Grease, Night And Vampire

Limelight Editions just released a trio of books about films: two musicals and one genre.

Way back in the summer of 1978 the movie adaptation of the Broadway hit Grease bebopped its way onto the Silver Screen. Mega movie star John Travolta and country singer pop star Olivia Newton John starred as the two main lovebirds: Danny and Sandy. Taking into account Olivia was Australian, the story was slightly modified, along with adding a few new songs.

The film was a smash and spawned a whole new 1950s fever in the United States and around the world. Other movies and TV shows (like Happy Days) cashed in on the craze and within a short period of time Grease became a cultural pop phenomenon.

Author Stephen Tropiano takes a look at Grease in his book titled simply: Grease. He examines the humble beginnings of the musical to its meteoric rise to the most successful movie musical of all time. Grease is still the word!

Ray Marton examines the greatest rock ‘n’ roll movie of all time: A Hard Day’s Night. Starring the fab four (the Beatles) the low-budget film would set the standards by which all such films (and videos) that followed it would be judged.

United Artists set out to put out a low-budget film in order to promote the Beatles soundtrack record. What they ended up with was a break-out film incorporating radical camera angles and up close and personal shots of the group as they frantically, comically, set society on its collective ear.

The book examines the six-week shoot, including live studio recordings that helped fan the flame of the Beatles' popularity.

What is it about vampires that fascinates so many people? Alain Silver and James Ursini chronicle the fascinating and long history of the vampire film. The Vampire Film: From Nosferatu To True Blood is examined from its humble beginnings as a moody, dark and mysterious small scale film to its introduction to American audiences in Universal Studios Dracula film starring Bella Lugosi that catapulted vampire and horror films to the front of American psyche.

From there the genre exploded into films from all over the world. Horror, exotic love, mystery, sci-fi: all film genres at one point tackled the vampire theme-some successfully and others miserably.

Regardless of the film, audiences can’t seem to get enough of undead blood suckers and the genre continues to draw in audiences by the millions with each vampire film release.

The book contains exhaustive research on the vampire film with hundreds of photos from films all over the globe. It’s something to really sink your teeth into.

Aquaman #1

Let’s face it; Aquaman has always been considered one of the lameness superheroes of the DC Universe. The man talks to fishes! He can’t stay out of the water but for short periods and his underwater home life is anything but normal. I never cared for Aquaman as a character much-until now.

Aquaman #1 by writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reiss has completely reversed my opinion of the character. In the new Aquaman series (part of DC’s All New 52) Arthur (Aquaman’s human name) decides that he will leave his underwater kingdom and give up his throne.

He bases his decision on the fact that he has never felt comfortable in his role as king and has for too long denied his human heritage. Get ready for a new Aquaman, the true King of the Seven Seas!


The story begins with Aquaman stopping a robbery. Both the crooks and the cops consider him a second rate superhero and the subject of many of fish man jokes. They change their mind when they see him in action.


Leaving, Aquaman visits the old harbor town restaurant he and his human father frequented. While there he is accosted by a local reporter who lays it all out for him about how Aquaman is seen by the general public as basically a joke.


Disgruntled and a little more than ticked off Aquaman returns to the sea and his wife Mera. Together they decide to return to land and begin a new life together. Good thing too because a certain meat-eating humanoids species from the deep just discovered the surface world and its bountiful human source of food.


I can’t wait for the following issues to see what the ‘new’ Aquaman will do and what he is capable of. Pick up the series-you won’t be sorry.

Star Trek #1

Taking place several months after the events in the last Star Trek movie, the crew of the Enterprise will soon encounter a phenomenon like none they’ve ever seen before ,with far-reaching ramifications.

In a clever, updated retelling of the classic Star Trek second pilot, Where No Man has Gone Before, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the crew of the Enterprise come across an old space buoy jettisoned by the crew of the SS Valiant some 200 years ago.

After examining the damaged recorder’s data Mr. Spock discovers the order was given by the captain of the Valiant to self destruct. The orders came not long after the Valiant encountered a radiation field just outside the fringe of the galaxy.


Captain Kirk orders the crew to investigate and as they enter the field the ship is bathed in the radiation resulting in loss of warp capabilities and critical ship systems. It also affects some members of the crew, including Kirk’s longtime friend, Gary Mitchell.


