Back Issue Box: Superman Family #197

Welcome to the future when it may be that I review stories on a whim!

I pulled Superman Family #197 out of the long boxes because I wanted to reread the Private Life of Clark Kent, ' A Mynah Dilemma', one of my favorite stories ever. (Perhaps I should review that one at some point.)

While I had it out, I thought I would reread the Supergirl story. I was amazed. This is one of those  'buckle up your chinstraps' Bronze Age stories were so much happens in the span of 12 short pages that you are pummeled with ideas as a reader. Seriously, when I review the plot points, I want you all to consider just how many issues it would take to tell this story in the current market.

It is a very solid Supergirl story with her using brains and brawn. There is solid subplots and supporting cast moments. And she is clearly a well established and confident hero. Throw in some timey-wimey nonsense and a potential ghost, and you have a winner of a tale, neat and sweet in a dozen pages.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt to have Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (praised be his name) doing the cover art. JLGL always draws a great Supergirl!

On to the book!

Happy Anniversary! Top Ten Supergirl Commissions!

I continue my semi-self-congratulatory tenth anniversary of Supergirl blogging by looking back at my every growing collection of commissions. I am pretty lucky that New England has a good convention scene that allows me the opportunity to run into creators on an annual basis. And I am also lucky enough to have a job where I can moonlight an extra shift to fund a convention season, allowing me to at least try to get commissions.

As I write this, I have just under 100 commissions in the collection. Initially I got them on separate Bristol board and would frame them. But I quickly ran out of wall space in the comic area of the basement. It also was kind of hard to share the collection. So a while back I switched to sketch books which I now bring to conventions. It has served me well. I know have a portable art gallery. And artists who I do commission seem to like flipping through the book themselves.

As part of this 10th anniversary celebration, I have been looking at some Top Tens and figured my commission collection was a natural for such a list. The problem is I love all my sketches. So picking a top ten feels like I am rejecting the others. So I am presenting the top ten commissions that stuck out to me today. Ask me tomorrow and I might pick a different 10 all together. And these are listed unranked and alphabetically by artist. This is just the top ten.

If you love any of my commissions, please drop me a note. In the mean time, on to the list,.

Review: DCNation #0

 DC Nation #0 came out this week and had three stories within to promote some of the upcoming storylines in the fresh new DCU. This includes a Tom King/Clay Mann Batman story and a Justice League story to promote the post-Metal DCU by writers Scott Snyder, James Tynion, and Joshua Williamson with art by Jorge Jimenez.

I am a DC fan so of course I was going to get this regardless. But for me the draw was a Superman story by Brian Michael Bendis with art by the legendary Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, praised be his name. We all have been curious about where Bendis will be taking the Superman family once he grabs the reins. I have been worried about him upsetting the apple cart of the recent excellence in the book. And frankly this story made me a little more worried than the action sequence in Action Comics #1000.

Part of that worry is that whenever a big name comes onto the Superman books their first inclination always seems to be that they need to change things, shake things up, and make things different. And that rarely seems to work. So in the recent past when Gene Luen Yang decided to depower Superman, remove the Clark Kent secret identity, and make him a motorcycle-riding wrestler ... well that didn't work. That ain't Superman. And before that when James Michael Straczynski decided to have Superman walk across the US, ignoring people who were dying of a heart attack on their front porch, and telling someone he would let them throw themselves off a building and not stop them ... well that didn't work. That wasn't Superman.

But when Dan Jurgens, Peter Tomasi, and Patrick Gleason had him with Lois, being heroic and inspirational, and working for the Daily Planet .. ... that worked! It was truly a Rebirth, with Superman being Reborn into all the things that made Superman fans love him to begin with.

Now we are faced with Bendis and I know we have barely scratched the surface. But already Bendis has an evil alien being behind the destruction of Krypton and, in DC Nation #0, Lois Lane out of the picture and missing. This isn't exactly Superman ...

