As Seen On TV! The Adventures of Supergirl 1 Review

Rocketing from the flatscreen on your living room wall back into four-color print, The Maid of Steel! The Adventures of Supergirl with an awesome photo realistic cover by Cat Staggs! Melissa Benoist in mid-flight!

Disclaimer: I believe I've seen a handful of Season One episodes of Supergirl. It's set on an alternate Earth in the Arrowverse. I enjoyed what I saw and thought I would pick up the companion comic book, as I did with the '90's The Flash and Smallville.

This is definitely a different version of Kara. She seems quite fun and light-hearted.

"This Is My Life" opens with a slugfest between Supergirl and Rampage at a National City Sharks game. Sterling Gates manages to provide a brief and brisk recap of Kara's origin from Krypton to Earth. While Gates' story is all super-hero fare, the core is sisterhood. Rampage's relationship with her sister compared with Kara and Alex's relationship.

Bengal's art is all comic book. The characters from the CBS series are the same, however there is really no attempt to use the live action likenesses. It's an interesting direction to go in. 

What makes the issue enjoyable is the story has heart. Kara develops sympathy for Rampage as an individual, not just an alien adversary. Gates' take on the character provides some redeeming qualities.

The Adventures of Supergirl, "Based on the Hit CBS Series" earns three stars.

The Super-Genius from Space!

 

In March 2026, Action Comics 242, from July 1958 was re-released as a facsimile reprint. It featured the debut of Brainiac and the Bottle City of Kandor. Maybe in advance of the 2027 Superman sequel, "Man of Tomorrow" featuring Brainiac as the main adversary.

The story is very succinct and to the point. Clark and Lois are covering a story as passengers on a fantastic new rocket! When confronted by Brainiac's ship, Clark suits up as an astronaut and escapes back to Earth to protect his secret identity! So Silver Age! Brainiac quickly captures Earth's major cities, including Metropolis, intending to repopulate his home planet. This was before Brainiac was reimagined as Kryptonian, and developed as the planet's version of Google, created by Jor-El. Superman feigns defeat to sneak back and subvert Brainiac. That's when he discovers Kandor and an old college classmate of his father's! using his super-wits, The Man of Steel outsmarts his adversary, actually catching him napping! It's an interesting out, leaving room for an opening for Brainiac to return for another face-off. Short and sweet, the story doesn't waste any details, moving deftly and smoothly. The pacing is a bit brisk, but it works. Obviously.

But wait, there's more!

Tommy Tomorrow, Space Traffic Cop of the future isa fun, wacky, sci-fi story. A Boring weekend of traffic control in space in the future!

Then there's Congo Bill, before he was Congorilla. Confronted by an alien octopod from Venus! The alien forcefully enlists Bill and Janu into assisting in his plan of world conquest! It takes some ingenuity to discover how to overcome the alien menace, yet Bill does. With the alien's dying breath, it reveals that there are FIVE MORE similar aliens somewhere on Earth working out their own plan! Nana-nana-boo-boo to you Bill!

Zoinks!

Definitely a Classic!

This facsimile issue of Action Comics earns four stars! 

The Girl of Steel! Action Comics 252 Facsimile Reprint Review!

 

In December 2025, DC Comics reprinted Action Comics 252, May 1959, featuring the first appearance of Supergirl and Metallo! The issue was previously reprinted at the turn of the century as a Millenium Edition issue.

The classic issue features an equally classic cover: Supergirl zooming out of her Kryptonian rocket announcing to Superman and the world who and what she is! Definitely a memorable cover by the legendary Curt Swan and Stan Kaye.

Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino present the debut of Metallo! He's murderous reporter, John Corbin! And, apparently, a reckless driver! Taking a curve to sharp, he flips his car! If not for Professor Vale passing by driven by his housekeeper Edith, Metallo might never have come to be! Humanitarian Vale saves Corbin and continues his treacherous ways. His new metal body requires a Uranium or Kryptonite heart to power him! Coincidentally, he's also a near identical twin to The Man of Steel! Only the fickle finger of fate is able to stop him!

Bernstein and Howard Sherman present another Congo Bill/Congorilla adventure! Congorilla must rescue Bill, the Comandant and his troops at an oasis commandeered by highwaymen bent on pathway piracy!

Finally, Otto Binder and Al Plastino introduce The Maid of Might, "The Supergirl from Krypton"! The story hinges heavily on coincidence and serendipity. It's all very convenient and somewhat predictable. The nitpick I have with this is that DC Comics decided to kill off the Kents. Granted, Supergirl gets her own, individual area. Yet, had the Kents lived, Supergirl could have lived and gone to school in Smallville. Maybe that would have been even more redundant, but it would have avoided what might be considered "super-dickery": Superman shunting his cousin off to an orphanage in Midvale far away from Smallville. It just seems more complicated than less, especially for the newest addition to The Superman Family. Yes, it would have seemed creepy for Superman to have his young "cousin" living with him in Metropolis. Maybe it would have been too revealing to have another superhuman alien in Smallville. Is that where they grow them?

