Superman has probably seen most of his ancestors having sex. Take that, Ancestry.com!

SyFy's new show Krypton, a prequel to the life of Superman, is still a couple months away; and while I'd like to be surprised, the stills from it so far I couldn't have identified if they hadn't been labeled as from that show. I also suspect it's not going to be as continuity-smashing insane as Fox's Gotham, nor is it going to have all the crazy crap we've seen in the comics. As in this issue! From 1981, the Krypton Chronicles #1, "The Search for Superman's Roots!" and #3, "The Race to Overtake the Past!" Written by E.Nelson Bridwell, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Frank Chiarmonte.

Morgan Edge had his own scheme for a TV show about Krypton, but he did have his finger on the pulse of the country's zeitgeist...as of maybe a year or three prior, but still: after the success of mini-series Roots and Shogun; Edge figures a historical dramatization of the "complete, authentic story of Superman's family tree!" would be a smash hit. And that assignment goes to Superman's childhood friend, Clark Kent! Which really seems like setting him up for failure: I don't know how Edge legitimately expects Kent to come through here, but maybe Kent had pulled so many rabbits out of his hat over the years that he only has himself to blame.

Conveniently, Supergirl is at the Fortress of Solitude, since this was the day they could visit the now-in-another-dimension Kandor. The bottle city had seemingly been destroyed when its citizens were enlarged, but enough of it had survived that the Kandorians were doing pretty well at rebuilding it; and of course all their computer records had survived. Including statues of Superman's ancestors, with "mind-tape" memory playback! Those go back eleven generations or so, then Supes is able to see back further with his cousin (and former Nightwing!) Van-Zee's headband memory extractor...thingus.

Even though he had looked back about four millennia, Superman still isn't satisfied, which I think was less than due to curiosity than a brutal Midwestern work ethic. With Supergirl (who knew her parents, so doesn't seem as invested in all this...) Supes goes into space to use a "light-seeker" to look back on Krypton's distant past. They would only be able to see things that happened outside, and would have to read lips since they wouldn't get sound, but they're able to see the lives of an inventor, a religious prophet that wasn't quite Noah, several generations of sovereigns and the occasional tyrant, and the first El who was also basically Samson but looked like Superman.

The prophet one was the weird one for me: Jaf-El proselytized for the god Rao, and was able to predict a freak occurrence that seemingly changed Krypton's red sun to yellow. He also predicted the evil people would die in a flood, but the righteous would be saved by Rao...somehow. Jaf's brother notices the animals have begun preparing for floods, by damming themselves up inside caves or fleeing to higher ground; but the people are caught flat-footed when the floods come. Still, the winged beasts save the people, flying them to one of the higher mountaintops of Krypton: Superman explains, on earth Noah saved the animals, on Krypton the animals saved the people! Jaf also predicted Krypton would still be destroyed someday, but the people would find salvation under a yellow sun, Ariu: the Kryptonian name for our sun! Did he predict Superman's future, and Kandor's? Or were his predictions just vague enough to make sense for whatever? Supergirl also mentions this not only stopped the Kryptonians' slaughter of the winged beasts, but that some still survived in Kandor to this day: I always picture the spires and science of Krypton and forget about the weird wildlife.

It's pretty iffy that Superman, even with his magical light-seeker, would be able to find the exact point to look back at light from eight thousand years or more ago. Actually, I find it more odd that Supes and Supergirl can speak in space here, through "their special radio-like communication, which can travel in the airless void..." Which I'm not sure had been seen before, or since! And Rao, I think I got the later Byrne/Mignola World of Krypton outta the same quarter bin as this! Where the hell did I put that...
Read more!

Eternity and Infinity are looking at Adam like they need a better lock on the bedroom door...

Here's a quarter-box pick I've actually wanted forever--maybe not wanted enough to go out of my way and get it, but here we are. From 1993, Warlock Chronicles #3, "Dealing with the Devil!" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Tom Raney, inks by Keith Williams.

