Go See "The Dark Knight Rises" - No Spoilers

I went and saw The Dark Knight Rises this week, and I have to say, I think it's my favourite of the trilogy.

I'm sure many of you have gone already, but I know there's still a tone of fear in society due to the sad unfortunate incident played out the first night.

Don't let this hinder you from enjoying probably the best movie of the summer.

After the 9/11 attacks, both Marvel & DC Comics published comics as an effort to raise money for charity.  These comics delved into people's fears, but more importantly, into hope.

One of the most prominent stories I read - I think DC (Batman's company) published it, but it's irrelevant - was a conversation taking place in a bar between sports fans in Boston.

As baseball fans well know, there's a longstanding rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.  During a conversation while watching the game, one of the longtime hometown BoSox fans mentions the horrors of the recent terrorist attack, and says how a win for the Yankees would be good for New York.

Immediately, however, his friend turns on him for defecting.  As tragic as the event is, if you live in fear because of it, you've let the terrorists win.  If they can incite fear into you, so much so that you change your regular patterns, you've let them win.

In many ways, I think that storyline applies to many circumstances in life, the Colorado incident included.

If you let this one gunman (never say his name - he doesn't deserve it) change your way of life, he's accomplished everything he set out to do.

Remember the victims and their families.  My thoughts and prayers continue to be with them daily, as well as once I purchased my ticket, and entered the theatre.

But don't let fear win.

A Dark Night in Denver

Before reading this, please be aware that my tone is meant to be respectful.  The situation that happened in Aurora, Colorado, is one of great tragedy, and one of disgust.  My thoughts and prayers go to the victims and their families.

I just finished watching an episode of Doc Zone from CBC all about conspiracy theories, and how it is human nature to try to make sense of the chaos, to seek patterns.  Once I heard of the situation currently unfolding, the grim similarities below came to mind...

For those of you unaware, there has been a sickening tragedy connected with The Dark Knight Rises - at a midnight premiere of the movie outside Denver, Colorado, a gunman entered a movie theatre and opened fire, killing 14 people, and injuring another 50.  He wore bulletproof gear, apparently a variety of weaponry, and had some sort of smoke bombs.

You cannot Google The Dark Knight Rises without coming across various news encounters of this event.  It will now be forever seared into the movie - much like the tragic death of Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight.


At this point, nobody knows the motives of the gunman.  In fact, it doesn't end there - upon capture, he mentioned something about "explosives" and his apartment building.  Police have vacated the building and are cautiously performing a sweep.

What bothers me the most is motive.  Why Batman?  Was it because it was a heroic movie?  Was it because of the actual hero himself?

Although Batman Begins shows the murder of the Waynes occur after leaving an opera, the traditional, comic book version actually occurs after Bruce and his parents leave a movie theatre, after viewing a movie featuring the masked caped hero, Zorro (which movie it is changes from tale to tale, and is for the most part irrelevant).

Once again, we have a life imitates art/art imitates life situation.  But I ask this: Was this the gunman's motive?

In M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable, a comic book themed movie, Bruce Willis learns he has some sort of super strength and invulnerability due to his encounters with tragedy.  And in Shyamalan's "What a twist!" moment, it is revealed that Samuel L. Jackson has orchestrated these events because he believed a hero like Willis existed in the world, and he was trying to inspire him by causing such tragedies.

Moreover, my much-beloved DC Animated Universe (consisting of Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Batman Beyond, etc) unleashed a surprise reveal during the first season of Justice League Unlimited, in an episode titled Epilogue.  Terry McGinnis, the Batman of the future, finds out Bruce Wayne - through genetic twists and machinations, not traditional intercourse - is his biological father.  Outraged, McGinnis locates the source to seek answers, and discovers that beyond nature, there was an intent to nurture this path by mimicking Bruce's past, and have Terry witness his parent's gruesome murder.  The only problem was the gunman couldn't pull the trigger, so to speak, and the plan was aborted.  Years later, however, fate intervened, and Terry's father was murdered by another party, igniting the flame within Terry in the end.

Bruce Wayne becomes Batman because of a tragedy.  Other stories mimic this idea.  Could somebody actually be that insane to try to inspire this event?

