Psylocke Psaturday #11: Nein means nein

You may remember in our previous installment of Psylocke Psaturday, I told you that things were going to start to get bad for Betsy Braddock. How bad? She is being molested by...


Aw, geez, no, Brian! Actually, "no" is correct: that's not Brian Braddock, Betsy's brother...and I think we can all agree to say "whew" at this point. Also, "Ick." That's actually Kaptain Briton ("Byron Brad-Dhok"), the delegate member of the Captain Britain Corps from Earth-794. He's swapped places with "our" Earth-616 Brian. I think it goes without saying that he's your traditional "evil mirror version," despite the lack of a goatee. Of course, the minute he starts pawing Betsy with his big greasy inter-dimensional hands, we know he's in for a whupping..










Panels from Captain Britain v.2 #6 (June 1985), script by Jamie Delano, pencils and inks by Alan Davis, letters by Annie Halfacree. Color version from Captain Britain trade paperback (1988), colors by Andy Seddon.
Well, that wasn't pleasant. Later, officials will arrive to take Kaptain Briton to prison the morgue. Because yes, Betsy killed him. And yours little stuffed truly, who usually argues heroes shouldn't never kill, says good! He deserved it. You go, Betsy! While this scene isn't surprising in comparison with today's psychic mutant assassin take-no-prisoners I'm a ninja in a bathing suit Psylocke, it was quite a shock at the time for a character who's been seen up until now as a powerful but fairly sweet English rose.

This week's Psylocke Psurveillance Psummary:

• Hair: purple.
• Eyes: blue.
• Outfit: bathrobe.
• Chin: Still pretty freakin' huge.
• Cumulative body count: 1.

Next week: You think things were bad this week? They're gonna get worse.


Panel from Captain Britain v.2 #13 (June 1985), script by Jamie Delano, pencils by Alan Davis, inks by Alan Davis and Noel Davis, letters by Annie Halfacree. Color version from Captain Britain trade paperback (1988), colors by Andy Seddon.

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 93

House ad for "The Line of DC Super-Stars," printed in World's Finest Comics #227 (January-February 1975)
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History, April 13: Elevator rides become so long that smoking is now encouraged on them

from Richard Stark's Parker: The Score (IDW, July 2012); adapted from the novel by Richard Stark; script, pencils, inks, color, and letters by Darwyn Cooke

Today in Comics History, April 12, 1977: Newspaper publishes cops' collective faces just so city council can laugh in them

from Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #5 (DC, March 2013), script by Len Wein, pencils and inks by Jae Lee, colors by June Chung, letters by John Workman

Perhaps not the best person to use a quote from, Marvel

Page from Sub-Mariner v.1 #72 (September 1974), script by Steve Skeates, pencils by Dan Adkins, inks by Vince Colletta, colors by Linda Lessmann, letters by Artie Simek

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 102

House ad for the first-ever comic book miniseries, World of Krypton #1-3 (July-September 1979); printed in Batman #312 (June 1979)
Ad art from World of Krypton miniseries, pencils by Howard Chaykin*, inks by Murphy Anderson

*But was that totally Chaykin art? Back Issue #62 gives us another view: that it's the layouts of Alan Kupperberg. The finished pencils over these layouts were by Chaykin, but under the heavy inks of Murphy Anderson (issue #1-2) and Frank Chiaramonte (#3), the "Chaykin look" is virtually absent.

Today in Comics History, April 12, 1862: James Andrews performs his one-man show Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln

from "The Andrews Raiders" in Real Fact Comics #5 (DC, November 1946); script by Jack Schiff, Mort Weisinger, and Bernie Breslauer; pencils and inks by Fred Ray

Bully's Sketchbook: Michael Dialynas (or, "Bullactus Hungers!")

One of my best long-time friends is the very funny Tommy G, founding member of the '80s,'90s, '00s and probably '10s comedy group Boffo Yux Dudes. You may remember me featuring their "Ballad of Henry Pym", and here's a lot of their really great audio comedy. Not only that, but Tom is a genuinely nice guy! He's a gentleman, and what's more he knows how to treat a little stuffed bull.

All of which leads to one of the coolest presents ever, because Tom commissioned a sketch of me to put in my Bully's Sketchbook. It's by comics artist Michael Dialynas, the co-creator and artist of Amala's Blade, now starting publication (the #0 ish just came out from Dark Horse and it's incredibly beautiful and fun)! Tom asked Michael for "a caricature of Bully in the style of Jack Kirby as a superhero or villain." And here's what I was delighted to receive:


THIS. IS. FANTASTIC.

Thank you, Tom, and thank you, Michael, for the most cosmic portrayal ever of a little stuffed bull! I shall be eating it later.

(Don't forget to check out Amala's Blade: issue #1 is on sale April 24 at your local comic book store and online!P

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 101

House ad for Superman #197 (June 1967); printed in Batman #192 (June 1967)
Comic cover art: pencils by Curt Swan, inks by George Klein, letters by Ira Schnapp
Ad designed and lettered by Ira Schnapp

Perhaps not the best way to crop that business card image, Marvel

Panels from Avengers Assemble #14AU (June 2013), script by Al Ewing, pencils by Butch Guice, inks by Tom Palmer, colors by Frank D'Armata, letters by Clayton Cowles

Today in Comics History, April 11, 2993: We interrupt this issue of Legion of Super-Heroes to give you an update on that Dungeons and Dragons™ game

text page from Legion of Super-Heroes (1989 series) #4 (February 1990), script by Tom Bierbaum and Mary Bierbaum

Today in Comics History, April 10: Frank Miller gets out his protractor

from Elektra Lives Again graphic novel (Marvel, 1990); script, pencils, and inks by Frank Miller; colors by Lynn Varley, letters by Jim Novak

Today in Comics History, April 10: George Lucas begins to regret creating Jar-Jar

from X-Statix #10 (Marvel, June 2003), script by Peter Milligan, pencils and inks by Philip Bond, colors by Laura Allred, letters by Nate Piekos

This is your brain on Vertigo. And this is your brain on the New 52. Any questions?

