Superman Family Adventures volume 1

Writer: Art Baltazar and Franco
Artist: Art Baltazar
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
This is a kids comic centred around the Superman family.  We have ol' Supes himself, Supergirl, Superboy, Lois Lane, Krypto the superdog, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Streaky the supercat, Ma and Pa Kent, and all the villains.  Each story is between 1 and 12 pages and a whole variety of events are covered: Lex Luthor tries to take over metropolis with a robot army; Bizarro (the anti Superman) visits for ice cream; the superpets get a new member; Chief Perry White wants his coffee; Lois nearly works out Clark's secret.

Superman sale on Comixology

In honour of the new Superman movie - Man of Steel - Comixology are once again doing one of their legendary sales, so once again we'll give you a guide to what's available.  The sale is on until 11pm, Thursday 20th June and most titles are just 99 cents each - that's about 60p in UK money.  It's an incredibly comprehensive sale, covering the important, and best, Superman stories of the last 80 years.

More information after the cut.

Superman: Birthright, the origin of the Man of Steel

Writer: Mark Waid

Penciller: Leinil Francis Yu

Inker: Gerry Alanguilan

Colorist: Dave McCaig

Letterer: Comicraft

Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?

This is an origin story for Superman.  I won't say 'the' origin story, because there have been lots.  This one is particularly good and it resonates with a lot of readers.

Princess comics

Recently I have met a lot of young girls, baby through to toddler age, and have been reminded of the prevalence of the Princess story for young female children.  There's loads of traditional Princess stories out there - you know, about the passive beautiful sort who wait for a Prince to rescue or marry them and don't actually do much.

Thankfully, there are a few comics out there who challenge this narrative and create an entirely different sort of Princess.  These are:

The Princess - a webcomic about a transgender girl, her crushes, her wish to join the Girl Cadettes, her friends and her family.  It's full of sparkles and rainbows and cheerful art, and full of messages of support for trans kids.  It's called The Princess because the lead, Sarah, always wears a home made crown.  We reviewed it here.

JL8 - also a webcomic, this is a fan comic about the Justice League of America (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern etc) as little kids, all in their costumes and with all their powers.  It's really cute and funny.  Wonder Woman is of course an Amazon Princess and recent strips have been about her birthday party, with her Mum telling everyone she is a Princess.  Wonder Woman is not happy about this.  We reviewed it here.

Princeless - This is an actual print comic about a Black Princess who refuses to hang around in her tower to be rescued by a Prince, and instead befriends her dragon guard, steals some armour and sets out to rescue all her sisters.  It's relatively new and is in its second volume, or story arc if you prefer.  I recommend this to everyone and it's always been well received.  We reviewed volume 1 here.  You can get it in print from your local comic shop and possibly Amazon or Ebay, or buy it digitally from Comixology.

Please try these comics out!  They are fun for kids and adults.

Al images reproduced with kind permission of the creators.

Merry Christmas!

Apologies for the blog silence.  December is never a good time to try and restart anything.

To make it up to you, here's a Christmas comic from Mike Maihack:

If you want more of this check out Maihack's previous strips:

Last year's Christmas comic
The first Supergirl/Batgirl one he did
The second one he did

And keeping with the Super theme, Comixology currently has a 99cent (about 60 English pence) sale on Superman comics.  The DC Women Kicking Ass tumblr has done a list of those titles most relevant to Lois Lane.  I highly recommend you check it out and I wholeheartedly endorse her recommendations for Birthright and Superman For All Seasons.  Those two are fantastic, fantastic comics.

As for titles without a Lois focus, I'd also recommend Red Son, All Star Superman, the For Tomorrow arc which cover Superman vol 2 issues 204 to 215 (I've not read this myself but I have heard very good things about it), the Superman/Batman issues and Trinity.

Links given are to the first issue of each story arc or series.

It's a ten day sale which finishes on Saturday so hurry up and take a look!

Happy holidays!

JL8

Little League
JL8

A webcomic by Yale Stewart

http://jl8comic.tumblr.com/

Edit - Since writing this review the comic has changed it's name from Little League to JL8.  Info in post is now updated.

What's it about?
JL8 is an all ages webcomic that takes DC’s premier superhero team, the Justice League of America, de-ages them, and places them in primary school. They attend in costume, and in character, bicker, make friends and encounter vile adversaries such as PE teacher Darkseid!

( From strip #18)

It’s a very simple idea, executed very well. 

Updated review information: Superman/Batman/Supergirl

We've updated the information on further reading in this Superman/Batman/Supergirl review.

Incidentally, did you know that story has been released as a DVD?  They changed the name and called it Superman/Batman: Apocolypse (presumably because the marketing people think girls have cooties) but it is the same story and it's really really good.  It's all ages so would be a great gift for the younger superhero fan in your life.

Superman: Secret Identity is being reissued!

We wrote about this astoundingly good, real life interpretation of the Superman story here.  As it's now out of print it's getting incredibly difficult to find, so we were incredibly excited to find out that it's going to be re-released!

