Zatanna Gallery by Dale Eaglesham

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2009 Fan Expo Canada Zatanna Sketch by Dale Eaglesham

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2006 Toronto Comic Con Zatanna Head Sketch by Dale Eaglesham

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2009 Montreal Comiccon Zatanna Sketch by Dale Eaglesham

2010 Justice League of America #217 Twin Pocket Folder and Notebook Style #3009DC

I grew up watching the Superfriends cartoon, but it was this 1983 George Pérez comic book cover that made me realize that the Justice League of America was an entirely different beast. This remains one of my favorite covers of all time, so when Rob Kelly blogged about a stretchable fabric book cover, I pricked up my ears, even though I had no use for such a thing. Then The Irredeemable Shag posted about a notebook with the art at Firestorm Fan, and I figured I could always use a writing tablet. In fact, my girlfriend was pushing for me to buy a bunch of school supplies, since she's a student and Office Depot junkie, and I'm just getting started with my full time continuing education. I showed her the blog post, and the very next day, she gave me the 2010 Wonder Woman #302 Notebook and Twin Pocket Folder, the JLofA ones, and another besides. Woo-hoo!



The simple twin pocket folder has a consistent color scheme from front to back and on into the interior pockets. The inside wall is white, though, and the actual art stops on the front cover. The back cover has a nice big DC 75th anniversary logo with art by Ed Benes and Jim Lee, plus a smaller version in the bottom left corner.



Now, here's the original cover from '83, and this clearly is not a Detroit era job, with Superman hogging up so much of the space. Unusually, our girl Zatanna manages a prominent center position, slightly overshadowed by Wonder Woman, but the white of her costume really draws your eye. In fact, whenever I think of this cover, it's Zatanna, Superman and Wonder Woman I most easily recall, in that order. Typically, finding more of our guys takes some scanning around. Unfortunately, that only amounts to the men Elongated and Aquatic, and both suffer the indignity of having their legs chopped off thanks to the funky cropping job done on these school supplies. Ralph comes out the best of the two, since he's got the neck stretch thing, making his the biggest head shot around. The only thing fish out of Waterman had going for him was a dramatic sprint, which is totally negated here. If you can't find Batman or Martian Manhunter, it's because they're not there. J'Onn J'Onzz was a year out from returning top Earth, while the Dark Knight had quit the group with Green Arrow/Green Lantern flair to form the Outsiders.

I like to treat Firestorm as an associate of the team, and he looks nice there at the lower left, but I think he deserved Red Tornado's spot. Then again, Red Tornado never deserves a spot, so Metamorpho would be an improvement. Come to think of it, notice the absence of the Flash and Green Lantern? I didn't, which is a testament to the grandeur George Pérez lends and the undervalued quality of later Satellite Era additions!



Moving on to the notebook, you can see that judicious photoshopping was applied to the original cover price and UPC code, which I think turned out okay. The art dimensions on the folder and notebook worked out so that they're nearly identical, which puts aside the disparities in art reproduction found on other covers in this line.



Innovative Designs, LLC puts these out under the DC Comics Originals branding. The notebook itself is great, with sturdy but flexible rubber binding that won't warp like my old aluminum ones did back in grade school. The covers are cardboard, and a tad then, but a quality glossy stock. The inside covers are black, with eighty wide ruled lined pages in between. I have to say again that I'm not only very happy to have such swell looking supplies, but that they offer the rare inclusion of non-headliner Motor City Leaguers, especially Zatanna!

Motor City Links

I missed posting October solicits, so we'll do two for one this month.

BRIGHTEST DAY #11-12
Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
#11 cover by DAVID FINCH & SCOTT WILLIAMS
#12 cover by DAVID FINCH
1:10 Variant covers by IVAN REIS
Don’t miss the hottest event in comics as the biweekly BRIGHTEST DAY continues with the return of the Black Lanterns! Has time run out for our resurrected heroes? Plus, you must not miss the stunning origin of the new Aqualad, the battle between Aquaman and Black Manta, and the bizarre journey of Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond as they delve into the inner workings of the Firestorm matrix and uncover its secret!
Retailers please note: These issues ship with two covers each. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
Issue #11 on sale OCTOBER 6
Issue #12 on sale OCTOBER 20
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I like the Aquaman stuff. The rest-- eh.

