Terrificon Recap #3: Walt Simonson Sketch And Other Notables

Here is my final recap of Terrificon 2025 which was absolutely tremendous. If you haven't, check out part one and part two. 

So we'll start out with this fantastic Walt Simonson 'quick sketch'.

But to understand the story behind this sketch, you need to know about Walt Simonson and his con presence. So settle in. Because if you are hoping to meet him at a con you need to know what I am going to tell you.

First off, Simonson is one of the nicest guys in the business and is just great to interact with.

Two, he sets up two lines at his table. One is only for signing comics. The other is for 'quick sketches' and he tries to do 10-15 a day. He sketches these 'quick' in real time. If you are in the sig line, you need to wait while he does them. When he runs his table, he does several people in the 'signing only line', then does a sketch, then goes back to the signing line. Then back to do a sketch and so on. So be prepared to wait.

Third, his lines are very very long because he is a legendary creator and, as said, an extremely nice guy. And those lines form early. Usually the sketch line is 15 deep in 5 minutes after the doors open because everyone runs to his table to get there. So be prepared to wait.

All this to say, fans need to be aware that if they are hoping for a Simonson sketch they need to be at the front of the line to get into the con itself and should head to his table first ... like run there. 

Also, fans should know that they might spend a big chunk of time in that line whether it is the sig or sketch line because they get long. So figure out how important meeting Simonson is and how much time you want to spend in that one line. Preparation is important. (You need to make this calculus for any popular creator at any con.)

For me, I had the luck of going to the con all three days. I avoided the Simonson table on Friday. That was my heavy lifting day, trying to set up commissions and get the bulk of signatures I wanted. 

Saturday was 'Simonson day'. With the heavy lifting done, I was ready to spend as long as I needed to in his line. (Again, it helps that I was going all three days. If you are there for one day, you might need to make a harder decision.)

I knew I wanted a sketch. I knew the way the line formed. I got in line very very early on Saturday. When the doors open, I ran to the table.

This is a long set up but I want to help con goers who don't know this. 

Review: Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3

In August 2023, DC released The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1. 

In April 2025, DC released the finale, The Last Days of Lex Luthor #3, the book I am here to review a day. It is interesting that the last 2 chapters came out within a month of each other, but nearly 2 years after the first. 

My philosophical question for the readers is this. Do dramatic delays in a comic release somehow impact your enjoyment of it? I can't help but think that Doomsday Clock might have read better if it came out in a timely fashion. Or if read in one sitting when you aren't wondering when the next chapter is coming out.

I know. Why am I talking Doomsday Clock in a review of this book?

This is a fine Elseworld book. This has an interesting, and I might say controversial, ending. I don't know if I like the ending here. The art by Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan is scintillating. I am glad I bought and read this. From the tour of the DCU to the update of the Luthor origin to the interplay between Lex and Superman, it has been a fun read.

But I really wanted to be blown away by the ending of this book, probably because I have been waiting so long for it. And that is probably unfair of me to have scheduling drama alter my expectations. Of course, the ending falling flat for me is probably as big a reason as any.

On to the book.

Review: Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2

Way back in August 2023, Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 came out. In my opening paragraph of that issue, I talked about how the book was sort of under-advertised and snuck up on me which made me worry that it would go unnoticed.

Here we are, over a year and a half later, with my review of Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2. With 19 months separating these chapters, surely this Mark Waid/Bryan Hitch book has been mostly forgotten and will again be mostly overlooked.

And that is a shame. Because all of the things that I lauded about the first book are still true here. It is a Mark Waid Superman book, which is always awesome. It is a classic story told with modern sensibilities. It is packed full of DC history, not surprising from Waid. And it has a few nods to Superman's appearances in other media.

But it is the Luthor/Superman dynamic that stirs the drink here. Lex has to be reminded of what Superman is to others. Others have to be reminded by Superman of who the Man of Steel is. But we also get an update to the classic Luthor origin, of a mishap in a lab that perhaps fostered a hatred of aliens in Lex.

As I have said before, I am not the biggest Bryan Hitch fan. But I am a huge Kevin Nowlan fan and Nowlan certainly puts his panache on the art. I'll say we cover a lot of DC real estate in this book and it just makes me wish we saw more of Nowlan on current issues. Everything is gorgeous. 

On to the book.

Bullet Review: Amazing Heroes #56 plus Thanksgiving Joy

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans out there who celebrate. 

I have an awful lot to be thankful for this year! At the same time, I'll be glad to put 2023 behind me.