Issue 1 and 2 are reprinted on 19th October and issues 3 and 4 are reprinted on 30th November.

As it can be pretty difficult to find second hand copies of this I suggest you snap it up as soon as it's available, because it's a truly great read.  It would also make a wonderful present for the Superman/Clark/Lois fan in your life.

The whole DC Comics Presents series, reprinting old hard to find stories, are pretty good value for money.  You can find the full list of them here.  I particularly enjoyed the Impulse issue, and the Shazam issues, but there's lots more worth checking out.DC

Superman: The Black Ring Volume 1

Writer: Paul Cornell
Artists: Pete Woods, Cafu, Pere Perez and Sean Chen

Inkers: Pete Woods, bit, Pere Perez and Wayne Faucher

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Publisher: DC Comics

Today's guest review has been written by Anj, who usually blogs about all things Supergirl related at Supergirl Comic Box Commentary, one of the best resources for Supergirl fans on the web.  Here he introduces himself:

This is Anj from Supergirl Comic Box Commentary and I was thrilled to be asked to review the Lex Luthor-centric trade Superman:The Black Ring Volume 1, which collects Action Comics #890-895. As a lifelong Superman Family fan, I think this is an interesting choice for review. Despite its name, Superman is not seen in this portion of the story at all, having gone on an introspective walk across America in a story called ‘Grounded’ in the Superman title. With Superman away, Luthor steps into to star in the title. And Lex is also free to do what he wants. It is most definitely a Luthor story but with a couple of interesting wrinkles to his characterization.

Whats it about?

This is the first half of a story arc in which Luthor is questing for Black Lantern energy globes and therefore ultimate power. From a continuity point of view, this story takes place after Blackest Night, a huge crossover event in which beings called Black Lanterns, essentially zombies, wielded the power of the dead to try to destroy all life. The details of this event aren't necessary for the new reader as long as they can roll with Luthor’s goal of finding and controlling Black Lantern Energy.

Luthor’s quest for this power takes him on a journey where he encounters numerous other villains of the DC Universe: Mr. Mind, Deathstroke, Gorilla Grodd, and Vandal Savage. He also meets Death from the Sandman universe. Luthor is joined on his quest with some allies, a right hand man named Spalding and a Lois Lane robot (a Lois-bot) who acts as lover, confidant, and counselor.

Superman: Sacrifice

Publisher: DC
For full credits see the other information section at the end of this post.

What's it about?
This is a dark time in the DC Universe.  Heroes have been murdered.  Trust is being lost.  Civilians can't be saved.  Is it any wonder that tempers are frayed?  Against this background, Superman sees his arch enemies going after Lois, killing her.  Lois is the love of his life, so when he sees her dead body, he can't cope and he vows to destroy the murderer.

But things are not what they seem, and in his fury he has really taken down one of his closest friends, Batman, and nearly killed him.  It is revealed that he is hallucinating the murder sprees, and Wonder Woman is the only one that can stop him.  How will she do it?  What will the consequences be?

All Star Superman

  

Today's review is brought to you by guest blogger naswho, who describes himself thusly: Student. Writer. Tutor. My role model is a fictional character, just like Yours. If you're reading this, you're reading my mind.

You can find Nas on twitter, here.

All Star Superman

Writer: Grant Morrison
Art: Frank Quitely
Colourist and Inker: Jamie Grant
Letterer: Phil Balsam and Travis Lanham
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
The Superman myth is a well known and popular aspect of modern comic culture. He’s the granddaddy of all superheroes, and is constantly being reinterpreted by writers and artists of various eras to suit the times. All Star Superman is writer Grant Morrison’s attempt to tell a timeless Superman story, one that exists within a continuity he’s created from across the varied eras of Superman’s publishing history and is both easily accessible to new readers and rewarding for anyone who already loves the Man of Steel. 

I usually end up describing it as “What if Superman were God, except cooler?”

The basic thrust of the plot is that Superman, after rescuing scientist Leo Quintum from a failed mission to land on the sun, finds himself overloaded with solar energy. He’s reached the peak of his potential in his current form and is now dying. With only a year to go, the Man of Tomorrow sets out to try and save the world one last time, completing the adventures that will become known as his 12 Labors in the far future, and come face to face one final time with his archenemy, Lex Luthor.

The story’s a whimsical homage to every era of Superman, with a hefty dose of Silver Age charm and excitement thrown in for good measure.

Smallville: the Villains

Anybody who has been watching Smallville over the last few years will have seen a host of DC's characters imported from the comics world to the glossy, highly polished world of Smallville.  You may be wondering about the origins of these characters, what they were like originally and how their stories changed in the leap from comic to small screen.  And that's where we come in!  This will be the fourth in a series of posts on Smallville's characters cast of heroes, villains and sidekicks, and the original characters that inspired them.

Today, the villains!

