Hey, ‘Arrow’! Don’t screw up Mr. Terrific!

On July 14, 2015July 15, 2015 By Mark PerigardIn Comics, TV7 Comments

Alex Ross' intense interpretation of Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific. — Alex Ross’ intense interpretation of Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific.

One of the most tantalizing tidbits dropping from the San Diego Comic-Con: Mr. Terrific will be joining “Arrow.”

Whoa. That’s huge.

And suddenly I was ready to forgive the show for the godawful slog of season three. That League of Assassins story ran so long and so aground, I was ready to shoot an arrow into my own beloved TV.

OK, but for comic readers – and fans of the Justice Society – there is one question: Which Mr. Terrific will be joining the CW hit? There are two.

Continue reading “Hey, ‘Arrow’! Don’t screw up Mr. Terrific!” →

When a Hero Stumbles: The Most Tragic JLA/JSA Team-Up!

On July 10, 2015 By Mark PerigardIn ComicsLeave a comment

Cover to Justice League of America No. 113. — Justice League of America No. 113: 100 pages of Super-Spectacular fun.

While the annual Justice League of America/Justice Society of America team-ups were the highlight of many a summer for comic book lovers, they did follow more or less a formula:

A crisis is revealed – usually threatening the existence of one or both worlds – and our heroes gather, split off into smaller teams, regroup for a final battle, vanquish the foes, right the wronged and agree to meet same time next year with a hearty wink and a wave.

Shake, lather, rinse, repeat.

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What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About ‘Dark Shadows’

On July 5, 2015July 5, 2015 By Mark PerigardIn TVLeave a comment

Jonathan Frid as vampire Barnabas Collins on 'Dark Shadows' — ‘Dark Shadows’ ‘ Barnabas Collins, ready for a snack.

Next summer, “Dark Shadows” marks its 50th anniversary.

The supernatural soap (1966-1971 on ABC) didn’t have a long run as far as daytime serials go – “General Hospital” recently celebrated its 52nd year on the air – but it made a mark like no other.

With its suspenseful tales of remorseful bloodsuckers, handsome ghosts and malicious witches, “Dark Shadows” captured the imaginations of housewives, college students and kids, who would race home from school to watch the show spin out its increasingly crazy stories. Continue reading “What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About ‘Dark Shadows’” →

The JLA/JSA Nightmare: When Nazis Rule an Earth

On July 1, 2015 By Mark PerigardIn Comics1 Comment

The Justice League and the Justice Society meet the heroes of Earth X — When the JLA and the JSA met the Freedom Fighters of Earth X!

Len Wein had a problem: He was too good.

The writer for “Justice League of America” had marked the 100th issue of DC’s premier team book in 1972 with a rousing, riveting three-part JLA/JSA team-up that brought together 33 heroes to save Earth 2. It was a time-spanning epic that re-introduced the Golden Age heroes the Seven Soldiers of Victory and an old-school story so much fun, it sent a generation of comic book lovers into orbit.

A year later, Wein was ordered to do come up with something even better.

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The Kids’ Table No More … and Other Rumblings on SCOTUS

On June 28, 2015 By Mark PerigardIn Family2 Comments

Remember the kids’ table at holidays?

This is where the grown-ups exiled the kids at meal time. It was always some rickety card table with a cheap plastic table cloth and you were stuck on a folding chair between cousin Frankie who eats his own boogers and Dottie who still has “accidents.”

Man, I hated the kids’ table.

Continue reading “The Kids’ Table No More … and Other Rumblings on SCOTUS” →