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I'm allergic as hell, and I'd want one.

From Warlord #66, "wizardwar' Written by Mike Grell (maybe Sharon Grell), art by Dan Jurgens and Mike DeCarlo. Now Sharon Wright, Mike's ex-wife ghost-wrote a batch of 'his' last issues. I'm not sure I noticed the switch, even re-reading a big box of issues. While I don't have a complete run, I would hazard an opinion: the first 86 or so issues of Warlord are awesome, the rest of the series (which, sadly, I do have most of) not as good.

This issue was my first of the series, and there's virtually no recap. Who is the Warlord? Where'd he get a gun? Who are all these characters? Fortunately, 'Holy crap, that cat is awesome!' covers a multitude of sins. And I like Dan Jurgens artwork in this issue more than on anything else he's ever done, even now. Whether that's from DeCarlo's inks, or that rosy tint of nostalgia that my ophthalmologist is trying to correct, I don't know. But there's action, there's the Evil One, a centaur, a dwarf magician; there's a redhead with a switchblade stiletto in her sword, and there's a werewolf. What more do you people want?

Although I didn't realize it at the time, Jennifer Morgan, the Warlord's daughter, was a relatively new addition to the cast. She had only been Sorceress Supreme for a few months, and I don't think she's even referred to as such in this issue. Still, since this one takes place in ancient Skartaris during the age of the Wizard Kings...yes, I played D&D as a kid, how did you know?...Jennifer does a lot of the heavy lifting this issue. Kinda like if you had a JLA story with Hawkman, Flash, Green Lantern and Superman; but Wonder Woman did 90% of the work: a lot of characters, and some have a moment to shine, some don't.

Since I don't have some of the issues before this one, I don't know exactly why Travis is so cool with his daughter's newfound magic powers. He doesn't baby her or give her orders this issue, and she makes most of the plans. As far as the magic goes, it looks like Jennifer's the boss of that. I like her costume too, but it's a Mike Grell design, so your opinion may vary: if you liked his Legion of Super-Heroes costume designs, then they might work for you. Plus, Skartaris is probably ass-scorchingly hot every day, and everyone shows a ton of skin, male, female, or it. Hell, there's more fabric in my shirt than the Warlord's entire 'costume.'

And even today, when I hear the name Shakira, I don't think "travel-sized Latin-pop bellydancer." I think "Cat-woman-fur bikini." Don't judge me.

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So, since this week I've been ranting about Civil War or wondering why I didn't notice the pantsless Nazi, I've fallen behind in Warlord-related posts. Time to get back on the stick! From Green Arrow #28 (1989), "Siege" Written by Mike Grell, art by Dan Jurgens and Dick Giordano.

This was the second part to guest-star Travis Morgan's return from the lost world of Skartaris. As if twenty years of change wasn't bad enough, everywhere he goes in Seattle people try to kill him, thinking he's Green Arrow. Beating the scoop out of a goon, the Warlord goes to Oliver Queen's castle (I'm not sure why he lives in a castle, or if there were castles in Seattle?) to punch his lights out.

Punching Ollie? Piece of cake. Backtalking Black Canary? Not so much so. Keep in mind, Travis was an Air Force Pilot circa 1971 or thereabouts, so he's not particularly 'enlightened' or politically correct or anything. Still, it is a bit odd, since there were several women--Tara, Shakira, and Mariah--in his own book, that he never would have said that to, or he would've got punched there too.

But it's such a great set-up, it's easy to let go. This issue is pretty handily the best use of the Warlord in the DCU ever, and I also remember around this time being sad that Canary was being pulled out of the 'bwah-ha-ha' Justice League for Green Arrow. After this, I don't think I minded. Of course, the continuity is a little murky on this too: Ollie shoots quite a few people with arrows, and not the boxing-glove kind, the pointy ones. Dinah also guns a few goons down with an Uzi for good measure, so I'm wondering if that's been ret-conned out. Any Birds of Prey fans out there, let me know if there's any issues where Canary makes a big deal about not killing, 'kay?

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Probably my last complaint about Civil War. Today. How I'm wrecking comics, 3

Holy hell, you could get a better resolution picture with a cell phone. A cheap cell phone. Well, I'd rather get the toys instead.

If Civil War came down to Cap and Iron Man punching it out in hundred-foot tall robots: honestly, I'd be a little bit of just fine with that. (And for you Ultimates fans, tell me it doesn't look like Ultimate still-drinking Tony is going to pull out the big gun, a giant Iron Man armor, by the end of volume 2.)

Anyway, while I've had some fun ragging on the plot points and characterization I disagree with in the series; and I know Mike Millar has had health problems, and I don't know how much lead time Steve McNiven was given to crank out the admittedly very nice art: the problem is, like most of the rest of you, I have to go to work for eight hours a day. Whether I want to or not, whether I have other projects that I want to get done, whether I'm tired or bored or want to play Playstation or hung over or kind of sick or uninspired or in a rut or antsy or on tour or any other reason you want to throw out. And while it would be gosh, just super! if I could dog it out and just turn in stuff whenever and the work would go out whenever and all the customers would be happy to have it then...I'm not going to talk specifically about my work, but I'll tell you one thing: that wouldn't fucking happen. And I'm pretty sure it wouldn't at your work either.

Of course, this is just as hypocritical as anything else, since Warren Ellis and Chris Weston--and I'm not sure who exactly was at fault on that one--dogged out Ministry of Space, and I griped, but didn't make a federal case about it. Of course, that was for Image, for themselves, and the last issue of the series; not the midpoint of a huge company-wide crossover, work-for-hire, and hamstringing the bulk of rest of Marvel's schedule.

Also, one of the arguments for running late is that the collected book is going to be a more lasting artifact than the trifling little monthlies. Which is probably true, but...Civil War isn't going to be on the shelves in ten years with Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen. No slander to Millar or McNiven, but it's not.

Enough. For some reason, Garbage is on PBS, and I still love Shirley Manson, despite how my wife glares at me when I watch her. So, I'm gonna watch Shirley, tease my wife a bit, and play with toys. To anyone still upset about this: there's lots of other comics still floating around out there, many of which are cheaper, lots of which are just as or more entertaining. Pick one up.

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Civil War late? I've got your back!

(Edit: the other crappity photos I took for this aren't coming through yet! More later, but they aren't exactly magazine quality, OK?)

Yeah, ok, Civil War probably isn't going to end like this. But I was able to knock this nonsense out in an hour...making my deadline! Nyah!

