Here's the answer to a weird bit of Golden Age trivia: which two long-running super heroes debuted in 1939, had their last solo story in 1949, and featured the character's origin in both that first and last issue of their anthology titles? The answer is the Flash and the Human Torch. (Somebody will point to … Continue reading The Last Human Torch Story
CAPTAIN AMERICA was a phenomenon when the series debuted in the very last days of 1940. It was by far the best-selling title that publisher Martin Goodman had in his Timely line of comics, and the character would go on to headline in other books as well--ALL WINNERS COMICS, ALL SELECT COMICS, USA COMICS and … Continue reading The Last Captain America Story
I've been thinking about this for a while now, pointed in this direction by having watched TOKUSATSU GAGAGA, where they make this sentiment overt: what is the purpose of super hero stories? On the surface, it would seem to be obvious. Like any other story, the primary purpose is to entertain. But with super hero … Continue reading The Purpose of Super Heroes
This is going to be kind of a weird one. The upcoming SHAZAM movie looks like a lot of fun, and I'll no doubt be there on opening weekend to watch it. But it does complete the character's transformation from his original conception as Captain Marvel into something else. Based on everything we've seen so … Continue reading SHAZAM! Captain Marvel and Billy Batson
However much I may have been beginning to explore the new-to-me world of Marvel Comics, I was still a die-hard DC reader as well, and so when the latest issue of SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS showed up, I swiftly purchased a copy. It was, believe it or not, one of my favorite titles during this … Continue reading BHOC: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #11
I've run across another show that has captured my attention. It's TOKUSATSU GA GA GA, a Japanese drama airing currently. Based on the manga of the same title by Niwa Tanba, GAGAGA tells the story of Kano Nakamura, a 24-year-old "office lady" with a secret: she's a fanatical devotee of the live action super hero … Continue reading Tokusatsu GaGaGa
I've been an on-and-off follower of the KAMEN RIDER series of Japanese live action super hero shows going back to the mid-1980s when KAMEN RIDER BLACK was on the air. But it's been about ten years since one really caught my fancy--and that one, KAMEN RIDER DECADE, came onto my radar because it guest-starred Kamen … Continue reading KAMEN RIDER ZI-O
