T-shirt #239 - Superman - Classic Logo

T-shirt #239 - Superman - Classic Logo

Welcome to Comic Book Friday. Though the new comics go out for sale each week on Wednesday, my schedule does not allow me to stop by Fanfare and purchase them until Thursday or Friday of each week, either way I have been consistently sharing my weekly comics lists on Fridays for many weeks in a row. I am not going to count. If you really want a number, check out the Lists-Weekly Comics Stack category. Okay, it's twenty-one weeks.


I bought this shirt a few weeks ago (T-shirt #218). I realized that I did not have a traditional Superman logo T-shirt, and I needed one. I wanted to feature the traditional symbol shirt. But I really do not have new Superman content to share. If interested in past Superman content, I have created a Superman Related category, which, once this shirt joins the group, contains seven posts. However, I will endeavor to share some Superman content, at least in regards to recent Superman comic books.

I am hoping to feel renewed Superman love before my blog is over. I already wrote about the Superman movie (in T-shirt #110), and though not included in the Superman related category, I wrote about the Superman Unchained comic book in past weekly comics roundups. Superman Unchained started out well but did not sustain the punch of the first three issues in the fourth issue (as I reported last week in T-shirt #232). Recently, the other two main Superman books (Action Comics and Superman) have been dreadful.

I am shocked that a comic book company can have a moderately decent blockbuster summer movie and run out issue after issue of total dreck in its wake, when capitalizing on sales should be paramount.

I discuss Superman issues frequently at Fanfare with one of the managers, Bill Artis, who is a HUGE Superman fan. Even he admits that the recent Superman comics have been horribly bad. And then last week Action Comics #25 came out. It was quite refreshing. Though there were some flaws, it was a good story from Superman's earliest years as part of DC's current ZERO YEAR theme. I am hoping this comic signals better Superman content to come.

"Everyone is the age of his/her heart." Guatemalan Proverb

Today, Liesel and I took the puppy for a walk. This is something of a special occasion, though it really should not be. We got on the subject of Jung's Process of Individuation because of some comment Liesel made about people she knows and my recent teaching experiences last week both at University of Phoenix and WMU. I remarked that many people remain stuck in the earliest stages in the Process of Individuation because not everyone lives at a deeper level; a lot of people live a surface existence (though I would suspect that no one reading these sentences fits that description).

Liesel made a very true comment that nailed the issue (as she so often does): "people are afraid to individuate." 

I seized on this remark immediately. As the "Bene Gesserit" said in the book Dune, which I just finished reading, "fear is the mind killer."

Fear shuts down the system. There's no growth in the grip of fear. As I have written before, this blog came to be in the face of fear. My initial dismissal of the idea was based on fear of being labeled narcissistic or overly self-involved. I doubted that people would care, which is a kind of self-immolating fear.

But then my attitude changed after I learned I had cancer, and so I went forward with the blog, dismissing the fear. So what? So what if people labeled me a narcissist or worse? Writing makes me happy. Thus, I realized that writing the blog would make me happy, and so far, it has been a rousing success.

Liesel and I veered into a discussion of conformity next. Why do we live in a world that encourages conformity rather than difference? We assessed that some of those people who are encouraged to chart their own course, to blaze a new trail through new territory, do not have the courage to sustain the new course and surrender to the social pressures to conform. Here's the second part of the fear. A person afraid of being different projects that fear as loathing on to other people for being different. Those so threatened may take an easy route and simply avoid what makes them afraid, but others will actively judge or seek to eradicate the difference. This enforcement of normal is best seen in the microcosm of most pre-college schools, in which conformity is the highest value, and those who are different are bullied into submission. Those trying to be individuals are faced with either being social outcasts on the fringe with the others so bullied (which is often a lonely and solitary place depending how the bullying is perpetrated and if the fringe accepts the bullied one) or the individual tries to conform and fit into the dominant social group. For some, "fitting in" is impossible due to physical appearance or something else that's unalterable. Others simply do not wish to conform and prefer to be outcast, whether they can find other outcasts to form a fringe group or whether they have to go on their own way, alone, it does not matter.

