Justice League #1 (October, 2011)

Five years ago DCnÜ.
A newfangled Parademon wanted to plant a bomb in Gotham City.
Batman followed.
Gotham City PD pursued both, guns blazing from helicopters.
Green Lantern hit Parademon with a fire truck construct.
Green Lantern surprised to learn Batman in real.
Cops shot at them both. People fear and hate super-humans.
Parademon escaped. Heroes pursued.
"Gotham's mine. Coast City's yours."
"No, this entire space sector is mine... unauthorized extraterrestrial presence in Gotham."
"Hold on a second... You're not just some guy in a Bat costume, are you? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"
Green Lantern was really cocky and arrogant.
Batman stole his power ring. Stupid Hal Jordan.
Parademon planted a Mother Box, then self-destructed for Darkseid.
Batman took Mother Box.
Maybe that publicly known alien guy Superman in Metropolis knew something?
Evidence Superman just finished a fight of his own.
Batman recognized potential threat of Superman. Green Lantern didn't.
Green Lantern beat up by Superman at super-speed.
Superman looked at Batman. "I don't handle easy. So... what can you do?"
High school football player Victor Stone had a train of scouts ready to offer him a scholarship. Just wanted absentee father to love him. Too busy with science work involving super-humans. Sad Vic.

"Justice League: Part One" was by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. As evidenced by the story title, more thought and originality was put into Johns' spelling of first name "Jeff" than into this story. It's basically a fifth of the plot points of Legends #1 with a fifth of the characters but five times the crosshatching and cover price. My go-to complaint about Star Wars: The Phantom Menace has been that if you asked any random person with a basic knowledge of the franchise to imagine their own Episode I, it would have been a more entertaining movie than what was produced. Ditto.

DCnÜ Year's Wildstormin' Eve

• Captain Atom: Armageddon #9 (August, 2006) @ Power of the Atom
• Demon Knights #2 (December, 2011) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• DC/WS DreamWar #6 (November, 2008) @ DC Bloodlines

2009 Vixen art by Flávia Güttler

Click To Enlarge


"It looks great in my humble CRT monitor, but her face gets messed up in those snazzy LCD monitors"

I think Mari looks great here-- so much so that I saved this piece to close out "The Year of the Vixen." At 129 posts, the initiative allowed her to unseat Aquaman and Zatanna as Queen of the blog. They haven't always been good posts-- hell, they've often been pretty crappy-- but they've at least been thoroughly researched (like hours sifting through deviantART's lousy search engine I'll never get back.) School and work responsibilities kept the year from being all that it could have been, and the imperative to get something posted every week often saw me sacrifice quality for quantity. The up side is that I have good material in progress to build from for 2012, which will not offer a weekly dose of the Lady Fox, but will contribute to her representation in meaningful ways. Since Mari and Aquaman dominated so much of the posting in 2011, I also figure it's time to give other members more attention (or at least getting poor neglected Steel his own character-specific menu like everyone else...)

2006 The Vixen color art by Jason Brown

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On my site, ive been doing a series of drawings of lesser known 'second string' JLA characters. Partially to entertain myself, partially to muck around with photoshop and try to add some new element into each image. This is Vixen. I was mostly just trying to get a dynamic pose. (PS-CS and a Wacom Tablet)

The feet suck, i know. ;)

Aquaman #3 (January, 2012)

Flashback: Tom Curry stood out on the dock of the bay, crying and telling his departed wife Atlanna what a good kid they had. Little Arthur ran up to see if his dad had spotted the whale he supposedly was on the lookout for every day at sunrise, "in case she came back."

Presently: The largest of the present Trench creatures tossed Aquaman around. When the Sea King tried to "VUU VUU VUU" it, the creature was briefly pained, then bit the hero's shoulder. Mera was introducing the smaller ones to the hell of getting cut to pieces by agua-fu. Aquaman continued his struggle against the boss creature until it got fed up, unleashed its bio-luminescence, and called the Trench beings to carry their food back home. A cop noted that they sounded like seals.

As dawn broke, Aquaman continued to be hassled by the cops while totally in the right, including pointing out that the fuzz should hold their fire around cocoons. The Trench had taken some of their prey alive, paralyzed inside the gooey shells.

