By 1966, there was a divide forming between the entertainment preferred by older generations of Americans and what interested the young people of the time. This was when the term "generation gap" was first coined, and it represents the state of affairs perfectly. Creators in all media sought some way of reaching a more youthful … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #345
Month: December 2023
BHOC: THE FLASH #270
Well, it had happened again: I had missed an issue of a beloved comic book series, this time THE FLASH. While my ardor for it had cooled somewhat as my attention was taken up with my exploration of the Marvel Universe, the character and the book remained a sentimental favorite. But in recent months, my … Continue reading BHOC: THE FLASH #270
AVENGERS #1 – Heroes Reborn
Rob Liefeld has been a figure of divisiveness virtually since he first burst onto the scene three decades ago. There are those who absolutely adore his kinetic, detailed, action-oriented style and boundless enthusiasm and others who decry what they see as his weaknesses in anatomy and perspective and his sometimes-aggressive persona. But whether you like … Continue reading AVENGERS #1 – Heroes Reborn
BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #192
I remember that I passed up this issue of SUPERMAN FAMILY for weeks after it first came out, and for the most minor of reasons. I was a fan of the New Doom patrol, who were guest-starring in the Supergirl story across these three issues. But in this middle one, the chapter is only a … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN FAMILY #192
End of the Year Stats – 2023
I find that I'm interested every year in how many people read each of the assorted pieces I've posted, what material has proven to be the most popular, and how that changes from year to year. So since starting up this page, I've done a listing like this every year, laying out the most popular … Continue reading End of the Year Stats – 2023
Great Covers: BATMAN #205
This is an amazingly impactful cover, especially as originally seen in the context of a 1968 newsstand. There's no way that this image wouldn't grab your attention more violently than the comics scattered around it. That extreme close-up--so much so that the logo is shunted off to the side and made smaller--the danger to Batman … Continue reading Great Covers: BATMAN #205
BHOC: THOR #280
This was one of the strangest issues of THOR that I bought as a relatively new Marvel reader, and I didn't completely understand why for several years, until I had learned enough about the history of comics to be able to fully appreciate it. Ever since the end of his Ragnarok storyline, writer/editor Roy Thomas … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #280
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road
Well, that was a very Russell-y special then. It's always a good idea to keep in mind that the Christmas episodes tend in general to be lighter and livelier and more silly than the show typically gets, the better to be consumed during such a festive period. So as a story, the whole thing is … Continue reading Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road
WC: ACTION COMICS #344
I suspect that the middle-late 1960s was a tough time for longtime Superman line editor Mort Weisinger. For the first time in recorded history, Batman was routinely outselling his cash cow from Krypton as a result of the faddish success of the 1966 BATMAN television series. This state of affairs wouldn't last--the Man of Steel … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #344
BHOC: MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #46
This was a pretty welcome issue of MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION with its reprinting of this conflict between the Avengers and the X-Men. I was a bit unhappy about how the Beast and the Angel had been miscolored on the cover--somebody was pretty clearly working from reference of them in their original blue and yellow costumes. … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL TRIPLE ACTION #46