Again, I connected these discussion ideas to Jung and my own recent teaching. I am still working on what The Blog Journey means. This exercise is surely part of my own Process of Individuation. I am not only assessing the work I have done previously in the Process, but acknowledging the work I have left to do. I am accepting the aspects of my personality that relate to one of the most important things in my life: the world of ideas. As I take this Blog Journey (purposeful capitals as I just made a category and wish to distinguish this idea as a proper name), I can move forward by carrying my past and my present with me. I can revel in nostalgia, but I can also frame the memories and the fondness for things past into whom I want to be now and in the future. Most importantly, I can strive to achieve balance. Deeply rooted in Gnosticism and Buddhism and other ideologies, Jung wrote frequently of dualities: the Shadow and the Ego or the Anima and the Animus. By making conscious that which has been made unconscious, Jung says, is the path of growth for the individual and the achievement of "self," the central and unifying principle of individuation, of life.

I love comic books, but I also love fine art, music, and Asian food. All things in balance. Moderation. Deep breaths. There's the framework. Now, I have a great amount of detail to fill in during the weeks to come (exactly 18 weeks today).

And so, FORWARD.

Thank you for reading.

And now today's feature.

THE WEEKLY COMICS LIST

Last week was a good week for comics and reading comics. With the exception of one comic, the last on the list, I read the entire list of comic books from last week. Unlike last week, I am not working ahead, and so I have not read a single comic from this week's list.

Looking back on the week, there are several excellent comics, but one of the greatest standouts (maybe the greatest) was Detective Comics #25. The Zero Year story of an incident early in the career of Jim  Gordon (and consequently Batman), which supplied him with the idea for the signal light, was deftly written and beautifully illustrated by Jason Fabok. Though I have been critical of the Earth Two comic, last week's issue with a new creative team was very well done, and I felt for the first time in months that it was worth my money. I already mentioned Action Comics. I felt that Uber was a bit of a let down, but Cataclysm was well done, and I liked Captain America very much.




This week, The Walking Dead takes its top spot as usual. Batman earns a higher rank based on the strength of the last issue, which I reviewed in T-shirt #217. Justice League always rates highly, but Cataclysm jumps from tenth last week to fourth this week based on the strength of the last issue, earning a place over The All-New X-Men, which is often in the top group (#16 was second in its week and #17 was fifth).

Lastly, I am excited about the Uber hard cover. I did not order it, but after reading Gillen's description of what it contained in the back matter for last week's issue #7, I had to snag it. Gillen is single-handedly re-kindling my interest in World War Two. I already plan to read one of the books he recommends, and I may need to delve more deeply into his research. In this volume, there are issue notes that Gillen had published online, there is an interview with Gillen (which looks to be at least three dozen pages long), and there's an article originally published at Multiversity about the process and pitfalls of writing fiction about Nazis. There's also more juicy back matter with designs, creator bios, script pages, and more. It is one of the best volumes I have ever seen in what it offers readers to enrich their experience beyond the collection of original issues themselves. I cannot wait to sink in my teeth in an extended reading session.

COMICS FOR 1311.13

Walking Dead #116
Batman #25
Justice League #9
Cataclysm: Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #001
The All-New X-Men #018
Thor: God of Thunder #015
The Superior Spider-Man #021
Batgirl #25
Superman/Wonder Woman #2
Nightwing #25
Avengers Arena #017
The Fearless Defenders #011
Suicide Squad #25
World's Finest: Power Girl and Huntress #17
The Shaolin Cowboy #2

BACK LOG
Astro City #6
CodeName Action #3
Wolverine #011
Rocket Girl #2

SPECIAL PURCHASES

Uber - Collected Hardcover Edition Vol. 1
Locus vol. 71 #5

COUNTDOWN TO THE END OF THE BLOG YEAR: 126 shirts remaining

- chris tower - 1311.15 - 19:05

T-shirt #232 - We Can Be Heroes - a DC Org

T-shirt #232 - We Can Be Heroes - a DC Org

DC comics has launched  a campaign to raise money for the hunger crisis in the horn of Africa. Partnered with Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Mercy Corps, DC Entertainment has been running a campaign since around the time I started my blog to raise money to help with the hunger crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. According to the website, WeCanBeHeroes.org, over eight million people in those countries are starving and in need of critical intervention.


In 2011, the United Nations declared the first famine in 21 years in these areas of the world. Though the U.N. lifted the famine rating in 2012, the crisis continues. DC Entertainment is using this crisis to re-brand its new Justice League team as it gears up public awareness of its franchise heroes as Warner Brothers readies its blockbuster Justice League movie for premiere in (tentatively) in 2015 (though no sooner and maybe not that soon), according to Cinema Blend.