Aquaman took one of the creature's bodies against military orders and leaped away. He explained to Mera that they would take it to Stephen Shin, the mysterious friend of his father's seen earlier in the photo album. He was a marine biologist who Tom had taken Arthur to as a boy to help develop his powers, "And then he tried to kill me... Because I wouldn't take him to Atlantis."



Shin was surprised to see Arthur again outside his house, but agreed to examine the Trench creature's body. It was somewhat like a piranha, and its energy needs would require the consumption of 20-30 times its body weight daily to simply function. A fluid they spit out caused paralysis in normal humans. The cocoons were made from a paste secreted from under its tongue. The sulfide minerals crusted in its gills indicated that its habitat was near hydrothermal vents of the kind found in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. "Out of the trench... Do you have any idea what this will do for me? With this I can get my credibility back." Or not, since Aquaman refused to leave the creature with Shin, despite his pleas and attempted barring of the exit with his frail body. The heroes were then off to investigate the trench...

"The Trench Part Three" was by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. This was my favorite issue so far, since I felt it had the best balance of back story, exposition, action, characterization and tantalizing morsels of future developments. A lot can come of a simple throwaway line like Shin's noting, "You still kept that trident. Despite all the trouble it might bring." Something is going on with his neck, as well. Anyway, the book remains gorgeous to behold, and while still a slight read, this time it was a satisfying one.

New 52's Day featuring Wildstorm

• The Huntress #2 (January, 2011) @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Stormwatch #3 (January, 2012) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Captain Atom: Armageddon #8 (July, 2006) @ Power of the Atom
• DC/Wildstorm DreamWar #1-5 (2008) @ DC Bloodlines

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Chrissy Zullo

Click To Expand & Enlarge


Hero's JLA 100 Project Friday

• The Atom & Aquaman by Mark Buckingham @ Power of the Atom
• JLA by Alex Ross @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Martian Manhunter by Jeff Lemerie @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

2010 Vixen Sketch Card by Manuel Hernandez

Click To Enlarge

2009 The Vixen art by Marcio Pazin

Click To Enlarge

The Top 10 Aquaman Covers of the 1980s

10) Adventure Comics #475 (September, 1980)

Honestly? I expect better than this from Bolland, as it's kind of bland. Weird concept, too. Makes the trio seem like a loser squad.

9) The Best of the Brave and the Bold #3 (December, 1988)

Fantastic Aquaman and Ocean Master, as expected from Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, but too much Batman.

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

Nice idea, but it comes off kind of stiff and staged.

7) Aquaman #4 (May, 1986)

A dramatic image, but between the pentagram and the new costume, barely registers as Aquaman. Great Ocean Master, though.

6) Aquaman #5 (October, 1989)

Command those fishies, sir!

5) Adventure Comics #478 (December, 1980)

Old school split decision cover, with a cameo by Black Manta and the complimentary art stylings of Dick Giordano.

4) Aquaman #4 (September, 1989)

Damned creepy, and it foreshadows the dark fantasy of the current series while calling back to the moody covers of the 1960s.

3) The Legend of Aquaman #1 (1989)

Curt Swan might not have been the ideal choice to launch a successful Aquaman series by 1989, but this is still a snazzy image that landed on some merch.

2) Aquaman #1 (June, 1989)

This is a badass art school project, but it seems a bit out of place applied to a guy commanding fishies. Careful that oar doesn't bean our hero!

1) Aquaman #1 (February, 1986)

It may be one of his shortest-lived looks/costumes, but this Aquaman cover composition is one of the best loved and memorable of all.

Their Top Covers of the 1980s

• The Atom @ Power of the Atom
• Doom Patrol @ DC Bloodlines
• Wonder Woman @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Martian Manhunter @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• DC75: Top Character Covers of the Dodranscentennial

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by John McCrea

Click To Expand & Enlarge


The Black Canary and the Vixen! There's a team-up I'd pay to see done right! So far, animation has done it best, though. Kudos to John McCrea for his character selection being so oddly specific that true love is indicated!

Hero's JLA 100 Project Friday

• JLA by Andy Smith @ Power of the Atom
• Donna Troy by Gene Ha @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Despero by Dean Haspiel @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!