Hmm, was Mephisto even in Infinity War? Because I was thinking this crossed over from that, but it's from Infinity Crusade. Adam Warlock's "good" feminine side, the Goddess, had collected a number of "cosmic containment units," not unlike the Cosmic Cube. For his help against her, Mephisto names his price: he wants one of the units. Although his power was virtually limitless within his home dimension, Mephisto was itching to increase his juice in this universe. While Warlock refuses, Thanos agrees to Mephisto's terms, since he needs the secrets of the units, and how the Goddess was using them.

Mephisto doesn't get deep into it, but the containment units are "pre-sentient," and as such won't obey certain requests. (To drill down into that, the first Cosmic Cube evolved into Kubik; the Shaper of Worlds had been a Cube as well. I think the Beyonder and the Molecule Man may have been one too...) The Goddess intended to rally enough "universal will" to force the units to her end desire. Thanos calls in an old weapon of his, D-666, then takes some time to think things over; while Adam Warlock goes to confer with Eternity. And he walks in on "Eternity and Infinity--melded as ONE!" I'm sure that isn't unbelievably awkward or anything.

Eternity and Infinity...uncouple, long enough to tell Adam maybe he doesn't have to come to them with every little problem he has. Reality had existed for a long time before the Goddess's scheme, and they were pretty sure it would exist afterwards...in some form or another, whatever. Regrouping with Mephisto and Thanos, he orders Mephisto to leave: Thanos agrees with Adam, but tells Mephisto he will honor their bargain. Adam then explains he had already made their plan, and his Soul Gem would explain it to Thanos--as Adam's soul is seemingly absorbed back into the Gem!

Infinity Crusade is the lesser of the three mini-series (Starlin's other related series, like Marvel Universe: the End and Thanos: the Infinity Relativity are years removed and also not huge crossover events) but still has its moments. I always like seeing Infinity as well; I had thought she was a Mark Gruenwald creation, but he may have just been the first to use her as the counterpart of Eternity.
Read more!

Knew this was coming, but still hate it.

Spoiler alert for a 26-year-old comic, but I suppose it's on the cover as well: from 1992, Death's Head II #1, "The Wild Hunt Part One: Mergers and Acquisitions" Written by Dan Abnett, pencils by Liam Sharp, inks by Andy Lanning and Bambos Georgiou.

Tracking down an old foe, Death's Head finds his target in the process of being murdered by another large and angry robot, who tells DH after his "next appointment" he's next. It's Minion, the creation of Dr. Necker; who makes a progress report to her bosses in A.I.M. that while Minion had absorbed the talents of his first 103 targets, it was also becoming somewhat erratic. Target 104 is an alien barbarian named Lehdrox, who was in the middle of torturing a fortune teller for his future. Minion kills Lehdrox and absorbs his instincts, and the fortune teller tells "Death's Head" they will meet again.

Returning to the year 2020, Dr. Necker tries to get Minion to comply with a system check, when Death's Head catches up to him. Minion isn't worried, in fact, he welcomes it: DH was target 105! After a three page fight, Death's Head is decapitated, and Minion absorbs him, but something goes wrong. Distorted and disoriented, Minion time jumps after target 106, but with a flippant "I'll be back, yes?" like Death's Head might say. Dr. Necker is forced to go after him to the year 1992; while elsewhere, a pair of characters I'm not sure we've seen before check who the next target was: Reed Richards!

On the last page, I think that's Tuck in the last panel: she would be more prominent come Death's Head II #3, but with no transition it just seems like Dr. Necker had taken off most of her clothes! We saw another book with the not-so-good doctor last month, Death³ #1, which I think I got from the same quarter bin as this one, maybe. And I didn't get the other issues of that mini-series either, even if I have a fair idea what happened.
Read more!

Well, at least now I can use "Destroy all Monsters!" for a post title.

