The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... BLACK KNIGHT: KING IN BLACK #1 (W) Simon Spurrier (A) Jesus Saiz (CA) Dan Mora THE BLACK KNIGHT DUELS THE KING IN BLACK! KNULL's ferocious assault upon earth has begun and Dane Whitman - Avenger, hero, and wielder of the mighty Ebony Blade as the BLACK KNIGHT - takes up sword and shield to defend against the unstoppable onslaught. Though the blade grants Dane incredible power so too does it consume him with a lust for violence and destruction. As the endless horde of symbiote dragons darken the skies of Shanghai, will the Black Knight overcome the growing evil within himself and join AERO and SWORD MASTER in saving the city?! And what secrets will the battle against Knull reveal about Dane's past? SRP: $4.99 Synopsis Provided By: PreviewsWorld.com
Throw on your Biggest Earrings, and head to the podium as we take you back to the 90's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Snap! Song: The Power Album: World Power (1990) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 2 Bonus Fun Fact: This song reached #1 on the Billboard US Hot Dance Club Play & Hot Rap Charts, but remained at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 due to the success of Mariah Carey's song "Vision Of Love".
Last week we opened a copy of Superman #75 where the Man of Steel was "killed" by Doomsday. Today we'll be tearing open a copy of Adventures of Superman #500! This is the issue that started the rebirth of The Man of Tomorrow.
We all knew that it was inevitable that Superman would return, but what we didn't know is how DC would pull it off! This issue gives us a peak into that question by giving us a tale about Pa Kent taking a journey into the afterlife where he encounters war flashbacks, demons and his son Clark. After this magical journey we find out that Superman's body is no longer in it's tomb in Metropolis! Where did it go and who could have taken it?
Yes, that mystery was at the heart of this issue, but the big draw for me was the introduction of 4 new Supermen! Superboy, Steel. Cyborg Superman and Eradicator Superman all make their debuts at the end of this issue in grand fashion. Are any of these guys the real deal? Do any of them have anything to do with the missing body of Superman? This single issue led into the "Reign of Supermen" storyline. One of my favorites from 90's DC.
I was lucky enough to stumble upon a copy of Adventures of Superman #500 at a Dollar Tree store, so I had no problem opening it to find out what goodies were inside. Let me tell you, I was pretty bummed. After all the great stuff packed into superman #75, I was expecting some sweet swag. What we got was a fairly cool variant cover that features a removeable translucent sticker showing Pa Kent reaching out to his son in the afterlife...
and this AMAZING DC Bloodlines card. Okay, this card was worth the $1 I paid alone. We also go 8 extra pages of story. These pages were not really necessary and pretty much just took up the space held by ads in the regular edition of the comic. It was 2 pages of Gangbuster fighting crime and a few more pages of Pa Kent struggling to come back to life. Nothing of note really.
I did enjoy this issue and it moves the whole death/life story forward, but once again this comic was 50 cents more than Superman #75 and we got a variant cover and 1 card! C'mon DC us loyal Superman fans deserve better than that. Now that I have typed that sentence, I feel kind of jerky. Especially since I got my copy for $1. Ugh! Let's just move on with our lives now and enjoy the richness of storytelling this issue spearheaded with the Reign of Supermen story line.
The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... FUTURE STATE: SUICIDE SQUAD #1
(W) Jeremy Adams, Robbie Thompson (A) Javier Fernandez, Fernando Pasarin
The Suicide Squad enters the Future State era as Amanda Waller uses Task Force X to save the world and remake it in her image-but what happens when the team shows up to stop her? And in the second story in this extra-sized issue, Black Adam, the immortal one-time champion of the wizard Shazam, rules the planet Kahndaq in the 853rd century. Can he save the future from a threat rooted in the past?
Throw on your Ball Cap, and head to the Klumps' for some dinner as we take you back to the 90's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Montell Jordan feat. Slick Rick
Song: I Like
Album: The Nutty Professor Soundtrack (1996)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 28
Bonus Fun Fact: This song was also included in Montell Jordan's second album "More..." in 1996 and was Slick Rick's first record released as a single after he was released from prison!
In January of 1993 one of the biggest events ever in the history of comics took place. Something we never thought we would see...Superman had died! The vicious and ultra powerful Doomsday had taken the Man of Steel down in an epic battle for the fate of Metropolis! This Doomsday creature seemed to have no real reason for this destruction except his overpowering drive for carnage. It was an epic way to take down the worlds greatest hero and in our hearts, we all knew he would be back again. But for that one moment all of comic fandom shed a tear at the sight of a fallen Kryptonian. The man stood for truth, justice and the American way. In a sense we saw that ideal destroyed by a monster so vile that good could not overcome, it could only sacrifice itself for the betterment of a nation.
That being said, I was a comic collector at the time, but I mostly focused on the Archie "Adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comics. It wasn't until this "Doomsday" event that I became an avid reader of Superman. I missed picking up a first printing of Superman #75, but was able to find a 4th printing in a bundle pack at our local K-Mart. I read it and even though it was tragic, I loved it. This comic kicked my love of comics and collecting into full gear.
It wouldn't be until about 20 years later when I was able to find a first printing "Memorial Set" of Superman #75. Now, I am opening it, to share with you the great stuff that was packed inside.
First of all, you get this fantastic looking "Tombstone" variant cover of Superman #75. The back of the book contains an ad for the upcoming "Funeral For A Friend" storyline. This story then set the stage for the "Reign Of Supermen" event that introduced us to Cyborg Superman, Steel and Conner Kent aka Superboy!
Next up is a "PROTOTYPE" trading card from the "The Death of Superman" set from Skybox. Who didn't love getting free non-sport trading cards in the 90's? The card features the same tombstone artwork as the variant cover above. My only complaint with this card is the total lack of foil. Would a little bit of bling have killed ya?
Also packed in this bag was an obituary from the Daily Planet. This piece of memorabilia is a little macabre, but still a very cool historical document.
This armband was included so fans of the Boyscout in Blue could litterally wear their emotions on their sleeves. When you wore this foil pressed armband it showed that you were in mourning over the passing of Supes. These were worn by some characters in the DC Comics universe like Green Lantern, Flash and Wonder Woman. It was like the comic world had meshed with the real world. It gave fans a connection to the characters on the printed pages they were reading.
A set of commemorative stamps! These are not the "sticker" type but the lick and stick type. Not sure why these were included. Were they supposed to represent a collection of images sold by the Metropolis Post Offices? If so, why would they include a photo of a deceased Superman or a pic of Doomsday? I have so many questions about this item!
Finally, there was this AWESOME poster! It shows many of the major DC personalities giving their respects to their fallen brother. Pallbearers included Justice League teammates Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Robin. I really need to get this framed and hung in my man cave aka my former basement room that kids have taken over with their Calico Critters table, Little People playsets and Hot Wheels tracks! Below is a clip from E! that covers the event from 1993. I hope you enjoy this little slice of nostalgia and never forget the time "...THAT A SUPERMAN DIED."
The comic book I am most excited to read this week is... TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #113
(W) Sophie Campbell (A/CA) Sophie Campbell
Karai searches for two new powerful mutants who could tip the balance of power in New York City. Meanwhile a familiar character from the future arrives with a most unusual quest! All of this AND the return of Bebop & Rocksteady? Don't miss the start of an exciting new story arc as Sophie Campbell returns to interior art!
