Blog 2.0

"We were just sitting around talking, about how they've done the zero issues, and what's the most ludicrous thing you could think of in the other direction. Issue one million was the answer. I suggested it as a crossover and it just grew out of the idea of what would be these titles' millionth issues, and what year it would all take place in?"

Grant Morrison, describing the origin of DC One Million.

(from Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, 1999)

DC One Million hit an unsuspecting world in September 1998, when every single DC comic set in the DC Universe became involved in a huge crossover where we got to see what each title, and indeed the DCU itself, would look like in a million months from that time.  It was a five week month, during which every DCU title jumped forward to the year 85,265AD.  I've been meaning to look at this series as part of my JLA thread, which in turn is part of a look at most of Morrison's entire body of work.  However, thanks to a pointer from one of the contributers to the JLA thread, verified by some of my own research, I discovered that Morrison had a hand in virtually every issue that came out in that month.

Grant again:

"Oh yeah, that was the biggest work I've ever done, because basically I plotted everything that month, every single comic except for Hitman.  With that I just said, 'Garth, take the piss', that was my plot. The rest of it was quite detailed. The Batman stuff, the Superman stuff was really detailed. I plotted something like sixty-four comics that month and wrote five of them. It was big. That took a few months. I was working non-stop."

(NB:  Morrison is exagerating here, not that he has to.  Plotting around 35 comics to be ready in a single month and tying them all together is no mean feat itself.)

Having discovered that the mind-boggling architecture of the entire event and much of the plotting of each issue was down to the Mad Scotsman, I decided that I would have to go as deep into these comics as I could.  All the more so, because such a fan-pleasing, original and ambitious crossover appears to have gotten very little coverage on the comics internet.  I guess it is just too sprawling, and multi-faceted to be looked at as a complete body of work. Another mark against it is the hugely variable range of styles and indeed quality across the DC One Million titles.  Virtually every DC writer and artist from Morrison's JLA period were involved, with varying degrees of commitment and engagement.  The DC One Million titles range from perhaps my favourite single issue of any comic (Martian Manhunter 1,000,000), to perhaps one of the worst, most insulting comics I've ever read (Azrael 1,000,000).  So we get a fascinating, slightly off-centre snapshot of DC's entire superhero line and the talent then at the company, which I hope inspires some comment from nostalgic fanboys in the replies below.

There is a huge amount of material to get through, so these may be some of the longest blogs ever posted here.  Rather than just seeing a wall of text, I hope that the obliging reader will instead see these blog entries as mini-magazines with different sections to be read seperately.

The comics themselves might have appeared as random issues with a 853rd Century connection to the readers of the time, very few of whom would have bought into all the comics that month.  The central story, contained in DC One Million #1-4, Morrison's JLA 1,000,000 and  a few other key issues, was collected as JLA: One Million and it makes for a pretty good read.  However, many of the other issues can be grouped together into several strands that weave together into a larger story and many other issues are interesting standalones, or even, as is the case with Creeper, Chase, and Young Heroes in Love, were in effect the final issues of their respective series. 

So in each of these blog entries, I'll be picking out the themes and meanings of Morrison's work in my usual fashion, with particular emphasis on the 5 comics he scripted.  I also hope to highlight the complexity of the inter-related story strands, all of which Morrison was involved with to some extent or another.  Finally, I'm hoping to celebrate to some extent the DC comics of the late 20th Century, an area of superhero comics close to my heart.

DC One Million #1

We open ‘on the third day’ when Plastic Man and Zauriel rush back to the Watchtower monitor room to find that Vandal Savage has just nuclear bombed Montevideo.  This turns out to be the day when the JLA take up the offer from their 853rd century counterparts, the Justice Legion 'A', to travel to the future to take part in various challenges in front of huge crowds to celebrate the original Superman’s return from the sun in the far future.

The rest of the comic is a countdown to this moment.  DC One Million has a huge cast and a lot of story elements in play, in two time periods, and Morrison sets them all up in this 40 page comic.  The comic is quite dense and hardly a frame is wasted.  Character moments also push forward the plot or get across the dramatic tone that Morrison is going for.  As the icons talk about visiting the far flung future, their nervousness and excitement communicates to the reader what a big deal it is.  Even Batman is tempted to go.  That these heroes in particular, who have experienced so much weirdness, should be nervous about the future-shock they might experience in the world of Justice Legion A, goes a long way in setting up the awe and wonder of the 853^rdcentury.

Another thing that Morrison does to get across how special this event must be, is to establish within the story how difficult it was to arrange for the two teams to swap places.  The story emphasises that they can only do it for a brief period of time.  Superhero comics do suffer when jumps between realities or from one time period to another are presented as boringly regular and everyday events.

A conversation between two Golden Age heroes tells us that this is a flowering of what they begun.  Ted Knight, the first Starman can’t contain his excitement in a phone call to the Golden Age Flash:

“That dream we had.  That stupid idea when we were young that we could make things better...  It all comes true, Jay”.

It highlights the simple optimism and can-do spirit of the first generation of superheroes and perhaps, what superheroes are ultimately ‘for’!

As ‘our’ JLA prepare to leave, we get an exciting plot strand of the Titans as they were then - Arsenal, Aqualad, Jessie Quick - and Supergirl getting in way over their heads when they try to stop Vandal Savage buying some nuclear-armed Rocket Red armoured suits.  They actually end up in the suits and unconscious as Savage prepares to launch them as weapons in his drive to conquer the Earth.

The Titans are well cast in this role, as they are between books at this stage, but are still well-known to the readers.  (All readers except me in 1998, I suppose.  I really was the newbie reader that Morrison was writing towards at this time.  That I found his comics so welcoming at that stage probably speaks towards the success, then and now of this incarnation of the League.)

Leaving aside the plotting of the awe-inspiring mega-events in two time periods, the comic is peppered with lots of little details of the sort that make reading a Morrison comic a pleasure.  To give just two examples of his handle on the characters and his ability, in only a word or two, to show what makes them tick:

“Snnt!”  - Flash’s sniggering reaction to the news that Green Lantern’s Challenge Arena will be in a spaceship orbiting Uranus.

“Holy God!” - Plastic Man’s reaction to seeing the damage done to Montevideo by the first of Vandal Savage’s nuclear missiles.  Not only does the phrase subtly hint at Eel O’Brian’s Irish-American background, adding a bit of texture, but it’s one of the few panels in the whole series where the pliable prankster isn’t joking.

There is another little fleeting phrase that betrays the depth of thought Morrison puts into his best work.  The book ends with a glimpse of the Vandal Savage of the far future toasting the success of his plans with Solaris.  We get our first taste of the continuous babble of Headnet, the information-broadcasting system that links all the citizens of the far future.

One of the lines is: “Instant cosmos accessing your neurons wherever the Super-Sun shines...”

The future Starman has already explained to us the perhaps central aspect of life in the 853^rdCentury:

“Our entire culture organises itself around the processing of Information:  a gigantic network of star-computers link the entire galaxy, allowing us to trade new ideas with distant systems.”

In literary and figurative language, the sun’s light often stands for understanding and knowledge.  As used by us in phrases like 'The light dawned on him".  In a kind of alchemical, magickal way, Morrison is making the figurative real in his future world, where the stars are giant computers, processing information and broadcasting it to all.  In a way he is transforming the powerful figurative language of symbols, which we all use every day, into superheroic picture-poetry.  Suns that have become giant super-computers are exactly the kind of thing that some would use to accuse Morrison of wilful “weirdness for weirdness’ sake”.  I’d contend that there is deep systematic thought that goes into many of the ideas that confound those who only look for surface values in their comics.  This transmogrification of the conceptual and the literary into the literally real and visually represented is something playful and smart, that lends itself especially well to superhero comics.

DC One Million #1 is a fine opening chapter to the crossover, communicating the wonder and awe of what is about to happen in the 853^rd Century while establishing a large cast and an array of dazzling new concepts.  All while building up the storyline of Vandal Savage’s greatest push for world domination in 1998.

The rest of DC One Million - Week One

To help guide you through the many issues released under the DC One Million banner, I'll be including these panels from the backmatter for each issue, showing what was released each week.  The incredible thing is how, in the case of issues that weren't standalone, the events in subsequent week's issues follow on from the previously released issues.  The logistics and planning that went into this crossover must have been immense.  In the case of the major strands that run through several comics, I thought it would make for easier comprehension of the storylines if I presented them as a group, rather than divide them up over the different weeks.  It'll be up to you to notice where a comic is in the list for that week's releases, or where it is from a different week.  Well, I mentioned that the architecture of this crossover was complex!

Action Comics 1,000,000 – We'll cover this issue in a Superman strand in a later blog entry.

Shadow of the Bat 1,000,000 – “Neverending Story”.  This is a good origin of Batman 1m, framed by a story of the future Batman trying to get to the 20th Century Batcave to begin addressing the crisis.  Alan Grant supplies a tight script that owes something to the great European revenge westerns which he would seem to be a big fan of. 

Nightwing 1,000,000 – This is basically a long conversation between Nightwing and Batman 1m.  It's a fun bridge in the longer arc of Batman 1m stuck in the 20th Century, but it doesn’t have the good classical structure like Shadow.

Scott McDaniel’s art has element of ‘cartooning’, which is as good a point as any to remark that fashions have changed in comics in the last 15 years.

Green Lantern 1,000,000 – 'Star-Crossed'.  This Ron Marz/Brian Hitch collaboration gets across the pathos of Kyle Raynor being the only Green Lantern, subtly pointing out that his line doesn’t continue into the 853rd Century, whereas the rest of the major heroes have proud legacies.  This theme is presented in a very subtle ‘Morrisonian’ way, rather than hitting the reader over the head with it.  Subtle as it is, there is some payoff of this by the end of the series.

The scene-setting double page spread is very Alan Davis-esque, with wonderful artwork that leaves us in no doubt that we are dealing with a weird and wondrous alien culture.  As it should do!

Young Justice 'Just ice, cubed.' 

“Current Location: Pluto.  Current Time: Wednesday in the 853^rdCentury.” 

David's opening text-box betrays his iconoclastic and tongue-in-cheek approach to the material.  The future versions of Young Justice tell each other stories about their 20th Century counterparts, each more ludicrously ill-informed than the last. Superboy 1m's story parodies Doomsday.  Robin the Toy Wonder’s story conflates Final Night, No Man’s Land, Earthquake, Zero Hour and Knightfall, all told in a Batman, The Animated Series style.

This is a very fun issue, even though its clear David isn't taking it too seriously (perhaps because of this!)  It would have been a distraction for David anyway, as this was only the third or so issue of his Young Justice series to be published.

One of the few obvious discrepancies amongst all these tie-ins occurs here.  This story announces it takes place after Superboy 1m visits the Arctic in Superboy 1,000,000, but that story refers to the events here as if they were in the past. 

Perhaps its a minor time-anomaly caused by Hourman’s messing with Deep Time? 

Yeah, that’s it...

That this is practically the only major mix-up between so many comics, written by so many writers, many of which are connected directly to the others in terms of cause and effect, speaks well of Morrison’s overall architecture.

******************************

The Mercury Strand.

Finally we come to the first of our sections looking at comics which make up an inter-related strand.  Only two comics in this strand, both set on Mercury, and both featuring men in red suits with lightning flashes emblazoned on their chests.

Power of Shazam 1,000,000. 

This is a complex, disturbing story.  It's extremely downbeat, as the citizens of Mercury are shown as a thoughtless lot, avaricious for the currency of information, addicted to the babble of headnet, into Kingdom Come-style pointless super-powered fights. A lot happens here, new characters and their society are well drawn in a few pages and then developed and worked into a single story.

Morrison’s hand is evident in the mysteriousness of Shazam’s long slumber and Shazam’s base ‘the Rock of Eternity' being hidden away in a tesseract deep within the machinery of Mercury - the Information hub of the Solar System.  Shazam keeps being compared to the Flash in this story and mistaken for him, and we get hints in this story of Flash’s concurrent adventure, which wouldn’t appear until week 4.  This prefigures their team-up in Flash 1,000,000. 

This thematic association with the Flash prefigures how Morrison links them in his recent writing as bearers of the Mercury/Hermes Flash symbol of inspiration, and avatars of communication and the ‘magic’ of language and information. (Remember that Captain Marvel activates his powers by a Magic Word!)  In Supergods Morrison points out that the second Flash kicked off the Silver Age, and was there when the hugely significant contact with the Golden Age/Earth One was made.  He also notes that the star of the hugely popular and imaginative Captain Marvel comics, which outsold Superman's own comics for a time, also bore the flash symbol of lightning/inspiration descending from the heavens to the Earth.

So the Flash and what he and his Lightning iconography symbolise have great significance in Morrison’s ‘cosmology’ and in this story he is ‘bundling’ the two Lightning-emblazoned heroes that embody the forces of Hermes/Mercury together with the actual planet named Mercury and its 853^rd century role as the hub of information to the whole Solar System.  Again its a kind of poetry in pictures that would be impossible to do in other media.  There is a lot of this bundling and compressing of symbolic roles in Final Crisis, where several characters appearing in the same issue embody similar forces, so it’s interesting to realise that he was doing it in this phase of his career as well.  In the plot of The Power of Shazam 1,000,000, he addresses the dark side of the mercurial forces symbolised by the lightning.

At first I thought that this comic wouldn’t get MY glowing review, as it is so downbeat and paints the citizens of this corner of Morrison’s supposed Utopia as extremely cruel and petty.  The forces of creativity, communication and inspiration that Morrison normally speaks so highly of elsewhere manifest themselves here in the disturbing characteristics and behaviour of the citizens of Mercury.

They are addicted to information and the acquiring of it at all costs, thoughtlessly killing Sutra, the enterprising mother of the hero of the story, whilst stampeding over her in their rush for new experiences and information to acquire and sell.

However, thanks to the conceptual meat of Morrison's plotting and the excellent realisation of Morrison's ideas by Ordway and his collaborators, I eventually developed a higher opinion of this entry in the crossover.

Flash 1,000,000– “Fast Forward”  (Mark Waid and Michael Jan Friedman)

This wraps up some of the themes of the Power of Shazam issue, and seems at first glance to be a well-put-together but unexceptional superhero tale.  'Our' Flash has to save the world of Mercury one million months hence from the depradations of Commander Cold and Heatwave.  A closer look, however shows why Mark Waid is such a consummate professional and a wonderful collaborator with Morrison.  Waid subsumes his story to the broader DC One Million project.  Each issue of these DC One Million comics has an introductory page which summarises the set-up of the series and introduces the reader to a future world which they haven't seen before.

I'm presuming Waid wrote the intro page to Flash 1,000,000, but whoever did added a line which gives some context to the behaviour of the citizens of Mercury in the earlier Shazam book.  It describes “the fast-living culture of rabid info-junkies”.  So Waid (or whoever) gives the reprehensible behaviour of the ‘Mercurians’ some context and explanation, which the earlier story didn't present so explicitly.  The page also points out that Mercury is the connecting point between the brain-sun and the rest of the planets.  So now the name, location and all the mythology of Mercury/Hermes and the Lightning of inspiration/thought/communication are all compressed and presented as a superhero comicbook.

Another thing this issue does is take the time to elaborate on the nature of the poverty suffered by Sutra and Tanist, the main protagonists of The Power of Shazam 1,000,000.  Yes, they have all the basics for living, but they are still marginalised and cut off from the true wealth of this society.  Waid's contribution is one of the few comics I read that really felt like the writer concerned had studied the comics that his would tie directly into.  He seems to be developing the bare ideas Morrison puts forward in the Shazamcomic and making them more presentable and understandable to the general reader.   Perhaps the fact that his issue would come out in week 4 allowed Waid the tiny bit of extra time to do this with his script.

Although this looks like a straightforward confontation between the heroes and two bad guys, a comparison with the other DC One Million comics featuring the adventures of 'our' JLA in the future shows that Waid avoided the trap that the other comics all fell into. Each of them ended up inadvertantly using the same basic plot more or less, as the Green Lantern comic described above, where the hero had to deal with their contest going dangerously haywire and then find a way to get to Jupiter to meet the rest of the JLA there.  This repetition of the same plot makes the DC One Million comics featuring the main JLA stars pretty much the least interesting of all the One Million comics.  Waid wasn't 'Flashy', if you'll excuse the pun, but he put a lot of thought into his work and provided satisfying comics as a result.

I'm reminded of some notes Waid added to one of the trade collections of 52.  He said that he was the perfect choice to script the Ralph Dibney sections of 52 because they chronicle the adventures of a man of science and rationality who has to deal with the mystical and the bizarre encroaching on his life.  Waid declared that this was a great fictional parallel to his own relationship to Morrison.

Waid and Morrison were a great team.  In their rejected proposal for Superman 2000, Waid was specified as the one who would make Morrison's far-out ideas work and keep the feet of the series on the ground.  I can only agree with that assessment of their dynamic.  DC should have made more use of the productive synergy that seemed to flow from their obvious respect for each other's different methods and styles.

That's it for DC One Million, week 1.  I hope you can join me for the next installment of this look back to the future.

454-120313

DC surprises on Free Comic Book Day 

May 27, 2012 -- I was pleased to see that DC Comics: The New 52 FCBD Special Edition #1, one of DC's two offering for Free Comic  Book Day (the other being a children's book) had some actual meat in it. I wanted to point out what I noticed, and see if you Legionnaires had any other suggestions or ideas. 

Here we go:

PAGE ONE

These three panels pack a lot of information in them.

Panel 1: The seven earliest human magicians form a council of some kind. The center one is wearing the Shazam! insignia, but I don't know him. (He looks African, or possibly Australian bushman.) The one on the far right looks like -- no kidding -- Super Chief! Behind him is a Japanese man, who sure looks a lot like Samurai from Super Friends (but I'm honestly hoping he's not -- that's just silly). Between the Shazam avatar and psuedo-Samurai is a woman who looks like Isis. There's another Asian, a woman, and a woman with red hair. I'm guessing they represent Chinese and Celtic pantheons, respectively. There's another black man, who is probably African or Mesopotamian. If my guesses are accurate, they would represent the earliest civilizations, excluding South America. (Mayans don't get no love!)

