We hold in our hands the covers for DC Comics this December. As a child of four can plainly see, these envelopes have been hermetically sealed. They’ve been kept in a #2 mayonnaise jar under Wikipedia’s porch since noon today.
Shall we? Surely!
As usual, spoilers may lurk beyond this point.
Dear DC,
You’re rebooting your universe, and I approve. Comic books should be rebooted every decade to keep them vital. Having a younger Superman who was never married makes sense. I only have one plea: please, keep Captain Marvel black.
I’m old enough to remember the early ‘70s when DC had the best female superheroes, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl, and Marvel had the best black superheroes, the Black Panther, the Falcon, and Luke Cage.
But everything changed in 1973 when DC expanded its universe with characters that had been published by other companies. Justice League #107 introduced the Quality Comics superheroes. Here’s that groundbreaking cover:
With one stroke, DC accomplished two things. One was obvious: it leapt ahead of Marvel on diversity, creating four African-American heroes, a Mexican-American Black Condor and a Japanese-American Human Bomb (which seems simplistic now, but was a daring commentary on nuclear weapons then).
Finally, DC’s new 52 launches (or is that relaunches?) today in stores and online with Justice League #1, written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Jim Lee, with inks by Scott Williams, colors by Alex Sinclair, and letters by Patrick Brosseau. I’m here with my tag-team partner in the caption box, Marc Alan Fishman, and we’re going to review this in real time. I’m writing the introductory information while Marc finishes up a different project and then reads–
OK. I couldn’t help myself. Read it.
Me too. Wasn’t that quick?
Yeah, and not in a good way. That was… terrible.
Wait, wait, wait. There’s a lot to like here, except the portion size.
I’m gonna take a hard stance on this. If I knew nothing of these characters? I didn’t find this appealing.
But seriously, how many people know nothing of Batman and Green Lantern?
That’s kind of my point. There was a lack of substance to the issue that reeks of everything I hate about comics from the 90s. The art is all flash, bangs, pops, pows, and gloriously meticulous fire / lasers / constructs … But seriously? If this were an animated episode? We just got the first 5 minutes.
10 minutes. But yes, it feels like too little, and that’s a problem.
And what exactly did we learn? Batman’s a cocky SOB, and GL is even cockier. And Superman? Even more? It was like the issue was on autopilot. It’s all establishing shots. Fine, I get that. But this issue is supposed to herald this huge coming together of heroes for the superlative team of all comicdom. If I am a new reader? I’m coming back, or more likely? I’m feeling short changed.
In the wake of Batman’s success in 1989, it appeared to renew interest in movies based on comic books. One of the first, and one of the worst, was the 1990 version of Captain America. The film had actually been announced in the early 1980s from Cannon Films but in the intervening years, the studio folded and the right shifted a bit before Menahem Golan mounted it under his 21st Century banner.
The movie languished in development until the rights were about to expire so director Albert Pyun urged Golan to let him take a crack at getting the film made for about $6 million. Marvel actually approved the script that was shot and Pyun loved its take on America’s fascination with heroism. If only some of that love found its way onto the screen.
The movie was shot in 1989 but wasn’t released theatrically and was finally dumped on video in 1992, where it was met with derisive laughter from comic book fans. Now, MGM’s Limited Edition collection has released the film as part of its print on demand operation. The print used is pretty crappy and dark and the film is at best a curiosity for collectors and fans alike.
The horrific script from Stephen Tolkin (from a story by Tolkin and Lawrence J. Block) pays lip service to the source material and leaves you scratching your head at the shoddy story construction and utter lack of characterization. Significant changes were made, none of the better starting with giving Steve Rogers polio as an excuse to keep him from enlisting. Then there’s the Red Skull (Scott Paulin) now an Italian fascist, which never made sense. On the other hand, both this film and the current blockbuster made the unnecessary dramatic change in linking Cap and the Skull by having them both be products of the Super Solider formula.
