Showing posts with label DC Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DC Comics. Show all posts

Saturday, February 01, 2025

1986 A.D. to CCLIII A.D.

My first experience with Keith Giffen, who passed away in 2023 at age 70, was this issue, Action Comics #579 (May 1986).

Written by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier with art by Keith Giffen and Bob Oksner, this was also my first experience with the French-Belgian comic book series "Asterix", although all the names were changed to soundalikes so it's not quite "Asterix".

After stopping thieves from stealing a shield, although it does shatter, Superman and Jimmy Olsen are pulled back in time to 253 A.D. and a small village of indomitable Gauls. Jimmy ends up in the Gaul village while Superman ends up with the Romans, who give him a potion so he will fight with them. When Superman is finally snapped out of his spell, he brings peace to the Gauls and Romans by forcing the Roman warlock to admit that the Roman Empire fell a century so ago. The end.





Sunday, May 31, 2020

Superman For the Animals

Superman for the Animals came out polybagged with a handful of comics with a November 2000 cover date. I must have gotten mine with Superman Adventures #41 as I didn't read any of the other comics that this book was sold with. Superman for the Animals was made by DC Comics for the Doris Day Animal Foundation and it's made to talk to kids about animal abuse. The story follows Tommy Delaney, who is new in town, and him getting in with the wrong crowd. This crowd doesn't do the normal things that punk kids do like spraypaint graffiti or sit around drinking alcohol and doing drugs. No, these punks abuse animals.

Superman for the Animals was written by Mark Millar, art by Tom Grummett and Dick Giordano, letters by John Costanza, colors by Glenn Whitmore and Digital Chameleon, edited by Paul Kupperberg. As always, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. I do have to warn you, this comic gets rough with animal abuse on every page so if that's something that triggers you, you should bow out now.

The issue starts off with Superman reading some of the many letters that he receives from people all around the world. One of the letters Superman picks up begins "Dear Superman, my name is Tommy Delaney and I'm twelve years old." Tommy is new in town--Springdale. Not only is Tommy new, he had to move mid-semester so he's coming in the middle of everything. Tommy is seated next to Ballser, an angry looking young boy.
Turns out their science teacher has a squirrel in the classroom. Mr. Mulligan found it in a ditch, wounded, so he took it in and has been nursing it back to health over the last two months. "Bushy-tailed rat's probably given half the class rabies by now," Ballser says as he kicks some pigeons out of his way. Tommy has also made other friends and they all hang out with Ballser: Charlie, Donuts, and Eightball. Turns out Ballser has a very specific idea of fun and he quickly reveals it by seeing who can hold their breath the longest--him or Tommy's goldfish.
This would be my first sign that maybe I should stop hanging out with Ballser but Tommy doesn't. Tommy does admit in his letter to Superman that his friends could get a little wild and, yes, even played hooky. Ballser borrows his dad's rifle to get some revenge on a junkyard dog. Donut was bitten by the dog last year and Ballser feels its payback time. Up on a hill, the four boys take their post and Donut takes the shot. The bullet hits the dog in the leg and has to be taken to the vet. The man who owns the dog lives next door to Tommy so Tommy and his dad are outside when their neighbor returns with Major, who had to have his leg amputated. It's here that Tommy learns that there have been a rash of animal attacks lately--hung cats, a dog burned alive in his kennel. Tommy starts to feel really guilty.
Tommy doesn't know what to do. He knows Ballser is behind the attacks but he doesn't know who to go to. Meanwhile, Ballser and the others are out luring and capturing a cat. They go to a highway overpass and proceed to throw the cat over into traffic. Luckily, Superman happens by and rescues the cat. Ballser wants "his" cat back but Superman apparently just takes it as far away from those boys as possible.
Turns out Superman was in Springdale because of a fire at the chemical plant. The same chemical plant that Tommy's dad works at. Tommy stands in awe of Superman, not because of his superpowers but because of how Superman acted. Superman has all of this power but doesn't use it against people weaker than him. Superman just wants to help which inspires Tommy. At school, Tommy stumbles upon Ballser and the crew blocking a sink with paper towels and flooding Mr. Mulligan's classroom. They have also put the squirrel cage in the sink. Mr. Mulligan gets back and the boys flee out the window. He then notices the cage in the sink and...
Tommy has had enough. At Ballser's house, Tommy says that he is going to confess to Mulligan if Ballser doesn't. "Are you threatening me, Boy Scout?" Ballser sneers. Tommy answers with a fist to the jaw. The two scuffle for a bit with Ballser screaming "I'm gonna kill you for that, moron!" while shoving Tommy into a cabinet. The impact knocks a small case off and it breaks open. Inside are at least a hundred pet collars from what we can assume are Ballser's victims. We've got ourselves a future serial killer in our midst.
"How many animals have you killed, Ballser?" Tommy asks.

