Metal Men and The Doom Patrol

If you’re a comic book collector like myself who is on a strict budget this review is for you.

I can’t afford to buy Gold, Silver and Bronze Age comic books-especially key issues.  Prices have shot up so drastically in the last couple of years only those with big budgets or speculators can afford to buy most old comic books.

The only way a collector like myself can ever hope to have early issues is if they were to come across them at a yard sale.

As an older collector I especially love the stuff from the Silver Age.  Marvel, DC and other comic publishers at that time turned out some pretty iconic stuff.

Fortunately I have my memories of owning many of the books when I was young-I only wish I still had the issues now.

Two of my all-time favorite DC Comics ‘quirky’ titles are The Doom Patrol and the Metal Men.  Both premiered in two of DC Comics’ anthology series.  

Their first appearances are highly prized and expensive-far too expensive for me.

Fortunately DC Comics publishes its Showcase Presents black and white reprint series that includes The Doom Patrol and the Metal Men.

The first volume of Showcase Presents The Doom Patrol begins its black and white reprint series with thier first appearance in My Greatest Adventure #80 and ends with The Doom Patrol #95.

During its run readers are introduced to each of The Doom Patrol members, how they came about and their primary gallery of bad guys.

Even back in the early 1960s The Doom Patrol was one of the strangest superteams ever created.

Often compared to Marvel Comics The Uncanny X-Men, it was The Doom Patrol that first saw print.

Is it coincidence that both groups featured societal misfits and outcasts, a wheelchair bound leader and many villains that have similar power and even in one case similar names such as DC’s The Brotherhood of Evil and Marvel’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants?

The Doom Patrol would take a slightly different road when it came to stories-most of which revolved around bizarre science and strange creatures and creations.  The X-Men tended to focus its attention on the outcast nature of its characters.

The X-Men would become a worldwide phenomenon while The Doom Patrol (though popular) never reached the height of popularity as the X-Men.

However with the introduction of The Doom Patrol TV series, that is beginning to change.

The Showcase Presents Metal Men black and white reprint book is identical in format to The Doom Patrol book.

It starts with the team’s first appearance in Showcase #37 and proceeds to go into their origin, various early adventures, introduces their top villains and ends with Metal Men #15.

The Metal Men was a last minute substitution in Showcase #37.  Due to some scheduling conflicts and problems a feature was needed for the issue.  

Writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru literally created, wrote and drew the Metal Men’s first appearance over a weekend.

Who knew that the Metal Men would prove such a hit with fans and are still a viable part of the DC Universe today?

Igor

Back in the early 1970s writer/director Mel Brooks was enjoying a winning streak.

His Blazing Saddles movie was a big hit and Hollywood was anxious to see what Mel’s fertile imagination would come up with next.

His next movie was unconventional to say the least.  It was filmed in black and white, featured many sets used in a 1930s monster film and spotlighted some of the wackiest and most unique characters ever created for the Silver Screen.

Mel was a big fan of the old Universal Studios monster films of the 1930s and 1940s.

As an homage to them he created what is considered the best film of his career: Young Frankenstein.

Sideshow Collectibles (Toys) created a series of three figures based on the main cast of the film: Doctor Frankenstein, the Frankenstein Monster and the doctor’s assistant Igor.

As much as I like the Doctor and Monster figures, Igor is by far my favorite.

Marty Feldman portrayed the cross-eyed, hunchback Igor (“What hump?“) and he stole the movie.

The Igor figure (as well as the other figures in the set) comes in a large cardboard box with a large clear plastic panel covering almost the complete front.

The plastic wraps around to each side covering about half of them. The accessories are made stationary by clear plastic cocoon bubbles and the figure stands in the open with wire and plastic ties holding it in place.

Only 7,500 Igor figures were produced-all in shades of gray to emulate the back and white film.

Igor’s bald head, large nose, pointed chin, silly grin and large goodly eyes-one of them walleyed, look just like the late actor Marty Feldman‘s.  

Feldman was a British import that made a big hit with American audiences-it even garnered him a short-lived TV show.  He would appear in other Mel Brooks films.

The articulated figure has the same ghastly gray skin and on its left hand is the name H. Delbruck-the name of the person whose brain Igor is sent to fetch in the film.

Igor comes dressed all in black including a peasant hood with half cape, tunic, trousers, boots and a wide black belt with metal rivets and oversize silver buckle, belt strap and silver studded black carrying pouch attached to the belt.

Included with the figure are a cobblestone base, Igor’s walking stick, his twisted horn capped with silver and the ‘Abby’normal brain with a clear beaker, glass canister and base.

I love the detailing on the horn and brain canister along with Igor’s face and costume details.

The loose fitting cloths move easily over the figure when posed and the accessories (the cane and horn) can be held by the figure with no worry of them coming loose.  

Add Igor with the Doctor and Monster and you have a classic display.

The Time Machine

My all-time favorite book by author H. G. Wells is The Time Machine.

The 1960’s movie adaptation starring Rod Taylor is a classic and is still fun to watch.

In 2002 Warner Bros./Dreamworks released a new updated version of The Time Machine.

With state of the art special effects, a new cast and a somewhat altered story line the movie was good but failed to garner the audience or the profit Warner Bros./Dreamworks had hoped for.

Personally I liked the movie.  It was similar to the 1960 movie adaptation with only a few differences: the Eloi were intelligent and the Morlocks had a super-intelligent leader.

The special visual effects were incredible and as always Stan Winston Studio turned out some amazing practical effects and creatures.