Actually, I'm not too bothered by Civil War running late. I also don't know if I saw the story first at Newsarama or at someone's blog, but the general consensus seems to be: Marvel is going to do whatever it wants to do, and the 'monthly' comic is just a loss-leader to the inevitable trade paperback. The creators will continue to do whatever they want, and the fans may bitch and moan and make a stink (figuratively, I should hope) but they'll still cough up the green in the end.

Brian Hibbs from Savage Critic(s) points out the only ones that really lose (potentially) are the retailers, who could very well be left on the hook for those comics if the fans finally do turn on these late books. He makes some great points over there, except for one: "Even if you have to replace George Perez with Ron Lim."

Oh, Perez is great, but show Lim some love! I really liked his work on, well, about every third Marvel book there for a stretch in the early 90's. He had long runs on Captain America and Silver Surfer, then work on everything from Excalibur to Conan the Barbarian.

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And the real reason Civil War is late:

They realized the 'twist' ending had been done before.

Now show Ron Lim some love, Brian. From Infinity War #2, "Ethereal Revisionism" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Alan Milgrom.

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Odd associations, from my skull to yours.

I have no idea sometimes how my brain links things together. For instance, whenever I hear the Radiohead song "No Surprises" (from the album The Bends) I think of Enemy Ace. Not sure why. I think of fighter pilots from both sides going up in very flammable planes that were barely safe to fly, let alone fight in; knowing every time they went up it could be their last; while at home a wife and children wait, probably in vain.

"Such a pretty house, and such a pretty garden,
With no alarms and no surprises,
No alarms and no surprises,
No alarms and no surprises please."

I'm pretty sure 99% of the Enemy Ace stories I have are reprints, excluding the George Platt graphic novel, and the Garth Ennis prestige-format issues. So, I don't think I have every Enemy Ace story there is, but that's OK: I've never been disappointed by an Enemy Ace appearance. From his Crisis cameos to Guns of the Dragon, when the Hammer of Hell shows up, it might not be a laugh riot, but it's always good reading. The only downside to that, is that if the solicits say Enemy Ace is going to be guesting in Outsiders or Nightwing, I'd almost be obligated to give it a try. Ugh.

Plus, my son (and wife!) got me the DC Direct Enemy Ace a few years ago, and he still looks cool as hell. Wish I knew what I did with his wolf sidekick/accessory, though.

Anyway, "No Surprises" came up on my minidisc player today, so even though I planned something else, this is what I ended up doing. And then looking for this, I found some other stuff, and so it goes. If any of you have particular (or peculiar) songs for specific comics, let me know.

Today's panels are from "The Devil's General" and was actually uncredited in my copy! Script by Bob Kanigher, art by Joe Kubert, from DC Special Presents...Enemy Ace #26.

Edit: Oh fudd. Trent just pointed out that "No Surprises" is on OK Computer, not the Bends. See kids, this is what's going to happen to you when you listen to all your music on the ipod or the obsolete minidisc: you won't remember what album anything's from. Or, I'm just getting senile. Thanks Trent, and I'm going to check out your blog soon!

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Sidebar: It's weird what I find weird, I guess...

Last Saturday's entry, a little further down here, was actually written around July 4, after I had read a ton of Captain America. But, until the Fortress Keeper (of the superlative Fortress of Fortitude, of course) pointed it out in the comments, the staggering weirdness of two of Marvel's biggest villains, stripping down to their underwear to fight it out, didn't really occur to me. Huh. And traditionally in Marvel Comics, this would be the sort of occasion where a villain would break out their new Evil Armor or whatever. Not strip down to their...well, giant-ass boxers in the Kingpin's case.

I was more hung up on Red Skull's scabby head, but I may also have been distracted by the henchmen above. Frankly, there can't be a lot of perks working for the Kingpin: no dental for Daredevil-related injuries; the very real possibility Kingpin, Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, etc. will kill you as an example of their might; the vague hope of turning state's evidence someday. But, sometimes you get to watch the boss beat up a Nazi or actors dressed up like Spider-Man and the Black Cat; or Daredevil will tell a funny story about breaking Turk's limbs. That's pretty much it.

To be fair, working for the Red Skull would be much, much worse: Cap can bust you up much more than Daredevil; even better chances of being more horribly killed by the Skull, Crossbones, Mother Night, etc; and the possibility of being left on the hook for war crimes. So, the Skull probably lost because of the lack of pep on his side, I guess.

There's probably more jokes to be made about the Kingpin and Red Skull in their underwear, but it's weird how not-weird that seems to me...like I could bike to work, see that, and not even bother to stop...

In other news, Ian Myles Slater pointed out some interesting links discussing the Super Soldier Serum. I'm pretty sure Cap needed some follow-up treatment after the SSS: the Vita-ray treatment, or somesuch; which I don't think most of the other recipents received. Of course, something that could theoretically turn you into the Man-Thing probably isn't going to be fast-tracked for FDA approval, either. Good discussion at the links, so check 'em out!

By the way: Man-Thing may very well be my least-favorite Marvel character. But, we'll save that discussion for another time, since I'm even more off track than usual today. And that's saying something, I think.

And, today's panel was from Captain America #378, "Grand Stand Play!" Written by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Danny Bulanadi. And remember:

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Emergency or not, ladies; you could finish getting dressed first.

Recently I mocked Power Girl's yellow and white costume, that she wore for a few years in Justice League Europe. Like it was the worst costume she ever wore: that's Kara up there with the red headband.

It's weird to think, to me anyway, that I've been reading about Power Girl for years. One of my first comics that I remember is an All-Star Comics issue with her and the (late, lamented) Star-Spangled Kid. Then she was in Warlord, and Justice League Europe...

Wait, you say, Warlord? Yeah, Warlord. Today's panel is from Warlord #121, "Clouds of War!" Written by Michael Fleisher, art by Art Thibert and Pablo Marcos. I've mentioned the book before, and while it's a series I have a lot of fondness for, it also had a long stretch of not-very-good issues. During that stretch, or maybe during Crisis on Infinite Earth, Travis Morgan got shuffled into the DC Universe proper. Previously, creator Mike Grell said the book took place in a world without super-heroes, but it probably seemed to editorial like a good idea, a way to bring in more readers.

And how could you not bring in readers, with guest stars like Scavenger! Or Power Girl, out of costume, and slogging through her half-assed post-Crisis Arion-Atlantis origin? Or the New Gods...minus Orion, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda. Sweet Christmas, I probably lost readers just recapping that list. Still, Warlord ran for 133 issues, a pretty solid run.