Will it work? I'll go in with an open mind like I always do. But it better be spectacular. Metaphorically, the apples are falling off the cart, rolling down the street.

Statues, Statues, Statues

In their continued effort to make me poor, DC and other companies continue to put out Supergirl merchandise. And in an odd cosmic convergence, a bunch of new statues have all been solicited or revealed within the last few days, many at San Diego Comic Con (and thanks to blog friend Firebird for passing on the photos). I probably won't get all of these. My poor wallet!

The one I would love to get is this Tweeterhead exclusive statue of Supergirl in her Bronze Age costume flying in the clouds with Streaky. Here is the link:https://tweeterhead.com/product/supergirl-and-streaky-maquette/ 

DC: The Big Book Of Girl Power

I have been moseying in and out of shops lately, doing some in person Christmas shopping. I find it a bit 'old school' to actually be looking on the shelves for something special that is perfect for someone special. And when I don't know what to get someone, online shopping seems weird. Sometimes I just need to look on the shelves and see if something grabs me.

And it was while in a book store that I stumbled on DC The Big Book of Girl Power by Julie Merberg. And, luckily for me, a good friend has young children and I thought this would be a perfect gift.

The book itself is a nice look at DC female characters focusing on an aspect of their personality or power and delivering an empowering and uplifting message. Lucky for us, Supergirl is included. And not only that, she gets two pages!

Back Issue Box: World's Finest #258

We are just a couple of weeks from Supergirl Rebirth #1, the reintroduction of a Supergirl book into the new DCU as well as the reappearance of Lar-On the Kryptonian werewolf! I am really looking forward to what writer Steve Orlando and artist Emanuela Lupacchino will be delivering. The brief glimpses of the book we saw at San Diego Comic Con looked incredible.

I have been taking a look back at Lar-On's brief history in the DCU starting with his first appearance in World's Finest #256. While that was Lar-On's only true appearance, his story sort of continued in World's Finest #258. As this story included an interesting wrinkle about Lar-On's lycanthropy, I thought it was worth sharing here. I am hoping that Orlando explores that bit of 'The Krypton Curse' but we'll see.

Lastly, I remember having this comic as a kid. I must have bought it right off the rack. Unfortunately all sorts of books from that time simply disappeared, meaning I was on a hunt for this one in all the comic stores I came across. Hard to believe that I found it while on vacation earlier this summer.

On to the story.

Kole Comic Box Commentary

There have been times on this Supergirl blog that weariness has set in and I have wondered if I would have the strength to continue.

At times the character has been written so horribly that I felt maybe I should just quit because it was hard to review.

Right now Supergirl is at the height of her popularity with a show, and merchandise, and a new book on the horizon. Professional sites are numerous and are covering her better than I ever could. They can get interviews and free giveaways and previews from CBS, WB, and DC Comics that a small run fan site like mine would never be able to. Maybe this "small business" blog should be put out of business by the "big box store" Supergirl web sites. Just yesterday, I read a long diatribe on a big site from someone who claimed to be a Supergirl fan, both comics and television, who then wrote a giant article misunderstanding her and misrepresenting the show. But that will get way more hits than I could hope for here, becoming the basis of Supergirl knowledge for someone just learning about her.

Lastly though, we are approaching 8 years of blogging about Supergirl. Maybe I have simply run out of things to say about Kara Zor-El and Linda Danvers.

So I'm quitting.

But I don't want to leave the comic community all together. And so just like I did 8 years ago, I have decided to focus on a misunderstood character who needs some love and coverage.

So welcome to Kole Comic Box Commentary!

And what better place to start that focus than with New Teen Titans #9, her first appearance. Written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by the legendary Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (praised be his name), the issue is the ending to a long arc while introducing us to our hero!

Supergirl On Canadian Money!

How big is Supergirl right now?
Canada is putting her on money!