For some reason, I thought this was the last issue of the title, even though the titular heroes don't really appear in it! From 2010, Superman/Batman #67, "Night of the Cure, part two" Story and art by Scott Kolins.

While Solomon Grundy has returned during the Blackest Night crossover, he's not the same Grundy his old pal Bizarro remembers: this black-ringed Grundy is a dick. Bizarro had been trying, in his Bizarro-way, to help his "super-pet" Batty--I mean, Man-Bat! Who was in the process of being corralled by Frankenstein, the Bride, and agents of S.H.A.D.E; as Kirk Langstrom's long-suffering wife Francine had a cure for Man-Bat, if he'll take it.

The monster mash goes all kinds of wrong pretty quickly: Grundy calls out for Bizarro's help, before being decapitated by Frankenstein. That doesn't kill him, and when S.H.A.D.E. fires at the furious Bizarro, Francine is hit by ricochets, giving Man-Bat the chance to become ascendant over Kirk again. Grundy tears out Frankenstein's heart, but seeing the brokenhearted Bride, Bizarro is reminded of Lois, and turns on his old friend, throwing him into the sun. Thinking Francine dead, Man-Bat leaves; and the Bride is surprised Frankenstein survives, since he had two hearts. And Man-Bat and Bizarro fly off alone and traumatized, which is a shame. I'd like them to team up more! If Superman and Batman are the World's Finest team, I'm not sure if they'd be the World's Worst, but it's a start.

Fun issue. Could use more monsters, though...
Read more!

"Minion."

The pros of Death's Head II? Well, he's a hefty lump of figure; you have to give him that. The cons? He's not Death's Head I! Will I ever let that go? Seems unlikely!

We will see another DH comic here shortly, although it's one I specifically don't want to read...
Read more!

I was expecting more of an origin, but that's not how Vartox rolls.

Here's an issue I didn't expect to stumble across: the first appearance of Vartox, from 1974's Superman #281, "Mystery Mission to Metropolis!" Written by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Bob Oksner.

In Metropolis, a young woman is shot dead during an armed robbery; simultaneously, "trillions of light-years away," the woman's double dies as well. The double had been the wife of Vartox, the superhero of his world, who leaves no stone unturned in searching for her cause of death; which is explained as due to the death of her "bionic twin." (The word bionic isn't used in the traditional way here, but would've been big due to the Six Million Dollar Man TV show. This isn't the first time we've seen the Superman titles use it!) Combining advanced science with his own "hyper-powers," Vartox is able to see the murder, as well as that earth had it's own protector: Superman.

Although he gives Superman a heads-up "inter-galactic gram" out of courtesy, Vartox isn't going to let Supes stop him. Grabbing the murderer, Sykes, from an interview with Lois Lane, Vartox is interrupted by Superman, then Lois is killed by a deflected blast! Or at least that's what would've happened if Vartox had gone through his initial plan. Instead, he's forced to go with a more circuitous scheme, approaching Sykes after he's released on a technicality. Vartox convinces Sykes that he has super-powers, that he only needed someone like Vartox to unlock them. Vartox then tricks Sykes into a jewelry robbery--to steal a gem he had previously planted--to 'fence' on Vartox's homeworld. Superman tries to stop Sykes after catching him with the stolen goods, but is instead drilled through an apartment building like a "human corkscrew!"

Vartox and Sykes teleport back to Vartox's world, but on the way a chunk of "white dwarf star" nearly interrupts their trip: Superman saves them, although Vartox doesn't know why he didn't stop them. On Vartox's world, Sykes is now under his jurisdiction (Vartox seemingly argues against entrapment, saying Sykes came of his own choice) and Sykes is aged sixty years as sentence for his murders. Superman takes home the now-decrepit Sykes, noting he escaped justice on one world, but not two...

