National Comics: Eternity #1 (Sept. 2012)

Wow! Go and read this right away!

I'm becoming a devotee of Jeff Lemire's writing. This one-shot reads like a teleplay. I wouldn't be the first to speculate that for Warner Bros., DC functions as a sort of R&D lab. If so, this comic book is a great pilot. By the time you're done, you want this to be a TV show.

In a recent interview at Comic Book Resources, Jeff Lemire gave up some surprising tidbits concerning the nature of the DCnU, saying:

"As far as I know, and I might be corrected on this, the "National Comics" titles are out of continuity because I know that there is a Madame Xanadu one and it has nothing to do with the New 52 Madame Xanadu. So no, I don't make any reference to any other DC Universe character. It is a self-contained, totally out-of-continuity take on the character. We just kept the original name and stuff."

Also, he'd originally wanted to include Eternity in his Justice League Dark title.

Keep reading...

New Things Quality

A few things to note…

Women of the DC Universe:
Phantom Lady Bust

1. Quality Collectibles!

I started a page at Cosmic Teams devoted to collectibles based on Quality characters. See it here!

2. Kid Eternity news!

There's a new interview at Comic Book Resources with Jeff Lemire, who is penning the return of Kid Eternity! Lemire gives up some surprising tidbits concerning the nature of the DCnU, saying:

"As far as I know, and I might be corrected on this, the "National Comics" titles are out of continuity because I know that there is a Madame Xanadu one and it has nothing to do with the New 52 Madame Xanadu. So no, I don't make any reference to any other DC Universe character. It is a self-contained, totally out-of-continuity take on the character. We just kept the original name and stuff."

 Also, he'd originally wanted to include Eternity in his Justice League Dark title.

I'm sensing a theme...
Classic Photography #1 (Autumn 1956)

3. Arnold Magazines!

I've been quietly adding to this section, which focuses at length on Arnold Publications, the offshoot of Quality Comics by Busy Arnold that limped along when the comics ended, from 1956-1958. I daresay it's the most complete list yet, although I'm still missing a few cover scans.

The rarest of all are the pulp digests, which never appear on ebay. I found two on Amazon.

I'll publicize it more when I've written it more fully, but it already contains lots of notable scans from the issues I've acquired:

• Introduction
• The Sweats
• The Pin-Ups
• The Digests

Protoplasman (Big Bang Comics)

Plastic Man was parodied lovingly by Big Bang Comics, a publisher who specializes in that sort of story. Created by Gary Carlson, Protoplasman was more about channeling the magic of Jack Cole than simply renaming a popular character. These stories are a lot of fun, and while the art doesn't capture Cole's unbridled sense of composition, it's a solid homage. The first issue of Big Bang Presents (2006) also contained editorial comment about the road to Proto. Carlson had many proposals to do a Big Bang version of Plastic Man, but found them all lacking until meeting artist Mort Todd. Todd's drawing style mimicked both Cole's early Plastic Man style, and the later horror style of the pre-Code 1950s. The first issue jumped right into his story, and the origin was told in his second appearance, Big Bang Presents #3…

Covers of Big Bang Presents #1, 3, 4 (2006–07). Art by Mort Todd.