"C'mon, th-they're just dumb animals. It's not like I really did anything wrong or broke the law," Ballser tries to explain. "It's not like they feel pain...or have souls like us. Doing stuff to them...it isn't any worse than chopping down a tree or burning trash, right?" Ballser then starts swinging a bat. At humans. At his friends. Charlie takes the bat from him.

"What now, Ballser? People not have soul either, dude?"

Tommy and the others tell Mr. Mulligan about what they did to the squirrel. Ballser is sent to therapy and the other four do some volunteering at the local animal shelter where Tommy makes a new friend. Tommy wraps up this letter to Superman telling him that he deserves to hear some good news. Superman inspired Tommy to do the right thing. Being a hero isn't about throwing your weight around. It's about helping those who can't fight for themselves.


If you suspect or witness animal abuse, you can contact your local law enforcement or animal shelter to file a report. You can remain anonymous. You can learn more about animal abuse from the Humane Society of the United States.

If you would like to support my writing or research, you can buy me a cup of coffee over on Ko-fi.

Sunday, May 03, 2020

Zero Hour, Part 2

Let's get started on the second half of Zero Hour: Crisis In Time. Despite our heroes stopping the rift from encapsulating the 20th Century, a mysterious figures goes back in time to reopen the rift and continue the work that they started.

