Comic Cover Of The Week: Action Comics #1052

Welcome, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, to another cool and compelling cadre of classy comic covers! And this week we don our red boots and cape to move faster than a speeding bullet, and leap tall buildings in a single bound to guarantee we get our fevered mitts on this particularly gorgeous rendering of the Super-Family, courtesy of the terrifically talented, Steve Beach.

Plus, for all you steadfast Superman stockpilers, there is also a titanic and tantalising trinity of vivacious and vaunted variants, daringly delivered unto you by astonishing artistic auteurs – Rafa Sandoval, Clayton Henry and Khary Randolph.

Super Synopsis: Metallo Attacks! The crown jewel of Superman’s new Metropolis is in ruins, and the increasingly violent Blue Earth movement is managing to keep the entire Super-Family on their toes. Meanwhile, Metallo’s powerful new body is evolving in hitherto unforeseen and horrific ways. As Metallo’s life and sanity continue to unravel, he sets out to capture the only person who can help him, John Henry Irons, aka Steel! And so, a super showdown between Metallo and Steel beckons as the new era of Action Comics continues!

Action Comics #1052 Is Available At Your Local Comic-Book Emporium Right Now!

Happy 40th Anniversary – Jason Todd!

“Tell me what bothers you more, Bruce, that your greatest failure has returned from the grave, or that I’ve become a better Batman than you!?”

As I’ve mentioned on a number of occasions, I’ve been a huge fan of the big, bad bat since the tender age of six, and though I initially discovered the character in the late seventies, I was way too young to appreciate the nuance and depth of the tantalising tales that beset my young eyes in publications such as Batman and Detective Comics. And so, it was the eighties that my appreciation of the Caped Crusader really took flight, through scintillating storylines regaled to me by such luminaries as Gerry Conway, Frank Miller and Alan Grant. The eighties were also a time of change for the Dynamic Duo themselves, as Batman’s lifelong partner against crime – Dick Grayson vacated his role as teen sidekick – Robin, all grown up and now wearing his big boy pants, he flew the nest and became the fun loving quip-tastic costumed crimefighter known as Nightwing!

Leaving poor ol’ Batsy rudderless, as Dick acted as his moral compass and helped bear a lot of the pain and pressure that comes with wading through the villainous detritus that the streets of Gotham spewed forth, Batman’s crusade got darker, and the bat himself, meaner and even more violent, a Batman without Robin was a minacious prospect. Luckily (or, maybe not so, with context) Batman would soon have a new soldier in his never ending fight against crime, a young street urchin named Jason Todd, a troubled youth who looked set to live a troubled life, in fact the first time Batsy met the wayward juvenile, he was in the middle of boosting the tyres… from the Batmobile!

And so, a new Robin was born, as Batman took the teen terror under his (bat)wing and attempted to instil a sense of righteouness and discipline into his new ward. Unlike the previous Boy Wonder, who was an amiable, affable and grounded individual, Jason was an angry and splenetic young man, and though, over the years as Batman’s sidekick, he seemed to mellow slightly, his anger at the injustices life had wrought unto him, never really went away. Until one day, in an ill fated meeting with the jester of genocide himself – The Joker, Jason lost his life after a savage beating by crowbar and ultimately a bomb placed beside the bloodied and bound young crimefighter, Batman arrived mere minutes after the devastating explosion, and, unable to save his life, spiralled downwards into uncontrollable grief and anguish. Surprisingly though, not too long after this, Jason, somehow, returned, but this time he was… different.

Eco-terrorist – Ra’s Al Ghul, who felt partly responsible for Jason’s untimely demise, because of his own dealings with the Joker at the time, exhumed his corpse and bathed the body in the life giving waters of the Lazarus Pit, which brought Jason back, meaner, madder and with a vengeance streak a mile long. Jason returned to Gotham under a new guise – The Red Hood, and with lethal force began tearing down the mad machinations of the various Supervillains and crazies, whereas an encounter with The Batman would, at worst, end with a visit to the hospital emergency room and six months in traction, a similar confrontation with ol’ Hoody would mean a handgrenade in the mouth and a ten inch blade buried in the head!

