The Ottawa Comic Book Guy

Good day and welcome to our third installment of Random Books my son picks. Today we are going to review the October 1983 issue of the ever lovin' Thing. ( Thing v1 #4.) Before we get started, I feel that I need to point out that the Thing is one of my favourite Marvel characters, especially the way he and the Torch crack wise with each other. He is one of the reasons that Fantastic Four is on my favourites list. And this hasn't changed, no matter who has written him. So shall we? The story is called "I, Monster" Writer: John Byrne Pencils: Ron Wilson, Inker :Harry Barta, Letterer: Rick Parker, Colours: Bob Sharen, Editor: Ann Nocenti The splash page pictures an old woman working her vegetable garden in a southern U.S. locale. The heat is mentioned in many places. The old woman (we find out later that her name is Sarah Washington) looks up, and sees a mob of people heading towards her home. Running inside the pitiful rural shack, she goes in to check on he

Hi, due to time constraints again this week I haven't been able to spend a lot of time here, so here is another article I have written years ago for your (hopeful) reading enjoyment. Superman: “Great guns! A girl, flying ! It –Uh—must be an illusion!” Supergirl: “Look again, Superman! It’s me – Supergirl! And I have all your powers!” Action Comics No. 252 Cover dated May 1959. With the words above, comic lovers were introduced to the graceful, petite blond girl that was Kara Zor-El, better known to the world at large as Superman’s younger cousin, Supergirl. She is arguably the most popular DC character to make her/his debut in the Silver Age without having a Golden Age predecessor. Hailing from Argo City , a settlement that had somehow miraculously escaped the destruction of Krypton (with an air bubble no less), she was the daughter of Zor-El (who was the younger brother of Jor-El) and Alura. As the chunk containing Argo City moved away from the holoca

Good day, people of Comicland. Today I have decided to write a personal piece. I have decided to share a little bit about why I love comics so much. I have been fascinated with pop culture my entire life for as long as I can remember. As characters, I can remember Superman, Spider-Man, Batman and the Hulk for as long as I have memory. I had Batman Underroos, I watched Super-Friends (and there is a photo of me when I as 3 wearing a Super-Friends t-shirt.) I was born in 1971. This, of course was hen pop culture marketing was truly beginning. My father watched Doctor Who (the curly haired one that everybody seems to be familiar with) and Star Trek. The cartoon version was on TV as I was growing up. Saturday morning cartoons. The summer of 1977, Star Wars. TV shos like the Dukes of Hazzard (I really got a kick out of the Smallville episode where Tom Wopat guest-starred), Six Million Dollar Man and the Hulk. I remember them all. And I think you all do too, if you are reading this. Mayb

Good day! Today we begin telling the story of that alien damsel, the spice that is as exotic as her namesake: I speak of course of  Koriand'r of Tamaran, known simply as...Starfire! It began quietly. October 1980's issue of DC Comics Presents (a Superman team-up publication) #26. The issue featured a new version of team that first made its debut in 1964, the Teen Titans. Writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez (one of my all-time favs, and I got to meet him!). The issue introduced four already known members (Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl and Beast Boy renamed Changeling) with three new creations by the above-noted duo, Raven, Cyborg and our subject, Starfire. We first see her as she is being chased by alien creatures that have been sent from her home system to stop her escape from slavery. Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, who was destined to become ruler of her home planet, had a bitter rivalry with her older sister Komand'r (love the names). Things came to a hea

Good day, I write this as a bit of a (I don't want to call it filler) time crunch has hit me this week. (Thanks nasty weather!) Tomorrow is Action Comics 1000 and also the 80th anniversary of the first issue of the book! As someone who has loved this particular title forever I can't believe it's here. This is amazing because although many European publications have reached this (mostly because they publish weekly or biweekly)  Action becomes the first one on our side of the pond to make it. And that is very pleasing. In addition to six cover versions, there will be a hardcover book. Action 1000 will be followed by a new weekly Man of Steel series by Brian Michael Bendis, and then Superman will reboot again and Action 1001 and the new Superman (v5) 1 will represent a new start (yet again) for Superman. These will not come out until July so this will represent Action 's fourth three month hiatus over the course of its long lifetime. I hope the wait is worth it.

