85 Years Of, The Batman!
Eighty five years ago, today, the smoking gun barrel of Joseph Chill unleashed unto the wretched streets of Gotham City, a nocturnal nightmare of which they had never seen before. The mindless murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, before the innocent eyes of their young son, Bruce, unshackled a force of vengeance and righteous justice that has been preying on Gotham’s criminal underbelly with furious anger, ever since… The Batman!
Created by the peerless pairing of Bill Finger, and Bob Kane, this creepy and curmudgeonly creature of the night’s first ever appearance was in DC Comic’s revered – Detective Comics #27, which released on 30th March 1939 (though the issue was dated May, comics are often dated a month or two ahead) Since that time, the dark and surly one has gone on to become, quite possibly, the most popular and renowned Superhero ever conceived, with his fame spreading across every single known entertainment medium, from comic-books through video-games, television shows, movies, toys, clothes, novelisations, and so, so much more, firmly cementing his Bat-place in heroic history!
But what is it that compels readers to immerse themselves in a vengeance driven man-hunter, a being that has devoted his life to bringing his own brand of Bat-justice to a corrupt and dystopian city seething with criminal detritus? I absolutely believe that it’s his inherent vulnerability and pathos, you see, unlike the vast swathe of caped crusaders, Bruce is, ultimately, just a man in a costume… he can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, or deflect bullets with bracelets, he’s not capable of reaching the speed-force, or even talking to fish! but what he does possess is the inherent belief in his own righteousness and decency, it’s his integrity and moral fortitude that has enabled him to rise above the sea of costumed crimefighters and be the best he can be, no matter the adversity or lack of powers thereof… the mark of a true hero (of course, billions of dollars, an unsurpassed mastery of myriad martial arts, genius level intellect and a compendium of glorious gadgets also, sort of, helps!)
So, Happy eighty fifth anniversary to the greatest comic-book character ever created! So, my bodacious Bat brethren, why not sound off in the comments below about your very first encounter with the dreaded Dark Knight, and what you will be doing to celebrate eight five years in the company of Gotham’s grim and gritty guardian.
Precinct1313’s Comic Book Classics: Coffin Hill
Well, hey there, fellow fans of fantastic fiction! And, we’re back! That’s right the majestic mansion of mystery, has once again returned from the void. So why not join us on a preternatural peregrination to the past with yet another – Comic-Book classic!
After a night of sex, drugs and occult ritualism in the woods, Eve Coffin wakes up naked, covered in blood and devoid of all memory of how she got there. One of her friends is missing, another finds herself in a mental asylum, and a third believes that Eve herself is responsible. Years later, Eve returns to Coffin Hill to discover that the darkness she unleashed in those dark woods a decade ago is still loose, and is surreptitiously seeping through the town of this sleepy Massachusetts hollow.
Coffin Hill is a bleak, haunting tale of witchcraft, madness, power and retribution, set against the creepy backdrop of New England. It stars Eve Coffin, an unruly and defiant teenager from a rich and powerful family, that have endured a curse that dates way back to the Salem witch trials of 1692.
Written by best selling horror/fantasy author Caitlin Kittredge, author of the popular Nocturne City and Black London series of novels. Though primarily a novel writer, Caitlin has always had a great love for the comic book medium, especially Vertigo’s Sandman series. After meeting a fellow writer who had been solicited by Vertigo, she managed to get her Coffin Hill series picked up for publishing by DC’s supernatural horror imprint.
Coffin Hill had proven a big hit for Vertigo and ran for twenty chillingly compelling issues. I recently discovered this horror gem by picking up the first trade collection and instantly fell in love with the characters, atmosphere and haunting writing style of Caitlin. The art is also outstanding, pencilled by the terrifically talented – Inaki Miranda, who formerly worked on Vertigo’s Fairest and Fables series, and a short stint on DC Comic’s Birds Of Prey series.
Coffin Hill’s trade collections are available right now and are highly recommended to anyone with a love of dark fantasy, horror and the supernatural. Expertly crafted characters, a brooding atmosphere and compelling storyline make for a tragic tale that is an infinitely addictive page turner.