After a violent second encounter with the clown prince of crime (this time, Jason came equipped with the crowbar!) and a soul searching, yet brutal fight against his former mentor, Batman, Jason is once again caught in a calamitous explosion from a device set earlier by the Joker, which sends all three antagonists plummeting into Gotham Bay. Surfacing sometime later, Jason returned as the vilified vigilante, but toned down his murderous side to some degree, and would partner up with many other of DC’s popular heroes and anti-heroes under the guise of the super-team – Red Hood and the Outlaws, and in due course mended his broken trust and friendship with his mentor and surrogate father – Bruce Wayne.

Precinct1313 highly recommends both the Under The Red Hood, and, Batman: Death In The Family movies for a further deep dive into Jason’s tragic upbringing and eventual death and vehement rebirth.

Daily Dose Of DC…

2023 marks the eightieth anniversary of the very first live action appearances of the Dark Knight Detective – Batman and Boy Wonder – Robin, whose dynamic debuts were in the 1943, 15 chapter serial series: The Batman, directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Lewis Wilson as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Douglas Croft as Robin/Dick Grayson.

Batman & Robin are copyright: DC Comics.

V’s Quote Of The Week…

V’s vision of vicarious valour by vanquishing villainy through vengeful violence against any whose views violate the virtuous vox-populi, is the voyage that vocalises the voracious venture and vanguard of valiant victory!

(Unfortunately, this particular post hits rather too close to home at this moment in time, I reside in the UK where we are currently dealing with an unpleasant rise in prejudice, inequality and dogmatism. To everyone on the outside looking in, please understand that the vast majority of Brits do not agree with the policies of the current administration and we uniformly oppose all forms of bigotry and intolerance)

Comic Cover Of The Week: Detective Comics #1069

Well, hey there, fellow fans of fantastic fiction… and yes, we’re back! That’s right your favourite DC dispensing majestic mansion of mystery returns from its ancient slumber to regale you once more with its decidedly delectable DC documentation!

So, let’s kick off our rambunctious return with an utterly stunning comic cover featuring that cool, compelling, caped and cowled crusader against crime… The Batman. This entrancingly eerie entry into our comic collecting compendium – Detective Comics #1069 – is illustrated by the great Evan Cagle who has been the resident cover artist on ‘tec for the past year and has wowed us every single issue with his dazzling depiction of the dark and surly one. This month also heralds a dynamic duo of variant covers by the terrifically talented – Ivan Reis and, the legendary JH Williams III.

‘Batman investigates the frozen Azmer, given to him by Mr Freeze and comes to a startling discovery about these ancient demons. Meanwhile, the Azmer begin to pour into the streets of Gotham, taking control of the helpless and the other poor souls the city cares little for… all for the bidding of the Orghams!’

Detective Comics #1069 Is Available At Your Local Comic-Book Emporium Right Now!

Batman and Detective Comics Are Copyright: DC Comics

Precinct1313’s End Of The Year Geekstravaganza…

Welcome, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, to Precinct1313’s annual end of the year Geekstravaganza! and, whew! what a year it’s been in the jolly ol’ world of geekdom. Lots of cool and compelling comics, fantastic films and venerable video-games vied for this particular geeks attention, so lets run down our favourite nerdy necessities for your perusal and pleasure!

Favourite Graphic Novel – I Am Not Starfire

I Am Not Starfire was another absolutely fantastic standalone graphic novel brought forth from the prominent pen of Mariko Tamaki, and beset with vivacious visuals from Yoshi Yoshitani, making for another gripping teenage tale of angst and apprehension, but ultimately growth, friendship and inner respect as we follow the trepidatious tale of the distraught daughter of one of the world’s most powerful super-beings. (And you, lucky people, can read our review Right Here)

Favourite Comic-Book Artist – Bilquis Evely

I mean, this is always a highly difficult category to pin down a favourite in. This year as in most the standards in comic visuals has been stellar, with notable nods to Bruno Redondo for his stunning output on Nightwing, and the great Phil Jimenez for his titanic turn on the first issue of Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, but the artist whose work shone the brightest for me this year is the bedazzling – Bilquis Evely, whose amazing art graced the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow series, though this technically came out at the end of 2021, I personally only got around to reading it this year, and it’s phenomenal!