And so, the campaign suggests that donors and those wishing to help can "fight side-by-side with the Justice League and DC Entertainment" to raise awareness and funds for the three humanitarian partners working to help the starving people of those nations in the horn of Africa. Check out this screen shot below about those organizations and of course the web site:

WeCanBeHeroes.org

For $10, you can buy enough peanut paste to keep a child alive for over a week. $25 buys clean water for three families of six for a month. $50 buys two weeks of food for a household of six people for a month. And $100 funds mobile health teams working to reach the malnourished. In terms of the merchandise, 50% of the proceeds from the sales of the merchandise is donated to the charities.

As you can see I bought one of the two t-shirts. However, this is not the shirt I wanted.


The one I really wanted is no longer available in XL with no news on when it will be available again in XL size as I wrote and asked. I also bought the phone case for my Samsung Galaxy S4. There's also a mug, a water bottle, and a poster, but I held off on those for now.

The campaign recently sold off more expensive swag, including cookouts with comic creators and other special features, on a weekly basis, using one Justice League hero each week as the center piece of the campaign.




The Flash phone case is not part of the campaign. But it just arrived in the mail, so I wanted to show it off.

YES, I have two phone cases...

Doesn't everyone?

I love the silhouette look of the Justice League in these images for the campaign. The ads are very striking, and after seeing enough of them, I was convinced to buy some of the products and donate money.

Marvel may out sell DC comics month-to-month, but Marvel is not doing anything quite as noble and cool as this campaign, even if, as I mentioned, there's branding and movie franchise ulterior motives.

The campaign seems to have helped DC to consider the defining attribute of each character and use this as part of an iconographic logo-branding system. It's smart work, and it plays into the rich history and the iconographic status that DC heroes have over Marvel heroes. Many of them (though not all) are more deeply embedded in the cultural psyche. I know I used "iconographic" twice in a short paragraph. But what better word is there for these images?

I am a bit bemused by the addition of Cyborg, a clear ploy for diversity, to the very white and very male set of heroes in the Justice League. He serves as a replacement for the Martian Manhunter, which is not the best choice, and considering he was a Teen Titan, he seems out of place on this team. Why isn't a green alien a sign of diversity? Go figure. I like Cyborg, always have, but his inclusion on the new Justice League seemed forced and not set up by any pre-story or back story history.



WEEKLY COMICS LIST



The top four comics this week are basically interchangeable. I could re-arrange them all and read anyone of them first. The rankings came down to the Night Crawler factor, first. I am curious about the return of Night Crawler the X-Man to the Marvel Universe, so the new X book takes first place. Superman Unchained is a bit easier to read than Forever Evil, as the latter is a bit more dense and so it (SU) takes second. Green Arrow is always an enjoyable read since Lemire took over the comic. It only takes fourth because I may want it to be first up in the second night of reading. Some time in exhaustion, I only make it through two or three comics in a night.

I am typing this list and my reasoning on Thursday for posting on Friday's blog entry, and so my first night of reading these books will be the day before this post appears.

As I reported in the text above, since I am writing some of my content a day ahead, I did manage just the top three comics in the list on Thursday night, so that Green Arrow will be my first read tonight. Amazing X-Men was good though not perfectly good. I am always troubled by depictions of Heaven, especially as something out of a fairy tale. I trust Jason Aaron's writing, but I am hoping this "Heaven" proves to be a figment of Nightcrawler's imagination. Also, when Wolverine is openly solicitous of sex with Storm, I was very troubled. Wolverine can joke, but this went against his honorable nature.



Superman Unchained #4 was very much a let down after the first three issues. The wrap up of this part of the story just does not compare; however, the instigating factors for the next storylines, involving Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, were very well done. Not the right inker on Jim Lee's art, which looked far too sketchy and unfinished.

Forever Evil #3 contained many good elements. It's going to hold near the top of my weekly stack simply for the David Finch art. But the story could be better developed.

COMICS FOR THE WEEK OF 1311.06

Amazing X-Men #001
Superman Unchained #4
Forever Evil #3
Green Arrow #25
Mighty AVENGERS #003
Heist #002
Iron Man #018
Daredevil: Dark Knights #006
Captain America #013
Cataclysm: The Ultimates Last Stand #001
Uber #7
Green Lantern #25
Earth 2 #17
Batman: Detective Comics #25
Superman: Action Comics (Zero Year) #25
Alex + Ada (Image - Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn) #1
Protector's Inc. (Image - JMS - Joe's Comics) #1

BACK LOG

Ten Grand #5
Trillium #4
God Is Dead (Avatar) #s 2 and 3

- chris tower - 1311.08 - 9:20

T-shirt #110: Smallville Athletics

T-shirt #110: Smallville Athletics or Ten Reasons I loved Superman: The Man of Steel

I saw Superman: The Man of Steel on Sunday July 7th.