Do I really believe this is the cause?  No.  And would it actually make it any better?  Of course not.  Lives are lost, and people will mourn them all the same.

It's just during these tragic times, sometimes, you'd like to think there's more of a purpose than some random event, some coward with a gun, that can just upset these people's lives and cut them short - a theme Bruce deals with constantly.

In the end, whether or not there is some sort of sick motive or not, you cannot ignore the similarities.

Protecting the Innocent: Great Fathers in Comics!

Here's a post to honour all the Fantastic Fathers and Daring Dads out there.

I remember a PSA when I was a kid stating, "Anybody can make a baby, but it takes a man to be a Dad."  Truer words never spoken.

In comic books, the role of father impacts various superheroes:

Jor-El, Kal-El's Kryptonian father, was a scientist who predicted planet Krypton's doomed fate.  Unable to convince the science counsel of the impending destruction, Jor-El and his wife Lara, in an act of love, placed their infant son in a rocket ship bound for Earth.

Kal-El would be found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, and raised as their own son, accepting the Earth name Clark Kent.  Jonathan (in many incarnations) allowed Clark to develop his abilities and talents, but all the while made sure Clark knew the value of hard work and the importance of humility.  His Kryptonian DNA and the Earth's yellow sun may have given Superman his super-powers,  but it was Ma and Pa Kent who gave him his morality and the essentials to be the hero he is today.

Orphaned as a young boy, Peter Parker lived with his Aunt May and his Uncle Ben.

Uncle Ben was Peter's mentor, and taught Peter the iconic principle that "with great power comes great responsibility."  Spider-Man would use this as his mantra for the rest of his life.

Thomas and Martha Wayne, Gotham City's high-profile philanthropists, loved their son, Bruce.  Thomas was always protective of Bruce, and when he fell down a well as a child, Thomas went in after him.

After their passing, a grief-stricken Bruce would take up the mantle of Batman.  As Bruce Wayne, he is always mindful of their charity and good will, and himself tries to bring fortune to the less fortunate to continue his family's campaign.  As Batman, he never seeks vengeance for their passing, but rather strives to honour their memory by making the world a place his parents would want to live in.

A grown-up himself, Bruce later took in a young Dick Grayson as his ward and eventual adopted son, and later, Tim Drake, as another adopted son.  And years after that, he would have a son of his own, Damian, further extending the Batman family.

Instilling a role of responsibility is what fathers do.  Dads are the original superheroes, protecting us when we're scared.  They educate and mentor us to become their sidekick when we're young, with the hope to eventually fill their role in society when we've grown up.  Our job is to heed their advice, learn from their experience, and aspire to obtain their level of wisdom.

So here's to all the fathers, especially my own.  Much love and a Happy Father's Day!

Comic Names You Should Know: Kevin Conroy!

Kevin Conroy

Kevin Conroy IS Batman.  You should take my word for it.  I shouldn't have to write much more, but I will.

If you grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series every day like I did, Kevin Conroy shouldn't be unknown to you, unless you're the type that just likes watching things and ignoring the talent behind it.  If that's the case, well, it's time to give credit where credit is due.

As mentioned, Conroy got the role for Bruce Wayne/Batman starting with Batman: The Animated Series beginning in 1992, but then followed the character into The New Batman Adventures, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and played an aged Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond (though this show aired in real-time before JL & JLU).  He voiced Batman in the animated films Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.  He also voiced Batman's cameo appearances in Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and The Zeta Project.  Further, he voiced Batman in the video games The Adventures of Batman & Robin, Batman: Vengeance, and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu.  All of these appearances as Batman are within the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), making them all within the same continuity.  For a bunch of cartoons, that's awesome, and it's a testament to his dedication to the character.

Watch Conroy go double-time here as Batman meets an elderly Bruce Wayne in Justice League Unlimited:

But enough praise.  So I enjoyed a cartoon as a kid - I'm obviously biased.  Wrong, mon frere.

Check out Conroy's Batman chops on imdb.com - Conroy has voiced Batman in over 25 separate shows/movies/video games, in various Batman tales.  Outside of the DCAU, the demand from fanboys to continue to see Conroy portray Batman had Conroy voicing Batman in comic book adaptation DTV features such as Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, and Justice League: Doom.

