Tuesday, November 27, 2018

My Fowl-Weather Friend


Let me share my story.
In 2004, my wife was diagnosed with cancer. She was diagnosed on a Wednesday, and her surgery was a couple days later, on Friday. I never realized until then just how close I came to losing her. She's the Iris to my Barry Allen; the Sue to my Ralph Dibney. We'd been married for 14 years. My wife wanted to have kids since the second after I proposed. I said "I do", she said, "Let's get crackin' mister!" When she came out of surgery, she told me she wanted to adopt. We held hands tight. I said, "Yes, ma'am."
By October 2010, we were no closer to being a blended family than we were in August of 2004, after her surgery. 
Hopeless, we were about to give up. We decided not to update with the agency we were working with. After Christmas that year, I posted a status on Facebook.
"I want to be a Dad in 2011." 
Remember, we were not with any adoption agency at the time.
A friend saw my post.
"There's this boy..." A family was set to adopt our son. One of their natural children had just been diagnosed. The diagnosis set them on a very expensive path. They couldn't adopt our son.
January 3rd, 2011, I met my son for the first time. I was introduced to him as "Papa Dave". He was here from Kiev, Ukraine on a hosting program. We spent the final week of his three week visit together. After that week, my wife and I knew he was our son.
We left for Kiev to bring our on home September 11, 2011. He came home for good October 23rd, 2011.
Mission accomplished!
(Our son introduced us to our second son; our second son introduced us to our daughter. I am blessed that my children chose us.)
I took a number of comforts for the trip. I took my Bible. I took Alex RossJustice. I took my buddy Bill Halliar's Evilman. I took Wes Molebash's You'll Have That. I took Teen Titans: Year One. I took The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1 - "Bottle of The Planets" - which is an awesome The World's Finest team-up of Batman and Superman.
I took pictures of me reading in the "library" in our apartment in Kiev. 
I picked up a copy of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl
I devoured that book on the trip. I was lucky to find an English book store in the subway mall under Independence Square in Kiev. I bought and devoured the second and third book in the series. I read the comic book adaptation of the first novel. It's okay. Disney just released the trailer for the film adaptation due next August 9th. It looks pretty good from the preview. Dame Judi Densch does the voiceover on the trailer. Kenneth Branagh is directing. He directed the first Thor film.   
As you can imagine, I hope it's a spectacular adaptation.
I consider Artemis a good friend. I hope Disney and Kenneth Branagh do Artemis right.

Friday, November 2, 2018

The Blog at the End of the Day!


This is The Blog at the End of the Day! Whenever you're actually reading this, just know that I sat down at the end of the day to share some thoughts.

I didn't read very many comic books during the '90's. Cathy and I got married, May 6th, 1990. I had just started a job in the mailroom of a railroad company. I moved up into the accounting department. That didn't work out so well. I moved on to another mailroom. That didn't work out too well either. I was struggling to find the right fit. That was when Cathy told me that I had a face voice for radio. I took a course in broadcasting. Cathy and I drove out to the class together. She'd read or do needlepoint or go to the mall, while I was in class. One of my classmates was a fellow geek. He was excited about this storyline called The Death of Superman. One night he came in with a box of trading cards he had just bought. The cards were for that storyline. He was telling us all that he was blown away that two years before, DC Comics and the creative team behind the storyline had begun planning it all.


I'm not sure if it still works out that way, but I knew what he was talking about. A comic book takes time to write, edit, pencil, ink, letter, color and print before it hits store shelves. I may have missed a step or two, there, but you understand what I'm getting at. It's a process.

The '90's had it's gimmicks. The Death of Superman. Batman faced Knightfall, where Bruce Wayne's back was broken by Bane and a character named Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley) took over, not Dick Grayson. Oliver Queen was blown up and his son took over as Green Arrow, not his ward, Roy Harper who was Speedy. Or maybe he had become Arsenal. Wally West, the former Kid Flash was still The Flash. Barry Allen had made the ultimate sacrifice in 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths. During The Death of Superman, one of the four replacements, Cyborg-Superman, Hank Henshaw destroyed Coast City, paving the way for the Emerald Twilight storyline over in Green Lantern. Hal Jordan snapped over the destruction of his hometown and pretty much turned on the Green Lantern Corps. He became the villain Parallax, Kyle Rayner took over as Earth's Green Lantern. Green Lantern back-up Guy Gardner became Warrior. Green Lantern John Stewart was off-world somewhere.