After seeing the film, I was contemplating buying a Superman shirt so I could write about the film until I remembered that though I may not own a traditional blue, red, and yellow shirt, I do have some more Superman-themed clothing, such as this fine garment in the same vein of the faux athletics style as featured in T-shirt #108 for the Powers Division. I claimed that I owned more of these, didn't I? I had not intended to post another one so soon, though.

My friend and fellow blogger Charles Skaggs lent Superman: The Man of Steel his "Charlesish" review of the film the day it came out. Find it at this link: DAMN GOOD MOVIES. I barely made it to Iron Man 3 before it left town. Still, I feel ahead of the game in catching the Superman film three weeks after its debut. Oh, for those days when I used to catch films on the day they came out!

Charles in his Charlesish-way ranks Superman: The Man of Steel fourth on his all time superhero movies list behind Superman (1978), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Avengers (2012). I cannot agree. Not only is the original Superman II (1981) film better than Superman (1978), but Superman: The Man of Steel is better than all five of the previous films (not counting pre-1970s fare) put together and well shaken (not stirred). (Yes, I like to mix pop culture metaphors.)

SPOILER ALERT!!
If you do not wish to learn things about the film, stop reading now.

TEN REASONS TO LOVE Superman: The Man of Steel

1. JOR-EL KICKS ASS! No wimpy Jor-El who stands by, arms at his side, as cold as the set looks, pleading the case of Krypton to some big floating heads. Yes, Brando was great. I doubted that Russell Crowe could be as good. Aided by a great script and a better dramatic sequence on the home planet, Crowe was better. We see Jor-El stand up for his principles. We see Jor-El escape Zod's coup before he is taken prisoner in the council chambers. Jor-El shows off how buff and athletic he is as he dives into the Genesis Chamber and takes the Codex. Then, back at his observatory home, he beats the crap out of Zod, humiliating the general, until the evil and quite psychotic Zod sucker stabs Jor-El. Though Jor-El dies, he has bought time for Lara to launch the rocket that will take Kal-El to earth. This whole sequence plays out MUCH BETTER than the original 1978 film with plenty of action; Jor-El is no slouch when it comes to combat (and neither is his son as we see later on).

2. KRYPTON IS COOL! Gone are the crusty, Styrofoam-looking, ice sculptures of the 1978 movie. And though the floating heads and Phantom Zone projector were the coolest part of Old Krypton, this upgrade re-envisions both beautifully as well as giving the planet a retro-fit and much needed face lift. Krypton is great because of its mix of technology and futuristic gizmos as well as beasts with ancient lineage, one of which Jor-El rides through a combat zone! The Kryptonian world and technology (mainly used by Zod and company) finally seem to get Krypton and Kryptonians right.

3. A NATURAL BIRTH: Comic book fans of all the different remediated Superman origins over the years (principally the 1980s work of John Byrne) are acquainted with the uber-sciencey, sexless, suited-up Kryptonians of Kal-El's homeworld. We all know that Kal-El is special because he was a natural birth, but here the creative team (Goyer, Nolan, and Snyder) actually SHOW the live birth with the wonderful Ayelet Zurer (Lara-El) screaming her head off as she gives birth because, apparently, for all their technology the Kryptonians did not solve the dilemma of painful, vaginal birth (or maybe Lara did not want to seek a solution). All in all, regardless of the reasoning, the sequence is VERY COOL.

4. CHILDHOOD TOLD IN FLASHBACK: Often in Superman movies (at least the first one) viewers have to sit through all the Krypton stuff followed by Clark Kent's growing up years in Smallville. Goyer, Nolan, and Snyder realize that most people know the story of the childhood in Kansas, and so after the Krypton sequence, Superman: The Man of Steel  jumps right into the action as Clark (Kal-El) is a grown man trying to figure out who he is and how he should help people. We are treated to a series of heroic deeds, in which Clark works anonymously and backs down from direct confrontation (such as in a bar scene in which a beer is dumped on his head). The key elements of his childhood are told via flashback mixed throughout the movie, culminating in how Jonathan Kent sacrifices himself to preserve Clark's secret identity and powers. This sequencing is possibly the smartest, wisest, and best choice for the film and one of the reasons it is so successful.

