365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 23: Who's That Girl

Oh no! Spider-Gwen is in trouble! And for once it's not because she can't decide what to title her comic book. No, The Divine Ms. S. is having problems with her powers (well, ain't that just the Parker Stacy luck!) It's fortunate she has as her pal the local science prodigy, Reed Richards (no, no that one) builds her a couple power bands (©1969 Rick Jones & Mar-Vell) that provide her with the oomph she needs to take a bite out of crime.


Panels from Spider-Gwen (December 2015 series) #11 (June 2016), co-plot by Dennis Hopeless and Robbie Thompson, co-plot and script by Jason Latour, pencils and inks by Bengal, colors by Rico Renzi, letters by Clayton Cowles
Do you know what comes with phenomenal cosmic power?!?


That's right! You know the drill:


Less dramatic, but also of note: Gwen's Earth-65 gets the best fast-food mascots.

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 22: P = re2

Panels from "Twain & Einstein" in Tales Designed to Thrizzle #5 (March 2009); script, pencils, inks, an letters by Michael Kupperman

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 21: Oh shut up, Gwen

Panels from Spider-Man: Death and Destiny #1 (August 2000), script and pencils by Lee Weeks; inks by Richard Case and Robert Campanella; colors by Steve Buccellato; letters by Paul Tutrone

Today in Comics History: Joker is three weeks behind Ned Flanders in doing his taxes

Panel from "The Joker's Millions!" in Detective Comics #180 (February 1952), script by David Vern (?), pencils by Dick Sprang, inks by Charles Paris
Joker pays his taxes on January 31? He must be registered as a self-employed Clown of Crime.


Oh, I see, they're fictional taxes. Man, Gotham City is weird. Mind you, when this story was written and published, the United States Tax Day was actually March 15. I remember this actual fact because it was the key clue in figuring out an Ellery Queen story in which "all the evidence has been lain before you." yeah, including quaint antiquated tax deadlines. (It's the March story in Mister Queen's delightful Calendar of Crime, and I recommend it with only that one slight tax-deadline hesitation.)

Here's some other stuff Joker does in the couple weeks between today and the end of the month:

Paints a monkey's face and locks him up with Batman!:


Turns Batman and Robin into ushers!:


Attends a swanky cabaret where the posh entertainment is a panda!:


Breaks the boundaries of the Scott McCloud-designated comics panel border!:


So if you think you've got a couple rough weeks comin' up: consider the Joker. Won't you?

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 20: How do you know that Batman is an atheist?

How can you not? He won't shut up about it.


Panels from Batman #470 (October 1991), script by Alan Grant, pencils by Norm Breyfogle, inks by Rick Burchett, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by Todd Klein

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 19: Spider-Man suddenly wakes up in the MCU

Q: What's wrong with this picture?


Panel from Secret War #4 (May 2005), script by Brian Michael Bendis, painted art by Gabriele Dell'Otto, letters by Cory Petit
A: Spider-Man doesn't have a wife, silly! At least...I don't remember him ever having one.

Say, does it smell like sulphur around here?

Today in Comics History: Carter delivers the mail

Panel from Doomsday Clock #10 (July 2019), script by Geoff Johns, pencils and inks by Gary Frank, colors by Brad Anderson, letters by Rob Leigh

365 Days of Power and Responsibility, Day 18: SOME PIG

Well, I never said 365 Days in a row.

One of the things I was doing when my head burst into flame last year (and I think we all know how painful that can be) was collecting usages of the phrase "With great power, there must come great responsibility" from those comicky books we love so much. Even though I hadn't posted any of 'em since (gulp) a year and a day ago, I've still been clipping them out them and thus reducing the value of my collection, but I've also been considering how widespread the phrase is. As you might've seen that far in 2019, it's not just restricted to Spider-Man comics. It has become a genuinely rubber-stamped TV Trope, even though I can't clip out segments from TV. Believe me, I've tried, and it's not gonna happen with these kiddie safety scissors.

A good hero learns that with great power comes great responsibility. But...did you also know this:


Panels from "Boared Again!" in Spider-Man Annual (2019 series) #1 (August 2019), script by Jason Latour, pencils and inks by David Lafuente, colors bgy Rico Renzi, letters by Joe Caramagna
So if a pig can remember it — sorta — you can remember it. And thanks for being patient!

The Uncanny Return of Ten of a Kind: You Knocked My Block Off!

See also:

• I'm not done, and I won't be 'til my head falls off
• A Good Head Off Your Shoulders
• (And there's lots more Ten of a Kind here!)

More Real Facts: Are you ready for the world of tomorrow?

Panel from "The Rocket Lanes of Tomorrow" in Real Fact Comics #1 (March-April 1946); script, pencils, and inks by Joe Simon and Kirby Kirby; letters by Howard Ferguson
Well, that didn't happen.