Longbox Review - SoundSage

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It’s the Longbox Review 250th comic book related podcast! To celebrate, I talk about two comics in my collection that reached that milestone number: Daredevil by Romita Jr and Nocenti and Superboy (and the Legion of Super-Heroes) by Hunt, Apollo, and Levitz.

What are your favorite comic book issues that reached 250?

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Stardate 2024.252. It’s the 58th anniversary of Star Trek! I talk about how the franchise was celebrating this auspicious day, provide some reactions to the Lower Decks and Section 31 trailers, and end with a rebroadcast clip from one of my The Gutters episodes of the trip I took with my family to the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour.

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Theme music: “Saving the World” by Aaron Kenny (https://www.youtube.com/user/contactkennya/)

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“The mystery surrounding the secret conspiracy within the Legion deepens, along with the tension amongst the Legionnaires.”

Timestamps:

(00:46) Preamble
(07:44) Legion of Super-Heroes #47 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(27:04) Main discussion
(1:27:05) Comments on Adventure Comics #375, the first appearance of the Wanderers, and their publishing history
(1:50:57) Who’s Who in the LSH #2 entries on Ferro Lad, Douglas Nolan, and Duo Damsel
(2:24:13) Legion related DCU appearances: Adventures of Superman #441
(2:36:17) Wrap up and outro

Send your comments or questions to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com.

Thanks for listening!

The Legion Project is a joint podcast production with Peter from The Daily Rios podcast (where you can also listen and subscribe to The Legion Project), where we discuss, issue by issue, the 1984 Legion of Super-Heroes (volume 3) series affectionately known as the “Baxter run”.

Intro theme: “Lost City” by RhoMusic

https://twitter.com/ItsRhoMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2l0TFmixfahHLxpdyV5Uw/videos

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Podcaster and comic book fan Mike Atchison joins me to discuss his comic book history, his involvement with the Campus Comics Cast and his own venture with Mike’s Comic Shop Roadshow, and I challenge Mike with some comic book trivia! And don’t forget to enter Mike’s comic book giveaway — listen for details!

Also, listen to more of Mike on Meanwhile at the Podcast.

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Links:

Mike on Twitter and Bluesky
Mike’s email
Mike’s Comic Shop Roadshow
Campus Comics Cast
Meanwhile at the Podcast
TDR 575: the Shadow Hero

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The fine folks from Meanwhile at the Podcast — George, Rodney, Kristen, and Rich — join me to recommend comic books around the theme of “Super Friends” to give you a Totally Awesome Week of Comics! What could those comic books be? Listen to find out!

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Links:

Meanwhile at the Podcast
- https://x.com/meanwhileatp
- https://instagram.com/meanwhileatp/
- https://www.facebook.com/meanwhileatthepodcast
George
Rodney:
- https://x.com/artnerrd
- https://www.instagram.com/theartnerrd/
- https://facebook.com/artnerrd
- https://shop.spreadshirt.com/artnerrd
Kristen:
- https://www.facebook.com/kristingollhofer
- https://www.instagram.com/kristingollhofer
Rich
Sequart article about Sandman #13

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Welcome to my comics history, where I explore the comics I read and bought through the years. This episode I talk about some comic books that were published during May and June 1979 and spotlight Superman #338.

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I talk about the comic books I read in March 2024, including Black Owl #1, Rex Dexter of Mars #1, Legion of Super-Heroes #46, Justice Society of America #8, Third Shift Society v1 (#1-5), Fantastic Four #14, Sunflowers, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #24, Nightwing #111, Saucer Country: The Finale #1, Scarlet Witch (2015) #2-4, Star v1 (#1-5), and Newburn v1 (#1-8).

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Links:

Public Domain Super Heroes
Atomic Pulp Media at IndyPlanet

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In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal, Maddie and I continue our conversation about our February 2024 vacation, focusing on our Walt Disney World visit + one day at Universal Studios.

Apologies for the all-too present hum throughout the recording. I tried a new microphone and will never use that again!

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In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal, Maddie joins me to talk about our experience on the Disney Wish cruise ship on the first part of our vacation during February 2024.

Apologies for the all-too present hum throughout the recording. I tried a new microphone and will never use that again!

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Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
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Listen to other The Gutters episodes.

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I was recently on the great pop culture talk show, Meanwhile at the Podcast #266, cohosted by my buddy George, where we and other guests talked primarily about Walt Disney World, and then I got to talk to an astronomer!

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There’s a conspiracy in the Legion!

Timestamps:

(00:45) Preamble
(06:34) Legion of Super-Heroes #46 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(28:17) Main discussion
(1:31:54) Legion related DCU appearances: Adventures of Superman #440
(1:38:01) Who’s Who in the LSH issue 1 entries on Blok, Bouncing Boy, and Dawnstar
(1:57:02) Wrap up and outro

Send your comments or questions to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com.

Thanks for listening!

Intro theme: “Lost City” by RhoMusic

https://twitter.com/ItsRhoMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2l0TFmixfahHLxpdyV5Uw/videos

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Welcome to my comics history, where I explore the comics I read and bought through the years. This episode I talk about some comic books that were published during March and April 1979 and spotlight Justice League of America #168 and Flash #275.

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I talk about the comic books I read in February 2024, including The Sandman Universe Special: Thessaly #1, History of the Marvel Universe #5-6, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #29-31, Beyond Real #1, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #23, Nightwing #110, Titans #7, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Annual 2024, Trinity Special #1, Ghost Machine #1, Alan Scott: Green Lantern #4, Superman Plus Legion of Super-Heroes #1, Somna #2, All-American Comics #16, DC Comics Presents Annual #3, The Forever Maps, The Low, Low Woods #1-6, Fantastic Four #1-13, Invisible Woman v1 (#1-5), Captain Marvel #29, Marvel Feature #12, Batman: Killing Time #1-6, Wonder Woman #5, Spider-Woman #5, Power Girl: Uncovered #1, and Bylines in Blood v1 (#1-4).

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Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
Text/voicemail = 208-953-1841
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Links:

Resurrections – An Adam Warlock and Thanos Podcast
My Comics History: Jan/Feb 1979
Pull List Review: Jan 2024 Comics

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In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal (recorded March 10, 2024), I catch up on the major events of my life in the last year. I talk about my grandkids’ birthdays, depression/anxiety/panic attacks, 25 years at my job, Christmas, the anniversaries of the deaths of my Mom and sister, turning 55, and catching COVID.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Other episodes mentioned:

The Gutters: Summer Theatre (NY NY)
Rose City Comic Con (RCCC) 2023
The Gutters: I Hate December

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Welcome to my comics history, where I explore the comics I read and bought through the years. We’re in a new year of comic book reading for me, and I talk about some comic books that were published during those months and spotlight Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #29 and 30.

Links:

Marvel Two-in-One retroread
January 2024 Pull List Review

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In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal (recorded March 10, 2024), I catch up on all the stage productions, concerts, and podcasts that I’ve watched or listened too, as well as few other things. I talk about Chicago, Matchbox Twenty with Matt Nathanson, Aladdin, the Seattle Mariners, Ed Sheeran, Jonas Brothers, Disney on Ice, Les Miz, A Celtic Christmas with Everdream, Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Six, Stomp, Mean Girls, Sherlock & Co, Iron Age of Comics, A World on Fire, 52 Pickup, Felicia Day’s Third Eye, In the Dream House, and Tom Brevoort’s newsletter.

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I talk about some of the 55 comic books I read in January 2024, including Parker Girls v2, New X-Men v1, Animosity v2, The Great British Bump Off tp, Triskele #1, Where the Body Was gn, Once and Future v5, The Futurians, Black Panther #15, Nightwing #109, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #22, World’s Finest: Teen Titans #6, Wonder Woman #4, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3, Titans #6, Radiant Black v4, Detective Comics #38 facsimile, All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-58 (Superman vs Shazam), and DC Comics Presents #49.

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In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal (recorded March 9, 2024), I catch up on all the tv and movie notes I’ve been accumulating for about a year. I talk about the Rugby World Cup, Good Omens season 2, cooking shows, Doctor Who returns, Ted Lasso ending, James Bond movies, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Guardians of the Galaxy volume 3, The Marvels, and some other things along the way.

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We celebrate the 30th anniversary issue of the Legion of Super-Heroes, which focuses on Lightning Lad’s unlucky streak.

Timestamps:

(00:45) Preamble
(18:19) Legion of Super-Heroes #45 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(45:58) Main discussion
(1:46:34) Other subplots, the anniversary pin-up, and reader reactions
(2:17:55) Legion related DCU appearances: Superman #16 and Secret Origins #25
(2:54:50) Who’s Who in the LSH #1 entries on Atmos, Cosmic Boy, and the Dark Circle
(3:32:08) Wrap up and outro

Send your comments or questions to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com.

Thanks for listening!

Intro theme: “Lost City” by RhoMusic

https://twitter.com/ItsRhoMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2l0TFmixfahHLxpdyV5Uw/videos

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Welcome to my comics history, where I explore the comics I read and bought through the years. Despite the fact that I purchased no comics in November or December that year, I still recorded an episode! I do talk about some comics that came out during those months and then discuss an adaptation of one of my favorite sci-fi franchises: Marvel Comics Super Special #8: Battlestar Galactica.

Links:

Tales of the Legion Project: Legionnaires 3
The Howard Bender Adama/BSG pinup

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“Quislet’s origin is revealed as his ‘people’ call him home.”

Timestamps:

(00:44) Preamble
(10:42) Legion of Super-Heroes #44 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(29:34) Main discussion
(1:35:54) Legion related DCU appearances: Millennium #7 & 8 and Adventures of Superman #438
(2:10:40) Feedback, wrap up, and outro

Send your comments or questions to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com.

Thanks for listening!

Intro theme: “Lost City” by RhoMusic

https://twitter.com/ItsRhoMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2l0TFmixfahHLxpdyV5Uw/videos

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Hero coverVillain coverBy Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Todd Klein. Cover by Ross.

OverviewJustice was a 12-issue limited (or maxi) series (published bi-monthly) released in 2005-2007. It was conceived by Ross to be a “Superhuman war. The superhuman war.” Because I haven’t read this since it was first published, I wanted to reexamine this series. To read previous posts, click the link.

Now that I’ve reached the end of this story, what limited series should I focus on next? Let me know!

SynopsisSuperman confronts Toyman, who reveals that all of Earth’s nuclear weapons are being deployed. Superman vows to save the planet, “I don’t care what you dreamed.”

Lex Luthor justifies his actions by claiming that Brainiac was going to take those who “wanted a free lunch. The lazy. The sick. The undisciplined”, leaving Earth with those who “would have been capable of anything”. Batman calls him a fool for trusting an alien robot and threatens to kill Brainiac ten minutes before nuclear armageddon. He taunts Luthor with the knowledge that only Superman survives the disaster, asking him, “Is that really what you want?”

Superman flies into Scarecrow’s city to confront Brainiac, but he transferred to another body. Superman deduces that Black Manta has Aquaman’s son and tells the assembled heroes to remove all the people from the cities. Nearby, a fleeing Scarecrow encounters Joker dressed as Dracula. Joker attacks Scarecrow, biting his neck with fake plastic teeth; Joker laughs.

Supergirl leads a team to Poison Ivy’s city, Aquaman arrives in Black Manta’s, and Wonder Woman leads a team to Cheetah’s city. Cheetah stalks and then attacks Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman removes her helmet revealing scarred, desiccated flesh, bound together by her lasso. The fight continues with Wonder Woman head-butting Cheetah unconscious.

Zatanna teleports Red Tornado and Superman to one of Toyman’s factories. They find Brainiac is present in one of the duplicate heads. Superman tells him his plan has failed and wants to know what he was trying to accomplish. Brainiac reminds Superman that they both lost their people, and Brainiac was going to create a new Colu by transforming his collection of Earthers to robots. To rule over, Superman quips.

Supergirl defeats Poison Ivy with heat vision, and the Martian Manhunter links with Grodd’s and Luthor’s minds to access the nuclear weapons and redirect them with Grodd’s yellow power ring.

Aquaman confronts Black Manta, who holds Aquaman’s son with his hand at the infant’s throat. He tells Aquaman that if his son is so important to him, “don’t fight back”. Aquaman drops his trident and lets Manta’s people beat him. Aquaman tells his son not to be afraid, and Manta taunts Aquaman, “How many of my people were beaten before the eyes of their children?” Aquaman tells him, “This is you … you have enslaved them”. Manta hands Arthur Jr. to another and begins beating Aquaman himself. Manta gets close enough for Aquaman to rupture the tanks on Manta’s back. Manta commands that child be killed, but his people refuse — the circuitry controlling them now damaged. Manta realizes what he did, the hypocrisy, and that all he has left is his hatred for Aquaman. He draws his hand trident to shoot Aquaman, but the sea king quickly disarms his foe and punches him.

Atom sees that the nuclear missiles’ courses changed, and the rest of the League has evacuated the cities. Luthor manages to escape and confronts Brainiac, wanting to gloat that when “mankind does not die this day” it was because of Luthor. Brainiac finds he cannot leave the body he’s in, but Luthor tells him there’s only one body he can go to, the one in his ship. Just as Luthor is about to teleport away, Zatanna arrives with Red Tornado and Superman and stops Luthor from leaving. Brainiac transports himself to his remaining body, and Superman flicks Luthor into a wall. They follow Brainiac to Earth orbit, where Superman freezes Brainiac’s miniature ship, which Red Tornado grabs, and then Superman flies Zatanna back to Earth and revives her. Meanwhile, the Green Lantern Corps arrives to capture all of the missiles. Batman uses Grodd’s yellow ring to erase the knowledge of their identities from all of the villains’ minds.

