Classic Bronze Age JLA, Superman and Flash, plus Golden Age Black Canary coming from DC Comics in 2021

The New Year is already shaping up to be expensive...
Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus vol. 3
The 1970s adventures of the World's Greatest Heroes continue as the Justice League of America meets fellow heroes including the Justice Society of America, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and a team of heroes from the long-gone past.
    The Justice League moves into the second half of the 1970s with adventures guest-starring the Justice Society of America, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and a group of heroes from the long-gone past, including Jonah Hex, Viking Prince, Enemy Ace, and more. Plus, the League's mascot, Snapper Carr, turns against the team, the Phantom Stranger helps the team battle a returning pantheon of ancient gods, the Martian Manhunter faces Despero for the lives of the League, and the Secret Society of Super-Villains swap bodies with the World's Greatest Super-Heroes. Plus, Black Lightning is invited to join the JLA--but he turns down the invitation for mysterious reasons.
    Collects Justice League of America #147-181.


The fastest man alive can't outrun the loss of his wife, but nothing will stop him from hunting down her killer. Follow along as Barry races to find out who is responsible for the death of his wife, Iris...and hold them responsible.
    Collects stories from The Flash #270-284.


The brilliant retelling of Superman's origin story is reprinted in its original, tabloid-size format for the first time!
    Includes the story of Superman Land with Lex Luthor, Superboy stories, "How to Draw Superman", "Superman Family Portrait", and more!


This anthology features the character's classic 1947 origin story as well as several of her initial Golden Age adventures, with stories from Robert Kanigher (Wonder Woman, Sgt. Rock), illustrations by Carmine Infantino (The Flash) and several other iconic creators.
    Collects Adventure Comics #399, Adventure Comics #418-419, The Brave and the Bold #61-62, Flash Comics #86-104, DC Special #3, and Comic Cavalcade #25.

Brilliant Mary Blair designs for Disney's "Peter Pan"

More gorgeous work from Disney designer Mary Blair. Images via Heritage Auctions.


Farewell, Mary Ann - "Gilligan's Island" actress Dawn Wells dies at age 82

Dawn Wells, best known for her role as Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," died of COVID-19 related illness today at age 82, The New York Times reports.

Dawn Elberta Wells was born in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 18, 1938, the only child of Joe Wesley Wells, a real estate developer, and Evelyn (Steinbrenner) Wells. Dawn majored in chemistry at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., then became interested in drama and went to the University of Washington in Seattle. She graduated in 1960 with a degree in theater arts and design, having taken some time off to win a state beauty title and compete in the 1960 Miss America pageant.

...A 1961 episode of the drama “The Roaring Twenties” was her screen debut. When she was cast on “Gilligan’s Island,” she had appeared onscreen only about two dozen times, mostly in prime-time series, including “77 Sunset Strip” (multiple episodes), “Surfside Six,” “Hawaiian Eye,” “Bonanza” and “Maverick.”

...Her last onscreen appearance was in a 2018 episode of “Kaplan’s Korner,” about actors running an employment agency. Her only soap opera appearance was in a 2016 episode of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” in which she played a fashion buyer from a wealthy family.

Pop Pics: Charlton Heston

Next Conan Epic Collection from Marvel features debut of Red Sonja plus "The Frost Giant's Daughter"


More classic Conan from Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema and crew.

Out in March, but you can pre-order it now from Amazon.

Details:

Marvel's first and best sword-and-sorcery epic continues - with iconic tales by writer Roy Thomas and artists Barry Windsor-Smith, Gil Kane and John Buscema! First, Conan the Barbarian's path crosses with the albino antihero Eric and his soul-stealing sword Stormbringer! Then, on the shores of Bal-Sagoth, Conan meets a new comrade in arms, the mighty Fafnir. Together Conan and Fafnir sail the Vilayet Sea and join the mercenary forces of the War of the Tarim, a holy conflict between Makkalet and Turan! It's a saga of adventure, intrigue and loss that shows the true face of war! And don't miss the full-color adaptation of Robert E. Howard's Conan classic, "The Frost Giant's Daughter" - and the first appearance of Thomas and Windsor-Smith's Red Sonja!

COLLECTING: Conan the Barbarian (1970) 14-26

Marvel's 70s underdogs take center stage in Defenders Omnibus Vol. 1 - on the way

Bronze-Age bounty: Nearly 800 pages of 1970s Defenders comics by whole tonna different Bullpenners. Out in April and available for pre-order now from Amazon

Details:

Doctor Strange, the Hulk, the Sub-Mariner, the Silver Surfer and Valkyrie. They are the dynamic Defenders, comics' greatest "non-team," and they do not rely on bylaws and butlers. They join together in moments of utmost crisis to face incomprehensible enemies like Dormammu, the Nameless One and the Enchantress. When they encounter heroes of a more conventional stripe, it's war-the watershed hero vs. hero Avengers/Defenders War, no less! This massive Omnibus also introduces Hawkeye, the Black Knight, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Son of Satan and Nighthawk as Defenders in classic adventures. It's a must-have edition collecting the complete Defenders runs of Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart and Len Wein in one beautifully restored volume.

Includes: Sub-Mariner (1968) 34-35; Marvel Feature (1971) 1-3; Defenders (1972) 1-19; Giant-Size Defenders (1974) 1-2; Avengers (1963) 116-118; material from Avengers (1963) 115

Pop Pic: Up, up and away!