Okay, maybe not the day-to-day currency. We are talking about those commemorative coins that I see when flipping by QVC. The Canadian Mint is putting out a bunch of DC hero inspired silver coins. And they might be $10 silver coins, they sell for just under $55 canadian dollars.

But boy, are they beautiful!

Check out this one with Supergirl wearing a Matrix-style costume, hands on hips, beautifully smiling. This is the work of Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. And the etched background panel is Garcia-Lopez' style guide of the headbanded Supergirl.

Lovely.

It comes in a beautiful box, again adorned with Garcia-Lopez stock art.

And the outside of the box has the theme of 'Strength' (or 'Puissance') . Just a gorgeous box.

There is a second coin as well with a flying Supergirl on the coin. This time the etching is of classic Batgirl and Wonder Girl, a sort of bronze age SBFF's.

Once again the box is lovely. Now we have Supergirl in color with Batgirl behind. Lovely.

Interestingly enough, this box is Batgirl centric with Supergirl and Wonder Girl in the background.

There are others in the series with Superman. I really just want the boxes!

Look at the old school Wonder Girl one! So fantastic.

Are any of my Canadian friends going to splurge?

Boston Comic Con In Review & Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez Commission

Last weekend was the Boston Comic Con, the main con of my season, and as always it was an absolute blast. In particular, this convention had some new wrinkles to it that made it stand out a little bit more than others.

The convention itself was really busy, especially Saturday where there were so many people it was hard to navigate the aisles. This con has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several years so I am always happy to see it packed.

One of my primary goals at cons like this is to try to grab commission sketches and I have to say that I was successful this time around. But between getting sketches and signatures, as usual, I was so busy that I only had some time to shop on the last day. Also, based on my schedule, I couldn't make it to any panels. So even though I had a great time I don't know if I took advantage of the con as much as I could have.

I'll be posting my commissions over the course of the next several weeks. So we'll start off with Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, praised be his name.

I have been a fan of Garcia-Lopez since a kid and love his work. So I was thrilled to see him on the list of guests. Garcia-Lopez basically does a handful of head sketches/busts each day so I was wise to head to his table early on Friday. While the Matrix costume is my favorite, I have decided to branch out a bit and felt the 70s costume would be the best choice.

This commission is absolutely stunning. I am soooooo happy with this piece, a great Supergirl picture from a legend in the field. This is just gorgeous.

Garcia-Lopez also had a lot of great process art and style guide art on sale as well, and for very reasonable prices.

I'm not the only fan of JLGL. I was luck enough to find a copy of DCCP #17 at the show and get it signed for Shag of Firestorm Fan and the Fire and Water podcasts. Shag is also a huge fan.

As for creator conversations, I made my way around the floor and was able to have some brief conversations with a bunch of creators. But the place was so mobbed and lines so long that I couldn't talk at length with folks. I will say that my brief interactions with Brian Azzarello, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Joelle Jones, and Annie Wu stood out.

As I said, this convention stood out for a couple of reasons.

Last year, the youngest supergirl joined me at the Boston Comic Con. This year, the younger two supergirls decided to join me on Saturday. And both of them decided to really immerse themselves in the experience.

The middle supergirl decided to cosplay and went as Squirrel Girl (the current incarnation). She was thrilled to meet Erica Henderson, got a Squirrel Girl commission, and was surprised at how many people congratulated her on the costume and took a picture. She also met celebrity guest Hayley Atwell and was thrilled.

The youngest also decide to get a commission as well, her first, and went for a dancing Groot by Craig Rousseau. She loves this picture.

The other big thing about this con was I was able to meet a couple of fans of this site there.

A sincere thanks to long time blog friend Firebird and AnimeGirlParnaz who sought me out. They even came bearing gifts ... a Supergirl swag bag from SDCC 15! I had a great time on Sunday sitting down and talking with them about Supergirl, comparing commissions (Firebird has a great collection including Darwyn Cooke and Bruce Timm!), and hearing about SDCC this year. They met the cast of the upcoming show. And when they asked Dan Didio about a Supergirl book, Didio seemed perplexed and said they were waiting to see how the show does. It was really really great to meet these friends in person and talk!

