I try to accommodate my readers.  Sometimes, it’s a snap, especially when the reader himself provides the inspiration, such as when Commando Cody raised the question of why Lightning Lad wasn’t held to task for killing Zaryan the Conqueror.

Other times, the sailing's not so smooth.  Figserello has been waiting for me to do a piece on Animal Man.  The hold-up…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

It’s always difficult to translate a classic work from one medium to another. But with The Complete Don Quixote (SelfMadeHero, $27.50), English illustrator Rob Davis not only makes it look easy, he makes it hilarious.

Credit where it’s due: The…

By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

May 14, 2013 -- When a movie makes nearly a billion dollars worldwide in a week, and has the second highest opening weekend in U.S. history, it’s worth a second column. So even though I wrote about The Mandarin in Iron Man 3 last week, I’m still getting questions about Tony Stark and his armored alter ego. Let’s answer a few:

Q: If Iron Man 3 had the…

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Captain America #7

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Clone #7

Crossed: Badlands #29 (MR)

Danger Girl: Trinity #2 (of 4)

Dark Avengers #190

Dead Mans Run #5

Deathmatch…

Two years ago, Dynamite launched a limited series to great fanfare.  Kirby: Genesis would feature characters from Kirby’s late career foray into independent comics, like Captain Victory and Silver Star, and even a few discarded ideas that had never seen publication before, like Tiger 28 and Midnight Swan.  Kurt Busiek, whose history with Jack Kirby’s characters goes…

I haven’t bought a comic book, at least not a current one, in over two decades.  But that doesn’t mean my head is in the sand when it comes to what the popular things are.  Fora like the Captain Comics message board keep me posted on that; I may not know the bit-and-piece details, but I am privy to the general ideas.  And one of the things which has vaguely amused me over the…

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Hey Kevin,

I finished reading your book, Of Games & God, this week. 

First of all, great job.  Your book was very readable.  I started it on the flight home and finished it a couple of days later.   I liked the way that you broke down the various…

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By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Iron Man 3 brings us The Mandarin, once the Armored Avenger’s greatest foe in the comics. But The Mandarin on the screen is considerably different than his comic-book counterpart, which I think even most comics fans will agree is a good thing.

The Mandarin…

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By Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Absolutely free!

Comics, that is, because Saturday, May 4, is Free Comic Book Day, when participating retailers give away comic books that publishers have specifically created for the event.  Many retailers turn FCBD – sometimes referred to as “Nerd Christmas” –…