Comic Review: DC Showcase Presents Batman Volume 6

I’ve long been a fan of DC Comics Showcase Presents line.  These inexpensive reprints of old comics in black and white allowed people like myself who enjoyed Silver Age comics to get a lot of issues without breaking the bank.  These stories were often written in an age where the average reader’s (and writer’s) knowledge of real world science may have been questionable, so pure imagination and outright silliness became the rule.  DC originally put out a volume every two weeks, often alternating between a well-known property (Superman, Green Lantern) and then a more obscure one (Metamorpho, Jonah Hex).

Sales must not have been too good, as over time volumes went on to come out once a month and then less.  I suspect that the sixth volume of Batman stories may be the last one.  I had ordered it from Amazon over a year ago when it finally showed up on my doorstep last February.  Having just finished it, I can review it.  And I will…after the cut.

Probably SPOILER-FREE, but these are 40+ year old comics, so, you know…

Bento Review: Marvel Masterworks Iron Man Volume 2

I finished off the December Bento box pile with one I had some minor mixed feelings for:  a Marvel Masterworks volume of old 1960s Iron Man adventures.

The mixed feelings were because while I actually get a kick out of Silver Age screwiness, I’m not much of a fan of Iron Man when he’s not also Robert Downey Jr.

Review and maybe some mild SPOILERS after the cut.

Podcast Reaction: Villains Edition

This week the podcast came out a day early, but I got a new Kindle Fire and don’t know yet how to download the show before going to work to listen during my lunch break.  And no, downloading at work isn’t an option.  Because reasons.  There are some, but I won’t go into them.  Anyway, here’s the podcast reaction.

I don’t really have anything else to add to the discussion of The Martian.  It’s a great book, and I gave a SPOILER-FREE review for it elsewhere.  Like right here.

Instead, let’s talk about how to make a good villain.

Slightly Misplaced Comic Book Case File #23: Arrowette

These guys need to learn to read signs posted on trees.

The comic book version of Green Arrow is best known as being one of the few heroes with a distinctive political point of view.  Who does Superman vote for?  Who knows?  Green Arrow is an out-and-out bleeding heart liberal, and that’s probably one of his defining characteristics.

Except he wasn’t always that way.  The character existed for a good twenty years before his political perspective came up at all.  Prior to that, he was the standard white bread DC hero who did good because it was good and if he ever had a thought deeper than which arrow to use at any given moment, he sure didn’t share it.  In point of fact, the guy was a Batman rip-off, living as a millionaire playboy with his sidekick and ward in a big mansion with a cave and a car and a plane underneath his home.  It’s not much of a memorable era for the Emerald Archer.

This era also gave us Arrowette.

Podcast Reaction: The Steve Trevor Edition

She’s right there, dumbass!

 

This week on the podcast, Jenny and the guys talked comics.  I, generally, use this site to talk comics.  However, so does Jimmy, and he’s also doing a podcast reaction this week.  In fact, it’s probably live as you read this, but not as I type this, so go read Jimmy’s column, or he’ll be a sad panda.

But I do that “Misplaced Hero” column, so let’s cover a character discussed during the GNOWs that isn’t really a misplaced hero but more of a misplaced love interest.

Podcast Reaction: The Christopher Reeve Edition

I’d like to start off by suggesting, maybe going so far as to assert, that I do exist.  It is true I prefer not to pose for photographs, but I have a couple.  And, furthermore, Watson doesn’t buy gifts.  This is an Established Fact.

And while I would have preferred to have discussed my own rankings for various movies of the Batman or Superman variety, I think I will instead take exception to something Ryan said about how boring a Silver Age Superman movie would be.  I happen to disagree, because such a movie (or two) already exists, and they’re not boring.

The Outright Screwy History Of The Maid Of Might

All looks Supergirl has had.

Gabbing Geek, like any online publication worth its salt, has editorial discussions.  Watson was wondering how a story on longest-dead characters would go, specifically ones that stayed dead or had actual emotional impacts on the reader, especially if they died during an “event”.

Shortest death:  probably Hal Jordan as Paralax in Zero Hour…back the very next month in the pages of Green Lantern.  Longest may be Captain Mar-Vel, still dead and staying that way.

But that idea sounds like it would require too much research, so instead I’m gonna talk about Supergirl.