I also got to briefly run into Count Drunkula on Sunday. Count runs the Flowers and Fishnets blog and podcast devoted to Black Canary. He also runs the Secret Origins podcast which looks at the 1980s DC Secret Origins podcast.

So overall a great convention and a great time. And that Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (praised be his name) is sweet!

Con Prep: Source Material

We are about 6 weeks away from the Boston Comic Con, so I thought I would continue my run of posts talking about my convention preparation.

The first post discussed predominantly commissions, discussing materials and decisions. That can be found here: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2015/06/con-prep-commissions-and-decisions.html

I figured I would continue the commission discussion this time focusing on source material.

Source material is art you provide to the artist you are getting the commission from so they have a reference for the character you want.

Now in this era of smartphones and the internet and Google images, where many images of a character are a few keystrokes away, you would think that having source material would be an anachronism but I am here to tell you differently. If you have an image in mind, or a particular costume in mind, you should definitely have something with you that you can give the artist.

And here is why:
1) In this era of multiple costumes, if you have one you prefer, it is better to be exact about things
2) Smartphones run out of power, con centers probably have spots of poor wifi connectivity
3) It provides both you and the artist some assurance that you will be happy with the piece

Source material can me almost anything that conveys the look you want. So if there is an issue that has great art showcasing the character, bring that. Or you can print up a picture from a comic that has the costume you are looking for. On the internet, you can sometimes find style sheets that other artists use. I have made sheets with multiple pictures on it which I tuck into the sketchbooks and bring with me to cons.

But here is the most important thing, this also means that you need to have an idea of the character you want to have source material ready. And that doesn't always work out. I'll talk about this a bit more in the next post, which talks about artist decisions. If you aren't certain, at least have a vague idea in mind so you can guide an internet search or rummage through a dollar box to buy an issue at the con for source. (For example, you might say 'Mike Kaluta Madame Xanadu' or 'Guy Davis Sandman' or 'Chris Bachalo Shade the Changing Man' all of which are different than Amy Reeder, Alex Saviuk, and Steve Ditko respectively.)

And remember, this is reference material. The artist has the license to embellish, accentuate, deviate.

This is my source sheet for my main Supergirl sketchbook and the Matrix version of the costume. For me, key portions of the costume are the pointy sleeves, the pointed belt, and the 'full shirt'. So this sheet, with poses from Gary Frank, Jackson Guice, and Art Thibert highlight those. And I will point out the small things I like to the artist. I could just as easily brought an early issue of the PAD Supergirl for source as well. But this has worked nicely for me.

I recently have started to branch out a bit and I have got a couple of more 70's style Supergirl commissions with the hot pants and puffy sleeves. The first time I decided to get one ... you guessed it ... I didn't have source material. Since she wore that costume for a decade, it was pretty easy to head to a quarter box at the convention and buy an early issue of Daring New Adventures to give the artist.

I have since made this reference sheet and will bring it to Boston. Here we have Rich Buckler, Dick Dillin, and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez shots. For me, the key thing is the boots and shorts since earlier versions of this costume had elf slippers and shorts with beaded edges.

But as I said, style guides are out there as well. Here is the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez style guide for that very same costume.

If Garcia-Lopez is sketching at the convention, I might try to get a 'head band' Supergirl from him and would probably use his own style guide as source material for him!

But to reiterate the importance of source material, if you asked an artist to do a commission of Jean Grey, they might as which one ...

So better to be prepared!

Boston Comic Con Wish List

Boston Comic Con is 'my' con, the big local convention that is the hub of my convention season. I have talked about how the convention has grown exponentially over the last few years, how it is in a venue I love, and how planning my commission strategies for the con is one of the things that gets me through the dark, cold, New England winters.