Later, the League assembles at Paradise Island as Diana dies. Her mother prays to the gods, and they answer by transferring Diana’s essence to a new clay body and Diana is revived.

In the batcave, Alfred asks what happened to Brainiac. Batman tells him that Brainiac is still in his frozen ship, on display in the Kandorian Museum. He also notes that Joker and Riddler have been returned to Arkham Asylum. He wonders if the world has changed:

What if, this time, rebuilding really means moving forward, beyond what was before? … Imagine … a world transformed …. If our lives and the struggles we face were able to purchase that future, how could we not be grateful for the opportunity to fight for that possibility? That tomorrow? … Or perhaps nothing will happen. But … I can hope that this will not have all been for nothing.

ReactionFirst, I only had the villain cover until a few years ago. I always found it interesting that I didn’t always get the main cover for books I was subscribed to at the comic book shop I used to patron. Anyway, when I realized I needed the hero cover so that I could have all issues in the same style, I bought it. Should I get rid of this villain cover or buy the villain cover for issue one to keep the symmetry? :) Second, I love that the hero cover has them rising and the villains falling. Yes, it’s a little too on the nose, but accurately depicts the events of the issue.

I found one of the revelations about Superman interesting. At one point, he’s narrating as he fights Toyman’s killer toys and tells us, “The people in the most danger are those closest to me. Imagine living with that every day. It would be great if someone else were Superman, but I wasn’t given a choice, only the responsibility.” Wow. This seems like a reluctant Superman who’d rather someone else have the responsibility — I certainly don’t like that interpretation, but it’s interesting.

This final issue had a lot of narration to explain what was happening in between (or even in) panels. I’m not a big fan of that, especially when all the various Leaguers’ “voices” sounded exactly the same. I find this a weakness of Ross’ storytelling, which has been pretty good for the most part during this series. Everything was resolved (sort of) and the status quo restored, so how satisfying was the ending? Not so much. Ross and company started off with big swings (end of the world because of the League, villains turned humanitarians, the heroes’ identities revealed, the people turned against the heroes), but it just fell flat at the end, despite the coda.

Using Batman (of all people) to deliver the “what a wonderful world this would be” soliloquy at the end of this was an interesting choice, especially when paired with the final images being Superman dressing as Clark Kent, rejoining humanity to help better it (I guess?). I like the message, just not necessarily the way it was presented. It seemed more like a speech that Clark would have given, but I get why they wanted that symbolism. However, given the beginning of the story, the superhuman war that ensues, and the impact on humanity, is the metaphor of Superman as Clark, superhuman as “human”, enough? Especially when we get no scenes with any human being that isn’t a hero or villain? I would say no.

So, a very promising beginning with a tepid ending. I think this would have worked better as Elseworlds story that didn’t have to restore the status quo. Would we have gotten a Squadron Supreme-like story? Given what Ross did with Waid on Kingdom Come, I can see why he may not have wanted to go that route. However, this series was raised in my mind having reread it almost 20 years later. It was a pretty strong plot but the last issue and the lack of a human connection (again, contrast that with KC) throughout keeps it from being a really good story. I think the bimonthly publishing at that time did this series no favors. It’s definitely a better read at one go.

Private FilesJeez, they skimped on the Zatanna entry. It’s basically a brief origin story, power set, and a complement from Batman about her ability to turns the odds in the Justice League’s favor. It’s almost an afterthought at the end of this series and considering how much the League needed her abilities in this issue, it’s a bit of an insult as well.

Contrast that with the Joker’s entry, Batman reveals that he believes Joker has played the best joke on everyone by making them believe he is insane and treated with kid gloves. I’ve not seen this reflected in the Batman books I’ve read over the years, especially recently (sometimes Batman is screaming at Joker that he’s a “diseased maniac!”). Still, it’s more attention than Zatanna got and for a character that basically had a useless cameo in the story. At least the close-up Ross did is great to look at. It’s like Joker is agreeing with Batman’s assessment of him.

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Troy Wilson, children’s book author and comic fan, joins me to talk about “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man” from Amazing Spider-Man v1 #248. It’s a great conversation about an 11-page story, which could very well be a perfect one.

Links:

Issue #248 on Marvel Unlimited
Spotlight on Troy from July 2022
Roger Stern interview
Troy’s website: http://www.troystory.ca/
Troy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/troystorytoo
Troy’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/troystory.bsky.social
Troy’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TroyStoryToo/

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In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal (recorded July 31, 2023), my granddaughter Madison joins me to discuss our family vacation to New York. We first beamed into Ticonderoga for the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour, then we visited my niece and her baby son, and finally arrived at Times Square to see some sites and, more importantly, Broadway shows (Hades Town, Little Shop of Horrors, and Moulin Rouge)!

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Social media = Bluesky, Mastodon, Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram
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Direct Download (2:09:09) “Laurel Kent – she’s not who you think she is!” Timestamps: (00:43) Preamble (04:09) Legion of Super-Heroes #42 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion (31:13) Main discussion (1:33:00) Legion related DCU appearances: Millennium #1 and 2, Secret… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (2:41:37) Stardate 2023.230. On this episode of Center Seat, my Star Trek podcast, I am joined by podcaster extraordinaire, Darrell “Starfleet” Taylor, showrunner of the Taylor Network of Podcasts, to discuss the sixth through eighth episodes of Star… Continue reading →

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Mike Atchison (@MikeAtchison5 and mike@comicshoproadshow.com) invited me to join him on his show, Mike’s Comic Shop Roadshow, to discuss the Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson classic short series “Manhunter” (from Detective Comics #437-442). I had the best time diving deep… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:23:41) (00:39) Preamble, background info on the Tomorrowverse, and credit info (15:07) Legion of Super-Heroes synopsis and general thoughts (24:59) Main discussion (1:21:19) Wrap-up and outro MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: “Main Title” by Kevin Riepl from Legion of Super-Heroes original… Continue reading →

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Here some quick thoughts/reactions to the comic books I read during May, 2023 (count: 45). If you’ve read any of these comics, what did you think of them? Detective Comics 571-572: I continue my reading of the Alan Davis drawn… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (2:01:56) On this 234th episode of the podcast, I talk with one of my favorite podcasters, Christopher Calloway of the Creator Talks comic book creator interview podcast, about some Jack Kirby created comics while he was at DC… Continue reading →

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Here some quick thoughts/reactions to the comic books I read during April, 2023 (count: 70). If you’ve read any of these comics, what did you think of them?

Justice 7-8: I wrote about issue 7 here and issue 8 here. All of the Justice related posts can be found here.

Sandman 1: No, this is not the Gaiman/Keith Sandman from Vertigo, this is the Kirby/Simon superhero Sandman from 1972. I talked about this issue (along with The Demon 1 and OMAC 1) with Christopher Calloway in episode 234.

Amethyst 2: Peter and I discussed this issue as part of the Legion Project (episode 41).

Giant Days v12 (45-48; actually read this in 2022 but I forgot to record it), Giant Days v13 (49-52), Giant Days v14 (53-54, Special), Giant Days: Extra Credit (1-5): Alas, all good (great, stupendous, wonderful, fantastic, sublime) things must come to an end, and it is with a heavy heart that I finally finished Giant Days. It’s rare for me to find a comic book that brings me such joy to read, each and every issue — Giant Days is one of those books (another one is Superman: For All Seasons). The Sarin/Allison collaboration is so perfect, and while I would love to see what happens to Esther, Susan, Daisy, and the rest ten years hence, I doubt they could capture that lightning in a bottle so well again. If you have never read Giant Days, I implore you to seek this out posthaste! It will change your life. :)

Parker Girls v1 (1-5): I love when Terry Moore explores different aspects of his ‘verse and this was not a disappointment. In fact, for a thriller style story, I was left at the end genuinely concerned for Katchoo. When does volume two come out?!

Superman 654: I have heard for years that the Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco run on Superman was not to be missed! And given how much I adored Pacheco’s work on Arrowsmith, I couldn’t wait to see how he portrayed Superman. Unfortunately, I did not see any of the charm I saw in Arrowsmith in Superman. I also found the story generally lacking. I probably should read another issue to be more fair, but I don’t really want to.

Millennium 1: I reread this as part of the Legion Project (episode 41), where Peter and I discussed it briefly.

Blacksad v1: I have had this digital collection in my To Read list forever after hearing for years how good the Blacksad comics were. I was immensely disappointed. Maybe it was the hype that tainted my reading experience, or perhaps it was the uninspiring detective noir style (though with anthropomorphic characters)? I won’t be continuing with any further volumes.

Rocketman & Rocketgirl 1: I really only bought this because of the Jacob Edgar cover (interior art was by Jordi Pérez). He also wrote the issue and because I really like his art, I wanted to support him. This was a wonderful surprise! It captured a Golden Age quality while being accessible to a modern audience. The plot is pretty basic, but the characterizations were charming, especially the wife and husband (I got some Nick and Nora Charles vibes from them). I would love to see Edgar write (and draw) more in this world (or really, anywhere).

Danger Street 4: This is a simmering stew, where bits of this and bits of that are slowly coming together to make something tasty that’s more than the sum of its parts. It gets better with each issue (thankfully) and I love how Fornes and King layer meaning in the panels — it really can be the epitome of what comic book storytelling does best. Overall though? I’m still not sure. Does that make it a bad comic book? Does each issue have to be a stand-alone masterpiece? Oh yeah, fuck the Green Team — no man escapes the Manhunters.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 13: Metamorpho has never been a favorite DC character, and we get 5 pages of 22 devoted to his origin! The Doom Patrol didn’t get 5 pages to explain them (maybe because they had a tv show out at the same time?), but whatever. The opening two pages are another wonderful bit of DC superhero goodness by Waid and Mora that hints at a story we may never see but we’d sure like to! The rest of the issue is the investigation, which Jimmy Olsen somehow breaks, hands over what he’s discovered to the cops who arrest the suspect (Bruce Wayne!), and co-wrote the article with Clark Kent. Just how much time has passed in this issue?!

Nightwing 102: I love the scene where the bad guy — Disguise Master — throws Olivia, expecting the Titans to abandon him and save the little girl and he is astonished they don’t. Of course, it’s the Titans, so Donna saves her while Starfire and Cyborg blast him. Later, after Beast Boy sarcastically suggests they go to Hell and “break into a demon’s filing cabinet”, he concedes that Nightwing’s name for the mission — Hell Heist — is better than his. It’s a fine issue, but mostly for the comradery and humor more so than the plot. The best thing about the backup tale? The flashback scenes as drawn by Pansica / Ferreira / Lucas — the shadow work and subtle colors really stand out against the very brightly colored present day story.

Gotham City: Year One 6: I hate the kind of stories where a lie is the lesser of two evils, where allowing an adulterer and kidnapper be murdered and the killer go free is better than the truth. These are the hard choices Slam Bradley, and Constance Wayne, make in order for Gotham City to heal (at least for a while). While I prefer my superhero stories to be less shades of gray, this isn’t a superhero story. It’s about humanity at its worst. So what does this all mean to Batman? Bradley draws parallels to the Dark Knight Detective and his grandmother, but we don’t get to see how that impacts Bruce. He asks Bradley, “What does it mean?” Bradley replies, “Doesn’t mean anything. Just what happened.” In the end, does this story mean anything?

Marvel Saga 9: While I am now way behind Peter as he covers The Marvel Saga, I will continue to read this series (at least through issue 12, the last in the collection I have) to learn about the early Marvel universe. So, what did I learn this time? That Dr. Hank Pym is a pervert. He meets the young Janet Van Dyne, whom even he describes as “not much more than a child” (and who also looks like his deceased, first wife, Maria), and then he literally grooms her to be his “partner”, the Wasp. I found this sequence in the issue extremely problematic. Given what happens later between these two, you can almost see the writing on the wall in these early appearances.

The Variants 1-5: I almost bought this series as it was coming out, but decided to wait to read the first issue on the Marvel Unlimited app and see if I wanted the print collection. Time passed, and I realized in April that all five issues were available to read, so I started it … and essentially couldn’t stop until I read all of the issues! I have loved Jessica Jones since Alias, and this is a nice continuation of the character, even if the multiversal plot didn’t seem to add up totally for me. Regardless, it was neat to see Jessica What Ifed…?.

Inferno 1: I’m not sure why I added this mini-series to my reading list on the DCUI app months ago. I think it was because of the supermarket magazine-looking cover? When I finally read issue one, I realized it was a Legion book?! This is one of those future person trapped in the past stories. While I read the Threeboot Legion issues (at least until Shooter came back), I don’t recall this character at all. I found her to be a little too petulant and it turned me off reading more.

Sex v4 (21-26): For a book titled and depicts sex, I’m getting bored. About the only interesting part is the back story of Quinn (the Alfred of the story) and her involvement with Cooke and how she helped mold him into the Armored Saint. Also, the vision one of the main antagonists has before he dies plays into the next volume, so we’ll see where that ends up.