The only fault I have with the film is the pacing and the addition of the leader of the Morlocks.

The comic book features a photo cover of the movie’s promotional poster and offers a short abbreviated version of the story.

Like most good comic books it leaves readers with a cliffhanger ending.  In this case the cliffhanger was to encourage people to see the movie.

Plagued by production problems (including the original director leaving the film part way through) it never quite captured the feel of the original film.

It does contain a number of homages to the 1960 film.  It is a much darker film than the original with some disturbing scenes-especially concerning the Morlocks diet.

DC Comics released the small adaptation of the movie as a free giveaway.

Hawaii Five-O

How do you recreate a phenomenon and fan favorite?  It’s a daunting task to take a well beloved TV series and update it for modern TV audiences.

Fans of the original show may balk, new audiences may not make the connection and how do you walk the thin line between a tribute and a new vision?

That was the task set before the new production and acting team behind the new Hawaii Five-O TV series that ran for ten years on CBS and recently went off the air.

How do compete against Jack Lord’s original Steve McGarrett and James MacArthur as Danny “Danno” Williams along with other legendary cast members?

The new Hawaii Five-O kept much of the storyline and themes from the original series along with the names of the original characters.  There were a few tweaks and changes but overall the series kept its long established legend intact.

The new cast provided their own unique interpretations of the characters, fleshed them out and made the thier own.  Producers, directors and writers stayed true to the original series but updated stories and made the series relevant for its time.

Considering the original series ran 12 years it’s just as impressive the new series stayed on the air for 10 years.  It was not cancelled, but rather it was ended mainly due to the series main star and fellow cast members.  They all felt it best to go out while the show was at its peak.

CBS/Paramount presents the entire 240 episodes on 61-discs in a new deluxe collection handsomely packaged in a hardbound sleeve with two disc holders: one for Season 1-4 and one for Seasons 5-10.

Besides all of the action packed episodes the collection also includes several special featurettes and features such as a music video, with photos, individual cast members videos slips, a look-back collection of behind-the-scenes, action/stunts/ guest star interviews, commentaries, interviews and a Celebrating 50 Years of Hawaii Five-O compilation reel of the original series and the new series.

Longtime Hawaii Five-o fans of both the new and old series are sure to love this new 'The Complete Series Hawaii Five-O' DVD collection of episodes and extras.

Build & Battle And Transforming Iron Giant

Trendmasters Toys released a few 7-inch Iron Giant action figures when the movie came out.  Those figures are much sought after by Iron Giant enthusiasts.

The vacuum-formed, bubble packs the figures come in feature a large upper torso of The Iron Giant, the logo and an area made to look like a riveted container.  

Inside the figures are cradled in form-fitting cocoons that hold the figures and accessories in place, additional wire straps hold the figures in place.

On the back of the packages are complete instructions on how to use the figures’ clever action extras.

The Transforming Iron Giant includes a 7-inch Iron Giant articulated figure.

It features full Body details including a riveted Chest with Energy Weapon, hydraulic Arms and large lower Arms with huge Hands and perfectly captures the look of the cinema Iron Giant.  

It’s painted in two-tone gray with careful attention to correctly placed colors with not slopovers or rough edges.

Articulation is well hidden with no binding and the figure stands independently on its own with no support.

Two figures come with the Iron Giant: Hogarth the boy and an over-anxious Ken Mansley.  Both are extremely detailed with easily identifiable features and accurate paint application.

The Iron Giant figure has Glowing Eyes, a Energy Weapon that is activated when the figure’s Head is pressed, Removable Hands that reverse attach as Electro-Weapons, Legs that slide open to reveal Photon Lasers and a Spring-loaded Missile Launcher that bursts from its Chest.

A Magnetic Hogarth attaches to the Giant’s Shoulder. Also included is a Battle Tank with a Firing Missile.

It’s a remarkable figure with lots of cool extras.

The Build & Battle Iron Giant is a duplicate of the Transforming version minus the Chest Energy Weapon.  It also features great articulation, crisp color separation and accurate and scaled down details.

This version comes with Hogarth and Dean McCoppen miniature figures.  Hogarth can magnetically attach to the Giant’s Shoulder or Hand.

Iron Giant extras include Glowing Eyes, a Magnetic Removable Left Elbow and Shoulder, and Snap-Off Right Shoulder, Hands and Head.

A separate Strike Jet with Firing Missile is also included.

These are some the nicest figures Trendmasters ever made.  It’s too bad the movie was not a hit when it first premiered or we might have seen more figures.  

Fortunately the movie has become a cult classic and new collectible figures are now being made by other manufacturers.

Both figures in their packages go for between $150 to $200 each in mint condition.

The Batman Adventures #1

One of my all time favorite animated series is the Batman: The Animated Series.

Launched not long after Tim Burton created his Batman duo of movies the animated series was conceived and executed using a very different approach that your typical Saturday morning animated series.

The scripts were engaging, the characters fleshed out and the action all combined to make the Batman: The Animated Series a real gem.

DC Comics cashed in on the series by producing a companion comic book series called: The Batman Adventures.

Issue #1 introduced the animated version of Batman to the world.  

Kelley Puckett wrote the story and artist Ty Templeton emulated the style of the animated series to perfection.  Inker Rich Burchett help bring the TV animated Batman to the printed page.

The Penguin had the honor of being the first Batman villain to launch the series and the Joker was close in the wings.

Although it had the look of the animated series the stories were very much in line with the Batman mythos created in the comic books.  

The Batman Adventures series has the distinction of introducing Harley Quinn in to the DC Comics Universe of comic books in issue #12.