Precinct1313’s Holiday Swag Bag…
Felicitations, fellow fans of fantastic festive fiction, and welcome to another thrilling treasure trove of terrific toys! That’s right, my beleaguered Bat-wallet has taken a particularly brutal beating at the behest of various geeky retail outlets! But, we’ve come away with, quite possibly, our greatest haul of nerdy necessities yet. So let’s dive on in…
Batman: The Complete Television Series…
“Holy bumper box of bodacious Batman blu-rays!” That’s right, old chum, the swinging sixties sensation has taken up residence in the Precinct with this classic collection of all 120 episodes! So it looks like I’ll be spending the entire holiday period ‘Kapowing’ my way through this camp classic, 2717 minutes of crazy capers, 3 hours of extras at a ridiculously reasonable £30… Bat-tastic!!
Dr Fate Action Figure..
Lord of order – Dr Fate, has magically materialised onto the Precinct’s overburdened shelves with this fantastic figure based upon his likeness from the recent Black Adam film. Dr Kent Nelson (played by Pierce Brosnan in the movie) is a powerful sorcerer and agent for the Lords of Order, originally created in 1940 by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman.
I’ve wanted a Fate action figure for awhile now, so was pleasantly surprised to walk into my local HMV during one of their sale periods, to find this striking sculpt, and at a ridiculously cheap £10! With over 30 points of articulation, a stand, so the good ol’ Doc can levitate, and a collectors trading card, this was a complete and utter bargain!
NECA – Ultimate Robocop Figure…
“Drop it, dead or alive this toy is coming with me!” isn’t what I said to my local comic shop proprietor… but thinking back on it, it would’ve been cool if I had, oh well! I was absolutely giddy to find this stunning set in my nearest (and dearest) comic-book shop. NECA make some of the very best figures and statues in the business, and this ultimate robo is another awesome addition to their classics line.
I love Robocop, the original 87 movie is my favourite film of all time, so whenever I find absolutely anything to do with the classic cyborg, I am utterly compelled to pick it up. Standing at 7 inches, and meticulously detailed, this absolutely lives up to its Ultimate appellation. It features a spring loaded holster for Murphy’s Auto-9 pistol, a Cobra Assault Cannon, data spike alternate right hand, and an interchangeable head. “I’d buy that for a dollar” It wasn’t actually a dollar, it was 50 quid, but worth every single penny!
NECA – Elvira – Red, Fright & Boo Figure…
Another notable NECA addition to my collection is this rousing rendition of the devilish and dynamic diva of the double-entendre, the mistress of the dark herself – Elvira!
Thanks once more goes to my local HMV for providing this fabulous figure of Cassandra Peterson’s alter ego, the horror hostess with the mostest… busting out from the collector’s box, this 8 inch figure is fully articulated, with tailor fabricated clothes, and a whole host of horrortastic extras, including an alternate winking head, haunted chalice, skull and snake candle display and figure stand.
Happy Holidays!
Precinct1313’s Comic-Book Classics: Supergirl: Being Super
Let’s be honest, origin tales have been spectacularly overused in both the comic-book scene and their spin-off movie counterparts. How many times do we honestly need to witness a baby Superman being catastrophically hurled via an escape pod from the fulminating planet of Krypton, or Batman losing his parents to the smoking gun barrel of villainous Joe Chill… these characters are now so iconic that virtually everyone, comic book fan or not, is overtly familiar with their raison d’etre.
With all that said, you may be feeling slightly bemused that I’m recommending a series that dynamically delves into the past of Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, but there is a very good reason behind that… this series is fantastic. As a matter of fact it’s not only one of the greatest Supergirl comics to have ever been released, but one of the greatest comic-book series ever published… period!
Kara has in recent years found herself back in mainstream public consciousness thanks mainly to the extremely successful CW television show, and also the really rather rousing Steve Orlando – Supergirl Rebirth comic book run, plus the hotly anticipated James Gunn announced feature film – Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow, based upon the superb series by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, it seems Superman’s Kryptonian cousin is finally receiving the attention she deserves.
Which brings us to one of Kara’s more recent triumphs, the superlative – Supergirl: Being Super – the Mariko Tamaki penned opus that transcends previous Kara Danvers origins by offering us a fresh take that focuses more upon her relationships, trials and tribulations of everyday life as a teenager growing up in a small american town. It’s definitely a slower burn as a comic book, less super heroics but more angst, sass and quirky dialogue as we follow Kara in an exceptionally engaging and fantastically well written coming of age story
If you approach this series with atypical expectations of vile villains, super speed, and heat vision, you’re going to go away disappointed, this is a tale that spotlights the character behind the iconic “S” symbol and it’s all the better for it. An emotionally engaging script by Mariko Tamaki is ably backed up by the always stunning visuals of Joelle Jones, Supergirl: Being Super is a revelation in superhero storytelling, and one of the most definitive takes of the classic character to date, highly recommended.