BRIGHTEST DAY #13-14
Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
1:10 Variant covers by IVAN REIS
Don’t miss the hottest event in comics as BRIGHTEST DAY continues with the search for a new White Lantern. And Martian Manhunter returns to Mars as we discover the origin of the creature mysteriously stalking him. Plus, the evil within Firestorm now haunts Professor Stein! And Hawkman: betrayed!
Retailers please note: These issues ship with two covers each. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
Issue #13 on sale NOVEMBER 3
Issue #14 on sale NOVEMBER 17
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

So that's how Batman ended up with a new gray costume.!

DC COMICS PRESENTS: YOUNG JUSTICE #1
Written by TODD DEZAGO
Art and cover by MIKE MCKONE & HUMBERTO RAMOS
Because you demanded it! Collecting the out-of-print JLA: WORLD WITHOUT GROWN-UPS 2-issue miniseries, this is the story that started it all for Young Justice. Featuring Robin, Impulse, Superboy and the JLA and art by Mike McKone (TEEN TITANS) and Humberto Ramos (IMPULSE, Wolverine)
On sale OCTOBER 27 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

BRIGHTEST DAY VOL. 1 HC
Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF SCOTT CLARK and JOE PRADO
Cover by DAVID FINCH
Don’t miss this hardcover collection of BRIGHTEST DAY #0-7, the follow-up to the best-selling comics event BLACKEST NIGHT, written by Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi with interior art by today’s hottest artists including Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syaf and more!
Once dead, twelve heroes and villains have been resurrected by a white light expelled from deep within the center of the Earth. Called a miracle by many and a sign of the apocalypse by others, the reasons behind the group’s rebirth remain a mystery.
Now, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Deadman, Jade, Osiris, Hawk, Captain Boomerang and Zoom must discover the mysterious reason behind their return and uncover the secret that binds them all in this first volume!
On sale DECEMBER 1 • 256 pg, FC, $29.99 US

Not the best representation for the Detroit Leaguers here-- not even Batman!

AQUAMAN

Arthur Curry vs. The World

So Aquaman found this on the bottom of the ocean by CHRIS SAMNEE

BATMAN

Batman In The Future! (1950) (Atomic Surgery)

ComicsAlliance's 18 Best Batman Panels

Batman Drives In Style With Custom-Made Tumbler Golf Cart

1979 General Mills cereals Batman promo comics: "The Man in the Iron Mask!", "The Joker's Happy Victims!, "The Case of Batman II!, "The Penguin's Fowl Play!"

Jeffery Klaehn's Chuck Dixon Interview

Pajiba's 15 Worst Comic Book Movies Of All Time

Love, Bruce Wayne Style

BATMAN, INC. #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
1:25 Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT
1:200 Sketch variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Grant Morrison continues his earth-shattering run on the Batman titles with this exciting, new ongoing series! Featuring art by the remarkable Yanick Paquette (SEVEN SOLDIERS: BULLETEER), BATMAN, INC. marks the next stage of evolution for The Dark Knight. This can’t-miss series will star not just Bruce Wayne as Batman, but also a huge number of guest-stars! Don’t miss out on this all-new start to a stunning direction for Batman!
Retailers please note: This issue ships with three covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale 3 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Kind of nice to see the gray back, but it could use more blue and less codpiece.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1
Written by DAVID FINCH
Art by DAVID FINCH & SCOTT WILLIAMS
Cover by DAVID FINCH
1:25 Variant cover by ANDY CLARKE
1:200 Sketch variant cover by DAVID FINCH
Comics superstar David Finch takes full creative control (both writing and illustrating!) on this brand-new Batman monthly series! Joined by the best of the best – Scott Williams – on inks, this new series is sure to be on everyone’s must-read pile! Delving into the more supernatural and esoteric areas of Gotham City, the 6-part storyline explores the horrific murder of one of Bruce Wayne’s childhood friends…and the terrible ramifications the brutal crime has on Batman’s life!
Retailers please note: This issue ships with three covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale 24 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Has Finch written anything since Ascension, or ever written anything by himself? Not that it matters at DC anymore.