There were two comic books that I followed regularly during the '90's. One was The Batman Adventures, a tie-in comic book to Batman: The Animated Series.


The other was Starman.


There was a third book. It was only eighteen issues and an Annual. It was Impact Comics' The Comet. 

DC Comics had licensed a number of the Archie Red Circle characters. Google, Wikipedia and Comic Vine can help you get more background if you're curious.

The Comet was re-imagined by [edit] Tom Lyle with Mark Waid. It's been awhile since I've read The Comet. Tonight, I am digging all eighteen issues, the Impact! Special, the annual, the first three issues of The Crusaders and The Crucible mini-series to re-read. I remember the book being a lot of fun to read. The surprise twist near the end of the run was a real gut-punch. 

I'm going to star re-reading The Comet tonight in honor of artist Tom Lyle's birthday.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.    




Tuesday, October 30, 2018

My Latest "Guilty Pleasure"


I firmly believe that no single issue of a comic book should cost $5.

I started reading comics just after the price hike from $.12 to a quarter. This was The Bronze Age of Comics, just after Gwen Stacy's death. One of my earliest comics was an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, where he fights The Tarantula (a truly politically incorrect and stereotypical rogue); and, is confronted by a Gwen Clone and The Gremlin. It was in a three-pack with an issue of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Might have been a buck for the three-pack. I started reading Batman around the same time because I was a fan of the '60's TV series - still am.

From that point on, cover prices jumped to thirty-five cents, forty, fifty; then a buck, buck and a quarter, buck-ninety-five. Once the cover price got over a buck, it just kept going up and up until we're now at $3.95 or $4.99 for a single issue cover price. Which is ridiculous.

And yet... I've gone to Wal-Mart and gotten three issues of Batman Giant, an issue of Justice League Giant and the Swamp Thing Halloween Horror.

I'm trying to figure out how to track down an issue I missed. I missed Batman Giant 2. I'm trying to figure out how to track it down without it costing an arm and a leg. I checked eBay - yowza!

The reason I'm not a fan of these over-priced exclusives is that out of 100 pages, there's only a twelve-page original story. That's it. Twelve pages out of 100. The rest is reprint.Four stories in the Batman Giant, nine in the Swamp Thing Giant.

My question is, who decided to reprint the Hush storyline in Batman Giant? I thought Hush was pretty innovative. It involved the entire Batman Family; drawing in Superman and Lois Lane. It pretty much included nearly all of Batman's rogues. It introduced a new Bat-villain. Not the greatest Bat-villain, but a new one. The final reveal was pretty amazing to, as to who was really behind the whole thing. Turns out it was one of my favorite Bat-villains, thanks to Frank Gorshin. Although the story was written by Jeph Loeb, the art for Hush and Origin reprinting in the Justice League Giant and by Jim Lee. One of the critiques I have of the 2011 reboot of the Justice League in Origin is that the team's costumes are to complicated. The simple design is gone and replaced by a busy, over-complicated style. Lee's Hush was a nine issue series - nine months to tell that story. Six to tell Origin. That seems to be the way stories are written anymore. Six issues to collect in a trade paperback. Now it's coming back around as a reprint in an anthology comic book.

Batman Giant 3 started a Batman-Riddler story by Brian Michael Bendis, who wrote Ultimate Spider-Man. He's written Jessica Jones, too. He created a comic called Powers. He's working on Superman for DC Comics, now. It was a big deal that he went from Marvel to DC.


The Swamp Thing Halloween Horror Giant is interesting for a number of reasons. It's a pretty timely anthology collection comic out in October. It does feature an original Swamp Thing story, along with a Swamp Thing reprint. The other reprints do look recent. There is a Classic Batman and Robin story. Night of the Reaper, from Batman 237, December 1971! It's more of a Gothic murder mystery, set at the Annual Rutland Parade in Vermont.

The other thing that is interesting is that the stories feature more Superman, Batman - even Aquaman! Aquaman and The Demon! There's a unique pairing. I'm surprised that there isn't a John Constantine: Hellblazer, Sandman, Phantom Stranger, Spectre, Dr. Fate, Solomon Grundy or Shade story in there. Not even a Sinestro, or Sinestro Corps story. I jest.

