Crazy little Thing called love

Panel from Marvel Two-in-One #92 (October 1982), script by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Wilson, colors by Don Warfield, letters by Joe Rosen

Today in Comics History, February 14: He hit the jackpot

Peter Parker got a Valentine? Who do you think it came from? Aunt May? Doc Ock? Green Goblin? J. Jonah Jameson?


Guess agwen, true believers!


Luckily, Pete and his giant fingernails already has those little hotdogs wrapped in pastry out, so Gwen doesn't have to wait to nosh. (It's not a real proper party without itty bitty pigs in a blanket.)


I couldn't say no to that question...could you? And more important...does Pete?


from Spider-Man: Blue #6 (Marvel, April 2003), script by Jeph Loeb, pencils and inks by Tim Sale, colors by Steve Buccellato, letters by Richard Starkings and Wes Abbott
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Here's hoping your Valentine's Day winds up just as lovely. And with less of that being-tossed-off-a-bridge thing.

Today in Comics History, February 14: Reggie Mantle: Four Girls, No Waiting

from Archie's Love Scene (Archie/Spire, 1973), script, pencils, inks, and letters by Al Hartley

Today in Comics History, February 14: Johnny finally predicted the future correctly

from Fantastic Four (1961 series) #160 (Marvel, July 1975), script by Roy Thomas, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Chic Stone, colors by Janice Cohen, letters by Ray Holloway

On this day, please remember Supergirl and her horse boyfriend

...not to mention the time Superman totally made out with his cousin's lookalike. DC Comics, that's just wrong.


House ad from Teen Titans v.1 #26 (March-April 1970)

Since getting lots of Valentines is more fun that just having one in your little mailbox, stay tuned tonight for V-Day fun and frolics featuring your comics favorites! And if you're not careful, you might love someone before it's done!

Not a horse, though. Please.

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 45

Panels from Nightwing: Alfred's Return one-shot (July 1995), script by Alan Grant, pencils and inks by Dick Giordano, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by Albert DeGuzman

And now, a holiday message from a Little Stuffed Bull.

Bully drinking Ballantine beer ale

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 44

Panel from The Untold Legend of the Batman #2 (August 1980), script by Len Wein; pencils, inks, and letters by Jim Aparo; inks by Glynis Wein

Much of the back-history of the three-issue limited series The Untold Legend of Batman has been retconned several times over (including the origin of Alfred), but this is one of my favorite Batman mini-series, with great art by John Byrne and Jim Aparo, and deserves to be reprinted in trade paperback or one of those glossy DC Comics Presents comic books. This is one of the single best introductions to The Batman: who He Is and How He Came To Be. C'mon, DC...put it in print again!

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 43

Panel from Batman & Robin v.2 #3 (January 2012), script by Peter J. Tomasi, pencils by Patrick Gleason, inks by Mick Gray, colors by John Kalisz, letters by Patrick Brosseau

Today in Comics History: Flash juggles boxes

House ad from Teen Titans #26 (March-April 1970)

Same Story, Different Cover: Bad Wolf

L: Doctor Who Weekly #30 (UK, May 7, 1980), pencils and inks by Dave Gibbons
R: Doctor Who #3 (US, December 1984), pencils and inks by Dave Gibbons, colors by George Roussos
(Click picture to The Doctor's scarf-size)


Doctor Who #3 reprinted parts 1-4 of "The Dogs of War," which were originally printed in Doctor Who Weekly #30 (above) and Doctor Who Weekly #27-29 (below).

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 42

Panels from Batman: Castle of the Bat (1994), script by Jack C. Harris,
painted art by Bo Hampton, letters by Tracy Hampton-Munsey

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 41

Panels from Batman & Robin Adventures #13 (December 1996), script by Ty Templeton, pencils by Brandon Kruse, inks by Rick Burchett, colors by Linda Medley, letters by Tim Harkins

The Zen of Batman: Blackmail

From Batman: "Barbecued Batman?" (September 22, 1966), written by Francis Cockrell and Marian Cockrell; directed by Murray Golden

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 40

Page from Batman Secret Files one-shot (October 1997), text by Scott Beatty, pencils and inks by Lee Weeks, colors by Tom McCraw,

Caranimels

Series of advertisements for Kraft Caramels that ran in Dell Comics in 1960-1961 (from top to bottom, in Andy Panda #50 and #54, Adventures of Mighty Mouse #151, and Gunsmoke #25

