Category Archives: DC Comics
Tales from the Longbox – Iron Man #149-150 (1981)
Every other week, Jason Shayer will highlight an issue or a run of issues pulled from the horde of comic book long boxes that occupy more room in his house than his wife can tolerate. Each of these reviews will delve into what made that issue or run significant as well as discuss the creative personalities behind the work. “Long Box” refers to the lengthy, white cardboard boxes most comics find themselves stored within – bagged, alphabetized and numerically ordered.
Iron Man #149-150
Aug-Sep 1981
“Doomquest/Knightmare”
Writers – David Michelinie/Bob Layton
Artists – John Romita Jr./Bob Layton
Iron Man #149-150 is a great two-part story celebrating Iron Man’s 150th issue. Michelinie and Layton would revist this storyline in a sequel published in 1989 in Iron Man #249-250.
Tony discovers that an executive in his company has sold technology to Latveria, a country on Stark International’s black list. Iron Man intercepts the technology before it gets into Doom’s hands, but all that does in infurate Doom who then dispatches his minions to steal the technology back. They succeed and Tony decides to pay a “diplomatic” visit to Latveria and confronts Doctor Doom as Iron Man.
Their discussion leads to a physical confrontation: “You should not have done that, Errand boy. I was going to make your death a swift one!” But before anything can be resolved, one of Doom’s minons with a grudge, Hauptmann, sends them both back in time.
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World Declares Marshall Law: The Deluxe Edition On The Wednesday Run–April 17, 2013
Ah, the 1980’s: a decade of consumerism, no-so-great music and bad, bad hair. Well, some of the music was quite good but teased and/or poofed up hair was a horrible mistake! A horrible one!
Still, it was a good decade for comics. Stories and art became more sophisticated forms of literature, the graphic novel format came to the fore, and the medium became legit in eyes of the mainstream press. Sure, there was a lot of negativity to be passed around too. Superheroes became too dour, for one, and comic books themselves became altogether too violent, too graphic.
In 1987, you’d think that all of that negative press was due to one little comic book mini-series: Marshall Law.
Trailer Time: Man of Steel
We’ve been waiting a long time for a proper Man of Steel trailer. Well, wait no more. It’s finally dropped!
This trailer seems to have everything you could possibly want in a Superman film: slices of Americana, high action, super-speed flying, Kryptonian lore, a viable villain, and…punching! YES!
So now, with a little more context, has Zach Snyder hit Man of Steel out of the park?
The now-famous question near the end of the trailer is asked of mankind – but we here at Biff Bam Pop! ask it of you: what do you think?
Tales from the Longbox – Batman #400 (1986)
Every other week, Jason Shayer will highlight an issue or a run of issues pulled from the horde of comic book long boxes that occupy more room in his house than his wife can tolerate. Each of these reviews will delve into what made that issue or run significant as well as discuss the creative personalities behind the work. “Long Box” refers to the lengthy, white cardboard boxes most comics find themselves stored within – bagged, alphabetized and numerically ordered.
Batman #400
“Resurrection Night”
October 1986
Writer – Doug Moench
Artists – Art Adams, Terry Austin, Brian Bolland, John Byrne, Paris Cullins,Karl Kesel, Joe Kubert, Steve Leialoha, Rick Leonardi, Steve Lightle, Bruce Patterson, George Pérez, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ken Steacy, Tom Sutton, Ricardo Villagran.
In the fall of 1986, Batman celebrated his 400th issue anniversary and did it in style. Horror writer Stephen King penned the introduction to this issue:
“Maybe the real reason that Batman appealed to me more than the other guy [Superman]. There was something sinister about him. That’s right. You heard me. Sinister. Like The Shadow and the Moon-man of the pulps, like a vampire, Batman was a creature of the night.”
“I’d like to congratulate the Caped Crusader on his long and valiant history, thank him for the hours of pleasure he has given me, and wish him many more years of heroic crime-busting. Go get ‘em, Big Guy. May your Bat-Signal never fail, your Batmobile never run out of the nuclear pellets it runs on, your utility belt never come up fatally understocked at the wrong moment. And please, never come busting through my skylight in the middle of the night. You’d probably scare me into a brain hemorrhage… and besides, Big Guy, I’m on your side. I always was.”
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Time Again For Sci-Fi With Time Warp #1 On The Wednesday Run – March 27, 2013
The science fiction genre teaches you many things, but if there’s one specific lesson it reminds you of again and again, it’s that time is circular. Whether it’s a memorable episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation or a great read by Phillip K. Dick, events, we’re told, are meant to be repeated.
The same is true in comics.
Back in 1979-1980, DC Comics published the five-issue sci-fi anthology series, Time Warp. Today, the title comes back with a more sophisticated slant, courtesy of top industry writers and artists and published under the Vertigo Comics banner.
And boy! Is there a lot to look forward to here!
Mat Langford’s Gaming World – Injustice: Gods Among Us – Preview
I’ve watched a lot of clips and read a lot of articles online regarding Injustice: Gods Among Us. I’ll admit, it has my attention. It touts impressive graphics, an immersive story-line and what lookslike awesome, interactive and often multi-arena battles. The roster is chock full of your favourite DC characters including – but not limited to – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Bane…it’s pretty much an amalgamation of the entire DC universe into one game.
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Dear John…And A Constantine #1 On The Wednesday Run – March 20, 2013
Dear John,
It’s not me, it’s you. That’s the only explanation I can come up with for the current state of our relationship.
We’ve known each other for a long time now – very nearly thirty years – sharing tears and laughs and smokes and pints of ale together, but things haven’t been right between us for a while now, have they? Sure, there were good times, and I’ve told you about those days on a number of occasions. But lately, it feels like you’re not even here, never present the way I want you to be present. There have been some pretty dark times. None more so than last November. I won’t go into it now. I know you remember.
That November day hurt me, John. But I know, deep down inside your seemingly callous exterior and your mischievous, plotting habits, I know that it hurt you, too.
But hope springs eternal, doesn’t it? And this day, March 20, perhaps coincidentally the first day of spring, I still have hope for our us…
Fear Not The Sun With I, Vampire Vol. 2: Rise Of The Vampires On The Wednesday Run – March 13, 2013
Living in Canada’s largest city, my comic book loving pals and I are blessed with what seems like regular weekend occurrences of comic book conventions. Of course, they don’t happen every weekend. No, it only seems that way – especially as spring edges ever closer. Comic book conventions, you know, are a precursor to tulips.
Anyway, alongside this site’s Editor-In-Chief, Andy Burns, making out way through the aisles of long boxes, trades and hardcovers, t-shirts, toys and posters, I spied the trade paperback publication of volume one of DC Comics’ fantastic vampire tale, I, Vampire. It’s one of my favourite ongoing monthly reads right now. But like all good things, the series is about to come to an end. By next month, I, Vampire will be dead.
Today, with the publication of its second trade collection, I, Vampire is very much alive. Nay, it’s more than alive. Why, it’s very much transcendent!
And you need to discover why…
