Hard to believe another year has passed since I last commented on Veterans Day. A lot of things changed in the country. A lot hasn’t. The Presidency has again changed hands. And we’ve gotten out of Afghanistan. Whether that’s good or bad depends on which side of those changes you’re on. The nation’s Capital building in Washington, D.C. was under attack on January 6th. Were they peaceful protesters or rioters? What I do know, is that some identified as veterans. And that criminal actions were taken in the name of our constitution. So yeah, a lot has changed since last year.
Still, it’s the fictional veterans of the DCU that I want to talk about here. Specifically, the Unknown Soldier. Seeing civilians (along with many veterans) at long last able to pay tribute at the Unknown Soldier Mall, on this, the 100th Anniversary of that internment, is very moving. Of course DC has their own Unknown Soldier. Whom I last saw in Legacies, 2010/11. Wouldn’t it be a nice one-shot sendoff for Kanigher’s original undercover intelligence operative, to have his final mission revealed by Waller, SargeSteel and some others (who had access to his files and real identity) over his grave site, a U.S. memorial, in his own home town. Or maybe DC’s industrious staff could come up with something even better, for next year. Who knows, I live in hope.
I always thought it would be neat if the Unknown Soldier turned out to be the still unrevealed Kilroy of WWII. I don’t believe they ever discovered who Kilroy was.
War Comics Question:
I have a vivid memory of reading an old comic that featured a story about a soldier jumping out of an airplane without a parachute and surviving.
Sadly, I have never been able to find this comic again.
Do you know of any comics (1950s - 1970s most likely) that feature a story that is many pages of falling through the air and calmly making choices to increase survivability?
The jumper survives by slowing his descent, steering towards a river, entering the deepest part of the river smoothly, and then swimming back to the surface before drowning. I loved it.
Why is the 1999 JSA series almost exclusively remembered and marketed as “Geoff Johns’ JSA”, when over half of the issues (plus Secret Files, Annuals, a graphic novel and an off-shoot series) were co-written with David S. Goyer?
To add to this question it is very often called the Johns-Robinson run when Robinson only wrote 5 issues to (I just counted but may have missed something) 46 plus the other stuff for Goyer. Why is he given so much more credit than Goyer?
Because for maximum accuracy when marketing and dressing a series, one must refer to the creator who was there for the entire body of work. It wouldn’t be accurate to collectively call it Goyer’s JSA when he wasn’t involved in a significant amount of it, even though it was most.
As for Robinson’s accreditation, I chalk that up to his creation of JSA: The Golden Age, which made the entire JSA revival viable in the first place.
Almost a year ago (last Nov, about this time), I was trying to make the case for a connection between Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman, and that of David F. Sandberg’s Shazam film. At that time, you stated that a connection had not yet been established. That the source of their powers might be completely unrelated. At the time, I took that at face value, and moved on. Well guess what, even prior to the upcoming Shazam:Fury of the Gods, we saw that connection has existed right from the start.
I was watching a snippet of the Shazam origin scene, from the first movie, on YouTube last night. Right there, big as life, something we both seem to have missed in viewing the film. Or, at least I did. As Billy grasps the staff of power, and says Shazam’s name, two things happen. Billy drops to his knees in a cloud of smoke, as the staff receives the magic lightning. As it does, we all hear (or should have) the Wizard recite the well known, and ages old standard of what his name stands for. Solomon wisdom, Hercules strength, Atlas stamina, Zeus power, Achilles courage and Mercury speed! A creative collection of Greek & Roman gods, two extraordinary humans and a fallen Titan!
After the new Cap…sorry, Shazam character rises, words of shock and befuddlement are spoken by the now fully grown teen. Words of hope and encouragement are said in return, by that of the Wizard, before turning to dust. If that doesn’t tie-in the daughter of Zeus, with the World’s Mightiest Mortal, I don’t know what will. So, what do you think sir, yay or nay?
How about this Superman appeared in Shazam and Justice League and Batman vs Superman, Shazam appeared on the first, Wonder Woman in the others. Therfor Wonder Woman is connected to Shazam via Superman.
I think we’ll have to wait and see! But as far as the comics are typically concerned, the gods of Shazam’s pantheon may share names with the cultural figures we’re more familiar with, but are said to simply utilize those names as more arcane “gods of magic” to establish the archetypes they represent. Of course, movies being what they are, Fury of the Gods may change that.
Alright, here’s a long story that’s also a question: In Watchmen#12, Moore enclosed a reference to the The Outer Limits episode “The Architects of Fear”, acknowledging the similarity of the plots. I think I might’ve found a similar Easter egg in the final issue of Doomsday Clock, and I’m wondering if you know whether this was intentional: In one future version of the Metaverse, Kal-El will be found in 2162 by the Kents and their three-year-old daughter Clara. Obviously, this might be just the feminine form of Clark, but is there any way that this is a reference to Clara Oswald, the Impossible Girl, who also lives and dies throughout time and space? Thanks!
It’s possible, people draw influences from everywhere, but I’d personally be inclined to chalk this one up to coincidence. I haven’t seen any evidence that Geoff Johns is a Doctor Who fan.
Hello @HubCityQuestion, I was wondering, has there been at least 1 villian that met every single heroes in DC Universe and has there been at least 1 hero that met every single villians in DC Universe? Thankyou.
Good question! My short answer is no. My long answer would also be no, but it would require several years of analysis to back that up. Suffice to say that there are certain heroes and villains within the DC universe who have not appeared at all outside of their debut series, which would preclude any meeting of all heroes or villains.
A new trailer for the Batman movie, and on-line traffic, seems to indicate that this will be in the 2nd year of his vigilante activities in Gotham City. Something about that “second year” comment triggered a very elusive memory, I’d been unable to pin down. Back in June, I asked about early covers that showed Batmanwith a gun. You provided a fine response. As well as some editorial history about DC’s decision to abandon guns as a tool in the Caped Crusader’s arsenal.
In researching Mike Barr (a wonderful writer, who also gave us the original Outsiders), I found a four issue story arc (I’d forgotten completely) about the DarkKnight’s “2nd year” of activity, in issues #575-78, of Detective Comics, in 1987. The overall story also contains four consecutive covers showing Batman with “gun in hand.” I don’t remember the particulars, but something made him decide to use the more permanent, Shadow like methods, on those who prey on the good citizens of his city. Of course, by story’s end, he’s back to the firearm free (and probably PTSD sufferer) hero of Gotham in action today.
I seem to remember some other, similar covers during that time period as well. Can you find any of them for us, good sir? Thanks!
I’m not sure what “similar covers” you’re referring to, but I can tell you that the “Year Two” direction was a rather controversial one at the time, even behind the scenes. By some accounts, artists Alan Davis and Paul Neary were so put off by Batman’s use of guns in this story that they left the book after the first issue, to be replaced by then up-and-coming hotshot Todd McFarlane.
The story itself, as written by Mike Barr, is a little more reserved than “Batman uses guns now”. As it went, Batman was brandishing a firearm with one specific purpose: to kill the man who killed his own parents, Joe Chill. And he almost does it, too – only for the story’s main villain, the Reaper, to kill Joe Chill off before Batman gets the chance.
I loved it. 
