Great classic comic collection DC Showcase Hawkman Vol. 2

I (Rob) just finished reading and thoroughly enjoying DC SHOWCASE PRESENTS HAWKMAN VOLUME 2. It was over 500 pages of vintage stories from the 1960s featuring one of my favorite all-time superheroes, Hawkman! 
    Hawkman is Katar Hol, an honored police officer on his homeworld of Thanagar. Along with his wife Shayera, they use the anti-gravity ninth (also known as Nth) metal and their wings to fight criminals. These were the tools of an elite police unit tasked to track and apprehend the most dangerous criminals. They came to Earth and took the identities of Carter and Shiera Hall, curators of a history museum. 

Written by Gardner Fox, Bob Haney and others Art by Murphy Anderson, Gil Kane, Joe Kubert and others Cover by Anderson Over 500 pages of classic Hawkman adventures, from the pages of HAWKMAN #12-27, ATOM & HAWKMAN #39-45, ATOM #31, and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD

 ***Of Special Interest to Comics Fans*** Included is the story: 'Queen Jean, Why Must We Die?' It revealed that the Atom's fiancée Jean Loring was the descendent of aliens who had crashed on Earth in the Stone Age. Returned from sub-molecular exile the survivors drove her insane -- because their hereditary rulers must be free of all care -- before the heroes could rescue -- but not cure her. This tale would provide much of the basis for Loring's actions in contemporary sagas Identity Crisis and Countdown to Final Crisis!! 

My 1975 Comic Book to be Displayed at Sherlock Holmes Museum, U.K.!

The comic to be displayed in London!

While I (Rob) was going through my extensive comic book collection (I've been collecting since the mid-1970s) I came across DC Comics' Sherlock Holmes #1 from 1975. Instead of selling it, I decided to try and make more of a mark with it, because we were so impressed by London's Sherlock Holmes Museum. 
  So, I wrote to the curator, explained about the comic, and offered to send it there for display. After all, it is 38 (almost 39) years old. It was graciously accepted and will be put on display there!  We are so excited!

 Here's my email and the response. 
   Dear Ms. van Ehernstein - As a U.S. fan of Sherlock Holmes, I had the good fortune to visit the museum during my first visit to the U.K. in 2012, and really enjoyed it!   I am writing because I wanted to offer the museum a collectable Sherlock Holmes #1 DC Comics comic book that I've had in my collection since 1975! It's over 38 years old, and I thought the museum would appreciate the copy to possibly display (pictured below).
   I've been collecting comics since I was a child in the 1960s, and this is one of the oldest Sherlock Holmes series that I recall, and it's from the U.S., which makes it more unique. (I know that a lot more have cropped up since this came out).
  If the museum would like it, I would be happy to send it your way (free of charge of course). I would rather it go to the museum, than sell it as I really loved my visit.
   Here is the response! 

Thanks Rob for your kind offer. We really would like to display this in the museum as it should draw a lot of interest. If you would like us to put a credit with your name, such as "Rob Gutro/Tom Williams, Bowie, Maryland USA" please let me know.  Could you send the copy to our office address. We're excited about displaying it for the benefit of our visitors.

If I can assist further please let me know.

Yours sincerely

Andrea von Ehrenstein, Curator
The Sherlock Holmes Museum, 221b Baker Street, London NW1 6XE
Tel: 0207-224-3688 www.Sherlock-Holmes.co.uk

Check Out the SUPERMAN reboot in Action Comics

It's no secret that I love Superman (Batman, Green Lantern, Flash and others) and still collect comics. 

   This past September, DC Comics rebooted all of its comics and took some back to a time early in their careers.

    ACTION COMICS is set 10-15 years in the past, and 5 years prior to the current JUSTICE LEAGUE arc, and shows us a young Superman, in his early 20s, just having moved to Metropolis… and ready to save the world.. by any means necessary.

 My comics shop- Third Eye in Annapolis said in its blog: "In the first four issues of Action, Morrison has done SO much awesome stuff, from introducing big time Superman bad guys like Metallo (and hinting at Brainiac), to supporting cast like Steel and Jimmy Olsen, to the Bottle City of Kandor… it’s incredible.   His portrayal of Luthor is especially interesting."

Now, in Action #5, out this week, "Morrison is doing something that is especially huge… he’s retelling, and redefining the origins of SUPERMAN  in the 21st century, while not throwing away concepts that came before, but modernizing others," Third Eye Comics said.  ***I can't wait! The first 4 issues were great!***

Action Comics #1 Fetched More Than 2 Million Dollars!

Who says comic books aren't good investments? I still collect them including Superman, Batman, Supergirl, Justice League, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Batgirl and others.  They're written for adults with complex social and emotional themes, as well as the good vs. evil.

A copy of the first issue of Action Comics, featuring Superman's debut, has become the world's most expensive comic, fetching $2.16m (£1.4m).