Issue #1 currently sells for about $5 raw and $50 slabbed in near mint condition.

Dune Drifter

The future.  Mankind has expanded its civilization to the far reaches of outer space.

Unfortunately not everyone is pleased with its expansion.

When rookie pilot and her gunner are shot down the land on a nearby planet.  Injured and running out of air they find a crashed alien spacecraft.  They hope to salvage its parts to repair their own spacecraft-until the owner shows up!

Dune Drifter is a low budget science fiction film but its gritty realism, clever use of close-ups and claustrophobic feel when inside the spacecraft all combine to make a compelling story.

It’s nice to see a sci-fi film that doesn't get all caught up in special effects but instead concentrates on the human element.

There’s a real sense of desperation and fear running through the film courtesy of 4Digital Media.

This Was Hollywood

In this age of mega-movies, Blu-rays, DVDs, TV, cable, digital media, the Internet and streaming it’s hard to imagine a time when Hollywood was in its infancy.

‘Movie stars’ were just coming into vogue.  Many of the familiar faces during Hollywood's’ early years have mostly been forgotten.

Author Carla Valderrama and Running Press/TCM Turner Classic Movies examines the careers of the pioneers of motion pictures in This Was Hollywood.

The book delves into the history of the forgotten stars & stories of yesteryear.

Learn about some of the previously unknown secrets about the movie capital, the scandalous lives of some of its stars, the money behind the films and much more.

This fascinating books spotlights the stars from the past, some familiar superstars and their lives and the tragedies and triumphs taking place during the Golden Age of Sin City.

Filled with archival photos, extensive examinations of the stars, directors and the industry and fascinating tidbits the book offers a hitherto unknown look at Hollywood.

GSG-9 Border Protection Group-9

Blue Box Toys unfortunately went out of business.  When it was producing toys and figures it came out with an impressive line of 1/6th Scale military and law enforcement figures.

One of the most impressive was “KONRAD” GSG-9 Border Protection Group-9.

I was fortunate enough to have Blue Box send me a review sample of the figure labeled as an Engineering Sample.

What differentiated Blue Box’s 12-inch fully articulated military and law enforcement figures from the other brands was something totally unique. KONRAD has a Custom Expression Mechanism.

A simple turn of an accompanying key on the back of his blond hair head and KONRAD opens his mouth as if to speak.

It’s a clever trick and it gives a new air of realism to the figure.

Add that to the highly detailed nature of the figure and its realistic weapons, clothing and accessories and you have a first-rate collectible.

KONRAD comes dressed in a solid black jumpsuit with a working zipper down its front.  He also wears gray heavy grip gloves and solid black boots with laces.

He comes with a camo helmet, a light up protective shield and a wraparound lower face mask.

Weapons and accessories include a full bullet proof flack jacket with wraparound waist band/belt, Velcro shoulder pads, six loops for shells (that actually remove) and a Velcro abdomen/crotch flap.

Other goodies include a walkie-talkie with strap, a handgun with a holster, heavy black knee pads with rivets and straps, goggles with orange lens, two ammo clips and an automatic rifle with removable clip, site, pull out stock and waist clip.

The details on the rifle are amazing, as are the fine little extras on the walkie-talkie, vest (that includes a back pouch and strap and pouch for carrying a radio with antenna) and the helmet with radio attachment and earphone and mike.

It’s too bad Blue Box no longer produces such figures but only back stocks them.  The company gave Sideshow, Dragon and other military/law enforcement 12-inch action figure manufacturers a run for their money.

Diamond Previews, December 2020

 

Spirit Charmers

Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game players get to tag along with the Charmers as they ply their magic to control the elements in Spirit Charmers.

The new Structure Deck focuses on Spellcasters and controlling monsters of many Attributes. Spiritual Art Cards remove the best Card from an opponent's hand and buries any Card they control to the bottom of the Deck.

You can even inflict massive damage, and more!

Look for variant artwork of the "Familiar-Possessed" versions of Hiita, Wynn, Aussa, and Eria.

Five new pieces of art show the daily lives of the Charmers and their familiars.

Each Structure Deck: Spirit Charmers contains:
5 Ultra Rares (4 Fixed + 1 of 4 Variant Art Cards)
2 Super Rares
35 Commons
1 of 5 Super Rare Token Cards
1 of 5 Double-sided Deluxe Game Mats/Dueling Guide

FuelRods

In this age of mobile digital devices power is everything.

Don’t you just hate it when you’re out and about and suddenly your cell phone and/or tablet runs out of juice?

It’s frustrating, wastes time and is certainly inconvenient.

Sometimes you’re in a place where there are no electrical outlets to recharge or worse yet you forget your cable for your phone and/or tablet and you’re stuck.

If you worked in business like I did a dead cell phone or tablet eats into your production time and keeps you out of the loop.

With a FuelRod you get a handy, portable battery that recharges cell phones (using a micro-USB, USB-C, or and Apple Lightning charging port) and lets you get some extra time in with your tablet.

You can even use your own USB standard connector!

Other devices can also be recharged such as a GoPro, PSP, AirPods, Bluetooth Speakers, etc, as long as they use the same charging ports as previously mentioned.

Say you have a FuelRod and it’s getting low on power or completely out of juice.  No problem-simply swap it out for a minimal fee at any FuelRod Kiosk for a newly recharged FuelRod.

For FuelRod Kiosk locations visit FuelRods’ website at www.Fuel-rod.com or download the FuelRod® mobile app on iPhone® at the App Store and for Android™ on Google Play.

