Appreciate it!
4 Likes
Always been a big Solomon Grundy fan. If not, every interpretation thereof. But, you learn to take the good with, the not so good. I first came across the character (as I suspect many others my age did) when the Silver Age revived him, in Showcase #55, going up against Dr. Fate and Hourman, in 1965. He didn’t have many appearances in the 40s, but they were memorable! The biggest being when Gardner Fox realized that Grundy had the power to take on the entire Justice Society, in one of their best adventures. Curiously, Fate and Hourman were both inactive members when the JSA first encounter Grundy.
As a kid, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy of All American Comics #61. It was Grundy’s first appearance, and one of my first Golden Age buys. I treasure it to this day. Often comparing it to the Seagle/Snyder lll graphic novel, Brightest Day, Blackest Night. A beautiful homage and expanded retelling of that classic origin story from 1944.
In the early CRISIS days of the 60s, at the height of the Batman tv craze, the Caped Crusader took over every comic he appeared in (at least cover-wise). This included the JLA as well. In issues #46-7, he first meets Grundy as part of a JLA/JSA crossover. Which coincidentaly, also gave us the menace of the Anti-Matter Man. Long before the Anti-Monitor ever showed up in COIE.
My query is this, after Rebirth (and everything that’s followed), I assume that the Bat has had an independent, solo confrontation with Slaughter Swamp’s most infamous denizen. Where and when, please. Thanks! 
Stay safe, be well.
3 Likes
Batman’s first Rebirth era confrontation with Grundy occurred almost immediately after Rebirth began, in Batman (2016) #2. It was the first time Batman and Grundy had really encountered each other since Flashpoint, as Grundy was rewritten for the duration of The New 52 as a denizen of Earth 2. In this issue, Batman intervenes when new heroes on the scene, Gotham and Gotham Girl, are mishandling their own first encounter with Grundy.
Their next confrontation entails a team-up with Superman, in Batman/Superman #15 (2020), the last issue of Joshua Williamson’s run on the series. It’s one of the more touching Grundy stories, involving a surprise character at the end I don’t want to spoil.
Their most recent, and only true solo encounter to date, was in Legends of the Dark Knight #11 (2021), where Grundy is attacking mob bosses across Gotham. It’s up to Batman to figure out why.
6 Likes
In the Wonder Comics Dial H series, the heroic transformations came from the “Heroverse”, a dimension of potential hero concepts, iirc?
3 Likes
Let’s talk Plastic Man. The first time I came across this unique Jack Cole creation, was thanks to a book on comics by the great Jules Feiffer. It was called The Great Comic Book Heroes, and came out in 1965. Soooo, Elastic Lad and Elongated Man weren’t so original after all. Well, that’s okay. I mean, it’s not like Superman was the only guy who could fly, right.
Then along comes a new series in House of Mystery, called Dial-H for Hero. And in issue #160 (as Q noted) Plastic Man was back! Many thanks to @a2.ton.51072 for the reminder that put him back on my radar. And I gotta give props to DC, they sure tried hard for years, to get a successful series going. But they never seemed to last long. Some writers were better than others. Likewise true, of artists. Plas has been active on a lot of different Earths, I’ve noticed. And even has a son out there somewhere. Or he did. So I guess my question is, what’s the scoop on Patrick “Eel” O’Brian, the original “Rubberband Man” these days? And anybody else remember the fabulous Spinners? 
Stay safe, be well.
5 Likes
Since his return in Dark Nights: Metal, Plastic Man was recently featured as a member of The Terrifics, and subsequently part of One-Star Squadron. He was even in a comic this week, teaming up with Batman against Penguin and KGBeast in Batman: Urban Legends #15!
9 Likes
Why was Damian Wayne given more ‘screen time’ since his introduction than Helena Wayne ever has had? Despite Damian Being introduce 10 years after Helena.
especially since they are both batman’s children with a villain.
7 Likes
I have second question: Why does dc throw up so many road blocks with Batman and Catwoman’s relationship in the comics, yet does not do so with many of the other hero’s other then Really the green lanterns.
4 Likes
Helena Wayne is the product of Batman and Catwoman’s relationship in a timeline further along than ours, in Earth 2, where Batman is retired (and, eventually, deceased). Because Damian is an active hero in the present day setting of DC Comics, there are more opportunities for him to appear.
8 Likes
The characters who have not faced “road blocks” in the way you have mentioned- such as Superman, Aquaman, or The Flash- are characters who have no really significant competing love interests. Even in those cases, it took many years for them to finally get married. Confirming Batman and Selina’s relationship would mean closing the door on storylines exploring other Batman relationships, and as DC’s most storied character, that’s something the publisher is reluctant to do.
8 Likes
you provided great answers however that’s not quite true as Helena Wayne of earth-two did like power girl make it to new earth. She was killed off but was never brought back to life despite resting in Valhalla cemetery.
5 Likes
That is true to an extent, but by that same token, there will always be more Supergirl stories than Power Girl stories. The multiverse angle is too much for most Gotham-based stories to bear.
6 Likes
Note: I am qite sleep-deprived well writing this.
the thing is Of the last 5 multiversal crisis books 4 were Gotham-based (Batman: Fortnight/Dark knights metal/Dark knights death metal, the Fortnite sequel) all dealt with a batman. and the fact that batman cracks multiversal travel independently in two universes.
Superman is a bad example here as well he did take a long time to marry, really the man has only had 2 ‘long-term’ love interests form the start, Lois Lane and Lana Lang.
Wonder woman pared up with him did not really start till 1996’s kingdom come…which also went for Damian Wayne over Helena Wayne. Given we could have also had Helena in 1986’s dark knight returns universe yet she is absent says something too.
It’s also odd that bruce started having issues with his relationship with Catwoman just before the reboot took effect and got restarted from basically scratch after a crisis. Yet his relationship with Talia did not. also at least looking through Selina’s appearances, in the main Batman title Selina did not interact with Bruce again until really Hush. then again Denny O’Neill did ship Bruce/Talia. ya, I am seeing some bias here. atleast when looking at DC database fandom.
PS: Bruce and Selina’s relationship has been pretty much confirmed since the end of kings run.
4 Likes
This is pretty recent, how did Black Adam return after Shazam defeated him in the JL new 52 run?
3 Likes
I want to say even though i argued with you i am thankful you answered my question. so thank you. 
8 Likes
Also, Why wasn’t the Lantern Corps involved in the New Genisis/Apokilips wars?
5 Likes
Good question! This was addressed in Green Lantern 80-Page Giant #3 (2000), in a story written by Scott Beatty. There, we see that there have in fact been many occasions where the Guardians have attempted to intervene in Apokolips’s affairs over the millennia, and every time, Darkseid defeats them. The reality of the situation is that the Lanterns couldn’t stand against Darkseid without declaring all-out war against him, which would deprive the rest of the universe of much needed Lantern resources even if they won.
10 Likes
If I can add to that, just a wee bit, I recently rediscovered a minor (but very informative) story from the 2008 Tales of the New Gods tpb, by Walt Simonson. Titled “a Good Servant” that beautifully answers that question. At least it did, back then. Well, that’s my two cents, for what it’s worth. 
5 Likes
Hey @HubCityQuestion! Was there an article for Ask… The Question for April? I didn’t see any but I thought they were monthly.
Hope you’re doing well and are enjoying the comics ur reading!
4 Likes