What’s the most dangerous gig in the DC Universe? The Doom Patrol, right? Must be. Got the word “Doom” right there in the title. Nope. Guess again. The Justice League, maybe? After all, they handle the biggest threats – surely that’s got to be some serious hazard duty. Uh-uh. No, by my estimation, the most […]
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. As we’ve discussed in these pages previously, the hottest thing going at DC Comics in the early 1960s was JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA. So hot, in fact, that a request to ape its success led to the creation of THE FANTASTIC FOUR by Lee and Kirby, which would […]
It was the first superhero team of the Silver Age. It was the first group composed entirely of costumed kid heroes. It was the first group of kid heroes none of whom had an adult mentor. It was the first superhero group to be set anyplace other than in present-day American cities. Yet for all […]
No adult supervision? No problem. The preteen members of the Power Pack didn’t need grown-ups to tell them what to do or help them save the world. The first issue of the series about Alex, Julie, Jack, and Katie Power was released in 1984 and written by Louise Simonson and drawn by June Brigman. They […]
It took me something of an adjustment period, but I eventually grew to quite appreciate and be a fan of the Brian Michael Bendis era of AVENGERS, after the rough start that smacked of sensationalism and death-for-death’s sake. I came to see Bendis’s real affection for the characters and the Avengers history, and enjoyed his […]
Costumed kid heroes sort of begin with Robin, who first appeared in April 1940. Super-powered sidekicks sort of begin with Toro, who appeared in “Autumn 1940,” though with the tradition of comics coming out prior to their publication dates, he probably first saw the light of day in August. Where adult heroes started with superpowers […]
Jud talks about DC’s original angry young men (and women), the Teen Titans!
In this week’s episode, Jud talks about Marvel’s original kid heroes, the X-Men!
So, here’s a thing about me. When I’m not scripting about one-eyed archers and chronologically recontextualized* vampire hunters for Zenescope or writing articles about the copious amounts of comic books I read for Blastoff, I’m very likely reading some YA. Young Adult literature, as a genre, is financially boomin’ like never before and, as a […]
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a well-written and well-drawn comic book about a team of teenage superheroes will have a short but critically acclaimed run and will, in no time at all, develop into a cult classic. Runaways, Avengers Academy, and Young Avengers at Marvel are the most immediate examples that come to […]
In this week’s episode, Harley talks about her favorite Robin, Dick Grayson:
In 1940, Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson decided to add a new character to their already popular BATMAN feature in DETECTIVE COMICS, one that would alter the character forever, and fundamentally change the nature of the series: Robin, the Boy Wonder. From all accounts, the idea to introduce Robin into the strip was […]
June is here, and love is in the air, with our new banner from our Artist-in-Residence Elena Casagrande, celebrating Kid Heroes! Click to see the banner at full size!
