D-Cember 30th – And I am outta here

30 Day Challenge Question 30: Favourite Event

Events, the bane of a comic fan’s life, or the best of stories, epic in scale and consequence. In regards to DC, I missed most of them up until 1994, so my first one was 1994’s Zero Hour

Dan Jurgens wrote and drew this story, which took threads from Green Lantern and 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths to tell a cracking story that while convoluted, still manages to entertain and launched yet another reboot/relaunch to sort their continuity out. To be honest, it didn’t work and most of the effects of Zero Hour have been undone at least once, but it was a great story to be collecting as it came out.

 

SuperSam’s answer

This was a very one answer question since the only one he knew about was Crisis.

Crisis on Infinite Earths came out between 1985 and 1986 and had 12 issues written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Perez both creators were on a roll with The New Teen Titans and were very well regarded by peers and fans alike. It saw the death of Supergirl, the final run of the Flash and the death of the Multiverse and it was a comic I read to my son a few years ago. It’s as good as it ever was and deserves its place in comic book history.

Other Stuff

Well, that’s this second 30-day challenge done and also as of tomorrow that’s 2019 done as well. I do intend to post more regularly (but not daily) but I am glad I decided to see this through.

See you next year internet people, love to you all.

 

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D-Cember 29th – Almost there

30 Day Challenge Question 29:  Favourite Series to Recommend

Marvel and DC Comics suffer from the narrative problem of the perpetual 2nd act. We get the origin and then the second act and then….. nothing because these stories do not end. In their normal run, we won’t get to see  Batman retire, Aquaman abdicate to his son or when the Teen Titans are no longer teens. So when we refer to Superman’s never ending battle, that’s the correct way to refer to it.

So we only get a couple of views of the end of that particular battle. Kingdom Come is one, the most famous one is Whatever Happended to the Man of Tomorrow. But for me the best of these is All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

This last days of Superman story was a love letter to the Silver Age, showcasing all of the things that made Superman great, even the silly things of it and can be appreciated by anyone from long time fans to someone new to the character.

SuperSam’s answer

This wasn’t a wholly DC story, but a collaboration with IDW. Batman Adventures/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Tonally, they couldn’t be further apart, but this was a great series that showcased the characters beautifully. When I asked SuperSam why he chose it, his answer was brilliant in it’s succinctness.

“Because its fun.”

He’s a good boy.

 

D-Cember 28th Keeping track of the Days

30 Day Challenge question 26: Favourite elementalist

Wasn’t a difficult choice this, I went back to the ancient elements based character and I chose Firestorm.

An attempt to do a sort of Spider-Man like character, Firestorm was the synthesis of Professor Martin Stein and high-school slacker Ronnie Raymond. Martin as the brains and Ronnie was the body and the two became quite well-regarded superheroes as well as members of the satellite era Justice League.  Though nuclear in origin, fire is at the heart of what this guy both did and what he looked like, very few people can pull off the head on fire look.

Super Sam’s answer

Volcana from Superman the Animated Series

She was a villain whom he can understand and feel sympathetic towards and he was always happy to see her again, when she showed up again.

30 Day Challenge Question 27: Favourite non-human race.

There’s a lot to choose from here, DC has no shortage of alien species, going from the human-like (braalians, daxamites and thanagarians) to the bizaare (martians, xudarians and whatever the hell Mogo is) so this was a hard one, but I went with the Durlans.

 

Alongside the Skrulls from Marvel, the Durlans are shapeshifters and use stealth and guile to achieve their goals. Unlike the Skrulls, they have more mystery to them, cloaked from one another and everyone else and they aren’t as arch as the Skrulls and often you’re not sure whose side they are on. During the Invasion, they were clearly badguys, but one of the Reep Daggle, serves proudly as the Legionnaire Chameleon Boy. It’s that sense of mystery as much as their appearance that puts them in this top spot.

 

SuperSam’s answer

DC’s first alien race and the one we have seen the most of in different ways: Kryptonians.

From the Silver age’s Buck Rogers-esque version, to Byrne’s cold Man of Steel version and the Superman the Movie version, Krypton is always interesting to see. SuperSam’s preferred version is the DCAU version, with a heroic edge to them and the first episode of that series was entirely set on Krypton and he was fascinated by the whole thing.

30 Day Challenge Question 28: Favourite Era

There’s no real picture to go with this one, but for me, the best era was that period from 1994 that followed on from Zero Hour: Crisis in Time.

Once Zero Hour 0 was done every current DC title as well as several ones that started there got a 0 issue. It was either a look back at the past, an origin or something that fell into the zero issue mileu.

It was line-wide jumping on points and I started reading many titles as a result. I really got into the DCU at that time and every now and again I go back. It’s a period that meant a lot to me and one that re-reading still gets a smile from me.

SuperSam’s answer

The only era that has made any impact on SuperSam in terms of the comics has been Rebirth. A couple of years ago, we were at a comic mart in Manchester and SuperSam looked through long-boxes and it was  for Rebirth comics, which like Zero Hour had definitive jumping on points before going onto ongoings. He may never get the bug again, but he did that day and it was somewhat magical.