MARTIAN MANHUNTER

Martian Manhunter: Blank Canvas for Symbols, Too?

1988 Justice League International Postcards: Martian Manhunter

CITIZEN STEEL

JSA ALL-STARS #11
Written by MATTHEW STURGES
Co-feature written by JEN VAN METER
Art and cover by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Co-feature art by TRAVIS MOORE & DAN GREEN
In the conclusion of “Glory Days,” Cyclone is pushed past her limit when the Paradoran gods threaten the one she cares for most.
And in the final chapter of the Liberty Belle/Hourman co-feature: the secret power of the artifact that they’ve been hunting may doom the planet!
On sale OCTOBER 6 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

JSA ALL-STARS #12
Written by MATTHEW STURGES
Art by HOWARD PORTER & ART THIBERT
Cover by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
The All-Stars are drawn into deep space, leaving one of their own powerless back on Earth with the task of trying to rebuild a normal human existence! Unfortunately, being alone leaves them vulnerable to an attack from within!
On sale 3 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

...

ZATANNA

ZATANNA #6
Written by PAUL DINI
Art by YANICK PAQUETTE & MICHEL LACOMBE
Cover by STEPHANE ROUX
1:10 Variant cover by BRIAN BOLLAND
Zatanna has been taken captive by the demon who intends to steal her soul – and it’s up to her playboy gadabout of a cousin, Zach Zatara, to free her!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. See the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale OCTOBER 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

ZATANNA #7
Written by PAUL DINI
Art by JESUS SAIZ
Cover by STEPHANE ROUX
While touring the world with her father as a child, Zatanna was nearly killed by a sinister puppetmaster named Oscar Hempel. But Hempel died long ago – didn’t he? If he’s dead, then who’s pulling the strings of that remarkably evil-looking puppet over there? Don’t miss this twisty, creepy thriller!
On sale 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #16
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by ANDRES GUINALDO
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
Secrets involving the “Return of Bruce Wayne” affect all three Sirens and set the girls against each other in a brutal display of their villainous roots! Guest-starring Zatanna and Talia al Ghul.
On sale SEPTEMBER 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #17
Written by PETER CALLOWAY
Art by LEE GARBETT
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
Catwoman’s been kidnapped, and now Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn must team up with Talia al Ghul and Zatanna to free her before she gives up her most valuable secret – a secret that will force Talia to desperate measures!
On sale 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

TINY TITANS #34
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
The Look-A-Like Issue! Did you ever wonder why Superboy and Zatara look the same? Well, the Tiny Titans do! What would happen if they switched costumes? Would anyone notice? Would Superboy become a magician? Would Zatara be able to fly without a cape? The answers lie within this issue!
On sale 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Man, that's a lot of Zatara action in two months!

Zatanna by Stephanie Buscema

Check out Stephanie Buscema's Blog

The Top 20 Mera Covers

20) Aquaman #11 (October, 1963)

The obligatory first appearance cover swats away a handful of better pieces to hold the very bottom slot.

19) Aquaman #19 (February, 1965)

It's nice to see Mera's love so great that she'd die to swim by her man. That sentiment will not be consistent, though.

18) Aquaman #55 (February, 1971)

The scales and expression sold me.

17) Aquaman #73 (November, 2000)

Head and shoulders above Mera's usual cover prominence.

16) Aquaman #14 (April, 1964)

See? Now not only isn't Mera staying with Aquaman until the day he dies, but she's dragging off his kid sidekick so he won't, either. Aquaman is begging for help! Good Lord...

15) Aquaman #46 (August, 1969)

This one was in contention for my top twenty Aquaman covers list , but you can only have him holding an unconscious Mera so many times...

14) Justice Leagues: Justice League of Atlantis #1 (January, 2001)

The first strong, proactive Mera cover of the list, and a solid full body shot. Shame there are five other such bodies in contention.

