Sunday versus #2

Superman vs. Spinosaurus

As promised earlier in the week, here's Superman fighting dinosaurs from this week's issue of Power Girl!

(What exactly is Sunday versus...? Click over here for the background.)

Script by Judd Winick
Artwork by Sami Basri
Colors by Jessica Kholinne
Letters by John J. Hill

Power Girl #22
Up, Up & Away part one
May 2011
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Many Lives of Superman #3

The Many Lives of Superman

Tramp!

Script by Leo Dorfman
Pencils by Al Plastino
Inks by Al Plastino

Action Comics #337
From Riches To Rags
May 1966
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Questionable Role-Modeling

Using your heat vision to light the cigar of your desperately ill friend, while he lies hooked to life support in his hospital bed.

Script by Elliot S! Maggin
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Dan Adkins
Colors by Anthony Tollin
Letters by Ben Oda

Superman #376
The Ozone-Master Comes Calling!
October 1982
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Weekly Panel of Steel #3

It looks like we have two contenders for up for the honors of The Weekly Panel of Steel for this week. If you're new around here, here's how it works. Every Wednesday I take a gander at what new books were released featuring Superman, and I then highlight a particular panel that I think nailed it.

What is "it"? Well...it depends, so to speak. It could be a character moment, it could be a bombastic action scene, but it probably won't be of Superman just walking (that I can guarantee you).

Superman popped up in the pages of Power Girl #22 to help take care of Manhattan's-- dinosaur problem? It's actually a very fun issue, and there's definitely one or two panels I could've easily picked. I think we'll hold off though, and save one of those for the Sunday versus posts. After all, we're currently featuring dinosaurs!

The other book that featured Superman was his titular series, Superman #709. Without getting too far off on a tangent, I haven't been the biggest (or any sort of) fan of JMS' Grounded storyline and am most happily ticking off the months until they put it to rest. The last couple of issues, however, have been showing some promise and to that end, I can't thank Chris Roberson enough. Here's hoping the Superman editors take note of that and let him do some of his own thing when he gets done making lemonade from the lemon that he was handed.

I also haven't really been a fan of Eddy Barrows either. I generally like his stuff, but just not on Superman. I can't quite put my finger on it, but Superman's posture seems off, if that makes any sense. This issue's race between Superman and the Flash, however, brought some new life to his pencils that I rather enjoyed. Seeing the difference between his work in the action scenes, compared to the standing around and talking scenes, and I have to wonder why they decided to go with Barrows for this particular storyline in the first place? It's a little too square peg/round hole for my tastes.

Anyways...after that long preamble, I am quite happy that I was able to find a panel from Superman #709 that I rather liked.


That right there is a Superman that we haven't seen in the pages of this title for a long, long time. Strong, determined, and helping a friend.

Script by Chris Roberson
Pencils by Eddy Barrows
Inks by J.P. Mayer
Colors by Rod Reis
Letters by John J. HIll

Superman #709
Grounded Part Seven
May 2011
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Mad Scientist P.S.A.

SUPERMAN: And the marijuana...who taught you how to do this stuff?

PROFESSOR: From you, all right...I learned it from watching you!

(and here's the context for today's post, for those of you born well after the 80's)

Script by Gerry Conway
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Tex Blaisdel

Action Comics #467
Stop It, Superman--You're Wrecking The World!
January 1977
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Super Quiz #1

Here's a quick Super Quiz for today's post.

What is the significance of posting this cover today, on the 15th of March?


I'll post the answers in the comments section tomorrow, if no one speaks up.

Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by George Klein

Superman #157
November 1962
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Superman Sketchbook #2

It's time for another trip into the Superman Sketchbook, this time featuring the artwork of Elias Khasho!

He's a storyboard artist and director who lives in Sweden, and as fate would have it, one of his favorite superheroes just happens to be Superman. Check out this awesome sketch, if you don't believe me.


Thanks to Elias for allowing me to share his sketch here.

Be sure to check out his deviantART site for more pics of Superman.

This sketch is pretty awesome too!

Artwork by Elias Khasho

Sunday versus #1

It's time for the debut of another regular feature here at the 101. This one coming into existence for no other reason than it's an excuse for me to post some awesome visuals (not to mention getting to use a killer pun in the title), it's...

Superman vs. Dinosaurs

Come back every Sunday and we'll have a new pic of Superman fighting dinosaurs until I run out of stories. I'm thinking I'm probably set until the end of the year, but we shall see.

Script by Jerry Siegel
Artwork by Joe Shuster

Superman #4
Luthor's Undersea City
Spring 1940
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Best Worst of 90's Cover Gimmicks Week, Day #7

It's been a wild and crazy week, looking back at the best worst of what the 90's were able to get away with putting on the front of a comic book. We close out our week long celebration with the most interactive cover gimmick of all time.

Drum roll, please...

Superman: The Man Of Steel #30

Now, it looks pretty bland from the scan, but that's before we get to put the colorforms on it.

That's right...colorforms! Now you can create your own knock-down, drag-out fight between Superman and Lobo. It seems everyone else did in the 90's, so why not you?

And because it's a celebration, I'll break the one pic per day rule to have a little fun with this cover. Enjoy!


A special thank you to my four-year old son for agreeing to put his artistic expertise to good use with the colorforms. He had fun, as I believe his exact words were "This is the greatest arts and craft project of the day, thanks Dad!"

No, thank you 1990's!

Pencils by Jon Bogdanove
Inks by Dennis Janke
Colors by Glenn Whitmore

Superman: The Man Of Steel #30
February 1994
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Best Worst of 90's Cover Gimmicks Week, Day #6

As far as gimmicks go, our entry for today actually makes a lot of sense for comic books...the lenticular cover!

Superman Forever #1

What other gimmick captures the action and movement that are such a big part of the stories contained within them? In my opinion, none of the other ones can.

With the cover to Superman Forever #1, Alex Ross outdid himself with a multitude of painted images (six, maybe?) that show Clark Kent transforming into Superman and flying off.

I assure you that the actual cover is more impressive than my scanned copy, so check it out the next time you're wandering around the comic book store.

Oh, and if you have a spare $60,000 laying around, the original artwork for this cover can be yours!

Artwork by Alex Ross

Superman Forever #1
June 1998
Copyright (c) DC Comics