Dark Crisis: Big Bang 1: After I upgraded my DCUI subscription to Ultra, this was the first comic book I read. It was fun to see some of the infinite Earths as Flash and Kid Flash go racing among them, but even better was the list of alternate Earths at the end of the issue that included very brief notes by Barry — it makes me want to go read each of those issues. Of note in the list were the following Earths:

Earth-0: the main DC universe
Earth-33: where superheroes are fictional (from Flash 179); is this the new Earth Prime? Barry also states that by reading the comic books from this Earth, he was able to identify other Earths and he cites his sources for us!
Earth-44: robotic JLA variants (I don’t know why, but that one panel intrigued me)
Earth-59: the first known parallel Earth (from Wonder Woman 59)
Earth-789: where the Reeve Superman, Slater Supergirl, and Keaton Batman versions of the heroes (based on the 1978 and 1989 films) are are set.
Earth-1956: where the Silver Age Superboy and Krypto resides; also, later home of the Super Friends (interesting…)

I sure wish DC would lean into its parallel Earths in more comic book stories because I would love to see many of these Earths for more than a panel.

Action Comics 1051: I almost bought this issue for the Dan Mora cover. But I’m glad I read this on the DCU app because it was ho-hum. Too many characters, too much pulling from previous stuff I didn’t read, and not enough engaging material to hold my interest. I doubt I’ll read the next issue. I did love the Marguerite Sauvage art in the Power Girl short (even though I don’t get why TPTB thought PG needed psychic abilities?).

Superman: Space Age 3: Well, that ended, just as was predicted in issue 1. Was the point that narratives live on, changed though they may be? That Superman is the constant of the DC Universe? I’m so glad I hadn’t bothered to buy the issues, despite the Allred art.

Superman: Lost 1: Considering Christopher Priest was writing this, I was expecting something a little deep and definitely interesting. What I read was neither. Maybe it’s a slow burn that will just kill in the end, but it was unexpectedly … dull? Superman goes on a mission, returns, but it’s been 20 years and he’s changed? I think we should have gotten a bit more of what happened to him (which I assume is in the next issue) or more of how he was affected by this gap.

Justice Society of America 2-3: Quite honestly? I’m reading this because I love the JSA characters and Mikel Janin’s art. The multiple timeline aspect of issue 2 is just noise at this point, but having Degaton show up at JSA’s HQ at the end of issue 3 was unexpected.

Hope v1 (1-6): The Previews solicitation about a superhero who is outed and what that does to her and her family grabbed me, but I was not expecting to have such an emotional reaction to the struggle the superhero mother goes through when the state removes her daughter from the mother’s care because her being a superhero is a risk. It’s a take that has rarely been, if ever, explored. At the time of this writing, there is a sequel being published, and I will certainly be getting the collection for volume 2.

Aquaman: Andromeda 1: I’ve been waiting a while to read this because of the preview pages I’d seen online. When it finally came on the DCUI app and I had some time, I dove (heh) in. Aquaman is hardly in it, but the Ward art sure is nice.

Unstoppable Doom Patrol 1: I’m not the huge Doom Patrol fan that my friend Travis is, but I like the ragtag team of misfits generally. This is a new dynamic with Jane taking on the field leader role as Chief, and we have a new member, Beast Girl, who seems a bit useless. Speaking of useless, Batman shows up and Jane gives him the what-for and when she announces they are taking the metahuman they came to Gotham to retrieve (to help him — making this seem more like an X-Men book than a Doom Patrol book), she tells him, “I wasn’t asking you … for permission”.

Patsy Walker: Hellcat 2: After all of the other wonderful Christopher Cantwell written comic books I’ve read in the last year, this was a complete dud. I almost didn’t read this issue because the take on the character in the first one was so … wrong. I’m all for exploring different aspects of a character, but after what Cantwell and the artists on Iron Man did with Patsy there, this comedic send-up in this mini-series is a travesty. Maybe the humor will hit home with some out there, but it ain’t for me, and I will not be reading any more.

Detective Comics 569-570: I saw that Alan Davis had a short run on Detective Comics that I hadn’t read, so I sought these out on the DCUI app. I love Davis’/Neary’s lanky (Jason Todd) Robin and his smiling Batman. Coupled with the Barr stories and characterizations, it seems like they were trying to do the 1966 Batman in 1987. 569 has the Joker turning Catwoman “evil” again and 570 ends with Batman grimly contemplating his greatest fear: Jason Todd murdered (by Scarecrow but a year before it actually happened by the Joker). These are fun Batman and Robin stories elevated by the Davis art.

Wicked Things v1 (1-6): I bought this collection ages ago, but I didn’t want to read it until I had finished with Giant Days. Please tell me there will be more of this! It’s like Panel Syndicate’s Friday but with far more humor and British everything. I don’t think there is any finer comedic duo in comic books than Sarin and Allison. However, the plot meandered a bit too long with Charlotte being in the employ of the police and they never resolved the fact that she was charged with murdering a fellow detective. Maybe that’s to come in future issues, but that wasn’t clearly indicated to me.

Scarlet Witch 1: I really only wanted to read this for the Sara Pichelli art. The premise reminded me of DC’s Madame Xanadu a bit with wayward souls needing help entering the shop and Wanda coming to their aid. The issue was good on characters (I liked that Darcy from the Thor movies was there, as well as brother Quicksilver), but I found it a little wanting in the overall story. I’ll have to read the next issue to see if I want to continue with it.

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Klein. Cover by Ross.

SynopsisBatman discusses with Superman how their secrets have been compromised and how “they want us to be afraid”. Superman flies off into space to obtain some solitude so he can think, and he sees Brainiac’s formerly cloaked floating cities and returns to his friends.

Flash arrives in Africa to apprehend Captain Cold, and after a brief confrontation, Flash takes the villain to Superman’s fortress where Batman interrogates Cold. Meanwhile, the other assembled Justice League members discuss the worms that Brainiac was mass producing and had previously infested both Superman and Batman with. Elongated Man wonders why he wasn’t attacked. Batman then briefs them on what Cold told him: that villains all had a same recurring nightmare about nuclear armageddon and how the heroes failed to save anyone. The mind-controlling worms also made possible the healing miracles that were reported throughout the world. It’s then that Aquaman arrives and demands to know why everyone is hiding at the Fortress.

A slightly disguised Joker ascends into one of Brainiac’s cities, while other villains arrive with an unconscious Supergirl, Batgirl, and Commissioner Gordon.

Within Green Lantern’s power ring, Hal is living in various memories, the dreams of his past, when the Phantom Stranger arrives, bringing Hal’s power battery. He recharges as he proclaims his oath.

At the Fortress, Captain Marvel tries to comfort Wonder Woman, who reveals that because of the centaur’s blood Cheetah infected her with, she is returning to the clay she was made from — she’s dying and doesn’t have much time left. Elongated Man confronts Plastic Man, telling him he shouldn’t be part of the Justice League and that they only need him.

Mera arrives and tells Aquaman that Garth kidnapped their son. Green Lantern appears, and later he uses his power ring to rid Batman of the worms inside him. Aquaman proclaims that because of what Brainiac did to him and others that he is going to kill him. Red Tornado informs Superman that the villains have taken “everyone we care for”, and we see the Teen Titans, Supergirl, Batgirl, and the Marvels under Brainiac’s sway.

Superman says “we begin to prepare for the fight to come. A fight for our lives … and theirs”. Elasti-Girl wonders if by stopping the villains that they will have doomed the planet as a spacecraft comes toward Earth.

ReactionHail hail, the gang’s all here! Finally, the full might of the Justice League is assembled and preparing to strike back, even though their friends, partners, and probably even a good portion of the citizenry will be against them.

I had assumed when it’s revealed that Captain Cold is also infected with the worms, along with a previous conversation between Gorilla Grodd and Brainiac, that the nightmare the villains experienced was a ploy by Brainiac, so what is that ship at the end of the issue? Or is that a ploy on Ross’ part (via Elasti-Girl’s dialog) to keep us guessing, even though he’s played his hand about this plot point? Or is that part true and the revelation will be that they were trying to save humanity in their own twisted way?

There is another odd moment in this issue in Elongated Man’s (to me) uncharacteristic hostility toward Plastic Man. Perhaps Ralph is an unwitting mole? He did insist that he hadn’t been attacked, but then, that would make Plastic Man have some sort of importance to the plot that is still to be revealed two-thirds of the way through…? There’s too many new elements being introduced at this point that detract from the cohesiveness of the narrative.

There were some cool moments in the issue:

In the first scene, Batman tells Superman, “When you [tell everyone about his ability to see through walls], you take the power out of the shadows. You steal away a criminal’s safety in the dark. You make them afraid. And people say I’m the smart one.” Hah! That’s a great observation about Superman, giving him an edge that’s not apparent with his “boy scout” image. However, I would have put the emphasis on “them” in that sentence, not “afraid”: You make them afraid.
Batman threatens to remove Captain Cold’s fingers, and later, Superman’s observation that it wasn’t a bluff because Batman was still wearing Wonder Woman’s lasso, forcing him to speak the truth. That scene would have played better if Cold knew that detail, however.
I love the righteous anger from Aquaman. A piece of his brain was removed and the assaulted monarch he is, he wants retribution. Later, knowing that his child has been taken, he claims his sovereign right to kill the offender.
I loved the scene between Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman. I don’t care if it’s the wisdom of Solomon or just that Billy is a caring person, his consoling of Diana and her admission of her forthcoming demise was touching and poignant.
Finally, I liked seeing Ross’ Robin at the end.

Private FilesI found Batman’s observation that Barry is the “kind of man I would have hoped to become” had his parents not been murdered interesting. I assume he means the stalwart, trustworthy, and able person that Barry is, as opposed to what he follows that statement with: that Barry is a forensic specialist (or, as I prefer to think of Barry, a “police scientist”).

As for Captain Cold, Batman observes two things: 1) Snart’s wants are petty, meaning that he just wants money and not power (isn’t that kind of refreshing though?) and 2) “it is surprising to think how many of the … criminals [the Justice League encounters] seem to be created as a result of accidents”. It’s times like these that I want the world’s smartest man to take his musings to the next — meta — level. That could be an interesting story: Batman vs comic book storytelling. Or did we already get some of that on the Morrison run?

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Stardate 2023.130. On this episode of Center Seat, my Star Trek podcast, I am joined by podcaster extraordinaire, Darrell “Starfleet” Taylor, showrunner of the Taylor Network of Podcasts, to discuss the fourth and fifth episodes of Star Trek: Picard season 3, “No Win Scenario” and “Imposters”.

Links:

Taylor Network of Podcasts
Taylor Network on Twitter
Darrell on Twitter

Feedback!

Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
Text/voicemail = 208-953-1841
Social media = Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, & Instagram
Web = longboxreview.com

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Theme music: “Saving the World” by Aaron Kenny (https://www.youtube.com/user/contactkennya/)

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On this Tales of the Legion Project, Peter and I discuss Brave and the Bold #3 (2007) as part of the JLMay 2023 event!

(00:26) Preamble: Welcome to the JLMay 2023 podcast crossover event!
(15:42) Brave and the Bold #5 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(42:30) Main discussion
(1:24:54) Wrap-up and outro

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: “Main Title” by Andy Sturmer (from the Batman: Brave and the Bold cartoon series)

FOLLOW OTHER JLMAY 2023 PODCASTS AT:

Brave and the Bold #4: http://paulfrench.ca/losp/
Brave and the Bold #6: https://www.comicbooknoise.com/tnc/blog/

Look for #JLMay2023 for even more!

The Legion Project Forum: https://justanotherfanboy.freeforums.net/board/19/legion-project

Please leave comments below, send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com, or chat with us @longboxreview or @peterjrios on Twitter.

Thanks for listening!

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“Starfinger takes on the Legion with devastating effects!”

Timestamps:
(00:45) Preamble
(03:10) Legion of Super-Heroes #41 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(18:34) Main discussion
(1:07:24) A quick look at “The Substitutes” episode of the Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon series featuring Starfinger
(1:15:31) Announcing our participation in JLMay 2023!
(1:21:09) Who’s Who Update ’87 #5 entries: Starfinger, Superboy, and Zymyr
(1:44:05) Legion related DCU appearances: Adventures of Superman #435, Millennium #1, and Amethyst #2
(2:25:09) Wrap up and outro

Send your comments or questions to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com.

Thanks for listening!

The Legion Project forum: https://justanotherfanboy.freeforums.net/board/19/legion-project

Intro theme: “Lost City” by RhoMusic

https://twitter.com/ItsRhoMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2l0TFmixfahHLxpdyV5Uw/videos

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Here some quick thoughts/reactions to the comic books I read during March, 2023 (count: 67). What did you think of these issues?

Deadly Class v6 (27-31): Given that the final volume of this series came out not too long ago and that my friend Travis was telling me that it lost none of its charm, I decided to buy all the remaining volumes and decided I needed to get back to this. I love how much energy there is to this series. Not only is there a lot of plot going on, but it seems like every volume I get more and more backstory to the characters that make them more fully realized. And then there’s the tension of who will die (and who deserves to — I can’t wait to read the next volume based on the ending). The Craig/Boyd art is frenetic but it’s Boyd’s color choices that make this book sing.

Money Shot v3 (11-15): The first volume of this series was a favorite of mine a few years ago. It was fun and funny and had heart. This volume, my last despite there’s a forthcoming new series, suffered from the sophomore slump (I know it’s third volume, so “sophomore” doesn’t technically apply, but “junior” slump doesn’t have the same alliteration…). Even though there were some changes with the lead characters’ relationships, the overall story just seemed to be coasting a bit on its premise (sex with aliens, hijinks ensue).

