Guy Gardner sketch by Marcio Takara

I think this will make Sally happy.

How about a sketch evoking the good ol' JLI days?

Here you go!

Here's what the artist says about this piece:

Guy is awesome! JLI was what got me into reading comics! Maguire is one of my gods!

I couldn't agree more.  Check out Marcio Takara's DeviantArt account for more comics goodness!

Booster Gold (and friends) "Cubee"

Well, I have my weekend planned out.

I'm making this:

Do not poke fun at the awesomeness of Cubee.  You know you want to print this out and make one, too.  My printer may be low on ink, it might cost me $15 per ink tank, but dammit, I'm going to squeeze out every drop so I can print out my Booster Gold cubee.

Then I'm going to print out a Blue Beetle cubee.  And sit them next to each other on my desk at work.

And then I'll make a Fire one.  And an Ice one.  And then Guy Gardner.  And then a Hal Jordan one so I can drop things on its head.  Oh the fun I will have!

Oh noes, Hal!  I dropped my stapler on you!  Oh noes, it happened again!

You can view the hundreds (thousands?) of Cubees that this guy, The Flying Dachshund, made on his DeviantArt account.

This post was all Frank's fault, by the way.

Happy New Year! Comics New Year's Resolutions, anyone?

Well, I just watched the ball drop on Times Square.  I don't know how those people can stand outside in the cold for six hours, let alone be standing shoulder-to-shoulder amongst thousands.  Ah, well, I enjoy watching them on TV while sipping sparkling cider.  My real New Year's tradition is watching the Twilight Zone Marathon, which unfortunately gets shorter every year.  (And got interrupted by wrestling...I don't know what's up with that.)

I'm wondering what 2011 will bring in the comics world.  DC of course teases big changes and all that, but I'm wondering what the big crossoever event of 2011 will be, if any.  The Source mentioned something about getting back to characters, and part of that are the covers that feature a certain character's (or group's) symbol.  Kind of cool, I guess.

But here's what I really want to be on DC's New Year's Resolution List:

--A true return to character.  Characters who remain true to their origional intent.  Characters who act logically and are well-rounded.  Stories that revolve around characters' decisions, stories that mean something to the characters.  Characters who are written in-character and are just generally well-written.

--Re-establishing the Justice League to its Silver Age roots.  I think it's time to cycle back around to the original seven.  With Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, and now Aquaman getting the Silver Age reboot, why can't the League get the same treatment?  And let's fix whatever's going on with Wonder Woman, too.

--Better editing at DC.  If fans can keep a charater's origins straight, so can an editor.  That way we have no Ice debacles.  And perhaps the proper usage of "it's."  Maybe that last one's dreaming too big.

--Better treatment for Martians.  Let's see J'onn J'onzz get the Silver Age treatment: working in a human guise solving crimes as a PI or a police detective.  With a captain he has to answer to and a partner he has to keep his secret from, and possibly a baby-talking space creature.  And dammit, the man needs a hat in keeping with a noirish interpretation.

--Cassandra Cain coming back as (one of the) Batgirl(s).  And while we're at it, Barbara Gordon gets to stay as Oracle.  None of this "Death of Oracle" business.  It's nice to have a disabled hero to look up to.  And a hero who uses her brains.  And who sasses Stephanie Brown.

--While the "proper" Silver Age Justice League can be re-established, why not let the original Justice League International operate again?  Booster Gold, Ted Kord, J'onn J'onzz (splitting his time between the JLA, JLI, and detective work--busy guy), Mr. Miracle, Fire and (innocent sweet) Ice, a not-evil Maxwell Lord, and Guy Gardner.  And the mangy, evil alley cat.

--Harvey Dent is a vain, short-tempered lawyer on the edge of sanity, and don't you forget it.  Anytime he's written with multiple personalities, he's not a villain, he's a victim.  While we're at it, don't get rid of the coin, DC, like you teased in Streets of Gotham.  And don't ever get rid of that suit, ever.

--New well-thought out villains.  While it's time for some older villains to make some new appearances, I think some villains get used a bit too much.  Either dig through the archives and look for some obscure ones or one who just aren't used much, or create some new ones.  Good ones, that is.  JLA villains, Batman villains, someone for the Martian Manhunter to fight who is not D'kay or Cay'an, etc.

--Adam Strange getting his old costume back.  It's the little things that matter when you've got a subtle character.  Also, don't fix what isn't broke, DC.  Barry Allen is still wearing the same suit last time I checked.