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 39

Panels from "Batman: Black & White: Broken Nose" in Batman: Gotham Knights #3 (May 2000), script, pencils and inks by Paul Pope; letters by John Workman

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 38

Panels from Batman Forever: The Official Comic Adaptation of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture (July 1995), script by Dennis O'Neil, pencils by Michal Dutkiewicz, inks by Scott Hanna, colors by Adrienne Roy, letters by Albert DeGuzman

Like a clone, smartly dressed in your pressed uniform

Well, I for one didn't think that Madonna's outfit at the Super Bowl was all that bad. In fact, I kinda liked the Asgardian influence. Get Jack Kirby in there to add a few more epaulets and shoulder pads and it's pretty much something you'd expect Sif's kid sister (Tiff) to wear during one of those big-ass Norse god parties they're always having, with Odin at the head of the table, Loki skulking behind the arras, and the mashed potatoes never even getting past Volstagg.



You couldn't even say it's the worst outfit ever, because I think that award has to go to Miss Katherine Juno Pryde of Deerfield, Illinois for her infamous entry "Colorblind Disco Zap Girl."


Panel from Uncanny X-Men #149 (September 1981), script by Chris Claremont, loose breakdowns by Dave Cockrum, finishes by Joe Rubinstein, colors by Don Warfield, letters by Janice Chiang

Yep, this crime against optic nature debuted in Uncanny X-Men #149 and lasted through the following issue, where Magneto took such pity on her fashion sense that he spared the X-Men from their untimely deaths by magnets. You can try to claim it's not canon because it wasn't lettered by Tom Orzechowski (which, come to think of it, is a really good way to determine your personal X-Canon), but it happened. As Cyclops is fond of saying: "AIEEEEEEE MY EYES!"

This krazy kreation by Kitty is also an occasion for another "Professor X Is a Jerk" entry:




Chuck is really critical of Kitty's "costume" (note that word), even though, hey, Charley: pot, meet kettle:


Panels from Uncanny X-Men #193 (May 1985), script by Chris Claremont, breakdowns by John Romita, Jr., finishes by Dan Green, colors by Glynis Oliver, letters by Tom Orzechowski

So I wouldn't be that critical, Professor. Well, at least it coulda been worse...it could have been Thor's outfit from Thor #498:


Panel portion from Thor #498 (May 1996), scriot by William Messner-Loebs, pencils by Pino Rinaldi, inks by Andy Lanning, colors by Marie Javins, letters by Jonathan Babcock

Anyway, my point (you know the rest of that phrase) is that this infamous Kitty Pryde/Sprite/Ariel/Shadowcat/Li'l Intangible outfit is seen again, years later, in Wolverine: First Class #12, a continuity implant tale that takes place immediatel following X-Men #150. Say goodbye to Kitty Pryde, the Disco Era.


Panels from Wolverine: First Class #12 (April 2009), script by Fred Van Lente, pencils and inks by Scott Koblish, colors by Ulises Arreola, letters by Joe Caramagna

Pull up your seats, students: Professor Logan is about to tell us the official term to refer to one of those skintight unstable-molecule outfits all our favorite superheroes (except Lockjaw) wear.



Naturally, not everybody agrees on this terminology.



By the end of the comic, and keeping with the universal truth that Cyclops is a putz, Kitty makes her choice of not only what she wants to call that yellow and black outfit, but also who she wants to be her tutor in learning how to protect a world that is sworn to hate and destroy them.



So, as we have now learned, Wolverine calls the blue/yellow and/or brown/black outfit he wears a uniform. He never, never, ever calls it a "costume."


Panels from Wolverine: First Class #15 (July 2009; three months later), script by Peter David, pencils and inks by Scott Koblish, colors by Ulises Arreola, letters by Joe Caramagna

Oh for crying out loud.

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 37

Panels from Batgirl v.1 #3 (June 2000), co-plot by Scott Peterson, co-plot and script by Kelley Puckett, pencils by Damion Scott,, inks by Robert Campanella, colors by Jason Wright, letters by John Costanza

Ten of a Kind: Are you experienced?

(More Ten of a Kind here.)

366 Days with Alfred Pennyworth, Day 36

Panel from The Brave and the Bold v.1 #190 (September 1982), script by Mike W. Barr, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Sal Trapani, colors by Gene D'Angelo, letters by Milt Snapinn