Doing a little research, I saw a page that described Vartox as "more of a late Silver Age character" despite debuting in the seventies--and despite his obvious inspiration from Sean Connery in Zardoz! I wonder if he was only intended to appear here, or if they always planned on his coming back. He made a good rival/foil for Supes, especially since his powers were pretty much whatever they needed to be. Also, I was mildly surprised to see, per the GCD, this has only been reprinted once in the states, in the digest the Best of DC #32.
Read more!

The Twelfth Annual, Random Happenstance, Year in Toys!

The other day I was trying to look up when I was hit by a truck, and found an old post of mine referencing a Colbert Report on Americans' general low opinion of the year 2011. 2011, man. That seems like a happy daydream, if not an outright golden age compared to now. 2017 was an OK year personally but a dumpster fire in most other aspects. I've called my congressmen more this year than I have in my entire life, signed more petitions, been to more demonstrations. And it doesn't look like the flaming trash is quite finished. Yet. Still, we did get some action figures this year, let's go with that. It's the Twelfth Annual Year in Toys!

For new readers: For over ten years now, I have been keeping a running total of every action figure or toy I buy. Hopefully, each entry has the figure's name, the line, the price, and where I bought it; and possibly a link to a cartoon or strip that toy was used in. (Unless that figure's unloved or unphotogenic, I guess. Or I'm lazy...) Totals will usually include postage and tax. Usually. This is by no means a "Best of" list or anything, just what I bought. For reference, here's links for 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.

We have some prices this year in parentheses: those prices aren't added to the year-end total, but are listed for reference.

1-3 Funko Magic: the Gathering, Jace Beleron, $5.42, Ross.

Marvel Legends Nico Minoru, $6.50, Target.

1-19 ML Iron Fist, comic and astral Dr. Stranges, $15 each, $48.93 total, Wal-Mart.

1-25 ML Scarlet Witch (movie) $24.89, the Comic Book Shop.

Ghostbusters Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, $5 each, Batman v. Superman Batcave, $25, total $38.05, Wal-Mart.

DC Mulitverse Suicide Squad Captain Boomerang, $7.95, Amazon.

2-2 DC Collectibles Supergirl (Darwyn Cooke) with Krypto and Streaky, $17.95, Amazon.

2-13 ML Symbiote Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Spider-UK, Shocker, Green Goblin, Jackal, Spider-Man 2099, (Build-a-Figure Sandman) $18.84 each, $143.57 total, Wal-Mart.

2-15 Marvel Select Destroyer, $24.99, the Comic Book Shop.



2-16 Star Wars Black Princess Leia, $19.56 shipped, Hasbro Toy Shop.

DC Multiverse Suicide Squad Joker, $11.05, Katana, $11.07, total $24.04, Amazon.

2-18 ML Angela, Darkhawk, $19.99 each, $43.30 total, Walgreens.

2-21 ML Sunfire, $21.73 total, Target.

2-23 ML Polaris, $21.73 total, Target.

DC Multiverse Batgirl, $22.00, the Comic Book Shop.

2-25 ML Dazzler, $21.73 total, Target.

3-1 ML Star-Lord, Yondu, $43.46 total, Target.

3-8 ML Vance Astro, Nova, Drax, $11.99 each; Star Wars Lego K-2SO, $12.99; total $53.02, Walgreens. (I really don't know how that total came out. Bought some snacks too, maybe?)



3-15 Star Wars Black Sgt. Jyn Erso, $10.97, GameStop.

3-25 Star Wars Black Captain Cassian Ander, Finn, $10 each, $21.61 Wal-Mart.

4-16 Star Wars Black Constable Zuvio, $10.80, Wal-Mart.

4-19 Gotham Victor Zsasz, $25.99, Amazon.

5-6 Catchup (missed entries somewhere) clearance ML Machine Man, Sharon Carter, Mockingbird, $5 each; $16.20 total, Wal-Mart. Wonder Woman Diana, Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman with coat, Hippolyta, (C&C Ares) $15 each, total $62.00, Toys R Us.