--Batman: The Brave and the Bold to be un-cancelled.  Really, DC, what are you thinking getting rid of this show?!  It's the perfect showcase for any and all DCU characters, obscure or famous.  What a way to build the franchise for young viewers.  (And kids at heart.)

--The Justice League in live-action format.  I don't care if it's a TV series or a movie, or a special episode of Smallville.  I want a glimpse of a live-action Justice League.  That's a stretch, I know, but I'm dreaming big.

Finally, I'd like to thank all of you out there in Comics Make Me Happy Reader-land.  I love connecting with people who share my common interest, and I've had so many good conversations over the year and have enjoyed reading your blogs.  What kinds of New Year's resolutions (comics-related or otherwise) are you guys making?

Here's to 2011!

1989 Mayfair Games DC Heroes Fire Character Card front

Eep!

That week went by fast!  I've been preoccupied with non-comicsy things lately, and kind of got out of my little comic blogging routine, and before I knew it, the week was over.

Anyway, I know Chanukah and Mayfairstivus are over, but the menorah is still lit in the town center (last time I drove past anyway), so I'm using that as my excuse to post what cards I have left.  (Or maybe I should save them for next year?)

Here's Beatriz DaCosta's card:

Bea looks like she's feeling a combination of boredom and annoyance, so I can only guess she's on monitor duty and Guy Gardner said something idiotic to her at the same time.  It looks like G'nort grabbed a bottle of blonde dye at the A&P instead of green by mistake, so that's why we're not seeing Bea in her usual acid green tresses.  She also decided to mix things up with an orange cami under her jacket.  I guess even superheroines get tired of wearing the same thing every day.  (Just ask Wonder Woman!)

Let's look at Bea's stats:

Being a second- (or maybe even third) stringer, Bea's stats are expectedly on the lower side.  What will be fun to do is compare her stats to her friend Ice, becuase I always assumed their powers were more or less equal in intensity.  I don't know if that's how it really is in "real" life, but I'd like to think that best friends have an equal chance to save each other in battle.  It just seems right to me.

Let it also be noted that Bea is one of the chosen few heroes (along with Booster Gold and John Constantine) to be listed as attractive.  Mayfair is pretty selective with who they consider attractive.

Well, sorry to fall off the face of the Earth for a week.  It was a nice trip in orbit, though.

Happy Monday!

It's Monday.  Yay.

We all need a little pick-me-up, so how's this?

A lovely picture of Ice, a.k.a. Tora Olafsdotter, looking all cute and adorable and holding an even cuter and adorable-er baby seal.  Awww.  Look at the cute little expression on his face!  And his cute little flippers!  And Tora's holding him so gently so he's not all scared.  Wouldn't it be nice if comics had more scenes like this in them?  Who doesn't love cute little furry animals being held by sweet, nice superheroines?  (Judd Winick, I guess.  And maybe Satan.)

You know, this is much better than scenes like in last week's Generation Lost where Ice's outer self freezes off revealing her deep-down-off-the-chain ice elemental/bad girl center.  Let the Freudian analysis commence on that one.

Actually, forget the analysis and just look at Tora holding a baby seal.  It's a lot more relaxing this way.

Hooray for denial!

If I got stranded on a desert island that didn't have a comic shop...?

Aaron at Continued on Second Page Following offered up one of his desert island comic picks.  So of course that got me thinking about mine!

Did anyone ever see Lost, where one of the survivors finds a comic book in the plane after it crashes?  The unnamed comic book has a polar bear in it and people pushing a world-ending (or saving) button on a computer and it's in Spanish.  I didn't read comics when I first watched Lost, so I thought they made it up for the show.  Had I known then what I know now, I would've recognized Alan Scott and Jay Garrick, would've known that comics get translated into other languages, and wouldn't have thought polar bears in a comic book seemed weird.  (It was a real comic: Green Lantern/Flash: Faster Friends.)

Well, that comic wouldn't be my desert island pick as much as I like the Green Lantern mythos.  I don't think I could pick ONE comic as my desert island pick.  But I think I can narrow it down to a few:

Any trade paperback of Justice League International.  If I were stranded with no hope of rescue I'd want a laugh, you know?

Martian Manhunter: American Secrets.  Not only is it noir, not only does it feature my favorite hero, but it's a period piece with such a distinct tone and setting that it's so easy for me to escape into and make me forget my current surroundings.  It is quite possibly my favorite graphic novel, period.  And when the island polar bears and smoke monsters are wreaking havoc, I'd want to feel as far away from that as possible.

I stole this pick from your blog, Frank!