For what it is, Action Comics 252, featuring the famous first appearances of Supergirl and Metallo is fine. It could have been more or better. It is what it is for the time.

Action Comics 252 earns two stars.     

    

Starring John Cusack as Starman Jack Knight! A 60th Birthday Salute!

 

Actor John Cusack is 60 today. I usually enjoy the movies he stars in. Do I agree with his political views? No. Actually, it's more, "hell-to-the-no". That doesn't change that I enjoy the stories he's a part of.

There was a time when I could have seen him as Jack Knight, the sone of DC Comics' Ted Knight - not to be confused with actor Ted Knight, narrator of Super Friends and best known as Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. DC's Ted Knight was the Golden-Age Starman.

Jack made his first appearance in the final issue of Zero Hour and headlined the Starman comic that ran from 1994 to 2001. Written by James Robinson, with art by Tony Harris. The series was highly acclaimed. I was nominated for the Eisner for the first story arc "Sins of the Father" and won an Eisner for the "Sand and Stars" storyline. It was also nominated for "Best Continuing Series" of 1997.

At its core, Starman is about the father and son relationship between Jack and Ted Knight. The series opens with The Mist's son and daughter exacting their revenge on the Knight family. David Knight, Jack's brother is shot and killed. Opal is laid siege. Jack considers running. Instead, he rises to the occasion and turns back the tide. Afterward, Jack agrees to fight crime as needed as Starman, as long as Ted focuses his energies on his science, invention and innovation.

Robinson, with Harris and later Peter Snejbjerg carved out a corner of the DC Universe with Opal City as a focal point. Story lines were mixed with "Tales of Times Past" and "Talking With David" interludes, all driving the story forward toward its conclusion with issue 80.

Jack Knight was created by James Robinson and Tony Harris. Jack makes very rare appearances outside of Starman. Geoff Johns, David Goyer and James Robinson used Jack as part of a Justice Society of America relaunch. Following the conclusion of his series, Jack quietly shuffles off into a "happily ever after". There were some possible rumblings of a falling out between Robinson and DC Comics which ended any possible future of Jack Knight, or any other projects involving Robinson.

A live action series was in development following Smallville, at the same time as Birds of Prey. Due to the lackluster performance of Birds of Prey, a Starman live action series was on indefinite hold.

Stargirl, focusing on Courtney Whitmore, played by Brec Bassinger debuted on the DC Universe streaming platform and the CW Network as part of the Arrowverse. What's interesting is Courtney was created as an homage to Geoff Johns' sister. James Robinson was involved in the live action series. Sylvester Pemberton, the one-time Star-Spangled Kid, was called Starman for the series.

Although time has passed and Cusack has probably aged out of the character, it would have been nice to see him in the role...

A fan can dream.

My Problem With Guy

 

People are stupid. People are jerks. That's really the bottom line.

When did we stop looking up?

Heroes should have some kind of virtue. Heroes should be role models. Yes, I know, that's kind of an outdated, antiquated concept, but why are we celebrating jackasses?

You can argue that Guy Gardener is a jerk, BUT at least he's OUR jerk. He's on OUR side.

I beg to differ. We live in a world where citizens want to DEFUND the police. Citizens are protesting ICE doing an ugly, thankless job of separating citizens from illegal aliens. You can call them "undocumented" all you want, but if you try to get into a concert or a sports game without a ticket, you're not an "un-ticketed audience member". There is a disrespect that borders on lawlessness and chaos. The debate rages due to bad apples. Guy Gardner is a bad apple. His gimmick only works in comic books and maybe stretched thinly in live action. I like Nathan Fillion- I really do - however, his portrayal of Guy Gardner is troubling mostly because it's so spot on. My gut tells me that if Guy Gardner were a real person, things would not stop at "one-punch" from Batman. One of his fellow heroes might just kill him and hide the body.

There's a theory that if Gilligan's Island were real, the other six castaways would actually KILL Gilligan. After a while, they'd get tired of him ruining every hope and chance of rescue. They'd kill him and maybe eat him.

My gut tells me that there is a very fine line between Guy Gardner and Sinestro. 

Sinestro is the former Green Lantern that trained Hal Jordan. Sinestro was arrogant. Sinestro was a jerk. Eventually, he got tired of following. He got tired of being told. Sinestro eventually wanted to do things HIS own way. So, he found the one weakness of the Green Lanterns. The conceit is that the Green Lanterns' ONE weakness is yellow. So, the Sinestro Corps - imagine that: he named the corps after himself! - bears the YELLOW power ring of FEAR. At one time, both Batman and The Scarecrow were pawns of the Sinestro Corps for their ability to inspire fear.