Not near a Kiosk?  No problem, you can recharge your fuelRod at home or at work with the included micro-USB plugged into and USB charging port or using an adapter plug into any wall socket.

While its charging the FuelRod shines a red light.  Once fully charged the light turns green. Recharging takes about three hours.

FuelRods keep their charge for up to eight months when stored.  Capacity is 2600mAh, which is plenty to completely recharge most cell phones.

Take it with your wherever you go, even on airplanes following airline guidelines.

I’ve already tested mine on my cell phone and it works like a charm.  I have two FuelRods, one I’ve recharged from my computer USB and the other from a wall socket.

Easy to follow instructions are included-even I could figure them out and I’m an old timer.

FuelRods fit in your pocket, purse or briefcase and take the worry out of running out of power when using your cellphone,  tablet or other similar devices.

They’re cleverly designed, come with all the cables you need for most devices and can be a real lifesaver-especially for work or on vacation.

Never run out of juice again!

The Weird

Sadly comic book artist Bernie Wrightson passed several years ago.  He is know primarily for his work on DC Comics Swamp Thing, a score of DC covers, black and white work for Warren publications and his incredible Frankenstein portfolio.

Wrightson’s style captivated the imagination of comic book fans.  His use of fluid ink lines, amazing mastery of light and shadow and an eye for detail made him a fan favorite.

As Bernie grew older his eyesight began to fail him and its shows in his later work.  Still, the ‘Wrightson flair’ was always present, even in the last few years of his life.

In 1988 Bernie, along with fellow artist Dan Green and writer Jim Starlin, introduced a unique character to the DC Universe appropriately called The Weird.

A man conjures up a crimson jewel for nefarious reasons.  The energy within it escapes and draws the attention of Superman, Batman and the rest of the Justice League.

Nothing they do seems to stop its unknown progress.  To everyone’s surprise the energy enters the body of a recently deceased father and reanimates the corpse.

Dressed in a strange black and red garb the figure is slightly distorted and possesses more power than the Justice League combined.

The Justice League tries to subdue the being only to be easily brushed aside and the figure streaks away to the home of man whose body it possesses and encounters the man’s young son.

Wrightson turned in some incredible art, especially of the members of the Justice League.  The story contains elements of the supernatural (a Wrightson specialty) and lots of action.

Jim Starlin’s script keeps readers guessing and combined with Wrightson’s and Green’s artwork The Weird makes for an entertaining read.

I only wish that The Weird was used more in DC Comics.  He’s a unique character with a supernatural flair that would fit well both in the traditional superhero genre and the darker supernatural realms of DC.

The entire mini-series can be bought for about 10 bucks in near mint condition.

Leatherface

I’m not a fan of slasher films.  They are a little too bloody and gory for my tastes.  I prefer scary movies that ‘hint’ at evil without going into gory detail.

Nonetheless Sideshow Collectibles created an incredible Leatherface figure from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 12-inch, fully articulated collectible figure.

It is a truly horrifying figure that captures the madman butcher with chainsaw perfectly.  

The figure is packed in Sideshow’s standard flip-lid display box with clear plastic viewing panel with figure and accessory cocoon.

A large headshot photo of Leatherface decorates the cover with full figure photos decorating the sides and back.

A sheet of tissue paper protects the viewing panel.

The Leatherface figure comes with a special Texas Chainsaw Massacre stand and wire support.  Accessories include a large wooden handle axe and Leatherface’s signature blood spattered chainsaw with pull cord, red body and safety handle.

The detail on the chainsaw is amazing right down to its individual chain links, screws and bolts and aged casing.

The fully articulated Leatherface 12-inch figure is truly a miniature horror.

His face, covered by the skin of other human beings, looks dried, putrid and a ghastly yellow/gray.  

His dead looking eyes peer out from the ghastly remains of a human face and his teeth show through the slit of a human mouth drawn back by decay. 

His unkempt black hair pokes unnaturally above the discarded human flesh of a face.

He wears a wide collar black and white shirt covering a long sleeve ‘leather’ tunic with wrist straps.

The shirt and tunic are protected by a pieced together human flesh apron with wide shoulder straps and held in place at the waist with tan belt.

The figure wears black trousers and laced, heavy sole shoes giving the figure a taller appearance.

His hands look gnarled and calloused with blood specks with a row of golden rings on each finger of his left hand.

The hands are positioned so they can hold the accompanying chainsaw.

The arms of his shirtsleeves are pulled up to his upper arms and he wears leather gauntlets that cover yet another long sleeve shirt of a solid off white weaved fabric.

Facial details are amazing with a series of leather stitches holding the patchwork face together.

All of the fabrics of his cloths have their own distinctive look and the clothing is faithfully recreated using various fabric types.

Stitching, fasteners and buttons are all to scale.

Like the real Leatherface the figure’s cloths hang loosely on its body allowing the figure to pose in various positions with no binding or unrealistic folds and creases.  

The stand and wire support gives the figure the flexibility to pose in a wider range of positions.  The figure can stand on its in with more static poses.

His butcher apron is tattered and stained and blood specks cover its front.

It’s easy to see why Leatherface is considered a horror icon.  It truly is a frightening figure made even more so by the incredible amount of detail and thought that went into the piece.

Enemy Ace and Black Lightning

Without a doubt Marvel Comics changed the shape of comic books in the 1960s when it introduced The Fantastic Four.  

Marvel would go on to premiere several new titles in the early 1960s featuring characters with flaws and unique origins.  It would continue to produce some of the most imaginative and innovative comic books the entire decade.