But just on Monday, I was thankful to discover a new comic book store opening right near work, Friar Tuck's Comics & Collectibles. The story literally opened 2 days ago so their website is pretty bare:

https://friartuckscomics.com/

More about the store at the bottom of the post but something I stumbled across and purchased there was Amazing Heroes #56, a 'super-heroines' issue with a preview of the Supergirl movie. 

Not a bad copy and a great Kevin Nowlan cover.

Here is a cleaner look, not my copy (which is above).

I don't normally post articles like this in their entirety. But it is just over 2 pages of text.

I pretty sure that most people who visit this site realize what a treasure Helen Slater is. This articles just cements is. Hearing from a 20 year old Slater talking about the process of auditioning and preparing for the role once she got it.

I love the anecdote here where she states she didn't even know that Linda Lee was Supergirl. And then, when auditioning as both parts, she said to steel herself she used a school mantra of 'The Obstacle Strengthens the Will.'

She then said the famous line 'You've had your fun Selena, the game is finished!' and got the role. 

I also was pretty impressed with the in-depth discussion of the Slater's physical regimen.

She had muscular legs from all her dancing but was 'slight' in the upper body and so had to go through 3 months of tough workouts to get into shape. 

While most of the article focused on Slater, we do get some info on all the sets built for the movie.

There is a brief discussion about the cast.

But my favorite line is that the plot has been 'jealously guarded'.

The climax will be 'a spectacle of soaring imagination, stunning surprises, and mind-boggling special effects'. 

Now I am very forgiving of the movie. I love Slater. But even I know it is pretty flawed. I know why the plot was 'jealously guarded'.

As for Friar Tuck's, it is a very posh store. 

I was there for opening day and all I can say is that the back issue section is massive. There are tons of wall books and lots of key issues and older key issues in glass cases. Most of the issues are in very good condition and the price reflects that quality.

As for me, in addition to the Amazing Heroes, I also grabbed Dakota North #3 and #5 to complete that run in my collection. Anyone near Boston or Brookline should visit.

Review: Superman The Last Days Of Lex Luthor #1

A Mark Waid Superman book is always fantastic. A Mark Waid Superman book should always be trumpeted from the highest hill. Bryan Hitch is a modern comic legend. Hitch doing a DC book should be big news. And Hitch inked by Kevin Nowlan is a dream team! A Mark Waid/Bryan Hitch Superman book? That should be heavily promoted ... everywhere.

So how did Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 sneak up on me? Because this is just what I would expect a Mark Waid/Bryan Hitch Superman book to be, near perfect. This is a modern book with Bronze Age sensibility and reverence. I was blown away by how spectacular this first issue was and I fear it will go unnoticed.

Waid gives us the Superman we need, willing to do anything to help people, even someone like Luthor. When Lex says he is dying, Superman agrees to help save his enemy. But we see some peeks that lead me to believe that Superman blames himself for Lex's turn to evil, an echo from classic DC history. Throw in action, the Fortress, and Kandor and you have a great milieu to tell a wonderful story.

I am not the biggest Hitch fan but inked by Nowlan (an artist I am a big fan of) leads to a sleek presentation. The story moves all around allowing the art team to stretch itself. I love the Chris Samnee variant cover I picked, especially because the wedding ring is so apparent.

But the best thing for me, again, is how Waid references the Lex/Superman origin I grew up with. Waid also opens and closes the book with that flashback, or that hint of a flashback, which just bookended the issue nicely. 

Much like World's Finest, if you are a Superman fan you need to get this.

On to details.

Terrificon Recap #1: Kevin Nowlan Commission, Supergirl Sigs, & More

I talk a lot about my 'convention season', basically the summer and early fall when I am lucky enough to attend several comic conventions situated within driving distance of my house.

Very quickly, Terrificon, a comic convention in Connecticut, has become the 'big con' on my list. This is a tremendous show and I would say for folks considering a stay in New England for a convention, this is the one to hit.

Unlike many comicons of today, Terrificon is clearly a comic book centric convention, focusing primarily on comic creators and less on celebrities (although they have some of them in attendance as well). The guest list has been impressive and is really a great mix of legends, creators from my youth, and current writers and artists, really running the gamut. Trust me when I say that I brought a ton of comics to get signed because I hadn't run into many of these folks elsewhere.

Also, most of the creators weren't charging for signatures. Instead they had a donation bin for the Heroes Initiative on their table. I didn't mind being very generous to that cause.

Lastly, the venue is at the Mohegan Sun Casino. It was a new exhibition hall. It was massive meaning plenty of room between the aisles to navigate. That also means free parking. And at the casino the meal options range from food court to quick decent meals to full on sit down restaurants. Absolutely no complaints.

