Thank you for being a friend.
Travel down the road and back again.
Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant.
And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew.
You would see the biggest gift would be from me,
and the card attached would say,
‘Thank you for being a friend.’
– Lyrics to the “Golden Girls” theme song, written by Andrew Gold
Continue reading “The Golden Guys: The Justice Society Trapped in ‘Convergence’!”
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!”
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.
Continue reading “When a Hero Stumbles: The Most Tragic JLA/JSA Team-Up!”
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.
Continue reading “The JLA/JSA Nightmare: When Nazis Rule an Earth”
The Big Two in comics – DC and Marvel – use the summer to declare war and blow up universes.
Just a way to help readers pass school vacation.
While DC’s “Convergence” and Marvel’s “Secret Wars” are currently laying waste to continuity and wallets through their multiple, mediocre tie-ins, the summer comics event isn’t a new thing – but conversely, it was far more enjoyable and less painful to the wallet.
Continue reading “The Iron Hand That Shook the World: The Summer Comics Event of ’72”
Mark Perigard 