Outside of his prevalence in animation, perhaps Conroy is best known for his recent voice-acting work as Batman in DC Universe Online, or more likely, in the critically-acclaimed and best-selling games Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequel, Batman: Arkham City.

What's the best way to indicate WB feels Kevin Conroy is the superior Batman?  Make a DTV feature bridging Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and have Conroy voice Batman instead of Christian Bale.  This feature is called Batman: Gotham Knight.  In fact, to rub it in, here's a video of Conroy and his disapproval of Bale's "rawr rawr rawr I'm Batman" voice:

What really made Conroy's depiction of Batman different than other past interpretations is the fact that Batman and Bruce Wayne have different voices (a concept Conroy came up with and implemented himself).  There's a definite distinction between the brooding tone of Batman and the light-hearted billionaire playboy.


It's because of Conroy's talent and dedication to the character (having first voiced Batman in 1992, twenty years ago) that comic book readers, myself included, hear Conroy's voice when Bruce Wayne/Batman carry dialogue.

Go on Netflix, rent an animated movie, or pick up your game controller - if it says "Batman" on it, it's likely Conroy you're going to hear.  If that's the case, you're in for a treat.  I'll leave you with one of his most iconic lines as the Caped Crusader:

Friday Fun-day! Holy Spoilers, Batman!

STOP!!  STOP RIGHT NOW!!

IF YOU CONTINUE TO READ THIS, YOU'RE ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT YOU MAY BE READING SPOILERS FOR THE UPCOMING BATMAN MOVIE, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!!


If you're okay with that, carry on, otherwise, get out now while you still can!

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[Note that contrary to your belief I'm not a big-time Hollywood producer.  Some of what is written below has been given information, some of it is comic book fact, and some of it is pure speculation.]

Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy comes to an end this summer.  After giving us the mechanics of what makes Bruce Wayne tick in Batman Begins, and introducing more loss into his life in The Dark Knight, Nolan left Batman on the run from the fuzz at the conclusion of the last movie, his reputation in shambles.

So what's going to happen in the The Dark Knight Rises?


First, watch the latest trailer for the movie here, and then we can make some inferences.


Well, non-spoiler information, we know that Bane will show up and terrorize Gotham City.  We also know that Catwoman will enter the scene.

Movie details seem to indicate that eight years have elapsed between Harvey Dent's/Two-Face's funeral and where The Dark Knight begins.  Batman, while he's trying to stop criminals and save lives, has to do it while staying out of the police's line of fire, who are trying to take him in for the murder of Dent.  During that time, it wouldn't be surprising that Selina Kyle has been taking advantage of a Gotham City that hates Batman.

Bruce has never been in this for the praise.  Surely, something about his quest to prevent crime in his city makes him hope his parents would approve.  But he's never been at the job so he can one day receive the key to the city and have a parade.

Although his friend, Commissioner Jim Gordon, knows that Batman is not a murderer, the whole police force and the mind of the public all despise him for murdering a "hero."  It's likely that some plot device will appear where Batman goes to save a person who heavily resists his help out of fear, and the consequence may result in injury or death.

The police have no faith in him.  The public has no faith in him.  The death of a civilian may shake the faith of his friend, the commissioner, and after that, even Bruce may lose faith in himself.

And, with a weakened soul, enter Bane.

The Man Who Broke the Bat


A brief comic book history of Bane:

• Born on the fictional island of Santa Prisca, his father was a revolutionary who escaped capture, so Bane was sent to prison as a child to live out his father's sentence.
• In prison, he trained his body and mind, strengthening himself in the prison gym, educating himself by reading whatever he could, receiving formal "classroom" education by a Jesuit priest.  His fighting ability was sharpened by a hard life within the walls of prison.
• Eventually, Bane declares himself "king" within the walls of the penitentiary, which comes to the attention of the jailers.  Bane is then selected as a test subject in a new experiment where his is given the Venom drug, and, along with some shielding enhancements over his internal organs, becomes a super-steroid monstrosity (think Captain America's origin, but in prison, and becoming more closer to Hulk-sized than Captain America-sized).
• In order to continually fuel his drug-induced strength, he has a controller on his arm that injects Venom directly into the back of his skull.  He can toggle this to give him a super boost, which then causes him to rapidly increase his size and muscle mass (again, he can Hulk-out on command, if that helps).

