Marvel and DC Comics' Spider-Man And Batman

Back in the 1990s Marvel and DC Comics published a number of crossover events where their respective universes met.  Some were mini-series while others were one shots.

One such one shot was Spider-Man And Batman produced in 1995.

The Webslinger and Dark Knight teamed up to take on combined the threat of The Joker and Carnage.  Art was provided by Mark Bagley and the script by J.M  DeMatteis.

The story opened with both Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker having dreams about the death of Wayne’s parents and Parker’s Uncle.  For some odd reason the images of The Joker and Carnage seem to meld in their dreams.

After Carnage escaped a holding facility led by scientists studying his symbiote another ‘experiment’ has placated the Joker’s homicidal tendencies.

Carnage recognized a kindred spirit in The Joker and freed him from his conditioned state.

Recognizing the both get ‘the joke’ Carnage and The Joker teamed up to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible.

Reluctantly Batman and Spider-Man teamed up and managed to defeat the deadly duo.

Spider-Man And Batman features some of the best art of Mark Bagley's career.  It also points out the striking similarities of Batman’s and Spider-Man’s troubled pasts including their most dangerous foes.

The story is one of the best teaming up tales of Marvel and DC and is a fun and fast-paced read.

Mail Trucks and Short Hood Tractor

 

Showcase Miniatures was kind enough to send three of their diecast miniatures in Z Scale, N Scale and HO Scale.

All of them are incredibly detailed right down to every little nook and cranny.

How they are able to execute such accurate details on such small of diecasts is beyond me.  From what I can see there is no flashing or ragged edges.

Packaging on the Z and N Scale diecasts consists of a small hanger card to which small plastic bags containing the parts are attached.  

Depending on the complexity of the diecast, instructions are in the bags or attached behind them.  A sticker with the enclosed vehicle's name and part number along with a smalll color photo holds the entire assembly together.

The large HO Scale diecast comes in a snap-lid plastic box with foam sheets to hold the parts in place along with instructions and a full color photos and model number with name attached to inside of the slid.  The box is secured with tape.

The three models include:

The Z Scale Short Hood Tractor comes in six parts: a frame with wheels, wheels, two cabs and two exhaust stacks/pipes.  I suggest using tweezers to assemble the pieces using bottle or conventional tube glue.

The N Scale Grumman LLC Mail Truck is more complex with detailed illustrated instructions for assembly and painting.

Use the color photo as a paint guide.  It’s best to paint the parts before assembling.

The cab comes in two pieces: frame and body.  The wheels and tires along with a seat and side mirror are loose in the plastic pack.

Additional exterior decals and parts and windows come on three separate part trees.

This is a very delicate model to put together so it's best to use tweezers and pointed tools with a touch of glue on the end to place parts and a magnify device.

The HO Scale Grumman LLV Mail Truck

A larger relative to the N Scale Mail Truck it has the same parts and part trees as its smaller cousin.  The only difference is the cab is plastic.

Assembly and paint application is easier to accomplish.  Still, care must be taken, as parts are delicate and need to be placed with a tweezers and pointed tools with adhesive.

Down to basics--here’s few things you’re going to need when it comes to assembling each.

They are:

Tweezers
Snips
Pointed Tools
Glue: Bottle or Tube
Cutting Mat
Paint
Paint Brush
Magnifier
Newspaper or Paper for easy cleanup

These are extremely well-crafted diecast models and with a little patience, care and prep you have three outstanding miniatures for your collection.

Tabletop train and miniature landscape enthusiasts are sure to love them to add more realism to their landscapes and cityscapes.

Memory Lane: The Great Television Series

There are certain TV shows that defined the medium over the years.  They are the classics and in The Great Television Series by Jeff Rovin and published by Barnes readers get to learn all about them.

Published in 1977 the book looks into TV shows viewed on TV up to that point.  Coincidentally most of the trend-setting and genre shows were pretty much established by then.

Lovers of classic TV shows from the 1950s to the 1970s are sure to spot a few favorites.  Plus, it’s a lot of fun looking at the old shows and reading about how they came about.

Most young readers may not recognize many of the shows but take my word for it-there were all ground-breakers and trendsetters.

Happy Days, Columbo, Perry Mason, Cannon, Superman and Star Trek are just a few of the series written about inside the book.

What I especially like about this book is the amount of research that was put into it.

TV is a very difficult subject to research, especially as it concerns its early days.

Oh sure, schedules and the names of the shows and their stars are easy to find.

But, to detail how the shows were produced, obtaining inside scoops and getting the dope on the actors and actress along with the directors is another thing altogether.

Early TV, much like the early movie industry at that time, kept a tight rein on the personal lives of its stars.  Any shenanigans, troubles on the sets or other more personal occurrences or choices were mostly kept secret.