See a new trailer for the CW's upcoming "Superman and Lois" series

The show debuts Feb. 23.

Sub-Mariner Epic Collection from Marvel collects Namor's Silver-Age Adventures

A slab of goodness, coming our way in April with scripts from Stan Lee and art/plot by Jack Kirby and Gene Colan. Available for pre-order now from Amazon.

Details:

Marvel proudly presents an Epic Collection pairing Namor, the Sub-Mariner's complete early Silver Age appearances with his Tales to Astonish solo series for the very first time. An icon of comics' Golden Age, the Sub-Mariner hadn't seen newsstands in nearly a decade when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby reintroduced him in 1962. His anarchic energy instantly made every appearance an exploit unlike any before. Bold and brash, the Sub-Mariner fought Marvel's heroes, teamed up with Doctor Doom and attacked the surface world just as readily as he might save it. His appearances were so popular, he quickly graduated to his own series, questing for the Trident of Neptune that would prove his status as rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis.

Vol. 1: Fantastic Four (1961) 4, 6, 9, 14, 27, 33; Fantastic Four Annual (1963) 1; Strange Tales (1951) 107, 125; Avengers (1963) 3-4; X-Men (1963) 6; Daredevil (1964) 7, Tales to Astonish (1959) 70-76

Pop Pics: Cary Grant

 

Best new comic book covers of the week

 

"The Marvel Art of George Perez" spotlights an all-time great

From the 1970s to today, George Perez has been both a prolific workhorse (all those characters in the Avengers, JLA and other team books!) and a true artist with his own identifiable style. This book focuses on his Marvel work on said Avengers and more.

Out in July. Available for pre-order now from Amazon.

Celebrating the artistic legacy of a true Marvel Comics legend! George Pérez fi rst wowed fans in the 1970s, building a phenomenal reputation as a super-team illustrator without peer on AVENGERS, INHUMANS and FANTASTIC FOUR! His talents graced the super hero action of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE, the martial arts mayhem of DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU and the monster madness of Man-Wolf in CREATURES ON THE LOOSE! Years later, Pérez demonstrated his cosmic grandeur by wiping out half the Marvel Universe along with Thanos in INFINITY GAUNTLET! And as the Avengers made a heroic return in 1998, so too did Pérez, joining writer Kurt Busiek to usher Earth's Mightiest into a new era of greatness. Nobody can draw an army of heroes in a single image better than George Pérez!

Pop Pic: Carrie Fisher

 


Video Find: The Harlem Globetrotters do their thing on "The Ed Sullivan Show," 1965

 

"Batman Adventures: Cat Got Your Tongue?" collects animated-style scraps between the Caped Crusader and Catwoman

DC's comics based on the Batman animated series are fun reading for all ages. Out in August, available for pre-order now from Amazon

Details:

BATMAN: CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE collects some of Batman and Catwoman's most iconic moments! Whether she's taking revenge on her enemies or stealing right out of someone else's clutches--Catwoman is always surprising Gotham... especially Batman.

Collects Adventures in the DC Universe #2-19; Batman: Gotham Adventures #4-24, 50; Batman Adventures #10.

Upcoming large-format paperback spotlights Jim Steranko's marvelous S.H.I.E.L.D. artwork


Steranko's groundbreaking artwork on Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. screams Sixties and spies. It should be something behold in this upcoming book from the great IDW Publishing.

Out in August. Available for pre-order now from Amazon.

Details:

Previously presented in the much-acclaimed Artist's Edition format, and winner of an Eisner Award, now you can appreciate this historic run of comics in the new Artisan Edition format.

In the mid-1960s, Jim Steranko burst into the Marvel Age of comics in a BIG way, and the innovative, cinematic techniques he introduced in his brief tenure at The House of Ideas stand to this day as a high-water mark in the history of graphic storytelling. More than any other series, Steranko is most associated with Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. This Artisan Edition collects the first 12 stories of Steranko's run, from Strange Tales #151-162, as well as his covers from these issues. Additionally, there will be a select number of extras presented. And, as usual, nearly all the pages have been scanned from the original art, from Steranko's private archives.

Story and art by Jim Steranko with additional script by Stan Lee and Roy Thomas. Additional Layouts by Jack Kirby.

AN ARTISAN EDITION PRESENTS COMPLETE STORIES WITH EACH PAGE SCANNED FROM THE ACTUAL ORIGINAL ART.

While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art--for instance, corrections, blue pencils, paste-overs, all the little nuances that make original art unique. Each page is printed the same size as drawn, and the paper selected is as close as possible to the original art board.

Pop Pic: Carolyn Jones

 


Hot Trax '70: Elvis Presley, Gordon Lightfoot, Dave Edmunds and more

New singles out this week, 50 years ago.

Elvis Presley - I Really Don't Want to Know

The Grass Roots - Temptation Eyes

Diana Ross - Remember Me

Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind

Bobby Goldsboro - Watching Scotty Grow

Jr. Walker and the All Stars - Holly Holy

Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking

Little Anthony and the Imperials - Help Me Find a Way

Brook Benton with the Dixie Flyers - Shoes

Wadsworth Mansion - Sweet Mary

The Jazz Crusaders - Way Back Home

Betty Everett - I Got to Tell Somebody

Listen to the December 1970 playlist.