This was a very dark and very cold and very snowy winter. And the end of March was one of the most stressful times at work for me ever. So heading to the con site looking for new guest announcements became almost ritualistic.

Well the guest list has rounded out nicely so I thought I would take a look at who is there and who I am hoping to get a commission from.

Now I go to these cons for the comic guests. The media/celebrity guests are usually overlooked.

But this year Agent Carter herself - Hayley Atwell - will be there. The older two Supergirls haven't been too interested in going to cons in the past but hearing Atwell be there has made them pause a bit. At the very least, I think I will need to get an autograph from her for each of them. We all loved the show and watched it together as a family. I can only hope more episodes will happen.

As for me, it's the creators that are the draw and there are plenty of big names appearing. Here is the list:http://www.bostoncomiccon.com/artists.html

I have been at this commission thing for some time so there are many people attending who I already have a commission from. So here is the dream list for 2015 commissions.

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (praised be his name) is going to be at the con. I have heard he does commissions at shows so he is number one on my list. Moreover, he did a lot of style guide Supergirl material in the headband costume, so I  think that is the version of Kara I will get from him if I am lucky.

Joelle Jones art is just achingly beautiful. And I have been loving her Lady Killer mini-series from Dark Horse. So she is also in my top tier of artists I am shooting for. I am toying with the idea of having her draw the 70s Hot Pants costume.

Lastly, Andrew Robinson was just announced as a guest. Robinson's recent covers for JLU have been stunning. But I also loved his painted stuff of Nightwing and Flamebird way back in the New Krypton days.

Now, right now, those are my top three hopes. But these can change depending on cost, funds, availability, etc. I also aim to get 5-6 commissions a show, so here are the 1A artists.

Stacey Lee's stuff is just beautiful. I have enjoyed her line work on Silk. And I also saw a Mrs. Peel cover on line that is fabulous. I wish I could find that comic to purchase!

 Yanick Paquette is an artist whose work I have always enjoyed. My buddy got a Beast commission from Paquette which is great. So I'll have to see whether or not I can pull off a Paquette commission.

Lastly, Eduardo Risso is going to be at the show.

I wonder just what a Supergirl done by him would look like. I think it would be unbelievable interesting, unique. So I am keeping Risso on the back burner. He may jump up.

But you know who else will be at the show ...

Remember Percival in King Arthur legend?

He was the only knight who could handle the Holy Grail. He had visions of the Grail before he was able to attain it.

In this image, from John Boorman's Excalibur, Percival again sees the Grail ... again just out of reach.

My grail piece for my collection?

Amanda Conner.

I have seen Conner now at a handful of conventions but every time she isn't sketching. I keep hoping beyond hope that somehow I will catch her at the right time, be first in line, be last in line ... be something ... such that she'll draw a quick sketch of Kara for me.

Like Percival, I can see the Grail but I haven't been able to grasp it ...

Anyways, I hope some of you will be in attendance. And let me know if I should be thinking of other artists for commissions?

Boston Comic Con 2015 Early News

These are the long dark cold days of winter here in New England. We have been covered in deep snow these last 2 weeks. I needed something to give me hope ...

And I got it this week!

The early guest list of this year's Boston Comic Con has been announced. And there has been some news too! The Con will again be three days and will again be held at the Boston Seaport, two decisions I am thrilled about. I love that location.

What is new is that there will be no door sales for tickets this year. Only advance on-line tickets will be available. Given the growing crowds for the convention as well as the debacle of last year's Rhode Island Comic Con, I think it makes great sense. No one wants to stand in ludicrous lines. No one wants to be shut out from getting into the con after having bought tickets. This con has grown so quickly this is the natural next step.

And the early guest list is great. There are a ton of artists that I would love to get pieces from. There are some that I don't think will be sketching. There are some that I don't think I will be able to afford. And I am sure there are many more names to come.