5. FLYING SAVED FOR RIGHT MOMENT: We watch Clark wander the world seeking his identity and his role, and most importantly, seeking the answer to the question:  "if I am from the stars, then where am I from?" There is sufficient build up to Clark finding answers in an 18,000 year old Kryptonian scout ship (future Fortress of Solitude), which runs the AI in the command key Jor-El placed in the capsule that brought Kal-El to earth. A hologram of his father gives him his suit, bearing the El crest. We learn that the El crest, which looks like an English "S," means "hope," which is very appropriate for the film's message. Donning the special suit, (which seems as indestructible as he is), Clark tests his last untried power: flight. The sequence provides the act one-act two climax that the film needs.

6. AMAZING BATTLES (NOT TOO MUCH CGI): When I walked out of the theater, I said the film was "fucking awesome." My wife, who kept confusing the film's title as "Batman," thought there were too many fight scenes. Ivan, Olivia, and I joked with Liesel that saying a superhero film has too many fight scenes or scenes of fighting that go on for too long is like going to a slasher film and complaining that too many people get killed. Though she may have a point that the film could have been five or ten minutes shorter with a little less battle (which could be added to the DVD releases), the CGI is not so completely crazy with spinning and bobbing cameras that you can ACTUALLY SEE WHAT IS GOING ON, unlike a lot of CGI fests.

7. CASTING: All around great casting. Laurence Fishburne as Perry White. Antje Traue as Faora (the comparable character from Superman II is Ursa), Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy, Richard Schiff as Dr. Emil Hamilton (who is a core character in the Superman mythology but may have already been killed off), and I already mentioned the Els, Jor and Lara. But the best two casting choices are Michael Shannon as General Zod and Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. Superb!

8. THE KENTS - SUPERMAN'S HEARTACHE: I was a bit leery of Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, but he delivers an impeccable performance. And Diane Lane, who is a gifted actress, delivers a warm and beautiful version of Martha Kent. But most importantly, there are key scenes with Clark and his father leading up to Jonathan Kent sacrificing himself to a mammoth tornado so that his son can keep his super powers a secret. It's a brilliant scene and gives Clark the extra tragic past he needs to round out his character and make him less cardboard.

9. KILLING ZOD: Further rounding occurs for Clark Kent/Superman when he is faced with an impossible decision at the end of the film. Either he keeps to his "no killing" policy or he lets humans be killed by Zod's heat vision. In a nod to the classic Superman #22 by John Byrne, Kal-El chooses to snap Zod's neck and thus executing him.

10. "ON MY TERMS." The film ends with Clark assuming his bespectacled identity at the Daily Planet. Right before that final scene, he drops a crushed surveillance drone at the feet of the General Swanwick (Harry Lennix) and tells him and the whole human race that if he is to help, it "has to be on my terms." Excellent!

PS: Battlestar Galactica fans alert! Alessandro Juliana (Felix Gaeta) makes an appearance. This is also amusing since he played Dr. Emil Hamilton in Smallville, the TV show.

FEW MINOR NEGATIVES



LOIS LANE: Nothing against Amy Adams, but she is not Lois.

Here I will quote Charles Skaggs: "Amy Adams was an interesting choice for Lois, especially since her previous Superman experience was portraying fat-sucking vampire Jodi Melville in the first season of Smallville.  Her introduction into the film is strong, with a great line about "comparing dicks" when she's confronted by self-important military officers.  It's a shame we don't get to see much of Lois being a reporter in the movie's second half, but there's an interesting dynamic to explore with her already being aware of Clark's dual identity" ("Man of Steel review, DAMN GOOD MOVIES, 2013).

My take? As delightful as Adams is, she is NOT Lois Lane any more than Margot Kidder or Kate Bosworth, as much as each of them is cool in her own right. It's an issue with physicality. THIS art image from John Byrne's Superman is LOIS LANE. This follows with the same reasoning as to why KIRSTEN DUNST is not MARY JANE WATSON. Dunst is just as talented as Adams. Neither is right for the role. I am a type casting Nazi when it comes to characters in superhero movies. Though, I must admit, I LOVED Erica Durance as Lois Lane and Krisin Kreuk as Lana Lang in Smallville even though they are physically speakign against type, so I am not a total Nazi. Still, Lois is a brunette. Period.

WHY CAN'T THEY LEAVE KRYPTON?

I just don't get it.

We are told that the Kryptonians colonized the galaxy (or a neighboring galaxy?) for 100,000 years, AND YET, with all their technology, all their advances, and with their planetary core collapsing, why can't they leave Krypton? This is never well explained. There are some vague and abstract statements like "everyone on Krypton is already dead" and something about their fates being tied to the planet, but there is no good reason why more of them (or all of them) could not evacuate the planet. The explanation seems to be: they didn't leave, so they cannot leave.