Bilquis’ art is highly distinctive, stunning to behold with beautifully in-depth line work, that when combined with the bold and gorgeous colours of Matheus Lopes are ascended to even greater heights, this is the absolute definition of high-art!

Favourite Feature Film – The Batman

If you know me, then you’ll probably realise this is a bit of a no-brainer, of course Matt Reeves stunning rendition of the Caped Crusader was my favourite film this year, it encapsulated almost everything I’ve ever wanted from a Batman movie, ever since I was first transfixed by the character at the tender age of six years old. Yes, we’ve had lots (and lots) of prior Dark Knights running around Gotham at night in tights, trouncing baddies, yet (for me, at least) none of them really captured that particular bat-magic that the comics and animated movies served up, until now!

Robert Pattinson was perfectly cast as a younger Bruce Wayne/Batman and was phenomenal in the role, ably backed up by an absolutely stellar cast, with Paul Dano, Zoe Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Jeffery Wright and (an almost unrecognisable) Colin Farrell adding their tremendous thespian talents to this grim, gritty noir detective movie… this blew my bat-socks off!

Favourite Video-Game(s) 

So many games, so, so many! I mean my backlog is huge and could probably last me several lifetimes! I played a ton of great games this year, so there honestly couldn’t be only one (Highlander style) choice, so I’ve gone with my top three instead! Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a fun, fast and frantic musou style ofshoot from the laudable Fire Emblem: Three Houses and is absolutely the very best Musou game I’ve ever played (it does help that I’m a bit of a FireEmblem fanboy, I guess) Nier Automata without a doubt showcased the very best storytelling and world building I’ve ever seen in a game, an emotional journey through a ravaged world littered with twists, turns and serpentine lore, just remarkable!

My third fave of the year was the astounding – SIFU, a Kung-Fu epic set in modern day China, where you control the actions of the son, or daughter of a martial arts school’s – Sifu, who seeks revenge upon those who murdered their father. Honestly this is one of the best beat-em ups I’ve ever played, it absolutely feels like you’ve been plonked down in the middle of a classic Donnie Yen or Moon Lee martial arts movie! Wonderful visuals and a stunning eastern soundtrack, this game rocks… In fact this game rocks so hard, it thinks it’s Metallica!!

Phew! thanks for sticking with us, fellow agents of Precinct1313, so, what was your favourite Comic-Book, movie or video-game this year? Why not sound off in the comments below… Happy New Year!

Oh, And As Ever… Make Mine DC!

Comic Cover… Of The Year!

Felicitations, fellow fans of fantastic festive fiction, and welcome to our astonishing award for the most outstanding comic cover of space year 2022! 

That’s right, the magical mansion of mystery – Precinct1313 has re-materialised back unto your physical plane after an extended stay in the Phantom Zone, where it lay unfettered as it recharged it’s mystic batteries. And, phew! we’re back just in time to share our absolute fave comic cover of the year, and with so many cool and compelling covers released this annum it’s been a rather difficult decision, but we ultimately landed on this pictorial piece of perfection, the Batman #1066 watercolour variant by the dynamic Colleen Doran.

This absolutely astonishing piece of art from Colleen recreates Herbert Draper’s classic oil painting – The Lament For Icarus – the opulent oil painting, first unveiled in 1898, depicts the deceased Icarus surrounded by lamenting nymphs and currently resides in the Tate Gallery, UK. Colleen’s vivid and vivacious variant of this cover is exquisite, re-creating Draper’s original vision perfectly, depicting a dying Batman surrounded by a bevy of Batgirls – Babs Gordon, Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. 

Many congratulations to Colleen for this year’s standout cover, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t, at least, provide a visual tour of some of our other fave covers from this year that were considered for the coveted title but didn’t quite match the ingenuity of Colleen’s standout piece.

Harley Quinn’s Plundering of DC Comics’ Past…

Bruno Redondo’s Outstanding Run On Nightwing…

DC Comics’ Pride 2022 Covers…

Happy Holidays! 

