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Articles by Rob Staeger
A Trio of Graphic Novels Make Relevance Artful and Entertaining
Looking over some new graphic novel releases brings to mind a school library, but gone are the days when teachers would side-eye students perusing comics. Reading, in any format, is something to celebrate, and all three of these graphic novels have something worthwhile to offer, to both teens and adults. Let’s check them out before some wannabe thought cops try to ban them. The first book on the docket is Hey, Mary! (Oni Press, $17.99), by writer Andrew Wheeler and artist Rye Hickman.
Fighting the Rerun President’s Dark Vision of Autocracy
∼ ∼ ∼ This article is part of a series—At 250, Who Will America Be?—reporting on threats to American democracy as we approach the nation’s Semiquincentennial, on July 4, 2026. ∼ ∼ ∼ On Inauguration Day, at the precise moment he was becoming the 45th president of these Un-United States, Donald Trump uttered the first lie of his second term.
Giving Culture: Books For Savvy Friends and Fam
Playgirl: The Official History of a Cult Magazine (2024) It’s Playgirl’s 50th anniversary, and the milestone has been marked with a glossy coffee-table book. Stealing the male gaze and handing it to women, the mag gave us sexy shots (even full-frontal!), plus writers like Anaïs Nin and Truman Capote. But one difference between us girls and the guys reading Playboy? We didn’t feel the need to pretend we perused Playgirl for the articles.
From Real-Life Funnies to Fluxus to an Invisible Dragon – Books for the Art Lover on Your Gift List - The Village Voice
What to get for your hard-to-buy-for friends and/or loved ones during this gift-giving season? It helps if said gift doesn’t break the bank and can also fit into a stocking hung over the fire escape window with care — though you’re gonna need a really big stocking for those beautiful coffee-table art books. Below we look at books about art and artists we reviewed this year and in late 2023 that are definitely worth a second look.
‘Stop Project 2025’ – a Comic-Book Cassandra Becomes a Roadmap for Resistance - The Village Voice
It was meant to be a warning. The anthology comic Stop Project 2025 was intended to be a call to arms, a way to rally the troops about the dire consequences of Donald Trump being re-elected president of the United States. Project 2025 (or its official title, Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise) is a publication of the Heritage Foundation that outlines plans to advance conservative causes when Republicans win back the White House.
So Your Wet Dream Wasn’t About Your Partner...
The person behind your eyelids isn’t the person next to you in bed. Should you be worried? Whoa. That was some dream. Things got…steamy, shall we say. And now you're feeling guilty because whoever was in the dream with you—a friend, your boss, your ex, whoever—isn't the person sleeping next to you now, blissfully unaware of your no-good, cheatin' heart. Sweet dreams (are made of this) First of all, dial back the drama. You weren't cheating. You were having a dream.
Movies I Have Seen Lately
We finally watched something that's just been lying around the house: Tower Heist. It didn't come that well recommended by the one household member who had seen it, but the rest of it enjoyed it fine. The tower in question is the most expensive, exclusive high-rise apartment/condo in New York. Ben Stiller is the building manager, and Alan Alda is the tenant in the penthouse.
How's " that " situation going now?
My beard didn't itch at all in my youth. I had a great beard, luxuriant and multi-colored: black, brown, red, blond and all colors in between. Very soft. Even girls, most of whom hate beards, didn't mind mine. (Or at least that's what they said.) But now in my dotage there's no melanin in my beard any more, so it's mostly white and as stiff as dry hay. And it DOES itch when it's short. And my skin is much thinner, and more sensitive, than it used to be. Man, I hate aging.
How's " that " situation going now?
My beard didn't itch at all in my youth. I had a great beard, luxuriant and multi-colored: black, brown, red, blond and all colors in between. Very soft. Even girls, most of whom hate beards, didn't mind mine. (Or at least that's what they said.) But now in my dotage there's no melanin in my beard any more, so it's mostly white and as stiff as dry hay. And it DOES itch when it's short. And my skin is much thinner, and more sensitive, than it used to be. Man, I hate aging.
On the Bandwagon...
I thought this might be a nice companion thread to "On the chopping block," where we can talk about currently running books that we're thinking of picking up in the middle of their run. The one that comes to mind for me is Firestorm. Dan Jurgens is taking over with issue 13, and he purportedly is treating it like a first issue.