Do you shop at Wal-Mart? When you head to the check-out, do you stop by the aisle where the collectibles are? That's the aisle the DC 100 Page Giant display is. Along with trading cards, bobble heads and other chachkeis are. DC is publishing four titles that are exclusive to Wal-Mart: Superman, Batman, Justice League and Teen Titans.I'm a Batman fan, so that was the one that caught my eye. Brian Michael Bendis has his critics, I'm not one of them. I'm enjoying his Batman-Riddler story. He's introduced a great- great- great- (not sure how many greats to go here) grand-daughter of Western hero Jonah Hex. There's something about Batman and Jonah Hex that is cool.

Like I said, I'm trying to figure out how to track down a cipy of Batman Giant 2 without it costing an arm and a leg. I think Batman Giant is going to fit in with my bucket list of gathering all twenty issues of The Batman Family from the '70's.   

Thursday, October 18, 2018

"Once I was the learner, now I am the master."


One of the things that Cathy and I both enjoy is reading. She's a romantic. Nora Roberts. Jude Devereaux. A few moons ago, we went on a cruise and she discovered The Twilight Saga through the first film with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. She discovered that there was a book series and just devoured it. From Twilight, she moved on to other Young Adult series like City of Bones. She read If I Should Stay. I don't think she's seen the movie. She's working on a YA series by James Patterson. Neither one of us knows what it's called. She's a huge fan of The Hunger Games films and the Divergent series. She's tried reading the novels, but enjoys watching the films more.

One of my best memories is my older brother Tim taking me to see the first Star Wars film. It was at the River Oaks Theater in Calumet City. Holla! This was before theaters became cineplexes. I'd never seen a theater as crowded as this one was. I couldn't figure out why. This was the first film I'd seen without either of my parents; or, even my Auntie Ei. Just a couple 'a' bros hanging out. This was the first movie I'd seen that wasn't Disney.

Mind = blown. 

I found George Lucas' paperback novel for Star Wars and I devoured it. I got the giant size two issue Marvel Comics adaptation. I started reading the monthly Marvel series. I read the Star Trek adaptations; both the comic books and the novels. I read the original Battletsar Galactica. There was a novelization of the premiere episode; then, Marvel had a monthly series. For awhile there Marvel had the Monopoly. Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica

When Superman: The Movie came out, I read the companion novel. The Blues Brothers came out, I read the novelization.

One of my favorite things is an cassette - I said a CASSETTE - of Roddy McDowell reading the novelization of the 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger.

I'm not sure how, but I "discovered" the late Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone series. I love mysteries, too. From time to time I make my way through the Sherlock Holmes series. I still enjoy A Study in Scarlet.

I've read all six of the Ninth Doctor novels. Novels featuring the Tenth Doctor are on my bucket list.

Right now, I'm somewhere in the middle of You Only Live Twice.

When Cathy started reading YA novels, I dusted off my Encyclopedia Brown. I started The 39 Clues. I gave The Vampire's Assistant a try. 

In September of 2011, when we brought Justin home from Ukraine, I came across Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl. Fir me, it is better than The Lightning Thief. From 2011 to 2014, over the trips to Ukraine to bring our three kids home, I read the Artemis Fowl series.

The reason I mention this, is that our son, Justin, has developed a rule. He will not read any book that has been adapted to a movie. He won't read the Harry Potter books for that reason. He's been reading Darren Shan, James Patterson and some other books. He's sticking hard and fast to The Rule. Except when it comes to Star Wars. He wants to read read them... All in order... From I through VI... The Phantom Menace... Through Return of the Jedi...

I say that slowly, because he vehemently denies that Parts IV, V and VI came before I, II and III. Which would seem logical. But no. 

I am learning just how different my son at his age from when I was his age. I had to read the book before I saw the movie. Now, I'd rather do what he's doing. Read a book that hasn't or won't be made into a movie.

Comic books, novels, television series and movies are all separate, singular experiences. What my son is teaching me is that Batman may work as a comic book character, or as Adam West or Kevin Conroy, but not so much as a movie. Very few novels survive the Adaptation. Just look at Stephen King fer instance.

It's interesting learning from my kids.

          

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

That One Time I Met Superman's Girlfriend


Today - Wednesday, October 17th - was Margot Kidder's birthday.

I met her once.

Me and my buddy, Joshua, too a road trip from Rochester to Chicago. Well, the suburbs of Chicago. The Con was held at the Donald E. Stephens convention center in Rosemont, just west of The City.