Bane had the same fear of bats Bruce Wayne did as a child.  However, while Bruce decided to become that fear to conquer it, Bane decided he would conquer the fear by defeating the Batman.

Once in Gotham City, Bane decided he would first break down Batman mentally in a battle of attrition.  Literally blowing open the gates of Arkham Asylum, Batman spends the next three months rounding up Joker, Riddler, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze and most of his rogues gallery and incarcerating them all over again, a feat which pushes Bruce to his physical limit.  During a fight with the Scarecrow, Batman is doused with his Fear Toxin, which makes Batman relive his greatest failure - the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin - mentally and emotionally exhausting him.  Meanwhile, Bane is observing Batman, his tactics, and even deduces that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one-in-the-same.

Having completed another day on the job, Batman returns to Wayne Manor, exhausted, only to find Bane waiting for him.  Bane pummels him, and, in the Batcave, Bane does the unimaginable:  He breaks Batman's back, leaving him a paraplegic.

Ow, my pride.

At this point, Bruce Wayne tours around the globe on detective missions in a wheelchair, and a new hero, Jean-Paul Valley, dons the mantle of the Batman.

Neat.  For comic book fans of the 1990s, this isn't new to you.  So where are the spoilers already?

Firstly, fans will likely go crazy if the iconic image above doesn't somehow play into the movie.  Any muscle-bound villain can be selected for the antagonist of the film, but by selecting Bane, the only villain to break Batman, you should be making a statement.  I must state now, however, that Bane DID appear as a henchman to Poison Ivy in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin, and he was grossly unused in the storyline.  However, as he's the front runner here, audiences will be expecting something epic this go around.

So if Batman/Bruce Wayne is injured, what now?  Villainy for the win?  Well, there has been a lot of speculation as to who the character John Blake is in The Dark Knight Rises, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  So far, all that has been mentioned is that he's a beat cop.  Many people aren't buying this though, as it seems curious to put in a high-profile actor for such a minor role.

This week there's been a buzz regarding who John Blake may be, and a lot of it stems from the release of The Dark Knight Rises action figure line.

On the right of Batman - JPV Batman?

Rumours quickly appeared that the action figure on the right of Batman may be the debut of John Blake's Batman suit.  Statements have already been issued that the figure is something along the lines of a "Stealth-Suit Batman," which, in the world of action figures, it's not uncommon for manufacturers to distribute a zillion gimmicky figures (underwater suit Batman, spacesuit Batman, plumber Batman etc).  However, the paranoid, or those who want to believe, aren't buying it.

In the comic book, Jean-Paul Valley was a college student who discovered he had been brainwashed as a child by a wacky cult into becoming a master assassin, becoming the cult's angel of death and "enforcing god's will" as Azrael.

JPV as Azrael

As disturbing as that may be, that's useful if you're going to put on Batman's cape and cowl.  JPV dons the cape and cowl at first, but eventually begins to make his own alterations and modifications of Bruce's iconic suit.

"Yeah, I'm still Batman, I've just got a flamethrower attach to my arm.
Big whup. Wanna fight about it?"

So is John Blake the new Batman?

The latest trailer shows Bane in the Batcave, walking away with a shattered mask.  He also has dialogue with Bruce Wayne himself, with Bruce asking, "Why didn't you kill me?"  It then appears that Bruce is thrown near-lifeless down a ramp, Bane standing over top of him.  I think it's safe to say we'll see the Bane-breaking-Batman-over-his-knee scene.  But will it truly cripple him?

More importantly, will Blake replace him?  Well, the comic book representation of Azrael-Batman and the picture of the above action figure don't look too far off, with the blue and gold highlights and full-cowl mask.  How a beat cop will replace Batman will hopefully be covered too - I know police officers go through some rigorous training, but I don't know any that trained for 18 years to become a crime fighter, and can use extremely advanced gadgetry and use throwing shurikens.  Outside of that detail, I think it's extremely plausible that John Blake may, in fact, be Bruce Wayne's replacement.

What else is possible is that instead of Blake completely replacing Bruce, it may be more of a Batman Beyond element, where Blake does the legwork (poor phrasing considering the paraplegic aspect) while Bruce monitors him from the Batcave computer through camera and audio built within the cowl.