Panel 2-3: We meet "the greatest transgressors mankind has ever known." These three -- "The Trinity of Sin" -- inform us a little of what the "War of the Trinity" will be about in upcoming issues. Prior to this, the only trinity we had known was Batman-Superman-Wonder Woman. Nice to know they won't be the bad guys.

PAGE TWO

Panels 1-7: The first of the Trinity is revealed, and it appears to be Judas Iscariot. He's unnamed, but what they say -- "your greed has forever darkened the world" -- is a suggestion, as is something he says -- "Forgive me as He would!" -- is a likely reference to Jesus Christ. Also the Shazam guy -- Judas calls him "wizard" -- throws 30 pieces of silver at him, which turn into a necklace that we've seen before ... on the Phantom Stranger. To pound it home, Isis says "You will walk as a stranger to man, to witness what greed can do."

PAGE THREE

Panels 1-6: The second member of the Trinity of Sin is unnamed, and in fact his punishment is that he and everyone else will forget his name. I dunno if we're supposed to know who he is or not; he's a ginger and that's the only clue we have. He's arrogant and defiant, if that's of any help. But his face is erased by the wizards, a look we've seen before, on The Question (who wore a mask). This seems confirmed when someone off panel says "You will forever question your identity and forever search for answers you will never find."

Panel 7: The last member of the Trinity is named: Pandora of Greco-Roman myth, whom we have seen skulking about in every New 52 first issue.

PAGE FOUR

Pandora is being punished for releasing all the evils in the world, but doesn't consider herself evil and resents being punished for curiosity. 

PAGE FIVE

Not a lot new here; we see the Red Room again from Justice League where extraterrestrial, unidentified and classified technology is kept and where Cyborg was born. His poor relationship with his father is underscored. Someone makes reference to a Monitor Machine, which seems to function much like the Monitors of Crisis on Infinite Earths. 

PAGE SIX

The Monitor Machine is picking up a transmission from an alternate earth, which we recognize as Earth 2. We see their Trinity (who apparently die in Earth 2 #1) in combat with Parademons, along with Supergirl and Robin (who become Power Girl and Huntress in Worlds' Finest #1). We also get our first looks at the Alan "Green Lantern" Scott and Jay "Flash" Garrick of this Earth 2. Pandora is present but invisible, and thinks "It's not here.

PAGE SEVEN

Argus, a "Bloodlines" superhero in the old 52, is now A.R.G.U.S., identified as a military arm dedicated to fighting superhumans, but they don't tell us what the acronym stands for. We meet Steve Trevor and Etta Candy (the latter is now black and thin), who have NOT been introduced in Wonder Woman so far. Trevor is the head of A.R.G.U.S. and expresses sympathy for the League and distaste for Green Arrow. We hear references to the super-powered teens in Alaska (Ravagers?), Talia al-Ghul and the book we saw in Justice League about the Justice League. 

PAGE EIGHT-NINE

Panel 1: We learn of the Black Room, where dangerous supernatural artifacts are kept. We see a lot of them, and I could use some help identifying them all! Let's see:

I think that's the head of the spear of destiny attached to the bureau next to the Mayan-looking thing. Above that is an ornate chair, someone's throne? That's the original black diamond under the sheet, it looks to me, before Eclipso split it up into lots of little diamonds. There's a dragon skeleton. There's a chandelier made of bones, which could have come from Europe's Sedlec Ossuary, but i may have seen it on the cover to a House of Mystery once, or maybe that was an organ made of bone. I'm guessing the green thing with the "do not ring" notice is the New 52's Green Bell of Uthool from the Demons Three storylines. On the far right is the Haunted Tank, and near it what looks like a half-hidden Red Lantern. There's a longboat hanging from the ceiling, too (Viking Prince?). Some of those papier-mache warriors from China's Hidden City tomb are on the left. There's some red armor, but I don't know whose (Shining Knight?). The symbols and words around the door in the back are part of the Great Seal of the United States, and basically assigns God's approval of new beginnings. There's a half-hidden painting (Doom Patrol's Painting That Ate Paris?). Any other guesses?

Panels 6-9: Pandora arrives, looking for her Box. She references the Spear of Destiny and Black Diamond, which I identified above, and the Seven Spells of Shazam, which I didn't. Conversation indicates that the Orb of Ra (which created Metamorpho) was stolen by an unidentified male. Dr. Mist, who was an Earth-Two bad guy in the Old 52, is the curator of the Black Room, but we don't see him. Pandora exhibits magic guns. She opens her box, which contains a three-eyed skull. Who do we know with three eyes? Could it be ... Despero?

PAGE 10

"The Circus" -- one of A.R.G.U.S.'s special "rooms" -- is mentioned. References are made to Black Orchid and John Constantine. 

PAGE 11

An angry face in the stormclouds watching Pandora. Spectre? Shazam?

PAGE 12

We meet a black Green Lantern. John Stewart?

PAGES 13-16

Lots of capes fighting. We see the Justice League, except Hal Jordan is missing and black Green Lantern is there, fighting Superman. Wonder Woman is punching Mera. Vibe (yes, VIBE!) is vibrating at Flash. Deadman is possessing Black Adam. Element Girl and The Atom (who looks female) are fighting Cyborg. Hwkman is fighting Green Arrow (some things never change).

I have no idea what the fight's about, but it does introduce the New 52 versions of some characters I haven't seen before, like Black Adam and "Atom Girl" and Vibe. Of course, I don't read ALL the New 52, so maybe some of these have already appeared somewhere.

Anyone else got anything?

Andrew A. Smith

Special to The Nashua Telegraph

May 15, 2012 -- DC has begun its “Second Wave” of six new series, following “The New 52” titles launched last September.  The first four are already out, and successfully upgrade concepts that will make older fans nod their heads in approval.

The first two titles, Earth 2 and Worlds’ Finest, re-introduces what used to be called Earth-Two. Earth-Two came into being in the early 1960s, when DC decided to address what had happened to its long-canceled 1940s characters by establishing that they lived on an alternate planet. So the Flash and Green Lantern introduced in 1940 lived on Earth-Two, you see, while the Flash introduced in 1956 and the Green Lantern that debuted in 1959 lived on “our” Earth, Earth-One. These worlds “vibrated” at different speeds, but could be accessed one from the other, which happened more and more frequently until DC threw everybody into the pool by having the Justice Society of Earth-Two team up with the Justice League of Earth-One in 1963. All that Spandex in one place created a disturbance in the Force, as millions of fanboys cried out in delight at once. 

In fact, fans loved this idea so much that DC began introducing all kinds of Earths – so many, that in a few decades even the editors were getting confused. The solution? They wiped them all out. In a 1986-87 series called Crisis on Infinite Earths, all the Earths – including the beloved Earth-Two – were blended into one.

But now, once again, Obi-Wan Kenobi is getting a headache from fanboy cheers. A couple of years ago, DC decided to bring its multiple-Earth concept back. There had only been hints of Earth-Two until now, but is confirmed with the release of Earth 2 and Worlds’ Finest.

The former title revives the old concept with a small re-spelling but some huge differences, in order to appeal to newer fans. Once again we’ll see versions of the likes of Flash and Green Lantern, but newer, younger ones, rather than the middle-aged WWII vets of the ‘60s. Best of all, the writer of Earth 2 is James Robinson, who has written some of the most beloved and best-remembered Earth-Two stories, such as the entire Starman series and The Golden Age graphic novel. The first issue is mostly set-up, but it is a delicious set-up even from the perspective of this aging fanboy.

The second Earth 2-related title is Worlds’ Finest, a play on the old World’s Finest Comics, a title that grew from the 1940 World’s Fair Comics, which for the bulk of its four-decade run (1941-86) teamed Superman and Batman. That’s no accident, because this book stars the Supergirl and (female) Robin of Earth 2, who get stranded on “our” Earth, taking the names Power Girl and Huntress (since we already have a Supergirl and an army of Robins). Once again DC has taken an older concept and spiced it up for new readers – a gender switch, if nothing else -- while leaving just enough nostalgia for us creaky oldsters.

The other two “Second Wave” books also re-invent concepts for the modern world, but ones that were pretty awful in their original incarnations.

G.I. Combat, first series, was a war book that ran for three decades, mostly featuring a tank crew in WWII Europe that had a ghost. The new G.I. Combat instead revamps a series that ran for a few years in Star-Spangled War Comics, called “The War That Time Forgot,” which somehow made World War II soldiers fighting dinosaurs on a mysterious island really boring. The new series promises to be a lot better, and features U.S. Special Forces battling those overfed reptiles.

A back-up series also features an old Star-Spangled War Stories series called “Unknown Soldier.” The old series featured a master of disguise in WWII whose non-disguised face was always hidden by bandages. The new series has a face-bandaged protagonist, but this time in Afghanistan, and the first issue doesn’t tell us much more than that. However, it’s being written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, who have written the finest Jonah Hex stories every published, so I have high hopes.

Lastly we have Dial H for Hero, which could not possibly be as lame as the old “Dial H” series that preceded it. In those stories, mostly for kids, irritating teenage protagonists used a mysterious, magical rotary dialer to change briefly into some of the dumbest superheroes you’ll see this side of a first-grader’s Big Chief tablet. There was one “Dial H” series that took a more adult approach, but it was also really depressing, mainly to show how turning into a superhero briefly would ruin your life. So whatever writer China Miéville plans has to be better than what’s come before.

To my surprise, I actually liked the first issue of Dial H. It’s a little early to say if I’ll continue to like it, but it stars a fat guy – unattractive, but let’s face it, that’s what most Americans look like these days – and the “heroes” in the first issue were ingeniously nightmarish. And there are no annoying teens anywhere!

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

As you’ll remember from where I left off last time, the television division of United Artists now had a product for syndication---Ultraman, which had been a phenomenal hit in Japan.  Thanks to the dialogue direction of Peter Fernandez, the series was ready for airing on American stations.  Now, UA-TV had to find buyers.  Here, it got an unintended boost from the Federal Communications Commission.

To explain this, I’ll need to provide a short lesson in the history of television.  Feel free to go to the kitchen and make yourself a sandwich during this part.

In the early 1940’s, the F.C.C. had limited television broadcasting to the Very High Frequency band; however,  the post-WW II economic boom saw a tremendous proliferation of local television stations.  This overloaded the available VHF spectrum.  To stem the problem, the F.C.C. imposed a moratorium on licencing new stations.  That was in 1948.  Four years later, the F.C.C. instituted a permanent solution by opening up the Ultra High Frequency band to television and lifted the freeze on broadcasting licences.

While this action made more bandwidth available to new stations, broadcasting on UHF wasn’t ideal; it was the “less-talented” brother of VHF.  UHF stations had a more limited range and the image reception was of poorer quality.  That’s when your television set could receive it at all.  Television sets of the day had been designed to receive VHF signals only, and in order to receive UHF transmissions, a special adaptor had to be purchased and installed.

In essence, when UHF television became available, it created more TV stations, but those UHF stations weren’t very profitable.  Because of the added expense of the adaptor---and this was at a time when a television set itself was still so pricey that the only way many folks could see a TV show was to go down to the hardware store and watch it on a set in the display window---and the lesser quality of the reception, most people didn’t bother with UHF.

Again, the F.C.C. came to the rescue.  It mandated that, from 1964 on, all new television sets would be both VHF and UHF capable.  Furthermore, it raised the limit on how much power UHF stations could use to radiate their signals; UHF stations could boost their signals to five megawatts, while VHF stations were limited to 316 kilowatts.

A licence-holder still wasn’t going to get rich off a UHF station, but now, with an increased customer-base, it could be profitable, with proper budget management.  What that meant was keeping the expenses down in other areas, such as production values and marketability.  Thus, UHF channels tended to air programmes that were cheap to produce. 

Purchasing inexpensive syndicated shows was better, yet.  That opened the door to the Japanese imports, such as Astro Boy, Speed Racer, 8^th Man, and---Ultraman!

Got your sandwich and a cold one?  Good, because that’s the end of the history lesson.

The result was, by the fall of 1967, when UA-TV was ready to sell Ultraman, it found a ready market in UHF stations eager to buy a super-hero series at a cut rate.

As early as August of ’67, American youngsters were introduced to Ultraman.  It didn’t take long for them to glom on to the basics.

As with most shows aimed at a younger audience, the characters were strongly defined, without much nuance.  The head of Japan’s Science Patrol was Captain Mura, a stern, no-nonsense commander, but not so hard-nosed that he didn’t flash a smile or display a wry sense of humour on occasion.  Nor was Mura chained to his desk; he led in the field, jumping right into harm’s way with the rest of his team.

Typical of most such arrangements---again, for easy audience identification---the other members of the Science Patrol were divided by specialties. 

Arashi was the team’s marksman.  Round-faced and a bit pudgy, he went against body type with his “tough guy” personality.  There was nothing phoney about his bravado, though.  Arashi was usually the first one to charge the threat, no matter what it was.

Ito was the engineer, the one who designed new weaponry to take into battle.  He was also the show’s designated comedy relief.  Unfortunately, this meant a lot of childish comments and mugging for the camera like a drunken college student on spring break.  Fortunately, he wasn’t played as incompetent.  Ito wasn’t Barney Fife; when trouble arose, he could handle himself.

And then, of course, there was Hayata.  Firm, confident, decisive.  He was clearly the most competent of the Patrollers and the one everybody respected.  That was convenient, because it meant nobody asked him a lot of questions whenever he went off on his own or disappeared, to become Ultraman.

Rounding out the group was Fuji, the only female on the team.  For the about the first half of the series’ run, she was the communications officer, stuck at the headquarters radio console while everybody else was out getting smacked silly by the monster of the week.  Later on, she accompanied the rest of the team on missions, and she did a good job at it, too.  Often, she was nearly as level-headed and capable as Hayata.

Occasionally seen was the obligatory kid mascot, Hoshino.  He got to hang out with the Science Patrol, and at one point, even wore a Patrol uniform.  The Japanese rendition of the show never gave a reason for his privileged status; the American version explained his presence by stating he was Fuji’s little brother.  Once or twice, Hoshino proved handy to have around, but most of the time, his purpose was to get into trouble at the most inopportune moments, forcing the Patrol or Ultraman to bail him out.

Though constantly referred to in the definite article---the Science Patrol---Captain Mura and his crew actually comprised only the Japanese branch of the organisation.  The Science Patrol proper was a global force dedicated to the protection of the Earth.  Occasionally, members of other branches---the United States, France, and South America---appeared in episodes.  This didn’t happen very often, but it was nice to know that Japan wasn’t the only country torn apart by monsters and alien invasions.

The hook of the series was, naturally, that Science Patrolman Hayata was secretly Ultraman.  For the reasons I discussed in the last entry, Ultraman rarely made an appearance until the end of an episode.  When the situation became critical, Hayata would sneak off privately or order everyone else to get away.   (“But, Hayata, we can’t leave you alone with the monster!”  “Nevermind, just do as I say!”)  Then, he would take the beta capsule out of his jacket, raise it over his head, and press the button.  In a burst of light and smoke, the giant Ultraman would appear in his place.

Just in case some brain-dead viewer at home didn’t get it, narrator Jack Curtis would helpfully intone, “Using the beta capsule, Hayata becomes---Ultraman!”

Most super-hero-type television series have a recurring moment that the kids wait for eagerly and fidget excitedly when it happens.  On Adventures of Superman, it was when Clark Kent ducked into that storeroom and whipped off his glasses.  In the animated cartoon, The Mighty Hercules, it was when Herc donned his magic ring and held it over his head.  The youngsters know that’s when the real action is about to go down.

It was the same thing whenever Hayata whipped out the beta capsule.  That was what they had been waiting for.

Most of Ultraman’s battles followed the same pattern.  First, two or three minutes of physical combat with the monster.  Lots of karate chops and shoulder throws.  This part of it tended to be hard on the local property values.  Two giant figures flailing around resulted in a great many toppled buildings, smashed warehouses, and flattened cars.  When the fight took place near a refinery or a power plant, you could count on explosions and large fires.

If the monster possessed some special power, it would attack with it, generally giving Ultraman some trouble at first.  But then he would find a way to protect himself from it and go back on the offensive.  Usually about this time, his colour timer would change to red and start blinking.  As always, the narrator would inform the viewers what that meant.

At this point, Ultraman would get down to business and employ one of his many, many special abilities.  He had almost as many powers as there were episodes, but one used most commonly was his “specium ray”, a sort of general-purpose particle beam that caused whatever it hit to explode.  Often, after knocking his foe down hard, Ultraman used the ray to deliver the coup de grace.

Our Hero could employ the specium ray in another fashion.  By making a different gesture, the ray would discharge as “cutting halos”, resembling flying buzz saws, which would sever his opponent in half.

Once the enemy was destroyed, Ultraman would launch himself in the air and fly off to change back to Hayata.  The transformation back to his human form was seen only twice during the course of the series (from his fingertips, the airborne Ultraman would cast a spiral beam to the earth; Hayata’s body would reïncorporate within the spiral, while Ultraman vanished); instead, usually, the closing scene would simply show Hayata rejoining his fellow Patrollers.

Hayata didn’t have much difficulty keeping his dual existence secret from the other members of the Science Patrol.  Even though virtually every adventure concluded with someone remarking, “Hayata, where have you been?” or “Hayata, you just missed seeing Ultraman destroy the monster!”, those top-flight brains of the Science Patrol never put two and two together.

Perhaps one of the qualities that made Ultraman so popular was that, even for an alien, he was distinctively unearthly.  First, there was the fact that he stood over 130 feet tall.  But more bizarre was the fact that he routinely never spoke.  The only patently audible sounds he uttered were loud, reverberating kiais that he shouted during his fights.  And an occasional groan.  Otherwise, he never said a word.