Comic Cover Of The Week: Battle Of The Batmen
That’s correct, old chum, these burly, brawly bodacious Batmen are battling it out once more, to see which of these utterly captivating comic cover classics end up on top of this breathtaking bat-pile! Delightful and dazzling DC Comics have bestowed upon us, humble comic book fans, another perfect plethora of phenomenal pictorials starring everyone’s favourite curmudgeonly creature of the night – The Batman, but which of these cool and creatively compelling covers will win out in the end… only YOU can decide.
Another month, another bustling, brimming battalion of brush-stroked Batmen! DC Comics know what their frenzied fans want, and that is, apparently, a cavernous cadre of crazy chiroptera clad comic covers, there’s more images of the dark and surly one here than you could shake a batarang at, but which of this cavalcade of caped crusaders is your fave? Why not sound off in the comments below, fellow fans of fantastic fiction!
Detective Comics #1077 – Cover By – Evan Cagle
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #5 – Cover By – Chris Samnee
Poison Ivy #16 – Cover By – Eliza Ivanova
Batman #139 – Variant Cover By – Mike Deodato
Batman #139 – Cover By – Jorge Jimenez
This Brethren Of Bodacious Bat-Books Are Available At Your Local Comic-Book Emporium, Right Now!
Batman And All Related Imagery Are Copyright: DC Comics.
Women In Comics Presents: Nell Brinkley
Nell Brinkley (1886 – 1944) was an American comic-book artist and illustrator, who rose to renown as one of the progenitors of female presence within the comic-book medium in the early 20th century.
Born in Colorado in 1886, Nell was approached, whilst still a student in high school, by the Denver Post who were looking for a talented artist to draw romance cartoons for their daily print run, for this she was paid the princely sum of $7 per week. In 1907, her terrific talent was noticed by media mogul – William Hearst, and the editor of the New York American – Arthur Brisbane, who convinced the young artist to move to New York and illustrate their daily one panel comic series.
Throughout her long and storied career, Nell also pursued a journalistic vocation, where during the day she would interview notable dignitaries and then, in a time before the general usage of photography in the print medium, she would spend her evenings creating illustrations to accompany her bodied text. Brinkley’s art made her a luminary in the field of female illustrators, becoming a household name, Nell used her fame and prodigious talent to support the causes of female suffrage and the burgeoning growth of women’s rights and liberation in the united states.
Nell was probably most famous for her “Brinkley Girl” character, a voguish and feisty paradigm, a sassy, no nonsense persona who furthered Nell’s own pursuit of strong and independent female archetypes. Often referred to as “The Queen Of Comics” throughout her forty year career, Nell’s influence on the medium is still seen as inspiring to modern day female comic creators.
Comic Cover Of The Week – Halloween Special
Well, hey there, fellow fans of fantastic freaky fiction! and welcome to our hellacious Halloween special! That’s right we’re setting off for some seriously spooky Samhain shenanigans with a cadre of creepy comic cover collectables courtesy of devilish – DC Comics!!
But… What’s this? DC’s ominously occult offerings this all hallows eve are most definitely more cute than creepy, as they serve up a delightful delectation of chibified character creations! (Chibi, which is also known as super deformation originates from Japanese anime and manga, where characters are drawn in an exaggerated style, usually small with large heads and stubby limbs… super-cute!!)
So, why not pull up a tombstone, and lets get this eerie excursion on the go…
All eight of these terrific trick or treat covers are rendered by the creatively commendable – Chrissie Zullo Uminga, who previously worked for DC on their Vertigo imprint, supplying art for such tantalising titles such as – The Wolf Among Us and, Cinderella: Fables Are Forever.
Happy Halloween!
Precinct1313’s Monthly Swag-Bag…
Well, hey there, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, we’re back! Yep, that’s right, your favourite DC Comics doling destination has once again resumed its mammoth mission, to bring you all the news and reviews pertaining to THE greatest comic-book publisher of all time!
