Sunday versus #19

Superman vs. Plesiosaur

So this is the third Plesiosaurus we've featured in the Sunday versus posts so far, and Aquaman has failed to show up in any of them.

Slacker.

Script by E. Nelson Bridwell
Pencils by Kurt Schaffenberger
Inks by Kurt Schaffenberger

Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #72
Lois Lane's Aquaman Tricks!
February 1967
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Awesome Risso Pin-Up!

One of the highlights of the recent spate of Flashpoint mini-series has been Flashpoint: Knight of Vengeance, with Azzarello and Risso's return to the world of Batman (sort of).

Azzarello made his mark on Superman already, with the twelve-part For Tomorrow storyline that brought Jim Lee to the pages of Superman along with him. Risso, on the other hand, has not done a whole lot that I'm aware of.

There was his awesome variant cover for Superman #700, that was in itself an homage to the great Neal Adams cover for #233, but the only other thing that I can find is a pin-up from The Adventures of Superman #600.


Like a lot of Risso's work, it's very atmospheric and moody, which is not a side of Superman you see every day. I'm not sure I'd like to see Risso as a regular Superman artist by any means, but it sure would be a treat to see him give it a go for a one-shot or mini-series, if the tone was right.

Artwork by Eduardo Risso
Colors by Moose Baumann

The Adventures of Superman #600
March 2002
Copyright (c) DC Comics

And then there was this time...

...that Adolf Hitler took over the body of Superboy!

This strikes me as too soon, not even twenty years after WWII.

Hell, even 66 years later and I'd still balk at having one of history's worst mass murderers taking over the body of a young Superman.

At least they did make Hitler rather buffoonish looking, with that silly looking Psycho-Changer on his head.

Script by Edmond Hamilton
Pencils by John Forte
Inks by John Forte

Adventure Comics #314
The Super-Villains Of All Ages!
November 1963
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Weekly Panel of Steel #12

So having just got back from a business trip to Cincinnati last night, I was content to just let a regular post go up today even though we had an abundance of riches with comic books featuring Superman released yesterday. After all, there'd be time enough to do a Weekly Panel of Steel later on in the week, as I was just going to read one book before bed.

And you can probably see where this is going.

The one book I decided to read was Flashpoint: Project Superman #2, and damn if that book didn't knock me on my ass. Aside from the mini-series proper, there're two spin-off mini's that I'm enjoying immensely. The first one is the Frankenstein mini by Jeff Lemire, and the second is this one.

As soon as I think I know where they're going in each one, they throw a curveball into the mix. For Project Superman, it was the addition of Lois Lane. I should've guessed she'd show up, what with her dad a major player and all, but her showing up was a complete shock.

Even then, I didn't expect her to have any interaction with Kal, but then they had to go ahead and give us the Weekly Panel of Steel.


With Subject Zero ready to kill General Lane's daughter to make a point, Kal instinctively puts himself in harm's way to prevent it.

That just goes to show, you can take the solar radiation out of the kryptonian, but you can't take the super out of the hero!

Plot by Scott Snyder & Lowell Francis
Script by Lowell Francis
Art by Gene Ha
Colors by Art Lyon
Letters by Rob Leigh

Flashpoint: Project Superman #2
In These Small Hands
September 2011
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Superman Island

I'm not going to read it, so I can't say for sure, but there's no way the Spider-Island story starting today over in Amazing Spider-Man #666 can beat this!

Script by Marv Wolfman
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Frank Chiaramonte
Colors by Gene D'Angelo
Letters by John Costanza

Action Comics #513
The Return Of Superman Island
November 1980
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Silver Age Flaming C!

So last weekend, the world's greatest comic book store was having one of their semi-regular auctions, this one dealing with a whole lot of Silver Age books. I was able to pick up about 40 books for a little over 3 bucks a piece, filling in a bunch of holes in my collection.

While looking through my new found treasures, I came a across a character I was unfamiliar with.

One thought immediately sprung to mind...is this the first Silver Age appearance of The Flaming C?


He's obviously had some lasik surgery since his debut, and learned about the finer art of Jai Alai, but no...it's just another crime fighting robot from the 27th century, who goes by the name of Captain Incredible, wreaking havoc in our time period.

Script by Cary Bates
Pencils by Al Plastino
Inks by Al Plastino

Action Comics #354
Captain Incredible!
September 1967
Copyright (c) DC Comics

When did I miss this reboot?

So I'm getting psyched for Grant Morrison's upcoming reboot of Superman. So excited, that I've been going back and rereading some of the other endings and reboots that have occurred over Superman's career.

Somehow though, this particular revision of his origin came as news to me.


What...was this when the Three Stooges were given the creative reins of the Superman titles?

Script by Leo Dorfman
Pencils by Ross Andru
Inks by Mike Esposito

Action Comics #365
Superman's Funeral!
July 1968
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Sunday versus #18

Superman vs. Venusian Pterodactyls

I used to think it was silly when there would be dinosaurs from other planets show up, like these Venusian Pterodactyls, and they would look identical (more or less) to Earth dinosaurs. But if we have aliens from other planets that look identical to humans, why not dinosaurs too!

And besides, it just gives me more fodder for the Sunday Versus posts.

Artwork by Wayne Boring

Superman Sunday Strip
#471
November 7, 1948
Copyright (c) DC Comics

The Many Lives of Superman #9

The Many Lives of Superman


Genie!

Script by Robert Bernstein
Pencils by Al Plastino
Inks by Al Plastino

Superman #157
The Super-Genie of Metropolis
November 1962
Copyright (c) DC Comics

Delegating Justice of the Golden Age

There's a fine line between knowing when to do something yourself and knowing when to delegate.

Script by Jerry Siegel
Artwork by Joe Shuster

Action Comics #13
Superman vs. The Cab Protective League
June 1939
Copyright (c) DC Comics