Today in Comics History, March 18, 1988: Terry Long hits rock bottom

from The Draft one-shot (Marvel/New Universe, July 1988), script by Mark Gruenwald and Fabian Nicieza; pencils by Herb Trimpe; inks by Kyle Baker, Mike Gustovich, Klaus Janson, Lee Weeks, and Keith Williams; colors by Michael Higgins; letters by Jim Novak

365 Days of Defiance, Day 77: The Patience of Angles

Panels from "Iron Will" in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #6 (February 1999), script by Mark Waid, pencils by Ron Garney, inks by Dan Green, colors by Jean Segarra-Rosa, letters by John Costanza

365 Days of Defiance, Day 76: For All Mankind

Panels from Ms. Marvel (2014 series) #2 (May 2014), script by G. Willow Wilson, pencils and inks by Adrian Alphona, colors by Ian Herring, letters by Joe Caramagna

Today in Comics History, March 16, 1936: Water damage decreases value of comic, life

from "Jailbreak!" in Amazing Detective Cases #8 (Marvel/Atlas, September 1951), pencils and inks by Al Hartley

365 Days of Defiance, Day 75: If I could buy back the years, oh, oh, Orion

ORION HAS A POSSE, and just to continue the meme created by Shepard Fairey...


Page portion from "Orion" in Who's Who in the DC Universe (1985 series) #17 (July 1986); text by a whole lotta writers; pencils by Jack Kirby; inks by Greg Theakston; colors by Anthony Tollin, Len Wein, Tatjana Wood, and Tom Ziuko
...Orion is 6'1" and 195 pounds. Unless you happen to subscribe to Peter David's weird-ass retcon that the New Gods are actually giants, and that when you come and go through a Boom Tube it shrinks or embiggens you as needed. In which case Orion is 306'1" and whoa cut down on the cheeseburgers pounds.


Panels from Supergirl (1996 Series) #29 (February 1999); script by Peter David; pencils by Leonard Kirk; inks by Robin Riggs; colors by Gene D'Angelo; color separations by Digital Chameleon; letters by Pat Prentice
I personally do not accept that as part of my personal DC canon. Mister David, I say it's spinach and to hell with it.

Anyway, Orion has a posse of ordinary people, just regular civilians, but they're willing to throw down to fight Darkseid. Just some guys in suits and sweaters and a girl in a green dress. Say, where do you get a gr...wait, that doesn't work. Anyway: they will fight for the right to stop Darkseid!




Panels from The New Gods (1971 series) #2 (April-May 1971), script and pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta, letters by John Costanza
Hey, if these average joes (and josephine) can stand up to and defy Darkseid, there's hope for us all.

Hey, special Bully Thank Yous and Encyclopedic Knowledge No-Bull Prizes go to Alex Adrian and to Mark Hale for helping me remember where that riDONKulous idea of Millennium-type Giant New Gods came from. I shake my hoof at thee, Mister So-Called Peter David!

Today in Comics History, March 16, 2006: On Earth-555, Garfield the Cat protects the Great Wall of China from warriors and Mondays

from newuniversal: Shockfront #1 (Marvel/New Universe, July 2008), script by Warren Ellis, pencils by Steve Kurth, inks by Andrew Hennessy, colors by Chris Chuckry, letters by Rus Wooton

365 Days of Defiance, Day 74: The Web of the Amazing Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man

Peter Parker, the Pulchritudinous Pspider-Man, has been cornered by the Gruesome Grinning Green Goblin! (Gosh!) Also, he's besieged by bonsters monsters! Luckily, Spidey realizes just in time that it's just a buncha playing cards illusions, and he knows exactly the precise way to conquer Green Goblin! Spider-Man knows at last...the way to beat him!



Panels from Spectacular Spider-Man (1968 magazine series) #2 (November 1968), script by Stan Lee, layouts by John Romita, Sr.; finishes by Frank Giacoia; letters by Sam Rosen
He has come upon the clever plan of webbing Norman's Goblin Glider away from him! The superhero equivalent of jamming a broomstick into your nemesis's bicycle spokes!


Let us all salute Spider-Man for coming up with a clever strategy and for defying not only the Goblin but overcoming his own deepest fears. Please try not to remember, however, the storyline that followed this one where the Green Goblin sued Spider-Man for reckless endangerment in Manhattan Civil Court.

Today in Comics History, March 14, 1931: 1.21 gigawatts are once again expended

from Back to the Future: Citizen Brown #2 (IDW, June 2016); adapted from the video game story by Bob Gale, Michael Stemmle, Andy Hartzell, and Jonathan Straw; adapted by Bob Gale and Erik Burnnham;script by Erik Burnham; pencils and inks by Alan Robinson; colors by Maria Santrolalla; letters by Shawn Lee

Today in Comics History, March 14, 1935: Into the mob for thirty large, Shirley Temple is fitted for cement overshoes

from Dennis the Menace Giant #7 [Dennis in Hollywood] (Hallden/Fawcett, Winter 1959), script by Fred Toole, pencils and inks by Al Wiseman

365 Days of Defiance, Day 73: Thor continues to say thee nay

Panels from Thor (1966 series) #156 (September 1968), script by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta, letters by Sam Rosen

365 Days of Defiance, Day 72: Flash Before Your Eyes

One of the most poignant and deservedly emotional final scenes in modern comics is the death (for a pretty long time by comic book standards) of Barry Allen, the Fastest Man Alive: The Flash. He ran rings around the Anti-Montor's anti-matter anti- cannon, sacrificing his life to save not one world, but five.





Panels from Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 (November 1985), script by Marv Wolfman, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Jerry Ordway, colors by Anthony Tolin, letters by John Costanza
The question is not "will Flash save me?" Because Flash: he'll save every one of us.



A tip of my little stuffed fedora (actually, it's a homburg) and a Thank-You-Very-Much No-Bull Prize to Sean Murphy for the suggestion of this story for this feature. Sean, as the kids say today, you are so super money market!

Ten of a Kind: The Oval Office

(More Ten of a Kind here.)

365 Days of Defiance, Day 71: The Sweet Taste of Rebellion

Panels from Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy #1 (June 2005); script by Grant Morrison; pencils, inks, and colors by Frazer Irving; letters by Pat Brosseau