Rebirth has been teasing another kick at the can for those teens from the 30th century (or is it 31st now?). Once more around the block with the Legion of Super-Heroes. There are a lot of theories on why the Legion has struggled to stay relevant, or even stay on the shelves. Some even ponder…
Read Between The Lines: The Minimalist Hero Comic Collecting Needs
Recently the Associated Press ran an article about a lifetime comic collector auctioning off his rather impressive comic book collection. Jon Berk from Connecticut, 66, is auctioning his collection of 18,000 books and 300 pieces of comic-book art in May, 2017. The collection includes two of the “holy grails” of comic collecting – Action Comics #1…
READ BETWEEN THE LINES: Canadian Digital Readers v Exchange Rates
I’m narrowing down my target audience a lot in this piece, but sometimes it’s about quality not quantity. I am a primarily-digital comic reader and a Canadian. With the Canadian exchange rate floating around 1.35 against the US dollar, it’s a pricey time to be a Canadian buying anything in the US. Add to that…
Read Between the Lines: DC REBIRTH & the Great Side-Eye
30 years ago, Moore, Miller, Morrison, and their artistic collaborators, began the great deconstruction of the super-hero narrative form. That has continued on and off (mostly on) ever since. But there have been very few creators who dedicate themselves to the reconstruction of the super-hero narrative form. Geoff Johns is one of them. In reading Rebirth…
Read Between The Lines: Shelf Space For Airboy
I have not and will not discuss my personal view of the content of Airboy #2, here or anywhere else. To be blunt, no one asked and no one cares. What has upset and concerned me throughout the subsequent discussion has absolutely nothing to do with the content of Airboy and is entirely about the…
Read Between the Lines: Rated You for Everyone – The DC YOU Change No One Noticed
With this month’s launch of DC YOU, DC Comics marks the end of the New 52 branding (though not its continuity) with a mix of jump-on points and 21 new #1s. One of the recurring criticisms of the New 52 launch was the lack of diversity, both in creators and in content. While others are speaking to…
Read Between the Lines: Convergence, the End of the New 52 (Logo), & NO REBOOT!
Is DC rebooting* the New 52? No. To paraphrase Dickens, this must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of what I am going to relate. Since the announcement in February that DC will be ending the New 52 branding on the covers of their comics, there has been a great deal of incorrect…
Read Between the Lines: How The Comic Bag Destroyed Comics
The Spinner Rack Since the days of the gold rush, dreamers have run to find their fortune. And just as the first miners sold their played-out stakes to the wave of suckers, those who were there in the early days of comic speculating sold high to late-comers. You can draw a direct line from the…
Read Between the Lines: Who is the Hooded Man?
With only a few days remaining until the reveal of the mysterious Hooded Man who is being held by the Crime Syndicate, I lay out the odds of who almost destroyed the Crime Syndicate. From Forever Evil #2 Ultraman: “How is our Hitchhiker doing, Alfred?” From Justice League #26 Grid: “The unknown refuse from your…
Read Between the Lines: Happy Turkey Day from the Batman Family
In a Thanksgiving image released Tuesday, we get a glimpse at the Batman: Eternal cast having the most awkward Thanksgiving I can imagine. But who are a few of the mystery faces? And who is missing? (Right-click to download enlarged version) Left: ? Older man with white hair: Philip Kane is the safe money. There…