New York Comic Con Cosplay

With nothing else to blog about at the moment, I'm reduced to trawling through the cosplay photos from the recent New York Comic Con, picking out a handful that made me chuckle.

Kudos to this guy - those octopus arms look really well put together. Wonder if they moved?

Monday Memories #32 - Justice League Of Arkham

Each Monday this year I'll be taking a look back at a random comic, prestige format issue, graphic novel or collection of reprints from amongst my 3,000 or so comics that date from 1962 to 2003 - I figured anything in the last ten years would be too recent to hark back to.

The comics are chosen completely at random and apart from a four week lead-in period, even I don't know what I'll be looking at in the weeks to come!

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #210

An extract from the Dr Arkham guide to picking up girls

Who Was Who Is Who #22

So for want of anything better to write about on a Monday, I'm going to go through all my copies of Who's Who and see if I can predict who will make it over to the new DCU by the end of 2012, who might make it and who hasn't got Johnny Peril's chance.

IRONWOLF - okay, what do we have here? Galactic Empire (sorry Empire Galaktika)? Check. 61st Century? Check. Anti-gravity trees? Check. Utterly ridiculous costume? Double check. Zero chance of seeing this guy again. Triple check.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #132

Butcher illustrates one of the reasons why The Boys is a mature readers title

Retroactive - The 70's Part 1

As DC Comics are celebrating the creators that made an impact in the 70's, 80's and 90's, I thought I'd wander through the same decades and pull out my favourite comic of each year.

Any excuse to look at old comics, eh?

The Comic Fanboy Questionnaire

Spacebooger is reknowned for his love of violence, hence his hosting the Friday Night Fights for lo these many years now, but he recently posted something that got me to thinking:

The Comic Fanboy Questionnaire

I'm not normally one for round-robin type affairs but as I read through Spacebooger's own answers, I wondered what my own would be. So, with very little thought and all this off the top of my head, here are my answers:


What is your favorite comic series of all-time?

Oh crap, that's a tough one. Watchmen, maybe? Crisis on Infinite Earths? For series that I keep coming back to and re-reading time and again, it's probably those two.

What is your favorite currently running comic?

Again, a tough one. This time last year my answer would have been Power Girl without a doubt but these days . . . The Boys probably tops the list, though Knight & Squire has been a blast from start to finish. Secret Six is worth a mention, too, as that's so much fun.

Who is your favorite comic publisher?

DC, definitely. Comics weren't that big with my friends when I was a kid - here in Britain you read 2000AD and that was about it. When I did come across a newsagent that sold American comics, it was the DC titles - Green Lantern, Justice League of America - that caught my eye and I've stuck with them ever since.

What was your favorite comic storyline/Crossover Event?

Crisis on Infinite Earths without a doubt. I didn't read it at the time (that was during my discovery of beer and girls so comics weren't high on my priorities) but came to it a few years later after I'd re-discovered the DC Universe. Sure it has its flaws but it still tops my list.

Who is your favorite hero/protagonist?

Another tough question - to a certain extent it depends on who is writing the character. Dear old Green Lantern Hal Jordan's always been a fave, though, along with Green Arrow, Power Girl and Booster Gold. I figure guys like Superman and Batman already have enough fans so I'm happy to go with the second stringers.

Who is your favorite villain?

Again, same applies as to the writing. The Joker's a contender, though.

Who is your favorite comic writer?

A bunch of names spring instantly to mind: Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, Geoff Johns, Keith Giffen, Jimmy Palmiotti . . . I probably own more comics written by Ennis than any other writer but I guess Moore would top out that list.

Who is your favorite comic artist?

Probably Amanda Conner - some complain that her style's a little cartoony but for me it works a treat. Other worthy mentions would be Steve Dillon, Brian Bolland and the awesome Carlos Ezquerra, all 2000AD greats.

Friday Night Fights - Hhut Before Hh

It's Friday night once more so I'm sure I don't need to remind you what that means . . .

Friday Night Fights - Brains Vs Brawn

It's Friday . . . ahh, you all know by now what that means: FIGHTS!!

So, picture the scene: a bunch of meta-human villains have been dumped on a far distant planet and left to fend for themselves. In a bizarre attempt at putting together some ground rules for their new world, Psimon steps forward and, basically, tells the lady villains that they're going to be, as Giganta puts it . . .

Baby factories. Psimon, my friend, if you ever want to get people to do something for you, it's best not to make them feel like nothing more than a breeding herd. Not surprisingly, someone doesn't like Psimon's idea.

It's the Joker, that Clown Prince of Crime, the really funny guy who commits those wacky, clown themed crimes . . .

Oops - that was the Joker from the 60's. This is the homicidal maniac who has no problem taking a rock to someone's plastic skull!

All the while, dishing out advice on how to form a society . . .

. . . as well as dishing out the pain!

