The Fantastic Fear

From FOOM #1 comes the Fantastic Fear. When was the last time you saw Casper and Plastic Man together in a Fantastic Four story? My guess is this is the only one.

In House Marvel Ad from 1963

Here is an ad for Spider-man and one of the first ads for Marvel's new book the Avengers. How new? We all know the Hulk left after only a few issues. Look closely and you will see he is listed as a member.

1977 Special Olympics Ad

Golden Age Pepsi Ad

Marvel In House Ads for Books selling June 26 1973

Unusual Team-Ups asking Where DC's Lawyers Out of Town?

Maybe they were just sleeping. Actually I believe the law allows something like this if it is a parody. However, here for your pleasure from the Marvel Comic Not Brand Echh comes the unusual team-up of Dr. Strange and Deadman. Oh! I mean Dr. Deranged and Deadpan.

Fan Fiction: Beyond The Maddness PG-13

Thanks to permission from Club Batman today we have a fan fiction story from Club Batman Comics #1. Not really a team-up but there is an appearance from another hero in the story. See if you can spot him. Due to the subject matter and at least one cuss word I am rating this story PG-13. It's a good one so buckle up for a great ride.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: The Last Bat On Earth

I just saw the latest episode of the Brave and the Bold. Sorry I didn't get to review the Jonah Hex episode but I hope this makes up for it.
The episode starts with Batman and Mr. Miracle (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal ) in a death trap. They take their time getting out of it and in the end they barely escape. It turns out that it was all for a charity event. Miracle ask Barda if she was impressed. She said she would be more impressed if he would clean out the garage.
The secene shifts to the future where animals have gained intelligence and run the Earth. Kamandi (voiced by Mikey Kelley) is watching as the Gorilla's and Tiger's battle. He is rooting for the Tigers as their Prince is one of his friends. However, he doesn't like that no matter who wins it won't help humans. Both sides see humans as slaves. When the Prince is in trouble Kamandi resuces him. The Tiger's get the Gorilla's to retreat but now view the Prince as a traitor.
The General of the Gorilla people chews the men out for retreating without him giving the order. At that moment Gorilla Grodd appears from the past. He challenges the General for control and wins.
Meanwhile, Kamandi and his friends have come upon Tiger soliders taking humans as slaves. He tries to resuce them but is losing. Suddenly Batman arrives having followed Grodd to this time peoriod. He helps Kamandi and his people. It evens the sides a little but in the end they lose and all are taken prisoner.
While in the prison Batman tires to convince the King that they are in danger from Gorilla Grodd. The King doesn't fear any Gorilla but then hears Grodd and the other Gorilla's outside.
Grodd uses his science to attack them with a sonic cannon. The Tigers sensitive ears can't take it and the Gorilla's enter the city. Batman and the others escape thier prison and the Prince shows them the way out. Grodd and his men attack. Being out numberd the Prince says they should retreat. They enter into a manhole Batman gives the Prince a mission then takes Kamandi and his friend to what was the Batcave to find equipment that can help them. However, they run into resistance when they find it is filled with Bat people. They think Batman's costume is just to mock them and try to kill the three of them. But our heroes defeat them and send them out of the cave. Then our heroes get to work.
Grodd and his men continue on their march for conquest of Earth. They meet the Prince leading an army of lions. As the battle starts Batman shows up in the Batplane. To help defeat Grodd our heroes made some modifications to it. The wings twirl around the plane and fire continues circles of missles at the army. They take out the sonic cannons. Then Batman and his friends eject and the plane crashes into the mountain. It falls on a part of the army. As our heroes parachute down the Bat people show up. They tell Batman since he fights and flies as they do they will help in their fight. Then they swoope down and grab the Gorilla's weapons and fly off with them.
Groldd give an order to "Tiny" and a giant ape appears to finish them. Kamandi says he can handle him and Batman goes off to fight Grodd. Kamandi and the Prince bind the giants feet together and make him trip. Then the other soliders come in to finish him.
Seeing that their biggest warrior was easily beaten the army of Gorillas take another unordered retreat. Grodd stops fighting Batman to stop his men. However, he is trampled in the effort.
After the battle the King resumes his place and thanks the humans for their help. He apoligizes to his son and then frees the human slaves. Batman uses the device that got him there to return home. Kamandi says he values Batman as a friend but hopes not to see him again. Batman's final words to him are "Who knows maybe next time you'll be visiting me."
I didn't read the Kamandi comic book when I was younger. After this episode I hope that we do see come back in this show and perhaps I can get some back issues of Kamandi.