DC Comics held the to superhero position for years before Marvel’s explosive growth.

DC’s character were innovative in their own right but lacked the character dynamics Marvel’s characters did.

The owners/editors of DC Comics took notice and began producing cutting-edge comic books that abandoned the pre-conceived image people had of comic books.

Such titles as The Doom Patrol, Animal Man, The Creeper, Hawk and Dove and dozens more proved that DC writers and artists could produce relevant and unique titles.

DC Comics was well known for its War Comics.  Most featured red-blooded Americans as the heroes fighting against the repressive regimes of the Nazi’s and the Imperial Japanese.

Then something unusual happened.

In issue #57 of Showcase Presents writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert presented a unique hero/villain; Enemy Ace in his own series.

While not his first appearance (it was his forth) Showcase gave the creative team the opportunity to star the ‘Red Baron‘ in a full-length comic book.

In a unique twist, readers get to witness WWI through the eyes of the enemy.

Early in the 1970s Blackploitation movies were all the rage.  It all started with Shaft and soon afterwards dozens of such movies were produced.

Usually they starred a street smart, inner city, and tough-as-nails black man who set out to fight crime and tick off ‘The Man“.

Marvel Comics, never one to ignore a trend, introduced its own “In-The-Hood” black crime fighter with Luke Cage: Powerman.

DC jumped on the bandwagon with Black Lightning #1 with told the origin of Black Lightning.

A former Olympic athlete and current high school teacher Jefferson Pierce dons the Black Lightning outfit after one of his students is killed by criminals.

In later years Black Lightning would gain electrical powers to match his name.

Both Enemy Ace and Black Lightning are unique in their own right and deserve a place in comic book lore.

Maximum Gold

It’s time to go for the gold!

Join Konami as it premieres its extra luxurious, fabulous and high-class 162 Set of new Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Cards: Maximum Gold!

The Set of Gold Rares have golden outlines and borders makes your YGO Cards pop!  Talk about bling!

Level Stars and Attribute icons look like freshly minted ingots of gold!

Premium Gold Rares inspire awe in the hearts of any Duelist.  Gamers are sure to love the Premium Gold Rares-all 52 of them!

Besides the gold upgrade look for popular monsters gamers are getting brand-new YGO variant artwork and a Premium Gold Rare treatment such as Droll & Lock Bird, Elemental HERO Stratos, and Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess!

In Maximum Gold, Rares have gold lettering instead of the standard silver!

Each Box of 4 Maximum Gold Packs of 7 Cards consist of 2 Premium Gold Rares and 5 Gold-letter Rares.

The Maximum Gold Set of 162 contains:
52 Premium Gold Rares
110 Gold-letter Rares
 

It's the new gold standard!

The Darkness and Fathom

When the superhero wave of comic books flooded the market in the 1990s various small toy companies saw an opportunity to cash in by producing toy likenesses of popular characters.

One such company: Moore Action Collectibles, contracted with Marc Silvestri’s Top Cow Studio and produced a number of figures based on its roster of characters:  The Darkness and Fathom being two of them.

Silvestri both drew and wrote The Darkness.  The story involved a mobster who obtains the power of The Darkness, which enables him to summon and command demons and manifest supernatural armor.  There is a catch: read the comic book to find out what.

Artist and writer Michael Turner (who unfortunately passed away a few years ago) created Fathom.

Fathom is a young girl who can both live in and control water.  The title was applauded for Turner’s art, which was both elegant and dynamic.  Fans still clamor for his work.

The Darkness figure stands approximately 6-inches tall and is articulated at the shoulders, elbows, neck, hips and knees.

Articulation seams are practically invisible because of the complexity of the costume.

The figure’s head has long black hair and The Darkness mask in silver obscures the face.

The upper torso is a deep gray with sinew revealed yellow, as are the shoulders, parts of the arms, upper legs and behind the knees.

Silver clawed gloves cover the hands; the feet by solid gray the knees with silver knee guards.  

Sculpting is very detailed especially considering the size of the figure.

Color separation is precise with clear definitions between textures and pigment.

The figure is held snug in place in a clear plastic cocoon and can be seen fully through the bubble pack’s clear plastic outer shell.

The Darkness logo takes up about one-third of the front of the packaging and a sculpted stand sits vertically behind the figure.  It is decorated in bones and skulls.  A The Darkness illustration backs up both the stand and figure.

On the back of the packaging is a short explanation about The Darkness and several illustrations.

The Fathom figure is a diminutive 5-inchs tall, delicately sculpted and detailed.  Clayburn Moore’s mastery of the female figure is second to known and it shows with this beautifully rendered figure.

Flesh tones are natural, facial features are fine and defined with an emphasis on the eyes and red lips.  Her long dark hair appears wet flowing done her back.

She comes dressed in her skimpy coral bikini with multi-layer colorful coral high heel boots.  The figure is partially articulated at the hips, shoulders and neck.

Included with the figure are her coral weapon that fits over one arm and has three coral spikes, a hammerhead shark and base that the figure attached to.

The Aspen Matthews Fathom figure is gorgeous from all sides including her back.  Her clingy costume accentuates her voluptuous figure and sculptor Clayburn Moore’s choice of a pose for the figure accents her beauty.

It is a delicate and demure figure excellently crafted, nicely colored and a wonderful 3D rendering of the comic book character.

Packaging is similar to The Darkness figure.

Mission: Impossible

To really understand the impact spy thrillers had on 20th Century society you had to live in the 1960s.