Smallville: The Sidekicks

Anybody who has been watching Smallville over the last few years will have seen a host of DC's characters imported from the comics world to the glossy, highly polished world of Smallville.  You may be wondering about the origins of these characters, what they were like originally and how their stories changed in the leap from comic to small screen.  And that's where we come in!  This is the third in of a series of posts on Smallville's characters cast of heroes, villains and sidekicks, and the original characters that inspired them.

Smallville heroes - the non affiliates

Anybody who has been watching Smallville over the last few years will have seen a host of DC's characters imported from the comics world to the glossy, highly polished world of Smallville.  You may be wondering about the origins of these characters, what they were like originally and how their stories changed in the leap from comic to small screen.  And that's where we come in!  This is the second in a series of posts on Smallville's characters cast of heroes, villains and sidekicks, and the original characters that inspired them.  Today, the non affiliates!

Smallville heroes - Justice League

Anybody who has been watching Smallville over the last few years will have seen a host of DC's characters imported from the comics world to the glossy, highly polished world of Smallville.  You may be wondering about the origins of these characters, what they were like originally and how their stories changed in the leap from comic to small screen.  And that's where we come in!  This will be the first of a series of three posts on Smallville's characters cast of heroes, villains and sidekicks, and the original characters that inspired them.

Valentines reviews - Superman: Unconventional Warfare

Writer: Greg Rucka

Penciller: Matthew Clark, Renato Guedes, Paul Pelletier
Inker: Nelson, Edde Wagner, Andy Lanning, Rick Magyar
Colours: The Hories
Letters: Comicraft, Rob Leigh, Jared K Fletcher, Nick J. Napolitano

Publisher: DC 

What’s it about?

This book really focuses on Lois and Clark/Superman’s careers and the way in which their careers impact on their relationship.  It’s a love story between people who have the deepest respect for and devotion to each other, but who also have lives outside of each other.

Superman/Shazam: First Thunder

Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Joshua Middleton
Letterer: Nick J Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
First Thunder tells of one the first meetings between Superman and Captain Marvel.  I will assume that you all have an idea who Superman is and skip straight to explaining Captain Marvel.

12 year old Billy Batson has been given the powers of the Gods of magic.  By uttering the word Shazam he becomes Captain Marvel - the World's Mightiest Mortal!  He is blessed with the Wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury.

Mythology fans might spot a disparity here - Achilles isn't a God and there is a mix up between the Greek and Roman names for the Gods.  I can only imagine that the people creating the character weren't too concerned with the facts.  Nevermind, just think of it as a separate pantheon.

Throughout America ancient mystical artifacts are being stolen from museums.  This spate of thefts brings both Superman and Captain Marvel to Fawcett City to investigate further, whereupon they discover an ancient sect wanting to unleash a demon on the world.  Meanwhile, Dr Sivana, Captain Marvel's nemesis, sets out to destroy the Captain once and for all.  These two plots weave together to form a memorable climax that is unexpectedly affecting.

This book is probably more for the young adult/older child age range.  It can be read an enjoyed as an adult - certainly, I think it's great - but I can imagine many non comic reading adults not being too impressed.

Wednesday Comics

Credits:
BATMAN: Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso
ADAM STRANGE: Paul Pope, Neil Gaiman andMichael Allred
THE DEMON AND CATWOMAN: Walter Simonson and Brian Stelfreeze
DEADMAN: Dave Bullock and Vinton Heuck
KAMANDI: Dave Gibbons and Ryan Sook
SUPERMAN: John Arcudi and Lee Bermejo
WONDER WOMAN: Ben Caldwell
GREEN LANTERN: Kurt Busiek and Joe Quiñones
TEEN TITANS: Eddie Berganza and Sean Galloway
SUPERGIRL: Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner
HAWKMAN: Kyle Baker
SGT. ROCK: Adam Kubert and Joe Kubert
THE FLASH: Karl Kerschl and Brenden Fletcher
METAL MEN: Dan DiDio and Ian Churchill
Publisher: DC Comics

What's it about?
14 different short superhero stories, each one told over 14 pages and collected in an oversized, hardback book of 200 pages. All stories are out of continuity, fresh one off narratives that require absolutely no previous knowledge of the character or the DC Universe. It's sort of a love letter to comics through the decades, with the creators kicking back, having fun and developing something that can stand alone in an attempt to show the true essence of each character.

About Formats. The Telephone Book Collection

Christmas is coming up and you may be looking for presents for the comic fans of your acquaintance or maybe you might want to take this opportunity to try some comics. If so, that’s what this blog is for: comic recommendations for the new reader. Of course, graphic novels are quite an expensive medium, probably more than most of us will want to spend on anything less than the closest of relatives. So today we at New readers…start here turn the spotlight on a format that emphasises quantity and economy: the telephone book collection.

Halloween specials from DC

Usually we at New readers don't feature individual issues but on this occasion we will break with tradition and mention a few.  Here we go...

Each year DC put out special Halloween issues.  They contain several short stories featuring various characters having Halloween themed adventures.  If you wanted a quick and not too expensive way into each publisher's universe, you could do worse than picking up these issues.

DC's book is titled DC Universe Halloween Special 2010: