Jawn of Justice


Cover of Superman #293 from 1975, depicting Superman with arms crossed in front of gushing fire hydrant as Lois Lane and other civilians lie pleading or expired on the street, with doctored text -- Lois: 'Help us, Superman! We're dyin' for some wooder!' Superman: 'Yiz orn't gettin' any -- 'til I'm kooderback fer the Iggles!' Caption: 'Watch as the Metropolis Marvel is transformed into 'The Superman of Easttown!' Plus: Team-up action wit' Green Lannern!''

I was talking with a friend recently and this happened.

Going the Distance


Few of us have made it to the end of 2020 without feeling a sense of loss, I suspect, even if we’re fortunate enough not have been directly visited by the most unspeakable of tragedies.

Tom Hanks in 'Cast Away' yelling at his made-up volleyball friend / 'Six Feet, Wilson!'

I’ve rarely strayed into social commentary here on the blog, preferring to keep it focused on fun stuff and critiques of pop-cultural pursuits. Nothing about the deep ideological divides and systemic racism that have gripped this country is amusing, nor is the novel coronavirus that’s claimed the lives of at least 1 in 1,000 Americans and nearly 2,000,000 people worldwide. But in the pandemic’s early days, especially, I was among those who tried to cope with (or reinforce) the recommended strategies for mitigation of transmission using humor. All deference and respect granted to those who just can’t laugh right now, I thought I’d share my efforts as a snapshot of where I/we found ourselves this year.

Week Links


John Oliver in glasses and blue suit at his anchor's desk

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver was not on last week, but will be on tonight — and with John Oliver. What are the odds, I ask you?

I, Open


A very long time coming, I Have Issues has gone live.

I Have Issues — One man reads his entire collection of comics one more time.

Well, I’m likely stretching the definition of “live” there.

Oh Snap


Up now at my website The Comicologist is an article that I wrote on Thanos for the magazine ACE back in 2015.

3 silent panels of successive close-ups on the Infinity Gauntlet worn by Thanos
Panels from The Infinity Gauntlet #1 © 1991 Marvel Comics. Pencils: George Pérez.
Inks: Josef Rubinstein & Tom Christopher. Colors: Christie Scheele & Ian Laughlin.


I’ve posted a version with images and one without, since the former is rather heavy on the graphics. That’s due in part to the article’s length, which in turn is a consequence of the breadth of the character’s publication history — or vice versa. You might want to wait to read it until after you see Avengers: Endgame if you’re not already familiar with the comics, although my guess is that any spoilers pertain more to last year’s Infinity War.