Perfect Game – BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Book One

This is, I think, one of the most discussed comic book stories of all time, so I don't know that I'm going to have a whole lot that's new to add to the conversation. What I can bring to the table is some personal perspective. I would have been 19 years old in 1986 when … Continue reading Perfect Game – BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Book One

Brand Echh: Space Adventures #33

At the beginning of the Silver Age, super heroes were making a comeback. This trend would blossom into a full-on fad mid-decade thanks to the release of the BATMAN television show--positively everybody went super hero crazy there for a year or so. But even before that, there was a sense throughout the industry that costumed … Continue reading Brand Echh: Space Adventures #33

BHOC: SUPERMAN #322

Another regular issue of SUPERMAN that I bought at my regular 7-11. That's a pretty strong, pretty violent cover for this time period, and it represents the first time in my memory where Superman's heat vision was used as an offensive weapon. Before this, it had typically been used as a tool, for effect against … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #322

5BC: Five Best Comics of 1986

It's impossible to encapsulate how seismic the effect of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS was on the field of comic books. Not only did it introduce a more prestigious package for comics (and a then-unheard-of cover price of $2.95) but interest in the series also inaugurated the now-common process of repackaging collections of recent storylines into … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1986

5BC: Five Best Comics of 1985

After a few false starts and doglegs, Dave Sim found his footing as his long-running Church and State storyline began to build up steam. Now paired with Gerhard, whose elaborate and expressive environments made the Earth-Pig's world more fully realized than ever, Sim was more free to focus on plot, character, world-building and even the … Continue reading 5BC: Five Best Comics of 1985

DOCTOR WHO

It’s Christmas Eve as I write this, and for the last near-decade, at least in my household, my children have learned about the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas, you see, is when Dad watches Doctor Who. Since the show came back in 2005, viewing each year’s Christmas Special has been something of a ritual, a … Continue reading DOCTOR WHO