If Guy Gardner were real, he'd be the cop caught choking someone. He'd be the one caught with his knee on someone's throat. He just strikes me as reckless in his arrogance.

Heroes can be accidentally reckless. It does happen. A hero shouldn't be arrogant and reckless. I'm looking for some quality that separates Guy from Sinestro and I'm not seeing it. Are you?

Unfortunately, Guy is part of a pack of anti-heroes. Or characters that are supposed to be "bad ass", which is supposed to be cool. Unfortunately, Guy Gardner is just a dumbass jackass with a Moe Howard haircut and way too much power. My gut tells me that, like Gilligan, other super-heroes would get tired of his ****, or the Guardians on OA would get tired of his ****, and either he'd start his own Corps, like Sinestro, or he'd be a dumbass jackass without a power ring.

Heroes should always inspire a person to look up. To be someone and something better. Guy's an arrogant, cocky, oafish, reckless, selfish, loud-mouthed bully. He's not "bad ass". Still, I am looking for redeeming qualities. Not seeing any. I know that he had a relationship with Ice before her passing.

What Guy needs is some sort of re-direction. If you're good at what you do, nobody really focuses or pays attention to your personality or attitude. You might be able to get away with being a jackass if you're actually smart and good at what you do. Like Sherlock Holmes.

Guy Gardner may just be dumb. But he's very close to being an evil super-villain. That's not the kind of role model anyone needs.

That's just one fan's opinion. And you're entitled to it!      

One Small Leap for a Man... The Unlimited Access 2 Review

 

Access and the Legion of Super-Heroes have somehow crossed over into the X-Men's dystopian future "Days of Future Past", where the Sentinels have captured and imprisoned all mutants. Magneto and the X-Men wear inhibitor collars to keep them from using their mutant abilities. Wolverine has managed to remain free and runs supplies to the captives. Brainiac 5 manages to "McGuyver" an inhibitor disrupter. With that, the two teams are able to overpower a pair of Sentinels. Magneto agrees with Access that the Legionnaires must return to their own place and time period. As the leave Ferro Lad and Colossus take down a Sentinel. Another destroys the inhibitor disrupter! Magneto is paralyzed. Fleeing, Wolverine remembers one thing - the inhibitor collars can be disrupted!

Access bounces Classic Daredevil to Gotham City where Axel is almost run over by the Batmobile. Returning Daredevil to New York, Axel then tumbles through one time period after another witnessing different pairings and team-ups. Notable among these is the Justice Society and The Invaders! He then encounters Morty, the homeless man from the alley. Turns out, "Morty" is really Axel!

Morty provides an "info dump" telling Axel that he can't stay in one place very long in order to keep the Marvel and DC universes separate! Morty flees just as a Boom Tube opens dumping Darkseid's horde from Apokalips. The Avengers arrive to turn back the horde. They are joined by the Justice League, who arrive to rescue Axel. Just when the combined forces seem to be working, Amazing Grace turns the teams against one another, with Access caught in the middle!

Pat Olliffe and Al Williamson really carry Kesel's amazing story. So many characters, so many different places and timelines. Olliffe is such eye-candy. His take on the different teams is really enjoyable.

"Let's Do the Time Warp Again" Unlimited Access 2 earns five stars.    

Access Back in Action! The Unlimited Access 1 Review!

Pat Oliffe's cover is very cool! Access is the keeper of the Amalgam Universe. "Inside" Access, too, is the gateway between the DC and Marvel Universes as well! The cover shows that within Access is The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Wonder Woman and The Juggernaut!

The unique and fresh spin for Unlimited Access, is not just space. The two universes, Marvel and DC coming together and teaming up against mutual foes, but bouncing around - or, quantum leaping - through different time periods of each universe! What starts in the present, with Spider-Man and Wonder Woman facing Mantis and The Juggernaut, bounces to Coast City four years after Barry Allen died and Hal Jordan facing The Hulk! Next, Access encounters Jonah Hex and Two-Gun Kid! After sending Jonah Hex off into the future to end up as Hex, possibly, Access ends up with The Legion of Super-Heroes facing The Sentinels!

Karl Kesel, Pat Olliffe and Al Williamson make an enjoyable team for an enjoyable story. The time travel element keeps things fresh!

Bouncing around significant time periods in each universe is a brilliant idea. Okay, maybe not so much original, as Access is now following a somewhat typical story trope. Kesel, Olliffe and Williamson manage to keep things interesting. It's nice that they manage to bounce Axel's relationship troubles off Peter and MJ. There's another laugh when MJ calls out Spider-Man flirting with Wonder Woman.

It's a fun, exciting, thrilling story. "No Time Like the Present" Unlimited Access earns five stars.