After the initial shock wears off Gary faces the captain with both eyes glowing with an unknown energy. Soon afterward Gary starts to exhibit powerful mental powers and a dangerous shift in his personality.


What a great story! Where No Man Has Gone Before is one of my favorite classic Star Trek episodes and I’m so glad the IDW and writer Mike Johnson and artist Stephen Molnar have re-imagined it for the new version of the old series. It’s wonderful to see the crew of the original Enterprise back doing what they do best: exploring the vast wonder of the universe.

Stargate Atlantis The Complete Series

In 2008, after five successful years as a TV series, Stargate Atlantis went off the air. Coincidentally the last episode was the series’ 100th episode.


The series began as an offshoot of the longest continually running science fiction TV show in history: Stargate SG-1. While SG-1 took was based on Earth, Atlantis featured a cast of characters whose adventures were based on a distant planet where the fabled underwater city of Atlantis was discovered.


A team of scientists and military personnel stationed there explored distant worlds and attempted to unlock all the secrets of the long lost city. As the series fell into place it began to take on a flavor all of its own. The action was pumped up, characters developed and changed, new threats and discoveries took place and the show soon settled into its own niche.


Fans of the original series soon warmed up to Atlantis and many of the characters became fan favorites. Occasionally key characters from SG-1 would appear and for a time both SG-1 and Atlantis shared the airways.


For the first time Twentieth Century Fox/MGM has compiled a complete set of all the series’ episodes into an impressive 26-disc DVD set in a single package. Included with the episodes is an additional disc of featurettes and extras and all of the discs are contained in a specially designed box set that is sure to make any Stargate fan proud to own. I know I am.


So sit back, pop some popcorn, grab a drink and get ready to watch 100 episodes of one of TV’s landmark science fiction series. Who needs to sleep?

Superman, Spider-Man, Disney, Pirates, Sandwiches And Video Games

From Quirk Books comes six titles that any self-respecting pop culture collector is sure to want to own and read. Five of them deal with pop culture phenomenon and one with the second most important thing any pop culture fan’s life: food!


Three handbooks are available that teach readers how to be a hero or a scoundrel.


The Superman Handbook, written by Scott Beatty delves into what it means to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and much more.


This training manual instructs on how to tackle a criminal, how stop a runaway train, how to treat wounds and other non-superhero activities. Of course no book about Superman would be complete unless it talks about Superman’s powers, exploits and rogue’s gallery.


The Spider-Man Handbook by Seth Grahame-Smith takes on a similar tone with Spidey serving up his own brand of justice and heroics and offers day-to-day heroic deeds civilians can take part in. It too is filled with superhero exploits of the arachnid variety complete with a showcase of Spidey’s powers and his bevy of bad guys.


On the slightly less heroic side comes The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook that offers a Swashbuckling Guide from Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean on how to be a proper pirate.


You’ll learn all about the different types of pirates, how to pass your time, how to climb rigging, how fire a cannon and all the other scourge of the Seven Seas shenanigans buccaneers hold so dear.


There are also lessons on how to cheat death, how to acquire booty, how to develop people skills and an examination of the mysteries of the deep.


I’ve never been a believer of Astrology but after looking over Disneystrology from Quirk Books I may reconsider the possibilities. After all, who can argue about individual character traits when they are compared to Disney characters?


On my birthday I’m compared to Stitch (a fair comparison), my wife mirrors Friend Owl’s personality, my son Tug the bear and my daughter Nemo the fish. Surprisingly the descriptions fit in all four cases.


This is fun book filled with funny observations, pages filled with Disney’s characters and a clever way to bring a little magic into your life.


The Art Of The Video Game by Josh Jenisch looks at the current state of video games and how much they have changed since they were first introduced. Pages are packed with character studies, environment designs, different game genre scenarios and lots of technical talk and mumbo jumbo for the diehard video game player and hopeful game designer.


The book breaks down how a game is conceptualized, designed and finally produced with lots of insider insights and instruction. If you love video games then this book fits the bill.


Finally, perhaps comes the most important book in the recent releases: The Encyclopedia Of Sandwiches. Author Susan Russo and photographer Matt Armendariz provide a guided tour through the wonderful world of sandwiches and it is a visual treat.