Um

yeah,

right.

WHAT'S WITH THE "RICH" ATMOSPHERE?? The comic books have NEVER mentioned that our atmosphere had ANYTHING to do with Superman's super powers. It was all due to the sun. He's a big solar battery. This element seems to be added so loss of special breathing apparatus can give the other Kryptonians instant powers that confuse them. SIGH.

WHERE'S THE SCOUT SHIP? During the big and long epic battle sequences as Kal-El is trying to stop the World Engine from terra-forming the planet and wiping out the human race, we see the 18,000 year old Kryptonian scout ship take off from its landing spot in the arctic and ... (unless I missed it) ...
DO NOTHING.

Huh?

NO APOLOGY FOR ALL THE DESTRUCTION: Given that Superman is trying to win the trust and approval of the human race, a little apology for all the destruction and likely the massive casualties in Metropolis as a result of the huge battle (though we do not see any, surely, they happened) would have been nice. It only takes a minute to be polite and considerate. It fits with Clark Kent's upbringing. Manners matter.
Not that Kal-El was at fault for the massive destruction, but certainly there would have been less of it had he not been FIGHTING OTHER KRYPTONIANS. Just sayin'.

NO JIMMY - NEXT FILM? I am cool with there being no Jimmy Olsen in this film BECAUSE that means that we could be treated to MORE JACK KIRBY THEMED MATERIAL for which his estate is not compensated at all. Project Cadmus? The Forever People? New Gods? The Fourth World? Prelude to Darkseid being the Big Bad in the Justice League movie?

This prospect could be summarized in two words: "fucking awesome."

Damn. I loved this film so much that I may have to go see the 3D IMAX show.

- chris tower - 1307.09 - 9:47

T-shirt #107: The Daily Planet, Random News, and the Missing Ring

T-shirt #107: The Daily Planet, Random News, and the Missing Ring

I promise for once this will be short. Or at least shorter. I have gone a little nuts lately, but, hey, time off, vacation, freedom, and thus more writing and time in research. I had some fun.

Yesterday (Friday July 5th), I had a haircut.

Here is a picture of me in the salon (left).

I was just out the door of my home and at the stop light at our nearest major intersection when I discovered that I had left the house without my wedding ring.

Had I not been late to my appointment at the salon, I would have turned around and retrieved my ring. But I did not, so I thought that this would be a cute picture. A thank you to Tim at Ultima Salon for the photo.


I hate being without my wedding ring. I only take it off to shower or wash my hands. But sometimes, I forget to put it back on, such as when I am doing dishes and get called away or when I am in a hurry and leave the house in a rush.

When I am without my wedding ring and I am not absolutely certain where it is, I feel PANIC. I am terrified of losing it. Though it's just a ring, it is a very important ring, and I am sentimental about it. Made of Tungsten, if I am ever seriously injured, I may lose a finger as the ring cannot be cut off. It would be great if I was able to slip it off in the middle of a serious accident. I will work on developing that super power.

Of course, this time, my ring was where I left it on the bathroom counter, and I was much relieved when I returned home and put it back on my finger. Whew!

I was so proud when I got married and had a wedding ring that I swore to never take it off except for bathing or dish washing and such things. I debated as to whether I should wear it playing Ultimate as it is a bit loose when my finger shrinks in the cold, but so far, in almost four years, it has not slipped off. This is the main source of the panic. I have no visible evidence of being married without the ring, which is troublesome in and of itself, and which I never do on purpose, and if I am away from home, I am afraid that it is lost. I have to check to make sure I know where it is, which I cannot do when I have left the house. I also panic a bit when I leave the house without a watch, and at least once a week, I double back to make sure I have shut the garage door.

I already featured my other Daily Planet shirt in T-shirt #42. So, not much today about the actual Daily Planet.

Since the Daily Planet is a "fictional" newspaper (though as Charles Skaggs will tell me it is real and he writes for it), I thought I would close today's entry with some "news" of my own in the form of lists as I know how you all love the lists.

Here are a few random lists of the things kicking around my brain lately: things to recommend and share.

TOP FIVE FAVORITE BLOG ENTRIES
Yes, this is completely self-serving and self-indulgent, but here are my top five favorite entries so far on this blog. If you have not read all of these, and if you have tuned in today, this may be a good sample for you. Thanks again for your kindness and your time. Granted, these are my favorites today. This is my own first impression choices of the moment. The list could change tomorrow as it is arbitrary in some respects. I probably could find better choices for numbers three and four, and I am only picking number two because of the video. (Though I am awfully fond of yesterday's T-shirt #106: Captain America.)