It was auctioned online for a starting bid of just $1, with a reserve price of $900,000.
The buyer or seller's name was not disclosed, but there is speculation it was owned by actor Nicolas Cage.
It is the first time a comic book has broken the $2m barrier. The issue was published in 1938 and cost 10 cents.
About 100 copies of Action Comics No 1 are thought to be in existence, and only a handful of those are in good condition.
Another copy of the same issue sold for a then record-breaking $1.5m in March last year.
But that one was not in as good condition as the copy that sold on Wednesday through New York-based ComicConnect.
It is said to have been stolen in 2000 and was thought lost until recovered in a California storage shed in April this year - just like an issue owned by Nicolas Cage.
The Hollywood star - who has a son called Kal-El, the Man of Steel's birth name - bought his copy of Action Comics No 1 for $150,000 in 1997.
Connoisseurs of the comic world say this type of investment has become popular during troubled economic times because rare collectibles hold their value more reliably than property or shares.
STORY: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15978677

Pearls Before Swine comic is perfect for Tom!

This is the comic strip of "Pearls Before Swine" from 9-27, and this is perfect for Tom. Rob would be the goat character and Tom would be the rat character. This is so true! 

Aquaman at the Baltimore Comic-Convention!

On Sunday, I (Rob) went to the Baltimore annual comic-convention while Tom stayed home and did stuff around the house (it's not his thing). So, I met our friend (also named Tom) and we shopped the convention floor getting good bargains on comic books, graphic novels, and figurines of superheroes (our friend collects them). After a quick sandwich, and Rob changed into his Aquaman outfit we were back for the 1pm costume contest. There were over 150 contestants!! It was a long process, so after I walked in front of the judges (2 1/2 hours later), my friend and I left. At that point I didn't care if I won anything- BUT, the entire couple of hours as Aquaman was awesome! I got my picture taken with a woman dressed as Hawkgirl; then with a couple dressed as "Batman Beyond" (from the future) and Batwoman; a muscle-bound trojan soldier; and Dr. Strange! It was fun. While waiting in line for the contest, I talked a lot to a guy dressed up as the Batman villian Two-Face, and 6 foot 5 guy in a Superman outfit.
When we left the convention, people on the street had called out "Aquaman!" and beeped their horns, too. Fun day!

What Comics Does Rob Read? Recommend?

Recently a friend of ours asked what comic books I (Rob) still read today. Mostly, I prefer the DC comics line of superheroes.
Superman, Batman and Robin, Batgirl, Red Robin (formerly Robin), Green Lantern, Flash, Action Comics (another series that includes Superman), Justice League of America, Justice Society of America, and the only Marvel Comics series I read is Captain America. Right now, I'm also reading the entire DC Comics "Brightest Day" storyline, which is the follow up to "Blackest night." I'm also trying out the brand new Zatanna comic line, which is pretty good!
RECOMMENDED GRAPHIC NOVELS - Graphic novels are extremely popular. They're simply compilations of monthly comics that depict complete storylines, and they're more for patient people (unlike me when it comes to superhero comics).
I recommend the new DC graphic novel of the "Blackest Night" storyline out of the Green Lantern series. This is one of the BEST storylines in comics history. So, what's that storyline about? Blackest Night involves a personified force of death resurrecting deceased superheroes and seeking to eliminate all life and emotion from the universe. Geoff Johns has identified the series' central theme as "emotion."[2] The crossover was published for eight months via a limited series, as well as in both the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps comic titles. FOR VIDEO:http://www.dccomics.com/sites/greenlantern/

"Blackest Night' is right up there with DC's Infinite Crisis, and Crisis on Infinite Earths (from the mid-2000s and 1984). AVOID "Final Crisis." That was a stupid waste of time.
Tom just read the graphic novel of "1602" by Marvel comics, where the characters (superheroes of today) are placed in that time period. He said its a great story.

'Tales from the Crypt' Comic Book Features Palin

Here's a strange comic book that I wouldn't buy... but I guess they're parodying Palin because of her call to ban books in Alaska. Last year Obama and McCain were depicted heroically in their own comics. This year its the ex-Alaskan governor. Personally, I think it works- it would be a horror story! :) Ooooooh...
Sarah Palin is horror-fied in 'Tales from the Crypt'
11:36 AM PT, Oct 18 2008
"Tales from the Crypt" is about to take a whack at the nation's most famous hockey mom.
The next issue of the horror comic book has Sarah Palin, GOP vice presidential candidate, depicted on its cover swinging a hockey stick and rousting the ghoulish "Crypt" characters made famous in the book's gory glory days back in the 1950s.
"Didn't we get rid of you guys in the 50's?" the Alaska governor asks with a sneer as she scatters the Vault-Keeper and his creepy mates from a stone castle doorway. The poltician is wearing a campaign button that reads "Palin-McCain" -- as well as a red top with a plunging neckline.
The cover is a reference to two instances of content debate, one that played out on a national stage and the other a seemingly minor moment in Alaska that has been made major by the current political season.
"Tales from the Crypt " became one of the signature names in horror and American pop culture after five years of memorable mayhem that ended in 1955. That was after months of intense pressure and new industry regulations targeting the lurid comics, spurred by televised Senate subcommittee hearings on juvenile delinquency and its causes.
Palin, meanwhile, has taken heat for some overtures she made in 1996 while as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Criticized after reports that she sought to ban books from a local public library, the GOP candidate has said that on two occasions she asked "a rhetorical question" about removing objectionable books from shelves, but that she never pursued it or mentioned specific titles.