There were exceptions, rare ones, when the lawman from Nebula M78 did communicate verbally.  To Hayata, in the origin episode, naturally.  Then, in “The Space Ray of Terror”, Ultraman reassures a group of children that he has not destroyed that episode’s monster, but rather, has transformed it into a constellation of stars.  

And, in the last episode, “Farewell, Ultraman”, he explains to his commander the reason for his extended stay on Earth.

All of these instances could be attributed to telepathy, rather than actual speech.  In any event, Ultraman’s perpetual silence was one of the eerier aspects to the character.  It was certainly unsettling.

The majority of menaces fought by Ultraman and the Science Patrol, especially at first, were the giant animal/giant insect/Godzilla type---bestial monsters that mindlessly wreaked destruction.   While their eventual destruction was necessary, it was regrettable in one sense---as dumb beasts, they weren’t truly malevolent.  Over time, the show developed foes that were evil and guided by intellect.  This arose most often when the Earth was attacked by alien beings.  On several occasions, the Science Patrol confronted enemies who were the vanguard for their respective warlike alien races.  These proved to be much more formidable opponents for the valiant defenders of Earth and for Ultraman.

Would-be conqueror Zarab arrives from space, posing as a friend to Earth.  When the Science Patrol unmasks his true purpose, he transforms into an evil version of Ultraman, smashing several city blocks before being confronted by the genuine article.  On another occasion, an emissary from an extraterrestrial race called the Dada comes to Earth to kidnap human specimens for study.  With the Dada alien’s ability to change his size and teleport at will, Ultraman finds himself embroiled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.  Particularly at one point, when the giant hero is reduced briefly to human size.

As tough as it was beating the Dada, the alien Mephilas proved even tougher.  Seeking to get rid of all of us pesky earthlings so his people could colonise our world, Mephilas uses his power of illusion to buffalo the people of Earth into surrendering without a struggle.  The situation doesn’t improve any after Hayata activates the beta capsule.  When Mephilas rejects Ultraman’s ultimatum to leave Earth or die, a pitched combat results, with neither opponent gaining the upper hand.  Their physical abilities are too evenly matched, and Mephilas’ electrical bolts prove equal to Our Hero’s specium ray.

Incredibly, it’s Mephilas who calls an end to the stalemate, realising that he cannot be certain of victory over Ultraman.  Should he be destroyed, the invader explains, then he can no longer protect his home world.  With that, Mephilas teleports off Earth, leaving Ultraman with a promise to return.

The target demographic for the series were early adolescents and those on its cusp.  But, unlike most U.S. children’s programming that came along later, in the 1970’s, Ultraman never talked down to the kids.  The writers respected the intelligence of its youthful fans and didn’t patronise them in the scripts.  Thus, an adult looking for a half-hour of escapist entertainment could appreciate the show.

That’s not to say it was The West Wing.  Ultraman was straightforward adventure with little depth and virtually no development of its characters beyond the basic traits in their conception.  The plots followed a simple formula calculated to thrill its audience and never varied.  It’s a credit to the show’s writers that they managed to produce so many imaginative and distinctive stories, yet remain within that strict outline.

Still, despite the simplicity of its format, Ultraman, on occasion, delivered some tales with surprisingly mature themes.

“My Home is Earth” is one of the most tragic episodes in the series.  The Science Patrol is assigned to safeguard the members of an international peace conference held in Tokyo, seeking to moderate the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union.  Despite the Patrol’s best efforts, three of the conference representatives are killed by a mysterious invisible force.

Science Patrol member Ito devises a weapon that neutralises the assassin’s invisibility, revealing the culprit to be a horribly deformed giant.  However, Hayata makes a more crucial discovery.  His suspicions aroused by comments made by the remaining conference members, he investigates and learns that the monster is actually Jamila, an astronaut from a nation the script avoids specifying.

According to classified records obtained by Hayata, Jamila was the pilot of a manned satellite which was flung out of orbit and crash-landed on another planet.  The alien environment of that world caused Jamila to mutate into the creature.  Jamila’s government was aware of this, but rather than embark a rescue mission, it abandoned the astronaut to his fate.

Instead, the incident was kept secret, to prevent the public from losing faith in the space programme.

The mutated astronaut was able to eventually repair his craft and return to Earth.  Now, he seeks revenge against those who turned their backs on him by killing the members of the peace conference.  Reluctantly, the Science Patrol attacks the monster, but he’s invulnerable to missiles and bombs and fire.  It is Ultraman who is forced to destroy Jamila on the threshold of demolishing the peace-conference headquarters.

Afterward, in a grand display, the assembled representatives give Jamila a hero’s funeral.  Curiously, it is the usually comedic Ito who somberly indicts the hypocrisy with the final line of the episode . . . .

“Politicians are always like this.  Only their words are beautiful.”

Ultraman played a couple of  its episodes for comedy; however, one of them carried a healthy dose of pathos along with the humour.  In “The Monster Graveyard”, Arashi and Ito are spacebound, checking out a strange distortion in the vacuum.  It turns out to be a zone containing the drifting remains of monsters that Ultraman defeated in previous episodes.  When the news is radioed to Science Patrol headquarters, Hayata is markedly disturbed.  He goes to the roof of the building to be alone and, in a moment of introspexion, reflects on his duty as Ultraman.

“To all of the creatures that I have destroyed, I am sorry that I had to do it.  Even though it wasn’t your fault, I had to keep the peace on this world.”

In a mishap, a Mars-bound rocket passes through the same zone and is diverted back to Earth, carrying a passenger from the graveyard---Seabozu, a gigantic skeleton-like dragon.  When the rocket strikes Earth, Seabozu returns to life.  The Science Patrol mobilises, but is quickly confounded by the monster’s actions.  Or rather, its lack of action.  Seabozu does not rampage or destroy; it simply walks forlornly through the city.

When it climbs to the top of a skyscraper and leaps upward, the members of the Patrol understand.  The monster simply wants to return to the eternal peace of its resting place in space.

This is a rare episode in that it does not conclude in a tremendous battle between the creature and Ultraman.  Seabozu has no desire to fight and the giant hero is reluctant to harm him.  Instead, he herds the monster toward the rocket standing by to return it to the graveyard.

It is, probably, Ultraman’s most expressive scene in the entire series.  Seabozu drags its heels like a petulant child and Ultraman responds like an exasperated parent.  At one point, the creature drops to the ground, refusing to budge, and Our Hero shrugs his shoulders in frustration.

There was one other memorable instance when the series mixed absurdity with poignancy.  This occurred toward the end, in the episode “The Little Hero”.

The main villain of the piece is Geronimon, one of infrequent cases of a monster who is not an alien, nor humanoid, but possesses an evil intelligence.  Seeking vengeance for all of the creatures previously killed in the series, Geronimon intends to destroy Japan.  He initiates his plan by resurrecting three other monsters.  Eventually, he will restore sixty of the giant beasts, who will then lay waste to the country.

Geronimon has screwed up, though.  One of that first trio of monsters revived is Pigmon, a human-sized creature who befriended the Science Patrol, back in the eighth episode, before being killed by the behemoth Red King.

Those of you familiar with the series probably rolled your eyes when I mentioned Pigmon.  For the rest of you, all I can say is---I don’t know how Japanese viewers received him, but for us Occidentals, Pigmon was awfully hard to take.  Frog-mouthed, red-tufted, with hands that flapped uselessly from his torso, Pigmon was a blatant attempt for laughs.  But to most American kids, he was irritating and infantile.

Pigmon seeks out the Science Patrol and, even though his speech sounds like the squawking of a macaw, somehow Captain Mura and his team comprehend his warning about Geronimon.

As the Patrol prepares to launch a preëmptive attack on Geronimon and the other two monsters, the usually jovial Ito is despondent and apathetic to the whole situation.  When Hayata pulls him aside to find out what’s wrong, Ito responds, essentially, “What’s the point?”

Bitterly, Ito complains that the Science Patrol never accomplishes anything; it’s always Ultraman who defeats the monsters.  He feels that the Patrol is useless.   An opinion, no doubt, shared by the show’s audience over the last thirty-odd episodes.

Hayata argues that the Patrol is necessary and Ultraman cannot do it alone, but it falls on deaf ears.  Still, Ito is not so far gone that he refuses when Captain Mura orders him to come along on the mission.

Pigmon leads the team to the small island that Geronimon is using as his base.  Leaving Pigmon behind on the ship, the Patrol splits up.  Mura and Fuji and Arashi will take one side of the island, while Hayata and Ito search the other.  Their orders are simple:  kill all the monsters!

Remarkably enough, Mura’s group accomplishes just that, when they come across one of the resurrected creatures.  By laying the barrels of their energy pistols together and aiming for the monster’s unarmoured midsection, the combined burst puts it down for the count.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t go that way for Hayata and Ito.  They locate the other revived beast, Dorako, but Ito sees no point in attacking it, insisting that Ultraman will be along any minute to do the job.  Dorako begins to hurl boulders at the two Science Patrolmen and Ito starts shouting for Ultraman to appear.

Hayata draws out his beta capsule, but cannot bring himself to use it, knowing that Ultraman’s arrival would shatter whatever faith Ito has left in himself and the Patrol.  In that moment of hesitation, the monster scatters the two men, then turns his attention to Ito, who simply cowers, pleading for Ultraman.

An instant before Dorako can squash Ito into paste, Pigmon leaps out, squawking and flapping his hands frantically, to distract the behemoth.  Pigmon’s appearance has the same effect on Dorako as it did the viewers---the little clown annoys the hell out of him.  And when Pigmon stumbles on a ledge, the monster crushes him with one blow, then walks away satisfied with his kill.

The little fellow dies in Hayata’s arms.  Angrily, Hayata snaps at Ito, “Pigmon sacrificed his life for mankind, and you continue to feel sorry for yourself?”  Then he punctuates it by punching Ito in the jaw.

Shamed, Ito charges Dorako and keeps coming, even after the beast pelts him with a shower of rocks.  With a rapid-fire device attached to his pistol, Ito disintegrates the giant creature with a fusillade of energy blasts.

With his henchmen destroyed, Geronimon takes direct action, and when he nearly kills Mura and the others, Hayata has no choice but to become Ultraman.  But Geronimon is no push-over; he’s sneaky and has a number of powers at his disposal.  Ultraman finally gains the advantage, but it won’t last long---his warning light is flashing wildly, indicating his three minutes are almost up.

Just then, Ito scrambles up on the bluff and aims his modified energy pistol at Geronimon.  Ultraman catches on and struggles desperately to hold his foe.  With his strength waning rapidly, he cannot keep Geronimon steady.  Ito has to take the best shot he can.

It works!  And the giant feathered beast vanishes in a burst of flame, just as Ultraman doubles over in exhaustion.

“We did it!” shouts Ito.  "We did it!  You and me, Ultraman!”

And Ultraman nods, acknowledging that, this time, the Science Patrol did all the heavy lifting.

It was only thirty-nine episodes.  It didn’t even run a full year.  But Eiji Tsuburaya had launched a concept that refused to die.

Obtaining greater financing, Tsuburaya tinkered with the basic concept and, in the fall of 1967, introduced a new series---Ultra Seven.  This was not the Ultraman who had been linked to Hayata, but a new hero to come to Earth from Nebula M78.  In a departure from the original format, Ultra Seven did not have an Earthman as a human host; rather, he assumed the identity of Dan Moroboshi, a member of the Terrestrial Defense Force, an updated version of the Science Patrol.

Ultra Seven lasted a year, and Eiji Tsuburaya meant for that to be the last of the “Ultra” series.  But when Eiji died in 1970, his son, Hajime, took over the production company.  And Hajime knew that he had a franchise on his hands.  In 1971, Japanese viewers were treated to The Return of Ultraman, yet another similar but slightly reworked adaptation of the giant hero, who this time was known, in English, as Ultraman Jack.  There would be more Ultramen to follow.  Many more.

Over the next thirty years, between television series and feature films, there would be at least fifteen more separate incarnations of Ultraman.  A mythos emerged, linking all of the various Ultramen as coming from the Land of Light, to serve as humanity’s protectors.  No longer was Ultraman a unique force for good; rather, he was one of an interstellar organisation, pledged to uphold peace.  This was underscored when, occasionally, the current Ultraman would require the aid of one or more of his Ultra-Brothers.

Virtually every new Ultraman series took a turn at remembering its roots by running an episode which saw the return of the original Ultraman.  This has meant a lifetime of employment for actor Susumu Kurobe.  For while the man inside the silver-and-red suit changed over the years, Kurobe has continued to appear as Hayata for over four decades---the link to the series that started it all.

Other actors who had played human host to an Ultraman have occasionally reprised their parts, as well.  But Susumu Kurobe remains the most recognised.  I have seen interviews with Kurobe, and like George Reeves and Clayton Moore, he respects his image as a rôle model for youngsters, on both sides of the globe.

In March of this year, Tsuburaya Productions released the feature film Ultraman Saga, in celebration of the forty-fifth anniversary of the original television series.  That’s quite a thing for Eiji Tsuburaya, I think.  Not many men have created a legacy lasting nearly half a century.

Shu-watchhh!

Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

May 22, 2012: Wonder Woman and Green Lantern are two of DC Entertainment’s oldest characters. But collections of their newly re-launched titles bring some surprising changes.

For example, we learned in 1942 that the child who would grow up to become Wonder Woman was a clay statue sculpted by Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons, brought to life by the gods and granted their powers. In 2012, we learned that’s a lie.

The True, Honest-to-Gosh, Cross-My-Heart Origin of the Amazing Amazon comes to us in Wonder Woman Volume 1: Blood ($22.99) arriving this month. Blood collects the first six issues of Wonder Woman, a title re-launched with DC’s other superhero titles in September as “The New 52.”

It’s clear that Blood has more than one meaning. First, the story involves the bloodline of the Greco-Roman gods, and secondly, it involves a lot of the red stuff. The plot is this: Father Zeus has disappeared, which sets various gods into violent motion against each other to claim his throne. Also, venomous Hera is trying to kill one of Zeus’ many lovers, a girl pregnant with a demigod that Wonder Woman has taken it upon herself to protect. As battles are won and lost, deals are brokered between power bases, and alliances shift. In the middle is the Amazing Amazon, who also must deal with the revelation of her true nature – and the fact her mother has been lying to her all along.

If this sounds more like a gang war than a superhero story, maybe it’s because Blood is written by Brian Azzarello, famed for the intricate crime noir 100 Bullets. He called the Greco-Roman gods “the original crime family” in a phone interview last year, motivated by “selfish” and “twisted” desires.

Artist Cliff Chiang does an imaginative job re-designing these centuries-old mythical beings – creatures who are, of course, free to appear as they like. Apollo is beautiful, as you’d expect, but looks carved from obsidian. Hermes is bird-like, with winged claws for feet. Hera is naked most of the time (except for her cloak of peacock feathers), but so bloody-minded and lethal you forget that pretty quickly. Ares is as old as war, and shows it. Poseidon and Hades are unearthly, and have to be seen to be believed. Not to mention that Chiang, abetted by Tony Akins, gives us a broad-shouldered, martial and plausible Wonder Warrior, who nevertheless retains a hard-edged Mediterranean beauty.

All of this is set against Diana’s shocking discovery about her origin, which I won’t spoil here. Well, except to say it’s an elegant explanation that befits Diana’s iconic status, without shredding what past writers have done.

But while Wonder Woman is going through big changes, writer (and DC Chief Creative Officer) writer Geoff Johns (and DC’s Chief Creative Officer) made subtle, almost minor changes to the Emerald Warrior in Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro ($22.99). That’s probably because Johns has already spent several years virtually re-creating Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, erasing decades of bad stories, clumsy mischaracterization and general mistreatment of one of DC’s signature characters.

The New 52 Green Lantern picks up right where the old title left off, with Jordan booted out of the Corps, his place as Green Lantern of Sector 2814 taken by his oldest arch-enemy, the red-skinned ex-Green Lantern Sinestro. Nobody is happy about this; not Jordan, not Sinestro, not the rest of the Corps. But the enigmatic Guardians of Oa are, as usual, executing some plan they won’t explain, and treating everyone like disposable tools. In the meantime, Sinestro has to eject from his home planet Korugar the evil yellow lantern corps he created, recruiting a reluctant Jordan to do so, just as the latter is trying to make up to Carol Ferris for years of neglect.

But while much of this may seem familiar, Johns has really upped the stakes, and the octane. The action is breathless, while every answer Johns gives just raises more questions. Meanwhile, artist Doug Mahnke – also retained from pre-New 52 title – has really found his groove, combining dramatic rendering with strong storytelling.

So what’s new is that Sinestro is no longer the cartoon bad guy he was in the 1960s, but a complex and tragic (but still really unpleasant) protagonist. And the Guardians may have crossed a line that can’t be ignored.

Meanwhile, Jordan must learn who he is without the ring. And Wonder Woman must learn who she is with her past ripped away. Given the status of these characters, those count as pretty big developments.

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

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STAR WARS KNIGHT ERRANT TP VOL 02 DELUGE
STARMAN OMNIBUS TP VOL 01
STEPHEN KING JOE HILL ROAD RAGE #4 (OF 4)
SUPERCROOKS #3 (OF 4) (MR)
SUPERMAN BLUE SYMBOL T/S
SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #1

TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #74 (MR)
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ONGOING #10
THOR BUST BANK
TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE ONGOING #5

ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #11
UNCANNY X-MEN #11 2ND PTG AVX

WALKING DEAD #98 (MR)
WAR OF THE INDEPENDENTS #3
WOLVERINE #307
WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #11 AVX
WONDER WOMAN HC VOL 01 BLOOD

X-MEN #29
X-MEN LEGACY #267 AVX

YOUNG JUSTICE #16

ZOMBIES HC
ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS ANNUAL 2012

This list is a copy of the list posted at memphiscomics.com. Arrivals at your LCS may vary.

Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

It’s Scott Snyder’s world, and we’re just reading about it.

Snyder is a published author (Voodoo Heart) and has an MFA from Columbia University, where he also teaches writing. He’s in this column for writing comics, of course – a lot of comics, where everything he’s touched has turned to gold.

Two of those treasures were released this week in hardback compilations: Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls (DC Comics, $24.99) and Severed (Image Comics, $24.99). While unrelated, the books share one element in particular: horror – which makes sense, coming from Snyder, the author of the horror anthology mentioned above, and Vertigo’s American Vampire. Oh, and they share one other thing: They’re both riveting.

It may seem strange that the Batman book is subtitled Volume One, given that the character has been around since 1939. But DC Comics re-launched its 52-title superhero line in September as “The New 52,” all beginning again with first issues. In that sense, this is a new Batman, one who has only been around for about five years.

But in most senses, he’s the same Dark Knight we saw in “The Old 52.” Of all DC characters, Batman was affected least by the re-launch, even keeping most of his pre-New 52 creators – among them Snyder, who has under his utility belt a highly acclaimed run on Detective Comics and an important miniseries titled Batman: Gates of Gotham.

That latter explored Gotham City in the Gilded Age, its richest founding families and the architecture they were responsible for. Those families were the Waynes (which later gave us Batman), the Cobblepotts (Penguin), the Elliots (Hush) and the Kanes (Batwomans I & II, Betty “Flamebird” Kane and – interestingly – Bruce Wayne’s mother). With Court of Owls, Snyder is going back even farther into Gotham’s past, establishing an evil organization that has always controlled Gotham from its founding almost 400 years ago, and is so deeply hidden that it’s only known to Gotham’s citizens as the subject of a creepy nursery rhyme.

My first thought on hearing this plot was: “Ridiculous. There’s no way such a thing could exist in Gotham City for hundreds of years without Batman knowing about it.” To my delight, that was the Caped Crusader’s reaction too. And when the Court sends the Talons, their undead and almost unstoppable assassins, to erase this arrogant Bat-upstart, Batman’s overconfidence is almost his undoing. That’s clever writing, and shows Snyder has a deep insight into Bruce Wayne – a character he tweeted April 18 was “the coolest” character in comics, one he was “honored to write.” He followed seconds later with “And by coolest, I mean best.”

And what the Court puts Batman through – well, the word “horror” pops up again, and it probably would have destroyed anyone without the mental toughness of Bruce Wayne. Meanwhile, Snyder has also dropped hints about the backgrounds of the Grayson family (which gave us the first Robin, now Nightwing) and the Pennyworths (Alfred). And could there be some Waynes, Graysons or Pennyworths behind the masks of the current Owls? That answer could profoundly change Batman, and not in a good way.

The Court of Owls story doesn’t actually end with this book, which reprints Batman #1-7. A second volume will reprint Batman #8-11, which finishes the tale. But I didn’t feel short-changed by Court of Owls, and neither will you.

That doesn’t leave me much room to discuss Severed — which deserves a column on its own — that Scott Snyder co-wrote with Scott Tuft, a screenwriter. In it, a one-armed man in the present flashes back to his boyhood during World War I, and his encounter with a cannibal drifter who passes himself off as a traveling salesman. The drifter attaches himself to the boy, who is riding the rails in search of his mysterious father – a search which isn’t what it seems, and imperils everyone the boy cares about. Like with Court of Owls, Snyder mixes mystery with horror for maximum chills.

Given that Severed is set in 1916, and relies on emotional nuance for much of its terror, a lot rides on artist Attila Futari. Fortunately, his paint-and-wash technique captures both subtle moments and terrifying ones with equal facility, while his 100-year-old setting is completely convincing.

This book can be read as a metaphor for pedophilia, or as a straight horror tale (with a hint of the supernatural). Either way, Severed covers the horror gamut from nerve-wracking suspense to electric shocks of blinding terror.

So welcome to Scott Snyder’s world. You may never sleep again.

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

ART

1. Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls reprints the first seven issues of the new Batman title.

27 TP VOL 02 SECOND SET

ABSOLUTE BATMAN DARK VICTORY HC
ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN ARCHIVES HC V1
ADVENTURES OF DOG MENDONCA PIZZABOY TP
ALL STAR WESTERN #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #686 ENDS
ANDREW LOOMIS SUCCESFUL DRAWING HC
AQUAMAN #9
ARCHIE #633
ARTIFACTS ORIGINS FIRST BORN TP
ASTONISHING X-MEN #50
AVENGERS CONTEST TP

BART SIMPSON COMICS #71
BATMAN INCORPORATED #1
BATMAN KNIGHTFALL TP NEW ED V2 KNIGHTQUEST
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
BTVS SEASON 8 LIBRARY HC VOL 01 LONG WAY HOME
BUCK ROGERS 25TH CENTURY DAILIES HC V6 1936

CAPTAIN AMERICA #12
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND HAWKEYE #631
CAVEWOMAN MUTATION #2
CHEW #26 (MR)
COBRA ONGOING #13
COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS GN

DAKEN DARK WOLVERINE HC NO MORE HEROES
DARK HORSE PRESENTS #12
DEADPOOL #55
DEADPOOL MAX TP INVOLUNTARY ARMAGEDDON
DOCTOR SOLAR MAN OF THE ATOM TP V2 REVELATION
DOMINIQUE LAVEAU VOODOO CHILD #3 (MR)
DOROTHY AND WIZARD IN OZ #7 (OF 8)

ELEPHANTMEN #39 (MR)

FABLES #117 (MR)
FANTASTIC FOUR #606
FATHOM KIANI VOL 2 #2
FLASH #9
FLASH GORDON INVASION O/T RED SWORD TP
FLASH GORDON VENGENCE OF MING GN
FLASH SYMBOL I T/S
FOOT SOLDIERS TP VOL 01
FURY OF FIRESTORM THE NUCLEAR MEN #9

GFT PRESENTS NEVERLAND HOOK #5
GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO TP VOL 04
GODZILLA ONGOING #1
GOLDEN AGE WESTERN COMICS HC
GREEN HORNET #25
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #9
GUILD FAWKES #1

HAUNT TP VOL 03
HELLRAISER #14 (MR)
HERO COMICS 2012
HONEY WEST FILES SC VOL 01
HULK #52
HULK SMASH AVENGERS #4 (OF 5)

ILLUSTRATION MAGAZINE #37
IRREDEEMABLE #37

JOE HILL THE CAPE HC
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #638 EXILED
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #9

KEVIN SMITH BIONIC MAN #9
KING CITY TP (MR)
KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #186

LEES TOY REVIEW #220 SPRING ISSUE
LORD OF THE JUNGLE ANNUAL #1 (MR)

MAD ARCHIVES HC VOL 03
MAGIC THE GATHERING #4
MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2
MARVEL ZOMBIES DESTROY #2 (OF 5)
MIGHTY THOR #14
MIGHTY THOR BY MATT FRACTION TP VOL 01
MIND MGMT #1
MMW AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 07
MMW ATLAS ERA JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY HC VOL 04

NEAR DEATH #8
NETHERWORLD TP
NO PLACE LIKE HOME #4 (MR)

ORCHID #7 (MR)

PROPHET #25

QUEEN SONJA TP VOL 03 COMING OF AGE

RAGEMOOR #3
REBEL BLOOD #3 (OF 4) (MR)
RESIDENT ALIEN #1
REVERSE FLASH SYMBOL T/S
ROBERT JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME EYE WORLD #25

SAVAGE HAWKMAN #9
SECRET AVENGERS #27 AVX
SHOWCASE PRESENTS SEA DEVILS TP VOL 01
SMOKE AND MIRRORS #3 (OF 5)
SOULFIRE VOL 3 #8
STAN LEES MIGHTY 7 #2
STAR WARS DARTH VADER GHOST PRISON #1 (OF 5)
STEVE DITKO ARCHIVES HC V3 MYSTERIOUS TRAVEL
STORMWATCH TP VOL 01 THE DARK SIDE
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE TP VOL 01 BERRY FUN
SUPERMAN #9

TEEN TITANS #9 (THE CULLING)
TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE ONGOING #5
TRUE BLOOD ONGOING #1

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN DOSM FALLOUT TP
ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #12
UNCANNY X-FORCE OTHERWORLD HC
UNCANNY X-FORCE TP VOL 03 DARK ANGEL SAGA BK 1
UNWRITTEN #37 (MR)

VAMPIRELLA #17
VOODOO #9

WARLORD OF MARS DEJAH THORIS #12 (MR)
WITCHBLADE #156
WOLVERINE AND BLACK CAT CLAWS 2 TP

XENOHOLICS TP VOL 01 (MR)

YOUNGBLOOD #71

ZORRO RIDES AGAIN TP VOL 01

This list is a copy of the list posted at memphiscomics.com. Arrivals at your LCS may vary.

Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

Nay 8, 2012 -- When DC Comics re-launched its entire superhero line last September as “The New 52,” it put its best foot forward with Justice League #1. Now they’re doing it again with the first “New 52” collections, beginning with Justice League Vol. 1: The Origin ($24.99).

Origin collects the first six issues of Justice League, set five years ago and depicting how Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman first met. That alone makes Origin a landmark event in comics, but what launches Origin into the stratosphere is its legendary creative team: Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, who wrote it, and Co-Publisher Jim Lee, who drew it.

Of course, the Justice League isn’t new – it’s existed since 1960. So when DC re-launched its superhero universe, Johns had to decide what parts of the “old 52” Justice League he would keep, and what to scrape away.

“The core is obviously the big characters – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman – that core roster of the most well-known superheroes that DC has,” Johns said in an interview. “That, of course, was going to stay. And then I read the original origins of the League, and Jim and I spoke, and we said that if there’s a villain the League is going to fight for the very first time, that brings them together, it’s going to be Darkseid.”

That would be the mad god of Apokolips, an enormously powerful entity who invades Earth to enslave its population. The brand-new superheroes of Earth rise to meet him, although they haven’t yet met each other, and don’t really get along when they do.

The League’s various earlier origins have usually involved invasions, too, one one of them by a gigantic, one-eyed, alien starfish named Starro the Conqueror. But don’t worry, Johns said, those League adventures still happened.

“They still fought Starro,” Johns laughed, “but we wanted someone [for Origin] with two eyes.”

Another change is the replacement of Martian Manhunter as a founding member with Cyborg (of the Teen Titans in the “old 52”). That gives the team a bit more diversity – Cyborg is a black teenager – but Johns says it’s more than that.

Cyborg’s high-tech aspect “really helps the team feel more modern,” and makes the character “integral to the team.” Plus, thanks to the Teen Titans cartoon, Cyborg is “pretty well-known [to the] general public.” And finally, Johns said, adding Cyborg makes this Justice League origin story unique. “One of the things we didn’t want to do was tell the same story.”

One element of Cyborg will thrill older fans: His new origin involves a lot of the weird science from old DC comics. In The New 52, a lot of DC’s mad scientists have a common origin, working with found technology from Apokolips and elsewhere, which we’ll learn more about as early as Free Comic Book Day on May 5.

“That’s a big part of where the book’s going,” Johns said enthusiastically. “I think there’s a lot of cool things that grow out of this, like mentioning Professor Ivo [who created Amazo], Will Magnus [Metal Men], having S.T.A.R. Labs be this place where a lot of these people once worked when all this stuff was going on, and crazy technology was being discovered and found and recovered and analyzed and used and tapped, [and] that this invasion of Darkseid really started this whole movement of high-tech stuff.”

But perhaps the biggest change is that the Justice League will be more human than ever before.

“One of themes of our books is that they’re not gods,” Johns said. “They’re the Justice League, and that although there’s a perception they’re gods, they’re really people. Although you could equate them that way, we’ll see we’ll be dealing more with their humanity than their god-like status. … They have problems and personality quirks and issues and strengths and weaknesses just like us and so that’ll be explored, that’ll be the core of the book.”

So Origin is different from its predecessors in a lot of important ways. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that Justice League remains a big-concept book where the action is turned up to 11. It’s “an action-driven book with a lot of character and heart and humor and [big] stakes,” Johns said. “A comic-book comic book, embracing all the superhero stuff that I think makes superheroes great, and trying to do it on as big a scale as you can with Jim Lee.”

Which makes Justice League: Origin not just important if you like comics, but essential.

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com.

ART

1. "Justice League: Origin" is a hardback collection of the first six issues of the "Justice League" by superstar creators Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. Copyright DC Entertainment.

The genesis of this column began a couple of years ago when I compiled a list of the 100 greatest characters of the past 20 years. Since then, I’ve worked my way back through the decades two at a time, presenting a new list every six months or so. Now, I’ve finally arrived at the beginning. Comic books were created as a format in the 1930s, though their artistic roots go back further than that. This is my list of the best characters from the early years of comic books. Your list, in all likelihood, is different from mine but that’s part of what makes an exercise like this so much fun. Read, enjoy, and feel free to share your own thoughts below.

1. Airboy (Hillman, 1942): It’s hard to imagine now but one of the most popular genres in the nascent days of comic books was aerial adventure. Fiction House found success with Flight Comics and Hillman had a stable of star pilots like Black Angel, Iron Ace and the Sky Wolf. But no one was better than Airboy, the tousle haired youth who flew his “Birdie” against the Axis powers.

2. Alfred Pennyworth (DC, 1943): This sage servant has
offered service, advice and first aid to Batman for almost 70 years. He’s a confidant, a mentor
and even a surrogate grandfather to the many young men and women who have donned the Robin costume.

3. Aquaman (DC, 1941): He’s borne the brunt of more jokes than any other hero yet that’s also a testament to his indelible imprint. The King of the Seas has starred in several solo series and participated in every version of the Justice League. While some fans and writers make fun of the orange shirt, his costume also makes him one of the most recognizable characters in comics.

4. Archie Andrews (MLJ, 1941): He’s conquered more

superheroes than Lex Luthor or the Red Skull. Archie started out as a back-up comedy character in MLJ’s Pep Comics but he soon proved more popular than the superhero leads. Actually, he proved more popular than their entire line of superheroes which is why the company eventually changed their name to Archie Comics. He’s starred in dozens of series, launched co-stars into series of their own and even crossed over to cartoons.

5. Batman (DC, 1939): There’s a recent internet meme that reads, “The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.”

6. Betty & Veronica (MLJ, 1941 and 1942): They represent an essential dilemma for every guy: do you
chase the unattainable beauty or notice the pretty girl next door? Yet these two women have become so much more than a metaphor for Archie’s difficult decision. They’re best friends and worst enemies. They’re fashion-friendly feminists. They’re everything they want to be. And they’re an indelible part of American culture.

7. Black Adam (Fawcett, 1945): A lot of superheroes are asked to fight their mirror images- the villain who has the exact same set of powers. But Black Adam surpasses his origin as a counterpart to Captain Marvel. He has a great look, an interesting origin of his own and, in recent years, the kind of conflicted motivation that makes for an interesting anti-hero.

8. Black Canary (DC, 1947): Like a lot of female super-heroines, Black Canary is a study in contrasts. She’s one of the few heroines, in the Golden Age or since, who stands on her own. She’s not the sidekick, understudy or female version of a male hero. For that reason, she’s been a female icon and personal favorite, especially in recent titles such as Birds of Prey. But she also runs around in fishnet stockings and high heels, demonstrating that even female icons are subjected to male fantasies.

9. Black Cat (Harvey, 1941): She’s arguably the first female superhero. Linda Turner was the daughter of a silent film star and a stuntwoman. She learned a host of skills from her parents and became a daredevil in disguise to fight Nazi conspirators and other criminals. She lost her title to the horror and mystery genres at the end of the Golden Age but enjoyed a couple of comebacks in 1961 and ‘88.

10. Black Condor (Quality, 1940): It almost seems quaint now but at one time, a hero could get by with only the power of flight. Black Condor flew into the pages of Crack Comics for Quality and was one of that company’s biggest stars. After being acquired by DC Comics, he joined with the other Quality alumni to form the Freedom Fighters.

11. Blackhawk (Quality, 1941): This military hero was Quality’s biggest star, inspiring a radio serial, a television series and even a feature film. He led a team of ex-patriots who had been displaced by the Nazis as part of an exotic aerial squadron. At various times, Blackhawk has been American, Polish or an American of Polish descent.

12. Black Terror (Nedor, 1941): He may have looked like a villain, with a skull and crossbones as his chest insignia, but the Black Terror was one of Nedor’s biggest heroes. He starred in Exciting Comics before heading over to the anthology America’s Best Comics. The Black Terror was Bob Benton and together with his sidekick, Tim Roland, formed the terror twins. In recent years, the Black Terror has been resurrected in Alan Moore’s America’s Best Comics and Alex Ross’s Project Superpowers.

13. Blonde Phantom (Marvel, 1946): The post-war period saw a boom in female crime fighters and Marvel’s Blonde Phantom was one of the most prolific. By the fall of 1948, she was starring in five titles and guest starring in two others. The Blonde Phantom straddled the boundaries between superheroes and film noir as she was a pistol-wielding investigator who had no actual powers.

Sidebar: Marvel has long had the reputation of saturating the comic book market and they were certainly one of the biggest culprits in inundating the market with new female heroes. In addition to the Blonde Phantom and a couple of others on this list, Marvel introduced female counterparts to Captain America, Namor and the Human Torch: Golden Girl (1947), Namora (1947) and Sun Girl (1948).

14. Blue Beetle (Fox, 1939)
15. Blue Bolt (Novelty, 1940): The two “blue” characters were some of the first superheroes to step onto the stage after the success of Superman. Blue Bolt was created by Joe Simon and co-written by Jack Kirby. He took as much inspiration from science-fiction heroes such as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon as he did from superheroes like Superman and served as an excellent hybrid of the two genres. The original Blue Beetle was a bit of a mish-mash as well. At first, he was a masked hero like the Shadow. Later, he gained superpowers and a chainmail costume. Blue Beetle was one of Fox’s most popular characters despite the incongruous combination and served as the inspiration for a more coherent version in the Silver Age.