 

(All art and imagery copyright – DC Comics)

Legendary British Comic-Book Artist – Kevin O’Neill Passes Away At 69

It is with supreme sadness that we relay the tragic news of the death of one of the UK’s most prolific and innovative artists, the legendary Kevin O’Neill, who passed away last week at the age of 69.

Though most of my comic-book loving life has been consumed with DC Comics, being a Brit I also grew up with the iconic UK anthology comic series – 2000AD, and one of my absolute favourite creators for this compelling compendium was the venerable – Kev O’Neill, the ingenious co-creator behind some of the most treasured character creations to emanate from this small isle, including such luminaries as – Marshal Law, Nemesis the Warlock, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Kev was a titan of the comic scene, a unique and playful storyteller with a style unsurpassed by his peers, an idiosyncratic, quirky artstyle that stood out amongst a sea of artists. He began working within the industry at the age of 16 for UK publisher – IPC, working as help on the weekly brit comic – Buster, he moved into the position of colourer at IPC before moving to the fledgling anthology series – 2000AD, tasked with creating the iconic look of the compendium’s fictional editor – Tharg the Mighty, with his first comic strip project being – Ro-busters, for which he pencilled many stories for 2000AD writer and co-creator – Pat Mills.

During this time, Kev also co-created alien freedom fighter – Nemesis the Warlock, and anti-hero, superhero hunter – Marshal Law, he also worked extensively for DC Comics on projects – Omega Men, and the Alan Moore penned – Tales of the Green Lantern Corps annual, a project that was objected to at the time by the then – Comics Code Authority, who seem to object to Kev’s entire illustration style, the comic was still published by DC, without the CCA approval. In 1999, Kev began work, again alongside brit luminary – Alan Moore, on one of his most fascinating creations – The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, originally published by Wildstorm, and later turned into a movie starring Sean Connery.

The comic-book world is left devastated by the loss of one of the most remarkable and incomparable creators, and our thoughts are with Kev’s family and friends at this tragic time. RIP.

Comic Cover(s) Of The Week – Spooky Halloween Edition

Welcome, fellow fans of fantastic freaky fiction, to our haunting Halloween special, a cool, compelling yet chilling compendium of charnel comic cover classics courtesy of the decidedly devilish – DC Comics!

Thank you for convening with us down here in the Precinct’s creepy Comic Crypts for this hellacious Halloween special, so why not pull up a tombstone as we take a terrifying tour of the dark side of DC!

And our blood-curdling beginning for this phantasmic post is none other than DC’s haunting – House Of Mystery. The House of Mystery was an anthology comic first published by DC in 1951. It initially ran for 173 issues and featured terrifying tales of the weird, wild and wacky, set within the ritualistic realms of mystery and science fiction. From issue #174 the lauded series switched to a hardcore horror anthology, presented by Cain the Caretaker and introduced new series such as I… Vampire, which originally started as a back up story but was such a massive success with the fans, it became the ongoing apparitional anthology’s main feature.

The spooky sister title to the House of Mystery was another anthology series that set it’s sights on the macabre and is most notable for introducing us to the character of Swamp Thing, DC’s heroic quagmire residing defender of the green. First published in 1956, The House Of Secrets introduced several other of DC’s supernatural entities including Mark Merlin and Eclipso, Doctor Rocket, and the fantastically named – Moolah the Mystic!

We would be neglecting our darkly devilish duties if we didn’t include, quite possibly, THE greatest supernatural comic book anti-hero of all time, occult detective – John Constantine. First published by DC Comics in 1988, and then subsequently by its adult imprint – Vertigo in 1993, the series followed John as he negotiated his way through heaven, hell and beyond, utilising his innate talent in manipulation, deceit and guile, arguably for the greater good. The series was one of the longest running and most successful of DC/Vertigo’s titles and was a notable stepping stone for many British writers and artists, Brit contributors included – Garth Ennis, Jamie Delano, Andy Diggle, and Pete Milligan.

Justice League Dark malevolently materialised onto the comic scene in 2011, a supernatural superhero team-up series that combined the terrifying titular talents – John Constantine, Zatanna, Etrigan the Demon, Swamp Thing, Deadman, Doctor Fate and, on occassion, the dark and surly one himself – The Batman. Their remit was to investigate mystical threats, and demonic incursions which were deemed outside the scope of the more traditional capes and tights crew of The Justice League of America. 