Adam Strange Archives, any volume.  With no hope of rescue, I'd like some upbeat escapist science fiction stories to keep me company.  Besides, it would help foster the dream that maybe a Zeta Beam could manifest itself and transport me away from all my island troubles.  Not only that the art is beautiful and colorful, and there's tigers with horns on their heads and giant city-destroying magnifying lenses.  Need I say more?

Oh, and I'd need a soundtrack to go with all those comics.  Elton John's Greatest Hits, anyone?  What, no one?  Well, I guess that's why they call it the blues.

I'd play cards more often if they had superheroes on them...

Hey!  Look what I found!

Some lucky comic fan owns this sweet commission, which was drawn by the one, the only, Kevin Maguire, and inked by Joe Rubinstein.  I think Keven Maguire should make a whole series of JLI playing cards.  Wouldn't that be awesome?!

75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 51

51.  J'onn J'onzz, G'nort, and Kilowog go out on the town.  (Justice League America #51, 1991.)

I love it when a great story can be told in a single issue.  Here's one of my favorite single issue stories from the JLI years.

It all started when G'nort came to town...

Do I really need to say any more?

Well, after the world's least-competent Green Lantern comes back to the JLI Embassy and finds there is no welcome home party for him, he finds Kilowog, who is bored to tears.  Kilowog has the brilliant idea to go for a night on the town, which would've been okay, until J'onn hears about it.

And this is how J'onn is roped into babysitting the two of them for the night.  I mean, what could possibly go wrong, right?

A dozen shredded men's suits and a stage full of terrified spandex-wearing Broadway actors later, the three "aliens and proud of it" superheroes decide to close the night out with a nice, relaxing dinner.

Extra points if you know what villain is attacking J'onn!

What, you think they'd get off the hook that easily?

And you didn't think Beetle and Booster wouldn't rub it in after they had to go bail J'onn out of jail, did you?

That poor, poor Martian.

Would all the nice characters please raise your hand?

This article on Newsarama, got me going about something I've been thinking about for a long time: what's happening with all the nice superheroes?

Quite a few people seem to be unhappy with Judd Winick's characterization of Ice (Tora.)  Back during the JLI years, she was sweet and mild, and in the current series Justice League: Generation Lost, she seems to have lost all that.  And, as you can see, straight from the horses's mouth, she seems to have deliberately lost all that as a result of DC's editor, or Judd Winick, or both:

Ice is not to be messed with. For real.

If you’ve been reading JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST, you know the character’s been going through her share of soul-searching. But how does one character go from pensive, shy flower to elemental badass?

Which begs the question: what's wrong with nice characters?  Ice used to be sweet, nice, and shy, and JLI fans liked her despite that (or because of that.)  Though she wears a unitard, she wears a cute little cut off sweatshirt that not only is reminiscent of 80's fashion, but shows she's modest.  I remember the exchange she had with her best bud Beatriz (Fire) about her outfit, which highlighted the differences in their respective personalities.  Despite their differences, they were best friends.  Not to mention the fact that Guy Gardner, perennial (if lovable) jerk, fell for total nice girl Tora, proving that opposites attract and that somewhere deep down, Guy Gardner does have a heart.

We can be different, and we can be best friends.  How awesome is that?

So why the need for editors and writers to make sweet characters into "badasses?"  Are they more believable?  Do they suddenly become cool if they swear a lot and beat bad guys to a bloody pulp?  Do comic writers have something against nice people?  Is this some kind of "ideal" they are writing towards and can't break out of, rather than trying harder and showing a more diverse view of people?  Is it to target a certain demographic?

And not just nice girls seem to be disappearing, but nice guys, too.  Not everyone has to be a badass, male or female.  Not everyone needs to be nice and sweet, either: in fact, seeing two different personalities like Fire and Ice interact was a lot of fun.  Is it too much to ask for a little variety in our characters besides "standard ass-kicking hero personality?"

Try harder, DC.

75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 52

52. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold steal J'onn's cookies (Martian Manhunter #24, 2000.)

I wasn't a huge fan of the Martian Manhunter series, but there was one bright spot in those thirty-six issues that almost makes up for it.

In Martian Manhunter #24, we take a trip back in time to the Justice League International days, and as usual, the michevious Blue and Gold are up to something:

The amazing thing is, I had no idea who Beetle, Booster, Maxwell Lord, Fire, Ice, OR Guy Gardner were when I read this issue, and I still thought it was funny.  Even this Maxwell Lord guy was amusing to me and I wanted to know more about him.  I had only sought it out to satiate my Martian Manhunter fandom, and had yet to read any Justice League International titles.  Now, of course, this all makes a whole lot more sense.