The Bat insignia on the chest isn't too far off, and we've got an otherwise plain looking costume with a fully-masked cowl.  Could this be the case?

And the best part about this:  My wife was the one to look at the action figure and point out that it looks like Batman Beyond!  How awesome is she, right?  Right??  I'm proud of you, darling!  That means you've really been paying attention!  Have a chocolate.

The Batman Beyond storyline actually takes place in the future, with an elderly 80-year-old Wayne mentoring a young man, Terry McGuinness, as he takes the mantle of Batman for himself.  While surely Bale won't age historically in this film, the main fundamentals here are all still valid.  Curiously, though, the image below shows Bruce Wayne with a spot of grey in his hair, as he converses with John Blake.

"Seriously, my "Just for Bat-Men" product
will outsell the competition in no time."

One thing can be determined from this is that Bruce Wayne will not die.  Christian Bale previously made statements saying this will be his last venture as Batman, and that he's done with the character.  However, also this week, Bale stated in an article from Empire Magazine that if Christopher Nolan were to approach him and say that they have a story for a fourth Batman movie, he would be willing to do it.  While zombies are in right now, I don't think he'll be reprising the role as zombie-Batman (though it may be cool to think about...)

Ra's al Ghul

Another one of the action figures above has people talking.

Speaking of zombies....

Is that Bruce Wayne in his League of Shadows gear (from Batman Begins, hinting a flashback), a young Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson's character from Batman Begins, also hinting a flashback), or John Blake, undergoing some training?

Recall that Ra's al Ghul apparently died at the end of Batman Begins.  Despite this, it has been confirmed that Liam Neeson, as Ra's al Ghul, will be appearing in The Dark Knight Rises, but whether it is a return to the character or a flashback sequence is not yet known.

To me, the figure looks like Christian Bale.  Is this another flashback sequence for Bruce, or will Bruce go to the League of Shadows to retrain after being broken?

Talia al Ghul

Besides John Blake, the other most talked about character is Miranda Tate, played by Marion Cotillard.  As in the case of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it seems unlikely Christopher Nolan hired this Academy Award winning actress to play a Wayne Enterprises board member, as the character profile states.

So who is she?  Many speculate she is Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul.  

Talia al Ghul

Has she infiltrated Wayne Enterprises as a spy in a possible revenge scheme for the death of her father?  Or is she aiding him in his current quest (if Liam Neeson's Ra's al Ghul is actually still alive)?

Cotillard has denied any claims that she is anyone else but Miranda Tate.  One thing that raises eyebrows, however, is that imdb shows that a young actress plays Talia al Ghul in a flashback scene in the film.

The Scarecrow


Nothing new is here, we've already seen the Scarecrow in the first two movies.  In fact, so far actor Cillian Murphy isn't on the cast list on imdb.com or elsewhere indicating he's in this movie.

One website, however, indicates that he was on set for part of the filming.  Was he a major part of shooting, or just a brief appearance as in The Dark Knight?


Perhaps he plays a brief but important role - let's speculate.  As in the comics, he douses Batman and makes him relieve his greatest failure: in this movie universe it may be either the death of Harvey Dent, or more likely, the death of Bruce Wayne's love interest, Rachel Dawes.  While neither Maggie Gyllenhaal or Katie Holmes have been seen on set for the movie, there's no reason why flashback sequences from the previous movies can't be used.  In fact, if it's just a sequence to relive her death, then no new footage is really required.

Final Thoughts


Running through the possible outcomes, there certainly seems to be a lot of variables and a lot of ways this movie can go.  With over 70 years of Batman mythology, I guess that's not really all that surprising.

Having Batman coupled with a sidekick could be fun and interesting.  The idea of Robin, a tween/teenager, was dismissed by Nolan before writing any scripts as being implausible.  Catwoman, however, appears to fill this void.

Will Bruce Wayne have John Blake fight by his side as well?  Or will Bane break his back, and Blake has to step in to fill the gap himself while Bruce recovers?

Is Bane working for Ra's al Ghul?  Is Talia there to keep an eye on Wayne?  Will she steal the company from under Bruce's nose while he's got his hands full with Bane, leaving him hated by society, crippled, and penniless?