Yeah, it's hard to believe that this is the same guy who had a hideout called a Ha-Hacienda!

Nope, no questions . . .

Now get yourselves over to Spacebooger by clicking the picture below, check out the other fights and then vote for me! Or one of the others, if you like.

This erudite yet violent lesson on societal origins first appeared in Salvation Run #2, cover dated February 2008, written by Bill Willingham with art by Sean Chen and Walden Wong.

Friday Night Fights - A Right Shoeing!

It's Friday and if you don't know what that means by now, then shame on you.

Another round of Friday Night Fights and for tonight I'm heading back to Gotham and the Bat-family . . . or at least their chief nemesis.

The Joker's been locked up once more, but this time he's been deemed sane and sent not to Arkham but Blackgate where he's already pissed off the resident tough guy.

Is he worried, though?

Guess not!

He may not have the muscle but he's got the speed . . .

. . . and the mad as a bag of badgers mentality not to give a rat's ass!

Not to mention a killer sense of humour!

Remember, folks, head over to Spacebooger by clicking on the image below, check out the other fights and vote, vote, vote your little hearts out!

The shoe-fire case of assault by a heel of the highest order was taken from the graphic novel The Joker: Devil's Advocate, written by Chuck Dixon with art by Graham Nolan and Scott Hanna.

Friday Night Fights - Of Cats And Crocs

It's Friday so, as usual, Spacebooger demands carnage!

Having just completed the annotations for Armageddon 2001 over at the Annotated DC Project (yes, that's a blatant plug) I thought I'd stick with the subject for tonight's brawl so come with me to the future, to the strange world of . . . er . . . 2001 . . .

Anyway, in 2001 (you know, the future) Gotham City's a slightly different place. The Joker has been declared sane and has his own talk show, most of Batman's villains are dead and the main man himself is in jail having been convicted of murdering the Penguin. Catwoman doesn't believe the charge and sets out to find evidence of his innocence, coming up against Killer Croc . . . who's a TV wrestling star. I tell you, 2001 was weird . . .

Not surprisingly, Killer Croc isn't interested in talking:

I love the idea that Croc has to do his own accounts!

Still, Catwoman's not taking no for an answer:

Doesn't she realise he's going to need to file those papers?!

Man, Catwoman kicks Croc's scaly hide all over the shop!

And just like that, she's won!

And Croc expresses his indignity as only he can!

But don't you be indignant - head over to Spacebooger by clicking on the picture below, check out the other fights and then vote for me your favourite!

This cat versus croc throwdown first appeared in Batman Annual #15, cover dated 1991, written by Alan Grant with art by Jim Fern and Steve Leialoha.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #80

Power Girl delivers an ass kicking to order

Bumper crop this week following last week's volcano-caused delay.

• Battlefields: The Firefly And His Majesty #2 - ah, humour building up to what will be a horrible, horrible ending. Damn, this series is good.
• The Brave And The Bold #33 - as soon as I saw Batgirl I sussed what was going on but you know what? It worked. Easily the best of the Straczynski issues so far, this quiet tale was a little sad but handled really well. Plus it has the gorgeous, gorgeous artwork of Cliff Chiang.
• Crossed: Family Values #1 - another foray into the world of the Crossed, this looks to be as nasty as the Garth Ennis series; even without the infection, we're dealing with a incestuous rapist so things can only get worse.
• The Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho Hill #5 - the preludes are done as Roland is left alone and in search of the Tower.
• Green Lantern #53 - so, who's the short guy in the cloak at the start of the issue? The scarred Guardian somehow regenerated? And why is Lex Luthor acting like a real estate agent? We all know how that turned out in Superman Returns.
• Green Lantern Corps #47 - man, Arisia's pissed and the Guardians know it! For once, after the Lanterns stand up for themselves, it looks as though the Guardians might actually be learning how to deal with people.
• Justice League of America #44 - okay, this book is still a little clunky in places but it seems to be getting better on the whole.
• Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal #2 - poor old Roy; grief makes you say some pretty mean and stupid things to those you love, doesn't it?
• Justice Society of America #38 - the Joker begging to be executed alongside the Batman? That kinda makes sense!
• Power Girl #11 - I suspect this may be the last but one issue of fun, well-written superheroics from this title. Power Girl goes up against the Ultra-Humanite who's tucked up in Terra's body and while that battle seems resolved, there's still Satanna to deal with.
• Teen Titans #82 - I am a slave to various titles, I see that now. I have to pick them up no matter how little I'm enjoying them. Teen Titans is a case in point as the writing is just awful (Superboy and Kid Flash fist-bumping after saying they need to bury their friends? Ugh. Wonder Girl being a stroppy cow and not talking to Superboy even though he's just returned from the dead? Ugh.) and even the art's become worse - Raven gets kidnapped at the end and the last panel (complete with clichéd "Nooo!" from Beast Boy) is the smallest on the page? Come on, that whole last page was just too cramped and badly  laid out. Can someone please get another team on this book?