Obviously, this must translate well to new readers, because I sent the above panel to my non-comics-reading-but-Smallville-watching-friend and she found their "impish grins" amusing.

This is also the reason why "Choco Addiction," along with fire, is listed as a weakness on J'onn's DC Wikia page.  Recently, it seems, they went back to referring to "Chocos" as "Oreos," which I like.

And where are you going to ever find another Guy Gardner panel like this?  Muahaha.

And nor does seeing exchanges like this ever get old in my mind:

Martian Manhunter #24 could very easily have been an issue of JLI.  One minor quibble is that Ostrander made Booster the instigator and Beetle the somewhat-unwilling participant who realized they'd gone too far, and really the roles should've been reversed.  But, hey, it's good fun nonetheless, and  I like a good laugh from my comics every now and then.  Actually, more than every now and then.

I'm hoping that that little teaser image of a JLI banner shown in DC's editor column last week means an eventual return to the good ol' JLI days.  Wouldn't that be nice?

Oh, and one more.  I couldn't help adding this one in:

That's the Maxwell Lord I miss!

75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 54

54. Despero gets a cape (Justice League America #38, 1990, collected nowhere, unfortunately.)

Amidst all the merriment and silliness of the day-to-day shennanigens of the Justice League Intenational, a dark threat was growing in outer space.  Literally.

Defeated a long time ago (I don't really know when, probably in the 1960's), the Justice League beat Despero, and he spent some time chilling in space.  He then came alive again, as an agent of pure hatred, and fell to Earth, crashing through a flagpole bearing the United Nations flag:

For whatever reason, Despero left the flag on as an impromptu cape, and clad in the now-disgraced symbol of international unity, he went on to cause all sorts of horrors for the Justice League International.

It's a scary and powerful symbol, just like Despero.

Frank, of the Idol-Head of Diabolu, also included the next issue, #39, which covers the battle and ensuing aftermath, in his DC75 Moments.

Oh, and here's another treat.  Issue #38 ends with this Dramatic(!) moment:

When the Martian is angry enough to point at you, you know you're in BIG trouble.

DC 75: Twenty-One Cool Booster Gold Covers

I was inspired by Frank's collection of top covers he's compiled.  I figured I'd throw my hat into the ring.  I already picked out some Adam Strange covers a while ago, and now I decided to pick out some Booster Gold covers.  I don't think I'm really qualified to say what's the best and what isn't, so don't put too much stock in the order here.  I mostly judged by the quality of the art and just personal preference.  With artists like Dan Jurgens, Kevin Maguire, and Adam Hughes drawing most of Booster's solo covers, you really can't lose.

Anyway, without further ado:

Twenty-One Top Booster Gold Covers

21.  Booster Gold v2 #34, 2010

A moment from the JLI is reflected in Booster's goggles.  Drawn by Kevin Maguire.

20.  Booster Gold v2 #3, 2007

Did I ever tell you how much I like word bubbles on covers?  A lot.  Plus, this is amusing.

19.  Justice League Unlimited #43, 2008

Blue and Gold dreaming of fame and glory, JLU-style.  Awfully cute.

18.  Booster Gold v2 #21, 2009.

Booster Gold reconizes the poser Batman, Dick Grayson.  He's not as dumb as he looks.

17.  Booster Gold v1 #20, 1987

Dramatic cover, and Booster sans-goggles.

16.  Booster Gold v2 #23, 2009

*Edtied to add: Thanks to Saranga's suggestion.  Somehow, while throughout hours of looking at Booster Gold covers, I remembered this one, but then forgot to put it on my list.  What can I say?  I get distracted easily.  The photo cover is unusual, but it works so well here becuase it's a real-life fan wearing a real-life t-shirt (that you can actually buy!).  That kind of product placement would make Booster proud.  I find it all rather hilarious.  And now I want that shirt, and when someone asks me who Booster Gold is, I'll be obligated to reply, "The Greatest Hero You Never Heard Of!(TM)"

15.  Booster Gold v2 #10, 2008

More of a Blue Beetle cover than a Booster Gold cover, but dramatic nonetheless.

14.  Booster Gold v2 #13, 2008

I mentioned how much I like word bubbles earlier, right?  A nice cover by Chris Batista.

13.  Justice League Quarterly #7, 1992

Just simple and sweet, with lots of smiles.

12.  Booster Gold v2 #1, 2008

The first issue of Booster's new series.  A really cool cover.  It's unfortunate that the headshot of Max got covered up by the title.