The Warlord still showed up in the DCU, up until his new (terrible) series. He had appearances in Teen Titans (the one with the teenaged Atom, that's been cancelled), Aquaman (not the Sword of... one, the cancelled one before that), and Justice League Task Force (you guessed it, cancelled). I think he's a great character, but tough to work into a superhero universe, and tough to tell stories that are more tailored for him without being repetitive. (Credit to Dan Jurgens, who worked on the original book, and has done Warlord guest-spots more than once.)

I don't know if the new series is a reboot or Hypertime or Superboy punching reality (ugh), but the continuity is quite different. Still, Travis' daughter Jennifer, Sorceress Supreme, had a cameo in Day of Vengeance. Where she was pretty much punk'd. Maybe Jennifer's a continuity orphan like Kara now. They were better friends than Kara and the new Supergirl, but that's not saying much.

Also in Warlord #121: A Darkseid cameo! Like four sub-plots! And Power Girl and Jennifer Morgan fight a purple-pink, one-horned, demon. With a tail. And a 'scepter of power.' I have no comment for any of this.

Coming up later: I left out probably the best Warlord guest spot, which we'll check out soon. And did anyone see the Justice League Unlimited episode with him? Waiting for the DVD's sucks...

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Honestly, I can't tell which goon has the worse job.

Would you rather...

A. Have to pat down the Kingpin, which really should be a two person job if they want to have this fight in the near future.

B. Touch the scabby face of the Red Skull. Gross!

C. Have to fight a huge-armed, skull-masked sociopath, in Yankee Stadium, while coming down really hard?

Again, from the Streets of Poison storyline in Captain America, written by Mark Gruenwald, art by Ron Lim. The larger storyline was an anti-drug rebuttal: if drugs are so bad, how come Captain America was created by a drug? Probably because there's a difference between the Super-Soldier Serum, and black tar heroin. Mmm...heroin. The SSS is probably more akin to steroids, but Cap's never shown any ill effects attributed to steroids like "roid rage." It's like trying to explain "drugs are bad" without differentiating between a legitimate (if experimental) medical treatment; and something made out of cough syrup and battery acid then purchased in a back alley from a guy with three teeth.

During the course of the storyline, Cap is exposed to large quantities of crack in a warehouse explosion, and the crack latches onto the SSS already in Cap's blood and stays there. So, Cap gets high, and stays high, getting weird, then paranoid and violent. Black Widow, Diamondback, and Daredevil all try to stop the increasingly erratic Cap, for his part, administers a beating on Daredevil so bad that he pretty much beat DD amnesiac. (As mentioned earlier, but we may come back to that) And to subdue him, the Widow has to shoot Cap in the face (!) with her wrist-blaster thingee.

In the last issue, after having the tainted blood removed, a SSS-less Cap has to prove himself by fighting Crossbones. (The Super-Soldier Serum altered Cap's DNA, if I remember correctly, although he needed a blood transfusion at the start of Mark Waid's run too.) Meanwhile, the Red Skull and the Kingpin are going to duke it out, mano a mano, to see who will get custody of the drug trade in New York City. Currently, the Skull is in a cloned copy of Cap's body (but with a scabby head!) and is a seasoned fighter; while the Kingpin is near the top of his game, and built like a sumo. And the guy searching the Skull misses a shield activator on the bottom of the Skull's heel, which creates a ring for them to fight without interference. (That guy: soooo fired.)

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Not the best HR ever.

I had misremembered this sequence, and it's one of my favorite villain bits ever: I had thought the Skull had used the cigarette holder with the "red dust of death" and spit it in the poor accountants face, but he used a cane. Just from the casual meanness of this, even Crossbones looks dismayed. Weird, now that I look at it, Ms. Conrad looks like Peggy Hill.

From the Streets of Poison storyline in Captain America, written by Mark Gruenwald, art by Ron Lim. During this stretch, even though he had a skull face and was trying to bring down the government, the Red Skull was working out of an office building in Washington DC, probably with a hefty turnover in temps.

I also like Crossbones, because he's something you don't usually see in your comic-book super villains: a competent henchman. That's something I don't think I've ever seen for say, Dr. Doom, Lex Luthor, R'as Al Ghul, or the Joker. Skull must have a better interview process.

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Atlas, Bishop, Black Widow, Blizzard, Doc Samson, Fixer, Invisible Woman, Joystick, Mach IV, Micromax, Mr. Fantastic, Ms. Marvel, Radioactive Man, Sabra, She-Hulk, Songbird, Spider-Man, the Thing, Tigra, Wasp, Yellowjacket, Wonder Man.

I feel like I'm being pretty hard on Civil War, considering I'm not devoting a lot of time or cash to reading it. And I don't think the issues involved are necessarily at fault: should super-heroes have the right to a secret identity and relative autonomy? Or should the government have the right to monitor, train, and license super-heroes? Good questions. I just don't think making this a 'Civil War' by arbitrarily assigning characters to a side for the purpose of generating conflict, makes for a good story.

Also, just from looking at the list up there on Iron Man's side (from the Daily Bugle Civil War special) it looks like three are going to be switching sides (or in the case of the Thing, leaving the whole mess). And Micromax, Sabra, and Radioactive Man are from England, Israel, and China, respectively: they would probably be deported if they were against registration, but they aren't citizens so it shouldn't be an issue.

Also, I don't see Black Widow as being pro-registration: are her most recent limited series out-of-continuity?

In a slightly different vein, I was thinking about House of M for a moment earlier today as well: I didn't read the regular series for that right away either,but I was thinking about the waste of the alternate-reality Hulk and Iron Man issues: were the readers clamoring for aboriginine Hulk or Ultimate Robot Fighting Iron Man? I like alternate reality stories, but they should be about how a changed circumstance can affect the choices a character makes: If Batman's parents had been attacked but not killed by a mugger, how would that affect young Bruce Wayne? Would he devote himself to fighting crime, and if so, at the same level that he did as in the Batman's reality? Or would he make a different choice?

Unfortunately, most What If? or Elseworlds or similar stories end up being about how cool it would be if Wolverine was blow'd up, or how Wonder Woman would look as a 17th century French Aristrocrat: a different coat of paint, when what I'm interested in is a change in architecture. If you put Hulk or Iron Man or any character in a radically altered world, show how it's changed the character, and it better be big. Too often, the answer is Hulk will be Hulk, or that Tony Stark is destined to become Iron Man; whether they were born in Atlantis or put into a world where America was never colonized. I'm probably reading too much nature vs. nurture into this, so I'll let it go.