Inside readers are treated to images of sandwiches from all over the world and recipes on how to make them. The photographs looks so good it’s tempting to almost tempting to eat the book! Lovers of foods stuffed between two slices of bread get their appetites stirred in this wonderful homage to everyone’s favorite type of food: sandwiches!

Laddertop

From the best-selling author of Ender's Game: Orson Scott Card (and Emily Scott Card) and illustrated by Honoel A. Ibardolaza comes Laddertop from Tor Books.

Laddertop tells the story of a bunch of children who compete to be one of the chosen students enrolled in the Laddertop Academy.  If chosen to attend and if they graduate they will become part of a select few who will maintain the Laddertop Stations.

The Stations were given to the human race by an advanced race of aliens known as the Givers.  The aliens gave humanity four giant towers, known as Ladders, that extend 36,000 miles into space.  From there they draw energy and power the entire Earth.

Suddenly 25 years ago the Givers vanished and no one knows why. Twenty-five years later two Laddertop Academy students: Robbi and Azure become embroiled in a mystery that unless solved threatens all life on Earth as well as the planet itself.

Drawn in the Manga style, Laddertop is an epic science fiction thriller that will keep reader glued to their seats until the unexpected conclusion of the first book in the series.

Never Bite Anything That Bites Back

Sherman the Shark is back in Andrews McMeel Publishing's sixteenth Sherman's Lagoon Collection. This time around he gains super powers, takes on a giant squid, learns a lesson in complimenting woman, contends with remote control fever, dresses up as royalty and discovers being 'happy as a clam' isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Meanwhile his friends have their own adventures. Hawthorne meets a panda, escapes from a lobster tank, goes through toe-pinching withdrawals and gets his won cell phone.

These are just a few of the outrageous shenanigans in the latest Sherman's Lagoon Collection.  In other words they're regular ocean outrageousness, sea silliness, lagoon lunacy, water wackiness-please stop me.

Doctor Who: The Flesh

Straight from the Sixth Series of the new Doctor Who series comes three highly detailed action figures with "The Flesh" from Underground Toys. First up is the Ganger Eleventh Doctor dressed in the Doctor's dapper brown jacket, blue shirt and bowtie and black trousers and shoes. Of course this Doctor Who wannabe looks like the Doctor but its/his skin is pure white with red-rimmed eyes, a slit of a red-lipped mouth, black hair and a separate featureless Flesh face. The figure is fully articulated and bears an uncanny resemblance to Matt Smith who plays the Eleventh Doctor Who and comes with a Sonic Screwdriver.


Included with all The Flesh figures are silver and clear envelopes containing a sample of The Flesh. It's icky, sticky and totally repulsive! Doctor Who fans will love it! Careful, adult supervision is required.


A Flesh mask River Song (the Doctor's future wife) comes dressed in gray slacks, boots, white blouse/jacket, wide black best with silver accents, a fanny pack, utility belt and holster and a formidable ray gun. The figure is also fully articulated and features River's lush blond hair, creamy complexion and striking blue eyes.


Idris is the third figure and she comes dressed in a beautiful full-length, multi-color dress with Victorian tucked waist, padded shoulders, slight bustle and twin front ribbons. Her long auburn/red hair cascades down her back and her low-cut dress shows off her luscious figure. She also comes with a Flesh mask, Flesh packet and a small translucent cube.


All of the figures come in newly designed bubble packs that can either hang or set on store shelves. It's time like these that I wish I lived in England so I could watch Doctor Who episodes when they come out instead of waiting for them to show up fragmented segments on the web or in DVD collections.

I Love Kawaii

What exactly is Kawaii you may ask? I’m glad you asked. Kawaii is a word originated in Japan to describe anything cute. And by anything, I mean anything! Monsters, animals, people, things, places-everything!

In I Love Kawaii, edited by Kawaii artist Charuca, Harper Design presents the ultimate compilation of images of all things Kawaii-specifically those things pertaining to commercial art and contemporary art.

Inside you’ll discover a world of cuteness ranging from art, stickers, toys, plush, cards, clothes, jewelry and on and on and on. It’s a veritable cuteness cornucopia. So make sure you have your insulin shot because you’re about to enter a world so sweet you may get sugar shock.

