Counting Comics - 15

I started off this week with the following numbers

DC = 4104

Marvel = 59

Others = 53

Batgirl (2009 - 11)

1 - 24

This is volume 3 of Batgirl, I never realised that Barbara Gordon never got her own book, in fact only Cassandra Cain had her own book before I think. This 3rd volume though has Stephanie Brown, ex-Spoiler, daughter of the Cluemaster who's come a long way since taking to crime fighting just to disrupt her father's capers. She had that run as Robin too didn't she, where things didn't go too greatly after she triggered a city wide gang war. She also had a baby which was put up for adoption and was tortured and apparently killed by Black Mask!

Reign in Hell (2008 - 09)

1 - 8

Lord Satanus and Lady Blaze leave their 9th Dominion of Hell, Purgatory to try and conquer all of Hell. They recruit the tortured souls to their cause to usurp Neron, giving the Damned hope is a powerful weapon against him. Various Magicians from the Earthly plane are recruited into the battle. Apparently, I don't remember this but Blue Devil temporailly kills Etrigan!!! What rot!!

Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder (2005 - 08)

1 - 10

Apparently this is called All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, you can just about see the All-Star in there. It features stories set in the early stages of the career of Batman, beginning with his recruitment of Dick Grayson as his sidekick Robin. This is the first series to be launched in 2005 under DC's All-Star imprint, the second being All-Star Superman. These series attempt to retell some of the history of these characters, but outside of the strict DC Universe continuity.

The first issue of All Star Batman and Robin was the highest-selling comic book of 2005, selling more copies than the first issues of the crossover events of both DC Comics (Infinite Crisis #1) and Marvel Comics (House of M #1). (I stole all this info straight off the DC Wiki) There was some negative fan reaction over some repetitive and over the top dialogue and the pace of the book. The release schedule was also very sporadic with just 10 issues over 3 whole years!! The story was meant to be resumed at some point but was delayed, I'm not sure if anyone cares anymore!!

Firestorm (2004 - 07)

1 - 35

Jason Rusch was created by Dan Jolley and ChrisCross, first appearing in Firestorm (Volume 3) #1 (2004). Apparently he is the 3rd primary user of the Firestorm matrix, are Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein the 1st two or does the primary only refer to the main power wielder with the 'passenger' being a secondary user? I dunno haha anyway, I was right in the video his girlfriend's name was Gehenna which is basically a name that relates to Hell!! Nice name pick there Gehenna's parents!!

The Fury of Firestorm (2011 - 13)

1 - 16

After the events of the 2011 "Flashpoint" story line, The New 52 reality altered Firestorm's personal history to be completely restarted. Ronnie Raymond is now introduced as a high school senior and the captain of the football team. During a terrorist attack on their school, classmate Jason Rusch produces a vial given to him by Professor Stein, which contains the "God Particle", one of Stein's creations. The God Particle transforms both Jason and Ronnie into Firestorm, and the two teens briefly battle each other before accidentally merging into a hulking creature known as the Fury.

Sharing the identity of Firestorm, with Ronnie being the brawn and Jason being the brains, Firestorm is considered for recruitment into the Justice League along with several other heroes. They play a large part in the events leading up to the Trinity War, the three-way battle between the Justice League (the original headed by Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman), the Justice League of America (the A.R.G.U.S.-sponsored team led by Steve Trevor, Green Arrow and Amanda Waller), and Justice League Dark (the paranormal team consisting of John Constantine, Zatana and the Phantom Stranger). That Trinity War happened after I stopped reading in 2013 so I missed all that, sounds like it might be a good read.

Catwoman/Wildcat (1998)

1 - 4

Selina Kyle "Catwoman" clashes and then teams up with Ted Grant "Wildcat" to take on some thieves who've stolen the takings from a casino that was hosting the big fight, a heavyweight boxing match. Selina is annoyed cos they stole her score but teams up with Ted anyway and there's a bit or romance between them too.