Still, and I don't know if I made this point in Iron Man Week a while back; but I'm not too worried about Tony: his origin and characterization will probably change with the upcoming movie anyway. And if he can survive through the 'Teen Tony' issues, it shouldn't be a problem.

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I'm so not explaining the reference here.

Brandon at Random Panels started this one up, "Bat Blank." Come up with your best one word answer to fill in for Bruce's one word! Come for the blank, stay for the fun! Also, Brandon's lettering technique, which involves cutting, pasting, and possibly carving for all I know; is nigh-unbeatable.

Slightly off-topic: I seem to recall there was a G.I.Joe member named Airtight, who was like a biohazard-specialist soldier, all armored up against gas or chemical warfare. I wonder how many Joes (or Cobras) had names that they had to change when they became, well, suggestive. I'm sure you can think of some...

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Like a reading rainbow, only in little yellow text boxes.

Chris from Two Guys Buying Comics hit me with this, so blame him:

One book that's changed your life:

This'll sound weird, but probably Stephen King's Pet Cematary. Not just because I have my dead pets cremated now, but because that's the first of his books I remember reading, and I've probably read well tens of thousands of pages from him since. And that's a conservative estimate.

And it's a Ramones song, that's why.

One book that you've read more than once:

Oh, lots of books. A lot of stuff I read anymore is pop lit, like King, or licensed fiction novels. Plus, I read pretty quickly anyway, but if I'm enjoying a book, a lot of times I'll tear through it the first time because I'm anxious to see what happens; then maybe savor it a little more the next time around.

I was going to reread some of the Marvel licensed books again on my vacation, but was too busy watching the kids to re-read Captain America: The Great Gold Steal (by Ted White, a fifty-cent novel from 1968) or Iron Man: the Armor Trap (by Greg Cox, from 1995). The last book I definitely remember re-reading was the Dead Zone.

One book that's made me laugh:

For some reason, the first one that came to mind was Illegal Aliens by Nick Pollotta and Phil Foglio. It's been forever since I've read it, but I believe a street gang manages to take over an alien starship and its weapons. Of course they start making demands, and one is for new Star Trek episodes with the original cast, which still makes me laugh. I probably laugh out loud at books more than is normal though.

One book that's made me cry:

Sorry, haven't cried in years. Dead inside. I did have a gutwrenching "oh no" at the end of Stephen King's last Dark Tower book, though.

One book I'd want on a desert island:

Barring something helpful, Haruki Murikami's The Wind-up Bird Chronicles.

One book I wish I'd written:

Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, like Murikami's work, it entertains and I find something new every time I read it.

One book I wish had never been written:

A Confederacy of Dunces. Got it as a present once, but have never been able to read it more than a few chapters in.

One book I've been meaning to read:

Probably Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah, which I somehow missed and read the last book in the series.

Now I feel like I don't read enough book books lately, but with the kids and this blog and comics and this and that, I don't know when I'd read them anyway. There's writers like William Gibson or Murikami or usually Stephenson that I'll always buy stuff from, but they aren't exactly speedy writers.

And this is a contradictory answer, but even though I love serialized comic fiction, I usually can't stand buying novels that are 'Part 6 of 90,' which put me off of a lot of fantasy when I was a kid. Probably just as well on that one. In cases like that, I prefer something like a Conan or Star Trek novel: you pick it up, read it, done. I remember someone lending me Ender's Game, or one of Orson Card's books, and it was ok up to the last ten or so pages, when I realized he wasn't going to end this, this was going to be an interdeterminable series of books. Nuts to that. (Sidebar: the city I currently live in had that as their reading program book a while back, where the idea is to get the whole town to read it. My tax dollars at work...)

Read the Lord of the Rings books as a kid: really didn't like them. I much preferred the Howard Conan books or John Carter, Warlord of Mars. You know, books where things happened? (Let the hatemail commence! I liked the LOTR movies, but the books were a slog.) So I say I don't like the long series of novels, but I don't even remember how many Mars books there were. And King totally has a pass on the series rule too. Basically, I like what I like, and will slag what I don't, and the criteria probably changes depending on when you ask me...

If I could add a question to this, it would probably be: what books have you lent out and never gotten back? That would be a goddamn list...

Phooey. Stop reading this and check out Snow Crash or Wind-Up Bird Chronicles. Or some comics, those are good too...

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From the Getting Lemons, Making Lemonade, Being Told to Dump the Lemonade before getting on the Plane department:

So, my wife was flying in to a convention today...yeah, not a great day for it. I talked to her a bit ago, and she was in Portland and held up. But, she did find a new US Weekly, so there's some good. Honestly, she loves that magazine. Possibly in the same fashion that I have to have at least some comics fix every week, except US back issues are just sad. Like seeing your 'favorite' 'stars' before the arrests and the weight gain and the lawsuits. Or hyping up movies that you know ended up being failures. And ads for diets and pills before they were discredited or banned: how's that Adkins doing for you?

Anyway, with my wife away, I'm home for a couple days with the kids. While that means a lot less reading other blogs (I have a dialup and it takes too long.) it may mean a lot more blogging. Or at least more comics reading. Or I may just sit around watching old videos as I chase the kids around. Really, there's no telling. I have a Lone Wolf and Cub video around somewhere that I've never watched. The key word in that last sentence is'somewhere.'

This panel was from Excalibur #101, "Quiet." It was the nearest thing offhand that I could think of with a flying or plane reference. Written by young Warren Ellis, pencils by Casey Jones, inks by Tom Simmons. Good aftermath issue: the team returns home after taking care of their own storylines, to find out Professor Xavier's gone mad, turned into Onslaught, and is currently fighting the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men. Tired, injured, and based out of England, there's not a lot they can do about it. Basically, Excalibur's participation in the Onslaught crossover was watching it on TV, which is a sweet deal there.

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How I'm Wrecking Comics, Part 2: Don't judge me.

I totally needed this. I don't care what anyone says. I absolutely had to have a three-dimensional representation of my favorite comic character, from one of his best stories; that one of my kids will eventually break. Never mind that it cost enough that I could've got two Essentials and a cheap Showcase...wait, really? Damn. Well, I already have my Essential Godzilla, and until DC starts putting stuff like Showcase Presents: the Warlord, or Manhunter, I can hold out. (It occurs to me, between the five or so different versions, there might be just enough for one big Showcase for Manhunter.)