Great fun!

So what did I get accomplished?

Amazing Heroes #17 (1982)

I am hoping that people don't mind my looks back at Supergirl history from time to time. As I said recently, time off at the holidays meant time to read. And that meant time to thumb through the long boxes and read some stuff in my collection that I haven't revisited in a while.

Amazing Heroes was a comic magazine that came out in the early 1980's. This was the pre-internet days so if you wanted to read interviews with the creators, or read about older issues, or even find out what was coming out, there weren't many resources.

I discovered Amazing Heroes in the latter half of the decade when I was driving myself to the comic store and discovering that there were certain creators who I was going to follow. When those creators were interviewed or spotlighted in the magazine I would buy the issue. And when characters I liked were highlighted I would get those issues. And with the advent of a comic book store, I could look at back issues and buy them. And that was how I ended up getting Amazing Heroes #17 which looked at the history of Supergirl. In fact, it ends up being a 2 part review, the second half appearing in AH #18.

With some time on my hands, I thought I would reread this article from 1982, a time when Supergirl had just graduated to the solo title Daring New Adventures of Supergirl. She was still in hot pants and 4 years away from being killed in the Crisis. What was the feel for the character in those days?

Of note, I have to comment on this (I think) painted cover of Supergirl by Kevin Nowlan. I am a big fan of Nowlan and his comic art and I would not have pegged this as work from him. His style certainly has evolved. At first I thought she was holding a cigarette but it is chalk with which she has written 'and heroines'. And check out the frizzy locks! Still, I like the cover.

The article is titled Supergirl In Action: A Heroine History and written by Dwight R. Decker.

I can't comment on who Decker was or his credentials. But it is clear he is a Supergirl fan even if I don't necessarily agree with what he says all the time.

The first part of this two-part series is the better article (I assume I'll review the second part at some point) as it takes a look back at the earliest days of the character, including the 'trial run' Super-Girl that was featured in Superman #123. That hyphenated Super-Girl, wished into existence by Jimmy Olsen, was probably used as a gauge to see if there was in interest in another member of the Super-family. That story ran 9 months before Kara graced the cover of Action Comics #252.

Here are a few other tidbits from the article that I thought were worth sharing.

Otto Binder, who penned the earliest Supergirl stories had also created Mary Marvel for Fawcett long before Supergirl came into existence.

I will admit I haven't read too many of the early Mary Marvel stories so I don't know if the tone mirrors the earliest adventures of Supergirl. When he says it was 'reliving the past', it makes me wonder if he revisited his Mary's stories, retreading some plots.

Of all the things in the article, this piece was the most fascinating to me.

DC applied for a trademark of the name 'Super-Girl' all the way back in 1944, a full 15 years before she became a consistent character in the DC universe. I wonder if other people pitched a use of the name before the version in Superman #123.

One thing I don't agree with is Decker's somewhat relentless disparaging of Jim Mooney's art. Here he says he has a limited repertoire, swiped other people's work, and made things silly or dull.

Elsewhere he bemoans Mooney as being a copycat. He even says that Kara was never 'pretty' when drawn by Mooney.

I simply don't agree. I love Mooney's work.

Decker does do a good job of pointing out the subtle changes that wormed their way into the Supergirl origin during reprints and revisits. Initially it was a 'street of homes' that was blown off of Krypton intact. That changed to Argo City. It was initially a bubble of air for atmosphere; that became a dome. At first it was straight up Green K that killed the citizens. But since Green K is later found not to effect non-super-powered Kryptonians, it is changed to anti-Kryptonite. So things kind of get refined over the years. He reviews Zor-El and Allura's roles too.

The remainder of the article looks mostly at Mort Weisinger and his editorial style and a thorough review of Action Comics #252.

So there are some nice 'behind the scenes' pieces of Supergirl's history make this a decent article. And, as I always say, Supergirl publicity is almost always welcomed by me. Amazing Heroes was one of the few comics scene magazines out at the time and certainly one of the biggest. It's great Supergirl made the cover and had this in-depth coverage.

The articles in the book include some funny cartoons and other drawings from (what I assume) are artists on the Amazing Heroes' staff.

This one was funny enough to reprint here, a sort of amusing look at the 'secret weapon' phase of Kara's career.

In terms of a Supergirl collection, I think text pieces like this on the character are rare so it is worth hunting down for readers interested in more than the comic history of the character. I don't know how many of these things survived and they might be in the bargain bin so well worth a couple of bucks. I would put it of low importance but of moderate interest.