Fangoria #307, October

The Howling turns 30 and Fangoria magazine remembers, read some Dreadtime Stories, get ready for a third round of Paranormal Activity, watch the dead at ZomBcon, get One For The Road and the Clayboy Club presents Crepuscule.

Actress Jessica Harper found early fame in classic horror tales, get Deep Under The Skin, take shelter in madness, Chromeskull Shines On and check out The Latest Thing.

Find out who Alice Cooper is behind the mask, comic books have lots of Monster Power when added with audio, head Back To The Colony, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil and it's Bloody Funny and Jenny Wright managed to survive vampires and much worse.

Discover The Terror From Tijuana, don't go into the house and avoid the Dead Format.

The Joker

The Clown Prince of Crime, that's what he's been referred to ever since his introduction in the first issue of the Batman comic book in 1940. Since then he has become the most recognizable and infamous villain ever to grace the pages of DC Comics. His grinning visage, with his white skin, ruby lips and green hair are recognizable all over the world.

Now he finally gets the attention he deserves in a brand new book from Universe and written by Daniel Wallace. And who better to provide the introduction than the man who voiced the Joker in the Warner Bros. cartoons: Mark Hamill!


The Joker: The Visual History Of The Clown Prince Of Crime follows the criminal and comic book, TV and movie career of the Joker through the decades with special attention given to the many talented artists, writers and actors who have brought the Joker to life.


Pages are filled with illustrations and photos of the Joker in all his incarnations in comic books, TV and movies. Fans of the Joker will love this impressive compilation of the comic book criminal capers of the Clown Prince of Crime and his cinematic carrying-ons in his continuing quest the squelch the Caped Crusaders crime-fighting career. And that's no joke!

F-4EJ-Kai Phantom II

Hasegawa Hobby Kits' F-4EJ-Kai Phantom II is a modified fighter jet made specifically for the Japan Air Self Defense. First produced in 1968 under license from McDonnell Douglas, the aircraft was meant to last into the 1990s.


The upgrades included new radar capabilities based on digital designs and less hands-on switching controls manually. Much of the aircraft's capabilities are wired through the throttle control and a heads-up display allows the pilot to keep his eyes on his flight instead of glancing in the cockpit at dials.


The F-4EJ-Kai Phantom II 1:72 Scale model is designed with the more seasoned model-maker in mind. Ten part trees hold over 100 parts all of which detach easily from the trees with little or not flashing. Pieces fit snuggly together with little effort and minimal gluing. Decal and paint application is made easy when the detailed enclosed instructions are followed.


A twin seat cockpit can be displayed with canopy open or closed and landing gear can be shown up or down. Full armament and extra fuel tanks attach easily to the wings and body interior and exterior accessories and equipment are easily identifiable using the model piece number labeling and the part numbering illustrations and assembly instructions included with the kit.

The Future, Sci-Fi Dictionary And Swarm

There are movie, science fiction, horror and fantasy artists' fans and then there are movie, science fiction, horror and fantasy artists' academics.

Academics are people who really study, dissect and delve into every aspect of their respective interests-in this case sci-fi and horror movies and sci-fi and fantasy artists.

McFarland & Company, Inc. feeds academic fever with trio of new titles that are so packed full of information that even the most staunch academic will pause and ponder the task set before them.

First up is The Worlds Of Back To The Future, edited by Scorch Ni Fhlainn. Compiled Critical Essays On The Films, the book examines each film for content, social commentary, moral and political nuances and philosophical references. Marty McFly and Doc Brown and the characters from all the films are put under a microscope to see what makes them tick.

A Biographical Dictionary of Science Fiction And Fantasy Artists of The Twentieth Century by Jane Frank is packed with information on the most influential artists of the respective genres. Each artist's life is examined in full and a complete listing of his or her work is included.

A Sci-Fi Swarm And Horror Horde from Tom Weaver contains 62 interviews by actors, actresses, directors and other TV and film professionals. The interviews center around the work they did on classic sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV shows. Filled with anecdotal gems, the book gives readers a real insider look at the making of such films as Them!, The War Of The Worlds The Wild, Wild West, Lost In Space and dozens of other film and TV series.

All three books make perfect reference material for anyone interested in the sci-fi and fantasy genres in film, TV and art.