I understand seeing Stormtroppers everywhere, but from the parking garage to the box office where we got out badges, I could not believe the legion of Boba Fetts we saw. In authentic costumes, too. There were also a gaggle of Princess Leias as well. I have a genuine respect for cosplayers. This is an individual that has picked a character or characters and gone to great lengths to recreate as closely as possible the costume. I've been to Fall Con and Spring Con at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds. Cathy, my wife, got her picture taken with the Batman: The Animated Series version Harley Quinn. I had my picture taken with Spider-Man and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern. The most impressive costume I saw was the Golden-Age Alan Scott Green Lantern. The costume was very authentic. I wanted to get a picture with just him, but instead I got a picture with the entire cosplaying crowd.

That was another time, though.

Josh and I were wandering around the convention floor. We ran into Doug Mahnke. He remembered me from an in-store he did in Rochester just a few weeks earlier. I was a radio personality, and the store had a paid live appearance. I got to be the personality doing the live broadcast, interviewing a few of the celebrity artists.

We chatted about the Con before he went his way and we went ours.

I had no idea she was going to be there. Her table was all the way in the back of the hall. Not to far away was Sam Jones who played Flash Gordon. There was some wrestler that had a table between them. I thought about meeting Sam Jones. But it was a choice that decided by how much cash I had left. The choice was simple.

Superman's girlfriend won out.

She was travelling with Christopher Reeve's Superman Costume. I would have thought something like that would be under glass; or, maybe on a mannequin. No, it hung on a hanger just behind her.

I walked up to the table, and as I was saying hello, she started telling me about the fan she had just met before me. Whoever it was had come up to her and proposed to her! I really didn't know how exactly to respond to that. I didn't want to say anything that would sound inappropriate or continue that weird thread. So, I just paid for an autographed portrait, had my buddy Josh take a picture of us together, thanked her and moved on. I guess I could have stood next to her. But, I just didn't want to keep the awkwardness going.

And that was my momentous, memorable meeting with Margot Kidder. I got to be the guy that came up to her after the guy that proposed to her.

So, I got that goin' for me.

The Heroes Creed


Variety is reporting that production on The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, has been pushed back to late 2019. That means the film will not be in theaters until 2021 at the earliest.

In releasing that information, Variety also hinted that Warner Bros./DC Comics may be moving forward without Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman. I'm not sure whether Cavill's schedule is conflicting with him suiting up as The Man of Steel again, or what. Affleck is currently undergoing rehab. There's not been any word on a sequel to the 2013 Man of Steel film, or any further on Cavill as Superman. Affleck's solo film as Batman has been in development for some time now.


Here's what concerns me about this whole thing. Warner Bros./DC Comics has been trying to "Marvelize" these icons. Make them more relatable by giving them angst, and maybe, real-world problems. It works for Peter Parker to have issues, complications and stress that are either compounded or lifted by The Amazing Spider-Man. What about a carefree millionaire-philanthropist-playboy? King of Atlantis? Amazon Princess?


Smallville imagined Clark Kent growing up trying to define himself. We got to see what made him a Man of Steel. My problem with that show was that in addition to the mistakes he made, He somehow landed a job as a crack, star reporter at The Daily Planet without a college education. There seemed a number of fumbles along the way. I say that with fervent passion: I loved watching that show with my boys after bringing them home forever from Ukraine.

I get that it makes sense to be real, and human and show how a person picks themselves up and moves on after making a mistake. We're not really doing that very well in real life, though, are we? Just look at James Gunn. Fired, and seemingly unforgiven, by Disney for a mistake he made years ago that he admitted, regretted and apologized for.

My concern is more for Affleck, and then, Batman.

I remember once hearing Clayton Moore talk about how they acted in public, off screen of The Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger had a creed that the actors themselves followed.

"Kids nowadays aren't so quick to worship heroes. The world is a lot more complicated; we don't seem to believe in absolute good and evil - white hats and black hats - anymore. It's fashionable to think of virtue and honor and bravery as naive, outmoded emotions. Deep down, I believe that people still cling to those ideals. When I first appeared on television as the Lone Ranger, Jay Silverheels (Tonto) and I used to do a lot of public appearances. Years earlier, when George W. Trendle created the Lone Ranger for the radio, he gave his writers a code of behavior that the Lone Ranger and Tonto must live by. Jay and I were heroes to millions of kids, and to avoid disappointing them, we lived by Trendle's original rules."



