I volunteer to write Absolute Swamp Thing.
So I asked you for questions, and you delivered! I’m not going to be answering these with every single future post ’til I’m done, but I’ll dip into these as needs must. And those needs must today, so let’s get crackin’!
First off, it’s Customer Sean with this
“I wonder if Stan Lee was a fan of All-Star Comics during the 1940s–as a newspaper article from ‘The Daily Bugle’ appears in All-Star Comics no. 30. Perhaps Earth-2’s iteration of J. Jonah Jameson was a cub reporter at The Daily Bugle at that time–and maybe he had it in for The Tarantula…”
At this point, Sean drops in a link to a page from that All-Star Comics from 1946, which features this panel:
Now, real world answer, “Daily Bugle” is a generic enough newspaper name, like “Daily Globe” or “Daily Express,” so it doesn’t surprise me this name shows up in a Golden Age DC book. And I seem to recall it showing up as a newspaper name elsewhere in non-Marvel, non-Spider-Man comics. And I wonder if “Daily Planet” showed up in Golden Age Atlas Comics.
But if we were to follow Sean’s train of thought, putting ol’ J.J. at the apparently-in-the-DC-Universe Bugle in the ’40s…well, that timing would work out putting Jameson as the head Bugle honcho during the 1970s Spider-Man/Superman crossover, shown here with DC’s Morgan Edge, the Big Man on Top for Galaxy Communications:
Therefore, that All-Star Comics #30 can be said to take place on whatever multidimensional Earth where the Marvel and DC characters coexist. If only we had a regular monthly comic for that very Earth.
Paul Engelberg sails in with
“How have Ahoy Comics done in your shop?”
They’ve done…okay. I like them, they’re high quality books with top notch talent, but they don’t sell very high numbers for me. Which is okay! Not everything has to be a best-seller.
My favorite of the bunch, and I believe the longest-running series of mini-series from Ahoy, is The Wrong Earth:
…with one of the greatest premises of all time: a cheery superhero from an innocent, goofy milieu (like the 1960s Adam West Batman) switches worlds with his modern, dark, gritty counterpart (like every post-Dark Knight Returns Batman), and hijinks ensue. It builds on this premise and becomes increasingly complex and fascinating and well worth a read.
I also enjoy Second Coming:
…in which Jesus returns to Earth and partners up with a superhero, and…hijinks ensue! Interesting and wild ideas about both religion and superheroes abound. TOO HOT FOR DC COMICS!
Mike Loughlin moves on in with
“Which current comics have your customers interested and excited?”
Well, the newest Big Thing that everyone’s asking me about is an entry in DC’s newest Marvel’s Ultimate-Comics-killer imprint, Absolute Batman:
I know folks online have had some fun at its expense, and it does look…a little odd. But in the real world, I’ve got lots of people asking for it. How long that interest will last, I of course can’t say, but I expect Absolute Batman to outsell the other launch titles featuring Superman and Wonder Woman by about 2 to 1, at minimum.
The other comic that’s got folks excited is, speaking of MMarvel’s Ultimate line, Ultimate Spider-Man:
…which, surprise surprise, outsells the other current Ultimate comics by about, oh, 2 to 1.
Okay, that’s enough questions for now…come back next time when I’ll be…answering more questions? Or doing something else? I don’t know…I’ll find out when you do!
@ Mike Sterling
I like your reasoning –and I forgot that J Jonah Jameson and Morgan Edge ever met.
Now if only the powers that be at Marvel and DC would greenlight a 1940s-based crossover extravaganza event with the JSA/All-Star Squadron , the Invaders/Liberty Legion/All-Winners Squad/The Twelve, The Boy Commandos, Young Allies, News Boy Legion, Blackhawks, Freedom Fighters, Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, the Shazam Squadron of Justice and any other 1940s super duper folk, we would be all set! Maybe it could be on the same Earth where John Byrne had Batman and Captain America meet! How about a Roy Thomas/John Byrne/Jerry Ordway production…and contact Archie Comics to get the MLJ Super-Heroes in there as well! And young JJJ can have it in for John Law, The Tarantula!
For what it’s worth, I have a standing order at my Local Comic Shop to buy everything that Ahoy puts out. I don’t love it all, but it is consistently high quality stuff of the sort that DC’s Vertigo or Helix used to produce back in the day. If I’ve learned anything about comics, its that I should financially support the kind of books that I would like to see more of… or they won’t make them anymore.
Thanks for answering, Mike?
I share the enthusiasm for Ultimate Spider-Man, it’s an interesting, well-executed take on the character and his set-up. I’m don’t have any strong feelings for the Absolute books, although I plan on checking them out. I don’t know how interesting “it’s Batman, but this time he’s _________________” can be at this point, it all depends on the execution. The title I’m most excited for on a monthly basis is Transformers, it continues to be high-octane fun with a helping of drama, good characterization, and dynamite art.
I also like what I’ve read from Ahoy!, and The Wrong Earth is on my to-read list. I’m glad we have one funny book publisher that remembers the “funny” part.
Sorry, “Thanks for answering, Mike” posted above was supposed to end with an explanation point, not a question mark. Curse my lax proofreading!
Mike – don’t sweat it, I don’t know how many texts I’ve sent with a ? instead of the intended !
I had no idea Tom Peyer was writing a long-running series of mini-series. I like him. I’ll have to check that out.
Judging by that Absolute Batman cover, the artist is a bit too big of a fan of John Romita Jr. BIG BLOCK PEOPLE! And what the hell happened to the Bat-Symbol?
@ Snark Shark
Exactly!
Absolutely!
Most aesthetically displeasing Bat-Symbol ever and an overall way over the top looking character design. Yuck.
DC seems to be running out of original ideas…
Also, what’s up with the rather ridiculous idea of the original Challengers of the Unknown becoming the custodians of the JL satellite and Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman waltzing around in purple pseudo-Challengers costumes with them? Jack Kirby would not be pleased…
And in the upcoming JSA project why does Dr. Fate have a horrible looking costume redesign that looks like someone cosplaying Dr. Fate–badly. And why does Alan Scott Green Lantern have a very unkept beard when he has always been a cleancut looking character since the 1940s? DC keeps changing things that never needed to be changed to begin with. It really is quite annoying…
*unkempt
ideally, you would write Absolute Swamp Thing & Robin the Boy Wonder.
Mike, Mike, Mike.For my A. A. in Journalism, I went to Daley City College (one year, I then went to UIC with a student loan of $1500).
After Mayor Daley the Older died, the paper was renamed the Daley Planet. I worked on it, the dean knew I read comics in the rec room, and one day I was served a summons where I worked at thegap (original name).
Kirkland & Ellis, 68th floor of the old Standard Oil building. Me and the dean and three attorneys, their side, and we had one.
They kept asking me questions about comics, just due diligence to show DC something. I swear one guy asked me what breed Jimmy Olson’s dog was. I didn’t fall for that one. Maybe ten questions, where did Lois Lane work, who was Perry White?
Then they asked me if the paper was free (yes, and four pages if we were lucky) and then they asked if any student thought DC Comics was involved in publishing the paper. I said no, that was that. Before I left the Jimmy Olson guy gave me an envelope with a check for $600 in it. In 1979 USD!
Anyways. That’s my story. I know it wasn’t the Daily Bugle, but I know why they call it the sweat box. I wish you could have been there.