New Blog: Superheroes Every Day

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Back in April, while perusing the internet for the Dark Shadows Cookbook, I discovered (in a classic case of bad-timing) Danny Horn's "Dark Shadows Every Day Blog"... two weeks before it came to an end. But now he's got a new blog, and here's his introduction to it (complete with link)...

"Hey everyone! I talked in my final Dark Shadows post about a new project coming up, and here it is: Superheroes Every Day — the history of superhero movies, in order and in detail.

"The story starts with Superman: The Movie in 1978, and goes chronologically from there. The structure is very similar to this blog: talking about the movie from scene to scene, with lots of backstory and insight and crazy side trips. It’s about movies and comic books and money and singing cowboys and tax evasion and exploding scientists, and that’s just the beginning.

"Even if you’re not into superhero movies — if you love Dark Shadows Every Day, then you will love Superheroes Every Day. Come take a look, and if you like it, tell your friends! See you there."

Danny Horn is super-funny, and I am currently reading old posts to his Dark Shadows blog... well, every day. He said to "tell your friends" so I'm posting his notice here. I think many of you who post here will like it. 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Danny Horn is writing about comic books again, in this case Superman Family #205-213, 1981.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

As the Superheroes Every Day blog is about to begin 1982's Swamp Thing, I'll just note that it's free to stream on Tubi. (You can also rent it for $3.99 on Apple+, but you're probably better off seeing it with commercials, just to give yourself a break!) The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) has the same options... but the Apple rental is $4.99.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"The Mysteries of Alessandro" is pretty funny.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Danny Horn's treatment of Superman III began yesterday.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Danny Horn has taken a day off from his in-depth treatment of Superman III to post his thoughts about Wakanda Forever.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"Superheroes Every Day" is covering the Action Comics of 1983 today.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Today, "Superheroes Every Day" (which has become "Superheroes Every Week") takes a look at the Lana Lang of the comics: The Girl Who Waited. Comics referenced include...

• Superboy #10 (Sept/Oct 1950): “The Girl in Superboy’s Life!”
• Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #7 (Feb 1959): “The Girl Who Stole Superman”
• Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #33 (May 1962): “The Phantom Lois Lane!”
• Superman #150 (Jan 1962): “The Duel Over Superman!”
• Action Comics #499 (Sept 1979): “As the World Turns… for the Last Time!”

[Luke Blanchard]

Re Action Comics in 1983-

The Luthor story in Action Comics #544 was inked by Murphy Anderson. He and Swan were as great a team as ever.

There was a period around the early 1980s where DC's German affiliate wanted more Superman material than DC was producing, so extra stories were produced by Schwartz's office. Some of these appeared in the US but not all. The Planeteer, Zod Squad and #550 stories are cases. So are the stories in Superman Special #1-#3.

When the JLA and Titans guested in #546 New Teen Titans was at the height of its success. Mike's Amazing World says the issue came out the same month as New Teen Titans #34 and Annual #2. (It was also the month Batman and the Outsiders started, after a preview in The Brave and the Bold #200 the month before.)

#542 was the start of a storyline in which Vandal Savage ran a corporation and posed as a benefactor of humanity and Superman couldn't expose his malfeasance, foreshadowing the Wolfman/Byrne handling of Luthor post-Crisis. It was also the beginning of Superman's breakup with Lois, leading into a period where Lana was his girlfriend which continued up to Crisis. The move was likely an accommodation of Superman III's use of Lana, but some of the guys on staff at DC at the time may also have had a preference for her. When was introduced into the regular Bronze Age cast (in 1977) she was written as conniving and unlikeable, but by this point she'd become nice. 

I remember reading a comics press article that was positive about the Wolfman/Kane issues, but I think they haven't held up well. The sequence in #544 depicting Brainiac's transformation is somewhat like the origin of Dr Evil from Captain Action. It also makes use of the cosmic hand imagery from Green Lantern #40, which Wolfman used again, differently, in Crisis on Infinite Earths #10. The story in 1982's Legion of Super-Heroes #295 was also built around the Green Lantern story.

Kane did other Superman stuff in the period, including the stories in Superman Special #1-#2. He wrote #1's himself. The story in #2, by Bates, was an alternative sequel to the Wolfman/Swan Brainiac story in Action Comics #528-#530 that the #544 story used as its starting point. Special #2 presents its story as an imaginary story, what might have happened instead, but since it was created for the German market I assume it was actually written first.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Danny Horn blogs about more Superman and Action Comics of 1983 here. Every time I read one of these posts I become increasingly frustrated with DC Comics for not releasing this material in omnibus format. (They could if they wanted, you know.)

[Luke Blanchard]

Thanks, Jeff. Note the 80s women's fashions.

Curt Swan's work went through a dull patch coming into the 80s and improved enormously in this period. His lead inker was Dave Hunt, whose inking is Joe Sinnott-ish. Elliot S. Maggin had returned to the feature, and did some very nice stories (and a couple of duds). Unfortunately, Cary Bates's stuff increasingly ran on grooves. Paul Kupperberg also wrote for the Super-titles, but more the spin-offs.

Mike's Amazing World tells me the back-ups were dropped coming into 1983.