Human Target 12: This is how you end a murder mystery/superhero noir! Like most of King’s stories, this is a downer — you keep hoping Chance will figure out a way to cheat death (and he sort of does?) but alas…. The Smallwood artwork has been profound this entire run (I really hope this doesn’t pigeonhole him like New Frontier did with Darwyn Cooke), though I admit to having to read a pivotal scene a few times to understand what it was that I was seeing. I am definitely buying the hard cover collection (I bet DC issues a deluxe edition).

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 12: I think it was from issue 1 when they teased the Supergirl/Robin date and I said then I hoped they’d reveal this horrible get-together. Well, they finally did it, and while it wasn’t quite what I imagined, it was better than I thought. The date was horrible and full of cringy moments, but you couldn’t help but feel for both of them (or, in my case, especially Robin because he was clearly outclassed). I especially enjoyed Batman and Superman listening to their partners and offering advice. And it was nice to see Robin do incredible feats that even Supergirl appreciated.

Nightwing 101: I have constantly been overcome with emotion reading the Redondo/Taylor run, and this issue was no exception. From Batman and the Justice League asking Dick to take over the team (because he’s the best goddamned superhero ever!) to Nightwing hugging his dad, this had me in tears a lot. Plus, it’s basically a back-door pilot for the new Titans series that was announced recently (well, this whole run has been a build-up of that). Everything old is new again, except that this continues to feel fresh and exciting, even after 20+ issues.

Ministry of Space 1-3: I’ve been wanting to read this Warren Ellis-written series for years, and when I discovered it on Comixology, I immediately read it. I love alternate histories, and this is one of those, with the premise being that the British were the ones who spirited away with the German rocket scientists instead of the Americans. That allowed Great Britain to win the space race (in the 1950s) and become the premiere world (and intrastellar) power. The Chris Weston and Laura Martin art provide the retro-future look of the series and was a major reason I enjoyed it. However, when I got to the end of the third issue, I was astonished because of the abrupt ending. Since then, however, I have learned that this was a planned ongoing series that just disappeared (and plagued by delays — it took three years for the third issue to be published), so I can forgive the unsatisfactory ending, I suppose.

Defenders Beyond (2-5): It’s 2-5, despite the fact that I read the collection, because I read issue 1 on the Marvel app some months before. While I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first volume — it read more like a prologue for the next thing and followed the basic plot of the first series — I still enjoyed it, especially for the Rodriguez art.

Justice 6: I wrote about this issue here, in my ongoing posts about this series.

Pretty Deadly v2 (6-10): I can’t recall when I read the first volume of this series, so it’s been too long (in fact, I had a similar reaction upon reading this and Montress v2, see below). The art in this volume/series is exquisite, but I can’t say for certain what is going on (my fault for not rereading volume one?). Where Monstress’ art is ornate and fluid, the art in Pretty Deadly is more visceral and symbolic –there are some really great panel transitions in this book.

Danger Street 3: I was pretty disappointed in the first two issues of this series, but things picked up for me this issue. I’m drawn more to Lady Cop’s part of the story, not to mention discovering how Atlas’s death unites Highfather and Darkseid. I can’t fucking stand the Green Team characters (which is the point, I think), and it irritates me that Codename: Assassin is one of their employ.

Saga 62: I have been amazed since day 1 regarding Fiona Staples’ art, and despite 62 issues, I still am — look at the gorgeous but simple cover! I do not like Gwendolyn the character, but damn does Staples make her look sexy as hell! I was pleased to see that Staples/Vaughan didn’t extend the melodrama of Hazel overhearing about that resurrection spell that her Mom refused. The other notable piece of this issue was the ending — god, I hope Special Agent Gale is murdered in the most painful, horrific way possible!

Tim Drake: Robin 6: I only bought this because of the Dan Mora cover that featured Robin and Spoiler. The issue, with art by the expressive Riley Rossmo, was your typical hero (Tim Drake Robin) doubting himself because of villainous machinations, only to realize that he is good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, his boyfriend likes him (with apologies to Stuart Smalley)! In other words, it was an ok issue of Robin with wonderful Rossmo art.

Love Everlasting 5: I had been reading this series for free while Charretier and King were releasing it on their Substack. For some reason, issue 5 hadn’t been released for free, even though later issues were (at least, as far as I could tell). Regardless, I picked up the trade collection so I could read this issue and support the book. I think it’s important to buy non-superhero comics like this, plus, I get to look at beautiful Charretier art. I have to say though, the overall story is starting to bore me. We keep getting drip, drip, drips of information about why Joan is in the predicament she is, but it’s not holding my interest.

Ice Cream Man v4 (13-16): I’ve yet to read a “bad” Ice Cream Man story in four volumes! However, if anything has come close, it’s issue 13 (how appropriate, eh?). It’s a comic book told in palindrome, and while it was a fun exercise, it didn’t have the usual weight of an Ice Cream Man issue and just came across an experiment. If that experiment had some resonance in the story or overall narrative itself, then it would have been worth it. Regardless, I still enjoyed going through the looking glass. Issue 16 dealt with the lengths a father will go through for his child. It was both understandable and horrifying, which is the strength of this series.

Superman 1: After restoring Superman’s secret identity in Action Comics 1050, I was curious how this new series would go, and since it was on the DCU app, I tried it out. I love the scenes where Lex is talking to Superman from his jail cell (because Lex knows Superman can hear him), telling him how to be a better (and, in most cases, more brutal) Superman because a big bad is coming and only Lex can provide the guidance necessary to vanquish the threat. I find this pairing intriguing, if perhaps a bit derivative: see the Rebirth Action Comics issues featuring Lex as “Superman”. Unfortunately, nothing made me excited for the next issue.

Legion of Super-Heroes 41 & Amethyst v2 2: These will be featured in a The Legion Project episode.

Department of Truth v4 (18-22): I keep waiting to stop reading this series, but there’s always something that keeps me going (similar to Something Is Killing the Children). In part, it’s the ideas. For example, because people believe that Fort Knox is the most secure place on the planet, it is, which highlights the power of story. I feel like Tynion is trying to be like Gaiman but he’s not quite there. Given the direction of the plot, I think I might be calling it quits after all with the next volume. We’ll see.

The Demon 1 & OMAC 1: These will be featured in a future podcast episode.

Monstress v2 (7-12): It’s been a looong time since I’ve read volume 1, and my recollection was that I found the story to be somewhat confusing, and some of the art was good. Reading through volume 2, I have an even greater appreciation for the art (it’s intricate and imaginative) and I thought the story was pretty straightforward. Another interesting thing about this story so far is that there are no clear “good guys” or “bad guys” — this world is complex and nuanced. I’m looking forward to reading more of this world, preferably without such a long wait in between volumes.

Pearl v3 (1-6): This is really Michael Gaydos’ spotlight — the art is so gorgeous. It really is worth it to get all three volumes just to see what Gaydos is putting down on the pages. What I would like to see less of is Bendis’ voice — his characters are starting to sound the same to me. There were scenes that, if I closed my eyes, could sounded like they were from New Avengers, for example. Despite how much I love Gaydos’ work here, Pearl’s story has reached a good ending point, so I think I’m done if they were to do more.

Sex v3 (15-20): I need more from this series. The whole plot of the murdered Japanese businessman is BORing, I’m barely enjoying the Keenan part of the story (that fight scene between the gang leader and one of his followers, with both of them naked, was just … weird? I get that it was supposed to be primal, but still.). What I did like, and want more of, is the evolving relationship between Simon and Annabelle. But the most egregious part of this series is that I’m not interested in Simon! When the supporting cast is more interesting than the lead, there’s something wrong.

Superman: Space Age 2: Continuing the reimagining of Superman in “real time” (this issue being set in the 1970s), with Lois breaking the Watergate story and the Justice League’s confrontation with Brainiac. I can’t say that issue 2 has me feeling any different about the series. It’s fun to see the interpretation of the characters and events in the DCU, but it’s really kind of flat to me. I feel like Batman in the scene where Superman tells him, “I saved the Earth from an asteroid.” Ok…? But I did like the building romance between Lois and Clark and how Superman tries to convince Lois that he’s not a danger by showing her how he helps people and tries to give them hope. At least the creative team is presenting that aspect.

Brave and the Bold 1-5: Issue 5 will be spotlighted in a The Legion Project episode, but I reread 1-4 so that I could remember what led to the events of issue 5. I miss team-up books and George Pérez.

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On this 233rd episode of the podcast, I talk about one of my very favorite comic books of all time: New Teen Titans v1 #38 by George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, Romeo Tanghal, Adrienne Roy, Ben Oda, and Len Wein.

Fantastic Comic Fan podcast, episode 28

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Klein. Cover by Ross.

SynopsisThe Martian Manhunter and Zatanna find Aquaman, and Zatanna asks, “What have they done to his brain?”

Brainiac has Grodd signal their agents, and the close associates or family of the Justice League are kidnapped.

Wonder Woman and Batman travel to the Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, awaiting the Man of Steel to arrive.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl destroy Toyman’s Brainiac-building factory, and Hawkman finds a clue.

Superman and Captain Marvel rescue Flash from his superspeed induced suicide.

Hal Jordan decides that living in a simulacrum of his life is the wrong choice and orders his ring to return his physical form to space so he can die there, but the ring’s programming refuses the request, telling Hal, “.. you will now live forever, alone”.

Mary Batson and Freddy Freeman arrive at the Rock of Eternity, looking for Billy, but find Black Adam instead.

Members of the Justice League and other superheroes gather at Superman’s Fortress and he let’s them in so that they can plan.

Martian Manhunter and Zatanna take Aquaman to Professor Niles Caulder to see what he can do, and he places Aquaman in a tank to heal. He tells them that Aquaman “is a man of untapped potential”.

Aqualad kidnaps Mera and Aquaman’s son and takes him to Black Manta, who says, “I can’t tell you how happy this is going to make Brainiac”.

ReactionThis being the seventh issue, it makes sense that the heroes, who have been at a distinct disadvantage for more than half the story, are now starting to rally. But Brainiac’s plan is just getting started as well. What did he not get from Aquaman that he thinks he’ll get from the hero’s son? How will he use Lois Lane, Dick Grayson, and the rest against the heroes? Plot-wise, the series is finally starting to get interesting and move forward.

However, I wish at this point we knew more about the black sphere cities, or are they just another bottled city plot. Brainiac does seem to be in charge of the villains now, more so than Luthor. To that point, Brainiac responds to Luthor about his failure to kill the Leaguers with, “Still, if you want something done right…” and Grodd looks over at Luthor, seeing how he’ll respond but also judging him. The coalition is unraveling more and more.

I loved the monologue Flash was having as Superman and Captain Marvel worked out how to stop Barry’s run, which included this: “Iris. I wish I could just stop and sit with her.” Though, I don’t understand how Barry didn’t break his neck or anything else as he skipped over the ocean like a stone before Superman caught him.

We get a scene with Mary Batson and Freddy Freeman in the Rock of Eternity where Freddy says, “…magic words shouldn’t really work, should they? Makes you wonder about the power of any word. Or any speaker.” Given the prominence of that on the page, I wonder if this will come into play later. Or is it commenting on Luthor’s speech in an earlier issue?

Finally, given what Black Manta did to Mera and Aquaman’s son in another continuity, seeing Manta holding the baby certainly was a little chilling.

Private FilesBoth files on Hawkman and Toyman are little more than Who’s Who entries, but they both touch on the nature of crime. In Hawkman’s entry, Batman comments on why Katar does what he does because he knew of a crimeless world once and wanted to stop it. Toyman does what he does because he was a victim of a crime and, as Batman says, “Crime twists the entire world”, where one man fights against it, another embraces it. I don’t know if Ross intended these entries to be somewhat mirror images of each other, but, either way, the dichotomy works.

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Stardate 2023.102. On this episode of Center Seat, my Star Trek podcast, I am joined by podcaster extraordinaire, Darrell “Starfleet” Taylor, showrunner of the Taylor Network of Podcasts, to discuss the second and third episodes of Star Trek: Picard season 3, “Disengage” and “Seventeen Seconds”.

Links:

Taylor Network of Podcasts
Taylor Network on Twitter
Darrell on Twitter

Feedback!

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Theme music: “Saving the World” by Aaron Kenny (https://www.youtube.com/user/contactkennya/)

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“Just when the Legion thought they were rid of Starfinger, he comes back, and he’s every bit as evil as before!”

Timestamps:
(00:44) Preamble
(06:17) Legion of Super-Heroes #40 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(22:06) Main discussion
(1:31:38) Who’s Who Update ’87 #4 entries: Mentalla and Mon-El
(1:46:47) Legion related DCU appearances: Amethyst v3 #1
(2:37:57) Wrap up and outro

Send your comments or questions to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com.

Thanks for listening!

The Legion Project forum: https://justanotherfanboy.freeforums.net/board/19/legion-project

Intro theme: “Lost City” by RhoMusic

https://twitter.com/ItsRhoMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2l0TFmixfahHLxpdyV5Uw/videos

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I got questions and comments (quemments!) from various people on the interwebs, including several voicemail from Sgt Merica! What revelations shall sprout forth from such missives? Listen and find out!