Admittedly, it may not be an iconic piece. Kurt's only gone the pirate look a few times that I can think of: in the first issue of his limited series by creator Dave Cockrum (which is referenced on the box, but not 'on model'), a couple times in the Danger Room in Uncanny and Ultimate X-Men, and a fever dream in his recent Darick Robertson-penciled book. He also realizes pretty quickly (again, in Cockrum's series) that being a pretend pirate is all well and good, but actually attacking a ship, boarding it, and sending all aboard to 'Davy Jone's Locker' is less fun. Even if they're aliens. Still, it's a fun Nightcrawler piece, and I'm glad to have it.

Besides, I got 839 out of 2500! Eat it, 840! Whoo!

A big thanks to the Comic Book Shop, my wife for the birthday present, and my friends Matt and Tori for the gift certificate!

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Ah, for the more innocent days when a character named 'Balloon Buster' didn't elicit howls of laughter and pointing. (Granted, about after about 30 seconds of deep thought I came up with worse names, but still.) Man, I'm probably the only person ever to search GCD for Steve Savage, Balloon Buster, but he did come up with a few hits, including Crisis on Infinite Earths #9. (Making reason #412 why Infinite Crisis is lacking in comparison: no Sgt. Rock, Unknown Soldier, Enemy Ace, Jonah Hex, Warlord, Anthro...)

Today's panels are from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #7, "I Am a Gun." Written by James Robinson, art by Steve Yeowell, flashback sequences by Russ Heath. If this had been an old issue of Brave and the Bold, the logos for Batman and Steve Savage, Balloon Buster would've taken up about a third of the cover. This was the year DC's theme for the annuals was "Pulp Heroes," mixing their regular super-heroes with the traditions of older, pulp adventure magazines and comics; mostly crime, with the occasional dinosaur or sci-fi story.

Through the flashback sequences, Robinson and Heath do a stellar job of making you care about DC's number one WWI pilot that's not Enemy Ace, Steve Savage. The story also makes a nice bookend to previous tales involving Batman and Enemy Ace, without Batman ever meeting either one.

Savage lives up to his name, as he takes revenge on the German deserters that murder his wife-to-be at the closing days of the war. His mantra, "I am a gun!" seems somewhat out of place, almost more like something Enemy Ace would think while another pilot is claimed by the 'killer skies!' Batman notes that the dogfights between Savage and Von Hammer were inconclusive: The Hammer of Hell was a cold, emotionless killer (to my mind, he was a gun), while Savage was a wild, reckless cowboy; as Batman puts it, the two cancelled each other out.

But the Ace had a better nickname. By far.

The only other Balloon Buster stories I've read have been crossovers with Enemy Ace, but it's hard to imagine him as having the depth of character of the Hammer. And that's OK: not everyone is going to be a tortured soul, although Robinson appeared to be working on that.

Back to the comic at hand: Batman is talking to Smitty there, who is about to grab a hostage and set up aerial dogfight hijinks; when Batman should probably just be punching him out. Doofy 'costume' notwithstanding, Smitty had killed his partner by throwing him out a plane prior to this. So, I can't decide if this is 'Batman trying to resolve a situation without breaking anyone's jaw,' or 'Batman sitting on his hands so the plot moves forward.' Still, this is one of the only 'Pulp Heroes' themed annuals I can remember; although I know I've read others, they probably weren't great.

In the conclusion, as one of the mysteries of Steve Savage's life is revealed, Batman at first declines a celebratory glass of wine, but concedes to a drink in Savage's honor. His initial refusal makes him look like he has a Bat-rod up his ass, but Batman drinking is probably one of those things editors nash their teeth over: is he setting a good example for the kidlings if he has a glass? (But, didn't he get smashed after the death of Stephanie Brown? In fairness, I didn't read those: I caught Spoiler's first issue, and her first issue as Robin, but since it was obviously a short-term gig, I didn't stick around for Tim to come back or the end.) I figure Batman probably drinks a bit as part of his Bruce Wayne act, but doesn't get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Good enough, let it go at that. And good issue: if you've enjoyed Robinson's other work, dig this one up.

In other news, I did find my wife the Britney-video-nonsense she was looking for, but since we have a dial-up at home, it was like watching three seconds of video every ten seconds. On occasion, though, that can work to advantage: from warrenellis.com I once checked out a 'Greenpeace horror video,' and it took me about ten minutes to watch a 30-second film. Which just made it all the more horrifying: I knew something was going to happen, but what? And when? The jerky, lurching way it moved reminded me of so many horror movies, and made the wait to see what happened almost intolerable, and of course it was a disappointment once the scary part finally moved like a series of still photos on my computer. But during the wait, it was incredible. Which is probably true for a lot of things.

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A tip of the glass to Dorian! at PostModern Barney for the link at his guest spot at Newsarama, Meanwhile... Every time I get a link, there's a great swelling of pride in my heart, followed by a feeling like I've fallen asleep in front of a live mike...holy crap, people can see this!

For anyone new here, my goal is to tell you about the comics I love, and maybe take some of them down a peg or two. It's also a way for me to get back in the habit of writing, and a way for me to remember these comics when I inevitably get Alzheimer's. My grandmother's got a spot of it right now, but is doing pretty well so far. Occasionally it occurs to me to worry about it, but I've already forgotten, I dunno, high school, my first love, most of my time in college, 1998...Just like Marvel continuity: if something sucks, never mention it again. Repeat when needed.

Anyway, my wife is yelling at me to look up some Britney Spears seizure nonsense, so while I'd love to tell you what I think about Balloon Buster, it'll have to wait for a second. If you're new, check out some old stuff here, or some of the links to more coherent fun. And link here and make this site number one on the internet for Britney Spears/Balloon Buster!

Today's picture is from Batman Annual #8, "The Messiah of the Crimson Sun." Written by Mike W. Barr, art. by Trevor von Eeden. I'm not sure, but when published, I think this might have been the longest single-issue Batman story to date. Ra's al Ghul is in pretty bad shape at the end of this one, but recovers in time for Batman #400. Also, Batman takes a drink with Ra's, but claims he doesn't drink...next time!

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Instant sunburn! May cause skin cancer, retinal and rectal bleeding...

I was just harshing on Green Arrow's itching powder issue yesterday, but I'm pretty sure in this case 'itching powder' is at the very least a misnomer, and probably an euphemism, like 'friendly fire' or 'nuclear deterrent.' 'Instant sunburn'? What would cause this? Why haven't human rights groups stopped him from using it on suspects without due process?