It wouldn't do for a show to be steeped in controversy.  It wouldn't do to lose face with he public and jeopardize a show.

Today’s TV audience thrives on gossip and controversy.  Up until a couple a decades ago, that was not the case-mostly.

The book is filled with archival photos, interesting historical text, and in-depth examinations of what went on before and behind the camera lens and how each show reflexed the times in which they were made.

If you are a TV buff I highly recommend this book.  It’s insightful, entertaining and extremely well done.

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete First Season

What kid doesn’t love dinosaurs?  Saturday morning cartoons featured a bevy of dinosaurs from Dino in The Flintstones to Valley Of The Dinosaurs.

Couple dinosaurs with cavemen and you’re sure to have a big hit.  From comic books to novels to TV shows to movies cavemen dinosaurs are big hits with audiences of all ages.

Warner Bros. presents the prehistoric adventures of a caveman and his dinosaur with its Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: The Complete First Season Blu-ray/Digital Code Collection.

The Cartoon Network/Adult Swim adult TV series focuses on the unexpected friendship between Spear the caveman and Fang the dinosaur.

Having lost his family to dinosaurs Spear is despondent to the point of suicide.

When he spots a dinosaur he concludes it is responsible for the death of his family.  What he discovers is Fang.  When he is about to attack he notices her two children.

As he watches a group of rogue dinosaurs kills her children.  Together Spear and Fang kill the intruders.  Later they join forces and travel their prehistoric land together.

They encounter black magic, mastodons, ape men, a giant spider and bats, witches, rabies, an invisible killer and and old women who gets kidnapped in the last episodes of the 10 episode series.

It’s dinosaurs and cavemen done right in this exciting animated series that looks at life in prehistoric times complete with dangers around each bend.

The entire family can enjoy this series that does not sugarcoat what life must have been like so long ago.

Beautifully animated and well-written, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal The Complete First Season is a hit.  The series won three Emmy Awards in animation.

Earth 2 #1

Imagine a different Earth with a slightly different Justice League.  In an all-out final battle the Justice League fights Parademons-and loses!

Earth 2 has been invaded by Darkseid’s Parademons.

Death and destruction are everywhere and only a small fraction of Earth 2’s superheroes survive spearheaded by Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

In a last desperate attempt to stop the invasion Batman has devised a computer virus that will disrupt the Boom Tube’s and the beacons that control the Parademons.

There's only one catch, when Batman plants the virus the beacons will self-destruct, taking him with them.

Superman and Wonder Woman and a troop of soldiers cause a distraction as Batman enters one of the beacons.

His daughter (Robin) pilots him there.  Supergirl assists Superman and the troops.

When the beacon is destroyed Batman is killed and Robin and Supergirl are drawn into the resulting collapsing Boom Tube, leaving heir devastated world behind.

When they emerge they find themselves on Earth Prime.  They pool their resources to return to their own Earth and don the identifies of The Huntress and Powergirl.  

So begins a brand new epic adventure with Earth 2 #1 in The New 52 Universe.  Many of the changes instituted in The New 52 still resonate in the revamped DC Universe today despite several reboots.

Terminator 2 Judgment Day

Fans of The Terminator movies almost unanimously agree that Terminator 2 Judgment Day was the best movie of the franchise.

James Cameron both wrote and directed the film that pitted Terminator against Terminator with the fate of mankind weighing in the balance.

In 1996 Lewis Galoob Toys released its Terminator 2 Judgment Day Transforming Action Set.

The set included some cool figures and vehicles along with some really clever hidden extras.

The silver Terminator Skull opens up to reveal a foundry set as seen n the movie.

The silver skull with red eyes, white teeth and neck hydraulics stands about ten inches tall.

The rear of the skull folds out revealing an upper platform, a lower platform and two swing out side platforms.

The lower area consists of a pull out corrugated road section that a Cryoco semi-truck can sit on.  The majority of the full lower platform consists of a floor section, a red and yellow crash wall and a set of steps going up to the upper fold out section.

That section has a base floor, steps to a small area with railing, a ladder to an upper area with railing and a working yellow winch.

Two molten metal fold out platforms swing from both sides.

On one side the Terminator figure can stand just below the winch rope and can be lowered into the molten metal.

The upper platform’s rear wall is encased in the inside of the Terminator skull.  

It can hold the T-1000 figure, a battering ram and a large rotating gear for crushing the T-1000.  Overall it is a clever design recreating the Foundry Showdown Scene seen in the movie.

Details are crisp, color application is clean and precise and the sections and accessories smoothly slide into place or move.