16. Boy King (Hillman, 1943): The Boy King was the star of Hillman’s Clue Comics. Unlike many of his contemporaries, the Boy King wasn’t a sidekick. He didn’t need an adult hero to help him punch out gangsters, monsters or Nazis.

17. Bucky (Marvel, 1941): Bucky fought alongside Captain America in his very first appearance in 1941. At the time, Bucky was almost as big a star as Captain America. He wielded weapons on some of the most memorable covers, pointing machine guns at Nazis and Japanese soldiers alike. He even put together his own team on the side, the Young Allies, starring the sidekicks of Marvel’s major heroes.

Sidebar: Bucky may have led his own team in the Young Allies but they weren’t the only boy band running around in the Golden Age. Simon and Kirby were responsible for most (and the best) of them, creating the Boy Commandos and the Newsboy Legion for DC. Competitors at Holyoke, MLJ and Lev Gleason came up with the Little Leaders, the Boy Buddies and the Little Wise Guys. While it’s hard to mention any one character, let alone any single group, it’s still worthwhile to give a shout to the boy groups of the 1940s.

18. Bulletman & Bulletgirl (Fawcett, 1940): A number of heroes picked up female partners along the way but Bulletman was one of the few to include his girlfriend from the get-go. Police officer Jim Barr invented an indestructible helmet that helped him fly. He then made a second one for his girlfriend, Susan Kent. The two fought crime-lords and, naturally, Nazis with the power of a speeding bullet.

19. Captain America (Marvel, 1941): He’s the standard by which other heroes are measured. Captain America may wear the stars and stripes of the American flag, but he really represents the heart and soul of the country. He’s a patriot and a hero, willing to fight for his country and die if necessary. He’s also noble and conscientious, willing to stand up to his country when he thinks it’s heading in the wrong direction. He represents us as a nation at our ideal best.

Sidebar: Captain America wasn’t the only hero to don patriotic colors. Stand and salute, American Crusader, American Eagle, Captain Courageous, Captain Fearless, Captain Flag, Captain Glory, Captain Jack Commando, Commando Yank, the Conqueror, the Crusader, the Eagle, the Flag, the Liberator, Liberty Belle, Major Liberty, Major Victory, Minute-Man, Miss Victory, the Patriot, the Spirit of ’76, the Star-Spangled Kid, the Unknown Soldier, U.S.A., U.S. Jones, V-Man, Yank & Doodle, Yankee Boy and Yankee Doodle Jones.

20. Captain Haddock (Casterman, 1941): Thundering typhoons! Tintin’s friend and frequent companion made his first appearance in “The Crab with the Golden Claws.” He was as faithful as he was foul-tempered. He was as courageous as he was complicated. He was a wonderfully colorful addition to Tintin’s adventures. Blistering barnacles!

21. Captain Marvel (Fawcett, 1940): SHAZAM!

22. Captain Marvel Jr. (Fawcett, 1941): Captain Marvel Jr. was more than a miniature version of the famous hero. Captain Marvel is a child in a man’s body, but Captain Marvel Jr. is crippled in his alter ego of Freddie Freeman. Freddie’s desire to escape from his disability resulted in unique sympathy for the character. His adventures were usually a little more serious than Big Red’s highly comic affairs. Furthermore, his battles with the villainous Captain Nazi were some of the first ongoing stories and crossovers in comics.

23. Cat-Man & Kitten (Holyoke, 1940): They were Holyoke’s biggest, and arguably, only stars. Catman and Kitten were fairly typical superheroes, dressing up in costumes and fighting bad guys for no particular reason. However, they were atypical in one way as it was unusual for a male hero to have a female sidekick. Catman and his partner appeared in a number of eye-catching covers that helped boost the character’s popularity. Plus, Kitten appeared to go through a surge of puberty as she had significantly more curves by 1944 than she did on the covers from 1942.

24. Catwoman (DC): She’s one of the greatest villains of any age. Just as Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer or Anne Hathaway.

25. Crimebuster (Lev Gleason, 1942)
26. Daredevil (Lev Gleason, 1940): Lev Gleason built his comic book empire around these two popular characters. Crimebuster was a young boy who dressed in a hockey uniform and cape to fight crime. The series took a naturalistic approach to the superhero genre and could be considered the precursor to modern comics like Kick-@$$. Daredevil wore a red and black costume with a spiked belt. He started out as a straight adventurer, but eventually added comedic elements when he teamed up with the Little Wise Guys.

27. Destroyer (Marvel, 1941): The Destroyer was one of Stan Lee’s first creations and was one of the better characters in Marvel’s second-tier. His stories were well written with surprising twists that kept both the Nazis and the readers on their toes. Kevin “Keen” Marlow also had a cool anti-hero vibe with a demon mask, skull insignia and (yes) striped pants.

28. Doctor Fate (DC, 1940)
29. Doctor Mid-Nite (DC, 1941): DC’s two doctors were very different characters. Dr. Fate was a mystical sorcerer. He spoke in incantations and worked magic. He also wore the coolest helmet this side of Sparta. Dr. Mid-Nite was a scientist. Although he was legally blind, he invented blackout bombs that allowed him to see while simultaneously impairing his foes.

30. Doll Man (Quality, 1939): Here’s another hero whose powers seem useless now but which were unique and inventive at the time. Doll Man was the first miniature hero in comic books. He’d fight crime syndicates, mad scientists and the occasional giant spider.

31. The Face (Columbia, 1940): The Golden Age of comics was generally a time of square-jawed virtuous heroes. The nation was fighting a war at the time and had an image to maintain. That makes The Face a particularly distinctive figure. Tony Trent put on a demon’s masks in order to frighten the criminals he was fighting in his war for justice. But the scary mask made him one of comics’
first anti-heroes and he’s been treated as such in recent revivals.

32. Fighting Yank (Nedor, 1941): The Fighting Yank is another patriotic hero and one of Nedor’s most popular characters. His costume incorporated colonial as well as patriotic themes. He eventually joined the Black Terror in Nedor’s successful anthology, America’s Best Comics.

33. Flash (DC, 1940): He’s the fastest man alive and the first in a long legacy of scarlet speedsters.

34. Ghost Rider (Marvel, 1949): The original Ghost Rider was a western anti-hero who rode a white horse and wore an all-white costume. The spectral look struck fear into varmints on the western trail. After Marvel came up with
the modern flaming skull Ghost Rider, the original western character changed his name first to Night Rider and then to Phantom Rider.

35. Green Arrow (DC, 1941): Okay, DC started out by ripping off their more popular hero, Batman. Green Arrow showed up with a sidekick, an arrow cave and even an arrow car. But over the years, he’s developed into one of the more interesting characters in comics. He’s been a loudmouth liberal, an urban vigilante and a modern Robin Hood. Plus, thanks to his Errol Flynn inspiration, he has one of the coolest costumes around.

36. Green Lantern (DC, 1940): Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, has one of the worst costumes in history. His red and green combo clashes horrendously. He has a high-collared cape and a big belt. Plus, he has an
unnecessary lantern insignia. But the inspiration behind the character more than made up for the awful attire. Here was a character who could do anything. Thanks to his magic ring, he could create constructs out of thin air even if, in the Golden Age, he usually resorted to punching people. Superheroes capture the audience’s imagination partly through wish fulfillment and a kid couldn’t wish for more than a ring that can do anything.

37. The Hangman (MLJ, 1942): Nowadays, we like to think that Marvel or DC invented comic book continuity. But, in the Golden Age, other companies like Fawcett and MLJ introduced the kind of interconnectedness we now take for granted. In 1942, MLJ killed off one of their heroes, the Comet. Then, they introduced the Comet’s brother who donned a costume of his own. As the Hangman, he was vengeful force against crime.

38. Hawkman (DC, 1940): He flies, he wears a cool-looking helmet and he carries a mace. What’s not to like?

39. Hop Harrigan (DC, 1939): Earlier, I mentioned that one of the biggest Golden Age genres was aerial adventure. It may surprise you to learn that DC had one of the biggest stars in that
genre: the young aviator, Hop Harrigan. Hop
wasn’t the first aviator adventurer- they’d been appearing in comic strips for some time- but he was one of the first
characters of any stripe to make his debut in comic books. He starred in All-American Comics, a title he eventually shared with Green Lantern. Hop was so popular at the time that he crossed over to both radio and the movies, beating Green Lantern to the silver screen by 65 years.

40. Hourman (DC, 1940): Hourman was one of DC’s second-tier characters. He was elevated by his appearance in the Justice Society of America and by the subsequent heroes who have shared his name. He also had one of the more interesting limitations: he could only use his powers for one hour at a time, resulting in an enjoyably intense pace for most of his adventures.

41. Human Torch (Marvel, 1939)
42. Hydroman (Eastern, 1940): There’s something pure about the conflict between fire and water. The Human Torch was created for Marvel Comics by Carl Burgos. The original version was an android who burst into flames in the presence of oxygen. Other than that, he was a pureblooded hero who fought the Nazis in World War II. Hydroman was created for Eastern Comics by Bill Everett. Everett also created a water-based hero for Marvel named Sub-Mariner. Unlike Sub-Mariner, Hydroman was able to turn his body into living water.

43. Ibis the Invincible (Fawcett, 1940): Mandrake the Magician was one of the most popular comic strips back in the day and a number of comic book companies tried to emulate his success. One of the better versions came from Fawcett. Ibis the Invincible used his magical Ibistick to cast spells, cast light and cast out evildoers.

44. Jimmy Olsen (DC, 1941): I didn’t want to include Jimmy Olsen. He’s kind of dorky. He’s almost too dorky for even a dorky kid like myself to find relatable. Yet Jimmy Olsen is one of the most recognizable characters in comics and there’s a reason why he’s joined Superman in radio, in cartoons, in movies and on television. There’s something appealing about his earnestness, his can-do attitude and his loyalty to Superman.

45. Johnny Canuck (Bell, 1942): Johnny Canuck was a staple of Canadian political
cartoons, kind of a counterpoint to their southern neighbor’s Uncle Sam. In 1942, Bell Features turned him into a
comic book hero. Sometimes, he wore the brown coat and wide-brimmed hat of a frontiersman. Sometimes, he wore a military uniform. He fought petty criminals and Nazi spies. And he was the biggest star in Canada’s black and white comics of the war era.

Sidebar: I have a confession to make. I love international comic book characters. Maybe it’s because I’m a dual citizen. Or maybe I just like to travel. But I always like to see heroes from other lands, whether they’re from France or Japan or my native Canada. I included Captain Canuck and Lone Wolf & Cub in my list of the best characters from the ‘70s and ‘80s. And I eagerly included Johnny Canuck and Captain Haddock in this list. But I have another confession to make. I completely forgot about international characters when I was coming up with the list for the ‘50s and ‘60s. My apologies to fans of Astro Boy (1952), Asterix & Obelisk (1959) and even Dan Dare (1950).

46. The Joker (DC, 1940): Is he a genius or is he insane? The eternal question and the elusive answer is that he’s always a little bit of both. He’s a criminal mastermind who’s also maddeningly unpredictable. He’s a criminal madman who’s also surprisingly clever. He’s one of the greatest villains ever created. He is the “Clown Prince of Crime.”

47. Jughead (MLJ, 1941): I always wanted a best friend like Jughead. Well, except for the times when I wanted to be Jughead myself. He’s cool. He’s unflappable. He has his own unique style and he doesn’t care what anybody thinks about him. He also has an insatiable appetite for hamburgers. But if you’re going to famous for something, why not be famous for liking fun food?

48. Katy Keene (MLJ, 1945): Katy Keene was the undisputed queen of romance comics. While most romance comics were anthologies, Katy headlined her own title for a dozen years. She was a great wish fulfillment character for young girls- she was a model, an actress and a singer who wore stunning clothes.

49. Kid Colt (Marvel, 1948): Marvel, or Timely as they were known at the time, was the king of western heroes. While other companies specialized in licensed stories based on movie stars, Marvel developed their own stable of gunslingers. Kid Colt was one of Marvel’s big three western heroes. With his white hat and calfskin jacket, he was instantly recognizable. Kid Colt was one of the longest-running western heroes as well. His own title lasted for 31 years until the end of the ‘70s.

50. Kid Eternity (Quality, 1942): It’s not easy to stand out in the superhero genre but Kid Eternity had a place all to himself. Christopher Freeman had his own personal genie who would summon historical figures to help him in his adventures. The Kid Eternity comic book combined education, entertainment and incredible art.

Special sidebar: This is as far back as I go. The comic book was invented in 1933. However, original characters didn’t start appearing until about 1938 as the earliest comic books were reprinted collections of comic strips. So I can’t really put together a list of the greatest comic book of the ‘20s as the format didn’t exist yet. Yet, even though I can’t compile a list, I can at least pay tribute to the great characters who paved the way. Say hello to the Yellow Kid, Little Nemo from Slumberland, Popeye, Buck Rogers, Tintin and so many more.

ACTIVITY #6
ADVENTURE TIME #4
ALTER EGO #108
ALTER EGO #109
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ENDS OF EARTH #1
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN SECRET ORIGINS TP
ARE YOU MY MOTHER A COMIC DRAMA HC
ARMY OF DARKNESS ONGOING #4
ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 07 MONSTROUS
ATOMIC ROBO REAL SCIENCE ADV #2
AVENGERS #26 AVX
AVENGERS ACADEMY #30 AVX
AVENGERS ACADEMY HC SECOND SEMESTER
AVENGERS BLACK WIDOW STRIKES #2 (OF 3)
AVENGERS CONTEST TP
AVENGERS VS X-MEN #4 (OF 12) AVX
AVX VS #2 (OF 6)

BACK ISSUE #56
BATMAN BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME TP
BATWOMAN #9
BIRDS OF PREY #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
BLUE BEETLE #9
BPRD HELL ON EARTH DEVILS ENGINE #1 (OF 3)
BUT I REALLY WANTED TO BE AN ANTHROPOLOGIST

CAPTAIN ATOM #9
CATWOMAN #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
CATWOMAN TP VOL 01 THE GAME
COMPLETE CHESTER GOULDS DICK TRACY HC VOL 13
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #4

DANCER #1
DANGER CLUB #2
DAREDEVIL #13
DARKNESS #103 (MR)
DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #9
DEADENDERS TP (MR)

EERIE ARCHIVES HC VOL 10

FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE NEW ED (MR)
FANTASTIC FOUR #605.1
FURY MAX #2 (MR)

GENERATION HOPE END OF A GENERATION TP
GLORY #26
GREEN LANTERN BRIGHTEST DAY TP
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #9
GREEN LANTERN HC VOL 01 SINESTRO
GREEN LANTERN THE ANIMATED SERIES #2
GRIMM FAIRY TALES #73 (MR)

HARDCORE #1
HELL YEAH #3
HELLBLAZER #291 (MR)
HULK SMASH AVENGERS #3 (OF 5)

INCREDIBLE HULK #7.1
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #517

JOHN CARTER GODS OF MARS #3 (OF 5)
JUSTICE LEAGUE #9

LADY DEATH ORIGINS CURSED #2 (OF 3) (MR)
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #9
LOCKE & KEY CLOCKWORKS #6 (OF 6)
LOCUS #616
LONE RANGER CHRONICLES SC

MANHATTAN PROJECTS #3
MONDO #2 (OF 3) (MR)
MONSTER BASH #15

NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS HC VOL
NEW MUTANTS #42 EXILED
NIGHTWING #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
NINJETTES #4 (MR)
NOWHERE MAN #3 (OF 4)

PARADOX ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS KULT TP
PHAZER WAR O/T INDEPENDENTS CROSSOVER #2
PLANET OF THE APES #14
PRINCELESS TP VOL 01

QUATERMAIN #4

RED HOOD & OUTLAWS #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
RESET #2 (OF 4)

SAGA #3 (MR)
SAUCER COUNTRY #3 (MR)
SCALPED #58 (MR)
SECRET HISTORY OF DB COOPER #3
SECRET SERVICE #2 (OF 7) (MR)
SHADE #8 (OF 12)
SHADOW #2
SIMPSONS COMICS #190
SIXTH GUN #22
SONIC UNIVERSE #40
STAN LEE STARBORN TP VOL 03
STAR WARS DAWN O/T JEDI FORCE STORM #4
STEED AND MRS PEEL #5 (OF 6)
SUPERGIRL #9

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES COLOR CLASSICS 1
THIEF OF THIEVES #4
THUNDERBOLTS #174

UNCANNY X-MEN #12 AVX

VAMPIRELLA VS DRACULA #4
VENOM #18
VOLTRON #5

WALT KELLY LIFE & ART OF CREATOR OF POGO HC
WINTER SOLDIER #5
WONDER WOMAN #9

X-FACTOR #236

This list is a copy of the list at memphiscomics.com. Arrivals at your LCS may vary.

As I’ve mentioned before, the Silver Age was not limited just to comic books.  Super-heroes made their way to television, as well.  And this time around, we’re going to look at one of the more popular examples, one that travelled over six thousand miles to reach the homes of American viewers.

In earlier entries, I’ve discussed the phenomenal popularity of the Batman television programme, which debuted in January of 1966.  Batmania was the mother lode of merchandising.  Anything connected with Batman, or super-heroes in general, was snapped up by a voracious public.  Comic-book publishers weren’t the only ones to capitalise on this fad.  Hoping to snag a healthy share of the Batman-inspired profits, television producers turned their efforts to cranking out their own caped-and-cowled do-gooders.

In the summer of 1966, the television division of United Artists found a relatively inexpensive way to jump on board the gravy train.  It purchased the international rights to a Japanese television show that had recently hit the air-waves---a series which was proving to be as big a hit in Japan as Batman was in America.

A show called Urutoraman, which, in English, translated to---Ultraman!

Ultraman was the brainchild of Eiji Tsuburaya, the head of the Visual Effects Department for Toho Tokyo Studios.  Toho had been responsible for bringing Godzilla (1954) to the screen, giving birth to the Japanese monster craze, called kaijū.