There’s Matt Salinger as Cap/Rogers who is anything but the American ideal and fairly wooden in performance, perhaps because they give him nothing to work with. His first mission leads to the rocket that sent him to an icy sleep in Alaska. He’s found and inexplicably breaks free and rather than ask his rescuers anything, he runs all the way to Canada. There’s little time spent on his cultural isolation and his interactions with others is laughably minimal. (more…)
August 26, 2011
Harlan Zinck, a long time member of the Radio Archives family, has moved on to take advantage of new opportunities. Radio Archives wishes Harlan all the best in his future endeavors.
Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, the character of Sherlock Holmes was a fixture of American broadcasting almost from the beginning of network radio. First heard over NBC in the fall of 1930, Holmes and Dr. John Watson – his friend, right-hand man, and chronicler (his “Boswell” as Holmes called him) – were portrayed by a number of actors on screen and on radio throughout the 1930s. Most definitely the appearance of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in the 1939 20th Century Fox film “The Hound of the Baskervilles” created, for many, the perfect embodiment of the characters. Because of this, Rathbone and Bruce would come to be seen as Holmes and Watson in the flesh for the next six years – both on radio, in series for NBC and Mutual, and in a lengthy series of second features made for both Fox and Universal through 1945. 
Order one of the following Audio CDs or DVD:
Ride the Vocal Range with America’s Singing Cowboy – Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch! Follow Ann Sothern’s antics as that Jill-of-all-trades – The Adventures of Maisie!
Fighting his way from Dime Novels to Radio – The Adventures of Frank Merriwell! 
The Pulp Era’s greatest superman journeys to the American West in classic pulp thrillers by Lester Dent writing as “Kenneth Robeson.” First, a bequest from a dying scientist leads Doc Savage to Death Valley in search of a long-dead pirate’s legendary treasure. Can this amazing invention allow The Pirate’s Ghost to speak from beyond the grave? Then, the Man of Bronze goes undercover at a Wyoming dude ranch to solve the bizarre puzzle of a strange Green Eagle with lead feathers. This special anniversary edition showcases the original color pulp covers by Emery Clarke, Paul Orban’s classic interior illustrations and an intriguing article by The Shadow’s famous raconteur, Walter B. Gibson. Priced at $14.95.
The Shadow Volume 52Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The Knight of Darkness wages war on criminal masterminds in two thrilling pulp novels by Walter Gibson and Theodore Tinsley writing as “Maxwell Grant.” First, The Shadow executes a deadly chess game with The Crime Master, an underworld kingpin whose amazing superbrain rivals his own. Who will have the last laugh? Then, the Master of Darkness seeks to unmask The Fifth Napoleon, the master plotter who commands New York’s four most powerful crime lords. This instant collectors’ item features both classic cover paintings by George Rozen, the original interior pulp illustrations by Tom Lovell, historical commentary by popular culture historian Will Murray plus a biographical article by Anthony Tollin on Frank Readick,.”The Man with The Shadow’s Laugh.” Available for only $14.95.
Many of Lester Dent’s famous touches are evident in this story — little things that would later show up in his Doc Savage stories. Great strength, for example. The Shadow, as described by the pen of Lester Dent, is capable of great strength. Even Walter Gibson’s Shadow was exceedingly strong, but Dent’s description of The Shadow’s display of strength seems quite familiar to anyone who has read Doc Savage. His grip is that of steel bands. He easily overpowers a foe of tremendous strength and throws him through a door, reducing it to splinters. And then, there’s the gadgets. Lester Dent loved to use gadgets in his stories. And although Walter Gibson enjoyed using them in his Shadow stories as well, he employed far fewer of them than did Dent. In this story, the coolest gadget of all is the actual statues of The Golden Vulture. Most are small statuettes of under two feet tall. But their insides contain enough electronics to receive and transmit both audio and video as well as enough explosive charges to create tremendous destruction.Read The Golden Vulture and another Shadow tale when you get your copy of The Shadow, Volume 1 available at RadioArchives.com for only $12.95.