Upcoming!! Diamond Previews, June 2021

 

'What's Up Doc?' Looney Tunes The Ultimate Visual Guide

Here are a few famous phrases you may recognize.  For the cartoon astute out there they are easily recognizable as phrases made famous by Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon characters: Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, The Road Runner, Tasmanian Devil, Tweety Bird, Sylvester Cat and Foghorn Leghorn.



Be vewy vewy quiet.

Ahh, what's up doc?

Bitty-bitty-bitty-bitty that's all folks.

You're despicable!

Meep meep!

ahh pfft dah pfft aah ooo !

I tawt I taw a putty tat.

Sufferin suckatash!

I say I say listen here, boy.

When it comes to animation Disney personifies the status quo: safe, appropriate content and family friendly.

For the more unconventional and slight off kilter take on cartoons Warner Bros. animated shorts dared to push the limits of what made acceptable cartoon shorts.

Disney played it safe with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other kid friendly characters.  Warner Bros. had Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and a gallery of characters that often talked in innuendo and were more than cute and cuddly.

In DK Books' Looney Tunes The Ultimate Visual Guide by author Jerry Beck, readers are given a history lesson about the wacky Warner Bros. cartoons.

Created not long after Walt Disney released Mickey Mouse the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cast of characters grew throughout the 1940s to the 1960s and managed to go through several rebirths in the following decades.

The Looney Tunes characters are as popular today as they were when first introduced and all indications are that Warner Bros. will soon be producing new modern versions of the beloved character even to the point of premiering a new Space Balls 2.

The book delves into the genesis and maturation of each character from both film and TV.

It’s wonderful visual collection of art accompanied by fascinating text about the whole conglomeration of characters.

Tom & Jerry The Movie

I remember as a young child getting up on Saturday morning and watching old Tom & Jerry cartoons.

I loved watching the exploits of Jerry the mouse as he constantly outwitted Tom the cat.  It was slapstick, pie-in-your face, and accident-laden humor at its best.  In today’s Woke environment Tom & Jerry would never make it to kids’ TV.

Fortunately Warner Bros. (who took over the Hanna-Barbera library of cartoons) has just been released the Tom & Jerry Movie on Blu-ray/Digital Code.

It wasn’t until I was older that I discovered that Tom & Jerry started out in the movies (or I should say ‘with’ the movies).

Up until the early 1970s cartoons always accompanied a feature length movie.

In Tom & Jerry The Movie a wedding planner hires Tom to rid the hotel of Jerry in order to ensure ‘The Wedding Of The Century” goes as planned.

Having recently put their differences behind them Tom & Jerry patch things up and decide to become friends.

When they move to the city and Jerry decides to set up house at the luxury hotel where the wedding is being held he’s surprised when he discovers Tom is hired to get rid of him.

What ensues in one of the most outrageous, funny and just plain silly escapades imaginable in this delightful computer animation/live action movie.

Surprise of all surprises as the movie progresses the two decide to work together to save their and the wedding planner's jobs and the wedding.

This is a fun, family-oriented film that kids will love and adults will appreciate for the nostalgia.

Extras include deleted scenes, a gag reel, several featurettes about the making of the film and more.

Boba Fett

With return of the galaxy’ s most dangerous bounty hunter Boba Fett in Disney's The Mandalorian a whole new interest in the character has blossomed.

What’s not to love?  A cool outfit, awesome weapons and an amazing spaceship.

In 1998 The Topps Trading Card Company, under its An Official Lucasfilm Magazine, imprint produced a special Boba Fett magazine.

It was released to coincide with the re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy to movie theaters that year.

The movies featured additional scenes and computer generated special effects that replaced many of the original effects seen in the original trilogy when they were first released.

A perfect example is in A New Hope where a very human Jabba The Hutt is replaced by a computer generated figure.

Included in the magazine are articles about why Boba is such a fan favorite, a bio of Boba, collectibles, comic books and games, a Jeremy Bulloch interview (he played Baba Fett) a special contest and a jumbo fold-out poster.

The magnate is filled with color and black and white photos and art of Boba Fetta, a price guide to Boba Fett collectibles, the return of Boba Fett and a trivia test.

It’s more Boba than you can shoot a blaster at!

The Official Anniversary Magazine Star Trek

Join the celebration as Starlog presents The Official Anniversary Magazine Star Trek Magazine chronicling the TV series and movies from 1966 to 1996.

Included in the magazine are full episode guides to THE Original Series and The Next Generation and partial episode guides to Deep Space Nine and Voyagers.

Also each movie up to First Contact are given full descriptions.  There are lots of photos, commentaries and little known facts revealed.

Actors, actress and production people form the various TV shows and movies over short comments and compliments and color photos show scenes both in front of and behind the cameras.

Look for some lengthy interviews and insights, lots of Trek lore and legends and there’s even a section of the Star Trek Animated series.

It’s one heck of a Trek.