By 1966, Tsuburaya had formed his own production company, and had created a series titled Urutora Kyū; in English, Ultra Q.  It debuted on Japanese television in January, 1966.  In its original concept, Ultra Q was a prototype of The X-Files.  The main characters were a commercial pilot, his assistant, a news reporter, and a world-renowned scientist, who worked as an unofficial team investigating mysterious, supernatural phenomena.

Tsuburaya intended for the show to be moody and viscerally disturbing, in the style of The Twilight Zone.  But kaijū was still riding high in Japan, and the sponsoring network, the Toyko Broadcasting Company, pressured Tsuburaya into turning the show in that direction.  Thus, Ultra Q became a “giant-monster-of-the-week” series.

Tsuburaya’s initial instincts may have been right, for Ultra Q lasted only six months before being cancelled.   No matter.  He was ready to hit the decks running with his next series.

Technically, Ultraman was not a spin-off of Ultra Q; no characters or agencies carried over from the earlier show.  However, the two shows were related in spirit. 

Tsuburaya, aware that the axe was going to fall on Ultra Q, had started work on his next series early in the spring of ’66.  He started by taking some unproduced scripts and modifying them to fit his new concept.  Throughout development of the new series---which cycled through a number of the working titles:  WoO, then to Bemular, and then to Redman---Tsuburaya maintained the idea of a team of specialists who fought the kaijū that menaced Japan.  To this, he added the core concept of a giant alien who defended Earth from the frightful creatures.

The earliest versions of this alien ally were scrapped, for being too monstrous looking themselves.  Out of concern that the audience would have difficulty telling the hero apart from the evil beings he battled.

Art designer Toru Narita remodeled the character’s appearance; the result was a silver-and-red humanoid with a finned, ovoid head and oversized almond-shaped eyes, reflecting the “Roswell alien” stereotype.

The specialised-team aspect was slightly altered, as well.  Instead of a group of amateurs, it became a professional cadre attached to a governmental organisation.  With that, the format was established.

Ultraman is set in the then-future of the early 1990’s (one episode, “My Home is Earth”, would establish the specific year of 1993) and depicts the adventures of the Japanese division of an international organisation called the Science Patrol.  The Science Patrol is charged with the Earth’s defence against rampaging monsters, hostile aliens, and other bizarre threats to the safety of mankind.  To support its efforts, the Patrol is equipped with high-tech weapons and sophisticated vehicles, as well as extensive scientific and engineering facilities.  It is even capable of travelling into space, when necessary.

On one mission, Science Patrol member Hayata is sent to investigate reports of two U.F.O.’s that have entered Japanese air space.  Taking to the air, Hayata locates the mysterious intruders---two spheres of light streaking through the skies, one seeming to pursue the other.  Suddenly, the second of the two spheres collides with the Patrolman’s airship, causing it to plunge to the earth in a fiery crash.  Hayata is killed.

An unknown force levitates Hayata’s body to the alien craft which struck his ship.  Within stands a giant silver-skinned being---Ultraman.

Ultraman explains that he is a lawman from Nebula M78.  He had come to Earth to recapture the evil monster Bemular.  In his hot pursuit of Bemular’s ship---the other U.F.O.---he accidentally collided with Hayata’s jet.   To atone for killing the Science Patrolman, Ultraman will merge his lifeforce into Hayata’s body, resurrecting him.

There’s more.  Onto the unmoving form of Hayata, Ultraman drops a small, cylindrical device called a beta capsule.  The alien from Nebula M78 informs him that, once restored to life, he will remain as Hayata.  But, should the need arise, by pressing the button on the side of the beta capsule, Hayata will become Ultraman.

The revived Hayata resumes his place in the Science Patrol, which is fortunate because, soon after, Bemular begins to wreak havoc across the countryside.  When the Patrol finds itself stymied by the monster, Hayata uses the beta capsule and is transformed into Ultraman!  In a pitched battle, Ultraman establishes his credentials as a good guy by destroying Bemular.

Ultraman, standing over one-hundred-thirty-feet tall, possessed incredible strength and durability.  While he preferred to rely on his physical might and martial skills while combating his foes, he also had a wealth of powers at his command.  These included flight, levitation, teleportation, and the ability to cast beams with a vast array of effects.

Late in the stages, Tsuburaya realised that making his hero too powerful would dilute any sense of drama from the stories.  Something was needed to put the youngsters watching at home on the edge of their seats.  So Ultraman was given a weakess.

It was established that Earth’s atmosphere was harmful to Ultraman.  It depleted his energy at a much greater rate than normal.  In combat, the giant hero could operate at peak power for about three minutes before it started to drain.  As a cue to the viewing audience, Toru Narita added a “colour timer”---a small circular light---to Ultraman’s chest.  The timer glowed blue when the hero was at full strength.  When the timer turned red and began to blink audibly, he was in trouble.  If he did not change back to Hayata before time ran out, he would die.

Giving Ultraman such a severe limitation also fixed an inherent lack of logic in the show’s basic formula.  Virtually every episode followed the same outline:  (1) some sort of monster or bizarre being from outer space menaces Japan; (2) the Science Patrol spends most of the half-hour fighting it and, usually, not making very much progress; (3) Hayata becomes Ultraman and spends the last five minutes of the episode giving the beastie a good thrashing before blowing him into monster pieces-parts with his specium ray.

With the atmosphere of the Earth potentially lethal to Ultraman, Hayata would not switch to his gigantic alter ego until there were no other options.  It explained why he didn’t use the beta capsule the moment a monster first appeared.

There was a practical benefit, as well.  Restricting Ultraman’s presence to only a few minutes of screen time reduced the cost of special effects.  Particularly, in the expense of building and repairing scale miniature buildings and landscapes.

The man inside the Ultraman suit was stunt-performer Bin Furuya.  He was chosen for the part because he had the right proportions, but he had no experience at suit-acting.  Fortunately, Eiji Tsuburaya had hired Haruo Nakajima, the man who had portrayed Godzilla in the original film, to perform as most of the monsters appearing in Ultraman.  Nakajima taught Furuya the tricks of working inside a costume, a skill even more necessary due to the fact that Ultraman almost never spoke, except for shouting kiais in battle.

Furuya quickly became adept at using body language to convey what the silent Ultraman was thinking behind his immobile mask of a face.

For the all-important rôle of Hayata, Tsubaraja turned to actor Susumu Kurobe.  The twenty-six-year-old Kurobe was familiar with kaijū productions, having appeared in the film Ghidorha, the Three-Headed Monster and in an episode of Ultra Q. 

The part of Hayata was key.  While Ultraman was the titular hero of the series, the leading rôle belonged to Hayata, his human host, who would occupy most of the screen time.   Kurobe’s good looks and self-assured mien were perfect for the human side of Ultraman.  His Hayata was capable and decisive, just the sort of fellow you’d want around when trouble erupted.

Once the remaining cast regulars were chosen, Tsuburaya was ready to go.  In June of 1966, even as Ultra Q’s short run on the air was winding down, shooting began on the first episodes of Ultraman.

At seven p.m., 10 July 1966---the same weekday and time slot formerly occupied by Ultra Q---Ultraman was unveiled to the Japanese public, in a televised special preview performed live before a studio audience of delighted children and their somewhat more reserved parents.  In a skit, the actors playing the Science Patrol were introduced, and when Ultraman---without the benefit of camera tricks, a human-sized one---appeared, even the adults began to feel the excitement.

Exactly one week later, the first episode---“Urutora Sakusen Dai Ichigō” (“Ultra Operation Number One”)---aired.  There would be thirty-eight more.

I don’t know if Eiji Tsurburaya meant to take advantage of the Batman craze, which was in full swing at the time Urutoraman debuted, but he certainly profited from it.  Combining kaijū with the influence of Batmania proved to be a magic formula.  The series took off like wildfire in Japan.  Uruatoraman toys and merchandise flooded the shelves and were purchased just as quickly by parents dragged to the stores by their hero-struck children.  The theme song, “Urutoraman no Uta” (“The Song of Ultraman”), was recorded on vinyl and blared constantly from radio stations.

In Japan, the popularity of Urutoraman eclipsed even Batmania, and that was saying something.

Even as the sales of Ultraman dolls and games and wrist watches were making money for the merchandisers, Tsuburaya Productions was experiencing the opposite problem.  Eiji Tsuburaya was learning that a television budget could not accommodate the same level of special effects as a movie budget.  Even with the hero’s screen time limited to only a few minutes, there was still a gargantuan monster smashing his way through Japan for most of the half-hour.  The cost of constantly building scale miniature skyscrapers and warehouses and power-plants was staggering.  Sometimes entire city blocks had to be constructed, only to have Ultraman and his foe reduce most of them to rubble during their battle.

That’s not to mention the optical effects, required whenever Ultraman used his specium ray or some other force beam, which was virtually every episode.  Each one of those added another three-figure expense to the show’s growing tab.

Despite the show’s runaway success, Tsuburaya was losing money.  There was only one thing to do.

In a move that was unusual for the day, at least by Western television standards, the Urutoraman series came to a close by resolving the central premise.  On 09 April 1967, the Tokyo Broadcasting Station aired the final episode, titled “Saraba Urutoraman”---“Farewell, Ultraman”.

In this last outing, the Science Patrol is targeted by an invading force of hostile aliens intent on conquering Earth.  The Patrollers succeed in defeating the attacking spacecraft, but in retaliation, the invaders dispatch a giant creature called Z-Ton to destroy the Science Patrol headquarters.  Hayata changes to Ultraman, only to find himself in the fight of his dual lives, as Z-Ton has been specially prepared to defeat the gigantic hero.

After an intense struggle, the threat which has hung over Ultraman’s head during his time on Earth finally comes to pass.  His warning light extinguishes as the last of his energy expires.  His amber eyes dim and he topples over, stiff as a board.

Amazingly, considering its track record, the Science Patrol manages to destroy Z-Ton on its own.  At the same time, Ultraman’s superior from Nebula M78 arrives to retrieve the body of the fallen hero.  The commander instils Ultraman’s body with a force which revives the spark of life left in him.  Ultraman will be taken home, where he can fully recuperate.  However, so that Hayata does not suffer, the commander uses the same force to restore the Earthman’s life, separate from Ultraman.

Hayata returns to his fellow members of the Science Patrol, with no memory of anything that took place after his ship was destroyed back in the first episode.

Eiji Tsuburaya was about to get a last-minute save of his own.  The television division of the U.S. company United Artists was, like every other American TV producer, looking for a way to cash in on the Bat-craze.  U.A.’s film division had already experienced success in backing foreign projects, such as Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli’s James Bond series and Sergio Leone’s “spaghetti westerns”.  Taking a tip from that, United Artists-TV, instead of producing its own super-hero television series, opted to see what was available internationally.

After seeing the ratings for Urutoraman, it was a no-brainer.  U.A.-TV started negotiations with Tsuburaya Productions as early as the previous summer, but it took several months to work out the final terms and a few more months for the deal to go through.  Ultimately, it was a win-win for both parties:  the price U.A.-TV paid to purchase the American distribution rights to Urutoraman was cheaper than what it would have cost to produce its own series.  And Tsuburaya received enough money to get out of the red.

Of course, some things had to be done, in order to make the Japanese series accessible to American viewers.

The most obvious change was to Anglicise the name of the series, and its hero, to Ultraman.  The opening title sequence was preserved intact, except for the screen credits, which were presented in the standard Latin alphabet, instead of Japanese ideograms.

The brass-and-guitar theme composed by Kunio Miyauchi was given new English lyrics.  The original lyrics extolled the virtues of the hero through metaphor.   The English ones, true to conventional U.S. television wisdom, gave any first-time viewers a sixty-second explanation of who Ultraman was.

Last, but most crucial, was the dubbing.  It was more than just replacing the Japanese dialogue with English sentences.  One of the more cringeworthy aspects of the early Toho monster films, when dubbed for Western distribution, was the noticeable mismatching of the English words to the mouth-movements of the Japanese actors.  Too often, a line of dialogue that was six or seven words long in Japanese was changed to a terse “Right!” or “Let’s go!” in English, leaving the actor’s mouth moving in silence, as if he had something stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Another consideration was that the dubbed voices fit the personalities of the characters.

For that, U.A.-TV went to a man who was probably the most knowledgeable professional at dubbing Japanese television---Peter Fernandez.  At the time, Fernandez was already voice-acting on two other Japanese imports---Marine Boy and Speed Racer.  His experience went back a few years, when he wrote English dialogue for the Japanese cartoon Astro Boy, which had entered U.S. syndication in 1963.  He understood the need for synchronising the English words to the mouth-movements of the character on screen. 

He wrote the dubbed dialogue for Ultraman to conform to the lips of the actors on screen and was generally successful.  On occasion, though, plot requirements and the differences between the two languages forced a rapid delivery to squeeze it in, giving an unintended franticness to the actor’s words, like he was speaking while his pants were on fire.

As Ultraman’s dialogue director, Fernandez provided some of the voices himself, but for the lead, he assigned actor Earl Hammond.  Hammond’s firm baritone fit the competent, all-business Hayata to a T.

However, the voice that became the most memorable to American fans of Ultraman was that of Jack Curtis, who provided the narration.   With his deep, urgent delivery, some of Curtis’ lines became so imprinted in the minds of youthful viewers that they can quote them by heart to this day . . . .

“Using the beta capsule, Hayata becomes---Ultraman!”

“The tremendous energy Ultraman gets from the sun diminishes rapidly in Earth’s atmosphere.  The warning light begins to blink!  Should it stop completely, it will mean Ultraman will never rise again!”

By August of 1967, Ultraman was ready for American syndication.  Next time out, we’ll take a closer look at that version, the one that most of us who were around at the time remember.

Another Legionnaire makes good

Chuck Miller one of the 'Essentials'

  From long-time Legionnaire Chuck Miller:

  New Pulp originator and guru BARRY REESE lists 8 essential books that anyone Interested in New Pulp should read.(By the way, one of them is by me!)

http://barryreese.net/2012/04/04/my-all-time-favorite-new-pulp-books/

My All-Time Favorite “New Pulp” Books
April 4, 2012 By barryreese1972 1 Comment

These are the books that any self-respecting fan of “New Pulp” should have on their shelves, in my humble opinion. It’s not a full listing of every New Pulp book that I’ve enjoyed. It’s just my very favorites. In many cases, the authors below have written multiple books that I love but I just picked my # 1 of their work. Also, I have not read every New Pulp book ever written so please don’t ask why a certain book isn’t here — it may not have been my favorite or I may simply have not read it!

Khan Dynasty by Wayne Reingel

Yesteryear by Tommy Hancock

Four Bullets for Dillon by Derrick Ferguson

Sentinels: When Strikes the Warlord by Van Plexico

The Hounds of Hell by Ron Fortier and Gordon Linzner

The Myth Hunter by Percival Constantine

Dagon’s Disciples: A Scarlet Shroud Adventure by Chris & Bill Carney

Creeping Dawn: Rise of the Black Centipede by Chuck Miller

http://theblackcentipede.blogspot.com/

--
CHUCK MILLER
Author of "Creeping Dawn: The Rise of the Black Centipede"
Print or Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Creeping-Dawn-Rise-Black-Centipede/dp/146633813X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316819459&sr=1-1

http://theblackcentipede.blogspot.com/

From comics to the big screen

Assembling the Avengers

By Andrew A. Smith

Contributing Editor

Avenger fans assemble! It’s the best year ever for “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”!

Marvel’s premier super-team stars in more than a dozen titles in April, including the massive “Avengers vs. X-Men” crossover. TV cartoons based on the Avengers appear on both Disney XD and Disney Hub. Avengers toys and paraphernalia, from Thor hammers to Captain America bottle openers, fill store shelves.

Not to mention the hotly anticipated, star-studded, big-budget Avengers movie, premiering May 4. It stars Black Widow, Captain America, Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor, brought together by the machinations of Loki, the Norse god of evil.

How much is identical to the comics? That’s a tale in itself.

“There Came a Day, Unlike Any Other …”

The Avengers began on a golf course.

Actually, all of Marvel Comics could be said to arise from a 1961 contest on the links between Jack Liebowitz, the co-publisher of National Periodic Publications (the forerunner of today’s DC Entertainment), and Martin Goodman, the publisher of Atlas Comics (which eventually became Marvel Entertainment). This legendary tale quickly involves Stan Lee, who was then the Atlas editor and chief writer (and Goodman’s relative by marriage).

“While playing a game of golf with Martin Goodman, [Liebowitz] let slip he had a hot seller in the Justice League of America,” Joe Simon wrote in his book, The Comic Book Makers. “Goodman, always ready to follow a trend, hastily tipped his caddy and rushed back to the office. He ordered Lee to fetch up a superhero group book.”

Goodman suggested reviving Captain America, Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner, the company’s three biggest sellers from the Golden Age, which had enjoyed a brief but unsuccessful resurrection in the mid-1950s. But Lee told Roy Thomas in an interview in Comic Book Artist #2 (Sum 98) that he never seriously considered that suggestion. Instead, he teamed with legendary artist/writer Jack Kirby to come up with an entirely new team, the Fantastic Four. And when the Cosmic Quartet began soaring like a stolen rocketship, Lee & Kirby quickly created a new roster of heroes, all living in a shared reality that came to be known as the Marvel Universe.

By 1963, Goodman’s two-year-old request for a book of super-stars like Justice League of America finally became a possibility – and then a reality. Three of the characters who found the team in Avengers the movie were also founders in The Avengers #1 (Sep 63): Bruce “Hulk” Banner (who had debuted in Incredible Hulk #1, May 62), Thor (Journey into Mystery #83, Aug 62) and Tony “Iron Man” Stark (Tales of Suspense#39, Mar 63). Their comic-book origins were streamlined for the silver screen, but are similar enough to not require further explication here.

The Super-Soldier and the Super-Spy

“Wait a minute!” you say. “Where’s Captain America? He’s a founder!”

Well, yes and no.

As all True Believers know, Steve “Captain America” Rogers joined The Avengers in the team’s fourth issue (Mar 64), after being thawed out of an iceberg where he’d been hanging since 1945, following a battle with Baron Zemo. (Actually, Captain America’s Golden Age adventures continued until 1949, and there was that brief revival in 1953-54 mentioned above. Marvel initially ignored all that, and eventually explained it away.)

But, let’s face it: The Avengers and Captain America are now virtually synonymous. So, despite the Living Legend of World War II not being present for the first three issues, the team has awarded Captain America founder status.

No, that really doesn’t make any etymological sense. You just have to roll with it.

Meanwhile, the movies have streamlined this story too, with Cap getting frozen in battle with The Red Skull (eschewing the redundant Baron Zemo) and placing Steve Rogers at ground zero as the team is formed by a one-eyed black espionage agent named Nick Fury. Which, incidentally, is pretty much how The Ultimates, the Avengers of Marvel’s alternate “Ultimate” universe, were formed (in The Ultimates #1-5, Mar-Jul 02).

“Ah,” you say. “Nick Fury. He was around in 1963, as well, wasn’t he? Surely he helped found The Avengers.”

Nope. Nick Fury was introduced in Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1 (Mar 63), which did indeed have a cover date that preceded The Avengers #1 – but was set in World War II, before Fury lost his left eye. Fury didn’t make it to the Avengers era until a cameo as a still-binocular CIA agent in Fantastic Four #21 (Dec 63). A couple of years later he returned with the familiar eye-patch in place in Strange Tales #136 (Sep 65), in his best-known role, as director of the counter-espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. (which originally stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Enforcement Division).  And, yes, the original Nick Fury is white – the U.S. military wasn’t integrated during WWII, so African-Americans were a rarity in combat.

So unlike the movie, the comic-book Nick Fury has virtually nothing to do with The Avengers. Well, in the “normal” Marvel Universe, that is. As mentioned, the movie takes a page from the Ultimate Universe, where the black Nick Fury forms the team. On the other hand, the Ultimate Nick Fury is a product of the Super-Soldier program just like Captain America, an element that seems absent in the movies. So Movie-Fury is a sort of combo of the Marvel Universe-Fury and the Ultimate Universe-Fury.

As is the team’s movie origin. In the Marvel Universe, the team forms to combat Loki. In the Ultimate Universe, they fight off an invasion. In the movie version, as seen in the trailers, the team fights both Loki and an invasion. It’s a cinematic mash-up!

Team Players

Meanwhile, we still have a few other movie characters to discuss, including Black Widow, Hawkeye, and agents Phil Coulson and Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which, in the movies, stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division).

We can actually dispense with Coulson right away; although popular among movie aficionados (especially for two direct-to-DVD movie shorts), Coulson has never appeared in print comics. The unflappable, efficient, and dry-witted agent has, however, appeared in two digital comics created by Marvel.

And Agent Hill doesn’t have much of a print history, either. She was introduced in New Avengers #4 (Mar 05), replacing a disgraced Fury as the new director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which now stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate). But her career hit a few snags after that – she was demoted to deputy director when Tony “Iron Man” Stark was made director at the conclusion of “Civil War,” and was kicked out altogether when Norman Osborn became director after “Secret Invasion” and reformed the organization as H.A.M.M.E.R. (which doesn’t stand for anything). She is currently working with various Avengers teams under the command of Steve Rogers.

Hill wasn’t initially much of a fan favorite, as she was as hard-bitten and decisive as Fury, but had no connections to any of the heroes or their respective teams. Her strong personality was interpreted as hostility – a negative, not a plus. But her subsequent actions in life-threatening missions on behalf of Stark and the Avengers has earned her a modicum of respect. What her role in the movie will be is unknown, but her presence in the trailers has earned an unexpected amount of applause.

Meanwhile, back in the 1965 Avengers, changes were afoot.

“Stan Lee has admitted that by this period the intertwined tales of the Marvel Universe were beginning to confuse even him,” wrote Les Daniels in Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics. “Keeping top heroes like Thor active in The Avengers without contradicting information in Thor’s own series was becoming a chore. A changing of the guard was the result for The Avengers and Captain America was leading a motley crew of reformed villains like Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and The Scarlet Witch.”

Which segues us to Hawkeye, initially a wannabe hero who ended up on the wrong side of the law (and Iron Man), in his debut (Tales of Suspense #57, Sep 64). What kept him wearing a black hat for a while was that he fell in with bad company: A beautiful Soviet spy named Natasha Romanoff, code-named “Black Widow,” seduced the quiver off him.

There’s not much more to say about Hawkeye, who didn’t even get a civilian name (“Clint Barton”) until The Avengers #64 (May 69). The former carnival trick-arrow marksman was egged on into combat with Iron Man a few more times by the Black Widow in Tales of Suspense before chucking it all, reforming, and joining The Avengers (in issue #16, May 65).  In the Ultimate Universe he is a crack sniper for Fury’s secret, black-ops team of Ultimates, which Fury calls – wait for it – “Avengers.” In the movies, he had a cameo in Thor and will apparently be an Avengers founder.

Deadlier Than the Male

But Black Widow, as you’d expect about a spy, has a much more complicated history.

As noted, she was a Soviet “honey trap” in the early 1960s, tasked with destroying Stark Industries, which produced weapons for the Pentagon. In her first appearance, in Tales of Suspense #52 (Apr 64), she was teamed with The Crimson Dynamo. She tried again in the next issue, without the Dynamo, in the aptly named “The Black Widow Strikes Again!” Then she latched on to Hawkeye (as noted above), and used her feminine wiles to control him.

But in Tales of Suspense #64 (Apr 65), Lee & Kirby dispensed with Romanoff’s femme fatale persona, and decked her out in a blue-and-gray super-villain outfit. Still teamed with Hawkeye, this Widow more closely mimicked her deadly namesake, with the suction-cup gloves and boots for wall-crawling, a “widow’s line” for swinging, and a "Widow's bite" weapon.

This launched the character in an entirely different direction – one that eventually led to the character being completely re-imagined.

Initially, the new amped-up Widow followed Hawkeye over to the pages of The Avengers – but she remained a villain, whereas her former lover played for the other team. (Oh, the angst! The drama! The sad thought balloons!) Eventually, of course, she had to reform and immediately joined the team.

No, wait, she didn’t. She did reform, but didn’t join. Despite The Avengers being mostly comprised of ex-villains at that point, an ex-spy raised too many hackles and founder Hank “Goliath” Pym blackballed her. But that changed in The Avengers #45 (Oct 67), when she and Hercules were both invited to join on “Avengers Day” in Central Park.

Um, wait, she didn’t join that time, either. She had been injured (in combat with her ex-husband, Soviet superhero Red Guardian), and had decided to retire. “Originally, we intended to bestow this honor upon two,” said Goliath at the induction ceremony. “But, the lovely Black Widow has stated that she will fight in costume no more!”

OK, you know that didn’t last. Instead, the Widow returned to harness and eventually adopted a sleek black outfit in, of all places, Amazing Spider-Man #86 (Jul 70). This outfit, or some variation of it, has been her uniform ever since. Then she hooked up with Daredevil (when he was living in San Francisco), whereupon both were invited to join the team in The Avengers #111 (May 73). This time the Widow did sign up, while Daredevil begged off (only to join 38 years later, in New Avengers #16, Nov 11).

Not that Natasha hung around long. She was gone after The Avengers #113 (Jul 73), and went bouncing around the Marvel Universe, working for S.H.I.E.L.D., founding the short-lived Champions in Los Angeles, enjoying an even shorter solo series in Amazing Adventures, hanging out briefly with The Defenders, and so forth. She even returned to The Avengers now and again, at least once as leader.

But here’s where the fun begins.

In a series of significant guest spots and mini-series, the Widow’s past has been extended back to a 1928 birth, with her age retarded due to “government treatments” while being trained in hand-to-hand combat and other spy/super-villains skills in “The Red Room.” So, as it turns out, she has a realllllly long history, and has always been a superhero-level fighter, making it possible for her to have fought with Captain America in World War II, meet Wolverine during various times in his long life, and work with (and date) Cap’s WWII partner James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, when he was a hypnotized Soviet agent called the Winter Soldier in the 1950s. In addition, the “Red Room” training has resulted in the idea that Black Widow isn’t simply Natasha’s code name – it’s a title, and there are other Black Widows now and in the past. Also, she is no longer Natasha Romanoff (or Romanov, as it was occasionally spelled) – her name has been established as Natalia Alianovna Romanova, with “Natasha” as a nickname. I can’t explain that last change -- especially since she remains Natasha Romanoff in the movies -- but there it is.

Currently, “Natasha” is back with Bucky, who is again called the Winter Soldier, and the two are black-ops agents once again, this time for the U.S. In the Ultimate Universe the Widow was an early member of The Ultimates who betrayed the team (and is very dead). In the movie, she’s a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent – who, from the trailers, looks like she might mirror her comics counterpart in having a professional relationship, and perhaps more, with a certain archer.

When Titans Clash

As noted in the intro, the comic shops are currently awash in Avengers titles, including five monthlies: Avengers, Avengers Academy, Avengers Assemble, New Avengers and Secret Avengers. There are seven more, if you count Avenging Spider-Man (wherein the web-spinner teams with a fellow Avenger each issue), Captain America’s two titles, Thor’s two titles, Invincible Iron Man and Winter Soldier (starring Bucky and Black Widow). The Ultimates is an ongoing Avengers title in that universe, plus various one-shots and mini-series in both the regular and movie continuities are at your comic shop now.

But the big news is “Avengers vs. X-Men,” which started in March. The premise is that the Phoenix Force is returning to Earth, which the X-Men think will save the mutant race, and the Avengers think will destroy the world. This pits Marvel’s two biggest team franchises in a knock-down drag-out that will last 13 issues in its own title (including a zero issue), and six issues of Versus, which Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort said at the “Avengers vs. X-Men” panel at WonderCon would be virtually 99 percent fighting, with very little plot.

Given that the X-Men are half of the story, “Avengers vs. X-Men” will slop over into some X-titles as well, such as Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine & The X-Men, and X-Men Legacy. The cosmic hero Nova will star in a related story in Marvel’s new Infinite line as well.

Avengers vs. X-Men will ship twice monthly, so it will end at the same time as Versusin September. The story is structured in three parts, with John Romita Jr. drawing the first third, Oilvier Coipel doing the second, and Adam Kubert wrapping it up.

Marvel Senior Vice President David Gabriel told ICv2.com that the company will mount a huge marketing campaign for AvX. “This is the biggest marketing investment that we’ve ever put into a series or an event,” he said.  “You’ll see that online, through social media, and there’s going to be a radio and television component as well.”

Brevoort has said, both at WonderCon and on Twitter, that the story has been in the works since at least “House of M.” Avengers uber-writer Brian Michael Bendis has said that this is the climax of his tenure on the franchise, and that virtually everything he has done since “Avengers Disassembled” has lead to it. When it’s finished, so is Bendis, who will leave the Avengers titles.

And after that? One result revealed at WonderCon is that Carol “Ms. Marvel” Danvers will be taking on a new role – and receive a new ongoing title – with Captain Marvel #1. Other than that, all Brevoort would say at the WonderCon panel is that there won’t be a reboot, like DC’s The New 52, and that things will be “upside down” afterward. And Marvel TV honcho Jeph Loeb added that the story that comes after is even “more amazing.”

And whatever it is, you can imagine that the Avengers will be at the heart of it. From a single title in 1963, it has become Marvel’s largest franchise, eclipsing even the X-Men line. It’s good to be an Avenger – and better still, to be an Avengers fan.

For fans of my questionable movie reviews, I now have two new books out in Kindle editions (and remember, Amazon offers a free Kindle app allowing you to read these on your PC if you don't have the device). The first, 66.6 Absurd Movies About the Devil, covers movies in the vein of The Exorcist or The Omen, and the second, Legendary House of Haunted Hell, focuses exclusively on haunted house movies. For more info, click on the links!

2000 AD #1776 (NOTE PRICE)
2000 AD #1777
2000 AD #1778

ACOLYTE CHRONICLES #1
ALABASTER WOLVES #2 (OF 5)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PARALLEL LIVES #1
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN SECRET ORIGINS TP
ANNE RICE SERVANT OF THE BONES HC
ARTIFACTS #17
ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 07 MONSTROUS
ATOMIC ROBO TP VOL 06 GHOST OF STATION X
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #3
AVENGERS CROSSING OMNIBUS HC DEODATO DM VAR ED
AVENGERS KREE SKRULL WAR HC
AVENGERS MOVIE CAPTAIN AMERICA 7 INCH PLUSH
AVENGERS MOVIE HULK 7 INCH PLUSH
AVENGERS MOVIE IRON MAN 7 INCH PLUSH
AVENGERS MOVIE THOR 7 INCH PLUSH
AVENGERS PRIVATE WAR OF DR DOOM PREM HC
AVENGERS PRIVATE WAR OF DR DOOM PREM HC DM VAR ED 89
AVENGERS X-SANCTION HC
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #7

BATGIRL #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
BATMAN #9 (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
BATMAN #9 COMBO PACK (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
BATMAN #9 VAR ED (NIGHT OF THE OWLS)
BATMAN AND ROBIN #9 (NITE OF THE OWLS)
BATMAN ARKHAM CITY SER 2 ASST A
BATMAN ARKHAM CITY SER 2 ASST B
BATMAN ARKHAM UNHINGED #2
BATMAN HC VOL 01 THE COURT OF OWLS
BELA LUGOSI TALES FROM GRAVE #2 (RES)
BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #201
BIBLE HC
BILL GATES CO FOUNDER OF MICROSOFT ONE SHOT
BRIGHTEST DAY TP VOL 02
BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #9 JEANTY VAR CVR
BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #9 NOTO CVR

CAPTAIN AMERICA #11
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND HAWKEYE #630
CAPTAIN AMERICA BY ED BRUBAKER PREM HC VOL 02
CHARMED #21 (MR)
CHOKER TP VOL 01 (MR)
CONQUEST O/T PLANET O/T LIVING DEAD ONE SHOT
COURTNEY CRUMRIN ONGOING #2
CROSSED BADLANDS #5 (MR)
CROSSED BADLANDS #5 RED CROSSED CVR (MR)
CROSSED BADLANDS #5 TORTURE CVR (MR)
CROSSED BADLANDS #5 WRAP CVR (MR)

DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 (MR)
DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 RETRO INCV CVR (MR)
DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 WRAP CVR (MR)
DANGER CLUB #1 VAR CVR 2ND PTG
DARK SHADOWS #5
DC SUPERHERO CHESS FIG COLL MAG #4 PENGUIN BLACK KNIGHT
DC SUPERHERO CHESS FIG COLL MAG #5 CATWOMAN WHITE QUEEN
DC UNIVERSE LEGACIES TP
DEAD RISING ROAD TO FORTUNE TP
DEADPOOL #51 2ND PTG JOHNSON VAR
DEADPOOL #52 2ND PTG JOHNSON VAR
DEADPOOL #54
DEATHSTROKE #9
DEJAH THORIS & WHITE APES OF MARS #2 (MR)
DEMON KNIGHTS #9
DICKS COLOR ED #4 (MR)
DICKS COLOR ED #4 CLASSIC B&W INCV (MR)
DICKS COLOR ED #4 OFFENSIVE CVR (MR)
DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS SERIES IV #4 (OF 6)
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FORGOTTEN REALMS #1
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FORGOTTEN REALMS #1 10 COPY INCV

ESSENTIAL BLACK PANTHER TP VOL 01

FAIREST #3 (MR)
FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES #2 MAIN CVRS
FATALE #5 (MR)
FEMALE FORCE CARRIE FISHER ONE SHOT
FERALS #5 (MR)
FERALS #5 GORE CVR (MR)
FERALS #5 SLASHED ORDER INCV (MR)
FERALS #5 WRAP CVR (MR)
FORGETLESS TP LIVE TO SEE LAST CALL NEW ED (MR)
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #9
FRANKENSTEIN ALIVE ALIVE #1
FREAKY MONSTERS MAGAZINE #9
FURY MAX #1 (MR)

GARFIELD #1
GI JOE VOL 2 ONGOING #13
GI JOE VOL 2 ONGOING #13 10 COPY INCV
GI JOE VOL 2 ONGOING #13 25 COPY INCV
GREEN LANTERN #9
GREEN LANTERN #9 COMBO PACK
GREEN LANTERN #9 VAR ED
GREEN WAKE TP VOL 02 LOST CHILDREN (MR)
GRIFTER #9
GRIMM FAIRY TALES THE LIBRARY TP

HALO FALL OF REACH COVENANT TP
HEAVY METAL MAY 2012 (MR)
HELL YEAH #3
HELLRAISER #13 (MR)
HIGHER EARTH #1 MAIN CVRS
HULK #51
HULK RETURN OF MONSTER PREM HC
HULK RETURN OF MONSTER PREM HC DM VAR ED 90
HULK SMASH AVENGERS #1 (OF 5)
HULK SMASH AVENGERS #2 (OF 5)

INCORRUPTIBLE #29
INTERIORAE TP
INVINCIBLE #91
IZOMBIE #25 (MR)

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #637 EXILED
JUDGE DREDD CRUSADE TP
JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 #4 A CVR CACAU (MR)
JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 #4 B CVR QUALANO (MR)
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL TP VOL 01 SIGNAL MASTERS