But there is one artist I would love to get a commission from ... a true legend ... praise be his name ...

Jose Luis Garcia Lopez!!

I absolutely love his work. His work is everywhere! And sooooo beautiful!!

I don't know if he will even be sketching. But I will probably run to his table first!

I briefly met Garcia Lopez way back in 2007 at the Baltimore Comic-Con. I was able to grab a couple of signatures from him but didn't even get the chance to ask him if he was drawing. So I am hoping hoping that he will be.

And yes .... Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti will be at Boston again. A Conner sketch ... anything ... is sort of a grail piece for me. So maybe I can try to beg and plead one more time!

Anyways, buy your tickets for Boston Comic-Con and hope to run into you all there!

JLA In Crisis Secret Files

It is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that we are rapidly approaching the 30th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths. If that fact says one thing to me, louder than anything, it says that I am getting old.

Now I am of two minds about the Crisis. I actually like the Crisis and it's simplification of the DCU. Most of that comes from the immediate aftermath within DC Comics, a sort of explosion of creativity and new books. Of course, Supergirl was killed in the Crisis, something I have never quite understood.

But there is one thing that I do find interesting. Despite everything that happened in the Crisis, it is clear that the lasting image of that story is Superman holding Supergirl's body after she sacrifices herself to save him.

Yes, the cover to Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 is a beautiful cover and a great image. But that image doesn't have multiple earths. It doesn't have the Anti-Monitor of the Monitor. It doesn't have the true 'hero' of the story, the Earth-2 Superman. And didn't the Flash also die.

I wonder why that image resonates so much. One of my theories is that Supergirl's death had more impact that DC thought it would. Instead of her being a footnote, a secondary character, she meant something to people. Another is that it stands as the end of an era. Someone bright and optimistic is killed. The grim and gritty era of comics starts shortly thereafter. Maybe Supergirl's death meant something more, something about comics.

Of course, it just might be that it is a masterful cover by George Perez, homaged many times.

Okay, so you might be asking why am I talking about this now. Well, I recently stumbled across the JLA in Crisis Secret Files from 1998. It is an issue with an original Flash story. But more importantly, it has 2 page spreads recapping all the major company-wide crossover that have occurred in the DCU up to that point. That includes the Crisis. And there is Superman holding Supergirl in that classic pose on the cover (drawn by Robert Campanella).

Open the cover and the first page is a reprint of the Crisis #7 cover but now with the JLA in Crisis logo.!

Again, amazing the power of that image, such that in an issue looking at ALL the crossovers, this was the image the chose as their opening page.

Here is the Crisis on Infinite Earths double page spread, drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. Garcia-Lopez is a legend. I love this splash as it covers the story nicely showing the last battle, the Flash's destiny, and the united villains.

But again, there, in the center, is Superman holding Kara.

Incredible.

The pages come with text explaining what happened. I include the Crisis text for completeness.

I thought I would include some other crossover splashes that include Supergirl.

Here is the Zero Hour picture, drawn by Paul Ryan. There is the Matrix Supergirl on the left, next to the Darkstar Donna Troy!

And I found this interesting. Here is the Genesis pages drawn by Ron Wagner.

There is Supergirl on the fold, being blasted by a parademon. No Superman. No Batman. No Wonder Woman. But there is Supergirl!

I have covered a lot of Crisis over my 6 years doing this blog. I'll be covering it more in the upcoming year.

New Supergirl Mego Figure??

If there is something of a grail piece for me in my Supergirl collection, it is an original Supergirl Mego figure. Way too expensive. Way too rare. I haven't even really seen one in person. Would I ever be able to claim one of my own?

Well, what about a sort of pseudo-Mego figure? The Figures Toy Company is putting together very limited edition two-packs of Mego style figures. Over on the 13thDimension.com, they have the card of available figures. Here is the link: http://13thdimension.com/figures-toys-goes-all-in-on-mego-like-line/

I am drooling over the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez artwork. But I am amazed at the figures being offered! Mary Marvel! Yellow outfit Kid Flash! Captain Marvel Jr. (now Shazam Jr)! Early 70s Catwoman! Just beautiful.