Supernatural The Fifteenth And Final Season

Fifteen years!  That’s pretty impressive for a TV series to be on air and remain popular.  Supernatural stayed on the air for that long and never lost its audience appeal.

Pretty remarkable when you consider that the show was primarily about demons, devils, Hell, Heaven, death, resurrection, demon possession and other assorted stories about things that go bump in the night and that scare the living delights out of you.

Fans of Supernatural were sad to see the show go.  The actors and staff were a tight-knit family and all felt it was best to go out while they were still on top.  Wise choice.

I remember when Supernatural first came on air.  It started out as a simple tale of two brothers caught up it the dark world of the ‘other side’ and their desperate search for their missing father after witnessing the gruesome death of their mother.

From there the show progressed into the most exciting, captivating and full of surprises series on TV.

The Winchester brothers matured from young innocent men caught up in evil into two hardened mystical warriors who placed friendship, family and humanity above their own well-being.

In the last season the brothers had their final confrontation with God and an end to all things.

The last episode is a real tearjerker allowing the two characters to meet their well-deserved final days.  

It’s easy to see it was done primarily for the show’s fans to wind up the series and they pulled it off perfectly.

The Warner Bros. Supernatural The Fifteenth And Final Season Blu-ray/Digital Code Collection contains all 20 episodes and some extras including five featurettes, deleted scenes and a gag reel.

Rest easy boys, you deserve it.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek-serious science fiction.  Oh sure, humor is injected every once in while to mix things up in the TV series and movies.  But, by and large Star Trek tackles sensitive, social and relevant situations and scenarios.

Lighten up!  It’s been over 50 years since the first Star Trek animated series aired on TV.

CBS/Paramount's Star Trek: Lower Decks Season One introduces a whole new cast of animated characters to the small screen.

Instead of focusing on the bridge and command crews Lower Decks follows the lives of both human and alien crewmembers who work in the less glamorous departments in the Starship U.S. Cerritos.

Ok, there is some drama, adventure and danger, but there is also a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, hilarious slapstick and some genuinely touching moments.

It’s Star Trek like you’ve never see it before.  Starfleet may never be the same after the crewmembers of the Lower Decks get through with it.

The DVD collection of all 10 episodes also includes some outstanding extras:

An Exclusive trailer from the episode Cross Point
Faces Of The Fleet about the crew
Hiding In Plain Sight with some hidden Easter Eggs and canon
An animatic
Deleted and extended animatics

Lower Dectionary about:
Starfleet
Aliens
The animation process
The main titles
Art design
The Holodeck
Division 14
Deck Dynamics
Music Family

Travel to the Lower Decks and discover where the real work is done.

Classic Comic Book: Ms. Marvel #1

Female superheroes are all the rage.  It used to be female superhero comic books, toys and other female collectible merchandise sales were mostly lackluster when compared to male dominated merchandise.

That’s not true anymore.  As more and more women get into collecting and women are recognizing and promoting their strengths and worth and as our society transforms to be more inclusive female characters sell.

That was not always the case.  When Marvel Comics took the daring step to introduce two powerful female characters back in the 1970s there was barely a whimper.

She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel were both female characters who were opposite sex duplicates of already established male superheroes: The Hulk and Captain Marvel.

Issue #1 introduces readers to Carol Danvers.  However this is not her first appearance.  She does not know she is Ms. Marvel.  Suffering from a series of blackouts she has no idea that her alter ego is taking on criminals.

In her first outing as Ms. Marvel she comes face to face with one of Spider-Man’s deadliest foes: The Scorpion.

Gerry Conway provides the script while veteran artist John Buscema pencils the issue.

It’s an unusual set up for a superhero epic and makes for an intriguing read.

Near mint Raw copies go for around $50 and slabbed issues for close to $300.

Pirates Crossfire and IQ Circuit Gold

Pirates Crossfire

What kid doesn't like pirates?  They’re everything a kid wants to be.  They never do what they’re told.  They dress like they want. Eat what they want. Be as messy as they want.  Take whatever they want and they get to go on adventures.

Of course killing and mayhem are bummers, but every kid is a pirate at heart.

In Smart Games’ Pirates Crossfire kids get to command their own fleet of pirate and navy ships.  Let the battle begin!

Included in the beautifully designed game box with a flip lid, are instructions, game selections, a plastic game board, three Navy ships, three Pirate ships and two rocky islands (one with a palm tree).

The game board, ships and island are all made of heavy plastic in various colors.  There are black sails (with skulls and crossbones) for the Pirate ships and white sails for the Navy ships.  All seven of the ships have six silver cannons each.

Choose the complexity of the games from Starter to Wizard (five levels in all with 80 challenges in all plus solutions).

There are four modes: Pirates win, Navy wins, Peace-nobody wins) and Total War (nobody wins).