Archie #624

Riverdale High's resident nerd: Dilton, is a real whiz when it comes to computer programming. Code is like a second language to him. When he mistakenly offers Veronica help in their computer class Veronica is furious that he would think she needs his help.

Determined to get back at Dilton, Veronica hires Facebook's founder and creator: Mark Zuckerberg, to design the school's social network site that Dilton has been working on.

However, instead of Dilton and Mark becoming enemies they soon become fast friends and decide to take part in a friendly competition. Whoever's site is picked by the students wins. Mark is great at technical details, Dilton is great at design, so instead of one winner the new friends decide to combine their sites and make it the best school social networking site possible. Needless to say Veronica is less that thrilled that her plans backfired.


Meanwhile Reggie cons Archie into a little computer education of his own. Archie #624 presents Geek Face-Off and The Battle For Facebook. The winners? Readers of Archie #624 from Archie Comics of course!

X-Men First Class

I'll be the first to admit when X-Men First Class was first announced as the next X-Men movie from 20th Century Fox I was a bit skeptical. Still I was curious, so one afternoon I went and watched the movie. I really enjoyed it. Oh sure, some of the original X-Men continuity was tinkered with as was the timeline but overall the movie was extremely well done. In fact, between Marvel's Captain America and X-Men First Class, both were the best movies of the summer.

X-Men First Class looks back at the early friendship between Professor X and Magneto before they took on their superhero/supervillain personas. The movie introduces the Hellfire Club, Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Beast, Cyclops, Mystique and other X-Men and mutants, including a character who may be Nightcrawler's father.


Eventually the mutants split up, some following Professor X and others Magneto. The movie contains non-stop action and yet manages to fully develop its characters. Visual effects, both computer generated and physical, are amazing, the vintage costumes look authentic and the storyline cleverly intermingles events that took place during the time it is placed in.


The Blu-Ray and Digital Copy combo includes lots of 'X-tras": featurettes, a documentary, deleted and extended scenes, other goodies and as a special added bonus: access to 10 X-Men digital comics. Are you "X-cited yet!"

Super Hornet And JV44 Combo

This September Hasegawa Hobby Kits' released two new Limited Edition double, aviation model kits.  They are the Me26A & Fw190D-9 "JV44 Combo" and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet "U.S. Naval Aviation Centennial Combo".

Both are 1:72 Scale and contain multiple part trees, full instructions-including decal and paint application directions.  Like all of Hasegawa Hobby Kits' models they boast clean, crisp parts that easily detach from their respective part trees and fit together snuggly when assembled.

Veteran model makers will appreciate the attention to detail and the skill necessary to assemble, paint and decal each double model kit.  That's right, both models contain two kits!  Talk about a deal!

The JV44 Combo features the ultimate German Fw190D-9 WWII aircraft that scored more kills than any other aircraft.  Long and sleek, the aircraft had incredible maneuverability.  The model kit lets model makers decorate it in one of two marking options.

The Me 262A-1a jet-powered fighter out-sped all competitors at an impressive 550 mph.  Unfortunately its slow acceleration made it an easy target and it required additional aircraft protection.  Modelers may also paint it in one of two marking choices. 

The Super Hornet Centennial Combo jumps ahead in time several decades to the early 2000's.  The single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F joined the U.S. Navy squadron and immediately saw action first in Operation Southern Watch and then the Pacific Fleet Battle.  In honor of 100 years of flight both aircraft were decorated in Centennial-themed insignia in 2011.

Both models feature enlarged fuel tanks, larger air intakes to compensate for their additional power, wings that are lengthened, airframes modified and tweaks given to electronics and electrical systems. Look for heavy armor and fixed ordinance.  Each aircraft can be displayed with landing gear up or down as well as opened or closed cockpits.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Thrice

Konami outdoes itself with the release of three (count ‘em-three) new Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game selections.


First up is the Lost Sanctuary Structure Deck that takes players into deep space and puts the power of the planets at their fingertips. The Agents, extraterrestrial monsters, let by the head honcho, the solar sentinel, the Sol soldier, the Sun’s senior citizen: the Master, wage war throughout the cosmos based at the Sanctuary In The Sky.


While their Santuary is active the Agents abilities get an upgrade boost. As warriors of Light the Agents make for some very interesting and intense game play. Some incredibly powerful Light Agents are included, but before you get to comfortable there is always a price to pay for power so beware Solemn Judgment and Divine Punishment!