And look at the Superman figures!

There is a bunch, including Supergirl. It is hard to see if this is a mini-skirt or hot pants! Either way ... I want one!

How about a 2-pack of Lois and Kara? Perfect!

Surprisingly, this could be relatively affordable. A 2-pack is $59.99. Just need to start squirreling away my nickels and dimes now. Here is an ordering page, including just Batman 2-packs: http://figurestoycompany.com/8inchlimitededitiondcsuperherotwo-packs.aspx

Hat tip to Rob on Aquaman Shrine for bringing this to my attention!

Random Notes - Supergirl Movie, Mike Maihack's Kara Kent, & Lois Lane Love

This is going to be a busy week for me here at the Comic Box. Between four comics to review, sales review, a back issue I have been longing to look at, and the Man of Steel movie coming out, my plate is full.

That said, there have been a bunch of stories that I have come across that are worth reviewing here even briefly.

First off, we knew that Kara Zor-El was going to be part of the Man of Steel movie universe given the exclusive prequel comic that came out. Now there might be a little fire where we saw that smoke. Here is a link to Comic Book Movie.com who asked producer Deborah Snyder about Supergirl:
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/GraphicCity/news/?a=81271

When asked about Martian Manhunter rumors, Snyder merely laughed but when pressed about Supergirl, her reaction was entirely different. "...the one thing if you look closely when Henry’s going through the Fortress of Solitude there’s an empty… you know all the bodies… the pods? There’s an empty pod. I’m not going to say what, or if, it means anything but there is an empty pod there," said Snyder.

When Snyder was pressed to elaborate on her answer, she didn't offer up much more, "No. [Laughs] I’m not going to say anything but, it’s a thing. It’s a thing. That’s one Easter Egg that, I don’t know. Again, it might not mean anything, [but] it might mean something…"  

Can you imagine seeing Supergirl on the big screen? I worry about what Zach Snyder's version of her character might look like ... but this is amazing news.

I have been intrigued the content of the Superman:The Legend trading cards as it seems to fly in the face of the current New 52 DCnU. I doubt any kid out there is collecting these cards as a gateway to the comic books. But if they did, they would be pretty confused between what is on the card and what is in the stories.

Take, for example this great Kara Kent card by one of my favorites Mike Maihack. I love Maihack's take on Kara. And I love this image of a happy-go-lucky super-teen walking the hallways of high school. But when was the last time there was a Kara Kent? 

During the announcements of the impending celebration of Superman's 75thy anniversary, it was noted by many (me included) that Lois Lane seemed to be being ignored. This was Lois 75th anniversary as well. She has been a mainstay in comics since Action Comics #1 and has been a hero and role model. It looks as if the grass roots efforts of a lot of people to get Lois into the spotlight has been recognized a little. DC just announced a anniversary trade for Lois here:http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/lois-lane-a-celebration-of-75-years

And here is the solicit:
LOIS LANE: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS

Don’t miss these tales starring Lois Lane, Superman and more, reprinted from ACTION COMICS #1-2, 6, 484, 600 and 662, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #631, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #2-3, MAN OF STEEL #2, SHOWCASE #9, SUPERMAN #29, 33-34, 58 and 168, SUPERMAN 80-PAGE GIANT 2011 #1, SUPERMAN: LOIS LANE #1, SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #5, 16, 23, 42 and 106, and WONDER WOMAN #170!

It is 384 pages and $27.99. Can't wait to get this.

Lastly, I know it is probably money not well spent but I will be pretty pumped to pick up this variant cover of Superman Unchained #1 by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez today.

I even think the price tag of 499 cents is amusing.

Anyone else pick up any of the many variants out there?