KUNG FU PANDA DIGEST GN VOL 02 ELEMENTAL

LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #17 (MR)
LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #17 ART DECO 3 COPY INCV (MR)
LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #17 SULTRY CVR (MR)
LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #17 WRAP CVR (MR)
LEGION LOST #9 (THE CULLING)
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES ARCHIVES HC VOL 13
LOBSTER JOHNSON THE BURNING HAND #5 (OF 5)
LORD OF THE JUNGLE #4 (MR)
LORD OF THE JUNGLE #4 10 COPY PARILLO VIRGIN INCV (MR)
LORD OF THE JUNGLE #4 15 COPY RENAUD JUNGLE GREEN INCV
LORD OF THE JUNGLE #4 25 COPY FRANCAVILLA VIRGIN INCV

MAGNETO NOT A HERO TP
MANARA EROTICA HC VOL 01 (A)
MANHATTAN PROJECTS #2 VAR CVR 2ND PTG
MARVEL MINIMATES SERIES 45 ASST
MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS MOVIE HULK AF
MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS EARTHS HEROES #2
MARVEL ZOMBIES DESTROY #1 (OF 5)
MARVELS AVENGERS AVENGERS INITIATIVE
MASTERING COMICS SC
MECHA-NATION ANDROIDOLOGY #1 (OF 3)
MEGA MAN #13
MEGALEX COMPLETE STORY HC (MR)
MEMORIAL #5 (OF 6)
MEMORIAL #5 (OF 6) 10 COPY INCV
MIND THE GAP #1 CVR A
MIND THE GAP #1 CVR B
MONSTER BASH #15
MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #30
MORNING GLORIES #18 (MR)
MYSTERY IN SPACE #1 (MR)
MYSTERY IN SPACE #1 VAR ED (MR)

NEW AVENGERS #26 AVX
NIGHT FORCE #3 (OF 6)
NIGHT OF 1000 WOLVES #1 (OF 3)

OZ OZMA OF OZ GN TP
OZ WONDERLAND CHRONICLES TP VOL 02

PATRICIA BRIGGS ALPHA & OMEGA CRY WOLF VOL 01 #7
POP HEROES BATGIRL VINYL FIGURE
POP HEROES JOKER VINYL FIGURE
POP HEROES ROBIN VINYL FIGURE
POP HEROES SUPERMAN VINYL FIGURE
POWERS PREM HC VOL 06 SELLOUTS (MR)
PRO ONE SHOT (NEW PTG) (MR)
PTERODACTYL HUNTERS IN THE GILDED CITY (ONE SHOT)
PUNISHER #11

RESURRECTION MAN #9
REX ZOMBIE KILLER ONE SHOT
RICH JOHNSTONS THE AVENGEFULS #1
RICHIE RICH TP VOL 01 WELCOME TO RICH RESCUE
ROBERT JORDAN WHEEL OF TIME EYE O/T WORLD #24
RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE #122

SAGA #2 VAR CVR 2ND PTG (MR)
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 11
SCARLET SPIDER #3 2ND PTG STEGMAN VAR
SCARLET SPIDER #5
SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #21
SCREAM MAGAZINE #10
SECRET #1 VAR CVR 2ND PTG
SILVER SURFER PARABLE PREM HC
SILVER SURFER PARABLE PREM HC DM VAR ED 91
SKULLKICKERS #14
SPAWN #219
SPIDER-MAN IDENTITY CRISIS TP NEW PTG
SPIDER-MAN SEASON ONE PREM HC WITH DIG CDE
STAR TREK ONGOING #8
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC WAR #5 (OF 5)
STEVE DITKO ARCHIVES HC VOL 03 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER
STORM RIDER #1
SUICIDE SQUAD #9
SUPERBOY #9 (THE CULLING)
SUPERMAN GROUNDED TP VOL 01
SW DARTH MAUL ARTFX+ STATUE PHANTOM MENACE VER

TAKIO #1
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES COLOR CLASSICS #1
THIEF OF THIEVES #3 VAR CVR 2ND PTG
THIEF OF THIEVES #4
THING SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR PREM HC
THING SERPENT CROWN AFFAIR PREM HC DM VAR ED 92
THREE STOOGES GN VOL 01 BED BUGGED
TRIO #1

ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #10
ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #11
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN HC VOL 12
UNCANNY X-FORCE #25

WALKING DEAD #97 (MR)
WASTELAND #37 (MR)
WOLVERINE #306
WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #10 AVX
WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #17

X-MEN LEGACY #266 AVX

This list is a copy of the list posted at pittsburghcomics.com. Arrivals at your LCS may vary.

Andrew A. Smith

Scripps Howard News Service

A learner's guide to 'Avengers' the movie

Avengers Assemble!

Those outside the comics world may not be familiar with that battle cry, but they will be after May 4, when The Avengers premieres in the U.S. According to reports, nobody actually shouts “Avengers Assemble” in the movie, but it goes without saying that someone in the audience will – someone who, in all likelihood, will be wearing Hulk hands or carrying a Thor hammer.

Those reports come from audiences who have seen the movie, because it has already premiered at “fan events” in select American cities in April, at New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival April 28 and at least 10 countries overseas April 27. (Trivia time: The movie is called Avengers Assemble in the UK and Ireland to avoid confusion with the British The Avengers TV show that starred Patrick Macnee from 1960 to 1969.)

And, without question, it is a hit. I had to turn off the #Avengers feed on my Twitter stream a few days ago, because the exhilarated tweets were coming in too fast to be read, much less to allow me to get any work done. It wasn’t wasted time, though, because I learned how to say “awesome” in three languages, how to shout “Hulk smash!” in Dutch (Hulk breken!) and that “ZOMG” is spelled pretty much the same everywhere.

This was not entirely unexpected. Tracking for the movie conducted by Disney showed anticipation ranking ahead of both The Hunger Games and Dark Knight Rises. The movie-review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes showed a 96 percent – 96 percent! – approval rating. And something this huge has never been done before: Five solo action movies leading to a shared-universe ensemble movie – complete with the original stars.

That’s remarkably similar to how the team originated in comics, with Hulk, Thor and a character named Ant-Man debuting in solo adventures in 1962, and Wasp and Iron Man in 1963, and the five of them forming the team later that year in Avengers #1. But that’s how many teams form in comic books, a medium which has the luxury of many monthly titles to put all the pieces in place before the big team-up.

But doing that in the movies? Nobody even thought that was possible until recently. And even after the Captain America: The First Avenger, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Thor films established all the major characters (including Black Widow, Nick Fury, Hawkeye and Agent Coulson), many fans thought The Avengers a fantasy – and it probably would remained that way, except for a remarkable man tapped to be director: Joss Whedon.

Whedon is a name uttered in reverence in most fan circles. Creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse and Firefly, he is especially noted for his gift for dialogue and effective use of female characters – the latter important to Avengers especially, which was in danger of being a testosterone festival.

“Black widow is a fun character, and was played by Scarlett Johannson, two points in her favor,” he said in a series of interviews released by Disney. “She’s also a woman. I was very clear from the beginning, you can’t have an all-male team. You just can’t do it. It’s not acceptable.”

But even Whedon had doubts he could make it work.

“What they had done in the movies before was obviously extremely informative, useful and fun,” he said. “But [when he was asked to direct] Thor and Cap weren’t even close to being finished, and there’s also the element that, OK, you have all these parts, but how can you possibly bring them together? They don’t seem to co-exist.”

But that uncomfortable juxtaposition turned out to be the key for the director, who wrote the film as well.

“Ultimately that is what made me go, ‘this can be done, and this should be done.’ These people don’t belong together, these people wouldn’t get along, and as soon as that really came into focus, I realized ‘I have something to say about these people.’”

Which brings us to the question immortalized in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Who are these guys? And the answer is complicated, especially since Marvel Comics produces two lines of books featuring characters of great similarity: the original Marvel Universe of books, which began in 1961, and an “Ultimate” line, which began in 2000 specifically to feature the same characters updated for the 21st century and without 40 years of history. The Avengers movie is actually closer to the “Ultimate” line, but it’s really splitting hairs to worry about it. So here we go:

CAPTAIN AMERICA

“Marvel's The Avengers” CAPTAIN AMERICA (Chris Evans) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved

What’s true in virtually all iterations of the Star-Spangled Avenger is that patriotic but scrawny 4-F Steve Rogers volunteered for “Project: Rebirth” in 1941, which made him the ultimate Super-Soldier, only to be frozen in a glacier at the end of World War II and freed in the present.

In the Avengers begun in 1963, Captain America wasn’t thawed out until the fourth issue, although in the “Ultimate” line he’s a founder of the team. In both universes he’s the face and spirit of the Avengers, and usually the leader.

“I love the character. He’s everything I wish I could be as a man,” Cap actor Chris Evans said. “He’s from another era, and I think that era really defines who he is. In the forties there was a bit more of a direct and honest sincerity to the way people behaved. [The present is] a different world he has to get used to.”

Evans has complete confidence in Whedon, whom he describes as “a fan, first and foremost.”

IRON MAN

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” opening in theaters on May 4, 2012. The Joss Whedon–directed action-adventure is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark in two movies as the billionaire genius inventor he is in the comics, who built the powerful Iron Man armor, making him a modern-day, high-tech knight. But Downey went beyond the staid, square-jawed character Stark was in print by adding rapid-patter snark, creative impulsiveness and a bit of narcissism – which the comics have now changed to reflect.

Mark “Hulk” Ruffalo refers to Downey as “our fearless leader,” and Chris “Thor” Hemsworth calls him “fantastic” and “the godfather of the Avengers” for having made the Marvel film franchise so successful.

He also seems to get the best lines.

THOR

"Marvel's The Avengers" THOR (Chris Hemsworth) and CAPTAIN AMERICA (Chris Evans) ..Ph: Zade Rosenthal ..© 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

All you have to know is he’s the actual Norse God of Thunder, the one worshipped by Vikings as a warrior deity. In both comics and movies he’s a founding Avenger with enormous strength, the ability to summon the storm and a magic hammer that always returns to his hand.

But even in the old myths he had trouble with his temper, which launches his hero’s journey in both print and film. “He started as sort of an arrogant, petulant sort of kid,” Hemsworth said of his movie, “and by the end of it he had to learn to be a noble warrior with some sort of humility.”

Hemsworth describes his arc in Avengers as more complicated, requiring the Thunder God to decide where his loyalties lie.

HULK

L to R: BRUCE BANNER (Mark Ruffalo) and TONY STARK/IRON MAN (Robert Downey Jr.) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

He’s big. He’s green. He’s angry. And he likes to smash things. ‘Nuff said!

In this movie, Hulk’s alter ego Bruce Banner is played by Mark Ruffalo. He’s the third to essay the role in film after Eric Bana (Hulk) and Edward Norton (Incredible Hulk), but was the first choice of both Whedon and Marvel Films in what Whedon describes as “a completely fresh take” on the character. Ruffalo the actor is held in high regard by his peers; Hemsworth said Ruffalo has “a sort of endearing quality about him,” while Evans said he’s “the sort of actor who really throws himself into the role.”

In the comics, the Hulk quit the Avengers in the second issue, and has never been much of a team player. But in both movie and print, he’s a founding Avenger – for however long that lasts.

NICK FURY

NICK FURY (Samuel L. Jackson) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Funny story here. When Marvel began its “Ultimate” line, they decided to make Nick Fury, who had been a white soldier in World War II, a black guy modeled on actor Samuel L. Jackson. When the movie franchise began, they decided to use the “Ultimate” version of Fury, and guess who they got to play the role? Talk about life imitating art.

“The thing about Sam is I always think there are two of him,” Whedon said. “He’s famous for the sort of bravura, Pulp Fiction speechifying; this is a guy who can out-moxie anybody in the room. But as a huge Unbreakable fan I’m also very much in love with the great well of sadness that he brings. I told him from the very beginning, and my biggest note throughout the film, was ‘Less Shaft, more Glass.’ Because what I wanted to see was a guy who, yeah, could absolutely command a room with his voice, could absolutely be the guy you would never question was in charge of this enormous organization … could be the guy who could do stuff that was morally compromised yet absolutely necessary. But at the same time would feel the burden of that. To be the leader means to separate yourself from everybody else.”

Fury is the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division), a superspy organization that deals with threats to world peace.

BLACK WIDOW

“Marvel's The Avengers” BLACK WIDOW (Scarlett Johansson) © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

In both comics and film, Black Widow is Natasha Romanoff, a former Soviet spy who works for S.H.I.E.L.D. – and is regarded as the most dangerous and capable agent on Earth.

Johannson, who reprised her Iron Man 2 role for Avengers, said the Widow is “the ultimate loner,” a professional who “is just doing a job.” She doesn’t feel the need to try to fit in, Johannson said, or prove anything. All of that is reflected in an early-release clip called “Black Widow Interrogation,” where Romanoff takes down an entire room of armed men – while tied to a chair. 

In the original comics, the Widow didn’t join the team until Avengers #111, but she was a founder – and a traitor – in the Ultimate line.

HAWKEYE

L to R: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans) & Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

The Avenging Archer is a dead shot with just about any weapon, but prefers a bow and arrows often rigged to achieve specific results. The movie version hews to the “Ultimates” version, who is a black-ops agent – essentially, a sniper. The Marvel Universe archer had a romantic history with the Black Widow, and in the movie they appear to be partners and, perhaps, more.

“I had no preconceived ideas about anything,” said Hawkeye actor Jeremy Renner. “I just liked the idea that he’s a human being, with a high skill set, and he’s kind of rogue.” He said the role was one of “precision, precision, precision.”

Hawkeye is “the kind of guy who sneaks off by himself, that he’s [ital]not[end ital] a team player,” Whedon said. “He’s always going to find the highest and darkest part of the room and he’s gonna hang out there.”

Hawkeye joined the comics team in Avengers #16.

AGENT COULSON

L to R: Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Non-existent in the comics (until next month), the movies (and some online webisodes) have created Phil Coulson as an unflappable field agent for S.H.I.E.L.D. It turns out he’s become a favorite – not just of fans, but also the actor who plays him, Clark Gregg.

“What I loved about Coulson right away in the first movie [Iron Man] was that at first he seems kind of like an annoying bureaucrat,” Gregg said, “[but] as the story goes along, to my great thrill, he turns out to be a much more formidable character. … Every time I get the script I’m very excited to find out, like, ‘Oh, oh, I’m that? I know that? I handle this?’” And that has certainly kind of culminated to an extent in the Avengers where Coulson’s very much involved with trying to pull the team together.”

AGENT HILL

Group shot from Los Angeles fan event includes Clark Gregg, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders and Chris Hemsworth.

In the comics, Maria Hill is a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who once was even Director. In the movie, she appears to be equally high-ranking, possibly Fury’s second-in-command – and she gets to drive the Helicarrier, a flying aircraft carrier.

“She’s very intelligent and highly trained and very capable,” said Hill actress Cobie Smulders, “and I kind of  like the idea that she’s this woman in a man’s world. And I think she’s extremely by-the-book, and I think that’s hurting her, because she’s working with a man who’s sort of works outside the rules and I feel like that dynamic is in this movie a lot.”

LOKI

“Marvel's The Avengers” LOKI (Tom Hiddleston) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

In myth, comics and film, the Norse God of Mischief is Thor’s half-brother and chief nemesis. In myth, it is Loki who actually brings about the destruction of Asgard (called “Ragnarok”). In the comics, he was the villain whom the Avengers first gathered to defeat – a foe too powerful for any one of them to combat.

“The thing I found most challenging [was] to inhabit the truth of his emotional heartache,” actor Tom Hiddleston said of his character. “To try to think myself into a place of destructive rage and jealousy and ambition, of arrogance and tyranny. And have it all fueled by this psychological damage he’s been through. He feels cheated and betrayed by his brother, and by the world. However, that is the great joy of the character. That’s a lot of meat on the bone for any actor to chew on. And it’s my enormous privilege to play him.”

Whedon was unstinting in his praise of Hiddleston. 

“At the end of the day, the thing that makes it work is Tom. Because he breathes a lot of life into Loki. He doesn’t just twirl his mustache, although God knows he gets to be more of the classic Loki than he got to in Thor. In Thor he had a very poignant and, I thought, beautifully realized arc. In this, he’s past that. You can still see hints of it. You can still see the resentments and the vulnerability and the big brother issues and all that stuff, but he’s also gone to a happier place. And Tom can really bring that presence, the texture, so you go ‘Yeah, this guy, he’s going to destroy you, either from the front or from the back, but you don’t know which.’”

And that assortment of egos and hubris, “damaged creatures” as Loki describes them, are the Avengers who assemble in the movie. And when you hear “Avengers assemble!” in the theater, it just may be this writer shouting it.

In a Captain America shirt. With a shield.

Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics@aol.com. For more Avengers goodness, go to his YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/captaincomics1.

“Marvel's The Avengers” (L-R) CAPTAIN AMERICA (Chris Evans),TONY STARK (Robert Downey Jr.) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

“Marvel's The Avengers” NICK FURY (Samuel L. Jackson) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, left) talks with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans, right), aka Captain America, in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” opening in theaters on May 4, 2012. The Joss Whedon–directed action-adventure is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” opening in theaters on May 4, 2012. The Joss Whedon–directed action-adventure is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Samuel L. Jackson. Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

“Marvel's The Avengers” (L-R) Robert Downey Jr., Josh Whedon, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is the director of the international peacekeeping organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” opening in theaters on May 4, 2012. The Joss Whedon–directed action-adventure is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

"Marvel's The Avengers" THOR (Chris Hemsworth) and CAPTAIN AMERICA (Chris Evans) ..Ph: Zade Rosenthal ..© 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

"Marvel's The Avengers" THOR (Chris Hemsworth) and CAPTAIN AMERICA (Chris Evans) ..Ph: Zade Rosenthal ..© 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

L to R: JOSS WHEDON (Director) and BLACK WIDOW (Scarlett Johansson) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Marvel's The Avengers” (L-R) BLACK WIDOW (Scarlett Johansson), HAWKEYE (Jeremy Renner) Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in “Marvel’s The Avengers,” opening in theaters on May 4, 2012. The Joss Whedon–directed action-adventure is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and also stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and Samuel L. Jackson. Ph: Zade Rosenthal © 2011 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.