If you’re looking for a suitably creepy but freakishly fun DC Comics read this All Hallows Eve, may I recommend the sublime – Zatanna and the House of Secrets, a spooky journey through the mysterious and magical realm of the mystical mistress of magic herself – Zatanna! and you can read our glowing review Right Here.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Suffering Sappho! it surely can’t be that time of year again, can it? I guess when you’re an immortal 3,000 year old Amazon warrior then time tends to stand still. Yet for us mere mortals, a year is everything. And so once more, fellow transient travellers, we find ourselves upon the golden sacred shores of Themyscira to celebrate Gaea’s graceful goddess, the incomparable – Wonder Woman!

That’s right fellow fans of fantastic female fiction, October 21st commemorates Diana’s first ever appearance in ‘All Star Comics #8’ which released in October of 1941 courtesy of her celebrated creator – William Moulton Marston, and DC Comics. That’s a sensational eighty one glorious years in her  illuminating presence!

We love Wonder Woman here in Precinct1313, she’s actually our favourite comic-book creation of all time, and I personally have been reading and collecting Wondy comics, movies and memorabilia since I was a mere nine years of age, she has always been an inspiration to me. Unlike her superheroic peers, Diana doesn’t necessarily rely on her fists… her strength lies within her power to understand, and forgive, to first extend a hand of friendship rather than wield her sword. Diana’s mantra is love and compassion, and in the rather unpredictable world we live in today, she is very much the hero we need…

And so, my astonishing amazonian associates, what will you be doing to celebrate this Day of Wonder? Here in the ol’ Precinct we shall be re-indulging in one of the more recent takes on the Themysciran Titan, the sublime – Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed. The Laurie Halse Anderson penned tale provides a fresh and funky take on Diana’s early upbringing on Paradise Island and first foray into “man’s world” A superb coming of age drama that’s not afraid to delve into the darker recesses of humankind. And you too can idulge your senses in this vaunted volume with our very own review of this classic – Right Here.

Of course, we shall also be revisiting an episode or two of Lynda Carter’s spectacular turn as Wondy in the 70’s and early 80’s terrific television series, and then, once more (probably for the billionth time now) Gal Gadot’s breathtaking 2017 big screen adaptation!

Happy Wonder Woman Day!

Happy Batman Day!

Nana, nana, nana, nana, Batma… oh hey there, my bodacious bat-brethren, do please excuse my reciting of the classic Batman theme from Adam West’s sixties extravaganza, now that was a time when the curmudgeonly creature of the night actually enjoyed fighting crime, he even joked and (unbelievable I know) SMILED!

Of course, the swinging sixties was very much a different time and place, in fact Silver Age Batman smiled, joked, cajoled and inherently enjoyed being the Caped Crusader, this variant of the character was a million miles away from the grimdark version of the Dark Knight. Though, sixties Bats was an anomaly caused by the Comics Code Authority that cracked down hard on the various adult storylines contained within comics such as Batman and Detective Comics.

When the sensational seventies hit, ol’ Batsy was reinstalled back to his rightful place as the creepy creature of the night who revelled in hunting down vile villains, and thrashing the dastardly and deadly denizens of Gotham to within an inch of their lives. Yet, there have been a number of lightheated and fun moments since his return to the despair and darkness that envelops his being, so for this particular anniversary post, let’s turn Batman’s frown upside down and celebrate his cute and cuddly side…

Not Sure If Superman Forcing Bats To Smile For A Selfie Counts, Yet Here We Are!

Ah Yes, The Legendary Bat-Smirk, This One Is Particularly Delightful ‘Cause He Just Managed To Relieve Green Lantern Of His Power Ring, Without Him Realising! 

Yeah, That Would Creep Me Out Too!

Aww, Harley Loves Batsy Really, Look at Her, Sharing The Cupcakes…

He’s Just A Cuddly Costumed Vigilante Really, He Even Keeps Lollipops In His Utility Belt! 

See, He’s Not Scary At All… Unless You’re A SuperVillain, And Then You’re Gonna End Up In Traction For Six Months!