Choose a challenge and then arrange the ships so the mode chosen solution is complete.  There is only one way to win in each challenge.

It’s fun, a real challenge and it encourages concentration, flexible thinking, planning, problem solving and special insight.

What a fun game that is great for seven-year-olds and up.  It’s a challenge no matter your age and really stimulates your brain.

IQ Circuit Gold

Designed for one player (eight-years-old and older) IQ Circuit Gold is an ‘electrifying’ connect the dots game that challenges gamers’ concentration, problem solving, special insight and brain power capabilities.

A gamer selects a challenge of two, four or six dots.  The proper path must be followed with all the puzzle pieces placed on the game board.

The majority of the puzzle pieces are double sided. Retangular pieces also have a blank side-no path.

Remember each path starts and ends with a dot. Challenges include:

Two dots, you need to create 1 connecting path.
Four dots, you need 2 separate paths.
Six dots you need 3 paths.

Ah, ah, ahh!  No adding dots in the challenge!

Look for extra hits and don't forget-there is only one solution.

The game comes in a flip lid plastic box with with black game pieces that have gold circuits printed on them on both sides. an instruction book with solutions and a Smart Games catalog.

Get ready to blow a circuit in this electrifying game of connect the dots.  Power up, plug in and get ready for a charge!

Beverly Hills 90210 The Ultimate Collection

Never in the history of the world has a zip code meant so much.  Just ask the residents of Beverly Hills 90210.

They are hippest, fashion conscious, social relevant and gorgeous people who ever graced the face of God’s green earth.

CBS/Paramount presents the Beverly Hills 90210 The Ultimate Collection containing all ten seasons plus BH 90210 on 74 DVD discs.

Join all the BFFs as they live their pampered lives in one of the swankiest neighborhoods in the world: Beverly Hills.

It’s glamour, glitz, gossip and celebrity sightings as Brandon, Brenda, Kelly, Donna, Steve, David, Andrea and Dylan maneuver themselves around the in and out crowds at West Beverly High.  

Sex, drugs, Rock and Roll and more soap opera that you can shake a stick at permeates the classic series.

Look for some cool Special Features such as interviews, behind-the-scenes inside dope, season recaps, promos, a special Entertainment tonight segment and a gag reel.

All the DVDs come in three flip-open holders containing season 1-3, 4-7 and 8-10 plus BH 90210 packaged in a sturdy slip case with cast photos on all sides.

CSI: NY The Complete Series

There was a time when CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) was the most popular TV series airing.

The series was so popular that it spawned a number of spin-offs--CSI: NY being in one of them.

One of my favorite actors: Gary Sinse (Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump) was the big name in the series.

Sinse played Detective Mac Taylor, the head of the New York City branch of CSI.

CBS/Paramount has just released the CSI: NY The Complete Series DVD Collection.

Follow Sinse and his team through nine seasons in the critically acclaimed series on 55-discs.

Besides the entire series on DVD nine hours of special features are also included.  Look for several featurettes, deleted scenes, gag reels and audio commentaries.

Get ready for some criminal activity twists and turns, unexpected events and clever solutions to mind-boggling crimes.

Three large disc holders (Episodes 1-3), (Episodes 4-6) and (Seasons 7-9) hold the discs and all are housed in a heavy paper stock slipcase decorated with cast photos.

Get ready for fascinating stories, intense investigations and stellar acting.

It would be criminal not to watch.

The Original 'Bad Boy': James Dean Red Jacket Version

"Rebel Without A Cause”, “Giant” and “East OF Eden”--three movies launched the career of actor James Dean to superstardom.

Dean was the symbol for the disenfranchised youth of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

His smoldering, inner turmoil and troubled youth portrayals won the heart of millions of moviegoers.

Tragically he died at a young age in a car accident.

James Dean was the original ‘bad boy’ of movies.  His portrayal of a trouble young man set the standard by which other actors of his time capitalized on such as Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and a slew of others.

Sideshow Collectibles/Hot Toys recreated James Dean in a remarkable 12-inch, fully articulated figure that not only captures the look of the actor but his attire as well-specifically his iconic red jacket.

The James Dean figure comes packaged in a heavy duty M ICON 007 box with a double hinged lid.

Inside is a full color photo of the James Dean figure on an inserted folded sheet of paper.  The sheet covers the figure chamber that is protected by a foam plastic sheet.

Under the sheet the figure is cradled in a form-fitting foam cocoon along with his stand, cigarette and three extra hands: two right and one left.

The figure and accessories remove easily from the cocoon.

The likeness to James Dean is incredible.  The Hot Toys sculptors captured has features perfectly: his smoldering eyes, hairstyle, boyish features, slight beard stubble and even the reflective light in his eyes.