13) Aquaman #40 (August, 1968)

Yeah, I'm getting tired of helpess Mera covers too, but this is the epitome of the helpless Mera cover.

12) Brightest Day #3 (Early August, 2010)

This one rose three spots from the Aquaman list, but rates lower than other covers shared with this list. That's because Aquaman is the pimpin' leader with a babe on his chest, while for our purposes Mera is the only fawning character on this darned thing.

11) Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2 (March, 2010)

A rare solo heroine Mera cover-- and it's a Wonder Woman comic? This would have rated higher if the Undead Amazon didn't hafta-chokabitch, and if Mera didn't look like a Barbie doll left in algae.

10) Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #41 Variant Cover (June, 2006)

That may be the wrong Aquaman, but Mera brings her A-game fawning here. You hug those knees, girl!

9) Aquaman #22 (July, 1965)

Two buxom Meras in skintight outfits waving surrogate penises at each other? Plus tentacles? No wonder Aquaman's so anxious!

8) Aquaman #3 (August, 1989)

There's a whole slew of '60s & '70s damsel in distress covers amongst the honorable mentions, but once Arthur Jr. died, Mera flipped a switch. Ever since, she's been defined by her fury, and pictures like this of her trying to reach Aquaman's balls through his throat. That collar sells the madness, like the queen bee on a soap opera.

7)Aquaman #18 (November,1964)

Up four places from the Aquaman list, and yet... honestly? I don't like this cover. It's a landmark issue and a joyous occasion, but it's framed like a bad TV show.

6) Aquaman #34 (February, 1968)

Someone to watch over me...

5) Justice League of America #242 (September, 1985)

I'm very fond of this cover, and wrestled with having it on Aquaman's list before it ended up an honorable mention. I have issues with the ink embellishment, but the design is wonderfully optimistic. I'm happy to have a second chance to rectify the omission.

4) Aquaman #62 (June, 1978)

#8 on the Aquaman list, and you know Mera's pain and anger are real by her ability to visibly cry under the sea.

3) Aquaman #4 (September, 1989)

Super-heroes rising from the grave was already a cliché in 1989, but something about this design makes it really creepy. Maybe it's Arthur Junior already residing in a little casket. Maybe it's the knowledge that the stakes are always higher in an Aquaman comic, making his remorse here real. Maybe it's the murderous rage against her husband that landed Mera in that coffin to begin with. All I know is this cover forever altered my perception of the character.

2)Aquaman #12 (September,1995)

Sexy, tough, a little crazy and a lot to handle. The best solo Mera cover yet!

1) Aquaman #33 (October, 2005)

This one came in at #5 on my Aquaman list. In retrospect, I wish I'd ranked it higher. I love this image, and its easily one of my favorite covers featuring either character.

Honorable Mention:
Aquaman #13 (1962)
Aquaman #17 (1962)
Aquaman #23 (1962)
Aquaman #24 (1962)
Aquaman #26 (1962)
Aquaman #27 (1962)
Aquaman #34 (1962)
Adventure Comics #441
Adventure Comics #450
Adventure Comics #466
Justice League of America #243
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. XV
Aquaman #48 (1994)
Aquaman #55

This is Super-Heroine Top Cover Weekend! Check out these other lists:

• The Top 10 Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) Covers
• The Top 20 Donna Troy Covers
• The Top 5 Miss Martian Covers
• The Top 10 Nightshade Covers

2010 DC Comics Brightest Day Aquaman Magnet

Aquaman has always been the proverbial whipping boy of the DC universe, but sooner or later maybe the general public will start taking him seriously. Everybody is always harping on the talking to fish thing, the guy is the freaking King of Atlantis and that thing is at the bottom of the ocean! If you have ever seen any deep-water documentary or film, then you know that pressure tends to get a wee bit hairy in that bottomless depth. Now imagine what kind of muscles one would need to have to live down there! Aquaman is used to like ten million pounds of force per square inch of his body! Now that is some physical endurance training if you ask me. The Aquaman revolution begins today with this three and a half inch high by two and a half inch wide magnet! Aquaman is taking aim on all of the haters!
$4.99

To buy, click here.