Ok, This One Genuinely Made Me Laugh Out Loud, Maybe Bats Should Take Up Stand Up Comedy!

Love This Exchange Between Batman And Black Orchid From The Justice League Dark Animated Movie, Pure, Dry Batman Brilliance!

Sure, Joker May Be Laughing Right Now, But Just Seconds After This, Batman Kicked The Crap Out Of Him… Again!

So there you go, fellow Bat-Fans, a lighthearted look at the Masked Manhunter in celebration of Batman Day! That said, as jovial as he seems here, one thing you should never, ever do is criticise his choice of transport, he hates that!

Happy Batman Day!

We Can ‘Harley’ Believe That It’s Been 30 Years Since Ms Quinn’s Debut…

That’s right, it’s been three dynamic decades since the psychedelic psychopath of print was first unleashed onto an unsuspecting comic book universe, much to the chagrin of The Batman, but conversely to the delight of millions of comic book fans, for Harley truly is… one of the greatest comic-book characters ever conceived, and if you don’t agree, then her beloved mallet would like to have a word with you!

Former psychiatrist, Dr Harleen Quinzel was originally an Arkham Asylum intern who, after prolonged psychology sessions with crazed clown The Joker, was coerced into thinking that Batman was the ultimate cause of Joker’s insanely murderous high jinks. Slowly falling in love with the irascible psychotic, Harleen eventually aided the mirthful murderer to escape the asylum and joined him on his insane crusade to dispense madness, murder and mayhem on the populace of Gotham City.

Ms Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm and actually made her first ever appearance outside of the comic book format, on the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, in an episode titled “Joker’s Favour” which aired on the 11th September 1992.

Actress Arleen Sorkin was Paul Dini’s original inspiration for the clown princess of crime, after he caught her appearance in an episode of Days Of Our Lives, in which she appeared in a dream sequence wearing a Jester outfit. Dini and Sorkin had been friends since college, and he even incorporated certain facets of Arleen’s personality into the character (and, of course – Arleen/Harleen)

Though initially brought in as a throw away character, Harley proved so massively popular with the DC fanbase that she was ultimately ushered into DC Universe continuity in the 1994 graphic novel “Batman Adventures: Mad Love” which recounted her wild and wacky origin tale, written and drawn by her original co-creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm.

Harley of course has, since that time, become a fantabulously fun force to be reckoned with both on and off the comic-book page, starring in both animated and live action movies, and is also without a shadow of a doubt, THE most most popular choice for depiction amongst cos-players across the globe. 

Harley and Ivy Discuss… erm, Beavers!

Enough Already! My Ribs are Beginning To Ache!!

And So, Happy 30th Anniversary To That Marvellously Maniacal Mistress Of Mayhem – Harley Quinn!

*Please Note: No beavers were hurt during the production of this post, just tossed, stuffed, kidnapped (beaver-napped?) and made fun of… so that’s alright then!*

Precinct1313’s Comic-Book Classics: Super Sons – When I Grow Up…

They may both be Superheroes, founding members of the Justice League and all round crime-fighting bad-arses, but Batman and Superman aren’t always the best of buddies, and, unsurprisingly, neither are their progeny.

The last time Precinct1313 caught up with Damian Wayne’s rambunctious Robin, and Jon Kent’s Kid of Steel, they were involved in a bout of fisticuffs worthy of their powerful patriarch’s many clashes throughout the decades… like father, like son seems apt. However, again like their respective parents, these two wannabe Superheroes were always destined to fight crime together, and it’s their irrevocably conflicting personalities that makes – Super Sons: When I Grow Up – such a joy to behold!

Written by Peter Tomasi, with art duties falling to the fantastic Jorge Jimenez, Super Sons focuses primarily on this direct clash of disposition between the “lil” costume crime-fighting sidekicks, and it’s glorious. Damian Wayne may be the son of the Batman and League of Assassins’ Talia Al Ghul, a highly trained martial artist and nifty ninja of notable nature, but he’s also a narcissist with severe delusions of grandeur who likes nothing more than to mess with Jon Kent’s mind. Whether it’s secreting himself in Jon’s bedroom, before confronting him after he’s just about to fall asleep, or impersonating Jon’s school bus driver, Damian really does revel in freaking out his prospective ally, much to Jon’s annoyance.