CoIE / Flashpoint / Doomsday Clock / Generations Comparison
“Post-Crisis doesn’t count.” So the saying goes. But I maintain Flashpoint was more destructive to previously-established continuity than Crisis on Infinite Earths. Yes, the Adventures of the Justice Society of America and Infinity, Inc. were said to have taken place on “New Earth” rather than “Earth-2” post-Crisis, but their overall continuity wasn’t affected all that much. Let’s look at the titles whose continuities were.
"Legends of Tomorrow" losing two regulars
The only thing Brandon Routh has said on the subject since the news first broke is that the departure wasn't his or her (Courtney Ford's) idea. He hasn't ruled out guest appearances, but it does make you wonder what the CW has planned for the future. Presumably Batwoman, Supergirl, Flash, Black Lightning, and Legends will all return this coming fall, but only the first three get full seasons/22 episodes. The rest are shorter. Arrow has ended.
'The Walking Dead' Season 10
Yes! I think we're on the same page, Jeff, that, A) it looked like the writers were really abusing Carol, but turns out they weren't, and B) come on, we know that Negan is going to kill Alpha, and he did! On the A point, yeah, Carol has been squirrelly in the past. She got thrown out of the group in Season 4, and she got all "I can't kill any more people" for a while, and then she ran off and lived in the woods by herself for ... reasons. Whatever. She's never been the most stable character.
How's " that " situation going now?
I'm in the DMV* and work from home much of the time. Which is good because the mayor of the District of Columbia, the governor of the state of Maryland and the governor of the commonwealth of Virginia have ordered closures of practically everything -- libraries, restaurants (unless they provide carryout service), gyms, health spas, movie theaters, casinos, etc. Maryland even pushed the Preakness race to June.
How's " that " situation going now?
I'm in the DMV* and work from home much of the time. Which is good because the mayor of the District of Columbia, the governor of the state of Maryland and the governor of the commonwealth of Virginia have ordered closures of practically everything -- libraries, restaurants (unless they provide carryout service), gyms, health spas, movie theaters, casinos, etc. Maryland even pushed the Preakness race to June.
How's " that " situation going now?
I'm in NJ and work from home regularly, and don't have any scheduled outside work until April 6. We'll see if the magazine I usually go in to NYC for wants me to come to their offices, or would rather send me PDFs to edit. I know which one I'd prefer. My wife is still going into her office and social distancing as best as she can. There are rumors, finally, that her company is looking into a work-from-home plan. It's been a longstanding company policy that WFH is not allowed, so this is a big change.
'Walking Dead': The post-apocalyptic problems you won't see on TV
By Andrew A. Smith Tribune Content Agency Feb. 27, 2020 — The Walking Dead returned for the second half of its 10th season Feb. 23, outliving most genre shows (and the majority of its major characters). While I enjoy the series, I have long couch-critiqued TWD and other apocalypse shows for the things they don’t show us that would certainly happen if civilization collapsed.
Dan Didio no longer at DC
It's being widely reported that Dan Didio is no longer co-publisher of DC Comics. What this means for the upcoming 5G initiative, or DC Comics in general, remains to be seen. For now, it seems, Jim Lee is sole publisher, but that might be an interim situation. Tags: ▶ Reply to This
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Quantum & Woody (2020) #1: The bloom is off the rose on this series for me, mainly because it's not written by Chrisopher Priest any more. But I still enjoy it occasionally. The premise, if you don't know, is that the two are step-brothers who are polar opposites and basically hate each other, but must stay together because of the nature of their super-powers.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Quantum & Woody (2020) #1: The bloom is off the rose on this series for me, mainly because it's not written by Chrisopher Priest any more. But I still enjoy it occasionally. The premise, if you don't know, is that the two are step-brothers who are polar opposites and basically hate each other, but must stay together because of the nature of their super-powers.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
The changeover of back-up features came with Schwartz's arrival as editor, in #419. For two issues, #425 and #426, the issues had 10 page lead stories and two back-ups. Perhaps that was to take some of the workload off Curt Swan. In 1972 Dorothy Woolfolk briefly took over Lois Lane. That's when Lois went freelance for a bit and moved into a shared flat. When Weisinger retired Adventure Comics starred Supergirl. He was succeeded first by Mike Sekowsky, then by Joe Orlando.