The Cold War was at its height.  Things were so bad that the United States and the Soviet Union came within a hairsbreadth of total nuclear annihilation.

When the first James Bond film: Dr. No, premiered it immediately caught on and the spy craze soon went into full swing.

Movies, novels and TV shows began popping up everywhere reedy to capitalize from the Spy Craze.

An impressive amount of TV Spy shows began appearing both domestically and overseas.  Among them were the Man From U.N.C.L.E., Secret Agent Man, The Avengers, The Prisoner and dozens more.

One series outlasted them all.  It featured a group of highly specialized agents who teamed together to take down foreign powers, domestic crime lords, dictators and the like.

Headed by the mysterious Jim Phelps the team was assembled each week by Phelps to take on certain clandestine assignments.

When the series first began various actors and actresses would guest star as the selected agents.

After the series fell into place the team pretty much consisted of the same team members with a few additions now and them.  Look for Steven Hill, Peter Graves, Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Leonard Nimoy, Sam Elliot and Ann Warren in reoccurring roles.

The TV series was Mission: Impossible and it ran on CBS for seven years.

The series inspired a number of movies starring Tom Cruise.

The TV show was cleverly written, edited and produced.  Both actresses and actors on the series performed brilliantly, much of them winning various awards, as did the series.

CBS/Paramount presents the entire seven season run of Mission: Impossible The Original TV Series in a boxed Blu-ray set.  

All 171  of the episodes from seven seasons come on (for the very first time) 46 Blu-ray discs.

It’s cleverly designed Bu-ray collection with each season disc spotlighting key characters and scenes for the series.

Look for it the first of Decmeber, 2020.

Solar, Man Of The Atom

Back in the 1960s comic book publishers took notice of Marvel Comics sudden rise in sales.  Add to that the Batman TV show’s tremendous popularity and it appeared there was money to be made.

Gold Key Comics was known for its many licensed tie-in comics featuring TV shows, movies and various animated characters such as Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

At one point Gold Key sold more comic books than any other publishers.

In a bold step Gold Key released a series of original superhero titles, Doctor Solar Man Of The Atom being one of them.

Personally I liked the book and along with Magnum Robot Fighter it was one of my favorite comic book series.

When Gold Key stopped publishing it seemed that its superhero line died with it.

In the early 1990s Jim Shooter (having been let go by Marvel Comics) decided to revive the Gold Key characters.  He purchased the rights and began publishing new versions of the characters under the Valiant Comics banner.

Solar Man Of The Atom was written by Shooter and draw by Barry Windsor Smith.

The story redefines and revamps the origin of Solar using a clever time travel/alternate reality twist.

What makes Valiant's Solar such an unusual and collectible series is that in the first ten issues special poster inserts were included.  When placed side by side the sections make up a giant poster depicting the Alpha and Omega of Solar’s origin.

It’s quit a feat of publishing magic and really showcases the incredible drawing talent of Barry Windsor Smith.

Early Valiant issues are now demanding big bucks and because the early issues had limited print runs demand far outpaces supply.

If you do have the good fortune to pick up any pre-Unity Valiant titles, do so.  They are guaranteed to increase in value and collectibility.

Near mint raw copies of issue #1 go for around $15 with slabbed issues fetching $80.

DC Super Heroes S3 Select Sculpt

Back in 2007 Mattel Toys produced a series of action figure two-packs featuring DC Comics characters.

The DC Super Heroes S3 Select Sculpt figures, as described by Mattel,  “Figures are characterized by a classic look, unique sculpting and incredible posability.”

The Batman/Batgirl double action figure set backs up Mattel’s claims.

Articulation is amazing with articulation points at the elbows, shoulders, torso, neck and head, upper legs, knees and ankles.

The superior sculpting hides many of the swivel, rotation, hinge and pivot articulation points.

The DC Super Heroes S3 Select Sculpt packaging consists of an oversize bubble pack with the figures secured in place by a form-fitting clear inner sleeve.

The Batman symbol graces the lower right hand corner of the bubble pack and the DC Super Heroes type runs vertical along the left side.

On the back are several color photos of additional DC Super Heroes S3 Select Sculpt single figures from the collection: Scarecrow, Bane and Killer Croc.

Both the Batman and Batgirl figures stand approximately 6-inches tall.  

Each figure is colored in the traditional bat gray and blue with a black bat symbol on Batman’s chest and a yellow bat symbol on Batgirl’s.

Batman and Batgirl comes with lower arm length gloves (blue for Batman, yellow for Batgirl), blue boots for Batman, yellow boots for Batgirl, blue cowls attached to long capes, blue trunks for Batman and no trunks for batgirl and stationary hands on each figure.

Gloves on the figures have three bat tips, Batman’s brown utility belt is reminiscent of a military belt with full pouches. A bat symbol is the buckle and Batgirl’s belt is slimmer, yellow and also has a bat symbol belt buckle.

Batgirl holds a batarang in her right hand.

The figures’ faces are nicely sculpted and colored, Take special note of Batgirl’s eyes-you can actually see the whites and irises.  

Paint and color application is clean, well defined and flat with not color variations.

Articulation and joints are tight, have no rough edge and move easily.

The figures stand easily on their own in various poses with no additional support.

The Superman/Bizarro twin-pack boasts the same attention to detail, multiple articulation points, crisp and clean color application and excellent sculpting.

Both figures come with fists clenched.  Superman is dressed in his trademark blue, red and yellow attire with excellent articulation, superb body and head sculpts and nice paint application-especially on the figures’ faces.

