Category Archives: Comics
The 6 Craziest Members of the Shazam! Family (the Shazamily!)
Shazam! comes out this weekend and I’m mildly excited. That’s a good enough reason to make a fun internet list, right? I’ve just never really cared about the Shazam character, I’m only mildly interested in all these DC superhero movies, and I still can’t buy Zachary Levi in the role. Hopefully all of that will change once I see the actual film!
The box says “Cola”, so he didn’t even buy beer
And at least I can get a fun blog listicle about it. When Captain Marvel came out, I did a funny list of all the best Captain Marvels in comics. So how about a funny list of all the best Shazams in comics? Because Shazam is one of those characters with a big, weird comic book family. They were once known as the Marvel Family, but how has the phrase “Shazamily” not caught on?
The character very nearly predates World War II, and being around that long means there have been a lot of weird stories over the years. So let’s check out all of the craziest people who have been given Shazam powers over the decades! Or close to it!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 3/30/19
And so the slow march towards Avengers: Endgame reaches the home stretch. We’re less than a month away! Within the week, I’ll buy my ticket. And hopefully Shazam! will tide us over until the big show. Can’t wait!
Not much in the world of comics this week, at least not for me. But I got through some solid comics, like Mr. & Mrs. X and Fantastic Four. Comic Book of the Week goes to Action Comics for another corker of an issue. I’m finally really digging Bendis’ Superman.
Lois Lane delivers the Amanda Waller smackdown I’ve waited years to see
Meanwhile, I read the second issue of the X-Tremists, the one Age of X-Man comic I’ve decided to follow. The issue is better than the first one thanks to the character work, but the overall premise of the alternate reality has already worn out its welcome for me. None of it holds together in any sort of meaningful way. At least Leah Williams is delivering some of the best Blob character development he’s ever received. It almost makes up for having all of my other favorite X-characters killed recently.
Comic Reviews: Action Comics #1009, Fantastic Four #8, Heroes in Crisis #7 and Mr. & Mrs. X #9.
Batman Shouldn’t Kill
In an effort to have more original written content in this blog, I’ve decided to weigh in on the current topic du jour of former DC movies director Zach Snyder going off on some angry rant about how superheroes kill and we should all get over it. Specifically, of course, he’s referring to how he had Batman and Superman kill all sorts of people in his dark, gritty and soundly rejected movies, Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Still not fully recovered
I think the fact that the bright, cheerful and fun Aquaman earned over $1 billion, while Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is widely mocked, is all the evidence I need to not talk about Zack Snyder anymore.
The point has been made elsewhere, and in far better verbiage than I can muster, but Batman and Superman are fictional characters. Their actions and the world they exist in are controlled by the whims of the creators.
So if the creators want a Batman who doesn’t kill, then that’s what we get. It’s ridiculous to insist that Batman would kill people in the real world because Batman doesn’t exist in the world.
Rather than get bogged down in that argument — I have been known to ramble — I just want to express my personal views on the subject: Batman shouldn’t and doesn’t kill his enemies.
A creator like Snyder is welcome to create his own take on Batman, in which Batman does indeed kill people. All creators are welcome to do that. And there are plenty of superheroes who do kill, like Wolverine, Punisher and perhaps even Captain America. But they kill in context, and that’s important.
It would be so simple
In the context of the canon comic book Batman, he should not kill.
Batman’s whole shtick is that he wages a war on crime because of the crime that was committed against his family. And as part of his war, he will not lower himself to kill people, the way his parents were killed. So he’ll maim and he’ll punch you in the noggin, but Batman doesn’t kill. It’s a personal code. And that’s good enough for me.
I am fully capable of suspending my disbelief when reading Batman comics. I can gloss over the idea that Batman might, technically, cause gross bodily harm to his enemies. There’s no need to get that pedantic when you’re reading Batman comics.
But Batman doesn’t kill criminals.
He’s also under no obligation to kill the Joker. Batman is an ordinary civilian, and just because he’s proven capable of beating up the Joker and stopping the Joker’s murderous schemes doesn’t obligate him to break the most important law we have, to not kill another person.
If anything, blame the system for the Joker’s murderous rampages. Why doesn’t Commissioner Gordon kill the Joker? Or any Gotham City Police Officer who is armed with a gun and allowed to use it in certain circumstances? Why doesn’t the Gotham City judicial system sentence Joker to death? Why does he keep getting tossed back into Arkham Asylum?
Batman shouldn’t kill anybody. But society has plenty of ways to legally and lawfully kill people.
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I Want More of Age of X-Men Blob
The Blob is one of my favorite X-Men characters. I’ve even cosplayed as the guy! I love the idea that the Blob isn’t some maniacal madman or major, world-threatening super-villain. He’s just another mutant, like the X-Men; he just happens to be a jerk and a bully. And can you blame him? Guy was treated as a freak growing up, and has only ever been treated as a freak as an adult. Largely due to his weight. Makes total sense that the Blob grew up to be a real asshole.
But he’s finally getting his due under the pen of Leah Williams for the X-Tremists in Age of X-Man.
I’m loving it! Someone has finally found a chance to give us a new and different take on the Blob. Here is a Blob who didn’t grow up being insulted and ridiculed for his weight. Here’s a Blob who didn’t have to go work for a carnival due to the mutant power he did not choose and could not control.
Here’s a Blob with soul, who likes to read and clearly enjoys the finer things in life.
I’ve been excited for Williams to explore a fat-positive Blob since she first started talking about her plans for X-Tremists. And while the rest of Age of X-Man is something of a dumpster fire, this little corner is my one bit of joy in all of X-Men comics right now.
I’m really excited to see where all of this is going for Blob. And I hope it earns him some much needed respect as a proper character going forward!
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X-Men Are Getting Yet Another Relaunch, This Time With a Bit More Prestige
Less than a year since the last time the X-Men had a big relaunch, they’re doing it all over again. The X-Men Assembly Line keeps resetting sooner and sooner these days. This time, Marvel is bringing back writer Jonathan Hickman to work his magic.
Things are going to kick off with two alternating mini-series, House of X and Powers of X.
No details on what the new stories are going to entail yet. That picture is a mix of modern character designs and classics, with a couple of semi-new people there at the front, on either side.
I have regretted not reading all of Hickman’s Fantastic Four, though I did read most of his Avengers comics. And his Secret Wars was the last Marvel Big Event comic that I actually enjoyed. So based on the Hickman name alone, I’m excited.
But who knows what’s going to happen! Considering I’ve already given up on the new Uncanny X-Men and Age of X-Man, I look forward to yet another possible chance to enjoy X-Men comics again.
It’s a shame that my two favorite X-characters, Multiple Man and Mimic, are dead…But hey, there’s Toad in that picture! I like Toad! And Blob could still be alive.
We’ll see how this whole thing goes!
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Henchman-4-Hire 