And where have we been, you might ask, well… as you know, if you’ve been an agent of the preternatural palazzo – Precinct1313 for a while, we produce all our posts from this ancient abode, the majestic (and sometimes malefic) mansion of mystery, over a month ago we found ourselves trapped within a mysterious realm that the Precinct had decided to dimension hop us into, a perplexing plane of existence that had zero internet! Upon contacting our service provider, we were told that their inter-dimensional internet engineer was on holiday, for a month!! But rejoice, for we have returned, phoenix like to bring you another thrilling treasure trove of toys!
Warner Bros – 100th Anniversary – Wile E. Coyote Dressed As Batman Figure
Meep meep… it’s our favourite Warner Bros cartoon character of all time, the wild & wacky – Wile E. Coyote dressed up as that creepy, curmudgeonly creature of the night – Batman! I mean, how could I resist picking up this fantastic model at my local Smyth’s toys, a marvellous melding of two of my absolute favourite figures. Wile stands at seven inches in height, has around sixteen points of articulation and comes with a card certificate of authentication (which also has its own cute stand!) But, even dressed up as comic’s most renowned Masked Manhunter, he’ll still probably fail at catching that pesky Roadrunner!
Michael Keaton ’89 Lego Batmobile
You wanna get nuts? let’s get nuts, with this bodacious Batmobile based on the greatest Bat-vehicle of all time, Keaton’s 1989 classic car! This, in my humble opinion, is the best onscreen batmobile ever (closely followed by the Adam West variant and the more recent Robert Pattinson muscle-car adaptation) The 438 piece set measures 5cm high and 28cm in length and features a removable cockpit, revolving flaming exhaust and adjustable blasters, plus two extremely cool mini-figs – Keaton’s Batman, and a Joker-tastic Jack Nicholson! (I haven’t actually got around to building this one just yet, so my Bat-apologies!)
Blue Beetle Action Figure
Following on from the recent (and brilliant) Blue Beetle movie, once again, my local Smyth’s toys provided this 30cm action figure. At a bargain £10 pounds! the hero mode figure features 11 points of articulation and is surprisingly well sculpted for such a relatively cheap price. Scarab-tastic!
Lynda Carter Wonder Woman PVC Statue
“Wonder Woman, now the world is ready for you, and the magic that you do… ” That’s right, we’ve added yet another stunning statue of the wondrous one to our absolutely massive Wondy collection, this time it’s the lovely Lynda Carter variant. The Gallery Diorama series statue manages to golden lasso our heart with this 9 inch figure based on Lynda’s appearance in the sensational seventies show. The Diamond select diorama shows her crossing her magical bracelets of submission as her paradigmatic logo rises up from below. Exquisitely sculpted by Rocco Tartamella, who manages to perfectly capture Lynda’s appearance and physique, this has become one of my most treasured pieces based upon the awesome amazon.
Why not join us again next month, for even more spectacular swag!
Arleen Sorkin – Inspiration And Original Voice Artist For Harley Quinn Passes Away At 67
The inspiration and original voice over actress for Harley Quinn – Arleen Sorkin – passed away on Thursday (24th August) at the age of 67.
Arleen originally portrayed the crazy clowness of crime in the highly acclaimed – Batman: The Animated series – alongside – Mark Hamill as The Joker, and the late, great – Kevin Conroy as Batman. She continued to depict Harley across the DC animated universe and in other media including video-games – Batman: Arkham Asylum and DC Universe Online.
Batman: The Animated Series writer and Harley co-creator – Paul Dini was a close friend of Arleen since their college days and created the inimitable Harley Quinn after seeing Arleen dressed in a jester outfit in an episode of – Days Of Our Lives. He also incorporated a number of Arleen’s mannerisms and (in Paul Dini’s own words) her “very snappy, wisecracking, bubbly blonde personality”
Harley Quinn made her inaugural appearance in the Batman animated episode – Joker’s Favour – originally brought in as a one-shot character, the fan reaction to Harley and Arleen’s fantastic voice over work was so overwhelmingly positive, that Harley was written into the show on a regular basis and later inducted into the DC Universe as a whole.
Our thought go out to Arleen’s family and friends at this very sad time.
Precinct1313’s Monthly Swag-Bag…
Har Har! Avast me hearties!! X marks the spot on another tremendous treasure trove of thrilling toys! That’s right, my poor ol’ wallet has taken yet another beating for the cause, and this month has procured us an admirable assortment of – cool cyborgs, wondrous warriors and voluptuous vixen vamps!!