TOP FIVE FAVORITE BLOG ENTRIES

1. T-shirt #77: Narcissism
2. T-shirt #105: Ultimate Spider-Man (WITH  A VIDEO!!)
3. T-shirt #13: The Unlucky Red Shirt
4. T-shirt #98: Optic Nerve
5. T-shirt #64: Embrace Uncertainty; Question Everything

READ THESE BOOKS

If you asked me to name five books I have loved lately and read recently (as in during the last twelve months), here we go:

1. The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
2. Ready, Player One - Ernest Cline
3. Red Shirts - John Scalzi
4. Gun Machine - Warren Ellis
5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - by Michael Chabon

But really, out of this list, Ready, Player One by Ernest Cline is the most amazing. Everyone to whom I have recommended it has loved it, and the audio edition with narration by Wil Wheaton is fantastic! Beware. You will not be able to put it down.

I originally mentioned Ready, Player One in the entry for T-shirt #61, another post that could have made the top five and of which I am enormously proud. (See how I am sneaking in more than a top five in posts?)

MUSIC I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY

Again, a quick five items. Just the music that I have been listening to in the last two weeks, and in the case of number one, what I am listening to right now.

1. Spektrmodule podcasts
2. At Water's Edge podcasts
3. Love This Giant - David Byrne and St. Vincent
4. Out of the Woods Tracey Thorn
5. Destroyed - Moby

I wrote about Warren Ellis' Spektrmodule in T-shirt #75, another entry in which I take great pride. 

The Tracey Thorne album came up in T-shirt #97 and lists of most listened to albums. Of course, Moby being in the above list is proof that often when I choose to write about something, as I did with Moby in T-shirt #99, then I am inspired to listen. I am going to see David Byrne and St. Vincent in two days (on Monday July 8th), so expect more on this subject following that show.

AT WATER'S EDGE, which is a great ambient podcast/ radio show can be found via the following:

at water's edge

StillStream

and Rebecca Hilgraves (the host).

Lastly, FOOD ( a new category). Here are five foods that I love that sound good to me right now.

1. Oyako Don, Donburi
2. Sushi and Sashimi
3. Fried Rice
4. Kimchee
5. Spam Musubi

Do you sense a theme here?

Thank you for reading today's blog. I hope you found something of interest.

Leave me a comment!!

- chris tower - 1307.06 - 12:05

(And yes, for me, this is short!)

T-shirt #42: The Daily Planet

T-shirt #42: The Daily Planet

Short blog entry today because Grading Robot is deep in it.

I like T-shirts that simulate what would really exist if the thing depicted was a real and not a fictional thing. Expect to see many examples of these types of shirts that simulate some fictional element from comic books, games, movies, and TV shows.

Today's shirt shows off what a Daily Planet newspaper staffer shirt might look like. Jimmy Olsen might be seen wearing this shirt.

T-shirt #34: Death of Superman - the pajama shirt

T-shirt #34: Death of Superman - the pajama shirt

As I had shared before in these posts, different T-shirts have different roles in my life. Though this T-shirt, also from the Death of Superman stories back in 1992, has not always been worn at bed time, this is its role now. It's part of my pajamas.

I am not sure that I ever wore this shirt out of the house. It is a bit garish. Also, in the failing memory department, I am not sure that I remember where I was when Superman died since the Man of Steel's death was a story and not an event playing out in all-day, regularly scheduled TV programming pre-empted news broadcasts. It was a big event in comics, but it was hardly akin to the Challenger space shuttle accident or the attacks on the World Trade Center, events that I watched closely via my television.

I did have a black arm band, though. I would display the arm band for you here  if I knew where it was. I still have it somewhere. I am sure it is considered a collector's item. Kind of a clever idea actually. DC Comics mass produced a free giveaway (at least, I think they were free) for comic book stores to promote the Death of Superman comics in the form of black arm bands with the Superman logo in glossy red. We could wear the arm bands in mourning for


Superman. I know I wore mine at least once.

T-shirt #31: Happy Anniversary Superman

T-shirt #31: The Death of Superman: Bleeding Superman Logo

Superman turned 75 years old on Thursday April 18, the date of the 1938 publication of Action Comics #1. It has taken me a few days to commemorate this event with a T-shirt. I may be a few days late, but still, happy anniversary Superman (or would we consider this a "birthday"?).