Contributors:

Sgt Merica
@englishmansdcc (Hive Social)
Sleepy Reader (also @sleepyreader666 on Hive Social)
@nickmarino (Hive Social)
Peter Rios
Tommy Redolfi
Tom Krajewski

Feedback!

Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
Text/voicemail = 208-953-1841
Social media = Mastodon, Spoutible, Twitter, Hive Social, Facebook, Instagram, & Tumblr
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Here some quick thoughts/reactions to the comic books I read during February, 2023 (count: 97 — the most in the last year!). What did you think of these issues?

Justice 5: I wrote about this issue here, in my ongoing posts about this series.

Superman: Space Age 1: I read this after I read Mike Allred’s phenomenal run on Silver Surfer with Dan Slott (from the previous month’s reading) and this was … not as amazing regarding Allred’s art, comparatively. It’s a bit of an Elseworld’s tale, putting Superman, well, Clark Kent, as a contemporary of JFK (“Superman” doesn’t appear until page 69 of 90). It’s an origin story, and not just for Superman — both Batman and Green Lantern’s origins are revealed, with Princess Diana showing up at the end. While some of that is interesting, what I find fascinating is the apparent commentary on DC’s first Crisis. The story opens in 1985, with the destruction of the Earth. Later in the issue but twenty years earlier, Clark interviews Pariah, who tells him of the Anti-Monitor and the imminent destruction of the universe. Given how the issue opened, I’m very curious how this is resolved, if at all (perhaps this is one of those parallel worlds that didn’t make it?). But I will be content reading about Superman (and the Justice League) during the Space Age.

Legionnaires 1-7: Despite my self-proclaim love for the Legion of Super-Heroes, there’s a large portion of the Legion’s publishing history I’ve not read, so I decided to start where I left off and that meant rereading the Legionnaires series. I had bought and read the first 12 issues years ago, but I wanted to start over and then get to stuff I hadn’t read before. Boy, this may be harder than I thought, because I find some of the characters obnoxious and the humor sophomoric. This may be a long slog.

Sunburn (by Simon Grane and Andi Watson; Image Comics): This graphic novel was a delight. It’s about a young woman who spends a summer on a Grecian island, and while there she finds and loses love and discovers an inner strength that I found charming. Also charming was the depiction of the island life — you can almost feel the heat of the day and the evening relief, thanks in large part to the coloring. There was an aspect of the plot that I found confusing and perhaps unnecessary to the overall narrative, but I still recommend the book.

Impossible Jones v1 (1-4) (David Hahn and Karl Kesel; Scout Comics): I was really looking forward to this collection. I love superhero stories about people who are “bad” and work at redemption, and this seems to be heading in that direction with the main character being a thief who is mistaken for a new hero. However, the Plastic Man cartoon-like antics and humor turned me off.

Nightwing 100: This has a nice “family” cover showing the relationships Nightwing has developed across the DC universe. Inside, we get some pages by former Nightwing artists, including Scott McDaniel, Eddy Barrows, and Mikel Janin, among others, that help celebrate Dick’s past and connections he’s made through the years. What was extremely satisfying was the confrontation with KGBeast, the man who shot Nightwing in the head. Batman had his run-in with the Beast some time ago, and Flash even humiliated him, but finally Dick has his opportunity to deal with his would-be murderer. What’s great about this scene is that Dick isn’t approaching it from a place of vengeance, just the desire to end the fight so that he can help others. Then there’s the “ask”. It started off the issue with a conversation between Dick and Bruce, and later the Justice League scene reveals what the ask is: Nightwing, we want you to lead a new Justice League. We get back to that opening scene and Bruce tells Dick why they want him: “The way you look for the best in everyone. The way you seek to help before you seek to punish”. Bruce then apologizes to Dick if he failed him and for pushing him away, and Dick just hugs his father and tells him he loves him. … I’m not crying, you’re crying! The issue ends with Dick Grayson buying the prison in Bludhaven and announcing it as the new headquarters of the Titans, leading to that forthcoming series. I can’t wait.

Daredevil v7 Lockdown (31-36): I started the Zdarksy-written Daredevil run being most impressed not with Matt’s (yet another decline and redemption) arc, but Wilson Fisk’s. Matt being in prison didn’t interest me, but seeing how the Kingpin navigated a “normal” life outside of crime and then later his relationship with Typhoid Mary did. Also, seeing how Elektra struggled with living up to Matt’s ideals was fun. It’s very odd to be more interested in the supporting cast, especially when it comes to Daredevil comic books, that I think I’m done with DD for now.

Something Is Killing the Children v5 (21-25): This series has always been on the chopping block for me, and I think I’ve reached that point. I love the dark, expressive, and moody Dell’Edera art, but the overall story has always felt a bit thin. When they started exploring the back history in v4, my interest perked up, but this latest volume just seems like rinse, repeat of what I’ve read before.

Once & Future v4 (19-24): Speaking of rinse/repeat, this series is starting to feel like that as well. But we get Dan Mora art and the added layer of multiple version of King Arthur and Merlin showing up near the end, which makes me compelled to read on anyway. I just wish the lead characters would do more than fight the myth of the issue and move on to the next one in the next issue. I have the sense that we’re moving towards something, but it’s a slow-go.

Thief of Thieves v3 (14-19): It’s interesting. In comparison to say, Something Is Killing the Children, this is another rinse, repeat book, but it works for me for some reason. In part, it’s the caper aspect that I like, as well as Redmond’s charming personality. This volume reads like the second act of the overall story, but looking ahead at future volumes, I wonder if the overall series will be as satisfying.

Fantastic Four 48: I’ve long loved Sue (since the Hickman-written run) and this issue (and the one before it where Exterminatrix has taken over the Baxter Building) continues to show us how bad-ass Sue really is. Even her husband agrees: “Sue is the most powerful of us all. Because she’s always pushed the boundaries of what is possible… precisely because she doesn’t know the meaning of defeat.”

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 11: Mora and Waid were able to take a story about a new character that has been retconned into Superman and Batman’s past and make me care about their relationship. When Superman tells Boy Thunder he was everything he’d hoped for in a son (though Superman couldn’t say the word, he was so emotional), it plucked my heartstrings. The reveal of Gog at the end was interesting because is this David (Boy Thunder) to be the new Magog?

Human Target 10-11: #11: G’Nort has NEVER been a favorite character, but I think I respect him just a little bit after his appearance in this issue (such is the power of an artist/writer’s different take…). And of course the Guardians of the Universe have secret files on everybody in the universe, no matter how creepy that is. I’m sure fans of Guy Gardner were thrilled to see he wasn’t dead after all, though given his behavior in this issue, they may not be pleased for very long. #12: The mystery is revealed! Truths are spoken, and that was one damn fine double splash at the end after that very emotional exchange between Chance and Ice. Just a lovely comic book all around.

Danger Street 2: Unlike the previous Tom King written book in this log, I am unsure about this one. It’s a cake still baking. There’s a lot of quality ingredients, but until it’s done, will the sum of its parts be any good? I like the Lady Cop scenes, can’t stand the Green Team, I never did like Creeper, and while I don’t like how Warlord is handling what Starman did, I’m intrigued by where this could lead. What surprised me about this issue was the hug Darkseid gave Highfather. WTF?!

Saga 61: As always, it’s Saga’s issue endings that really make this series sing, and this issue sets up further strife between Hazel and her mother, which is going to kill me in time, I’m sure.

New Champion of Shazam 4: I got this mini (as opposed to waiting for it to be on the DCU app) because I wanted to support a female character series and see Doc Shaner’s art. But the story was just so lackluster. Though his line work was fine, Shaner’s coloring didn’t help the middling feel of this series. Despite this, I hope we see more of Mary in the future.

Area 510 (Justin Greenwood and Jay Faerber; Oni Press): I was really looking forward to reading this newest book written by one of my favorite comic book writers, but while this was a fine 16 Blocks / War of the Worlds mashup, but it read more like an opening chapter and I wanted more or I just wanted more of the characters in this story as opposed to the focus on plot. Either way, I found this a bit lacking in substance.

Thor v4 God of Hammers (19-24): The Cates/Klein run on Thor has been different and interesting. They pick up on something mentioned in the Aaron-written run about Mjolnir and run with it (and I love how Klein and Wilson portray the God of Hammers). I also love the the depiction of Thor as king, especially the “heavy is the head that wears the crown” angle. This arc would make a great Thor movie. But, like with another Marvel character I love, I think I’m done with Thor for a while.

Time Before Time v3 (13-17): They introduced a new character, bounty hunter Sebastian, and I’m totally on board with that guy. He’s doing a crappy job and he knows it, but he’s doing it for family. We even get a caper story thrown in involving some interesting cannon fodder. Despite my liking this new guy, however, I am more invested in Tatsuo’s (and Nadia’s) journey. Unfortunately, an apparent (it is a time travel story after all) sacrifice changes everything. Now I have to decide if I keep with this book given what looks like a change of characters.

Killadelphia v2 (7-12): This just felt like a repeat of volume 1, and there’s nothing compelling in this volume for me to continue.

Legion of Super-Heroes 40 & Amethyst v2 1: These will be featured in a future The Legion Project episode.

Ultra: Seven Days (1-8): Years ago I read the first issue for free on Comixology and was interested in the idea. In the intervening years, my appreciation for the Luna Brothers’ work has diminished. However, while the art was a bit under par, I was surprised at some of the emotional depths these characters reached.

Skyward v1 (1-5): While I especially loved the depiction of the main character’s hair on the cover to this collection by Lee Garbett and the overall care the creators brought to showing us what a world with lesser gravity would be like, the old trope of Dad knowing how to fix the world but because of his sacrifice, his daughter takes on the responsibility just didn’t maintain my interest, possibly in part because the villain of the piece is so one dimensional.

Fables v16 (101-107): I loved this book up to volume 11, more or less. I stopped buying the trade collections because it was starting to repeat itself. However, I always wanted to read volume 16, “Super Team”, because of the superhero connections I imagined it would have based on the cover image alone. I should not have bothered. While it was kind of fun to see Pinocchio attempt to put together a team of superheroes to help save everyone because of the power of superhero stories, the actual execution of that idea was just not there. It was like Willingham had been forced to put in a superhero angle to drive up sales and he didn’t want to, but he would do it his way, which is to say, not very well. We don’t get to see the Fables characters actually be “superheroes” except in a short day dream scene and the defeat of the main antagonist was resolved in a deus ex machina fashion, i.e., disappointingly.

Iron Man 25: This final Cantwell-written issue was a nice change of pace given how cosmic things got near the beginning of the run. Iron Man is a little wigged out by the Iron Man Day celebration he’s not too keen on attending when he comes across a guy having a heart attack (love the symmetry regarding that). At the end, and not feeling his best, Tony is surprised and delighted when some friends show up to support him (including the MVP of this run for me, Hellcat). Nicely done creative team, nicely done.

Air v1 (1-5): I had heard over the years how good this was, and with Dark Horse reprinting the series, I had to try it. This was a delightful surprise in that it enters the metaphysical in an almost Morrisonian fashion. Blythe is an acrophobic flight attendant who has the ability to cross into “forgotten” and hidden lands. It’s also a commentary on capitalism with its struggle between “old” energy interests and the “new” technology of Air. I am worried that the antagonistic cabal in the series will be reduced to trite caricature, but I’m looking forward to reading the next volume to see where this goes.

Manifest Destiny v5 (25-30): It’s been a while since I read the last volume (October 2021) and the one before that was a year ago! My slow engagement with this series is not an indication of the quality, because each volume pushes the story forward in interesting and different ways. In this volume, the intrepid and overwhelmed travelers do more harm to each other than the monsters they’ve encountered previously, but it’s still connected to overall narrative. I think this is one of those great series that readers like, but it’s not as flashy as others and hasn’t received the attention it deserves.

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Stardate 2023.81. On this episode of Center Seat, my Star Trek podcast, I am joined by podcaster extraordinaire, Darrell “Starfleet” Taylor, showrunner of the Taylor Network of Podcasts, to discuss the first episode of Star Trek: Picard season 3, “The Next Generation”. But first we talk about Darrell’s love for and history with Star Trek. Buckle up because we’re going to warp 9.9 with this one folks!

Links:

Taylor Network of Podcasts
Taylor Network on Twitter
Darrell on Twitter

Feedback!

Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
Text/voicemail = 208-953-1841
Social media = Twitter, Hive Social, Mastodon, Facebook, & Instagram
Web = longboxreview.com

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Theme music: “Saving the World” by Aaron Kenny (https://www.youtube.com/user/contactkennya/)

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Klein. Cover by Ross.

SynopsisCaptain Marvel, despite his worry that he might be killing Superman, throws the Man of Steel into the sun, and wishes him good luck.

Ray Palmer tells his wife, Jean, that he may be the last Justice League member who is alive. After Jean leaves, the nurse attacks Ray, but he uses his size changing ability to escape and then attack the nurse, who is actually Giganta, by diving into her eye. This causes Giganta to fall out of the hospital room and land on Jean’s car.

Given the choice between waiting the seven hours it will take the ring to run out of power and spending eternity inside the ring as electronic impulses, Hal commands his ring to take him inside.

The Martian Manhunter leads Hawkman and Hawkgirl to Toyman’s factory, and then he departs for Superman’s Fortress.