Actually, in Green Arrow's back-up feature in Detective Comics, seventeen different civil rights organizations, including PETA, the ACLU, and Hydra, petitioned GA to stop using the so-called itching powder arrow. Several lawsuits were brought against him, claiming the arrow used everything from 'deweaponized anthrax' to the 'blood of the innocents.' A notorious left-winger now faced with hundreds of protesters that he used to march with, Arrow freaked out, did a 180, and became a hard-line conservative.

By loudly trumpeting his emergence into the light of right-thinking, and still playing up his vigilante tough-on-crime image; Oliver Queen only obstacle for the Republican nomination for Mayor of Star City was downplaying his past in a Buddhist monastery to the religious right. He was easily able to win the election, but faced an uphill battle his first term when Queen was 'outed' as having an illegitimate son, a young 'ward' who had become addicted to heroin, and a questionable relationship with a young prostitute.

And that's both why you don't see the itching powder arrow anymore, and how Green Arrow became mayor of Star City...

Yeah, OK, that probably didn't happen. If you have a better explanation, let me know, I haven't been reading Green Arrow regularly since issue 40-something.

Today's panel was from Justice League of America #75 (1969), "In Each Man there is a Demon!" Not guest-starring the Demon, sadly; but written by Denny O'Neil, art by Dick Dillin and Joe Giella. So...itchy...

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Geez, Hawkman, it's not like they're asking you to save Spokane or something.

Red Tornado blows up, check; Green Lantern concussed, check; Wonder Woman does more amazing feats here than in any given issue of her comic, check...all this and more, in Justice League of America #129, "The Earth Dies Screaming!" Written by Martin Pasko, art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin. From back in the day when aliens attacked earth from other dimensions, Hostess ads were plentiful and amusing, and a helluva lot happened in a monthly comic.

This issue is cool, but weird: Green Lantern's ring gets passed like a mic, with Atom and Flash both giving it a spin. (John Stewart is mentioned, but not called up. Jerks. Probably wanted a chance to play with it themselves.)

The villain of the piece, extra-dimensional fear-eating alien Nekron, is one crazy design. (Actually, he seems more thought out than the current Necron, who is DC's devil character, and slightly less effective than the Robot Devil of Futurama. But more fem.) Nekron's purple, to make him contrast to the green, blue, and red garbed heroes and heroines of the JLA. He ate "d-fear," or fear of death, like a drug; and was repelled by bravery. He's got a crazy pre-Giger mouth with goatee going, he seems to change size a lot in the course of this issue, and he's got this--speech--pattern--going--that--is--positively--Shatner-esque--and--annoying--to--type.

OK, maybe they just threw a bunch of stuff together. He's got fear gas, he's got robots, he launches a "solar prominence" at Midway City; later Nekron pulls a Kryptonite-blaster "from deep within one of his bizarre body-pouches." That's a polite, Comics-Code Approved way of saying "out of his ass." Well, Nekron's or the writer's, I suppose.

The JLA had apparently been doused with Nekron's fear gas, with the exception of Wonder Woman, who hadn't been a member at the time and Nekron hadn't prepared for; and possibly Green Lantern. (I believe this was just after Wonder Woman's 'New Look' white jumpsuit phase.) GL's ring had made it's little way to the JLA, but was now out of power, and GL himself was nowhere to be found. Wonder Woman and Superman have the ring at different points in the issue too, although they don't use it the way you use your roommate's car when he's passed out. Actually, Diana holds it like someone asked her to be Mrs. Hal Jordan, and her face asks you if no frickin' way is unclear.

The fear gas made all the affected Leaguers unwilling to risk their lives for any reason, so Hawkman refuses to try to save Midway from that solar prominence. Um, no offense, but how was Hawkman going to do that, anyway? 'Flying at it and hitting it with a mace' or 'ask a bunch of birds to stop it' don't seem like viable plans. Wonder Woman reasons that Hawkman wouldn't want the deaths of everyone in Midway on his conscience, so she uses the magic lasso (neatly lassoing around his wings--that lasso is magic!) to counter the fear gas. Why Nekron doesn't just gas WW too, I don't know: the gas is kinda spendy, it's like breaking out a whole can of Raid when you've got one bug, it's fun watching her lasso people...throw out your own answer here.

Diana tries (the other end of) her lasso on the solar prominence, but finds Nekron can control it somehow: when someone other than Hawkman tries it, it ceases to exist. So, WW's left with a pickle: does she have the right to make Hawkman risk his life? She can't make that decision, but under the influence of the gas, he can't either. Boy, if only the JLA had someone on it who could change people's minds for them...Anyway, they decide to start evacuating the city instead.

Meanwhile, Red Tornado apparently missed all this, and is wondering why the hell everyone's acting like such a bunch of nancies today. Well, he's too polite to say that, but he's totally thinking it. And Flash, gassed as well, has decided to resign from the JLA after getting beaten by Captain Cold, then running away like a coward. Cold, for his part, looks less impressed with his victory than surprised he hasn't been beaten up by then. And yeah, maybe a little disappointed too.

Elongated Man points out that Flash was fear-gassed like the rest of them, and Batman realizes Red Tornado shouldn't be affected. Leaving that slow-onset insight aside for a moment, I can't remember if Batman had or hadn't fought the Scarecrow, and his fear gas, several dozen times prior to this incident. Well, Nekron's affected Superman, so it's probably super-fear gas (Now with Kryptonite! 38% More Effective!) or something.

Then, the floating head of a Guardian of the Universe, Green Lantern's boss, appears to drop some exposition: GL unconscious, the JLA's got the uncharged ring so they can't contact alternate John Stewart, earth doomed, etc.

I'd also like to mention, I've been trying to find a copy of the old British sci-fi movie The Earth Dies Screaming for years now. Supposedly, it was an influence on George Romero in making Night of the Living Dead, and it just sounds cool as hell in a b-movie way. Moving on:

Meanwhile again (or still), Red Tornado, once again tired of everyone sitting around yapping, takes matters into his own hands; and is once again blown up. He may also have been cheesed about getting one line the entire issue, or perhaps at having to die disguised as Hawkman. I'm pretty sure this is going to be Reddy's 'characterization' in the new JLA comics: every time there's a lull in the action, or the other team members have a conversation for more than four panels, Red will attack and be blown up. I'm not sure this particular sacrifice is warranted in a cost-benefit analysis, though: is the city of Midway, minus the inhabitants, worth more than a super-android? Let's see, figure 1976 dollars, real estate and building prices of a medium-large city versus building and development costs of sentient computer...factor in economic benefits of reconstruction against Red's bus speed...let me get back to you on this one.