Of all the variables, I think only one thing can be confirmed:

This is going to be a wild movie.

Arm rockets too?  Beats shark repellent any day!

The History of Comics Pt III: The Silver Age of Comics (But as Good as Gold!)

[If you haven't yet read my entry on The Golden Age of Comics - STOP!  Then follow up part two - Who Killed The Golden Age?]

In the third entry on the history of comics, we now enter The Silver Age of Comics.

At the closing of the Golden Age of Comics, soldiers returned from the war, superhero comics began to decline, and other genres such as war, westerns, crime, horror, science fiction, and romance began to hit the stands.  DC heroes (then National Comics) like Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Flash (Jay Garrick), and other members of the Justice Society of America were pulled, while Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman continued to print, albeit modestly.  Horror and crime comics took things to new levels, and Fredric Wertham, psychiatrist and author of Seduction of the Innocent, coupled with the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, led the charge against comic books.  And from the book burnings, the pressure from the government, and the avoidance of a government-sanctioned body overseeing comic book publications, comic book publishers formed the Comics Code Authority to monitor published content.

The short lived journey of crime and horror comics at the top was coming to an end, and it was time for superhero comics to strike again - and strike they did, with a bolt of lightning!

DC Comics

Barry Allen's first appearance as the Flash,
hastily ushering in the Silver Age

DC Comics sought to bring lighter-hearted, fun, adventurous comics back to the forefront.  While Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman had continued to sell, editor Julius Schwartz decided to revamp the other heroes of the 30's and 40's.  Himself a fan of science fiction, Schwartz looked to reimagine DC's heroes with a scientific twist.  Thus, the following changes were made:

Hal Jordan's 1st Appearance

• 1940's Flash, Jay Garrick, was replaced by police officer Barry Allen, who, while working in a crime lab, was struck by lightning and made a super speedster.  After reading a comic book about The Golden Age Flash, Barry decided to take the name for himself.  The new Flash's appearance in 1956's Showcase #4 (shown above) is generally regarded by historians as the first issue of The Silver Age.
• 1940's Green Lantern, Alan Scott, whose ring was operated by a magic lantern, was replaced by test pilot Hal Jordan, who was given a ring and lantern after being inducted into an intergalactic police corps, the Green Lanterns, by an alien group known as the Guardians of the Universe.
• DC updated other heroes, including The Atom (professor Ray Palmer, physicist) and Hawkman (Katar Hol, an alien from the planet Thanagar).
• Aquaman was retconned and given a new origin and history.
• DC introduced new characters, like J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter.

J'onn J'onnz, manhunter from Mars

The new changes by DC were a hit, and once again, superheroes began to flourish and thrive.  Crossovers began, with heroes appearing in each other's titles, until DC introduced their flagship mega-team, the Justice League of America.

Justice League's 1st Appearance: Brave and the Bold #28

And later, following the popularity of team-ups, DC had sidekicks join forces to create the Teen Titans:

Brave and the Bold #54

DC Comics, now a publishing giant in the 50s and 60s, paved the road for the new superhero era.  It was during this time that DC decided they would do something radical - bring back the original heroes.

The Flash #123 - a landmark issue.  It also recently sold for $83,000

Flash (Barry Allen) was able to vibrate his molecules so fast, he was able to escape our plane of existence - and land himself on Earth-Two, the home of the original Flash, Jay Garrick (confused?  Wait till we get into the multiverse).

Over time, Barry visited Jay and vice versa, and through creative ways eventually the whole Justice Society of America met with the Justice League of America, saving each other's bacon now and again.

DC was truly breaking new ground for the superhero genre - something comic writer Stan Lee took notice of.

Enter the Marvel Era


While mega stars like the current Flash and Green Lantern were created, and the Justice League became a sought after comic book for readers everywhere, the Silver Age of Comics cannot be spoken about without delving into the massive gains made by Marvel Comics and, notably, Stan Lee.

I shouldn't have to reiterate the awesomeness that is Stan Lee, because you've already gone ahead and read my introduction to Stan Lee in my blog Comic Names You Should Know: Stan Lee!  Besides, you already knew who he was prior to that anyhow, right?  Right?