The Structure Deck comes with 37 Common Cards, 1 Ultra Rare, 2 Super Rare, a Rulebook, a Game Mat and Dueling Guide.


Up next is the Yu-Gi-Oh! Gold Series 4: Pyramids Edition which brings back the original Dueling legends. Besides containing one of three Game Mats: Yugi, Kalba or Tournament, it also includes part of a new 50-Card Deck that contains 3 Gold Rare Cards and 22 Common Cards. Eighteen Gold Rare and 32 Common Cards are available.


The real work force of any Trading Card Game collection is the Cards found in Foil Packs. Yu-Gi-Oh! Generation Force Foil Packs (Boosters) contain nine randomly inserted Cards that offer players the chance to score some of the most powerful Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards ever created.


Here’s your chance to own the Twin Terrors Of Destruction: Tiras, Keeper OfGenesis and Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon that boast 2600 Attack points each along with being rated Rank 5 and require two level 5 monsters to summon! But never fear, the Generation Force Cards make it easy to summon each with such characters as Wind-Up Magician, Wind-Up Factory, Wind-up Soldier and Wind-up Dog.


Over 20 new Aquatic Cards are available along with nine Elemental HERO Cards.


Generation Force includes 100 Cards: 48 Common, 20 Rare, 14 Super rare, 10 Ultra rare and 8 Secret Rare.

Star Trek: A Choice Of Catastrophes

Of all the Star Trek TV series the original is still my favorite. There was something magical about the team of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and Chapel. The chemistry between the characters was flawless and made for some spectacular stories on TV and later in movies.

Sadly Deforest Kelley and James Doohan who portrayed Leonard “Bones” McCoy and Montgomery “Scotty” Scott have both passed away.

Fortunately they are very much alive in Pocket Books’ Star Trek library of books-the latest of which is called A Choice OF Catastrophes.


In the new book the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Mr. Sulu, runs into a space/time distortion area and power is lost. The distortion field also affects any crew member with an abnormal level of psychic ability and each suffers a coma and will eventually die.


With no options left to him McCoy must link with the surviving officers’ minds and enter a nightmarish dream world that could threaten the very existence of the Enterprise and her crew.


While McCoy struggles on the psychic plane Kirk, Scotty, Spock and other members of two away teams explore a strange planet where all sentient life has disappeared. What they discover is hidden deep underneath the sprawling alien landscape and is linked to the incidents aboard the Enterprise.


A Choice Of Catastrophes is classic Star trek at its best with plenty of action, suspense, humor and clever banter between the key players. Look for the book from Pocket Books written by Michael Schuster and Steve Mollman.

Justice League #1

After the tumultuous events in Flashpoint, the DC Universe was forever changed. The Flash (Barry Allen) hoping to save the life of his mother travels back through time and manages to save her. The ripple effects through time drastically alter the DC timeline in which millions of innocent people die because of his time jaunt.

In a desperate attempt to set things right the Flash once again jumps though time and stops himself from completing his first time travel mishap. He succeeds and returning to his own present time Barry Allen believes all is well. It is-sort of.

Writer Geoff Johns and artists Jim Lee and Scott Williams cleverly introduce the first of the New 52 DC titles that restarts the DC Universe using the same familiar characters but with altered costumes, updated origins and rebooted storylines. It’s basically DC Comic reborn.


Justice League #1 opens with the police pursing Batman who is pursuing a rampaging alien/demon. Just as things get dicey Green Lantern shows up and stops the police and alien rampage, but not before the alien escapes and he and Batman reluctantly team-up to track it.


They find it just as it self-destructs after leaving a strange impenetrable box of alien design. Green Lantern suggests they track down the new superhero, Superman, since he’s an alien, to see if they can get some answers.


Cocky and self-assured of his power because he has a power ring, Green Lantern boldly confronts Superman on to be trashed. Superman appears and Batman is left alone to face him. In this new DC Universe super powered being are suspect and not trusted by the general populace. Only batman prefers it that way (he would).


Justice League #1 is a great start to what I hope is a revitalization of the DC Universe. If DC writers, editors and artists can manage to introduce new concepts and ideas while at the same time paying homage to the original DC Universe the re-launch should be successful. I have my fingers crossed.