There is a story that the late Jay Thomas told on The Late Show with David Letterman. Every Christmas, Letterman would have a decorated tree with a giant meatball on top. He would invite Thomas on the show to knock the meatball off with a football. Thomas would throw the football to knock the meatball off. Then he would tell the story of working in radio and doing a life broadcast, or remote, at a car dealer with Clayton Moore. After the live broadcast, Thomas was Moore's chauffeur to the airport. Thomas' car was cut off in traffic by another motorist. Thomas chased him down and confronted him. The driver scoffed, asking Thomas who they would believe. 

I get chill bumps when Thomas relates how Clayton Moore, in full The Lone Ranger costume rises out of the backseat of Thomas' beat-up Volvo and tells the motorist in his deep, rich baritone, "They'll believe ME, citizen."

I want my superheroes and my actors who play my superheroes to be more like THAT.

Let's expect more, and stop settling for less.    

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

A Tale of Times Past


Poet and playwright Oscar Wilde was born on this (October 16th) date. One of his greatest works is The Picture of Dorian Gray. I've never read the story, or seen the film adaptation. Maybe I should do something about that.

I am one of many that are more familiar with the works of comic book writer James Robinson. I've read stories he's worked on with "rock star" penciller Jim Lee in Lee's WildC.A.T.s. I've read great things of his Leave It To Chance.


My favorite work by Robinson is Starman. Working with Tony Harris and Wade Von Grawbadger, Robinson carved out a niche in a corner of the DC Universe. Opal City became much like Metropolis and Gotham, a bustling hub of activity. Robinson pulled together minor, lesser known characters and told amazing stories with them. Characters like The Black Pirate, Black Condor, The Red Bee and Solomon Grundy. He connected all of the characters that used the name Starman.

Jack Knight, created by Robinson and Harris, was the son of Golden-Age Starman Ted Knight - not to be confused with the legendary actor from Caddyshack, Too Close For Comfort, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the narrator of the '70's Super Friends cartoon. Jack was a collector. Antiques. He never wanted to be a superhero. Yet, when Ted's arch-enemy, The Mist, returned to Opal for revenge, Jack stepped up. The Mist's son, Kyle, murdered Jack's brother David, who had taken their father's mantle as Starman. The Mist's Daughter, Nash, took up her father's mantle as well.

All this unfolded in the amazing debut Sins of the Father storyline, in Starman 0 - 4. Issue five was quite interesting. It was the first Talking With David issue. David Knight was somehow able to reconnect with Jack, and he shared with Jack important pieces of the puzzle.


Starman 6 was even more interesting. Another of Ted Knight's adversaries, The Shade, had more or less retired from crime, and made Opal his home. He'd spent a good deal of his free time journaling. He shared his journals with Jack. Starman 6 is the first issue From The Pages of The Shade's Journals, a Tale of Times Past. It features The Shade, known as Mr. Black, hanging out in 1882 with Oscar Wilde. This was before he had written his famous work about Dorian Gray. Wilde was on his American tour, stopping in Opal before heading to Chicago. While chatting about Dickens and Hans Christian Anderson, The Shade is interested in someone else Wilde knows. Someone with similar powers to The Shade's. That's set aside as a young man seeks The Shade's help in rescuing his sister from a mesmerist running a circus performing in Opal. What follows is a simple confrontation; as The Shade does indeed liberate the young man's sister. His price is a bit of Opal land, and ten percent of the inheritance received from the brother and sister's late parents. Far less than what the mesmerist was interested in from the sister.

The story ends with a torn page from The Shade's journal. An important page.

Robinson didn't waste anything in Starman. Everything that happened built toward a grand finale.

Oscar Wilde was part of that. Wilde followed The Picture of Dorian Gray with The Importance of Being Earnest. He was in prison for two years, from 1895 to 1897. He died poor at age 48 in 1900 in Paris. Alan Moore incorporated Dorian Gray into his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The screenplay for the film adaptation was written by (wait for it) James Robinson.

Legend has it that Robinson and Harris modeled The Shade on actor Jonathan Pryce. You've seen him in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Maybe he modeled The Shade on Dorian Gray as well. And in doing so, inspired Wilde.

I'm thinking it might be time to read The Picture of Dorian Gray.   