Luthor and Brainiac discuss Captain Marvel’s interference and the next stage of their plan. The world’s media continue to highlight the good the super-villains have brought to the world and how the Justice League have seemingly abandoned them.

Superman bursts out of the sun and he and Captain Marvel head back toward Earth.

Wonder Woman arrives at the batcave, discovering that Poison Ivy is there. Diana fends off Ivy’s attack and frees Batman.

The Hawks enter Toyman’s warehouse, discovering it’s also a factory producing Brainiac doubles.

Superman and Captain Marvel approach the Justice League satellite, which then explodes, leaving Marvel to wonder about Red Tornado.

Batman electrocutes Wonder Woman, but she wraps her lasso around him, causing him to stop as Diana falls to the floor. He then punches Poison Ivy. Gorilla Grodd, through a mind-controlled Alfred, threatens to kill him, saying, “You have no idea what’s coming”.

John Stewart arrives at Ferris Aircraft, looking for Hal Jordan. Thomas Kalmaku points to the sky, and John is not amused. Inside the power ring, Hal tries to get the ring to create autonomous, human simulacra, but it doesn’t understand. Hal wonders how long it will be “before I let space take me”.

Dr. Magnus examines Red Tornado’s body, the damage to which Magnus has determined was self-inflicted. Magnus is able to repair Tornado enough that he can speak. The android tells them that, because of the fish, he found Aquaman in Argentina.

The Flash continues his race around the world, repeating to himself that he cannot stop.

ReactionWhile I like the cover image of the Atom punching what I thought was Poison Ivy’s eye (which is not what happens in the issue, of course), the reflection of Ivy in the eye confused me. I don’t understand what Ross was trying to accomplish with this image, other than it looks kind of cool.

I liked the scenes with Captain Marvel and Superman. Marvel can “talk” to Superman in space because of magic, and we get that two-page splash of Superman flying out of the sun, presumably cured of the infestation. Later, as the League satellite explodes, there’s a panel of Superman’s face that, to me, expresses Superman’s growing despair. He’s been attacked by people who knows his secret, he’s nearly killed and mind-controlled, and he sees the League’s “home” destroyed. If anything, Ross should have played up this aspect more. In trying to get across the plot, he’s ignoring or glossing over the emotional toll this should be having on the characters.

Or perhaps Ross wanted to focus on that despair just a bit through Hal because this is the most we’ve really experienced with Green Lantern in this series so far, which makes me wonder why Ross wanted to sideline Hal this much. Is it, as Hal himself said, because he is unto a god and Ross wanted to avoid any deus ex machina?

There a few interesting details revealed in this issue. When Luthor and Brainiac discuss adjusting their plan, Grodd asks if he should “send the dream to Black Adam?”. So, just like that, the dream sequence we saw in issue one is simply a ruse, not motivated out of desperation. Bummer. Second, during that same discussion, Brainiac tells Luthor that if any superhero remains after their plan, “they will come with me and my people”. I thought he was referring to the supposed scores of people who are willingly asking to live in those black spheres, but perhaps it was a reference to the Brainiac androids that Toyman is building? Finally, despite that the final page showing the Flash running around the world still was not a good ending to the issue, seeing him so disheveled was effective. His face looks like an old man’s and his costume is baggy around his body, making it look like his constant movement is eating him alive.

Private FilesIn the entry for the Atom, Batman calls Palmer a genius, but questions his motivation for fighting crime because it was out of love for his wife. As Batman decrees, “We cannot have relationships.” Then, perhaps ironically considering he is discussing a man whose power is shrinking, he brings up a larger, philosophical issue about the nature of crime. He calls it a “choice, a matter of will”. And then he goes one step further into judgement: “Modern sociology is the crime of suggesting that it is not”. I wonder how much of this is Alex Ross’s interpretation of the character or his own outlook?

As far as the villain entry, I relearned (because I had forgotten the fact when I first read this issue nearly 20 years ago) that Giganta was evolved from an ape using Gorilla City technology. Batman wonders why she and the Atom never crossed path because of their thematic size-changing abilities.

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Recorded March 5, 2023.

In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal, I talk about what I should do about my digital estate, the quadruple murder in my town and the media frenzy about it (warning: language!), as well as some movie/tv/podcast talk.

Podcasts:

Meanwhile at the Podcast
The 4:30 Movie
Inglorious Treksperts
Mike’s Comic Shop Roadshow
Magnum, podcast
The Daily Rios

Feedback!

Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
Text/voicemail = 208-953-1841
Social media = Mastodon, Spoutible, Twitter, Hive Social, Facebook, Instagram, & Tumblr
Web = longboxreview.com

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Here some quick thoughts/reactions to the comic books I read during January, 2023 (count: 85). What did you think of these issues?

Sex v2 (9-14): I bought a digital Humble Bundle that included this. I had bought the first 7 print issues and wondered how the series ended, so I was looking forward to continuing my reading. However, this second volume doesn’t really expand the story beyond what I’d read previously. I haven’t yet read v3.

Legion of Super-Heroes v3 Annual 3: Listen to the Tales of The Legion Project episode 13 for my and Peter’s thoughts about this issue.

Justice 4: I wrote about the issue here.

Wonder Woman: Black and Gold 1-3, 5-6: I finally got the collection and enjoyed it, for the most part. I also posted some pages I liked from the series on Instagram.

The Crows gn: Based on the solicitation, I was excited to read this, but it came across to me more like college-level short story: it was fine, but not really getting into the more interesting elements to me.

Jane Foster and the Mighty Thor 4-5: I was so looking forward to reading this series, but it was nothing like the previous outings with those two characters (under Aaron’s writing hand). It was fine.

Crisis on Multiple Earths: Team-Ups v1 (Flash 123, 129, 137, 151; Showcase 55, 56; Green Lantern 40; Brave and the Bold 61): I had only previously read the Green Lantern issue, so it was interesting to see how the Earth-1/Earth-2 stories progressed over time. Given the issue numbers of the Flash where Jay would team up with Barry, you can tell it was a popular story idea. Bonus: I got to read a few stories featuring my favorite Golden Age character, Hourman!

Friday v2 (4-6): This is a must-read series! The only bad thing about this series is that the collections are too short (only three issues) and it takes too long in between them! :)

Danger Street 1: Given the inspiration behind this and the sheer audacity to weave them all together, I expected more out of this first issue — I was not wowed. I’d much rather read King’s Gotham City: Year One (but that has a lot to do with Hester’s art on it, not that Fornes is bad).

Dark Crisis 7: This series was such a disappointment… I thought I would at least enjoy the spotlight on Nightwing and the elder Titans, but this was an insult to the original Crisis.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 10: I feel like they should have expanded the Boy Thunder’s story just a bit more. Still, I get more Teen Titans! And I love their compassion for their fellow sidekick, given his trauma.

Batgirls 13: I only got this because of the Dan Mora Batgirl/Robin variant cover, but I decided to read it and I think I should have been reading this series all along!

Nightwing 99: I kinda feel bad for issue 99. Coming off the high that was 98 and Nite-Mite and before issue 100, it’s kind of like the middle child. In other words, it continues the ongoing plot, but there’s nothing special about the issue, save for the Dan Mora Nightwing/ Batgirl variant cover.

Action Comics 1050: We all knew that eventually DC would put the cat back in the bag (i.e., Superman’s secret identity), and I’ll be damned if they didn’t do it in an interesting way! Now, what does this mean regarding Lex going forward?

The Atomics 1: This popped up in my Comixology Unlimited perusal, and given that I just read Allred’s Silver Surfer run with Slott, I decided to give this a try. I will not be reading issue 2.

Gotham City: Year One 3-4: As mentioned previously, this is a lot of fun to read because of Hester’s work on it. This might be the best Slam Bradley story I’ve ever read.

Barnstormers 4: When are we going to get the techno-demon angle explained?

Dr. Strange & Dr. Doom: Triumph & Torment: Long on my Marvel Unlimited To Read list, The Daily Rios chose it as a book club offering, so I finally had to read it. It was an interesting take on the Strange/Doom dynamic that I don’t think I’d ever read before.

History of the Marvel Universe 3: I’m reading these after I see another issue is being covered on the Resurrections podcast. If nothing else, you will enjoy the Rodriguez art of this series.

The Altered History of Willow Sparks gn: While the logic of it doesn’t quite add up (or explained), the fantasy of literally rewriting your life in a book was interesting.

Side Effects gn: This is billed as someone who gets super powers after taking medication for depression, but it’s really a story about dealing with depression, and I’m glad they decided to focus on that aspect more.

Silver Surfer v1: New Dawn (1-5), v2: World’s Apart (6-10), v3: Last Days (11-15), v4: Citizen of Earth (1-6), and v5: A Power Greater Than Cosmic (7-14): What an amazing story! I’ve never cared for Silver Surfer, and Allred and Slot made me care! Yes, it’s Doctor Who on a surfboard (Toomie!) with Dawn as his Companion, but it’s also a romp through Marvel Cosmic and I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Fantastic Four 51: Because I hadn’t read this and it was the inspiration for Fantastic Four: Full Circle, I had to read it. While it filled in the gaps for Full Circle, I don’t think I really needed to read this issue.

The Black Ghost 1: This kept popping up as I perused Comixology Unlimited and it sounded neat. It was not.

Usagi Yojimbo Book 1: The Ronin: I’ve never read Usagi, and Comixology Unlimited made it possible. This is a collection of short stories, but you start to get a sense of a larger narrative. It definitely made me want to read more.

Redlands v1 (1-6): This was another Comixology Unlimited read, and I won’t be reading any more. What is it with these Comixology Unlimited books for me?!

Star Trek: Harlan Ellison’s The City on the Edge of Forever the Original Teleplay (1-5): Finally, another Comixology Unlimited offering that I enjoyed! While not better than the broadcast version, Woodward’s art in places and the major differences made for an interesting alternative take on the classic story.

Iron Man 24: I loved the surprise twist in this issue, and then the discussion about trust later made an average story about Tony Stark buying back all these weapons more interesting. I’m very curious how Cantwell is going to wrap up his run on this title next issue.

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It’s 2023, and that means it’s time to take a look back at my favorite comic books that I read in 2022, with some offerings from folks on social media! But first, I give you some stats about my reading, and I talk about the past and future of the show. I hope you enjoy this episode as much I did recording it.

Contributors:

An Englishman in San Diego
Sgt Merica
Martystoked
Donald Rex Jr
Sleepy Reader
SolitaireRose
Mike Atchison
Doug Stanfield
dance along the edge

Feedback!

Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
Text/voicemail = 208-953-1841
Social media = Mastodon, Spoutible, Twitter, Hive Social, Facebook, Instagram, & Tumblr
Web = longboxreview.com

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Klein. Cover by Ross.

SynopsisIris West calls Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, because she’s concerned about Barry. Ralph tells her that he’s called some other heroes for help and that

Something is really wrong with this picture. The world’s worst super-villains are acting like the world’s greatest heroes … and the Justice League is nowhere to be found.

In the ocean, Martian Manhunter realizes he’s free of the mental fire inflicted on him by Gorilla Grodd. He flies away, unaware that Flash is running below him.

Luthor visits Brainiac, who reveals that he knows Lex is plotting against him. Regardless, Brainiac shows Luthor that he has the “cities” — marble-sized, black spheres.

In Metropolis, Metallo tells Superman good-bye, about to deliver a killing blow, but then a golden streak incapacitates the assembled villains. It’s Captain Marvel, who tells Superman that he got his signal and that everything is going to be okay. He leaves with Superman before Bizarro can engage them. Luthor arrives and saves both Parasite and Metallo.

Jean Loring sits beside Ray Palmer, who lies unconscious in a hospital bed. She tells him that despite her not wanting him to be the Atom anymore, he can be if that’s the only way she can have him back.

Cheetah and Wonder Woman continue their fight, with Cheetah telling Diana that she’s been infected with centaur’s poison: “Do you sense uncreation already?” However, Wonder Woman is able to turn the tide of the fight and Cheetah retreats.

Dinah sees Oliver being assaulted by Clayface and shrieks at the villain, allowing Oliver to use a lamp to shock Clayface. Both Scarecrow and Clayface run off.

The first people Martian Manhunter is able to telepathically contact is Hawkman and Hawkgirl. He tells them it was all the super-villains attacking the League.

Green Lantern asks his ring where he is, but it cannot determine his location. However, it does know that Sinestro used a boom tube to transport him across the universe, which prompts Hal to ask, “How much longer before your charge runs out and I die?”

Superman directs Captain Marvel to take him to Batman. Batman is not happy that Superman has brought Marvel, and Marvel turns into Billy Batson to make Batman feel more comfortable. Superman asks what’s going on before punching Batman unconscious. He tells Billy that Batman was about to kill him with kryptonite and that he could see microscopic mechanical worms in Batman’s brain, controlling him. To his horror, Superman sees the worms in himself.

On the batcomputer screen, Luthor is telling the world that the villains are offering cities for those “who feel they have a right to a better life”. Luthor then tosses the black spheres into the ocean and they rise again, hundreds of times larger than before.

Alfred threatens to kill Billy with a batarang, but Billy frees himself and Superman hits Alfred with a coffee cup to the head. Billy returns to being Captain Marvel, and Superman tells him that in order to rid himself of the worms that Marvel is going to have to throw him into the sun.