After Zero Hour #2 ends, the following story is Green Arrow #90 which is a very good story where, while chasing a low-level street thug, Green Arrow's timeline diverges and minute but important changes occur leading to two very different outcomes for Green Arrow. One where he is shot but is needed by Batman, and another where he is shot--repeatedly--and dies in the street. Except's for Batman's "We need you" there is no dialogue in this book. Kevin Dooley and Eduardo Barreto make a really interesting story.
Green Arrow #90, by Kevin Dooley and Eduardo Barreto
Not all the heroes are up for saving the universe though. Some heroes, most notably Guy Gardner and Batgirl, want to use this opportunity to rewrite history. Gardner wants to bring back Hal Jordan, who became a villain after his hometown of Coast City was destroyed during the Reign of the Supermen, and Batgirl just wants to exist. Instead of just the one rift, there are multiple rifts which perplexes Extant because he did not do that. Extant is then reminded who is in charge. With multiple fissures, more heroes are erased from the timestream including Batman. We are then brought up to speed on who is the true mastermind behind this crisis in time. Parallax. Hal Jordan. Green Lantern.
Zero Hour #1, by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway
Coast City, California, Hal Jordan's hometown, was destroyed by the Cyborg Superman and Mongul during the Reign of the Supermen in Superman #80. Jordan then decided to use his power ring to rebuild Coast City. Unfortunately the ring constructs are only temporary so they fade away. Jordan then decides that he needs more power and goes on a killing spree taking his fellow Green Lantern's power rings. After desolating the Green Lantern Corps and killing powerful villain Sinestro, Jordan absorbs all the power of the central power battery and became Parallax. Through Zero Hour, Jordan was going to create a new universe, or many new universes, however many it takes to make everybody happy. As we get further into the end of time, the pages fade to white.
Legion of Super-Heroes #61, by Mark Waid, Tom McGraw, Stuart Immonen, and Ron Boyd
As the end arrives, Robin meets a young Dick Grayson, Catwoman befriends a sabretooth tiger and caveman, and, in a short story, various villains attempt to help, and we learn that a new hero named Damage just might be the solution to all of this.
Damage #6, by Tom Joyner, Bill Marimon, and Don Hillsman
Parallax has brought Guy Gardner, Batgirl, Alpha-Centurion, and a hero named Triumph (more on him later) to the new start of the universe since they are the ones who want Parallax to start over the universe while Waverider has brought a handful of heroes--Superman, Green Lantern, Captain Atom, Hawkman, The Ray, The Atom, Donna Troy, Green Arrow, and Damage to Vanishing Point. All the other heroes have been erased. This then pits hero against hero--those who want the universe back the way it was and those who just want to exist. While Parallax is distracted by the Spectre, Waverider has Superman, Donna Troy, Captain Atom, and the Ray concentrate their powers on him who then channels it into Damage. Parallax notices this and tries to stop them. Batgirl distracts Parallax while Green Lantern holds him back. Green Arrow then launches an arrow at his former friend. Damage can no longer hold all the energy and, essentially, brings about a new big bang, restarting the universe.
Zero Hour #0, by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway
Time restarts and efforts are made to put everything back in order. After Zero Hour, titles used this time to retell their character's origins or introduce a new facet of the character. Included in the omnibus is Green Lantern #0, where Green Lantern and Parallax continue their fight on the dead planet Oa, where the Green Lantern Corps used to be based. After a lapse in judgement, Green Lantern returns the ring to Parallax who immediately begins to harvest more power so he can restart time again. Green Lantern overpowers him while he is distracted and takes the ring back, overloading the planet and destroying it, taking Parallax with it.
Green Lantern #0, by Ron Marz, Daryl Banks, Romeo Tanghal
But like all comic book stories, parts of Zero Hour would be changed, removed, or expanded upon. A lot of people would say that Zero Hour didn't actually do anything to change the problems created by Crisis On Infinite Earths and to a point, that is correct. It really wasn't meant to. It was to give correct a few issues but overall, the DC Universe would remain the same. The zero issues introduced new concepts, villains, storylines, teams, and even series to the DC lineup. Most would be quickly forgotten like Manhunter (13 issues, 1994-1995), Fate (23 issues, 1994-1996), and Primal Force (15 issues, 1994-1995) but one would go on to great acclaim, Starman (81 issues, 1994-2001).
Starman #0, by Tony Harris
Interior by James Robinson, Tony Harris, Wade Von Grawbadger
EPILOGUE
The superhero Triumph was introduced in Justice League America #92. In the issue, Triumph was a founding member of the Justice League with Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, The Flash, Black Canary, and Green Lantern. It was their very first mission and they were facing off against plasma-aliens mining Earth for fuel. It took months for Triumph to research the aliens, understand what they were doing, and which heroes he would need. Despite some mistakes from the newbie superheroes, Triumph's plan works until Aquaman and Flash go up to the ship in Earth's orbit. Aquaman is nearly knocked out while trying to start a dialogue with the aliens so Flash tries to save him which then gets him injured. Soon, only Triumph is left to fight the aliens after everyone else--even Superman--abandons the mission. Triumph uses his power of electromagnitivity to stop the ship. Unfortunately, it damages the ship's time/space throwing Triumph and the aliens into limbo and essentially erased Triumph from history.
Justice League America #92, by Christopher Priest, Luke Ross, Dennis
Cramer, Matt Banning, Wayne Faucher, Jose Marzan, Jr.
Due to the time rifts, Triumph is now back and so are the aliens so Triumph wants to get the old Justice League back together but, much to his dismay, now consists of third-tier heroes. After a brief fight between Triumph and the Justice League, they are attacked by Arion. When Martian Manhunter shows up, he reveals that he's never met anyone named Triumph and with the help of Fire, knocked unconscious into the bay. While Triumph is floating, the aliens begin to pull him under. With the Justice League looking on, Triumph defeats the aliens and earns the trust of the League and Martian Manhunter. Triumph suggests they all talk about where the Justice League goes from here but he and Martian Manhunter are soon blinked out of existence.
Justice League International #68, by Christopher Priest, Phil Jimenez, John Stokes
Triumph would survive Zero Hour though and become a member of Justice League Task Force. Part of the deal with Triumph was that he was an arrogant know-it-all. He could become insufferable at times which frustrated his more experienced teammates. He was fired from JLTF and was offered his lost decade back in exchange for his soul by Neron. A mix-up causes Triumph to accidentally lose his soul and he learns that everything remains the same with or without him existing. He became a villain for a short while and was frozen in ice by Spectre. Triumph was kept, frozen, in the JLA Watchtower until its destruction resulted in Triumph's death.