Sunday, October 14, 2018

James Gunn Hired By Warner Bros./DC After Being Fired By Disney/Marvel


Indiewire.com is just one website reporting that James Gunn has been hired by Warner Bros. to write - and possibly direct! - Suicide Squad 2. There's word that the film will be a reboot of Suicide Squad. ScreenRant.com's Stephen M. Colbert shares a reason why DC might be okay with Gunn following his firing by Disney over old, offensive tweets that Gunn was sorry for and apologized for. Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy cast stood by him, fans signed petitions and encouraged Disney to reverse its decision. Disney opted not to. Now the Distinguished Competition has scored a major coup.

There's even word around the interwebs that Dave Bautista is eager to follow Gunn. There's even an image of the character Bautista could play in the new Suicide Squad film.


(Am I the only one that remembers the character development that James Robinson did with this character in Starman?)

This could very well be just what the Doctor Fate ordered for the DC Cinematic Universe.

I remember a few years ago, a top-notch director (Bryan Singer) moved on from a Marvel franchise (The X-Men) at 20th Century Fox to reboot a prominent DC Character (Superman). He got Richard Donner's blessing and the film, Superman Returns, was supposed to be a sequel to Superman II. It was supposed to have bypassed both Superman III and IV which were somewhat lackluster. Not an easy task since Christopher Reeve - and Richard Donner - is a hard act to follow. Although it may seem dated now, Reeve's Superman was very much like what Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was. Hope. Optimism. Wonder. Joy. Fun. Those five words aren't used much to describe DC films. Usually, Mature; or, Grown-Up are words that are used.


Maybe you're like me. What I'd like to see Gunn bring to DC is that sense of Wonder. Joy. Hope. Optimism. I want DC super-hero films to be Fun. Wonder Woman was a fun film. I don't want my DC Comics characters to be dark, brooding and angst-filled. I don't want them to be mature or grown up. I want to feel like a little kid watching cartoons with a big bowl of cereal in my lap.


That's a tall order and maybe too much pressure to put on Gunn's or anyone man's shoulders. Donner did it in '78 with Superman. Patty Jenkins did it in 2017 with Wonder Woman, and will attempt it again with the upcoming sequel. 

Maybe James Gunn can lead DC out of it's navel.

I've got my fingers crossed.


Saturday, October 13, 2018

Batman '66 on Gilligan's Island

I'm a believer. No doubt in my mind.

I took Adam West seriously as Batman. It wasn't until the late '70's, mid '80's that I began to understand that Batman '66 was campy; and the word "campy" was meant as an insult. I read the old Batman comics collected in the hardcover Batman: From the '30's to the '70's. At first, he was The Batman. The Darknight Detective. Then the '50's rolled around and Batman changed. Maybe it was due to Wertham, and his Seduction of the Innocent. I've never read it, but from what I have read about it, it had a huge impact on how comic books were produced in the Silver Age. The contemporary comic books of the '50's and early '60's were what Batman '66 were based on. Just look at the stories collected in Batman: The TV Stories. Very few of them come from Batman's early days. Remember, the live action television series was meant to make the most of color and the visual medium. Every thing was over-the-top. Just like the comics that inspired the series episodes.

As a kid, watching the show in reruns, I loved it!

I loved it that DC Comics produced the Batman '66 comic book series!

Even more, Kevin Smith, Ralph Garman, Alex Ross and Ty Templeton collaborated on reuniting The Bright Knight and The Green Hornet!


Other team-ups soon followed: Batman '66 Meets The Man From UNCLE; Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel; Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77; Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.

And now, Archie Meets Batman '66!


Jeff Parker has shown he knows Gotham City! He wrote the majority of the stories for the Batman '66 series, Batman '66 Meets The Man From UNCLE and Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77

And now, Archie Meets Batman '66, with Michael Moreci

Y'know what I would LOVE to see? Batman '66 on Gilligan's Island.

The first thing is, Batman and Robin can not actually be on the island. They would rescue The Castaways - game over.

I would start an imaginary Season Four of Batman with The Penguin operating The Iceberg Lounge.


Yes, it is a retcon. A modern contrivance. The Penguin would become the underworld information hub. The Iceberg Lounge would also open up a ton of story possibility and cameo opportunities.

