Monday, March 31, 2014

Last Bat Anniversary Post

.     Hi everyone, hope all is well.  In this last day of March (the last day of the month of Batman's 75th anniversary) I want to advise you all of a great place to get some forgotten Batman stories, the ones from the 1950's.


     Many of the great mystery and detective stories came from those same 50's stories and many of them were reprinted in those wonderful Batman annuals and 25 cent Eighty page Giants from the 1960s.  DC Comics has recently reprinted the first seven annuals and they all contain those good whodunnits that I still love to this day.


     But I will be talking some more about the Batman anniversary when May arrives since that was the month marked on (Batman's first appearance) Detective #27.  And of course next spring I'll be talking about The Caped Crusader since that will be the 75th anniversary of Batman #1.


     But for now, take care and adopt a comic book today.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Batman in Newspapers

     Hi everyone, hope all is well.  With the month of Batman winding down (it never really will for me) I wanted to talk about Batman's newspaper adventures.  Yes, the Caped Crusader spent three years in the "funnies" from 1943-1946.  These strips have been reprinted in a Dark Horse company collection some years back, but out tomorrow is a new collection, reprinting Batman strips from 1966 on.


     The second Batman try in the papers resulted from the popularity of the then red-hot television show.  Personally, I can't wait to see these as I could not collect the strip back in the day due to my young age, but on the other hand, I was far from being born during the 1943 run of strips.


     But I was around and adult enough to collect the 1990 run of Batman newspaper strips based on the popularity of that first Batman/Michael Keaton flic.  Now that run, albeit short, is in my collection and I'm only missing two story lines.  But check out the new collection due out tomorrow.  It'll be another missing piece found from the many facets of Batman over the years.


     Take care and adopt a comic book today.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Batman Gets "Sidetracked"

     Hi everyone, hope all is well.  Today's headline actually has a double meaning.  The character doesn't really get sidetracked, but instead gets the front page of the News-Herald SIDETRACKS section, not to mention a blurb on the front page of the whole darned paper.  The occasion...the article I wrote about my favorite comic book character's 75th anniversary.  Of course, many thanks to Mark M, the editor who ran the piece and tweaked it making it better.


     But more on Batman this month, so take care and adopt a comic book today!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

My Early Batman

     Hi Everyone, hope all is well.  Today and through the rest of March, I'll be talking about Batman and his 75th anniversary.  I was introduced to the Caped Crusader through my father who bought me a copy of his comic book in the early 1960s.  Batman and Robin of course were fighting aliens on the cover, but that was okay with me.  Hey all kids like monsters, so indeed I started spending my allowance on Batman comics, only to be astonished that there were so many other different kinds of comics and heroes.


     Then, a few years later, in the school library, I ran across a reprint book of old comics from the 1940s.  It had the first Joker story from Batman #1, 1940.  That's when I realized that Batman did more than fight monsters and aliens, he was also a tough guy.  And I thought that was pretty interesting also.  Then came other types of Batman.  But more on that later.


     Take care and adopt a (Batman) comic today.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

It's Batman Month

     Hi everyone, hope all is well.  This March is Batman month, since 75 years ago this month, Batman debuted in the pages of Detective Comics #27, May, 1939.  But before you think I can't backtrack 75 years worth of months, remember that comics are post-dated two months in the future for longer shelf life, so in effect a book dated May, was released in March,


     So for the rest of the month I'll be dropping tidbits about the Caped Crusader.  There's the different phases he went through and I'll drop an outline on all of you in the next blog.  So hang in there and get ready to be overwhelmed with Bat trivia.


     Take care and adopt a (Batman) comic book today.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Blind Superheroes

     Hi everyone, hope all is well.  Today I'm talking about blind superheroes.  Why, you might ask?  Because I just came back from the eye doctor and had drops put in my eye and of course, I can't see a thing.


     There were really only two blind heroes, Daredevil from Marvel Comics and the Golden Age hero, Dr. Mid-Nite from DC Comics and who also belonged to the Justice Society of America which was a forerunner to the Justice League.


     Now Dr. Mid-Nite could only see at night or with the aid of his very dark goggles as he fought crime.  He also carried Blackout bombs with him to blind the bad guys while he saw perfectly  through all the dense smoke.  He also had a cool mascot that fought crime with him...Hooty, the owl.


     Now Daredevil was truly blind, not just during the day like Dr. Mid-Nite.  But DD overcame his problem as he was blessed with (by the same radioactive accident that took AWAY his sight) a strange radar sense, meaning that in effect he could "see" better than you or I.


     So take care and adopt a comic book today, if you can see or find one that is.


     PS:  The rest of the month...Batman talk and tidbits for his 75th anniversary.


    

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Gravity Movie, Gravity Girl

     Hi everyone, hope all is well.  Boy did the Movie, "Gravity" take home a lot of awards at the Oscars Sunday.  But there is a super powered girl that has control over gravity also, her name is Light Lass.  She first appeared as the brother of Lightning Lad from the Legion of Super heroes.  When she thought her brother died, she took his place in the Legion, but when he returned to life (in the comics, don't they all?)  the sister dropped the "ning" part of her name and went with a newly discovered power over what Sir Isaac Newton discovered, by making things light instead of heavy.  Only in the comics I guess.


     Take care and adopt a (very light) comic book today.