Detective #622 (Oct 1990)

Another great find in the dollar bins last weekend, just in time for the Halloween season, Detective Comics #622. Golden-Age Batman artist Dick Sprang would have been seventy-four when he produced the cover for this and the subsequent two issues of Detective, in a three-issue story arc, just ten years before his death. The interior of this book isn't what I'm usually looking for, but they worked hard on the art. The styles employed are not the DC house style employed in the '70s and '80s by artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo- the guard was changing, and new art styles were coming onto the scene. This issue is the first of a three-issue arc, featuring a "comic within a comic", written by one of the supporting characters, comic book writer/artist Fred Lasker.

The fictious Batman Fred Lasker has been writing about/drawing in TNT Comics is a Simon Petrarch, a mercenary who sold his soul, transformed by Lucifer into a demonic creature of the night. The comic book art sequences in this book were drawn by Flint Henry, while artists Mike McKone and Jose Marzan, Jr. draw the rest of the issue interior.

Police Commissioner Gordon summons Batman to the scene of a grisly murder, attributed in blood to the Dark Knight Detective himself! When the press shows up to question Gordon and Batman, he quickly realizes the implication of his monstrous characterization in Lasker's comic book, juxtaposed with the mysterious murder scene...

Host of a local radio show "Dead of Night", Jack Hemp, takes a call from someone claiming to be the Batman of author Fred Lasker's unauthorized biographical comic. The caller shares details of a recent murder he is trying to pin on the real Batman, telling Hemp to read all about him in the current issue hitting newsstands. 

Batman catches wind on the street that Fred Lasker's comic book lore has taken root in the public eye, deciding to pay the author a visit to get to the bottom of what's going on in issue #623! Both issues #623 and #624 also feature Dick Sprang covers, and reveal who is behind the murders being pinned onto Batman! Maybe we'll catch up with those later- read more comics!

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Detective Comics #469 (May 1977)

 Jim Aparo drew the striking cover for this issue of Detective Comics, but Walt Simonson penciled the interior story written by Steve Englehart. This is the first appearance of Dr. Phosphorus, created by Simonson and Englehart, and when I saw this well-worn copy in the dollar bins, I knew this terrifying villain would be perfect for an October post! I didn't have this issue as a kid, my interest in comics not having developed quite yet, 1978 likely the year of some of my first spinner rack acquisitions. In that year The Incredible Hulk debuted on CBS, and Superman came to the silver screen, and I was hooked on superhero comics for life!

"...By Death's Eerie Light" begins with Bruce Wayne's trusted butler, Alfred Pennyworth, collapsing upon the Dark Knight's return from patrol of Gotham City. After rushing Pennyworth to the hospital, Batman discovers the reason for the mysterious delay in ambulance service- the city's water supply has been poisoned by Dr. Alexander Sartorius, aka Dr. Phosphorus! Batman confronts Dr. Phosphorus at Gotham City Reservoir, where the villain reveals his plan, attacking the Caped Crusader!

After a knockdown drag out brawl, Batman emerges from Gotham Reservoir, having barely escaped Dr. Phosphorus' deadly touch, rendered harmless by water. The villain retreats, vowing to return and savor killing Batman later. The rest of this issue sees Dr. Phosphorus assaulting his former colleague, Dr. Bell, threatening his and the lives of city council if they don't get rid of the Batman. Throughout his tirade on the frightened scientist, Dr. Phosphorus retells the origin of his cursed state... 

If you want to see what happens to the poisoned Alfred Pennyworth and Police Commissioner Jim Gordon, or the final confrontation between Dr. Phosphorus and Batman, you'd have to hunt down Detective #470! The great Jim Aparo returns to draw that cover as well, Walt Simonson confidently delivering that DC house style on the inner pages several years before his career defining work writing/drawing Thor in the mid '80s. Special mention goes out to inker Al Milgrom, whose work I like as well. As a Bronze-Age kid, I love this era of comics for the work of artists like these guys and so many more- what a great time to be a kid!

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McFarlane DC Multiverse Atrocitus/Blackest Night Wave

 This Atrocitus/Blackest Night Wave of McFarlane action figures I picked up are perfect for the Halloween season upon us! Kyles Rayner is the only human of the bunch, which are all zombies and monsters. I'm unsure how to feel about this shade of green, but I have a feeling we will see at least one more version of this character. Regardless, I like this figure overall. More constructs could have been nice, but we got his unique lantern accessory, so I'm happy.