Wow, being reassigned to the New 52 has really done a harsh number on John Constantine:


Splash panel from "The Demon Horn" in Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion #15 (February-March 1974), script by Gerry Boudreau, pencils and inks by Gerry Talaoc
Wow. Where did John learn this behavior? He learned it from you! From you, okay?!?

Remember: friends don't let friends buy watered-down pale reflections of great comic books!

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 100

House ad for The Best of DC #6 [Superman] and DC Special Blue Ribbon Series #3 [Justice Society] (both July-August 1980); printed in World's Finest Comics #263 (June-July 1980)
Both comic covers: pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Dick Giordano
(DC Special Blue Ribbon Series #3 incorporates the covers of All-Star Comics #36 (art by Irwin Hasen) and #58 (art by Mike Grell))

Ad art by ???

Today in Comics History, Wednesday the 10th: Donald Duck discovers he weighs less than Daffy Duck

from "The Crazy Quiz Show" in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #99 (Dell, December 1948); script, pencils, inks and letters by Carl Barks

Today in Comics History, April 9: Commissioner Gordon has clearly missed the whole point of the sport of wrestling

from Batman #405 (March 1987), script by Frank Miller, pencils and inks by David Mazzucchelli, colors by Richmond Lewis, letters by Todd Klein

Bummer Comics

Oh hey, it's a comic about true life heroics by young people! That will inspire me and make me feel good all over and happy! Hooray for heroics!


Panel from "Heroics" in Batman #63 (February-March 1951), scripter and artist uncredited
Yep, there's nothing like a set of uplifting, cheer-out-loud stories of heroics that make you feel good to be alive and...


Oh, man.

...

Bummer.

Today in Comics History, Tuesday the 9th: Roving gangs of hooligan library books harass and beat up Donald Duck

from "The Crazy Quiz Show" in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #99 (Dell, December 1948); script, pencils, inks and letters by Carl Barks

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 99

House ad for Superman v.1 #207 (June 1968); printed in Batman #202 (June 1968)
Comic cover art: pencils and inks by Neal Adams
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino

Today in Comics History April 9, 1865: Abe Lincoln throws the most lackluster frat party ever

from Classics Illustrated #142 [Abraham Lincoln] (Gilberton, January 1958), script by Benjamin P. Thomas, pencils and inks by Norman Nodel

Comics News for April 8, 2013

Credits: Top: Margaret Thatcher in Avengers #319 (July 1990), script by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Rik Levins, inks by Chris Ivy, colors by Renee Witterstatter, letters by Bill Oakley. Middle: Batman #313 (July 1979), script by Len Wein, pencils by Irv Novick, inks by Frank McLaughlin, colors by Glynis Wein, letters by Ben Oda. Bottom: Wonder Woman #176 (May-June 1968), script by Robert Kanigher, pencils by Ric Estrada, inks by Mike Esposito

365 Days of DC House Ads, Day 98

House ad for Binky #79 (June-July 1971); printed in Swing with Scooter #34 (June-July 1971)
Comic cover art: pencils by Stan Goldberg, inks by Henry Scarpelli
Ad designed and lettered by Gaspar Saladino
I laughed (out loud!) at the cover gag, but you can't see it in the ad very well. So here it is!


Oh, Binky! You clever, libidinous, hormone-ridden teen!

Today in Comics History, Monday the 8th: Donald Duck teaches himself to read Morse Code

from "The Crazy Quiz Show" in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #99 (Dell, December 1948); script, pencils, inks and letters by Carl Barks

Today in Comics History, April 8, 1925: Caped visitor is 88 years too late

from Bandette #3 (Monkeybrain, January 2013), script by Paul Tobin; art by Colleen Coover

Ten of a Kind #363: Up on the rooftop villains hit their nadir / Out jumps the good old Caped Crusader

The great Carmine Infantino passed away this week. While I first encountered him on Marvel's Star Wars and then DC's The Flash, some of his most iconic work can be found on the "New Look" Batman of the mid-1960s. When I think about classic Batman, I think of these three artists: Jim Aparo, Sheldon Modolf, and Carmine Infantino. Probably the most well-known of Infantino's Batman images is this two-page pin-up (inked by Murphy Anderson) from Detective Comics #352:



Although you probably know it better as the cover of one of the first, great Batman trade collections Batman: From the '30s to the '70s (we'll forgive the unfortunate designer who put the apostrophes in the wrong place on the cover):




It's such a great collection! And it's bigger than me!


This is an image so impressed into all our collective Bat-memories that it's been homaged enough times to make up a Ten of a Kind...and beyond!












You'll be missed, Carmine, but as long as we can enjoy your art, you'll always be with us.

(More Ten of a Kind here. • See also.)