Jonathan Kent is Damian’s polar opposite (well of course, he was raised by none other than that big blue boy-scout Superman) a kind and considerate son, who genuinely wants to help his fellow humans, a responsible, straight laced kid with caring and sensitive parents in Clark Kent and Lois Lane, who have endeavoured to instil into Jon a sympathetic understanding of the world around him… which is in stark contrast to Damian’s own upbringing, I mean, he is the son of the goddamn Batman after all!

Damian’s childhood was vastly different to Jon’s, an isolated upbringing with nary a kind word from his father. Bruce Wayne is a distant and austere patriarch, a solemn guardian of the night, whose only true mission in his life is to fight crime in a desperate attempt to avenge his parent’s death and appease his guilty conscience. Which makes it no surprise that Damian should ultimately reach out to Jon for companionship, even though the only way he knows how to do this is by being an annoying arse!

Super Sons: When I Grow Up is a thrilling trade collection of the original monthly series, a fantastically fun and zany comic that combines perfectly, the burgeoning friendship between these two antithetical heroes, and their relevant parental nurturing’s (or lack thereof) ultimate effect on their prospective psyche. A must buy.

Seminal Fantasy Artist – Oliver Frey – Passes Away At 74

It is with great sadness that we relay the tragic news that legendary fantasy illustrator – Oliver Frey passed away from cancer on 21 August, he was 74.

Originally born in Zurich, Switzerland, Oliver spent most of his life as a resident in the UK, where he became a household name thanks to his varying works on British comic strips and magazines including – White Dwarf, Dan Dare and The Trigan Empire. Oliver studied at the London Film School, whilst he continued freelancing as an illustrator, it was during this time that he met film director – Richard Donner, who commissioned Oliver to create a 1930’s comic-book style opening as a pre-title sequence for the 1978, Christopher Reeve starring “Superman”

For me though, and many other fans, it was his stellar illustrative work on prestigious 80s and 90s British videogame magazines – CRASH and Zzap64 that first endeared us to his awesome artwork. Oliver’s seminal artistic output adorned the various covers and innards of these fantastic ZX Spectrum and C64 based review zines, plus he would also draw portraits of the review staff that denoted their pleasure or dislike of the varying games they would review, giving these classic magazines a wholly unique feel. After the closure of the respective magazines publisher – Newsweek, Oliver continued to work in the gaming art field by utilising his unique style for publications such as – Sega Force and N-Force, amongst many others.

Our thoughts go out to Oliver’s family and friends at this very sad time.

Comic Cover Of The Week: Wonder Woman #790

Well hey there, fellow fans of fantastic fiction, and welcome to yet another cool, compelling and creatively compulsory – Comic Cover Of The Week. The star of this week’s post is none other than Canadian artist supreme, the great Yanick Paquette and his rather stunning JG Jones homage for this months Wonder Woman #790.

JG Jones much loved cover classic was the first image that greeted Wondy fans when they got their fevered mitts on the fantastic 2002 Greg Rucka penned graphic novel – Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia. The Hiketeia was a standalone story by Greg Rucka and JG Jones that weaved the tale of a young woman named – Danny Welles invoking the ancestral rite of “The Hiketeia” which found Diana  honour bound to protect and care for Danny by ancient Amazon tradition.

But, when Wonder Woman learns that Danny has sought out and killed the drug dealers who murdered her sister, it casts her into a tumult of indecision, which gets even worse when that curmudgeonly creature of the night – The Batman – turns up to bring Danny to justice. Wonder Woman is now faced with breaking her sacred oath to protect Danny or turning her back on injustice.

Though, ol’ Batsy made a huuuuge mistake when he came gunning for Wonder Woman, as he notoriously gets a bit too big for his Bat-boots, and Wondy unceremoniously puts him in his place – face deep in the mud! Moral of this tale – don’t upset the overtly powerful, millennia old demi-god, even if you are The Batman!

Wonder Woman #790 Is Available From Your Local Comic-Book Emporium Right Now!