Art for the promotional booklet Zero Hour by Tom Grummett and Doug Hazelwood
The Zero Hour posts are dedicated to my father-in-law, Paul Goebel (1952-2019)

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Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Zero Hour, Part 1

Company-wide crossovers in comic books are a standard gimmick to get people to buy more comic books. The first of these was Marvel Comics' Secret Wars that ran from May 1984 until April 1985. DC Comics got into the company-wide crossover game in April 1985 with Crisis On Infinite Earths which was been in production since 1982. In it, DC attempted to streamline their universe and reboot a few of their characters. Initially, the idea was deemed a success but as the years went on, more continuity errors emerged and it was time again for a streamlining of the DC Universe. Following the aftermath, and using many of the same characters, of Armageddon 2001, Zero Hour: Crisis In Time officially began in Showcase '94 #8 on June 2, 1994. The first issue of Zero Hour: Crisis In Time (#4, as the series counted down from #4 to #0) would be released on July 14, 1994.

Zero Hour holds a special place in my heart as it was my first company-wide crossover. I had started reading comics in late 1992 with the Death of Superman. I even attempted to collect every comic with the Zero Hour banner on it. I got about a dozen issues and that was it. 2019 was the 25th anniversary of Zero Hour and to commemorate the occasion, DC Comics released an omnibus that collects every issue of the Zero Hour crossover. Over 1,000 pages of...fair and middling stories.

The story starts out with Waverider and Rip Hunter discovering some sort of disruption of the time stream. Believing the disruption to be caused by Hank Hall, now Monarch but previously Hawk of Hawk and Dove, they go to find the cause. Turns out that Monarch is plotting something but the time disruptions are not his doing. After a short battle, Monarch upgrades himself to Extant and takes Waverider's time travel wristband enabling Extant to bounce back and forth through time. Rip Hunter reveals that Monarch was originally supposed to die during their battle but is now more powerful than ever and all of time is at stake.
Showcase '94 #9 by Dan Jurgens, Frank Fosco, Ken Branch.
Batman is the first to undergo a change in his timeline as, in an effort to protect his parents, Bruce Wayne was the one shot and killed leaving Thomas and Martha Wayne to mourn their child. Batman spends the night hunting for the killer but young Bruce wasn't killed by Joe Chill but by someone else. He then realizes that he has his parents back and races back to Wayne Manor only to find everything back to normal. Batman would go on to a timeline where Batgirl wasn't shot and paralyzed by the Joker and the goofy 1940s Alfred showing up. This is what happens with some of the characters: They meet past versions of themselves or enter an alternate timeline. The Flash was dealing with the discovery of a young speedster named Impulse. Because of Impulse, The Flash winds up in the 64th Century where time is starting to be eaten by entropy. It's theorized that if Flash runs fast enough he could create a shockwave big enough to collapse the time rift.
Zero Hour #4 by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway.
Sadly it doesn't work and The Flash is vaporized and the entire century is erased. Waverider and Hunter go to 5800 A.D. where Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) is there. Green Lantern is also unable to stop the rift. All the different incarnations of Hawkman are combined into one single character. As more centuries from the past and future are erased, Waverider realizes that there used to be more than one universe--a multiverse--that was consolidated into just one universe and that is the reason for the disruptions and creates the perfect opportunity for someone to go in and change all of time. With the help of Kyle Rayner Green Lantern, Superman and Metron, Waverider gets a message out to all the other heroes to meet at Vanishing Point and get ready for battle.
Zero Hour #4 by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway.
Zero Hour does a great job of confining the main story in just the five issues but also showing what is going on in other titles. Superman meets up with every version of Batman, reunited with his Kryptonian parents, met Alpha-Centurion: the protector of Metropolis, and his parents in the 1940s who weren't blessed with a baby from the stars. Green Lantern is given a history by original Green Lantern Alan Scott, the Legion of Super-Heroes are trying to save the 30th Century from blinking out of existence while seeing their pasts be altered as well, the original Superboy returns to inspire the Legion and then sent to face off against the new Superboy that was introduced during the Reign of the Supermen.
Valor #23, by Kurt Busiek, Colleen Doran, Dave Cooper.
Zero Hour #3, by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway
In New York City, all the heroes gather and try to figure out what to do. Meanwhile, at Vanishing Point, the Justice Society are trying to find out a way to help since they've had their own experience with time anomalies. When the JSA arrives, Extant is already there while Waverider, Hawkman, and Hawkgirl, enter the timestream to help create a god out of Hawkman. Extant uses his powers to re-age the Justice Society. Atom, Dr. Fate, Hourman all die of old age while Wildcat and Dr. Midnight are now upwards of 80-years-old. Only Alan Scott and Jay Garrick (The Golden Age Flash) make it out unscathed and they opt to retire instead of continuing on.
Zero Hour #2, by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway

The series Team Titans does an interesting issue where they show normal people going through the time rifts. Non-powered humans having to deal with dinosaurs, cowboys and Native Americans, protests from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and of course their own villain trying to use this opportunity to do evil instead of just taking a day off. Entropy continues getting closer and is right on the heels of this century. Our heroes are able to use their energies along with Metron's Mobius Chair to close up the rift saving everything...for the moment. In the 30th Century, a mysterious figure has arrived to reopen the rift and almost immediately things begin erasing anew.
Zero Hour #2, by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway

Monday, August 12, 2019

Comic Comics #1: Superman: Identity Crisis


The covers to "Identity Crisis" by (clockwise from
top left) Alan Davis & Mark Farmer, Dave Johnson,
Kieron Dwyer, and Howard Chaykin.
One of my favorite Superman stories was a four-part story that appeared in each Superman title with a July 1996 cover date. What's interesting is that none of the issues were done by the regular creative team. It was special guest month and I'm fairly certain the regular team was unavailable because of the death of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel in January.

In "Identity Crisis", Brainiac puts himself in Superman's body and proceeds to...learn everything he can about everything. This was the first story that made me write a letter to the editor. It actually saw print in Action Comics #727 and, well, let's just say I've grown as a writer since then.

"Identity Crisis" was written by Tom Peyer and Mark Waid; penciled by Chris Renaud, Curt Swan, Steven Butler, and Chris Marrinan; inked by Dick Giordano and Pam Eklund; lettered by Albert de Guzman; colored by Glenn Whitmore and separated by Digital Chameleon; and edited by Mike McAvennie and KC Carlson. As always, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.



We open on Superman saving a girl from getting splatted on the highway while trying to vandalize a sign with her friends. We then cut to Brainiac, as Milton Fine, at a psychiatric hospital getting treatment when he escapes his bonds and goes looking for a fellow 15-year-old resident who thinks he's Superman--Chas Cassidy. Creating a distraction to lure Superman to the hospital, Superman does arrives and Brainiac creates a mindswap putting Superman's consciousness into Chas and Brainiac's consciousness into Superman's. Believing even more now that he is Superman, the doctor sends Chas to electroshock therapy.
Chas and his friend, Aminah.
Superman to the rescue!
Whoops! Spoke too soon.
After the therapy, Chas' friend Aminah takes Chas/Superman up to the roof for a few minutes of "freedom." He actually kinds of convinces her that something's wrong before the evil orderlies, who like to beat up on the younger patients, arrive. The next day, Chas is able to place a call to Lois Lane but when she arrives at the hospital, Chas/Superman is unable to figure how to convince her what has happened so he fakes a seizure and she leaves.

Brainiac, meanwhile, is trying to figure out how he can gain access to as many people as possible. Using Superman's senses, Brainiac decides to address the nation on television. Chas, not able to wait around anymore, decides to escape. Unfortunately, one of the mean orderlies finds him and Aminah and runs to catch them, slipping on the wet roof and falling to his death. A security guard sees this and let's the hospital know that Chas has escaped and that he killed an orderly.
Aminah shows Chas the world.
Looks like Chas/Superman has gotten himself into a sticky situation.
To her credit, Lois does feel that something isn't right with the call she got from the hospital or with Superman--as Superman would never address the nation on TV like he's a president or king. Lois goes to WGBS to talk with him. Instead, Brainiac goes on TV, reveals a giant dome has been placed over Metropolis and proceeds to hypnotize the citizens of Metropolis. This includes Lois and everyone else who could help Chas so he's on his own to defeat Brainiac who has secured himself inside LexCorp Tower.

Just like now, only without phones in our hands.

Brainiac's plan is very strange. His goal is to collect all known knowledge but Superman's brain, while not a terrible vessel, still has its limitations so Brainiac is using the people of Metropolis to store the excess information. It's an odd plan especially coming off his illusion that Superman is still dead just a year prior. Anyway, Chas makes it into LexCorp Tower but is immediately confronted by Brainiac. Now, instead of just killing Chas, Brainiac throws him out the window but then flies down and saves him. That act causes Chas to realize that Brainiac is not the only conscious in Superman's body. Brainiac needed Chas to make Superman seem more like Superman.