11.  Booster Gold v2 #17, 2009

I know, I'm going a little heavy on the new series.  But the covers are so pretty!  Look at all the colors!  And the shininess!

10.  Booster Gold v1 #25, 1988

The cover from Booster Gold's final issue of his first series.  Anyone else notice how much he's sucking in his gut?

9.  Booster Gold v2 #18, 2009

Just Booster and Rip looking cool.  And a time sphere.  And the scarab.  And a sword?

8.  Booster Gold v2 #32 and #33, 2010

Could he get any shinier?!  The first one deserves to be a foil cover.  I consider these a set, so I didn't break them up.  Much like the Lobo vs. Guy Gardner pair of covers back in the JLI years.  Oh, that Kevin Maguire....just look at that crooked smile.  It's perfect.

7.  Justice League Quarterly #1, 1990

Nevermind Booster for the moment, what's going on between Gypsy and J'onn?  Not to mention Ice hiding in the background and Ted's holding up the UPC symbol, and Flash is asleep.  But you know what's really hilarious?  Batman's head being completely covered by the title.  Adam Hughes hit this one out of the park.

6.  Booster Gold v2 #11, 2008

Dramatic and well-drawn by Dan Jurgens.  Check out the reflections.  You just can't have images inside your costume unless it's shiny.  Take that, Batman.

5.  52 #37, 2007

Guess who else is shiny?  Skeets.

4.  Justice League International #8, 1987

An iconic cover of the JLI era, and very amusing.  Wouldn't it be cool if you could hire superhero movers?

3.  Booster Gold v2 #7, 2008

Really awesome composition and use of perspective here.  Just look at all those angles (not just the angles of the buildings, mind you) and see how they all come together.  That's skill.  Dan Jurgens is an artist I really admire.

2.  Justice League America #37, 1990

One of my all-time favorite JLI issues.  (Heck, one of my all-time favorites issues, period.)  Adam Hughes evokes pure horror on the expressions of all four characters (gotta love Beetle in Ice's arms) all because of, yes, a stray cat.

1.  Justice League America #34, 1990

Well, here it is: my all-time favorite Booster Gold cover.  Also, my favorite Blue Beetle cover.  And my favorite JLI cover.  It's a trifecta of awesomeness.  I can't figure out which is more hilarious: the fact that Booster shaves his chest, or the fact that Ted doesn't.  I also never realized until now that Booster appears to be wearing a Speedo and Ted is wearing scarab beetle trunks.  It can't get better than that!  And bonus: angry Max being restrained by Batman and J'onn.

Honorable Mentions:

Booster Gold #36, 2010

Okay, so it hasn't been released yet, but it's really cool.  Not only is it symbolic (the red on the back of the puzzle piece makes it), but Kevin Maguire shows us once again that not only is he a master at drawing anatomy, but that he can pull off difficult perspectives with ease.

Cover from 52 trade paperback, Volume 4, 2007

Well, it's not from a single issue, so I didn't count it.  But it's nicely done and I like the color scheme.

So, there you have it!  I hope you enjoyed the list!

Who Knew Martians Were So Hypocritical?!

In lieu of posting another moment in the 75 countdown, I had to post this.  After doing some cruising on Boosterific (I seem to have Booster Gold on the brain lately), I happened upon this comic by the very funny Eyz of G33K Life, and couldn't resist the urge to post it here.

Click to enlarge if you need to!

All I can say is: BWA-HA-HA!

You can view the original here, and check out Eyz's blog here.  He graciously allowed me to repost it.

75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 69

69.  Oberon spills his cookies (Justice League International Annual #3, 1989)

Oh, the glorious Bwa-ha-ha years of the Justice League International.  It wouldn't be long before I got around to adding many moments from the JLI to my little list.

Not too long before the third annual to the series, J'onn learned about his true Martian culture, his personal tragedies, and his true Martian form in the Martian Manhunter miniseries in 1988.  For most of his existence on Earth, his true form wasn't known to even him, and certainly not his teammates.  After his remembrance, a few Leaguers did see J'onn in his true form, but Oberon wasn't one of them.  Well, one day J'onn was a little withdrawn following the death of his partner while in the police force and Oberon decided to cheer him up with some Duble Stuf (or as they were called then, I guess, "double creme") Oreo cookies, and well, just look at the expression on that little guy's face:

Oberon got a sight he wasn't quite expecting!

Oh, and I think "I feel like I"ve seen my mother naked!" is one of the all-time greatest lines from that series.  Some day I'll have to compile a list of JLI quotes...