Marvel and DC Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age collections
In Super-Team Family #11 (Atom/Flash/Supergirl: art by Alan Weiss and Joe Rubinstein) Jean, Linda Danvers and Iris are were taken by T. O. Morrow to a parallel universe where he controls a local entity. Jean suffers a mental breakdown, and the entity responds - spoiler warning - by sending her away. In #12 (Atom/Hawkman/Green Lantern: art by Arvell Jones and Bill Draut) the Atom and co.
Marvel and DC Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age collections
In Super-Team Family #11 (Atom/Flash/Supergirl: art by Alan Weiss and Joe Rubinstein) Jean, Linda Danvers and Iris are were taken by T. O. Morrow to a parallel universe where he controls a local entity. Jean suffers a mental breakdown, and the entity responds - spoiler warning - by sending her away. In #12 (Atom/Hawkman/Green Lantern: art by Arvell Jones and Bill Draut) the Atom and co.
Marvel and DC Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age collections
In Super-Team Family #11 (Atom/Flash/Supergirl: art by Alan Weiss and Joe Rubinstein) Jean, Linda Danvers and Iris are were taken by T. O. Morrow to a parallel universe where he controls a local entity. Jean suffers a mental breakdown, and the entity responds - spoiler warning - by sending her away. In #12 (Atom/Hawkman/Green Lantern: art by Arvell Jones and Bill Draut) the Atom and co.
Marvel and DC Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age collections
In Super-Team Family #11 (Atom/Flash/Supergirl: art by Alan Weiss and Joe Rubinstein) Jean, Linda Danvers and Iris are were taken by T. O. Morrow to a parallel universe where he controls a local entity. Jean suffers a mental breakdown, and the entity responds - spoiler warning - by sending her away. In #12 (Atom/Hawkman/Green Lantern: art by Arvell Jones and Bill Draut) the Atom and co.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Re the Sand Superman, my knowledge of the final Weisinger issues is spotty, but my experience of them is they are plot-driven - Cary Bates wrote a lot of them - and there were a lot of imaginary stories. (His Action and Superman runs both ended with them.) The lore-heavy Superman Family approach was dropped but the comics retained the silly element.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Re the Sand Superman, my knowledge of the final Weisinger issues is spotty, but my experience of them is they are plot-driven - Cary Bates wrote a lot of them - and there were a lot of imaginary stories. (His Action and Superman runs both ended with them.) The lore-heavy Superman Family approach was dropped but the comics retained the silly element.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Re the Sand Superman, Curt Swan had already modernised his style, and there's a striking bit where a whole city is destroyed in the final Weisinger issue (Superman #231. My knowledge of the final Weisinger issues is spotty, but my experience of them is they are plot-driven in the manner of Cary Bates's lesser stuff - he wrote a lot of them - and there were a lot of imaginary stories. (His Action and Superman runs both ended with them).
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
CK, you have breathed life and fire into inchoate thoughts I've had on the Sand Superman since I first read those stories. And yes, I did read them on the stands. As I've said elsewhere, I was a Marvel reader from the outset, but I picked up one DC title after another in a grudging fashion. I didn't get to Superman until an issue or two before the Kryptonite no more storyline began. Possibly I saw a house ad that prompted me to do so; I don't really remember.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
CK, you have breathed life and fire into inchoate thoughts I've had on the Sand Superman since I first read those stories. And yes, I did read them on the stands. As I've said elsewhere, I was a Marvel reader from the outset, but I picked up one DC title after another in a grudging fashion. I didn't get to Superman until an issue or two before the Kryptonite no more storyline began. Possibly I saw a house ad that prompted me to do so; I don't really remember.
The Bendis/Sook Legion
I haven't read this issue yet, so I'm flying blind. I assume that Gim is Gim Allon/Colossal Boy. He seems to be an odd choice to not know who Hitler is. Of all the Legionnaires one would expect him to know. It has long been established that Gim is Jewish. What is Bendis saying by (possibly) implying that the Jewish people have forgotten who Hitler is. Of course, I haven't read the issue yet, so this character may have very little to do with the Gim Allon of past incarnations.