5-13 ML Groot, Toys R Us, $19.14.

DC Icons Static, $21.00, the Comic Book Shop.

5-19 ML Invisible Woman, $21.63, Walgreens.

5-22 Various Marvel Legends accessories, $22.77 shipped, eBay.

5-27 DC Multiverse Damian Robin, $16.31, Toys R Us.

5-30 Transformers Hot Rod, $16.99, Wal-Mart.

6-2 Star Wars Black First Order Stormtrooper, $10.80, Tuesday Morning.

6-3 Lilac City Comicon! Loose ML Ultron, DCUC Medphyll, $8.00 total.

6-6 ML Old Man Logan, $21.61, Toys R Us.

6-7 ML Captain Universe Spider-Man, $20.50, Wal-Mart.

6-9 DC Multiverse Legends of Tomorrow Hawkman, Superheavy Jim Gordon Batman, $16.82 each, $33.64 total, Wal-Mart.

6-16 ML Spider-Man/Mary Jane two-pack, $38.07, Toys R Us.

6-25 Batman '66 Surf's Up Batman, $13.03, Toys R Us.

6-28 S.H. Figuarts Super Mario, $16.79+$8.00 shipping, total $24.79, GameStop.

ML Winter Soldier, $6.53, Wal-Mart.

7-4 DC Direct Hush, $6.66, EntertainMart.

7-9 ML Nebula, $29.16 shipped, Amazon.

7-11 ML Death's Head II, Rocket, Star-Lord, Ex Nihilo, $69.61 shipped, Hasbro Toy Store.

ML Adam Warlock, $21.67, Wal-Mart.

7-15 ML Gamora, $25.95 shipped, eBay.

7-20 ML Beetle, $16.23, Wal-Mart.

7-24 ML Warlock build-a-figure pieces, $22.97+$8.98 shipping, total $31.96, eBay.

7-27 ML Tombstone, $9.81, Wal-Mart.

7-29 ML Thor: Ragnarok, Hela, Netflix Punisher, $19.99 each, total $59.97, (2) Walgreens.

DC Multiverse Jay Garrick, DKR Joker, $16.82 each, total $33.64, Wal-Mart.

8-3 Hasbro SDCC exclusive Micronauts, $13.25 shipped, eBay.

8-7 DC Multiverse Zoom, $37.00 shipped, eBay.

8-12 ML Netflix Daredevil, Elektra, Jessica Jones, Blade, $19.99 each, total $86.07, Wal-Mart.

8-13 DC Multiverse DK2 Flash/Atom, $10.80, Walgreens.

8-24 Star Wars Black ESB Lando Calrissian, $21.61, Fred Meyer.

9-2 ML Ares, $16.80, Toys R Us.

ML Thor (Jane Foster), Odinson, $19.99 each, $43.29 total, Wal-Mart.

9-9 ML A-Force set (Sif, Loki, Singularity, She-Hulk, Elsa Bloodstone, Spectrum) $110.97, Toys R Us.

9-11 Masters of the Universe Classics Plundorr, $16.00 shipped, Jetpacks, More on Twitter.

9-15 DC Multiverse Batman, Reaper, Atom, Batwing, Duke Thomas, $103.99 shipped, Big Bad Toy Store.

9-28 ML Human Torch, $11.99, Walgreens.

10-10 DC Direct Legion of Super-Heroes Invisible Kid, $5.00, New Force Comics.

10-29 Marvel Select Lady Deadpool, ($22.20); 2000 AD Durham Red, ($6.99); Amazon.

10-31 Star Wars Black Director Krennic, $4.94, Target.

11-1 Star Trek Art Asylum Vina the Orion Woman, ($21.99); Amazon.

ML "Vintage" Wolverine, $21.62, Walgreens.

11-3 ML Medusa, $21.62, Walgreens.

11-5 DC Suicide Squad Harley Quinn (dress), ($4.04); Amazon.