DC Anniversary Issues Ad

Here is an in house ad for many anniversary issues at DC Comics from 1983. Two of the issues I am wondering why they are here. First is Detective Comics #526. Had this been #527 I would understand. Batman first appeared in the book in #27. Therefore, #527 would marked his 500th appearance in the book. #526 is his 499th. I know it was the first appearance of Jason Todd in the Robin costume and that is what they are celebrating here. Still I think the next issue was the real landmark and perhaps should have waited to put Jason in the costume then.
Next comes the book that a few years into the future would become a team-up book for Superman. That book is Action Comics and this ad is celebrating issue #544. This seems less of an anniversary then Detective #526. It isn't celebrating the first appearance of Superman or anyone for that matter. It's celebrating the new looks for Luthor and Brainiac. Neither of these books were anniversary issues. The new DC back then may have been on the move but they needed to look up the meaning to the word anniversary.
One anniversary that was in this ad that was sad was for me was The Brave and the Bold #200. It was a true anniversary issue and the last for the series. The book that began the rotating guest star for each issue came to an end. It was to make way for the new Batman series Batman and the Outsiders. It also began the ending of an era for team-up books. DC Comics Presents would end as a team-up series in 1986. Action became a team-up book but it too changed formats and ended its team-ups in 1988 when it became a weekly anthology series. Marvel canceled Marvel Team-Up in its first round in 1985 and Marvel Two-in-One ended two years earlier in 1983. By 1988 an era that began in the mid 1960's was at an end. For awhile DC and Marvel used the titles of the books as mini-series or anthologies. However, thanks to DC and Cartoon Network animated team-ups can now be seen on TV. Don't forget Batman:the Brave and the Bold is on tonight. Check you local TV Guide for time and channel in your area.

1966 Batman Opening

Over at Booksteve's Library Steve talks about Clayface in the opening credits of the old Batman series. His son Dave spotted Clayface in the credits. You can see him if you look just past the guy in the red mask. Where did the red mask guy come from? Well first the mask was white. I colored it.

When I was younger I wondered about the characters in the opening credits and when they would show up in the series. Especially the one in the hood. After reading the article on Booksteve's I wondered about him again. I thought they could have done him as the Red Hood. Perhaps this could have been the first Joker story. After all the Red Hood did become the Joker. It was a part of his origin story that was added in 1951.

A Random Panel of Disco Fever

Here are Batman and the Flash as Bruce and Barry from a 1979 issue of Brave and the Bold. Disco was king and they are getting their groove on. Go man! Go!

Another In House DC Ad

Here is a 1979 subscription ad for DC Comics book "The SuperFriends". Notice what the Wonder Twins are saying. They gave Aquaman billing over Batman and Robin. That may have been the last time that happened. These days Superman has a hard time getting billed over Batman.

In House DC Ad

Here is a DC in house ad from 1970 for Superman, Beyond the Unknown and DC's only team-up book at that time The Brave and the Bold.

Happy 70th Anniversary to The Flame

Last year was the 70th anniversary of Superman. This year is the 70th anniversary for Marvel Comics and their character Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Let us not for get that this is also the 70th anniversary of the character The Flame for Fox Features Syndicate. It was in 1939, cover dated July but I believe it came out in late June, that The Flame first appeared in Wonderworld Comics #3.

Victor Fox started Fox Feature Syndicate in the late 1930's. Their first publication was Wonder Comics featuring their version of Superman called Wonder Man. That character was created by Will Eisner with whom Fox had a contract. National Periodical Publications (later DC Comics) sued and won for copyright infringement. The witness that testified on behalf of National was...Will Eisner. Thus ending the contract he had with Fox. However, before the contract ended Eisner wrote the script for Wonderworld Comics #3 while Lou Fine did the art for the character of the Flame.

His real name is Gary Preston. As an orpahn he was raised in China by Monks in Tibet who taught him how to control fire and heat and teleport to any place where they was a fire. As an adult he used his powers to fight crime. As you can guess the one element he couldn't over come was water. If he were weakend by water he relied on a pistol flame thrower that he carried with him. At times he was also assited by his sidekick Flame Girl.

Just as Timely (Marvel) had their big 3 in Captain America, Human Torch and Sub-Namor and DC had Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, The Flame was a member of Fox's big 3 with Blue Beetle (whose 70th anniversay is August of this year) and Samson (his 70th anniversary is November or December of this year). Actually Fox can be said to have had their big 4 as Devil (under the name Daredevil) was also a big hit for them. Saddly The Flame didn't have the longevity of Timely or National's characters. Until recently he didn't have the longevity of even the Blue Beetle.