Robocop And OCP Cruiser –
To say I was surprised to walk into my local Smyths’ toyshop and find merchandise for a 36 year old cult classic movie would be a vast understatement, I was literally gobsmacked! and really bloody happy, as Robocop (the 1987 original, not the horrendous remake!) is my absolute fave movie, ever! Dead or Alive this toy was coming with me!!
Actually, it wasn’t a dollar, but an extremely reasonable 25 British pounds! The Jada Toys 35th anniversary Robo and cruiser are die-cast metal and fantastically detailed (especially ol’ Murphy himself) The OCP cruiser doors, bonnet and trunk are all interactive, and the car is fairly heavy and robust. Even better, it’s from the same range as my previously bought – Robert Pattinson Batmobile and Batman set, so the size and scale are the same meaning I can pit Batsy against Robo in a dynamic duel!
Wonder Woman – Endless Winter – Action Figure…
Suffering Sappho! at last count, I believe I currently possess around thirty Wondy action figures and statues… but then, you can never have too much of a good thing, so when I saw the wondrous one on sale in my local HMV at 50% off, how could I say no (hint: I didn’t!) Endless Winter was a 2020 crossover comic from DC that charted the rise of the Frost King and his effort to cause a global eternal winter, and the Justice League’s attempts to stop him.
I have to say I love the design of Wondy’s arctic warrior look, the figure itself is fantastically chunky, with 22 points of articulation, and comes replete with Diana’s sword and Golden Lasso of Truth! Best of all… it was an absolute bargain at just £12.50!
Elvira – Neca Figure…
Cassandra Peterson’s awesome alter-ego… voluptuous vixen vamp – Elvira, now resides on our spooky shelves, thanks to Neca collectables and (once again) my local HMV. This cleavage-tastic toy celebrates 40 years of the quirky queen of delicious double-entendre! The horror hostess heroine also makes the perfect accompaniment to my recently purchased special edition Blu-Ray of the – Elvira: Mistress of the Dark – movie by Arrow Video (which comes highly recommended also by the way, with a fantastic picture and sound transfer) they make for the perfect pair… rather like Elvira herself (ooh-er missus!)
Why not join us again next month for even more spectacular swag, fellow fans of fantastic fiction!
One Cover To Rule Them All…
Felicitations, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, and welcome once more to our crazy cavalcade of cool and compelling comic cover collectables!
And, hoo-boy, there is an astonishing array of illustriously illustrated issues available at your nearby newsstands this week, so many in fact that it was absolutely impossible to pick just one! So here, for your decidedly delightful delectation, are my five fantabulous favourites…
Wildcats #10 –
I mean, it wouldn’t be a legitimate multi comic cover extravaganza if it didn’t feature at least one image dedicated to our favourite sullen, morose and downright curmudgeonly creature of the night, so here’s The Batman mixing it up on the new Wildcats issue, alongside the decidedly deadly duo of Grifter and Zealot, drawn by the talented Stephen Segovia.
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #2 –
The Teen Titans investigating a haunted house mystery? Yes freakin’ please! all this issue needs now is Shaggy and Scooby to pop up for some serious seventies spooky shenanigans!! Fantastic retro style cover by the great Chris Samnee.
Spirit World #4 –
Love this cover by artist – Haining, the cover and interior art are very reminiscent for me of Monty Oum’s – RWBY, which I adore, plus the main character wields a sword as big as themself! Anime/Final Fantasy style weaponry is fun, but ridiculous, I mean look at the size ratio of the handle to the blade, how on earth could you even lift it? (mind you the comic contains demon hunters, superheroes, and mystical realms of the deceased, so in context, big-ass swords with hilarious hilts are rather humdrum in comparison!)
Thessaly #1 –
I’ll take anything and everything Sandman please, especially when it reunites the consummate talents of Nightmare Country visionary – James Tynion IV and Faithless artist – Maria Llovet, who, in this one-shot Black Label special take you on a harrowing journey through the festering iniquity pulsating beneath the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
Danger Street #8 –
Ok, the award for creepiest comic cover of the month goes to Jorge Fornes for this chilling photographic style cover that’s just freaking me out! I mean, creepy doesn’t even cover it, this is downright disturbing and I shall be reading this one with the lights firmly on! Another fantastic instalment in Tom King and Jorge Fornes’ scintillating saga wrought for DC’s adult imprint – Black Label.