DC75: The Birth of Aquababy! (Aquaman #23, 1965)

Within months of getting married, Mera was already preggers, which means she's either got an other-dimensional incubation period or a liberal view of pre-marital sex. Actually, that would explain the doe eyes those cute kids were casting each other's way before stroking down the aisle. Speaking of strokes, Mera somehow contracted a genetic defect passed down from Aquaman's mother to her via Aquapenis, which will kill her and her unborn child if left untreated. The Sea King set out to find a rare curative root, and one of his finny friends ends up being the one to get the job done. See, it's good to command sea life, even the ones you might have to pass on putting on your plate.

Most importantly, mother and child came out okay, and with an adorable grin, Arthur Junior, waves to readers who had likely never seen a major hero procreate before. Next time someone slags on Aquaman, point out he's proven he's more man than most of them long underwear types!

Check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial

DC75: Die Like A Sorcerer (Swamp Thing #50, 1986)

DC Bloodline's Truly Most Memorable Moments of the Dodranscentennial

Zatanna, her father Zatara, John Constantine, Mento, Baron Winter, Dr. Occult and Sargon the Sorcerer had all agreed to join in a mystic circle and project their collective energies into Hell itself to empower heroic champions there. Sargon's avatar fell, causing the Sorcerer to immolate from within on our plane, but not without a good deal of moaning and crying. A disgusted Zatara compelled, "Sargon, you are upsetting my daughter. For the honor of our profession, be silent and die like a sorcerer."



Casualties mounted as Zatanna herself began to burn, until her father cast a spell that saw him to his grave, instead. Although his daughter protested, "Too late, my love. Too late. Constantine... If you do not deliver my daughter safely from this place, my shade shall hound you through eternity. Is that understood?"



In order to maintain the circle of power, Zatanna was forced to continue holding her father's smoldering hand. The forces of good were ultimately triumphant, but Mento was left mad and Zatanna's romantic relationship with Constantine was over. Zatara, who had debuted in the same comic as Superman, perished a bit shy of his fiftieth anniversary in one of the tensest and most costly confrontation in comics to that point.



For the full story, read Swamp Thing #49-50 (June-July 1986), or check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial

DC75: Ralph Dibny Can't Keep It Together (Identity Crisis #1, 2004)

While looking into oversights in Comics Should Be Good's 75 Most Memorable Moments in DC Comics History, I went over the publishing lives of each member of the Detroit League. Aquaman will be the easiest to fill out, as he's lived an eventful, pioneering life in comics. Fully a quarter of all nominees to the CSBG list were Batman-related, and if anything was missed, I'll try to uncover it down the line. Outside of the types of folks that visit here, Steel and Vibe's only possible notoriety came at their deaths, while neither Vixen nor Gypsy even have one of those. By my own definition, Elongated Man and Zatanna moments are a bit of a stretch, but I've got to pull something out of my hat in the name of the team. These and other highlights from DC's three-quarters of a century will be collected at DC Bloodline's Truly Most Memorable Moments of the Dodranscentennial.



In retrospect, Elongated Man's being on the awful Michael Turner cover for Identity Crisis #1 alone should have been a major tip-off. Certainly Ralph's sharing his and Sue's romance at length with a random super-heroine had the alarm bells clanging. Still, I figured it meant one of my favorite supporting characters was about to go back on the dating market. As more attention was given to Sue's being alone in her house with an intruder, a realized the worm was turning, and worried for the girl. She died horribly, and the terrible revelations wouldn't end there. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the circumstances surrounding the end of Sue's life, though. The images that sit in my mind are of Elongated Man's inability to maintain his very pliable form at Sue's funeral, driving home the point that what set Ralph apart from every other super-heroes, not just the elastic ones, was the depths of his relationship with his wife. Once she was gone, what was there left for him.

While I won't be submitting the image as an all-time memorable moment, the instance in this book, and really this series, that rests in my heart is of Sue cupping Ralph's hand and pressing it to her cheek, she and Ralph worlds away from the lousy existence of modern super-heroes.