11-7 Funko Pop plush Inhumans: Lockjaw, ($11.98); Amazon.

11-8 Star Trek Enterprise Art Asylum Nausicaan Captain, ($8.19); Amazon.


11-12 Star Trek Mezco 1:12 Mr. Spock/"The Cage" variant, ($33.75); Amazon.

11-16 Diamond Select The X-Files Scully, ($14.59); Amazon.

11-20 ML Deadpool (Back in Black), $24.99, GameStop.

Hasegawa 1/12 Capsule Toy Machine, ($12.40); Amazon.

11-30 Star Trek Mezco 1:12 Captain Kirk, ($74.13); Amazon.

12-1 Star Trek Art Asylum Mr. Scott, ($19.99); DC Suicide Squad Captain Boomerang, ($4.82); Amazon.

Preacher TV Cassidy, Jesse; Prometheus Meredith Vickers, $4.99 each, $14.97 total, Forbidden Planet NY.



12-2 Star Trek Enterprise Art Asylum Sulik the Suliban, $3.99+$5.50 shipping, $9.49 total, eBay.

12-4 Star Trek: Deep Space 9 Warp Factor Dax, $.99+$5.30 shipping, $6.29 total, eBay.

12-7 Bandai Hobby Star Blazers Analyzer model kit, ($14.99), Amazon.

12-8 Suicide Squad Rick Flag, $3.99, Ross.

12-9 Battlestar Galactica: Razor Cylon Warrior, ($14.99) Amazon.

12-11 Farscape Ka D'argo, $6.00, eBay.

12-13 Suicide Squad Rick Flag, $4.31, Ross.

12-21 Star Wars Black Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, ($13.23), Amazon.

12-26 Star Trek: the Next Generation Governor Worf, ($5.95), Amazon.

12-29 Marvel Legends "Vintage" Spider-Man, $10.80, Walgreens.

12-30 NECA Ultimate Ash vs. Evil Dead, $27.06, Toys R Us.

12-31 Justice League Mera, ($8.83), Amazon.

Total: $1968.71. 2016: $1753.72. 2015: $1895.35. 2014: $1523.25. 2013: $1101.93. 2012: $706.32. 2011: $564.71. 2010: $966.10. 2009: $558.16. 2008: $555.16. 2007: $426.00. 2006: $620.00.


I mentioned in December, that there was a point in October when I thought I was pretty much done buying figures for the year, since I had completed the Marvel Legends Thor: Ragnarok and Netflix waves. Hmm, no, not so much. I had forgotten about the exclusives and the "Vintage" wave. Still, I spent a lot of time on Amazon the end of the year, and while I think they're by and large a terrible company, sometimes they are cheaper. I wonder if maybe I couldn't get some figures for less towards the end of the year. The total did climb a bit higher than I would like...

I'm still getting DC Multiverse, although I'm starting to ask myself why. Am I going to go all-in for the next one, the Clayface wave? Ordering it would probably be the way to go, since locally there's still a lot of old figures clogging the pegs.


I didn't log the not-Lego Nightcrawler I got off eBay; I haven't been logging little things like Legos or blind-bags. We might look at that later, though.

This was a pretty big year for female action figures, although the numbers weren't as close as I had thought. A quick head-count came up with 90 guys and 40 girls; although I didn't count build-a-figures or pack-ins. There's also some asexual figures like the Destroyer or the Cylon that get counted as "guys."

I did do something I had wanted to from last year's post: sprung for a couple of Mezco's One:12 Collective! We got Captain Kirk and the Mr. Spock variant from "The Cage". (The latter is, as I type this, cheaper than when I got it!) They're so fancy, I had a hard time playing with them at first! It's not something I plan on getting a bunch of, but if there's a character you really like, Mezco's well worth looking into for a special treat. (Their recent Superman is pretty tempting...)

What does next year hold? Probably more Marvel Legends and more nonsense! Thanks for sticking around, we'll get through it together.








Read more!