Secondly, like Parker, I would introduce a few more modern characters. Legend has it that Madge Blake was going to be let go from the series. Mr. West went to Bat for her, and stood up for keeping her on as Aunt Harriet. He found a homemade cake from her in his dressing room after. No disrespect to Mr. West, but I would eliminate or reduce her role as Aunt Harriet, and introduce Julie Madison as Bruce Wayne's fiance - lifted straight from the Classic, Golden Age Comics. I would keep the character on for half a season or maybe a whole season. The end of the arc would be just like the comics: she would move on to a career defining role and leave Bruce. This would open up introducing Kathy Kane; and, later, Silver St. Cloud. I could also see expanding and fleshing out Catwoman's role by introducing her as the first character with a dual identity - Selina Kyle. Selina and Bruce could start seeing one another; and then, "Biff", "Bam" -


He would learn her true identity!

I would also introduce Lucius Fox as Vice-Chairman of Wayne Foundation, and Dr. Leslie Thompson.

Getting back to Madge Blake's Aunt Harriet. I would send her off in style and class. I would have her head off on Bruce Wayne's yacht on a cruise around the world. Her first stop would be on Gilligan's Island.

I would have The Penguin team-up with Dr. Boris Balinkoff to marry Aunt Harriet to have access to the Wayne Fortune and the class of High Society. Yes, this would be the THIRD time Penguin's tried the marriage scheme. Third time's the charm right? He would use Balinkoff's ring as a wedding band to mind-control Harriet for his scheme. Since she's on a cruise near Hawaii, why not a private island wedding? 

Of course, Mrs. Howell can't stand that "dreadful" woman Harriet Cooper. Thurston Howell and Thomas Wayne were business rivals. A corporate takeover of Wayne Enterprises is on his bucket list.

There's got to be a way to get the Castaways back to Balinkoff's castle where Gilligan and The Skipper mind-swap with Batman and Robin. There's also gotta be a cool deathtrap for both The Dynamic Duo and Gilligan and The Skipper.

But, at no time can Batman and Robin be on the island. Rescue = game over.

The way the Castaways do NOT get rescued is that Howell let's slip that he plans to take over Wayne Enterprises and Foundation first thing he gets back, and - 


Aunt Harriet puts the "ki-bosh" on any rescue. She "forgets". And she sails off into the sunset, continuing her cruise.


I have no idea what plans DC has for Batman '66 after the Archie crossover. The DC series ended in July 2017 with the Legion of Super-Heroes one-shot by the Allreds.

I'm probably the only one that thinks it would be cool to see Batman '66 on Gilligan's Island.

But it would be cool to see.

Friday, October 12, 2018

A Sign of Weakness?


I've been reading Archie Meets Batman '66. It's billed as "two iconic comic book characters meet up for the first time in this historic crossover!"
Last year, on my birthday, August 17 (my birthday, in case you were wondering) Senior VP/Executive Editor and DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio was quoted on ScreenRant.com as to why there won't be (m)any intercompany crossovers between DC Comics and Marvel.
He said, "It's not that we're mortal enemies - it is competition, if you want the truth. It has to be. As we say, 'the more we compete, the better off you are.' It means that we're trying harder to make our books better so you come to our books rather than Marvel books. That's what the competition is all about. Between the two companies, we still are the industry leaders."
Last March 18th, lrmonline picked up the thread, with a quote from Joe Quesada.
I get it. I can down a whole Roma pizza in one sitting. Those things aren't that big. They're like eight slices. So, what he's saying, I think, unless I have my analogies wrong, is an intercompany crossover is like slicing a Roma pizza and sharing it with my three kids. Rather than having the whole pie myself.
I'm a Bronze Age comic book fan. The Bronze Age started in April 1970, when Dennis O'Neal and Neil Adams brought together Green Lantern and Green Arrow in Green Lantern 85.

Didio's comments, and Quesada's response were in response to the much-hyped DC Versus Marvel series from April and May of 1996. The four-issue series match characters like Aquaman and Namor; The Flash and Quicksilver; Batman and Captain America - characters that seemed similar, with similar powers. The match-up were decided by fan votes. The outcome was that Quesada's Marvel beat Didio's DC. Out of eleven match-ups, Marvel won six:  Elektra over Catwoman, Silver Surfer beat Green Lantern Kyle Raynor, Thor outmatched Captain Marvel, Spider-Man defeated Superboy, Wolverine amazingly beat Lobo and Storm overpowered Wonder Woman. By fan votes.