The arrival of the 75th anniversary makes me feel old because not only do I remember the 50th anniversary vividly, but I own the commemorative book.

Once again, I am going to plug Charles Skaggs'  excellent blog-- Damn Good Coffee...and HOT!--and his post on The Man of Steel: 75 Years of Superman. Charles did a great job writing about the history and significance of Superman, including the Death and Return of Superman stories, various movies including the upcoming Man of Steel film due in June, and TV shows like Smallville and Superman: The Animated Series among others. You can read his blog if you're interested. It's worth your time because I am not going to repeat the same material here.

I don't own very many Superman shirts. In fact, digging through my closet, I first laid hands on just this one, the bleeding logo from Death of Superman story in 1992. I think I may own a traditional logo shirt (blue shirt with the red and yellow logo) somewhere, but it's not a shirt I wear often.

I am not a huge Superman fan unless I am talking to someone who is not a huge Superman fan. Faced with someone dumping on Superman, I become a huge Superman fan and his advocate.  Many comic book fans love to malign Superman: "he's a boy scout"; "he's boring"; "he's too powerful"; "all the stories have been told, and there's nothing new"; "He's the first that doesn't make him the best"; and so forth. I react strongly to these criticisms, even though I am not a huge Superman fan when left to my own devices.

It has been a long time since Superman comics graced the top of my stack of comics for the week. I feel this statement deserves explanation, so you know what I mean. Each week, when I bring the new comics home from the comic shop, I put the new comics into the stack of comics that I am currently reading. There are ALWAYS comics already in the stack. I have never cleared out the stack from the previous week, though I do make substantial progress on days when I take time off to relax and read a couple of dozen comics in one lounging. I prioritize comics I want to read IMMEDIATELY first, and these go to the top of the stack. Current faves that go straight to the top of the stack are (in no meaningful order) The Walking Dead, The All New X-Men, The Age of Ultron, Daredevil, Aquaman, Justice League, Fantastic Four, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Hawkeye, and several more that probably do not leap to mind right now. See? No Superman.

1986 was different. John Byrne's issues graced the top of my stack every week. Not long ago, I enjoyed the run of All-Star Superman. I liked Jim Lee on Superman. I like JMS's run on Superman. And as I have already written in my FreakAngels post #22, I was a big fan of the Team Superman Group-think concept of interlocking issues creating one continuing story of weekly installments despite how many die hard comics fans detested those years (1991-2000ish). Though I do not count Superman even in my top ten of favorite all time heroes, unlike Bill Artis who sells me comics at Fanfare Sports and Entertainment (who is the single biggest Superman fan I know), I do have some Superman love in my deeper past.

My first issue of a Superman comic was the February 1967 issue of Superman #194: "The Death of Lois Lane." 

ASIDE: Damn, I love the DC comics Wikia.)

This excellent What If story was a great one to start my Superman reading as a child of five years of age. But most of my fond memories of childhood love of Superman are for Superboy and his adventures with the Legion of Superheroes, a future superhero club that I thought was a really cool concept. I also was very influenced by Alan Moore's Superman stories, especially the one from Superman Annual #11 featuring the classic "For the Man Who Has Everything" story.

This shirt in today's blog entry displays the main image from the Death of Superman storyline in 1992. This story seemed like more of a novelty at the time. These days it seems like crossovers and big events are continuous and overlapping with many running at the same time. Back in 1992, big events seemed less frequent, maybe just once a year, and did not seem redundant. I do not recall the comic companies trying a big death of a main hero event before the Death of Superman. Granted, DC Comics killed the Flash in 1985, but this was hardly a main event a huge crossover mini-series. Without doing any research, I do not recall any major superhero death event before the huge (and I do mean HUGE) Superman death event in 1992. The story was so pivotal it inspired me to buy the shirt featured here because to that point I did not own a Superman shirt, not even as a kid (unless my parents will tell me differenly).

I must admit that I am one of the few people on the planet who actually liked the 2006 Bryan Singer film, Superman Returns, with the exception of yet what I consider another failed depiction of Lex Luthor despite the acting talents of Kevin Spacey. I am looking forward to the new film by Zack Snyder. I have liked the way DC has tried to make Superman more gritty, though the stories have failed to intrigue me enough to reach the top of the weekly stack; though do not get me wrong, I am reading both Action Comics and Superman each month or eventually when several issues clog up my stack. Maybe, if DC really wants to re-vitalize the character, the company should consider killing him and leaving him dead for 24 years. It worked for the Flash.

- chris tower - 1304.21 - 11:21