The figure wears a white t-shirt, a red cloth jacket with slit side pockets, large collar, a zipper down the front, button down sleeves and a gray inner lining.

He wears denim blue jeans with no belt.  The jeans have a single silver button, zipper, two front pockets and two rear pockets with rivets.

The cuffs of the jeans cover high black motorcycle boots with thick soles and heels and belts and buckles.

The figure’s hands pop in and out and one of the extra right hands is positioned to hold the enclosed cigarette.

Articulation is smooth and is not bound by the clothing.

Currently the figure sells for over $1,000.

Adventure For The Whole family: Infinity Train Book Two

Imagine a train.  But, not just any train.

This train can take you to alternate realities-strange new worlds populated by weird creatures, amazing landscapes and where adventure and danger lurk around every corner.

Jesse Cosay finds himself on The Infinity Train.  But once on it he can’t find his way home.  Only by piecing together a strange map has he any hope of returning to his own world.

Along the way he meets Mirror Tulip an escaped reflection who only wants to live a normal life and not a reflection of someone else.

On the run Mirror is being chased by the Mirror Police.

Together the new friends travel from world to world and as they do so they form a strong friendship, discover more about themselves and more.

The 10-episodes from the second season are all included in the new Infinity Train Book Two DVD Collection from the Cartoon Network (CN) and Warner Bros.

Also included in the collection are commentaries, animatics and an image gallery.

Recapture your childhood as you join Jesse and Mirror in their thrilling adventures on strange new worlds.

Discover what friendship, loyalty and what it means to have a family and a home.

Feminism Personified: Wonder Woman

Gloria Steinem provides the foreword (and a brief history of Wonder Woman) for Abbeville Press’s Wonder Woman: a small softbound book (A Tiny Folio) containing over five decades of great covers.

The small book with the Brian Bolland cover contains all of Wonder Woman’s comic book covers all the way up to 1994.

Reproduced in full color the miniature covers also include the year each cover was produced, the number of the book and the name of the cover artists (penciller, inker, colorist).

It a miniature art gallery all rolled up into a pocket size book that spotlights the Amazon Princess’s long illustrious comic book history.

This One Started It All: Starlog #1

Way back in the mid-1970s and I was a student at the University of Miami in Florida.  Besides taking classes I worked at the campus bookstore.

One of my responsibilities was to order and display magazines each week.

One day while pursuing the list of magazines to order I spotted a new title: Starlog.

Curious I checked out the description provided by the magazine distributor and discovered that the first issue would spotlight Star Trek The Original Series.

At that time Star Trek was gaining new popularity as the repeats from the 1960s were catching on fast with college kids and fans of the show.

A Star Trek Convention had been held and it was a resounding success.

Plans began to formulate about a possible new Star Trek TV show starring the original cast.

A few scant years later the TV show morphed into the first Star Trek movie as a result of the success of the first Star Wars movie.

It’s important to note that Starlog #1 was published in 1976 by Starlog Publications.  There was no Internet, social media, cable TV was in its infancy, no cell phones and 99% of the communication devices we take for granted today did not exist.  

Video games had just been introduced with Pong and other simple games and fan networks were established with newsletter, letters and over the phone.

In Starlog #1 a whooping 12-pages of color photos were included.

Articles covered were King Kong, Space: 1999, The Bionic Woman, the latest sci-fi news, David Bowie’s new movie and most importantly of all--Star Trek.

Articles on William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy highlighted the Star Trek info and for the first time ever a complete 79-episode guide to the original series was included.  Amazing.

It’s remarkable how much has changed over the years and it's fascinating to see fandom in its infancy.

Marvel Comics' The Silver Surfer Annual #4

Marvel Comics' The Silver Surfer and The Guardians Of the Galaxy-’nuff said!

The Silver Surfer resides on a peaceful planet ruled by the benevolent and powerful Marshach.

Marshach’s power mysterious came upon him years ago.  He used it to transform his planet and provide for his people.  There is no more hunger, war or want.  But like all things it must come to an end.

Meanwhile The Guardians Of The Galaxy have been tracking the source of Korvac’s power.  It leads them to Marshach’s planet.

The power seems to be emanating from Marshach-it is a fragment of Galactus’s power.  The Guardians plan to retrieve it because of its danger.  The Silver surfer intervenes and a battle ensues.

After much destruction and death Marshach stops the may lay and uses the power to return everything back to normal.

Marshach realizes the dangerous potential of his power and gives it back to the Guardians but at a terrible cost.

Two additional short tales are included.

In First Love, Eros finds the woman of his dreams only to discover she is not what she appears to be.  

Midnight, the former foe of Shang-Chi died and was resurrected as a powerful cosmic force to battle the Silver Surfer.