Trying to get my nine-year old to pay attention sometimes can be very trying. I am competing as I write this with the Minions movie for his attention. But he finally stopped watching long enough to  pick a book. The book he has picked is Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian #162 (Sept 1984). Writer: Michael Fleisher Artist: John Buscema Colourist: George Roussos Lettering: Janice Chiang Editor: Larry Hama The story is called "Destroyer in the Flame." The book begins with Conan and his ally Fafnir entering a village after a fight with an evil witch-woman from the issue before. After the obligatory "women try to pick up Conan scene" (in which we learn how personal Fafnir takes it to having only one arm), they move on to find celebratory drink. Cut to an unknown stone sanctuary where an obligatory religious rite is being performed by the Brotherhood of the Falcon (first seen in the same month's issue of the magazine The Savage Sword of Conan #104.) The ritu

Today we are finally going to get around to finally finishing or look the Wasp. I honestly have more respect for Marvel fans now; trying to keep the various titles and order of where stories are all throughout their various reboots...that is truly a job for an archivist. When we left off, Janet was back to dating Hank, but that doesn't stop her from having a brief fling with Hawkeye of the Avengers (Avengers v3 #82 pictured above; one of her best covers in these years.) It was while discussing this little indiscretion with her friend the Scarlet Witch (she feared she was pregnant) that she accidentally mentions Wanda's own children, who were erased from her memory by arch sorceress Agatha Harkness. As the Scarlet Witch was already having difficulty keeping her sanity under wraps, this leads to Wanda going crazy. As chronicled in the Avengers Disassembled event, She-Hulk becomes hexed by Wanda and begins to rampage, ripping the Vision in half and putting our heroine in a co

Good day, I hope everyone is having their comics fix.I will be continuing the story of Ms. van Dyne today; we might finish (spoiler: we don't) or we might not, it does't matter because we all tend to prater on at times. When we left off, aJnet had filed for divorce and had become the Avengers chairperson. Janet then works even harder at her fashion designing, while leading the Avengers through their usual troubled times. She actively believed in adding more women to the team and under her leadership, Captain Marvel and She-Hulk became members. Her relationship with She-Hulk in particular was close, using her as a model to design clothes around. It is during this period she briefly hands the team leadership over to fellow teammate the Vision (Avengers 243 pictured above), although she reclaims it shortly thereafter. The Secret Wars (original) happen about this time and her leadership is recognized by a large group of heroes, but she insists that Captain America take th

Due to life, etc...I won't be able to continue the story of the Wasp until later this week...here is an article I wrote a few years ago on the Action Comics Team-up era. I hope you enjoy it. The Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series has always been acknowledged as the definitive break between the old, haggard and confused (but wonderfully entertaining) continuity of the first 50 years at DC Comics, and the clean break that the company needed to revamp and streamline their universe, especially for their core characters of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. While leading to a large number of title cancellations, this also would lead to a major revamping of the way certain titles were handled at DC. Wonder Woman was rebooted, with a new series by George Perez and Greg Potter. Although many of the features of the old title were retained, one significant change was rather than being completely based on the Amazons of old, she started as a lost soul from a tribe of cavemen

Good day, shall we pick up were we left off our historical adventure? Join us for the Wasp, Part 2. Finally in June 1969's Avengers #60, our intrepid heroine received what she believed to be her heart's desire...she and Hank got married! And in true super-hero style, the wedding was crashed, by the Circus of Crime. Of course, things just can't be easy for the couple, as Henry was in his revolving identities phase as Yellowjacket, who it was believed killed Goliath (who the Avengers beleived was Pym, and thus, Janet's finance.) and it was only when Yellowjacket lost his temper and grew to large size that the Avengers (and the other assembled heroes) realize that they were one and the same. (Although, did Yellowjacket's temporary schizophrenia make the marriage valid?) After this they do go on a honeymoon missing the next few issues. One of the things I have noticed is that comicdom (or at least those in charge at Marvel) seems to have wanted this marriage t