But to showcase the work Lee accomplished during the Silver Age, let's again recall that Stan Lee co-created:

Spider-Man's first appearance, Amazing Fantasy #15.
Recently sold for $1.1 Million.  I want one... make it two.

• Spider-Man
• Iron Man
• Hulk
• Thor
• Hawkeye
• Nick Fury
• The Avengers
• The Fantastic Four
• The Silver Surfer
• The X-Men
• Daredevil
• Doctor Strange

Stan Lee looked at comics in the 40s and 50s, and saw what worked, and what didn't work.  Together, with Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, John Romita, Sr., and many other incredible artists and writers, Stan began the Marvel Comics explosion.  Lee, like DC's Julius Schwartz, was a big fan of science fiction, and based most of his superhero's powers on scientific reasoning (Iron Man's suit ran on Stark-powered transistors, Peter Parker's radioactive spider, Bruce Banner's gamma bomb radiation, cosmic radiation in the Fantastic Four, and so on).

And, playing off the popularity of super teams, Lee saw to the creation of the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and a comic book that took singular heroes and paired them together, The Avengers.

The Avengers Versus Loki?
Hmm... they should make a movie about that.....

Stan Lee, as editor of Marvel Comics, also introduced a new aspect to superhero comics - the reluctant, self-loathing superhero.  Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, would battle a villain, but as a result frequently miss a high school test, lose his job, or end up not getting the girl.  Bruce Banner constantly avoided becoming the Hulk, as he was powerless when the rage took over.  The Fantastic Four acted as a super team, but while Reed Richards could control his stretching, Susan Storm wasn't always invisible, and Johnny Storm could toggle his Human Torch guise,  Ben Grimm was permanently disfigured and viewed as a monster when he was cosmically altered into the Thing.

At a time when DC Comics's heroes were becoming over-the-top (Superman's powers escalated to the point that he could now move planets with his hands), Marvel Comics's humanizing traits, historians argue, are what drew in teenage crowds and jetted Marvel Comics into the spotlight.

Another key point for Marvel was that Stan Lee like to place his heroes in familiar settings - like New York City (Peter Parker grew up in Queens, the Fantastic Four's headquarters, the Baxter Building, was located in Manhattan, etc), as opposed to DC's imaginary locations of Gotham City, Metropolis, and Smallville.  In fact, Lee placed almost all of his characters in New York City, giving more justification as to why the heroes would cross paths regularly.  Placing the heroes in locations that Lee was familiar with helped with the writing process, as well as made fans more easily identify with the characters.

With all these comics in the market, it was only a matter of time until superheroes took over other mediums - notably television.

Comics-to-Television


The 60s & 70s saw a lot of superheroes on TV, some incarnations good, some mediocre (but never bad - I mean, hey, they're comics!).  Perhaps I'll do a more thorough review of this later, but for now, he's some of the major ones to recall, and likely the ones you're most familiar with.


Batman

In 1966, Batman made his TV debut, starring Adam West as the titular hero.  I don't believe there's a lot of explanation required here - the theme song alone should refresh your memory.  If you don't remember the show at all, here's a quick explanation:

• Burt Ward, as Robin, consistently said, "Holy ___, Batman!" ( ___ not meant to represent a curse word).  See here for examples.
• Mickey from the Rocky movies (Burgess Meredith) was the Penguin - though chronologically that means the Penguin was Rocky's coach.
• The Joker, played by Caesar Romero, had a moustache whited-out with makeup because the actor wouldn't shave it for the role.
• There were three actresses to portray Catwoman: Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriweather, and Julie Newmar.
• Frank Gorshin expertly portrayed The Riddler.

Because the Comics Code Authority had neutered comics, this campy representation of Batman made it to the air.  Respectfully, it did extremely well at first, which even prompted the 1966 Batman movie.  By the third season, the TV show pressured DC Comics to introduce (Batwoman and Batgirl had already come and been dismissed) reintroduce a female character so one can be featured in the show, and so Barbara Gordon made her debut as Batgirl.  The character was then portrayed on the small screen by Yvonne Craig.

Spider-Man

What was it about those hip people in the '60s?  They sure knew how to write a catchy jingle back then.  To get the neurons firing in an effort to recollect this show, here's the Spider-Man theme song.