When once more resurrected he turns on his captors and instead seeks to find out who he truly is.

Included with The Silver Surfer Annual #4 is an additional Surfer Surfer art gallery is also included.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Ancient Guardians

“Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?” 

Snakes rule in the latest Konami's Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game: Ancient Guardians.

Get ready to slither, slide, twist, turn, coil and spring into action as you tip the ‘scales’ in your favor.

Some powerful new monsters get released in Ancient Guardians.

Look for three new strategies with older hard-to-find Card enhancements using more monsters.

Maximize your Pendulum Summon with Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer and Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer.

New monsters include: Ursarctic, Septentrion and more!

The Ancient Guardians Booster Set contains 60 Cards:

10 Ultra Rare Cards
15 Super Rare Cards
35 Rare Cards
15 Cards in the set are also available as Collector‘s Rares

Seven Cards come per foil Booster Pack and 24 Packs come in a Box.

Suspense: The Alienist The Angel Of Darkness

The Alienist cast of characters return when Sara Howard opens her own detective agency.  She enlists the aid of the other members of The Alienist entourage to help her hunt down a bloody killer.

Set at the turn of the last century The Alienist and his companions maneuver their way through corruption, income inequality, a corrupted press and the plight of women to solve the case of a horrific killer.

Beautifully filmed in realistic period settings and replete with period costumes all the episodes from The Alienist The Angel Of Darkness special reunion are included.

Fans of 19th Century murder mysteries are sure to love this series with its moody sets and locations, historical accuracy and stellar cast.

The Warner Bros./Paramount/TNT DVD collection also includes several special featurettes about the making of series, the cast, the story and more.

The Voyages Of Star Trek and The Greatest Cult TV Shows Of All Time

Unless you’ve been living on an asteroid somewhere you know about Star Trek.  Numerous TV shows, movies and merchandise have resulted from the popularity of The Original Series.

The various incantations of Star Trek has garnered millions of fans all over the world and generated billions of dollars.

With the recent introduction of streaming Star Srek TV series the popularity of Star Trek promises to be around for a very, very long time.

In authors K. M Heath and A.S. Carlisle’s new Rowman & Littlefield hardbound book: The Voyages Of Star Trek A Mirror On American Society Through Time, readers are given the opportunity to examine a different aspect of Star Trek as a phenomenon.

Ever since the original series aired Star Trek has tackled various social issues, often disguised as science fiction.

Poverty, prejudice, war, famine, the environment, human rights-every issue that has faced the United States has been covered.

The appeal of Star Trek has gone past the U.S. borders.  Countries and societies all over the world recognize its examination of social problems.

Fortunately while Star Trek recognizes the problems, most of time it addresses them.  Quite often the solutions offered are controversial.

Still, subjects are brought up and discussions are begun.  It’s a start.

The book is far from a simple regurgitation of social phenomenon.  It also delves into the various series and movies often-mentioning specific issues, pivotal moments and important episodes, figures and characters.

It’s Star Trek as the series creator Gene Roddenberry intended it to be-an honest, often disturbing look at the ills of society and as a result the combined effort of mankind to solve them.

There are your standard trite, pabulum, and spoon-fed TV shows and then there are the classics.

But, even more impressive are the cult TV shows (that are sometimes classics).

They are the series that garner special attention.  Over the years their fan bases remand.  They cross cultural, social and community borders.

They often address subjects that push the border of acceptable TV fare.

Sometimes they are long-running, often times they are cut short and may only run a season or two.

But, somehow, someway they manage to stay attached to the public consciousness.

In The Greatest Cult TV Shows Of All Time hardbound book by Christopher J. Olson and CarrieLynn D. Reinhard, readers are given a literary tour over the decades of some of the most influential and ground-breaking TV shows ever created.

Look for some archive photos, exhaustive information on the shows’ premises, cast and crew lists and a few tidbits on certain individuals.

As a TV buff I enjoyed reading about the history of each series, the commentaries and especially the little hidden secrets about each.

This is a sit down, put your feet up kind of book.  It’s fun and funny, entertaining, informative and a great resource on a part of TV history.

James Bond Goldfinger Pussy Galore

Her name alone is enough to cause the most reserved and stoic of moviegoers to snicker.

When Honor Blackman left The Avengers British TV series to guest star in the James Bond film Goldfinger as Pussy Galore it caused quite a controversy, as you can imagine.

We’re talking about the mid-1960s and the invoke such a name was an invitation to controversy.

Sideshow Collectibles recreated Pussy Galore as a beautiful 12-inch fully articulated figure.

The Pussy Galore figure comes packaged, along with some accessories in Sideshow’s standard flip-lid heavy paper stock ox.