The Bizarro figure is a bulked up version of Superman but with a slightly darker color scheme for his outfit and a reverse Superman logo on his chest.

Bizarro’s face is gray and snarling.  His angular features contrast Superman’s more handsome features.

There’s nice color application on each figure’s face, especially around the eyes and mouths.

Figures stand easily on their own with no assistance.

Superman’s symbol is on the lower left corner of the bubble pack with the DC Super Heroes types vertical on the left.

Some of Superman, Supergirl, Doomsday and Bizarro single figures are showcased on the back of the bubble pack.

Star Trek The Artistry Of Dan Curry

We’re spoiled.  Too often as TV viewers we take for granted the incredible special effects (both practical and digital) we see on the small screen.

That’s especially true when it comes to the Star Trek TV franchise.

Star Trek (in all of its TV manifestations) has always been on the cutting edge of set design, visual effects, costume and creature designs, practical effects and so forth.

One person in particular has been with the Star Trek franchise practically from the start.

Dan Curry is well known among artists for his designs for the Star trek franchise.  His work has been recognized and awarded with seven Emmy Awards.

In Star Trek The Artistry Of Dan Curry, from Titan Books, readers are given a behind-the-scenes tour of how the many effects and designs came about in the Star Trek franchise.

Pages are filled with concept sketches, final illustrations, completed projects and stunning miniatures, sets, weapons, futuristic equipment, accessories and more.

Experts in the industry give their personal accounts of working with Dan, how they went about creating their various projects and what it takes to pull a series together using all the visual and practical effects and physical pieces.  

Inside Stories reveal the work behind the magic complemented by photos, art, blueprints and more.

For a first-hand look at how the various Star Trek series were designed and completed.

The large oversize hardbound book is a must-have addition to any Star Trek fan’s library.

Rough Cut and Silver Surfer

There are times when I wish comic book publishers would not ink or color their books and instead let readers see the beautiful pencil work done by the artists.

It’s also a great way to weed out who the good artists are as opposed to the hacks who depend too much on their inkers and colorists to correct their sloppy artwork

As nice as inking is sometimes it detracts from a penciller’s work.

Back in the late 1990s’ Marvel Comics put out a series of comic books that featured only the pencil work on Thor, Captain America and The Avengers called Rough Cuts.

I love it!

Each book features uninked pages of George Perez on The Avengers (my favorite), Ron Garney on Captain America and John Romita, Jr. on Thor.

All three titles are the first issues in The Heroes Reborn period of  Marvel Comics‘ attempt to revitalize its comic book line.  It was also the time when Marvel declared bankruptcy and had to reorganize

What makes the stories especially interesting is not just the pencil work, but the full dialogue balloons, border notes and production suggestions.

Each issue also includes a full script of the story.

Silver Surfer #1 (Volume 2) starts off an impressive Silver Surfer series of stories that delves much more deeply into the cosmic nature of the Surfer.

Pencilled by Marshalll Rodgers, the first issue sees the Surfer free from Earth when The Thing suggests that the Surfer and board should leave the Earth’s atmosphere separately.  

The plan works and the Surfer in once more free to ply the space ways.

He encounters his former master Galactus who convinces him to save his current herald Nova from the Skrulls.

The Surfer does so and in gratitude Galactus frees the Surfer from his exile allowing him to not only travel the space ways but to return to Earth anytime he wishes.

Bill & Ted Face The Music

They’re back! Bill & Ted, those dim-witted but lovable rockers from the 1980s, have returned and they're brought some old and new friends with them.

Actors Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter have for years wanted to make a third Bill & Ted movie.  Fans have clamored for it and the two actors worked tirelessly to bring fans what they wanted.

It took a lot of work but the would-be rockers return in a brand new adventure along with their daughters and wives.  Even Death returns!

Warner Bros. is proud to present the Bill & Ted Face The Music Blu-ray/Digital Code Combo Pack.

Follow Bill & Ted as they deal with middle-age and the realization that they have yet to fulfill their destiny and create the ultimate song to unify mankind.

Once again an emissary from the future contacts Bill & Ted and they travel through time.  Along the way they meet some new historical and musical legends, confront themselves in alternate timelines and ultimately save the universe and mankind.

Face The Music is a wonderful gift to Bill & Ted fans.  It’s funny, heartfelt, uplifting and most of all-pure unadulterated fun!  It’s real delight to see the actors reprise their roles and bring new insights into their characters.

Extras include a ComicCon featurette, a behind-the-scenes spotlight, music and much much more.  “Excellent!”

Phantom Rage

Are you ready for some seriously spooky anger?  Prepare yourself for some shadowy shenanigans as Konami presents Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Phantom Rage.

It’s Raid Rampage! at its most intense.  There’s no time to rest to relax because danger lurks in every shadow, dark place and every unexpected direction.

Ghosts return from the past such as Phantom Knight and Raidraptor.

Players can create their own Hybrid Deck to max out Xyz Summoning power.

There’s a Spell Card that Summons up to 5 Tokens you can use for Fusion Summoning…twice!

With 24 Packs per Box and 9 Cards per Foil Booster Pack YGO players can also expect to find:

World Premiere Cards, the most ever in a single booster set!
The long awaited crossover between "U.A." and "F.A."!
New Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Link Monsters!
More cards to enhance strategies introduced in Rise of the Duelist!
And more!

100 new Card Set includes:

50 Commons
26 Super Rares
14 Ultra Rares
10 Secret Rares

Fantasy & Science Fiction #752, November/December 2020

Harley Quinn

The Joker’s female companion Harley Quinn has gone through a lot of changes over the years since her introduction in the Batman: The Animated Series and her comic book premiere in Batman Adventures.