And for no reason except that I like it, here's the song sung by Michael Buble.

As for the show, which debuted in 1967, the key highlights are:

• Decent acting talent
• A lot of shots of Spider-Man web-swinging and sticking to walls (to save money, shots were reused over and over again, like the background scenes of any episode of The Flintsones)
• A decline in using villains from the comic book after season one
• Footage from the show Rocket Robin Hood was reused in this show (no joke, check it out yourself)

Nevertheless, Spider-Man proved to be a big hit, and helped forever popularize the character.

All that Glitters isn't-- Silver?

Once again, superheroes took the lead in comic books, and made further mainstream leaps into television, radio, and film.  They had survived being the scapegoat of allegations by a mad doctor, and the onslaught that then ensued from the United States government.

The publishers themselves, however, may have become their own worst enemies, as the creation (however necessary) of the Comics Code Authority implemented stringent rules dictating the do's and don'ts of publishing a comic book.  The revitalization of superheroes sprang from this initial change, but ultimately altered the course of many heroes, forcing superhero comic books to become campy, silly versions of their prior incarnations.  Previously seen characters like Batman no longer tackled crooks and crime but now fought intergalactic beings, and carried shark repellent bat spray.  "And how come Batman doesn't dance anymore?  Remember the Batusi?"  Other heroes, like Superman, now had Krypto the Superdog, Streaky the Supercat, Comet the Super-Horse, and Beppo the Supermonkey.  Together, they formed the [*sigh*] Legion of Super-Pets.

While superheroes embarked on lighter antics than in the past, what was it that took the polish off the Silver, and ushered in the Bronze Age of Comics?  Like all other periods throughout history, no one person dictated the timeline of each era, so opinions vary depending on historians.

One historian and comics scholar, however, argues that the Bronze Age of Comics didn't get ushered in with a boom of lightning like the Silver Age, but instead appeared by a subtle, quiet "snap"...

[Stay tuned for my entry on The Bronze Age of Comics!]

Friday Fun-day!

I've been slowly compiling another historical piece to branch off from my initial piece, The Golden Age of Comics, but because it won't be finished today, I decided to let a little bit of the Joker out and go for inappropriate laughs!  Be sure to click on the images to enlarge them to read the text - usually key points, though sometimes the images themselves tell it all.

Mom & Dad, probably want to shut it down now.  If you read on, remember, I didn't draw these up.

ALL of these pictures have been lifted from superdickery.com - so a special thanks to them for brightening up our day.  The website started showcasing examples of Superman being, well, a dick, and evolved into a variety of humourous material, from scenes with unintentional homosexual undertones to scenes taken wildly out of context.  Nothing is off-limits.  With that, I bring you a few highlights - go to superdickery.com for more.

If you think I'm taking other people's work and putting my own comments on it, you'd be exactly right.  But this is a one time thing, I don't plan on making a career out of it.

Like I'd just take stuff from the Internet and jack it as my own material.

Who do you think I am, Daniel Tosh or something?

Green Lantern

I bet Ryan Reynolds asks to have this line put in "Green Lantern 2"

Superman

Nothing sketchy here!

Best leave this one alone.

...

Such confidence...

"Why won't Bruce return my calls...?"

Marvel Comics

The title says it all!

"Hulk... confused...?"

Wow.  Just wow.

Easy, Spider-Man!  That statement is exactly what got Sean Avery in trouble!

Hey!  What did I just say!

"Now, now, Thor's got enough mighty Mjolnir for everyone."

Looks like the Hulk's anger isn't the only thing raging!

Subtle Scenes...

I got your key to mystery, RIGHT HERE!

I don't know what comic this is from, but "Toni Gay?"  "Butch  Dykeman?"

Archie Comics

Read Betty's "offer" at the top right...

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Interesting tactic to get the girl...

Batman

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"Of the Year??"

This caption was placed here by design, not by accident.
I mean, somebody had to judge "Of the Year."

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In the words of Archer, "Phrasing!"

Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent

Really?  Everybody thinks of their wife, you mention Robin??

...

If Batman and/or Robin are outed this June,
let's call this "precedence."

Hope you enjoyed a laugh!  Again, thanks to superdickery.com!  See you back here next week!