The Bendis/Sook Legion
I admit that the Baby Hitler line is a little jarring for the reasons you suggest. There's a lot of history between the 1940s and the 31st century. And yet I'm not sure if there's a better choice. Allow me to explain, in a short essay I should never have called... IN DEFENSE OF BABY HITLER! First of all, let's look at what the line is, and what it does. Dawnstar thinks Damian might have been Cham, pulling an "earth-tribe" joke. Cham says, "What kind of joke is THAT?
The Bendis/Sook Legion
Okay, so we're three issues in. We've learned a bit more about some of the characters, and the group's relationship to the UP President (antagonistic), and we've seen them in action as a group, against the Horraz, and then against Jo's dad*, General Crav Nah. *or one of his dads. Jo calls him "Father-One," which might imply he has a second father.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Skullcracker and Skeleton Boy #1-2: I didn't realize this was in the Black Hammer universe, so that's a bonus, since I've liked everything else from that line. This one is like the others, a pastiche of concepts that seem vaguely familiar but go their own way. In this case, a boy's parents are gunned down on a street in front of him (yes, like Bruce Wayne), but before the killer can kill him, a man in a skull mask with a metal skull on a chain kills the killer. (This is Skullcracker, obviously).
Lazarus, Vol. 6: Fracture I
Lazarus, Vol. 6: Fracture I Greg Rucka, writing; Michael Lark, art; Santi Arcas, colors Image Comics, 2020 It's been a long wait for Lazarus to resume, but it picks right up from Volume 5, and begins two years after the previous collection Lazarus: X + 66. The first issue shows the Carlyle family in full force, taking some territory back from a traitor from a lesser family who has sold them out to the Vassalovkas.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Skullcracker and Skeleton Boy #1-2: I didn't realize this was in the Black Hammer universe, so that's a bonus, since I've liked everything else from that line. This one is like the others, a pastiche of concepts that seem vaguely familiar but go their own way. In this case, a boy's parents are gunned down on a street in front of him (yes, like Bruce Wayne), but before the killer can kill him, a man in a skull mask with a metal skull on a chain kills the killer. (This is Skullcracker, obviously).
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
100-PAGE CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS GIANT!: This is the first of these I bought. I really liked the two new stories, both pseudo-tie-ins to the “Arrowverse” Crisis (I think). They are both “continued,” but that’s kind of an inside joke (I think). The “Giant” also reprinted two issues of the original COIE: #1 and “The Death of Supergirl” one. Not bad for five bucks. IRON MAN 2020: There is an Arno Stark timeline at the end which goes back to 2013.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
I realized that I actually had a preview of Peter Cannon, so you can see for yourself if you like the art. (I assure you, these are the best pages. As the book progresses, there is less and less detail.) I put the preview on previous post. And for those of you who love comparing analogues (I confess I am one of those people) here are the Watchmen characters in Peter Cannon.
Crisis on Infinite Earths / Flashpoint / Doomsday Clock Comparison
“Post-Crisis doesn’t count.” So the saying goes. But I maintain Flashpoint was more destructive to previously-established continuity than Crisis on Infinite Earths. Yes, the Adventures of the Justice Society of America and Infinity, Inc. were said to have taken place on “New Earth” rather than “Earth-2” post-Crisis, but their overall continuity wasn’t affected all that much. Let’s look at the titles whose continuities were.
What I would do with the JSA (Spoilers for Doomsday Clock #12)
Coincidentally, I was just reading a TPB of the latest iteration of MLJ/Archie's Mighty Crusaders, and was wondering why they were wasting so much time trying to make all the previous iterations make some kind of loose sense. It ate up a lot of real estate, and added nothing to our understanding of the current characters, or moved the current plot along. The feverish effort to make MLJ's spotty history form a narrative was just an anchor on the story.
"All in the Family / Good Times" Live on ABC - Dec 18
I just watched this latest edition of Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'Good Times'"; I wasn't home when it aired. When it was announced, I thought an excellent bit of stunt casting, were they inclined to do so, would be to have Bern Nadette Stanis play family friend and neighbor Willona Woods. Stanis is a beloved figure, even today, and as kid sister Thelma, she was the kind of girl every girl wanted to be and every guy wanted to be with.