After the Guardian finishes the info-drop, Superman and Flash go looking for Green Lantern, who had been beaten and left at the Grand Canyon, just like your dog on that vacation when you were 6. (Boo!) Nekron had left a robot, complete with Kryptonite eye beams, to guard the area and the invisible power battery.

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Even though Batman's about to be eaten by a belted, pantsless alien; this is still pretty impressive.

Nekron starts blasting the Eiffel Tower. No real reason, just because. Oh, all right, so he can eat the people's fear as they fall to their deaths. Wonder Woman clears the benches, bringing Elongated Man, Batman, and Green Arrow. You know, it's kind of refreshing to see a Justice League story where Batman isn't the big planner or the head chief, he's just a guy pitching in with a Batarang and some smack talk.

Wonder Woman's lasso is described (a little later) as infinitely elastic, so she's able to give herself some slack at a crucial moment, and have it wrapped around all of the members seen above. How would that work? I mean, if you were tied up with something that was infinitely elastic, couldn't you just stretch it until you could get out? Personally, if I was Batman, Green Arrow, or Elongated Man there, I'd be too worried about:

A. The lasso tightens and cuts me in half, not an unreasonable fear since WW's holding up the Eiffel Tower with it.

B. Falling off the invisible jet, or getting eaten by a monster while Green Arrow helpfully provides commentary for Wonder Woman.

C. Blurting out some horribly embarrassing secret while under the influence of the magic lasso, ala Seanbaby.com.

Mind you, if Ralph had blurted out, "I stole your costume, and make Sue wear it while she ties me up!" they never would have laid a finger on her in Identity Crisis. Rao, DC fans would still be building shrines to her.

Still, and I'll admit this is from someone who hasn't read every issue of Wonder Woman, or even a good percentage; but does Diana get to do more impressive stuff in JLA than in her own mag? Also, this is a rare example of a situation where it does make more sense for her to have an invisible jet, rather than just being able to fly: it serves as a platform for the non-flying characters, saving falling bystanders, and probably more leverage for supporting the tower.

The guys seem to be balancing pretty well, on something they shouldn't be able to see, that has to be moving at a pretty good clip. (Lot of detail on the jet, though: I'm surprised artists didn't bag off on that and just draw everyone floating.) Perhaps the jet can be sorta-invisible, like the cartoon adaptation of "For the Man who Has Everything" or something.

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Aquaman probably could've used the ring himself, but Atom called it first.

Let's see: a questionable medical diagnosis, a dated pop culture catchphrase, a size joke, and a racial slur against water-breathers: that's a busy two panels. I don't know why Black Canary is pointing at the unconscious Green Lantern either. I know she's concerned, but she's seen Hal knocked out before.

Since I don't have the previous issue, I didn't see what happened to Hal, who's been unconscious for all of this one; except when he was propped up by Flash to charge the power ring. Really, do you need Hal for that? And does GL have to do the 'in blackest night' oath? Well, Flash does get a tingle every time Hal shouts it out, but still.

I honestly don't recall seeing GL's power ring passed around like this before or since. I know it makes it seem like any goob could pick it up and be a superhero, and makes Hal seem just useless. I also know that other writers would take that option away: channeling the willpower to use the ring effectively is really hard, Kyle's ring wouldn't work for anyone else, etc. But I do think it's fair, when fighting Starro or Despero or even Titano, and Green Lantern goes down; it wouldn't be out of line to politely ask Green Arrow to put down that goddamn useless itching powder arrow, grab the ring, and start busting heads.

Actually, that last panel, Aquaman and Atom are probably just cranky, either because they have to do Green Lantern's job (just like cleaning out the fridge or vacuuming the satellite!) or because there wasn't anything more character-specific for them to do. Together, they put the fear in Superman, to make him look like Granny's Buffet to Nekron.

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First thing I'd make with a Green Lantern ring? Anything but a big hand...

Everybody has to make the big green fists, don't they? While I like the "no way!" hand, I would've thought Flash would make a big kicking foot...

Also, Nekron's tail is giving Green Arrow the business, which is just embarassing.

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Don't touch it, Atom! You'll get germs.

So, Superman doesn't just have super-strength or super-speed or super-breath, he has super-fear? Wouldn't that mean that when Supes gets scared, he gets super-scared? For example, you or I might be afraid of clowns in the sense of we don't like them, and would try to avoid them; but Superman would have a pants-crapping spasmodic fit at the mention of the name 'Bozo.'

Since we haven't seen that happen (although, I haven't read every old Jimmy Olsen issue...) maybe he has super-bravery to counter that. Wait, then would he be super-sensitive? Super-emo? Maybe he's super-stoic, or super-good at hiding his feelings...I'm reading too much into this. Long story short, Nekron tries to eat Superman's super-fear, which to him is like eating a kilo of uncut china white, and he OD's like Speedy.

Aquaman seems kind of smirky while comforting Superman. That could be because of the heady rush you would get in making the most powerful person in your world freak out and cry like a little girl. "Ah, you OK, big guy? Let me dry those eyes for you. There you go!"

Atom is holding Nekron's shriveled yet still alive body in what looks like a plain tweezers: I only mention it because his hand looks freakishly large in that panel.

In the last panel, although Atom says parts of Red Tornado are floating outside, it just looks like parts of his costume. His pants are probably somewhere further downwind...Atom was also going to finish his sentence:

A. "And rebuild him, which would take about twenty minutes."

B. "To make sure one of the several hundred known mad scientists doesn't steal his parts to build robots to use against us."

C. "To give him a proper funeral, which would take about twenty minutes."

I don't know who's speaking in those last two balloons--Superman? Rao, he sounds lazy there. Pretty sure you could gather up Reddy's robot corpse, say a few words, and then get to last call somewhere with the transporters, big guy.

Still and all, this issue was a fun throwback to when heroes fought aliens, everyone had something to do (even if it was only to throw a Batarang, talk some smack, or get blown up) and it moves at a pretty good clip. Sorry to drag on posting this one, but I've started another project which, while I'm kind of excited for, I'm hoping won't cut into blogging time. Well, that and I watched an assload of Reno 911! Sorry.

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Daredevil recaps three years worth of issues: Let us never speak of this again.