Personal pick for me this month is – World’s Finest: Teen Titans #2, but which of these fabulous five is your fave? Why not sound off in the comments below…
Daily Dose Of DC…
The Spectacular Art Of Steve Rude!
Steve (the dude) Rude is an American comic-book artist, who is best known as the co-creator (alongside Mike Baron) of Sci-Fi comic-book – Nexus – which began life in 1981 and ran for an initial eighty issues, with seven shorter mini-series that released yearly after the main comic ceased publication.
It was 1984 that Steve produced his first work for DC Comics, in – Tales Of The Teen Titans #48 – he later collaborated on DC’s World’s Finest series with writer/artist – Dave Gibbons (of Watchmen fame) in 1990, before moving on to a myriad of projects for the comic-book publishing giant. Steve was also the subject of a documentary titled – Rude Dude: The Steve Rude Story – in 2014. Filmed over a period of three years, Steve spoke candidly about his effort to enter the world of fine art and his daily struggle with bipolar disorder. Steve is one of my personal favourite comic-book artists, with a unique and instantly recognisable painterly style, so why not kick back and enjoy some of the finest imagery to ever grace a comic-book page…
All Imagery Copyright: Steve Rude.
Precinct1313 Recommends: Wonder Woman #800
Great Hera! welcome, fellow fans of fantastic female fiction, to the 800th illustrious issue of Wonder Woman! That’s right, the glorious Greek gods of Olympus once more bestow upon us, mere mortals, another thrilling tome dedicated to the further adventures of the Themysciran Titan!!
The “Whatever Happened To The Warrior Of Truth” storyline concludes in this landmark 800th issue. Diana has undergone an ancient amazonian ritual that has transferred her into a comatose dream-like state, so she can better learn the truth about herself by those most closely associated to her, by weaving through their thoughts and conscience. In the throes of self doubt, Diana reaches out to friends, family and trusted allies, in this multi chapter story of self reflection, written by Becky Cloonan, Tom King and Michael Conrad, with art by Joelle Jones, Daniel Sampere, Cully Hammer, Jen Bartel, Todd Nauck, Alitha Martinez and Skylar Partridge.
A dialogue heavy issue, that comprehensively explores Diana’s relationships with her nearest and dearest, with an especially emotional chapter that touches upon the reunion between Wondy and original Wonder Girl – Donna Troy, a touching and poignant paean to their sisterhood, wrought by the terrific talents of Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad.
Wonder Woman #800 is a terrific and tantalising tribute to DC’s iconic legend, a masterfully woven odyssey that touches upon past, present and future iterations of the mythological messenger of truth and love. To some she’s a fearless warrior fighting tyranny in all it’s forms, to others a symbol of compassion, conviction and justice, to all she is a wise mentor, a decisive leader, a most honourable rival and a constant reminder of the power of empathy… through it all she stands as a perfect reflection of what we all may strive to become.
Wonder Woman and all imagery are copyright: DC Comics.
Nine Years In The Precinct – An Anniversary Special
Well hey there fellow agents of Precinct1313, it’s fantastic to see you, and we’re so glad that you could make your way over to the majestic mansion of mystery in time to partake in our ninth anniversary celebrations. In a few moments we will wind our way down through the Precinct’s interminable depths as we head towards the infamous ‘Halls Of Quaffing’ to celebrate in style.
Unfortunately our usual anniversary tour guide, the Precinct’s carrion crow of woe – Eldritch won’t be available to usher you through this arcane abode, as he’s still in the dog-house (uhh, crow house?) for leading us astray through a preternatural portal that lead to Raven’s Reach Sanitarium and a padded cell! (For more on that tantalising tale, why not click right HERE)
But fear not, oh fellow fans of fantastic fiction, as I am able to stand in as the (distinctly human) Corvidae conductor for this ninth anniversary commemoration. And so, without further ado, let our peregrinations begin…
The mystical mansion of mystery known as Precinct1313 first materialised unto this dimension in 2014, this paranormal palazzo, oft thought to be a sister building to the sinister House Of Secrets has housed many scribes throughout the countless alternate realities it has dwelled, and in 2014, I discovered it’s many dimensional delights when it revealed itself in terrifying fashion (which you can read about right HERE) and have been trapped within it’s herculean hallways and reality shifting structure ever since. Which actually turns out to be a good thing as it has given me copious amounts of time to relay to you, dear agents, the wonderful world of comic-books, cult movies and general geekery!
