Comics from My Childhood – Justice League of America #134

A while ago, I wrote about how I first became a fan of comic books.  This led me to remember several issues from DC Comics that came out in the 1970’s, that were formative parts of my exposure to this whole medium.

So then I decided to track down some of those comics and buy them, and journal the experience. I got three of them.  The first I wrote about here, and now we’re onto the second:  Justice League of America #134.  

Comics from My Childhood – Superman Family #177

A while ago, I wrote about how I first became a fan of comic books.  This led me to remember several issues from DC Comics that came out in the 1970’s, that were formative parts of my exposure to this whole medium.

So then I decided to track down some of those comics and buy them, and journal the experience. I got three of them, with the earliest cover date being July 1976: Superman Family #177.

Weekly Geeky Question #46: Comic Book Recommendations for Non-Comic Readers

Every week in 2018, the plan is that my friend Rod is going to ask me some geeky question that will answer in a post. This week is Week #46, and today’s question is one that Rod describes as quite basic–indeed, he wasn’t sure if it was something he’d already asked. But he hasn’t, and so hear we go.

What are some comics I’d recommend to a non-comic reader to get them started?

Re-Reading Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 & 7

And after an extended delay, on we go through the massive 1985 maxi-series, Crisis on Infinite Earths, written by Marv Wolfman and penciled by George Perez.   The last issue ended with the visual reveal of the series’ main villain (not yet referred to as the Anti-Monitor).  Now, we continue with #6.

The Death of The Flash

So comic book nerds might think I’m referring to the famous scene in Issue #8 of Crisis on Infinite Earths from the mid 1980’s, where Barry Allen sacrifices himself to stop the Anti-Monitor from using his anti-matter cannon from destroying the last five parallel universes.

Ah, comics.

Re-Reading Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 & 5

And so we continue a retread through the epic maxi-series from the mid-1980’s, Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.  Have a look at previous issues here and here.  Today, though, we pick up things with Issue #4:

Geeking Out With My Daughters: Confusing Comic Book Epics

So I’m walking with two of my daughters to school a while ago—the middle one and the youngest one (aged 10 and nearly 12, at the time)—and the one turns to her younger sister and asks her what she thinks is the most confusing comic story that I have ever read to them.

Supergirl 2.3 Review Online

I’m a little slow getting this notice out on my own blog, but for a couple of days my review of Episode 3 of this season of Supergirl, entitled Welcome to Earth is up on Cultfix.  I didn’t like it nearly as much as the first two episode of the season, or as much as other online reviewers, according to some very quick research.  In fact, my comments have garnered one negative comment over there, which doesn’t sound like much but I think it’s the first comment to come to any of my articles.

Always good to get feedback, though.

Incidentally, an amusing detail about the guest cast for the episode:  an actor named Jaeson Lee plays a DEO agent, while another actor named Jayson Li plays an astronomer.  Two completely different actors playing  different characters, but with names that I assume would be pronounced the same.

Supergirl 2.2 Review Online

Just in time for the third episode, I thought I’d let you know that my review for the second episode of Supergirl, called The Last Children of Krypton, is now online over at Cultfix.  It wasn’t the second part of a two-parter in the traditional sense, but it does clearly serve as the second half of the new season re-establishing itself and its status quo.

Supergirl Season 2, Episode 1 Review Online

So, I’ve started writing reviews of Supergirl for a website called cultfix.co.uk and the first one is online here.

It was a fun episode, full of all the stuff that makes Supergirl a cool show as well as all of the stuff that makes it kind of stupid.   What elevates it above all that and makes it into something special is the addition of Superman to the cast (at least for two weeks).  Suddenly, the program feels like it’s not pretending anymore.  Even though it’s still about Superman’s less famous cousin, the silly conceit of never being able to show the guy is over now, so it feels like we’re really in this universe, and not just off to the side of it.

Of course, the other fun little touch was the inclusion of a bunch of Easter egg references to the classic 1978 Superman movie – references to Lex Luthor setting of an earthquake in California, someone in a helicopter talking about how statistically speaking flying is the safest form of travel, and most notably when Calista Flockhart’s Cat Grant screams out “Miss Teschmacher!!” in a very Gene Hackmanesque way.

Anyway, it’s interesting to be writing for a new forum.  Go and have a look and let me know what you think.