ReactionWhile the first third of the series had the heroes on the ropes, this issue starts to turn the tide. Most of the Justice Leaguers have thwarted their assailants — Lex will be surprised when he learns that the Leaguers aren’t, after all, either dead or incapacitated, as he told Brainiac. Speaking of Brainiac, I like his cold, calculating characterization seen in previous issues continue in that he bluntly tells Luthor he knows the human is plotting against him.

In the aforementioned scene, Brainiac holds the six small spheres that Luthor later throws into the ocean. So what was the one Aquaman and Martian Manhunter found, a prototype? Are there seven cities? If so, that’s a nice bit of symmetry given the core seven Justice Leaguers.

However, in this issue, we start to see some other folks within that sphere, including my favorite stretchster, Elongated Man. He’s only on one page, but you get a good sense of who he is and the relationship between him and his wife — I love it! Given that Justice followed Identity Crisis, it was nice to see Jean Loring before she went crazy in the latter series. And then there’s the welcome presence of Captain Marvel, especially when he’s chastised by Batman for calling down his magic lightning in the batcave (where’s the wisdom of Solomon there?). I can’t help thinking that with Marvel on the team, with Superman, they could make quick work of the villains, so what interferes with that?

If nothing else, it could be the villains themselves. Cheetah is too intent on killing Wonder Woman. Scarecrow and Clayface are chased off too easily. Brainiac and Luthor are trying to one-up the other. And that look that Bizarro gave Luthor after he told the group, but looking directly at the creature, “You don’t deserve to live.” — at first I thought it was anger coming from Bizarro, but looking at it again in two different panels, it seems to be the look of a child who has disappointed his father, again. Will that ultimately turn Bizarro against Luthor?

What was not disappointing were some of the smaller scenes. For example, when Dinah realizes why Ollie had the earplugs in and says, “The wig …? And you thought …? That’s why you …?” In fact, this is a scene that pays off from last issue, because when Ollie thought “Dinah” wanted to cosplay, he reached for something on his nightstand and I could not tell what they were (some odd prophylactic?). There were a couple scenes in the batcave: 1) After Batman chastises Billy for shazaming the lightning in a cave, Billy tells him it’s magic lightning, and Batman, somewhat uncharacteristically sarcastic responds, “Oh, magic lightning. That makes it okay, then.” 2) Batman then turns his ire on Superman: “How could do this, Superman? You brought a child into the cave.” Superman, taking on the persona of Alfred, cheekily tells the dark knight detective, “Should I tell Robin?” :D

Also great was the splash page of Captain Marvel arriving to save Superman. Then there’s a two-page spread of the batcave, showing a 1989 Batman film look to the batmobile and batboat. Plus, the “original” bat-man costume worn by Thomas Wayne (as seen in Detective Comics #235) is shown prominently in the foreground — I love artistic touches like that. Finally, Ross gives us another two-page spread in this issue of Superman clocking Batman — you can even see spittle and blood!

The issue ends with a great line: Superman tells Marvel, “You going to have to throw me into the sun.” I can’t wait to see how this plays out.

Private FilesSuperman’s entry is odd for a couple reasons. Batman’s observation that Kal-El’s adoption is perhaps what “formed his primary sense of hope” despite what he lost as the last son of Krypton. Yet, the picture Ross chose to represent Superman is one of almost menace — immense power, certainly. He also points out the duality of his friend. When referring to how bullets bounce off of Superman, his response is “Not like us. Not like the people of Earth,” accentuating the alieness. Later he writes, “While his physiology makes him an alien, he is a human, almost frustratingly so.” What about Superman’s humanity frustrates Batman? I’d love for this to be explored more.

The entry for Cheetah is less interesting to me for her character than it is about Batman’s observation about himself in it. “It is a curse to be raised among the wealthy,” he writes.

When I consider who I might have been, who I might have become if things had been different, I am almost grateful for this life I live. Not for what happened to make me what I am, but for what I may have been saved from.

Ignoring the “curse” of being wealthy comment, the idea that Bruce Wayne would have been someone completely different if not for the murder of his parents has been explored elsewhere to varying degrees (most recently, in my reading, in the wonderful “Archive of Worlds” story starting in Batman/Superman vol 2 #16).

I really like the bit of humor that comes out in these private files, because for Wonder Woman, Batman notes that sometimes Diana tries to hide her identity as Diana Prince, “if such a thing were possible”. I think that many Wonder Woman fans, after the New 52 title by Cliff Chiang and Brian Azzarello, would also agree with this comment: “It is a mistake many make to categorize her as a warrior.” This next comment seems to me to be more of Alex Ross’ (or perhaps Jim Krueger’s?) point of view: “it is easy to see why popular speculation would see her as a possible mate for Superman.” But then, illogically, Batman says that she knows “too well the role we have chosen,” and “that we cannot risk loved ones,” yet, there’s Steve Trevor in her life …?

In Poison Ivy’s entry, Batman is most blunt: “Pamela Isley is insane.” He also notes that because “she commands and is capable of manipulating the very life form necessary for every creature on Earth to breathe,” it makes her one of the most dangerous villains. This is an aspect I don’t think has been explored? Finally, the black and white pencil sketch Ross did of Ivy is perhaps even more beautiful than the color portraits of Superman and Wonder Woman.

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On this Tales of the Legion Project, Peter and I discuss Legion of Super-Heroes v3 Annual #3, “There’s No Substitute for the Real Thing”!

(00:21) Preamble
(09:58) Legion of Super-Heroes Annual 3 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion
(33:23) Main discussion
(1:46:21) Who’s Who Update ’87 #3: Legion of Substitute Heroes
(1:48:11) Wrap-up and outro

MUSIC INTRO/OUTRO: “Invasion” by Blake Neely from the Flash Season 3 original television soundtrack

The Legion Project Forum: https://justanotherfanboy.freeforums.net/board/19/legion-project

Please leave comments below, send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com, or chat with us @longboxreview or @peterjrios on Twitter.

Thanks for listening!

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Stardate 2023.35. On this episode of Center Seat, my Star Trek podcast, I offer you my long overdue reactions to Star Trek: Picard season 2.

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Social media = Twitter, Hive Social, Mastodon, Facebook, & Instagram
Web = longboxreview.com

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Theme music: “Saving the World” by Aaron Kenny (https://www.youtube.com/user/contactkennya/)

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Klein. Cover by Ross.

SynopsisLex Luthor addresses the world, declaring that he and his compatriots are now doing what the so-called superheroes refuse to do: helping. About the Justice League, Luthor says, “They’re monsters, really, to have allowed things to go on as they have.

Someone has to change the way this world works. That’s what we’re about to do. That’s what we are inviting you to be a part of.”

As he does this, members of the Justice League are attacked in their secret identities:

Bizarro flies off with Clark Kent, and he is later joined later by Solomon Grundy, Parasite, and Metallo as they pummel Superman, who calls for someone, anyone to help him.
Sinestro distracts Hal Jordan as a Boom Tube sucks the hero away.
Scarecrow causes Dinah Lance to hallucinate being covered in bugs, while Clayface assails Oliver Queen in bed.
Cheetah savagely assaults Wonder Woman.
Toyman uses museum relics to ambush Carter and Shiera Hall.
A sniper (Giganta) nearly kills Ray Palmer.
Barry Allen receives Superman’s distress signal and races off to help, only to discover he is outracing himself and unable to stop because of the drugged soup Captain Cold slipped in his soup.

ReactionFirst, the cover: we see Luthor and Brainiac framing Bizarro and Superman. It evokes the old Luthor/Brainiac team and highlights the connection between Luthor’s creation (Bizarro) and Superman’s past (Brainiac and Kandor). I certainly hope this was intentional.

Seeing our heroes attacked as shown with the constant droning from Lex Luthor is really effective. It shows that when properly prepared with the right intel, these villains could easily gain the upper hand.

Superman being taken first is also a good tactic, but I will admit, seeing him shown as basically helpless seemed a bit out of character, though still affective. After all, he’s softened up by Bizarro’s and Solomon Grundy’s assault, then depowered by Parasite, and then Metallo comes in for the kill — I guess at that point it makes sense to see Superman, with tears falling down his face, crying out for help. It’s just so weird to see Superman so vulnerable.

Green Lantern being tossed out into a black void by a boom tube was the least interesting attack because it’s not clear if Sinestro caused the boom tube or this was just a means to show that Darkseid is somehow involved in this plot (but given the subterfuge, it seems unlikely?). Likewise, Cheetah fighting Wonder Woman is no more interesting than any other time it’s happened. Also, seeing Diana want to call the Justice League just after the fight starts seems so out of character for her as well.

The others, however, are attacked in safe spaces, which is more horrific. This is epitomized by the scene with Dinah and Ollie, with the latter in bed, presumably naked (you know Ollie sleeps in the nude!), thinking he’s about to get lucky, but it’s Clayface going to smother him. It gives me the heebie-jeebies. Plus, now I’m very interested to see how (or if?) Ross and company put the genie of the revealed secret identities back into the bottle.

It was interesting to see different villains take on the heroes. For example, Toyman with the Hawks and the Batman villains with Dinah and Ollie. Speaking of, no Batman in this issue. Was his identity not revealed in the satellite breach? Or is that encounter shown in a future issue?

I will admit, I either didn’t know or missed some details until I read another synopsis of this issue, namely, that it was Giganta who shoots Ray Palmer (nothing about her indicates to me that she’s Giganta) and that Captain Cold spiked Barry’s soup, but at least the latter was telegraphed upon a reread. Regardless, I continue to be impressed with the building tension as this series progresses. Why did I remember this not being that good?

Private FilesWe get not two but four files this issue on Bizarro, Solomon Grundy, Metallo, and Parasite. Interesting that it’s the villains who attack Superman, but they are the ones we see the most in the issue.

For Bizarro, I like how Bruce mentions the creature as being a result of “early cloning technology” given how long cloning has been around as a concept in comic books. It gives this world a history that’s not too steeped (although, how long ago did Bruce write that entry?), which I like. Also, I like the pointed comment aimed at Luthor at having created the “engine of destruction he always thought Superman was”.

It’s curious to see the Batman express something near to fear in regards to Solomon Grundy. He mentions that his father was wrong when he told Bruce there was no such thing as a bogeyman because Grundy is that. Plus, Grundy is a zombie and be around after Bruce dies, giving this character a weight I hadn’t considered before. He also mentions Grundy’s strength as a rival for Superman’s. I knew Grundy was strong, but Kryptonian level?

Metallo’s entry is really just an origin synopsis, with no real commentary, which is a shame. I’m enjoying these glimpses into Bruce’s mind as he opines about these people.

I found Bruce’s comment about Parasite interesting: “… as long as Parasite lives, Superman is a threat to the world”. What an interesting way to state the danger inherit in Parasite, but that could apply to most of Superman’s enemies as well.

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“A special flashback issue to Colossal Boy’s origin, the Science Police Academy, and Gigi’s musing over ‘the one that got away’.”

Timestamps:
(00:45) Preamble, plus quick thoughts on the upcoming Legion of Super-Heroes animated movie and the New Golden Age one-shot
(20:49) Legion of Super-Heroes #39 synopsis, general thoughts, and background information
(55:09) Cover and main discussion
(1:40:16) Letter column reactions, the ads, feedback, and Contest Winner Announcement!
(1:54:13) Wrap up and outro

Please leave comments below, send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com or peter@thedailyrios.com, or chat with us @longboxreview (Twitter, Mastodon, and Hive) or @peterjrios (Twitter).

Thanks for listening!

The Legion Project forum: https://justanotherfanboy.freeforums.net/board/19/legion-project

Intro theme: “Lost City” by RhoMusic

https://twitter.com/ItsRhoMusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2l0TFmixfahHLxpdyV5Uw/videos

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Klein. Cover by Ross.

SynopsisBrainiac compliments Aquaman as a remarkable being. He tells his captive that humanity yearns to be part of something and that he is bringing it the very thing it’s always wanted. He says, “Mother Nature played a dirty trick on humanity when she gave it desires for things beyond this world’s ability to satisfy. I mean to change this. And you … are an important part of my plan.”

Martian Manhunter searches the sea for Aquaman, finding the same black dome that Aquaman found before. When he enters, he discovers an empty city. As he starts to explore, he is attacked mentally. He sees the city on fire — he knows this is a trap and tells himself that he is in a city under the ocean. Gorilla Grod tells him, “I know what happened on Mars”. Martian Manhunter cries out, “…WATER…!” as he sees his people burn around him. Through the fire Manhunter “sees” the Legion of Doom, but Grod tells him, “I’m stronger than you. … You’ll never be seen again.”

In some war-torn country, Toyman gives a young boy a prosthetic arm. Priscilla Rich arrives at a hotel hosting the Wonder Women Conference with a pair of leashed cheetahs. In her hotel room, she sacrifices one of her pets “so that the Cheetah can be reborn”. Later, Cheetah advances on a room full of women who are listening to Diana talk.

Meanwhile, the Justice League members watch the news as it covers the actions of their seemingly reformed villains.

In Arkham, Joker tries to get Riddler to give him a clue as to what’s going on, but Nigma refuses. Lex Luthor appears in Riddler’s cell, berating him for almost giving it away to Batman. He’s come to take Riddler away for the “announcement”, and Joker screams, “You can’t do this to me!”

