More Than Meets the Eye

This story always makes me smile. Lil' Spidey mixing it up with the Decepticons...

Holy #@%!, Batman!

Brief Public Service Announcement

Get rid of that spreadsheet. I've found this pretty cool site to help you catalog your comics:

Comic Collector Live

And it's free. Doesn't get any better than that...

Random Avengers Cover: #110 Magneto Takes On The Avengers!!!

Magneto looks like he had his crazy cookies?! The cover's by Gil Kane, the best Green Lantern artist...

More Bugging Out with the Beetle

The first issue featuring Ted Kord as the Blue Beetle from Charlton Comics in June 1967 created by Steve Ditko.

Mixing it up with the Madmen in Issue #3.

Sting of the Blue Beetle

When I was about 9 years-old I was in the Store 24 with my dad. There was a spin rack filled with comics. One of those comics was Secret Origins #2. I was introduced to the Blue Beetle. It was a two-part story featuring first Dan Garrett in the first and my favorite Beetle in the second: Theodore Kord! Armed with only a flash gun and using acrobatics and martial arts he went forth to carry on the name of his predecessor, Garrett. He had in my opinion the coolest vehicle for any super-hero to have: The Bug.

I didn't see him again until a little over a year later when he was a member of the NEW Justice League when he was relegated to the role of comedy relief along with his pals Booster Gold and Mister Miracle. The three of them were like Kirk, Spock and McCoy in a lot of ways with the main focus on the relationship of Beetle and Booster. Sadly, Beetle lost his company and was down and out receiving his only paycheck through Max Lord's JLI.

Beetle was a staple of the League of the 80's when it included other second stringers like Fire, Ice, Guy Gardner and Rocket Red. Then Booster left the League to head up the Conglomerate leaving Beetle and the rest of the Leaguers to face the might of Despero. Beetle let himself go and became chubby chubster.

I became more fascinated with the character going back and picking up his entire series seeing him take on the Madmen, Dr Alchemy, Overthrow, and Carapax. He even fought Dan Garrett, driven mad by aliens and defeated him. I had learned that he was originally an Charlton Comics character that DC purchased along with the Question & Captain Atom.

He then disappeared into obscurity. Then there was Infinity Crisis. I saw a hero I had pretty much loved since I was a kid shot in the head by Maxwell Lord, another hero of mine turned evil mastermind. My heart sank. The death of Superman held nothing to this for me.

Manhunter #27 came out earlier this month and the he was dropping down on his sky wire from the heart of the Bug. I smiled and tears welled up in my eyes. Ted! He's back!!! Or is he?

The Return

The last week and a half have been a bear at work and my social life has picked up considerably. Anyway, I'm kicking off the return of my blog off with my favorite superhero team: The Justice League!!! This was the period of what I like to call the Seinfeld of superheroic comics. This was a comic about nothing. They made it work though. It was great up until the Breakdowns saga end and it faded into mediocrity. My one complaint was I wanted to see more of Dr. Light. No, not the sick rapist version, but Japan's own Kimiyo Hoshi. Man, I miss Ted Kord. And where the hell is Scott Free now? Many fans have accused DC off killing of or banishing the Leaguers of this period.