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Read PS ArtBooks' Atomic War collection. It was a four-issue series in 1952 by Ace, and to fill out the book PS added Captain Courageous #1 and only (1942). It's not very good. But mainly that's because I'm looking at it with 2019 eyes. Why they didn't work at the time is not as clear. Atomic War was basically a standard WWII war comic, only with Russians instead of Germans, and with the word "atomic" stuck in front of everything.
Marvels: Snapshots
Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross are curating a series of done-in-one stories by different creative teams set at different times in the Marvel universe. Which is definitely intriguing... but then the first one has been announced, and it stars the Invaders and the All-Winners Squad, it's drawn by Jerry Ordway, and... ...it's written by Alan Brennert.
The Bendis/Sook Legion
Okay… issue #1… I have a few questions. One the first eight pages, nothing of immediate significance happens. On page nine, Saturn Girl and Superboy abruptly appear, but where did they come from? I mean, the 21st century obviously, but where’s the scene in which he was recruited? It wasn’t in Millenium #1-2, was it? What about Superman #14-15 or Supergirl #43? Those issues were identified by DC as preludes, but I decided to let the first issue rise or fall on its own merits.
Where Do You Draw the Line?
SPIDER-MAN: ClarkKent_DC said: I don't fully make the mark until I've given up hope the title will "get good again." Jeff of Earth-J said: My “giving up hope that the title will ‘get good again’” for Spider-Man is “Sins Past.” Still, that’s not my “line.” Again, my line is much earlier. I’ll be back (probably next week) with some specifics... ClarkKent_DC said: Captain Comics said: Hunh. This is a hard conversation for me to contribute to. I don't fit any of the models presented so far. Really?
Crisis on Infinite Earths -- SPOILERS!!
I intend to watch it again and hunt for Easter eggs (I did not catch the reference to scissors!), but I will offer some responses to other people's observations ... Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) said: I was really surprised in episode 3 by both Lucifer -- a show I’d forgotten even existed -- Yeah, about that ... I suppose they needed to keep some secrets. Also, Lucifer's final exchange with John Constantine -- "Consider us even, John ConstanTINE." "Heh, ha, ha, ha ... ConstanTEEN." "Is it?
Done-In-One Alert!
Three terrific done-in-one books out this week -- I thought I'd draw your attention to 'em. The first is Batman 23: By Tom King and Mitch Gerads, this is an excellent book top to bottom, and the most avant-garde of the lot. It's constructed vignette style, the sort of way Priest handles his books, and how Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray handled Jonah Hex. Essentially it's a team up, as Batman and Swamp Thing join forces to solve a murder and discuss life and death.
Crisis on Infinite Earths -- SPOILERS!!
Still plenty of possibilities that haven't been touched upon yet. How about some of the old 1940's serials featuring various National/ Fawcett/ Quality characters? Superman, Batman, The Vigilante, Captain Marvel, Spy Smasher and Blackhawk all had series during the Golden Age. I wonder of any of the actors from those things are still alive? Either the 90's Human Target series with Rick Springfield or the 2010 series with Mark Valley.
Crisis on Infinite Earths -- SPOILERS!!
I was really surprised in episode 3 by both Lucifer -- a show I’d forgotten even existed -- and (big spoilers here)... (la, la, la... nothing to see here.... move along if you haven’t seen episode 3...) Jim Corrigan, who I’d forgotten had been established in on Constantine’s show. And, it seems, giving the power of the Spectre to Oliver, which will be a lot of fun for the next episodes. I hope he turns into giant scissors and cuts someone in half.
Crisis on Infinite Earths -- SPOILERS!!
“Why aren't we talking about it?” Too big, too much to say...? That was my reason. I was waiting for someone else to get the ball rolling, so thanks for doing that. Very astute observations! Has anyone been watching the aftershow hosted by Kevin Smith? (I guess “aftershows” are a thing now.) It’s very similar to The Talking Dead (I almost expected to see Chris Hardwick); they even had an “In Memorium’ section. The “Easter eggs” (especially Tom welling’s) made my day.
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