On the JLA satellite, Red Tornado discovers that Manhunter is also missing. He then notices unusual activity in the sea around the tip of South America: the sea life have converged, pinpointing Aquaman’s location. It’s then that Red Tornado pulls his own head off his body, telling someone who arrived moments before that “Someone’s controlling my motor functions! … Why won’t you help me?!”

Grod then transmits to the Legion of Doom members, “The satellite no longer holds any secrets,” and proceeds to reveal the secret identities of the Justice League. Lex Luthor then broadcasts to the world:

I think it’s time we made a statement about the many ways we’re trying to make life better for the common man.

ReactionThis was an amazing next chapter with some truly spooky moments. I like that the cover reflects events in the book but differently. Given the build-up thus far, I didn’t expect the villains to “win” so decisively as they have (at least with three of our heroes — and the most powerful one — so far), symbolically shown by their raised arms in the background.

The creepiness of the issue is just intense! There’s the vicious attack on J’onn by a seemingly enhanced Grod. And that panel showing the the terror on Aquaman’s face as Brainiac says calmly, “You have no idea who it is who just killed you,” was the most chilling in the issue. Red Tornado’s bizarre self-mutilation as he implores whoever is there for help. And finally, the League’s secrets are revealed! There really are some great moments in this issue.

However, I did not care for the way the story was broken up. First, it makes for a choppy synopsis, which is why I chose to describe the scenes stitched together instead of a page by page breakdown. Second, to organize a story like this can be to increase the tension, but I found it mostly irritating and not really building the tension, at least not in a progressive way. Perhaps I’m just too impatient for the plot to move forward. Maybe this is why my memory of the series is tainted: the issues came out every two months and by the third issue (4 months) the mystery was still building?

At this point I’m very curious why they need Aquaman, plus, who was in the satellite with Red Tornado? The implication is that it was a member of the Justice League. Given that the villains are perhaps under some sort of control — illustrated by the glowing spots in their eyes over these three issues — maybe one of the heroes is as well (it’s a theory…)?

Little things I enjoyed:

The exploration of Manhunter’s powers: “Martians … are not defined in physical geometry like the people of Earth. Mass and form are not concrete realities…. We don’t read minds. We share in other beings’ thoughts.”
The single page showing Grod monitoring hero and villain alike. The final inset panel transitioning us to the following page was wonderfully done.
The other single page showing the heroes in their civilian garb watching the news broadcasts discussing the change in their villains. The irritated skepticism on Ollie’s (Green Arrow) face is priceless!
The city under the black dome that J’onn discovers has weather! Nice touch.
The menace on Joker’s face after Luthor and Riddler leave.
The fact that, despite the peril he’s in, Aquaman is able to direct the sea life to point the League in his direction. That’s bad ass!
Finally, I love the image of the the large, bright, askew Justice League satellite over the Earth and, later, the small, silhouetted version after Red Tornado is attacked. I think those are wonderful artistic bookends in the issue.

Private FilesThis issue features Martina Manhunter and Gorilla Grod, naturally. Batman first compares J’onn to himself and Superman (an amalgam of detective and superhuman) — I wonder if the character’s creators thought of that early on? Later in the entry, Batman comments about how fire is too common an occurrence for it to be a real reason for J’onn’s “hypersensitivity” to it, but his supposition doesn’t make sense to me: “Perhaps this is because his mass changes depending on the form he adopts”. I guess you can make some sort of connection between the variable nature of a Martian’s biology and the flickering nature of fire? But that’s a bit too poetic for Batman, I would think. If you have any theories, please let me know.

Grod’s entry is mostly a summation of the history of the character. The last paragraph, however, struck me: “His hunger for power is a reminder that crime is not merely the result of social inequalities”. It comes across as oddly political, both for Batman and for the author. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it.

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Happy holidays! After an unexpected year off (curse you 2021!), George from Meanwhile at the Podcast returns for our annual Christmas gab bag discussion. This year we discuss the following Christmas related comic books:

Super-Sized Alf Holiday Special (1990, Marvel Comics)
DC Special Series #21, “Super-Star Holiday Special” (1979, DC Comics)
Hot Wheels #6 (1971, DC Comics)
Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special #1 (2011, DC Comics)
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol Holiday Special (2002, Airwave Comics)
Batman: Noël (2011, DC Comics)

Listen to previous Christmas Gab Bag episodes: https://longboxreview.com/tag/gab-bag/.

Listen to George’s solo gab bag episode: https://meanwhileatthepodcast.libsyn.com/139-christmas-gab-bag-2021.

Please subscribe to Meanwhile at the Podcast and interact with George, Rodney, Kristin, or Rich through the following:

http://meanwhileatthepodcast.libsyn.com
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Feedback!

Email = longboxreview@gmail.com
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Thanks for listening!

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I had one of those experiences years ago where someone direct messaged me asking about coming onto the podcast. This is someone whose work I had been following and enjoyed, but I was extremely surprised that they had reached out… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (29:32) I talk about some of the 30 comic books I read in August 2022: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8 Nightwing Annual 2021 Batman: Urban Legends #10 Bolero tpb (issues #1-5) The New Champion of Shazam #1 and,… Continue reading →

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Klein. Cover by Ross. Overview Justice was a 12-issue limited (or maxi) series released in 2005-2007 (published bi-monthly). It was conceived by Ross to be a “Superhuman war. The superhuman war.” Because… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (33:22) I talk about some of the 47 comic books I read in July 2022: Faithless II (#1-6) Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator All-New Collectors’ Edition C-54: Superman vs Wonder Woman Saga #60 Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (3:48:04) “In this conclusion to the four-part Superboy crossover, learn why Superboy is ‘the greatest hero of them all’.” Timestamps: (00:45) Preamble, anniversary talk, and a new contest! (10:11) Superman vs Superboy Part 3: Action Comics #591 synopsis… Continue reading →

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By Alex Ross, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Krueger, & Todd Klein. Cover by Ross. Overview Justice was a 12-issue limited (or maxi) series (published bi-monthly) whose first issue was released with an October 2005 cover date (published on August 3). It… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (3:06:47) “The Legionnaires want to battle the Time Trapper but wind up as guests of Superboy in Smallville USA!” Timestamps: (00:46) Preamble (06:09) Part 1: Legion of Super-Heroes #37 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion (32:07) Main discussion… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (30:27) Stardate 2022.259. On this episode of Center Seat, my Star Trek podcast, I give you my thoughts on all the announcements and activities from the Star Trek Day 2022 livestream held on the 56th anniversary of TOS… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:51:11) On this Tales of the Legion Project, Peter and I discuss our first Legion issues! (00:14) Preamble (21:33) Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #254 discussion (51:48) Legion of Super-Heroes #304 discussion (1:31:16) Listener first issues (1:45:15)… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (46:47) I talk about many of the comic books I read in June 2022: Glacier City #2 Strange #1 Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #1 The Marvels #11 Something Is Killing the Children v4 (#16-20) The Case of… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (17:23) Welcome to the first installment of 1 Hit Wonders, where I will be talking about single issue titles that could have been or were specifically intended to be more than one issue, but were not, such as… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (32:01) I talk about many of the comic books I read in May 2022: Iron Man #16 Daredevil v6: Doing Time (#26-30) Solo HC (#1-12) Star Trek: Year Five v3 (Valentine’s Day Special, #20-25) Nightwing #91 Batman/Superman: World’s… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:30:56) Welcome to a special Tales of the Legion Project where we had a live Zoom chat with some wonderful conversation and guests: Al Sedano: https://resurrectionsadamwarlock.tumblr.com/ Ed Moore: https://twitter.com/TealProductions Darren Nowell: http://legionofsubstitutepodcasters.com/ The Legion Project Forum: https://justanotherfanboy.freeforums.net/board/19/legion-project Music… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (22:24) Recorded July 4, 2022. In this episode of The Gutters, my audio journal, I talk about my rage and disgust over recent political/judicial shenanigans (warning: language!), health issues, and some movie/tv/podcast talk. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com,… Continue reading →

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A while back, a friend (thanks Matt!) recommended Treehouse Comic Shop as an online source of mostly cheaper comic books, so I tried the service. Here are my thoughts. As you can see, the main page lists “latest additions” to… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (45:47) Spotlighting Troy Wilson, author of several picture books, including Perfect Man with Dean Griffiths and Hat Cat with Eve Coy. He has written several other picture books, as well as stories for kids’ magazines and some comics.… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (23:46) Spotlighting select offerings from the July 2022 Previews catalogs. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, call or text me (1-208-953-1841), chat with me @longboxreview on Twitter, or visit longboxreview.com. Leave a 5-star review! Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Thanks for listening!

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Direct Download (11:17) Spotlighting the comic book news for July 2022. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, call or text me (1-208-953-1841), chat with me @longboxreview on Twitter, or visit longboxreview.com. Leave a 5-star review! Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Thanks for listening!

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Direct Download (2:05:43) “In the aftermath of the Universo Project, a new Legion leader is elected.” Timestamps: (00:44) Preamble, Five Year Anniversary plans, and Legion Omnibus discussion (12:52) Legion of Super-Heroes #36 synopsis, general thoughts, and cover discussion (34:29) Main… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:08:08) Spotlighting comic book news (including Eisner Awards nominees), June 2022 Previews, and the Fantastic Comic Fan podcast — https://fantasticcomicfan.podbean.com/. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, call or text me (1-208-953-1841), chat with me @longboxreview on Twitter, or visit longboxreview.com. Leave… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:36:30) Welcome to the Tales of the Legion Project where we discuss Legion of Super-Heroes material outside of the Baxter run. This episode we discuss the final six issues of the Sook/Bendis produced Legion and other related items.… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (37:00) I talk about many of the comic books I read in April 2022: The All-Nighter v1 (#1-5) Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #4 Infinite Frontier #5-6 Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect #1-2 Angela Della Morte v1 (#1-4) Iron Man… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (30:53) Spotlighting comic book news, May 2022 Previews, and Everyone Is Tulip by Dave Baker (writer), Nicole Goux (artist and co-colorist), and Ellie Hall (co-colorist) — https://everyoneistulip.com/. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, call or text me (1-208-953-1841),… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:36:56) Recorded Thanksgiving week 2021, Madison joins me to talk about one of her favorite comic books, Primer: A Superhero Graphic Novel by Gretel Lusky, Jennifer Muro, Thomas Krajewski, and Wes Abbott. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, chat with… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:51:42) Welcome to the Tales of the Legion Project where we discuss Legion of Super-Heroes material outside of the Baxter run. This episode we discuss the first six issues of the Sook/Bendis produced Legion. Timestamps: (00:38) Preamble (08:28)… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (49:27) I talk about many of the comic books I read in March 2022: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #3 1st Issue Specials HC (#1-3, 5-8, 10-13) Secret Society of Super-Villains v1 (#1-10) DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #19… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (36:37) Spotlighting comic book news, April 2022 Previews, and The Deadliest Bouquet by Erica Schultz (writer), Carola Borelli (artist), and Gab Contreras (colorist ) — https://www.ericaschultzwrites.com/shop/. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, chat with me @longboxreview on Twitter, or visit longboxreview.com. Leave a 5-star… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (55:13) Three guests — Travis, Matt, and Damian — join me to recommend five comic books around the theme of “First” to give you a Totally Awesome Week of Comics! What could those five comic books be? Listen… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:47:52) The Universo Project Chapter 4 “The ‘Forgotten Legionnaires’ finally have their showdown with Universo!” Timestamps: (00:45) Preamble, new Legion releases, and a few thoughts on Justice League vs LSH #1 (09:25) Legion of Super-Heroes #35 synopsis, general… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (23:36) In honor of my daughter’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Punkin’!), I converted a YouTube only video for the podcast feed where I talk about the following comic books that came out in March 1990: Daredevil #280 Legion of… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (39:56) I talk about many of the comic books I read in February 2022: X-Men v3 Young Justice v3: Warriors and Warlords Amazing Spider-Man #39 (Nuff Said) Suicide Squad: Bad Blood Giant Days v9 Ms. Marvel v1: No… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (31:41) I Am Hexed by Kirstin Thompson (writer), Christianne Gillenardo-Goudreau (artist on issue 1-2), Amagoia Agirre (issues 3-4), & Taylor Esposito (letters) — https://www.iamhexed.com/ Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, chat with me @longboxreview on Twitter, or visit longboxreview.com. Leave a 5-star review! Apple… Continue reading →

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Direct Download (1:13:27) I joined Damian (aka Sleepy Reader) to discuss the six-issue, 2003 series Arrowsmith by Kurt Busiek, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino, Alex Sinclair, and Comicraft. Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, chat with me @longboxreview on Twitter, or visit longboxreview.com. Follow Damian on Twitter… Continue reading →

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/longbox/LBR_0210.mp3 Direct Download (45:23)

I talk about the comic books I read in January 2022:

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1-2
Defenders #1
Nightveil #1
Strange Tales #163 (Nick Fury)
Friday v1
X-Men (2019) v2
Are You Listening?
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me
Department of Truth v2: The City Upon a Hill
November v2-4
Infinite Frontier #2
Nice House on the Lake #1-2
Superman: Red & Blue
The Marvels #6
Serial #9
Firefly Holiday Special
Commanders in Crisis v2: The Reaction

Please send your comments to longboxreview@gmail.com, chat with me @longboxreview on Twitter, or visit longboxreview.com.

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/longbox/LBR_0209.mp3 Direct Download (1:00:07)

Mark Waid’s FB post about Brian Augustyn.

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