Brainiac takes a look inside Chas--at why he has seizures and sees his abusive and distant parents and Superman on the TV. Chas escaped into Superman. While Brainiac is lost in Chas' mind, Chas is able to switch everyone back to normal. Superman and Brainiac duke it out real quick before Chas figures out how to reverse Brainiac's plan and sends all the information into Brainiac rendering him the smartest being in the known universe and just as helpless.

In the epilogue, Superman deduces that since Chas wasn't having seizures when he was in Superman's body, then they must be due to a chemical imbalance. Chas is wheeled into surgery and everyone lives happily ever after.



This would be Brainiac's last appearance for nearly three years. He would return in Superman: The Doomsday Wars having gotten Doomsday's body from the end of time but he was defeated trapped in another body, Brainiac 2.5. This story also takes place when Clark and Lois have separated and are no longer engaged. We never see Chas again but all-in-all it's a decent story and if you are able to, worth a purchase if you find them in the back issue bin.



This story was originally published in The Adventures of Superman #536, Action Comics #723, Superman: The Man of Steel #58, and Superman #114. Published and copyright 1996 DC Comics.

Sunday, April 21, 2019

All That Build-Up for a Pun

I’m a fan of ashcan editions of comic books. Ashcans are mainly used to register the title of the comic book or a character before the actual first issue/appearance comes out. Typically, a cover, usually a reused cover from a previous publication, is stapled onto a collection of pages, again from previous publications sometimes not even in order, and sent to the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office. The ashcan editions were almost solely made by All-American/National/DC and Fawcett Comics in order to secure trademark. Fawcett sent two ashcans to the trademark office in order to secure copyright on Captain Thunder and the title he was supposed to appear in.

Originally, Captain Thunder was supposed to debut in Flash Comics #1 but was beaten by All-American Comics (now DC Comics). Fawcett then sent in the title Thrill Comics but was beaten by Thrilling Comics by Standard Publications. Fawcett eventually lost the copyright for Captain Thunder as well to Fiction House's Captain Thunder and the Cargo Lancers in Jungle Comics. Fawcett decided rename the character Captain Marvel and the comic Whiz Comics.

Flash Comics #1, January 1940. Art by C.C. Beck.
Thrill Comics #1, January 1940. Art by C.C. Beck.
Flash Comics #1 (DC Comics), December 1939. Art from Adventure Comics #41
by Leo E. O'Mealia.


Action Comics #1, undated. Original art by Craig Flessel.
Action Funnies, undated. Oddly unfunny art from Action Comics #3 by Leo E. O'Mealia.
All-American Comics, April 1939. Art from Adventure Comics #33
by Craig Flessel.
All-American Men of War, August-September 1952. Art from All-Star Western #58 by
Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.
All Star Comics #1, Spring 1940. Art from Flash Comics #1 by
Sheldon Moldoff.
Double Action Comics #1, November 1939. Art from Adventure Comics #41 by
Leo E. O'Mealia.
Double Action Comics #1, November 1939. Art from New Adventure Comics #26
by Craig Flessel.
Double Action Comics #2, January 1940. Art from Adventure Comics #37
by Craig Flessel.
Superboy, January 1942. Art from Detective Comics #57 by Bob Kane,
Jerry Robinson, and George Roussos.
Supergirl, February 1946. Art from Boy Commandos #1 by
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.
Superman Comics. Art from Action Comics #7 by Joe Shuster.
Superwoman, January 1942. Art from More Fun Comics #73 by
Howard Sherman.
Wonder Woman #1, January 1942. Art from Sensation Comics #1 by
Jon L. Blummer and H.G. Peter.
World's Best Comics, February 1940. Art from Action Comics #29 by
Wayne Boring.
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I was promised exciting news. This isn't exciting news at all.

I'm sorry but unless your roots come from anywhere beyond western Europe then your origin isn't all that exciting and I'm saying this as someone whose family did come from the British Isles. Really, the only relative that I would like to research and get to know better is my great-great-great-great-great-great grandpa Bolivar Hall. He fought in the American Revolution, had a Native American wife, and a plantation in North Carolina so you know what that probably means.