And so, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, thanks to this mythical edifice’s psychokinetic power, we are able to transport you back in time (it doesn’t hurt too much, honest!) to visit our most popular posts of yore…
As you are more than likely aware if you’ve been an agent of the Precinct for awhile, our absolute favourite comic-book creation of all time is the Themysciran Titan herself the glorious Wonder Woman, I first discovered the dynamic delight that is Diana, Princess of the Amazons when I was a mere nine years of age, and have been a super fan ever since. A myriad of reviews, overviews and gushing posts have ensued from the Precinct since its inception, and looking at the ol’ stats the most popular of these is… Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed.
Another mesmerising mainstay of the Precinct over the years (and my absolute favourite posts to write) has been the – World’s Finest: Interview – series, where each episode we invited one of our most treasured Superheroes, SuperVillains, Costumed Crimefighters, Dimension Dwelling Demons and Super-Pets to answer a quotient of quintessentially quirky questions about life, the universe and cake (’cause everyone loves cake) Such classic characters as Harley Quinn, Circe, and Cheetah, have darkened the Precinct’s media studio and have harassed, bludgeoned, nibbled, and vexed our poor hapless interviewer (why, at one point he was even turned into a worm! an actual worm!!) Checking that ol’ stats page again turns up that the most popular of these was… World’s Finest: An Exclusive Interview With V
Another character that has helped form the foundations of the Precinct over the last nine-tastic years alongside Wondy has been Gotham’s Grim Guardian, the big, bad bat! I have been a mega-fan of the dark and surly one since the age of six, he was instrumental in ushering in my love of the comic-book medium and my fave company – DC Comics. And, just like the Amazon princess, I have written multitudinous amounts of material on his dark crusade to clean up the fetid streets of Gotham, and absolve himself of the grief and guilt of his parents’ death by dressing up as a giant bat, and viciously beating seven shades out of crazy costumed villains! And, heading back to that trusty ol’ stats screen, the most read of all those is – Batman Rebirth #22.
Phew! thanks so much fellow fans of fantastic fiction for joining us on that timely tour of the Precinct’s past, and as we near the Halls Of Quaffing for many a beer and celebration, may I just say a massive thank you to all of my fellow bloggers, followers and readers for making this blogging odyssey over the past nine years such a fantabulous experience, it is YOU that have made this journey worthwhile… now, beer!!
Oh, And As Ever, Make Mine DC…
Precinct1313 Recommends: DC Pride Anthology 2023 #1
Happy Pride Month, fellow fans of fantastic fiction! It’s lovely to see you all gathered here in the Precinct’s legendary Comic Crypts to help us celebrate diversity and inclusion!
Pride Month is imperative in raising awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and other societal implications. The month of June was originally chosen for it’s context to the 1969 Stonewall riots, where the LGBT community of the time held a series of protests and demonstrations against an unjust raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich village.
DC Comics themselves have a long standing within the LGBTQ+ community, with a number of their heroes and villains being gay, trans and bisexual, beginning with their first ever gay character – Extrano – the magical based Superhero created by Joe Staton and Steve Englehart in 1987. Since that time DC have led the way for inclusionary characters with, quite possibly, their most famous being Kate Kane aka – Batwoman.
To celebrate this years Pride Month, DC Comics are releasing their annual Pride anthology, which this annum encompasses a 100 page super spectacular, featuring some of their most popular LGBTQ+ heroes and villains in ten thrilling tales wrought from the inspiring imaginations of some of comicdom’s biggest contributors, including such icons as – Grant Morrison, Leah Williams, Nicole Maines, Josh Trujillo, and many more.
And, there’s more, how about we take a journey back through DC’s proud past, with the 80 page – DC Pride: Through The Years – a landmark comic compendium that transports us across three decades of fan favourite LGBTQ+ characters, including – The Flash #53 – (1991) In which the villain turned hero, Pied Piper, comes out to his friend, The Flash, and then helps him thwart a deadly villain. Also – Supergirl #19 – Which tells the story of Lee Serano, a non binary teenager who befriends the Girl of Steel, a tremendous tale which we spotlighted at the time, and you can catch up with Right Here.
What’s that? you want even more? well… DC also has a spectacular slew of vivacious variant covers releasing across the month of June to help keep the Pride celebrations going strong, so there’s plenty of comic-book goodness to choose from, for all you discerning, proud comic collectors!
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