Below, McFarlane Kyle Rayner with DC Direct JLA Kyle Rayner (2003)...

Below, Kyle Rayner with John Stewart and Parallax from my last post- I've missed the large chunk of DC Direct Lanterns I sold off awhile back, so it's fun picking up some McFarlane Green Lanterns...

I regret never having picked up the Black Lantern Batman DC Direct produced for their Blackest Night series, of which I had many, but this McFarlane version makes up for it. The textures in the sculpt and color were better in person than I expected...

The McFarlane Flashpoint/Thomas Wayne Batman is a favorite among my DC Multiverse figures, but this Black Lantern Batman rivals it for my money. The Earth 44/Murder Machine Batman is another "horror" Batman in my DC Multiverse collection that's an interesting reimagining of the character.

I'm mostly sure this is the only Deathstorm I've ever owned in this scale, though I did have a DC Action League Deathstorm minifig! The included lantern accessory was appreciated.

DC Direct released a couple different Black Lantern Supermen in their Blackest Night line- I had the Series 7 Blackest Night Superman, but this one is more like the Series 1 Earth-2 Black Lantern Superman.

These Black Lanterns make a creepy pair, and makes me wonder will McFarlane produce as deep a bench of Black Lanterns as DC Direct did in 2009-2010. It's true I was more motivated by the Atrocitus BAF and Black Lantern Batman, but these are pretty cool.

Collecting all four figures in this wave gets one the parts for the large Atrocitis figure. I had a DC Direct Atrocitus that I miss, but this larger version is probably scaled better- big oversight not including a lantern accessory.

Since I now had Atrocitus, I had to buy Batrocitus, a perfectly fitting mashup! Ironically, Batrocitus does have a red lantern accessory and extra fists. I may like him a little better than the Atrocious BAF partially for this reason. but they make a great pair!

My McFarlane Hellbat also pairs well with Batrocitus. There are a few other Batman variants McFarlane has produced that I'd like to have, but I'm pretty happy with the one's I've picked up. I enjoyed this wave of McFarlane figures, but go ahead and pick up Batrocitus to supplement if you are getting this wave.

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McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Green Lantern John Stewart & Parallax

I picked up this DC Multiverse Green Lantern John Stewart locally a couple weekends ago, after finding the Gold Label Parallax figure at a Walmart around the corner from where I live. I've had a DC Universe Classics John Stewart in the collection at one time, as well as a DC Direct Parallax, but these new McFarlane figures are the singular representation of these characters currently.
 

Parallax (Hal Jordan) famously killed off the entire Green Lantern Corps back in 1994, making him the least popular Green Lantern, but I'm more familiar with Green Lantern: Rebirth (2004), Blackest Night (2009-2010), and the Green Lantern New 52 material. Still, this is a fantastic, dare I say majestic Hal Jordan figure, with translucent green fireballs to fit over his fists, and a matching lantern.

Below, DC Direct Green Lantern Series 1 Parallax (March 2005)...

I sold off a great deal of my Lantern Corps figure collection, both Mattel & DC Direct, a few years ago, so it's fun to buy some new Lanterns! This John Stewart was part of the Frost King Wave, which looks fun, but I'll likely never collect. John was a soldier in the material I've read, and these swords don't necessarily match his Marines experience, but he grips them tightly.

Like Parallax, John Stewart or any other Green Lantern should come with a flight stand, but these don't. I use the Storm Collectibles Dynamic Action Figure Stands, which work pretty well. They did include the standard issue flat, circular stands molded in black plastic, which is good because these DC Multiverse figures need all the help that can get- and sometimes they are not enough. A lot of these just don't stand well. 

Complaints aside, these McFarlane DC Multiverse figures do look fantastic- the sculpting detail is great, and their wrist & ankle joints have been tweaked to look better than the first generation. They have their problems but look good by and large. And while they haven't been a major part of my collecting interest, I've found myself buying more of them lately. Below, McFarlane DC Multiverse and 4" Spin Master Green Lantern John Stewart figure, the latter of which actually included a lantern accessory probably big enough for his 7" counterpart...

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