Happy Fourth Of July!

Happy 4th to all my American readers!

The Shirt Off Her Back

I mentioned in Sunday's Cocktail post about the character of Joan from Human Bomb and her apparent lack of suitable shirts to wear to work. Just in case you missed it, here's what a normal S.H.A.D.E. operative gets to wear on the shop floor:

I'm sure they're perfectly functional, all-in-one high tech romper suits.

The head honcho, Uncle Sam, does the standard boardroom look:

while Joan? Poor old Joan gets to come to work like this:

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #207

Hawksmoor paraphrasing Oscar Wilde. A Haaaawwwksmoooor?

Who Was Who Is Who #48

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 an Ultra Man's chance.

TSUNAMI - an enemy of the All Star Squadron, it's unlikely that we'll see her in the new DCU at any point soon, if only because of her ties to World War II.

Monday Memes #27

I may be British but that doesn't stop me from saying a hearty "Happy 4th of July!" to my American readers with a vaguely topical Monday Meme:

Good old Uncle Sam!

Of course, sometimes slightly less savoury characters co-opt this pose as well:

Have a great day, my friends.

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #125

Someone's lacking a sense of proportion

It's Sunday afternoon - what did I think of this week's comics?

Who'd Like A Cocktail? #101

You won't find Anna Fortune getting teary eyed with nostalgia

• THE BOYS #47 - aw, crap . . . Wee Hughie loses it with Starlight in a scene that had me cringing. You know you're emotionally invested in fictional characters when you just want to grab them and say "Stop f*****g things up!"
• BRIGHTEST DAY #11 - Firestorm throws down against his evil counterpart while Aquaman and Black Manta have a huge fight. Oh, and the Black Lantern version of the twelve resurrected characters reappear. Strangely, the best part of the issue for me was that last two page spread of a huge forest covering the surface of Mars.
• DOOM PATROL #15 - the Chief goes completely off the rails as the Kryptonian powers he's absorbed send him more than a little crazy. The fight between the Doom Patrol and the Chief is touching and sad though I somehow doubt that this is the end of Caulder. And who'd have thought a pelican could look so startled?
• FREEDOM FIGHTERS #2 - another solid issue as Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters go up against the renegade shamans from the past . . . and get their butts kicked. A little standard, plot wise - issue 1 introduces the threat, issue 2 the threat beats the heroes, issue 3 the heroes try but fail to beat them before realising/finding a key idea/item, issue 4 the heroes beat the threat - but no less enjoyable because of Palmiotti and Gray's cracking dialogue and the lovely art by Travis Moore. Once passed this story which is establishing the team for new readers, I've no doubt this series will really kick into gear.
• JSA-ALL STARS #11 - did Atom Smasher miss the meeting about giant-sized fights in the middle of a city? Can't help thinking that's not his brightest move. Elsewhere, Cyclone's back, Power Girl recuperates (how else is a solar powered hero going to recharge other than by sun-bathing!) and Atom Smasher and Anna Fortune start some serious flirting.
• Co feature LIBERTY BELLE AND HOURMAN - so this story that's been drawn out a little too long comes to an end. As I've said before, it's good - the characters are well written and the art's great - but it's just felt a bit stretched. But hey, a nice resolution.
• SECRET SIX #26 - if ever there was a place where Bane fitted in, it looks like it's Skataris. The two teams go head to head a lot sooner than I'd expected and that last page . . . not sure where that's going to go next issue.

And what made me smile:

Oh, Ambush Bug, you are a one.

Freedom Fighters #1

Yes! Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters return which is good enough news - that it's back as an ongoing is even better - that it's written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray is just too awesome for words! This isn't going to go a long way to ease the blow of losing them from Power Girl.

Friday Night Fights - Sokking It To The Nazis!

Friday Night Fights is onomatopoeia mad at the moment and what's better than hearing a solid punch land?

Why, the build up! Hourman takes on Baron Blitzkrieg in the blistering Crisis on Earth-X!

But what's this, our all-American hero defeated? Who could help him? Only the spirit of America, Uncle Sam himself!

What's better than hearing a solid punch land? Hearing it land on a Nazi!

Hail to the chief . . . and Spacebooger!

This bout of international relations first appeared in All-Star Squadron #35, cover dated July 1984, written by Roy Thomas with art by Rick Hoberg and Bill Collins.