The cover of the box has a black and white photo of Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore.  Gold ink spells out the title Goldfinger, the Sideshow Collectibles logo and trims a small Goldfinger movie poster in the lower right of the cover.

Full color photos of Pussy decorate the sides and back of the box along with photos from the film.

On the back of the box text provides background information about Honor Blackman, her movie roles, her role as Pussy and a brief descriptions of the other major characters in the film.

The inside of the flap text breaks down the movie and the cast.

The Pussy Galore figure and accessories are held in place by a form-fitting plastic cocoon and ties and is protected by a clear plastic viewing panel.

A separate piece of tissue papers protects the viewing panel and inside flap.

Pussy comes dressed in a solid black velour jacket and slacks with a gold open neck, longsleeve shirt underneath.  

She wears black shiny boots and comes with a special Goldfinger base and wire support for posing.

Articulations is mostly hidden by her clothing.

Both hands are pre-positioned to hold the 45-caliber handgun and revolver.  Both look very realistic with lots of intricate details around the grips and bullet chambers.

The figure’s head sculpt is extremely well done with Honor Blackman’s features captured to perfection.

Subtle varied skin tones, a beauty mark, lush red lips, a strong, strait small nose, beautiful blue eyes with reflective points and realistic looking hair sculpted to appear as falling over the right side of her head all make the figure’s face a dead ringer for Pussy Galore.

The clothing fits snuggly on the figure and folds and moves naturally when the figure is posed.

Articulation is smooth, keeps in place when posed and allows the figure to position like a real human figure.

It’s a remarkable figure that recreates one the most famous female characters in movies.

Classic Marvel 1989 Year In Review

In the late 1980s and early 1990s the comic book industry was experiencing a huge surge in readership and popularity-none more so than Marvel Comics.

Having survived the turbulent 1970s Marvel Comics was in the throngs of a renaissance.  Its comic books were highly popular mainly in part because of their roster of artists and writers.

This was just before the artists who formed Image organized and left.  Fans were hungry for Marvel products including information about the company and its products.

The Internet and social media had yet to hit it big and print media was still king.  Marvel editors and staff realized this and began producing a plethora of printed material other than comic books.  The fans ate it up.

In 1989 Marvel Comics produced Marvel 1989 The Year In Review.

In the magazine (sporting a Todd McFarlane Spider-Man illustration) readers could read about current and upcoming marvel comics and products.

Some of the highlights were articles about Marvel before Congress, Atlantis Attacks, Armor Wars, She-Hulk, the Grapevine, the new all-white Vision (recognize him from WandaVision?) an interview with The Wizard and much more.

The magazine was well done, featured a lot of fun articles and served to promote Marvel.

Awesome! Spawn Issue #7 12-inch Figure

Todd McFarlane decided to produce his own toy company after the success of his comic book creation Spawn.

Originally called Todd Toys the company soon changed its name to McFarlane Toys and began cranking out high quality action figures.

As the toy line progressed and grew more complicated and detailed McFarlane Toys began producing high quality 12-inch figures-the 12-inch Issue #7 Cover Spawn being one of them,

Personally I never cared that much for the Spawn comic books.  The Spawn toys are another matter.  They are some of most imaginative, well-crafted and made action figures ever produced.

The 12-inch Issue #7 Cover Art Spawn figure is one of the first larger figures McFarlane toys produced.

It is partially articulated and comes with some pretty incredible accessories such as real chains around Spawn’s neck and waist.

More about accessorizes later.

Before I get started on the figure itself I’d like to talk about Spawn’s cape.  Incredible!

The long flowing blood red cap flairs into a large almost organic collar that looks as if it is moving in the wind and on its own accord.

The cape then drapes over Spawn’s shoulders, down his back and folds around his lower legs almost obscuring them from view.  What an incredible sculpt job!

Spawn’s costume has always reminded me as a combination of Spider-Man’s and Doctor Strange’s superhero costume.

Spawns head is complete covered with accented in white eye areas.  

His ‘uniform’ is a one piece black, red and white body suit.

White strips run down the front of the figure and along the outer arms.

He wears red lower arm gloves with large silver spikes on their knuckles.

His lower torso and legs are covered in black culminating in red knee boots with silver spikes.

Around his neck is a chain held in place by modified skull clasps.

A similar skull design is on his belt.

He wears a large belt with various pouches and accoutrements and from the lower belt hangs a chain that ends at his knees.

Included with the figure are two solid black and silver machine guns with large ammo clips.

The larger gun has an upper handle grip and site.

Around Spawn’s chest is an ammo belt filled with large bullets and a shoulder strap.   Around his upper left arm are several hand grenades and on his upper right arm is a spiked belt and his lower arm holds a knife with sheath.

It’s a stunning figure with nice paint application with no rough or slopover edges an excellent sculpt and limited but dynamic articulation.