Free Comic Book Day is This Saturday: May 2nd!

At 46, I still collect comic books- and I must say, they're extremely well written, and most have incredible artwork. I love Justice League of America, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Captain America and others. These are written for Adults. They're not like the comics of the 1960s and 1970s we grew up with. (Although there are superhero versions for kids today). Comic books inspired me to read, and I learned how to write better and create stories. When I didn't know a word that Batman said, for example, I'd look it up and remember it. SO, if you have children, get them involved in reading comic books. Now I write for a living, and I read a novel a week (plus all my comics). There's nothing like reading and writing. - Rob
What is Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for their participation and rules.

Comic Book Review: Final Crisis various series

For those of you who aren't comic book fans, you can skip this blog entry!
I just finished reading the last of DC Comic's "Final Crisis" issues (#7). When I read Final Crisis #6 and saw the introduction of that "wish machine" or whatever the hell it was, I knew that Superman would be the one to "put everything back to normal." - Besides him, in "Final Crisis Revelations" #5 (I think it's called that) the Spectre erases all of the bad things. To sum these storylines up, here's this horrible crisis where the world is chaos, and Oh, at the end of the world and multiverse, we'll come up with some machine that fixes everything. Stupid... and sending Batman back into prehistory or wherever the heck he is, was another stupid thing. If Superman could make things "right" then he could have resurrected Batman in present day. It's non-sensical and frustrating. Now I'm sorry I even bothered with Final Crisis. The Superman in 3-D was also horrible and not worth $4.50 per issue. The only saving graces: The Spectre (IMAGE FROM THE COVER- Credit: DC Comics) storyline was good, and so IS the Legion of Three worlds storyline (which is still going on), both of which really have nothing to do with the "Final Crisis" and Darkseid. Meanwhile, the storyline in Green Lantern, "Rage of the Red Lanterns" that started as a Final Crisis one-shot special and went into GL's own book, is a great storyline. That's it from Rob's comicbook corner!

Review of "Final Crisis #6"

I just finished reading DC Comics' "FINAL CRISIS" #6 (out of 7), and I'm no more pleased with this issue than I was of the last one. First, the story is miserable. Secondly, it's totally disjointed. We're seeing snapshots of the Japanese child characters that appeared #1, and no one knows who they are and why we should care about them. Third, what they did to Batman (I won't give it away). I'm really fed up with this. It was supposed to be a great series. It's far from it. The only good Final Crisis issues are the "Legion of 3 worlds" series; and the one-shot of the villain's (Libra) origin. I'm very disappointed.

DC Comic's "Final Crisis" - UGH!

(Image credit: DC Comics)
I'm a BIG fan of DC comics and their superheroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Hawkman, Red Tornado, and many more. I've been reading DC comics since my dad got me started on them back in the early 1970s when I was around 11 or 12. I've never stopped enjoying them since then.
Recently, DC Comics started a new series that is supposed to revamp the foundations of a number of their major characters. It's called "FINAL CRISIS." This follows the really enjoyable and awesome "Infinite Crisis" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths" series in the 1980s and then 1990s, where the "multiverse" and all of the DC heroes faced universal and multiverse challenges. Those were GREAT classic stories.
This year, DC has done "Final Crisis." Some of the spin-offs are good, like "Legion of 3 worlds," but Final Crisis in my opinion, is one of the darkest, most depressing, Confusing, fragmented, miserable stories I have EVER read in the history of comics.
I should say, that I've never, ever cared for the "New Gods" and Darkseid, the villain from another planet whose apparent plan is to send all humans to hell in servitude toward him, and has left the Earth a war-torn wasteland like today's photos of Iraq. He's also corrupted many of the superheroes with second and third stringer heroes to try and combat a world possessed of evil (all 6 billion people are already "gone"). After reading issue #5 (of 7) I'm SO disgusted, so disappointed and just so miserable reading it, that I don't want to finish the story - but I will out of curiousity. Just my opinion, but I think it's a horrible story.

Rob's Green Lantern Costume

Okay - here are the first photos of my Green Lantern Outfit! It's taken awhile to get it together. I ordered the top and bottom pieces at www.spandexman.com, and the customer service was fantastic. - I found the gloves, made the mask, bought a Green Lantern ring (2 years ago), spray painted my old cowboy boots green, and bought a lantern that I also spray painted green- so the outfit was complete! -
I made Dolly a Green Lantern shirt, too, to complement my outfit. She's the Green Lantern from the Dog Star. :)
This morning, I went to Third Eye Comics in Annapolis. I've been buying comics from this guy, Steve who owns this great shop - for years. He encouraged people to come by in their costumes, so I did. This is a photo of Steve, the comic shop owner and I.
Two other guys came in the shop in costume, one as "the Spirit" and the other as a Werewolf, so I took their picture as well. A little boy also came in with his dad, and the boy was dressed as Batman. I love comic book shops!