Catwoman (1993 - 2001)

0 - 94, 1 Million

Catwoman was deemed popular enough to get her own book after the success of a Catwoman mini-series titled Her Sister's Keeper. I missed getting that title I think, I might have to see if I can pick it up. I know there's a lot of story with her sister Magdelene (Maggie) who's had the absolutley shittiest of luck and I'm pretty sure the unfortunate woman has gone totally doo-lally and is kind of Catwoman's Joker maybe. She started as a nun, got married and here I was in error in the video, when Black Mask tortured Maggie's husband, he fed the eyeballs to her not to him. I don't know if that's a better or a worse thing.... I don't want to think about it anyway. It didn't do much for poor Mag's sanity especially when Black Mask as a Black Lantern went after her when he was resurrected. She now called herself Sister Zero and seeks to save Selina from the cat demon that possesses her!!

Catwoman Annual (1994 - 1997)

1 - 4

Catwoman (2002 - 2008)

1 -  82

There is a Blackest night issue of this too that came in 2010, # 83, I am thinking I might have this in my books elsewhere. I was talking about Slam Bradley in the video he actually debuted in Detective Comics # 1 in 1937!! A year before Superman appeared and 2 before Batman showed up!! Heck Detective Comics is his book!! I wonder if they'll ever do a John Constantine with him and give him super powers.

Catwoman Secret Files & Origins (Nov 2002) 

# 1

Anyway that's the count for this week, I had to rush the notes AGAIN as I am working on my 13 Nights of Halloween video/comic thingy. It's a lot of work for something that won't really be that good but oh well.

DC = 280

So the running total now looks like this

DC = 4384

Marvel = 59

Others = 53

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Movie Review - Justice League

OK my review is in the video really I just want to go over some of the history of Justice League, not the characters as such, more of the team itself. It was 1st put together by writer Gardner Fox in Brave and the Bold #28 in March 1960, (3 years before Marvel's The Avengers formed). 

The seven original members were Superman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Due to various re-write and shuffles for continuity this origin has altered a number of times with different people attributed to the original team. At one point Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman were retconned out of the 1st gathering of the league and in 1994 a new character Triumph was invented, it turns out he formed and led the team but a dimensional limbo led to him being erased from history and the memories of the team!

In November 1960 the team got it's 1st ongoing book, Justice League of America which ran until 1996 when it was renamed just JLA for a time. With a couple of relaunches the Justice League comics are now on their 3rd Volume and are the premier team book of the DC Universe.  The team line-up has changed over the years with pretty much anybody who is anybody of the DC universe getting an outing in the team. Check out the full list HERE.

Some of my favourites over the years have been - 

Red Tornado

I just love his look and the way his powers manifest in the comics, he's a robot too! I wanted a good 70s picture but couldn't find one 😞

Blue Beetle

Ted Kord the 2nd Blue Beetle, (See BLOG) was great in his own book but at first I disliked the jokey nature of his run in the League.

Firestorm

Hello!! His head is on fire!! That makes his the coolest or should that be hottest look EVER!!

Over the years the Justice League have branched out at various times as the occasion required it, resulting in incarnations such as Justice League International, Justice League Europe, Justice League Dark, Justice League Taskforce, Extreme Justice, Justice League Antartica!!, and even Formally Known as the Justice League!

This is Koryak the son of Aquaman, I mentioned in the video that I thought Jason Mamoa's take on the king of the oceans looked like a cross between Arthur Curry traditional Aquaman and this bloke. For some reason I thought he had tattoos but it seems it was a case of my addled brain lying to me again. Old age huh? It sucks, unlike the Justice League film which kicked arse!!!

Cyborg was originally a member of the Teen-Titans and still is in the cartoons and possibly in the comics too, but with his ever increasing powers he became a strong member of the team as of the 2011 reboot and made it into the movie. He's also in the much lighter hearted Teen Titans animated movie which is coming soon and is slated for his own feature length film in 2020, cool! 

The New Teen Titans # 1 - November  1980

Poor old Green Lantern possibly due to the criminally poor acceptance of his movie never made the JLA cut and that other green fellow the Martian Manhunter although strongly represented in the cartoons never got to be in the movie either though he is in the Super Girl TV series on CW.

As we know from the comics the team roster is open to change, perhaps when/if we get a 2nd movie in the franchise we'll see some new heroes entering the fold. I am hopeful and excited to see what comes in the future.

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