Her attire has changed completely since then.  I prefer her old outfit.  For a classic Harley Quinn figure in her original costume toy collectors should search out and purchase Tonner's Harley Quinn prestige figure.

Sadly Tonner no longer creates figures of DC characters.  But when they did they turned out some of most gorgeous figures in the business.

The Harley Quinn figure comes in a custom black box with a DC Stars logo.

The figure is cradled inside the box wrapped in tissue paper, carefully held in place by silk strips and cushioned with foam and plastic. Every precaution was taken to ensure the figure did not get damaged.  It’s impressive.

The figure stands approximately 18 inches tall.  Harley’s arms and legs are long and slender and they, along with the rest of her torso, are articulated.

The body is constructed of plastic that looks a lot like porcelain.  It’s easy see that a great deal of time was spent to make the figure look completely feminine with its graceful curves and muscles and skeleton contouring the clothing much like a real human figure.

Harley’s face is a portrait of beauty with her large blue eyes, painted iris and pupils with highlights, carefully applied eyebrows, small pert nose and large red lips.

Her ghostly white skin makes her features really pop and her long golden tresses made of fine follicles of plastic look real either flowing over her shoulders or tucked into her jester’s cap.

Her classic Harley Quinn jester outfit features a split black and red checkered pattern with a large star shaped white collar with white pop-poms.

Her jester’s cap also has two large pop-poms for each of the red and black ’horns’.

Small card deck symbols in red or black decorates each limp. She wears one red and one black boot.

Large gathered white tuffs of fabric end each sleeve at her wrists.

Harley’s hands are bone white with red fingernails.  A small eye mask also accompanies the outfit as well as solid red and black gloves.

The gloves, cap, boots and outfit fit snuggly over the figure and move smoothly without binding when the figure is posed.

It is an absolutely beautiful figure complemented by its attire, packaging and overall look.

Tonner figures are expensive and the Harley Quinn figures sells for approximately $250. 

Almanac, Space and Coolest

As long as I can remember I’ve always been fascinated by the world around me.  From the time I could pick up a book and read I’ve studied about different things, watched documentaries and had an insatiable desire to know more.

I’m a quick study with a mind that absorbs data, sights, sounds, sensations and tries to make sense of it all.

There’s so much to know-so many unexplored areas.

I love books and learning and that’s why I got so excited when three new National Geographic Books recently came out.

I’ve discovered that when it comes to taking in information it’s best to do so like a child-unbiased, inquisitive and intrigued.

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2021 is a wonderful, colorful and quick to learn compilation of facts, photos and fun about animals, technology, fun and games, exploration and so much more.

There are lots of photos, maps, graphs and other informative images and text to keep the kid in you fascinated for hours.

Space-I grew up with the Space Race was in full swing.  I witnessed man’s first foray into space, his landing on the Moon, the first space station and his continuing exploration of the last frontier.

In the 2nd Edition of the Space Encyclopedia readers are treated to a tour of our solar system and beyond.

Learn all about the planets, celestial bodies and phenomenon complete with photos, art and text all provided by David A. Aguilar.

It’s a hardbound book that compacts the vastness of space with pages brimming with images and fascinating text.

Kids are sure to love The Coolest Things On Earth that takes a closer look at the weird, wild and wonderful.

Art, architecture, astrology, animals, sports, technology, phenomenon, history and a plethora of other areas are explored and examined for their weirdness and uniqueness.

If you love the unusual, the wacky, the way-out and the weird then this is the book for you.

Packed with photos and fascinating facts and fun it is a perfect way to experience the world around you.

Luke Cage and Speedball

Get ready for double the action and double the thrills in 1976’s Luke Cage Power Man King-Size Annual.

Comic book collectors are always on the search for the very first issue of Luke Cage.  After all the title ushered in the whole Blackploitation phenomenon to the Marvel Comics Universe.

Tough-as-nails, inner city, tough black guys were all the rage in the early 1970s.

Marvel knew a good thing when it saw it and so was born Luke Cage.

Everyone knows the story: Luke Cage is wrongly accused of a crime an is put n prison.  He is given the opportunity for freedom (or at least a shortened sentence) if he agrees to be the subject of a new experiment.

The experiment succeeds and he suddenly finds himself with super strength, endurance and near invulnerability.  He also finds himself on the run.

He takes on the name Power Man and decides to fight crime and corruption in the inner city.

In his first Annual he faces off against Magnum Force, takes part in some international intrigue and comes out swinging.

It may not be the first monthly issue of Luke Cage but it is his first Annual and it currently it goes for about $20 for a raw mint copy.

Artist Steve Ditko is a legend.  His work revolutionized comic books.  The Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, The Question, Shade The Changing Man, Captain Atom, Mr. A, Hawk and Dove and The Creeper are just a few of the memorable characters he created or co-created.

Sadly as he grew older his artistic output shrunk mainly due to his age and the tastes of comic book fans changing.

Occasionally his work would appear and old timers like myself enjoyed each and every page.

One of the last products he worked on for Marvel Comics and mainstream comics was Speedball.

Speedball is a young man with the kinetic energy ability to bounce off anything-including badguys.  It seems like a bizarre power but Ditko made it work with his clever page layouts and quirky art.

Speedball would transform into Penance several years later and become a major player in key Marvel Comics series.

Speedball #1 contains some of Ditko’s last work but it is a worthwhile purchase of a true master’s work.

Speedball #1 can be purchased for around five bucks.