Attention collectors and autograph seekers! Here’s a special offer just made for you. RadioArchives.com’s two new audiobooks, Python Isle and White Eyes, are now available in special signed limited editions, available only from RadioArchives.com!
Reviews are starting to come in for White Eyes, the latest audiobook from RadioArchives.com. And they’re just as enthusiastic as the reviews for our first audiobook, Python Isle. 
Radio Archives not only offers the finest Audio and Pulp Products, but we also give you awesome bargains with the RadioArchives.com Deal Of The Day! You can take advantage of Three Deals at All Times with the Deal of the Day! 
Once again, a look into the future, with some very interesting looks at the past, including the reprinting of a comic that was never released in America in the first place, the infamous Elseworlds 80 Page Giant that was pulped because of concerns about Superman’s babysitter.
And of course, a whole lot of #3 issues, which is traditionally the issue where Spider-Man guest stars.
Shall we? Surely!
As usual, spoilers may lurk beyond this point.
What better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon than watching one of those guys from the land where it rains all the time?
This 80-minute feature produced by Respect Films and Sequart contains interviews with Morrison, along with various folks he’s worked with and inspired throughout a thirty year career writing everything from All-Star Superman to Zenith, and just might give insight for what he’s going to do when he reboots Action Comics next month. (Not included is the story of how I saved Grant’s first Doom Patrol story from being completely incomprehensible.)
Enjoy.
I first encountered the legend of Dylan Dog back when I was trying to cover foreign comics while at Comics Scene and then wrote about the film adaptation a while back over at Famous Monster of Filmland. A PI in the world of things that go bump in the night sounded like a lot of fun. That the Italian comic has been running for decades also spoke to its creative spark and the genius of Tiziano Sclavi. Then I saw that this was going to Brandon Routh’s third film based on a comic book and figured he was 1 for 2 so far (entertaining in Scott Pilgrim, not served well by Superman Return’s lousy script) and might improve his average. He had certainly improved as an actor, as witnessed by Fear Itself and his recurring role on Chuck.
The trailers certainly made the movie look lighthearted and wonky, much like the comic source material so there was reason to be encouraged. The movie then opened and closed so fast there was little time to determine what went wrong (and if anything went right). 20th Century Home Entertainment pulled out all the stops (including a fun, interactive Facebook page) to promote the DVD, which arrived last week, making you think maybe this was some sort of overlook gem that just needed better marketing.
Nope. The film is still a creative misfire that pays the barest lip-service to the comics and carved its own niche of awfulness. Set in a supernatural New Orleans, the film features Routh as Dylan Dog, a former PI specializing in monsters but now just down on his luck. He’s lured back in to the world of vampires, werewolves, and zombies by those who wish to keep their existence low key so angry mobs don’t show up on a weekly basis. He’s hired by Elizabeth (Anita Briem), who saw a werewolf murder her father and steal the movie’s McGuffin, the Heart of Belial. Yes, rather than your typical investigation, Dylan immediately gets dragged back into the monster realm in time to prevent the end of the world. (more…)
Dylan Dog has sold over 60 million copies all over the world making it one of the most popular comic books around. Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, we examine the history behind Dylan Dog and the Italian comic series that was created by and originated in 1986. We will give fans background information on Dylan’s character and adventures, as well as educate fans of the flick to explain differences between the film and comic version.
Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) stars as Dylan Dog, a supernatural detective who will go where the living dare not — facing friend and foe alike in the monster infested backstreets of New Orleans. Armed with an edgy wit and an arsenal of silver and wood-tipped bullets, Dylan must solve a series of murders before an epic war ensues between his werewolf, vampire and zombie clients. Based on one of the world’s most popular comic books (over 60 million copies sold), this inventive horror comedy will slay you with humor and genuine frights.
Acclaimed horror director Kevin Munroe (TMNT) guides this comedic cast, which also includes Taye Diggs (Private Practice), Peter Stormare (Minority Report), Sam Huntington (Being Human) and (Kurt Angle (Death From Above). (more…)
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