Other Stuff

We’re in that limbo b’twixt Christmas and New Year, where you have to try and work out what day it is all the time. Due to circumstances, the three of us took my nephew to the Riverside Bowl and had a game f Laser Tag and a frame of Ten Pin Bowling, all kinds of fun was had.

We are near the end of this little experiment Internet People, I am ready for D-Cember and 2019 to be done. See you all soon.

D-Cember 26th

30 Day Challenge question 25: Favourite video game

Given the family’s fondness for lego co-operative games, there was only one answer.

A worthy companion to the Marvel Superheroes game this was, for the most part a hell of a lot of fun. Good controls, loads of characters and there is always something to do.

I haven’t put a SuperSam answer in, because it’s a family feeling, everyone enjoyed it. Well, not the dog.

Back soon internet people.

D-Cember 24th

30 Day Challenge Question 24: Favourite cartoon adaptation

Superman the Animated Series was the follow up to the epoch-making Batman series and using the same animation style expanded the world into a more Sci-Fi direction. It had a great cast and some great stories.

It even showcased the Fourth World, bringing it to a new audience.

Super Sam’s answer

Taking the mantle from Justice League, this show had a massive cast and some brilliant stories. SuperSam and I are currently watching through it. When I asked for his reason, he just told me it was awesome, what else did he have to say.

Other stuff

Christmas Eve is here and I am out of here for a day or so.

Have a great Christmas time internet people. And if Christmas isn’t your thing, then have fun whatever you do or whatever you celebrate.

My love to you all.

D-Cember 23rd – Last Minute Panic Buying?

30 Day Challenge Question 23: Favourite method of transportation

It’s back to the Fourth World for this one

When you want to make an entrance, what better way to do so than a sonic boom?

The New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips travelled in style you have to admit that. At least they don’t have to knock on the door, you already know that they have arrived.

Other stuff

Christmas shopping and you can see the panic in the eyes of so many fellas as they last minute the shit out of their Christmas shopping.

I know, because what was I doing this morning?

D-Cember 22nd – A world very much like our own.

30 Day Challenge Question 22: Favourite dimension

Straght away this was Earth 2.

DC’s multiverse was often used as a way to tell alternate stories as well as preserve IP. Before 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths these worlds kept characters that DC used in the past as well as others that they had acquired. Earth-X was Quality Comics characters, Earth-S was Fawcett Comics and Earth-4 was Charlton Comics, but before all that there was Earth-2. Earth 2 was the home of the Justice Society of America (the first ever Superhero Team), the stand-in for the Golden Age Superman as well as ancillary teams the All-Star Squadron and Infinity Inc.

I wrote about my fondness for this concept here.

D-Cember 21st – I can breathe

30 Day Challenge Question 21: Most memorable death

What else could I pick but the first?

It’s part of the first superhero’s origin as well as the first one that I experienced as a fan.

Krypton was a world of unparalleled science and wonder, but ultimately its a memory held by a hero who didn’t grow up there. Who knows who Kal-El could have been there, but we know who he became because of the world’s death.  The only DC deaths that have been anywhere near as memorable were that of the Waynes and maybe Superman’s itself.

 

Christmas shopping as the family has started the final lap before Christmas. Best wishes to you and yours.

 

D-Cember 20th – I can see the weekend from here

30 Day Challenge Question 20: Ideal Casting

Through the efforts of The MIGHTY Rosie, we have a copy of season one of Human Target. Loosely (and i mean loosely) based on a DC comics character called Christopher Chance, who doubles as people to save them from various threats, this show was about Christopher Chance, who is a bodyguard who inserts himself into the situation, provokes and neutralises the threat. It’s a popcorn fodder action show, but was very well done. It’s cast was very good with Jackie Earle Hayley as the understatedly dangerous Guerrero and Chi McBride playing Mr Winston who is doing his best to keep Chance alive as he does the same for others. The role of Chance was played by Mark Valley who was charming and affable, but certainly someone to be taken seriously and had the large and square jawed thing going for him. So he seemed a good pick for another square jawed hero.

  as  ?

 

SuperSam’s answer

Now almost certainly this was inspired by his star turn in Into the Spider-Verse, but SuperSam saw Nicolas Cage as an animated Batman

 

It’s a little tongue in cheek, but it’d probably be fun.

Other stuff

This  is my last day in work Ho Ho Ho

Christmas is coming

D-Cember 19th – 2 Days to go

30 Day Challenge Question 19 – Least favourite comic to screen character adaptation.

For me there was almost no question where I would go

Here’s the thing, I am very comfortable with different actors portraying the same character. I had no problem with Christopher Reeve, George Reeves, Henry Cavill or  Dean Cain as Superman, I bought each one as them with little problem. Equally Christian Bale, Adam West, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck all sold me on being Batman without any problems at all. When it comes to Joker, there’s been Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix have all been the Joker. But I drew the line at Jared Leto as the Joker. I just didn’t recognise the character at all, it just wasn’t there. I don’t know that it was the actor either, since Jared Leto has done great work elsewhere, but it is what it is, someone had to be the least favourite and there was a clear choice there.

 

Other Stuff

Stress ahoy as the workload goes mental and I lose out on sleep. But I am christmas shopping tonight and I have only got to put up with this for one more day after today and then there’s a well deserved break.

 

TTFN Internet People.