Nobody wants to come out a loser. Especially when the fans voted Marvel over DC. That's not just a loss, that's the sound of one hand clapping.        
The Marvel Versus DC/DC Versus Marvel Amalgam Comics came at a time when both companies needed one another and needed an intercompany crossover. It wasn't like bringing Superman and Spider-Man together; or, Batman and The Incredible Hulk; or, The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans. Amalgam wasn't for story, or characters or fans. It was about revenue, and monetizing. The industry was down, and the whole Amalgam thing was a gimmick, like variant covers or foil covers to bolster lagging sales and revenue.
I think this is where my pizza analogy comes in.
I'm enjoying Archie Meets Batman '66. I've read a few other crossovers that were pretty good, too. I'm sure you have, too.
Growing up in the Bronze Age, I enjoyed comic book titles like The Brave and the Bold; DC Comics Presents and Marvel Team-Up. I never read Marvel Two-In-One with The Thing, but I've heard it was a pretty cool title. That book came back this year to lead into the return of the Fantastic Four.
The idea of those team-up books was to take strong characters, like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and The Thing, and use them to lend a little spotlight to lesser known characters. Characters that fans liked but didn't get to see much of. They weren't strong enough to carry their own comic book title.
Right now, outside of team books - which are basically the same concept, just with a larger number of characters - the only thing resembling a team-up is DC's Super Sons. The offspring of Superman and Batman.
 It's kind of a bummer that a crossover can't be seen as bringing strengths together to make an even bigger strength.
I guess when you see a crossover as a need or a weakness, that's how you're going to see them.
Which is a shame.

This is what I like to see.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

CBS And Super-Heroes


Variety us reporting that CBS is developing DC Comics' The Secret Six for live action. (You can click Secret Six to learn more about the origin and history of the team.)
That's awesome!
The first thing that popped up into mind was, Remember that one time CBS aired Supergirl before it went over to the CW? Ha!
There's two things I like about this story. First is that it's a DC Comics property. Let's set aside as painfully obvious that Warner Bros./DC Comics have absolutely no blueprint, map or plan in bringing their characters to live action. Their stated plan is to do the exact opposite of whatever Marvel is doing. This goes back to 2008, when Marvel rolled out the first Iron Man film; and, as time went on, released information that everything was connecting and connected in a larger Cinematic Universe. Your mileage may vary; but, it has been brilliant, and enjoyable. Each film over the last ten years has built to the next to where we are now on the precipice of Captain Marvel and Avengers 4! DC, doing the exact opposite could work. Unfortunately, DC has seperated most of their properties into television and film universes. Now there's possibly an even bigger splinter between the CW's Arrowverse, the streaming Titans, and now CBS' Secret Six. Grant Gustin should have been The Flash in the Justice League film. #CyborgIsATitan. Instead of the Justice League film we got, we should have gotten Starro as a villain or an adaptation of JLA: Liberty and Justice.

But, like I said, let's set that aside. We could argue all day. Let's just agree to disagree.
The second thing I find interesting is that CBS is developing a DC Comics live action super-hero series.
Being a geezer, I remember when The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Nicholas Hammond from The Sound of Music was on CBS. There were only three major networks at the time. The series looked nothing like the late '60's cartoon or the comic book. It lasted thirteen episodes over two seasons. Take as long as you need with that. Most series have a season of twenty-two episodes. CBS aired thirteen episodes from '77 to '79. CBS aired two Captain America television films and a Dr. Strange television film. The network picked up Wonder Woman for two seasons after ABC cancelled the series. To be fair, Wonder Woman, a DC character, was set during World War II; and, like most of the super-hero shows on at the time not named Batman, looked nothing like the comic book inspiration. Even contemporized on CBS, it still looked nothing like the comic book. And it was still a DC Comics character (rimshot! "Hiyo!")

The most successful super-hero series on CBS was The Incredible Hulk, starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Like The Amazing Spider-ManThe Hulk looked nothing like the comic book or cartoon series before it. Kenneth Johnson said on The Incredible Hulk Season One box set that he had just finished reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, and based the series on the chase between Javert and Veljean. It looked more like an updating of David Janssen's The Fugitive, with Gerard chasing Dr. Richard Kimble. The Hulk lasted eighty-two episodes across five seasons. NBC aired the three reunion television films in the early '90's.
So, it will be interesting to see what becomes of Secret Six. Will it look like the comic book? Which iteration will it be?
The ultimate question is this: How long will it last on CBS before it A) Goes to the DC streaming service; or, 2) merges with the CW Arrowverse.
Honestly, since Supergirl started on CBS and then moved to the CW, I am surprised that CBS is developing another comic book series.