But this made me smile:

As much fun as Power Girl is, she can be as mean and brutal as she needs to be when her friend's in danger.

Friday Night Fights - Punch Lines

Over at Spacebooger, the fights keep rolling in. This time round, the rules are that I can't use any character I've featured so far - this means Catwoman and Green Lantern Hal Jordan are off limits for the rest of the fights.

This week, then, I've been trawling through some old trades and came across this little gem:

Yep, that's the Creeper facing off against the Joker; it's not often you get to see the Clown Prince of Crime in a fist fight, mainly because he just stands there and gets BIFFED!

Those last couple of panels above might look like the Joker's down and out . . .

. . . but no! That's lead weighted coat tails in action, folks!

And in a quick reversal of fortune, the Joker flips the Creeper head over heels.

Head over to Spacebooger, folks, check out the other fights and remember:

This hilarious (apparently) stand-up fight between stand-ups first appeared in The Joker #3 cover dated September 1975, written by Denny O'Neil with art by Ernie Chan and José Luis García-López.

I Have A Confession To Make

I like Batman: The Killing Joke, I really do. I've read it countless times over the years and bought the Deluxe edition a couple of years ago.

Today, though, I've noticed for the very first time that the Joker's wearing a hat on the cover.

How weird is that?

Friday Night Fights - Beware The Javelin, My Son!

DC has some fantastic villains, many of whom we've seen in this round of Friday Night Fights where Spacebooger has decreed that the bad guys win. The usual arch enemies - the Joker and Lex Luthor - spring to mind, but also the bigger, more cosmic guys: the Anti-Monitor and Darkseid for example.

The Javelin, however, cannot rank amongst them. He's a guy who flies. And throws javelins. That's it.

But that's still enough to kick Green Lantern's arse, though!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention - those javelins? They're trick javelins!

"Bright-eyes"?!! Is Jordan flirting with him?!

Flirting or not, it isn't going to help him as that damn Javelin has a . . . er . . . javelin just right for Jordan. Damn that yellow impurity!!

And who says Germans don't have a sense of humour?!

As you all seemed to enjoy Jordan getting beaten last week, I figured I'd stick with the theme of DC's current boy wonder being smacked around by second rate villains.

And remember:

Hal Jordan's humiliation first appeared in Green Lantern #173, cover dated February 1984, written by Len Wein with art by his majesty Dave Gibbons.

Friday Night Fight - Tears Of The Batman

Another Friday Night, another Fight where the bad guys win as decreed by Spacebooger.

This week we're off to another world, an Elseworld, where for the sake of a nail, all sorts of crap goes down.

Ask and you shall receive, Joker - Robin and Batgirl to the rescue of Batman who's been captured by the Clown Prince of Crime's new high tech wristbands. But wait! What's this?

Damn that infernal technology of his!

The Joker's out for some twisted form of revenge, killing Robin and Batgirl as Batman looks on until . . .

Oooooh, something tells me he's not going to sleep well tonight . . .

This mind-snapping torture first appeared in Justice League of America: The Nail #1, cover dated August 1998, written by Alan Davis with art by Davis and Mark Farmer, though the scans come from the trade paperback.

And remember, friends:

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #68

Been busy as all heck in work this week so am running well behind on the notes for Blackest Night tie-ins; will get them done as soon as possible, I promise! In the meantime: comics!

• Battlefields: Happy Valley #2 - Garth Ennis continues his war story about a bomber crew and their new pilot but I can't help but think it's all going to end badly.
• Blackest Night: The Flash #2 - a little more emphasis on the Flash this time round rather than the Rogues and I have to wonder whether the new Captain Boomerang can really bring back the old one.
• The Brave And The Bold #31 - another take on the Joker's beginnings, moving away from the "one bad day" to a point where he was apparently always weird. And didn't the Atom think of the irony of walking around the Joker's brains, contemplating on causing a blood clot and killing him? Isn't that basically what his crazy ex-wife Jean Loring did to Sue Dibny?! Pots and kettles, Mr Palmer, pots and kettles!
• Green Lantern Corps #44 - maybe this is why Mogo doesn't socialise!
• Power Girl #8 - so many funny moments in this issue; the "formal evening wear"; "that particular function"; the meal; the "pregno-ray"! Loved the nod to the Adam Hughes women of DC picture as well. Seriously, folks, buy this book - it's one of the best out there at the moment.
• Project Superpowers: Chapter Two #6 - it's all going mental as hero fights hero spurred on by Supremacy infiltrators while the threat of Zeus hangs over them all.
• Starman #81 - nice to see Opal City and the Shade again but, like the other fill in titles, this was all done in one - Black Lantern arrives, battles hero, is defeated.

And what made me smile:

Oh crap - I find myself agreeing with a crazy talking badger scientist. That can't be good . . .