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From the Archives: Deck Log Entry # 90 Death in the Silver Age---Mark Merlin, R. I. P.

If you lived in the DC universe in the 1950’s and were a greedy relative or unscrupulous lawyer trying to swindle someone out of his fortune by posing as a ghost or a space alien or a time-traveller, you didn’t stand a chance.  Not with all the DC sl

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Deck Log Entry # 229 Happy Thanksgiving 2020!

Even now, Maria would be considered a firebrand.

 

She was born in Massachusetts, to a sickly and emotionally distant mother and a stern, religiously devout father named Francis.  Mr. Francis was a successful baker, so she grew up in a solidly middle

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Deck Log Entry # 232 A Forgotten Gem: Superman # 172 (October, 1964)---Part Two

Previously, in "The New Superman":

 

After a deadly green comet robs Superman of his powers, his hand-picked successor, Ar-Val of Kandor, takes over as the New Superman.  When Lex Luthor and Brainiac team up to enact a scheme of villainy, Ar-Val refuse

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Okay, once and for all.........

...Has anyone here seen comic books, standard-sized, on sale at ANY non-comics shop in 2020. The last 6 month's obviously everything has been upturned, but in the first 3 months of 2020 and since them, has ANYONE, other than Walmart and whatever othe

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Deck Log Entry # 230 Merry Christmas 2020!

In our nearly three decades together, one area in which the Good Mrs. Benson and I still disagree is the subject of music.  I sensibly maintain that little good music has come out since, oh, 1965, and the further one gets from that year, the occurren

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Deck Log Entry # 227 The Silver-Age Challenge---the Legion of Super-Heroes Edition II . . . Answers!

I expected a Legion quiz to get a robust response, and you fellows didn't disappoint.  Lots of lively speculation on the possible right answers and, in at least two cases, answers other than the ones I intended, but had to rule them correct.  We'll g

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Deck Log Entry # 225 Dueling Scars

The first time we heard the story, it was put straightforward enough.

 

"Years ago, in my college days, there was a student named Victor von Doom, who was fascinated by sorcery and black magic.  He was a brilliant science student, but he was only inter

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Deck Log Entry # 222 Passing the Bat-Torch---Part One

The Silver-Age Alfred was a real Renaissance man:  butler, chef, actor, medic . . . and author!

 

Actually, he was more of a frustrated writer---because his work could never be published, nor even read.  Except by two other people.

 

I'm talking, of cour

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Deck Log Entry # 226 The Silver-Age Challenge---the Legion of Super-Heroes Edition II

At the conclusion of last year's Silver-Age challenge, I told you guys that I already had the questions for this year's quiz prepared.  Well, I did, as in past tense.  Last week, when I gave them a final scrubbing, I discovered that I had forgotten t

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Deck Log Entry # 224 Mort Weisinger and the "Old Look" Batman

If you knew nothing about the Silver Age of Comics except for what you read in my Deck Log, you'd still be aware of the big change in Batman that Julius Schwartz wrought when he became editor of the Bat-titles in 1964.  I've talked about it often eno

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Deck Log Entry # 223 Passing the Bat-Torch---Part Two

Many Silver-Age DC titles instituted their own continuing features.  A series within a series, so to speak.  Green Lantern ran annual tales involving Hal Jordan's two brothers and his sister-in-law's mistaken belief that youngest brother Jim was the

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Deck Log Entry # 221 Merry Christmas 2019!

Holidays are marked by traditions, and any given tradition has many fathers.  Nearly all of the time, it's impossible to trace a tradition's beginning to one specific instance.  Still, if you happen to be in Cleveland, Ohio, drop by the corner of Lak

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Deck Log Entry # 220 Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

Pretty much the whole year, but especially as the summer winds down, I keep my eyes peeled for a good Thanksgiving tidbit to share with you in my annual turkey day entry.  Some of them---such as Sarah Hale, authoress of the poem "Mary's Lamb" (Mary h

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Deck Log Entry # 219 So, You Want to Join the Mystery Analysts . . . .

You are looking at the meeting room of a unique and exclusive club, the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City, experts at the business of solving bizarre mysteries . . .

 

 Thus began one of the more fondly remembered features of Julius Schwartz's "New Look"

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Deck Log Entry # 218 The Silver-Age Challenge---Marvel Edition III . . . Answers!

So, how did you do?

 

Actually, by my tally, you all---the four of you who participated:  Philip Portelli, Jeff of Earth-J, Fraser Sherman, and my old pal, Eric Sofer, the Silver-Age Fogey---did very well, which hasn’t surprised me for a long time.  Yo

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Deck Log Entry # 216 A Forgotten Gem: Justice League of America # 27 (May, 1964)---Part Two

Naturally, you might be asking:  “Why Justice League of America # 27?”  After all, there were more significant JLA stories published during its Silver-Age existence.  Indeed, there were, and they are all stand-out adventures.  But also hardly the typ

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From the Archives: Deck Log Entry # 52 Timely Questions---Part Two

Over at Marvel, editor Stan Lee was, apparently, able to resist the temptation to use time-travel plots for stories.  At least, on a regular basis.

 

Nearly all of DC’s title heroes had a regular method for travelling through time, as did many of its s

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Deck Log Entry # 217 The Silver-Age Challenge---Marvel Edition III

I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to come up with this year’s quiz in time for the summer.  Last year, I went with general Silver-Age DC questions, so this year it was Marvel Comics’ turn.  And when it comes to the mighty Marvel universe, it’s always hard

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Deck Log Entry # 214 Lois Lane's Three Super-Cupids

Ask the question, “Who is Superman’s girl friend?”, and even those folks who’ve never seen a Superman movie or television show or comic book will quickly answer, “Lois Lane!”

 

That’s because there are few couples as iconic in popular culture. Since th

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Deck Log Entry # 215 A Forgotten Gem: Justice League of America # 27 (May, 1964)---Part One

“The ‘I’ Who Defeated the Justice League”

 

Editor:  Julius Schwartz   Writer:  Gardner Fox   Art:  Mike Sekowsky (pencils), Bernard Sachs (inks)

 

 

To anybody who’s read my various Silver-Age writings across the Internet, it will come as no surprise tha

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