Blue Beetle was the most sucessful of the Fox line-up and his rights were bought by Charlton Comics and later by DC Comics where a new version of the character is being published today.

Now The Flame, Samson and others are in public domain and are being published by Dynamite Entertainment as part of the Superpowers Project. Also, their version of Blue Beetle, whom they call Scarab.

I wonder what would have happened if Charlton had bought the rights to all of the Fox characters? They were major characters at Fox and may have been at Charlton. They may have wound up at DC as minor characters and Dynamite may not exist today as we know them. At this point Devil and Black Fury, both major charaters at Fox, are major stars at Dynamite. So there is a chance the same can be said for The Flame in futures publications at Dynamite.

Marvel's Weekly Watcher

Lots of good stuff in the weekly watcher. Take a look.

Tribute To The Letter Column

As anyone who has read my blogs should know I was a fan of the letters pages in the comic books. Not too many carey them now thanks to the internet and e-mail and blogs like this were fans and comic book pros communicate. I think that is a mistake. How many of us go to all the popular sites? Does anyone have that kind of time that it would take? I know I don't.
If you liked the letters pages then you should go to the new site Tribute to the Letter Column.It's new so there isn't much there but what is there is good. Robert talks about the letter pages and includes some social commentary. Take a look and I hope you will enjoy it.

Lost Brave and the Bold Episode

Here is something you will never see on the Brave and the Bold.

Nobody Loves the Hulk

Thanks to Al Bigley and alink from his site I was able to download the song "Nobody Loves the Hulk" and make a video for it. I hope you enjoy it.



One of the photos in the video I got from a site I just found called Reading Room.net.

Marvel Bromance

I was just over at Progressive Ruin and saw this trade paperback was coming out this august. It features tales of team-ups with Spider-man and the Human Torch, Wonder Man and the Beast Captain America and the Falcon, etc. You can find out more at Marvel.com.

Batman:The Brave and the Bold "Hail the Tornado Tyrant"

Last weeks bad review of the Bat-Mite episode created some lively disucssion on this site. To put your mind at ease this is a good review. This is the kind of episode I like to see on the show and what I like from the comic book series.

Now I am starting to get a bit bored with the soul less toy or robot wishing he was human. It has been used in everything from Pinocchio to Star Trek to... well... the Brave and the Bold. Yet it always brings about a good story.

Red Tornado tries to create a son when he creates the youngish Tornado Champion. He put in the ability to gain emotions. It doesn't take hold at first but when they fight Major Disaster Champion is struck by lightning. This kicks in the emotions.

They fight crime side byh side all week. Batman was there when Red created his son and keeps an eye on them to see how well Champion is coming along. During their adventures Red and Champion have Father and son talks that make them and viewer think about humanity.

When Champion saves some kids from dying in a fire he is greet with fear. He doesn't understand. Red tries to explain but Champion goes away in anger. Later he comes to help Red and Batman as they face Major Disaster again. Major hurts Red Tornado. In anger Champion nearly kills the Major till Batman stops him.

They take Champion back to the lab. Red shuts down Champion in a fail safe that he put into his son and they leave. After they leave Champion comes back to life as he secretly took the fail safe out earlier. He upgrades himself to become Tornado Tyrant. He is angry at humanity and his Father as he sees that he sides with them.

Tyrant attacks Coast City. He plans to destroy it with a huge tidal wave and continue till the world is destroyed. Red Tornado and Batman arrive. (I love it when Tyrant calls Batman Uncle Batman. He has been the kid long enough that he would think of him as an Uncle.) During the battle Red Tornado tries to talk to his son to get him back on the right track. He sees that won't happen and in the end he has to destroy him.

Batman tries to comfort Red as he tells him in all of this Red Tornado has found his own humanity. Red dismisses this notion. After Batman leaves Red notices watery discharge coming from his eye. He says he must do an inside diagnostic to find out what is the problem.

Batman:The Brave and the Bold Tonight

Red Tornado is on Brave and the Bold tonight. He tries to create a "son" for himself but creates the Tornado Tyrant. Below is a video clip from the show.

The Flash: Rebirth #3

Here is the cover to "The Flash:Rebirth" #3. It is on sale June 10th. DC Comics says they will finally answer who is faster The Flash or Superman. I hope it is the Flash.

Marvel Super Squad Video Game Trailer

Thanks to Marvel .Com we have our first look at the Marvel Super Squad video game. It comes out in October.