Laura Sanapo’s variant for Stargirl: TLC #4 is quite dazzling.
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I love dazzling.
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So, did TLC #4 drop in print today?
DCUI and retail have been day and date digital and print for the series so far, but the DC homepage shows next Tuesday for when #4 debuts.
eBay listings however do show today as the day the mag comes out, so…which is it for the print release, next Tuesday or today?
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It did not. I just checked my preorder.
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Good to know, thank you.
I dig Court, but as I’ve already got enough books in this week’s pull, I can wait until next week for her next issue, as that Tuesday is much lighter than today will be.
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Thank you for digging me.
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Yeah. I second that. I visited my LCS, picked up my subs, and then got REAAaaAaal confused when I saw SG:TLC #4 on DCUI. The print edition must’ve been pushed back a week.
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Yeah I hate writers give excuses to heroes who do something selfish, reckless, and or callous. It’s usually the silver and golden age characters.
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I forgot to post about this, but a week ago I did see a source saying it came out on the 28th. All the solicitations (which came out months ago) said the 21st, but then every source I checked now said 28th. I had no idea if the coming to DC was still accurate or not until I checked at midnight.
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Well, since Stargirl: The Lost Children #4 IS up on DCUI, I read it. Things are starting to pop off on Orphan Island, but I really want to talk about one panel with a couple of throwaway Easter eggs (because, of course I do…):
So, that panel name drops two Golden Age sidekicks: Pinky, the Whiz Kid and Sparky. Pinky first appeared in Fawcett’s Wow Comics #4 from the winter of 1941. His widowed mother was murdered by the evil Mr. Hyde who turned out to really be the president of Oaklawn Orphanage, Dr. Jelke (I mean… obviously). After discovering the monster originated from the orphanage he was taken to, Pinky made himself a costume based off the hero Mr. Scarlet to help him capture Mr. Hyde.
After defeating Mr. Hyde, Pinky was adopted by Mr. Scarlet’s alter ego, Brian Butler and became his sidekick: The Whiz Kid. I should note that Brian Butler was recently name dropped in The New Champion of Shazam #'s 2 and 3 (now available on Ultra) as one of the people kidnapped by Georgia Sivana for her experiments.
The Pinky reference was nice, but I’m really psyched about the mention of Sparky who is my favorite Golden Age sidekick.
Sparky first appeared in Holyoke Publishing’s Blue Beetle #14 from Sept., 1942… sort of:
And so, he only appeared on the cover of and in an advertisement within Blue Beetle #14 and didn’t make his first full appearance until Blue Beetle #15 from Oct., 1942. Sparky’s real name is Sparkington J. Northrup and he is an American orphan who was adopted by Lord Wellington Northrup of Suppleshire, England (no joke). Lord Northrup sent Sparky back to the United States to keep him safe during WWII. However, the Nazis sent Gestapo agent Hautman out to kidnap Sparky so they could use him to extort Lord Northrup. Sparky helped Blue Beetle capture Hautman and his gang and ended up becoming the hero’s sidekick.
In Blue Beetle #18, the writers either forgot his name or decided to change it with no explanation and they started calling him “Spunky” for the rest of his Golden Age lifespan (luckily, it seems he was pulled from the timeline before BB #18 happened). Spunky was absent from Blue Beetle #'s 20-25, but resurfaced without his costume and with brown hair for his final Golden Age appearances in issues 26-28. Blue Beetle comics left Holyoke Publishing and returned to their original publisher, Fox Feature Syndicate, with issue #31 in June of 1944. Fox never opted to use Sparky. Anyway, there’s my big Sparky rant out of the way.
I will say that it was fitting that Pinky and Sparky were locked up on Orphan Island together as they both used the knowledge of their mentors’ secret identities to leverage their way into being accepted as sidekicks:
Outside of my Golden Age nerd stuff, The Lost Children #4 was really enjoyable. I like how Courtney is conflicted about restoring the missing sidekicks to history as it might lead to Wing’s death. I imagine we haven’t seen the last of that plot point. We also learn that the buyer of the children is none other than the Matthew Tyler Hourman! Has he turned bad or is something else going on here?
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for the big reveal at the end Maybe he is not the actual buyer but trying to beat the buyer to the punch.
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Could be! I also had the thought that, since he’s more or less an android, maybe someone reprogrammed him…?
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I was right. Pinky is one of the kids on Orphan Island. He’s locked up in a cell with Sparky in S: TLC 4 which dropped on Ultra today. Matthew Tyler is also in that issue. So the Miraclo on the beach was in reference to him.
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Good call! I did a post on Pinky and Sparky just a few posts up.
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I just got caught up with Stargirl: The Lost Children. It’s great.
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The current release dates for my next two comics are March 21st and April 18th.
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Meanwhile, Justice Society #3 is now delayed to March 14th (almost two months late)
#4 is now 4th of April, but I doubt it makes that date
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I am seeing it listed as tomorrow, 7th, and 14th. Per Degaton is really messing with it.
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Did some research on Sparky now that he’s part of the DCU. Most of what I found out tracks with what @TheCosmicMoth already reported. Most sites agree Sparky and Spunky are the same character although Fandom disagrees. They cite the fact that in one appearance he was called Lister and only appeared in civilian garb thereafter as their reason. But perhaps the most interesting fact I found was on CBR. That site came up with their thoughts as to why Sparky may have changed his name. There was a strip in Blue Beetle called Naval Cadet Sparky Stevens. CBR opines they believe the name was changed because it would be too confusing having two characters with the name Sparky in the same book.
They were probably right.
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