This was a comic I had forgotten I had, and to be honest, #290 is such a favorite of mine it overshadows this. (#290 is a Daredevil-Bullseye fight that is incredible. We'll take a look at it another time.) But #291 is writer Ann Nocenti's last issue of Daredevil, and as such she wraps up at least a few loose threads from her run, while leaving some things for the new writer to play with.

Nocenti's tenure had it's ups and downs, and while she had John Romita Jr. on art for much of it, it isn't held up as a classic the way the Frank Miller/Klaus Janson stuff is. It was a little more political and philosophical, and less ninja; and to her credit, she tried new things and left Elektra dead. Still, I swear there are like six Christmas issues in her run, and it really plays hell with 'Marvel Time' when you do that: another Christmas is here, and what did DD do last year? Well, he was unconscious in a ditch for an entire issue...(I'm almost serious about that one, it was an Inferno crossover.)

Nocenti and Romita I believe also created Blackheart, Mephisto's son; object of a recent Marvel Legend and I think also appearing in the upcoming Ghost Rider movie. Mephisto was a recurring villain in their run, culminating in the trip to hell Daredevil's not thinking about up there. That's a bit of a disservice of her work though: it was traumatic, but not out of character for Matt to leave New York City for a while. Also, in the Marvel Universe, going to hell or having to punch out Ultron are just things that could and probably will happen: it's not like he had Daredevil-Mite or something. Of course, Nocenti's run also gave us Bullet, Shotgun, and Bushwacker...

I liked this panel, though, because I could very much identify with the need to examine some aspect of life once, and once only; rather than spend more time than necessary moping/obsessing/drunk over past traumas. Of course, by this point Matt's head is pretty much back on track: he has a lot of things to fix, but he's not amnesiac, or convincing himself he imagined his trip to hell, or getting back-to-back asskickings while guest-starring in Captain America. (To be fair, Cap was tripped out, and Crossbones pummelled, and unmasked, Matt like five minutes after Cap.)

More Daredevil tomorrow, I think. In other news, I watched V for Vendetta today, and quite liked it. (I really need to sit down and read the book, though. I usually like Alan Moore, although I don't seem to go out of my way to get it like I will for some creators.) This may sound dumb, but I liked the scene where V sets up his logo in dominos: hobbies are fun! I know it's a visual metaphor, but I just prefer to think after a hard day of sedition and fomenting dissent, V likes to relax with a project or two. And I also enjoy calling cards: that would be half the fun of being a masked vigilante, planning your signature, like your symbol in flames or a card that smokes or a pile of chemical webbing...hmm. One of these things doesn't seem right.

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In this episode, Ted narrowly avoids an asskicking.

We miss you, Blue Beetle. We don't miss Power Girl's yellow-and-white costume, and for some reason--her power reducing injury, I'd assume--she doesn't fly this whole issue.

From Justice League Quarterly #3, "When you wish..." 80 solid pages of Keith Giffen plot, Gerard Jones dialogue, Mike McKone pencils and Bob Smith inks--when was the last time you saw a credit box for an eighty page book that didn't have like 16 inkers and 5 pencilers? And I think people would support the quarterly books again if they were an eighty page story (ok, 72 pages, but the cover says 80) and not 6 six-page stories and a bunch of pin-ups.

I will no doubt be coming to this issue again: it's a solid issue mocking/paying "homage" to the Avengers, Walt Disney, and the original JLA. Of course, it also assumes you're astute enough to get references to Imsk, the embassy of Rhodesia, and wainscoting. This is one of those comics I love so much, if I see a copy in the quarter bins, I buy it, no questions asked. So, there's a few floating about...

In other news: I share a birthday with MTV. And Dom DeLuise--oh, that sucks. Can't stand him. Never funny, ever.

MTV isn't doing anything for it's birthday, and it's younger than I am: it doesn't want to remind kids that it's old or that it used to show videos and funny little animated bits. I used to love my MTV pretty unconditionally: it brought me Remote Control and Just Say Julie and Aeon Flux and the State and the Maxx and Speed Racer and Monty Python reruns...and it must date the hell out of me that I can remember when MTV didn't have 'original' programming and it was Python, Speed, or dead air.

And like a lot of you, one morning I woke up and realized MTV had become a channel for fourteen-year-old girls, apparently: Real Worlds and TRL's and Laguna Beaches are not for the likes of me. Between that and working in a crappity music store for a bunch of years, music is just about dead to me, or at least really sleepy.

Which, in theory, should mean more money for comics...I'll get back to you on that one.

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It's my birthday...

In the second panel there, Robin does not appear to give a good goddamn that a guano-stained stalactite just nearly killed them all, or that it's precariously embedded in that smashed cake, or that Batman looks like a suicide prevention PSA: he's getting himself some motherloving cake.

Alfred probably doesn't let Jason have sugar very often. Probably interferes with his nap time.

So, it's my birthday. How old am I?

Old enough to remember when you could still buy comics in grocery and convenience stores. And treasury comics, and Marvel/DC digests, and black-and-white magazines.

Old enough to remember when the only female super-hero action figure you would probably find would be Wonder Woman, but little boys wouldn't get her because 'girls are icky.' And because she wasn't drawn hot back then.

Old enough to remember staying up late for the 70's Marvel Dr. Strange TV movie. Not so old that I remember any of it, though...

Old enough to see the original Star Wars Trilogy in theatres, and buy the comics and the toys and the sheets and the glasses and the breakfast cereal...

Old enough to appreciate doofy old golden and silver-age comics as building blocks of our heritage. And doofily entertaining to this day.

Old enough to remember when a toy-tie-in comic like ROM, or Micronauts, or the Transformers could last long enough to become an entertaining entity in and of itself.

Old enough to remember Marvel buying their distributor and trying to put out about a hundred books a month: how did that turn out again?

Old enough to remember when a comic would use consecutive numbering, and books like Warlord or Power Man & Iron Fist could break 100 issues.

Old enough to be glad it's the me of today writing this stupid blog, and not the me of ten years ago. Seriously, I am so glad to be delivering whatever doggeral and and tomfoolery as I can string together now; as opposed to the trenchant insights I would've brought in 1996: "Sooo pfffucked up. Me no words good. Heroes Reborn what?"

I'm 35 today, and today, that's old enough.

(Today's panels are from Batman #400, written by Doug Moench, art on this page by Brian Bolland. It was a jam issue that's completely awesome and not to the best of my knowledge reprinted anywhere. I've had this copy since 1986 and love it very much. Sorry. And a bit of a cheat on my part: the cake was for Batman's Anniversary...presumably, of his first appearance as Batman, and not the anniversary of his parents' death.)

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