AARON AND AHMED HC (MR)

ABYSS FAMILY ISSUES #2 (OF 4)

ALEX TOTH ADVENTURES JON FURY IN JAPAN SPECIAL

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #38 

ANNIHILATORS #2 (OF 4) 

ARCHIE BEST OF DAN DECARLO HC VOL 02 

AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE #5 (OF 9)

AVENGERS THOR CAPTAIN AMERICA OFF INDEX MU #12  

AXE COP BAD GUY EARTH #2 (OF 3)  

BATMAN BEYOND #4     

BETTY #191

BLUE ESTATE #1 (MR) 

BOYS #53 (MR) 

BOYS TP VOL…

The cover of Metal Men # 33 (Aug.-Sep., 1968) announced the New Metal Men.

And as savvy DC fans of the Silver Age understood, “New” was not a good thing.

As most of you know, I use the year 1968 to demark the end of the Silver Age.  For a variety of reasons resulting from behind-the-scenes events too detailed to go into now.  But…

Over at my website, Comics on the Brain, I take a look at 15 of my favorite cartoon title sequences. Now I'll be the first to admit that my list is just for me. It isn't the "Best Ever" or "World's Greatest" cartoon opening titles. They're just mine, as shaped by my own experience.

(And boy do I get…

Mr. Silver Age's recent re-posting of his article of the New Metal Men reminded me that, back in June of 2007, I ran two consecutive Deck Log entries on Doc Magnus' merry robot band.  Since you can never have too much perspective on events from past comics…

Doc Magnus’ creations tried on new identities as The Silver Age was winding down

Dear Mr. Silver Age,

It is my understanding that near the end of their illustrious Silver Age publishing run, The Metal Men adopted human identities. Why would such impressive super-heroes wish to perform such a contrary act?

Jim H.

Avengers Mansion.

Mr. Silver Age…

Sigil #1 by Mike Carey and Leonard Kirk

Ruse #1 by Mark Waid and Mirco Pierfederici

Sigil #1 is a brand new title with a long history.  The good news is that you don’t have to know that history in order to enjoy Sigil.  Mike Carey and Leonard Kirk craft an immediately accessible story for all ages. 

That’s what…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

March 22, 2011 -- I didn’t think I’d enjoy SHAZAM! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal (Abrams ComicArts, $35), but one look at the cover told me otherwise.

Abrams has been publishing various comics projects in extremely attractive packages…

5 RONIN #5 (OF 5)

ACTION COMICS #899   

AFTER DARK #3 (OF 3)   

AGE OF X UNIVERSE #1 (OF 2)

ALTER EGO #100 CENTENNIAL SC

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #657 BIG    

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #13 (MR)

AMORY WARS KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH 3 #9

ARCHIE #619  

ARCHIE AMERICANA SER TP V.12 BEST OF 90S BOOK 2 

AVENGERS #11  

BATMAN AND ROBIN BATMAN REBORN TP  

BEST OF DICK TRACY TP V.1

BLACK PANTHER MAN…

As always, when I devise a list of the top anything, it’s according to me.  As you might often find in the small print, your results may vary. 

1. Fables (2002)

The single most consistently excellent comic book of the ‘Aughts.  Fables became the face of Vertigo and defined the imprint as much as Swamp Thing or Sandman.  It introduced…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

March 15, 2011 -- When Dark Horse began reprinting Flash Gordon comic books last year (as opposed to the more famous comic strips, by Alex Raymond and Mac Raboy) I wondered “Why bother?” The recently released second volume answers my question.

Flash…

5 RONIN #4 (OF 5)

ALAN MOORE NEONOMICON #4 (OF 4) (MR)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #654 2ND PTG

ANGEL #43

ARCHIE 50 TIMES AN AMERICAN ICON SC

ARCTIC MARAUDER HC (MR)

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN WOLVERINE #5 (OF 6)

BACK ISSUE #47

BATMAN INCORPORATED #4

BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #21 

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #2 

CAPTAIN AMERICA #615 POINT ONE  

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BATROC #1 

CAPTAIN AMERICA…

Fellow Legionnaire, Culture Vulture (Mike Williams), iscompiling a list of the top 100 most memorable moments in comic books.  I figured that if I’m going to do all of the work in submitting a list, I might as well get a column out of it.  It’s comparable to a baseball reporter…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

March 8, 2011 -- Maybe I’m just a sap, but two new graphic novels made me feel warm and fuzzy this week.

The Story of Lee (NBM, $11.99) is a shojo (romance) manga about a Hong Kong girl and a Scottish boy stumbling over language barriers, family…

28 DAYS LATER #21

5 RONIN #3 (OF 5) AJA VAR (PP #954)

5 RONIN #3 (OF 5) CAMUNCOLI VAR

ADVENTURE COMICS #524

AGE OF HEROES TP

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #656 BIG

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #656 CAPTAIN AMERICA 70TH  ANNIV VAR BIG

AMORY WARS IN KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH 3 TP VOL 02

ARCHIE & FRIENDS #153

ARTIFACTS #6 (OF 13) CVR A NOTO

ARTIFACTS #6 (OF 13) CVR B CHRISTOPHER

AVENGERS ACADEMY #11

AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE YOUNG AVENGERS…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely did something relatively new and entirely entertaining with their 12-issue All-Star Superman comic book. The animated adaptation from Warner Premiere isn’t nearly as ground-breaking, but still may be the best of the DC…

It’s no secret that comic book sales are in trouble.  After a high in 2007, sales have been slumping for several years.  And practically everyone seems to have noticed.  You don’t have to travel very far on the internet to come across a discussion about the state of the slump, the cause or the cure.  Of course, having some interest in the topic, I haven’t exactly attempted to…

27 (TWENTY SEVEN) #4 (OF 4)  

5 RONIN #2 (OF 5)

ALL NEW BATMAN THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #5  

BATMAN AND ROBIN #21 

BATMAN INCORPORATED #3   

BIRDS OF PREY #10    

BOOSTER GOLD #42  

BORIS KARLOFF TALES OF MYSTERY ARCHIVES HC V5 

BPRD HELL ON EARTH GODS #3 (OF 3)

CALLING CTHULHU CHRONICLES TP     

CAPTAIN ACTION WINTER SPECIAL  

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND FIRST THIRTEEN #1    

CAPTAIN AMERICA KORVAC SAGA #4 (OF…

“I was working in the lab, late one night, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight . . . .”

Blame it on William Dozier.  He was the television producer who brought Batman to the airwaves.  Batman debuted on 12 January 1966 and grabbed the public like few TV shows, before or since, have.  Those of you who weren’t around then and watch…