Monthly archives: February, 2009

Feb162009February 16, 2009February 18, 20091Commentby Doom DeLuise

The Scott Summers Awards for Top 5 Doomed Superhero Romances: #2

Posted in rants & nostalgia by

#5 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #1

death of karen page

#2: Daredevil and Karen Page
Began Courtship in Daredevil #1, 1964
Written by: Stan Lee

Summary:
Karen Page was introduced in the first issue of Daredevil as Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson’s secretary at their law firm. Foggy had just recently hired her, and she immediately started to swoon for Matt.

After some time, she also found herself falling for a different man, Matt’s alter ego, the crimefighter Daredevil. It’s only natural, I suppose. During a storyline that was well before my time, Karen’s father became the villain Death’s-Head, who, according to the Internet, “dressed in a glowing radioactive costume, riding a horse whose flesh was made transparent, and wielding fireballs and scimitars of radioactive cobalt.” Man, comics used to be so imaginative.

Anyway, after fighting her father, Daredevil revealed to Karen that he was, in fact, Matt Murdock, and the two started up a big ol’ romance. Alongside Elektra, Karen is widely regarded as Matt’s greatest love.

What Doomed It: (more…)


Feb152009February 15, 2009February 15, 2009NoCommentby Doom DeLuise

Book of Doom: Nightwing #153

Posted in books of doom, reviews by

nightwing 153It’s certainly been one hell of a run, eh, sports fans?

Before we start with the reviews, let me just say that Nightwing, aka Dick Grayson, is my favorite superhero. I’ve read every single issue of his solo title since it began in 1996, and, for the most part, it’s been enjoyable. The build-up to Infinite Crisis was amazingly well-done, but, at the same time, it was painfully obvious that the story that Nightwing had been involved in was tossed aside so that his monthly could be shoe-horned into the bigger goings-on in the DCU. And, really, that was the beginning of a very troubling period for Nightwing.

One Year Later, he was tossed into the stupidest storyline I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading, and it wasn’t until the last few months that it seemed as if Nightwing was finally getting some direction again. He started to establish himself for the first time since Bludhaven blew up, and it seemed like things were going to be entertaining again.

But then Batman had to go and ruin it all by dying.

So now we’re left with this. Thirteen years of trying to establish Dick Grayson as his own man, and the final issue is just solidifying his role as forever standing in the shadow of the bat.

He fixes up Bruce’s cave, returns to Bruce’s city, and pays his respects on Crime Alley to the spot where Bruce’s parents were murdered.

My hat’s off, DC. You really did a great job in the past decade and a third making Nightwing his own man. Really, truly. A great job.

Here’s what everybody else thought:

Doominator: (more…)


Feb152009February 15, 2009March 16, 20093Commentsby Doominator

Stump the Doominator, Week of Feb. 15, 2009

Posted in rants & nostalgia, stump the doominator by

Welcome, welcome to the first installment of Stump the Doominator, where I use my vast nerdery to attempt to breakdown storylines into a single sentence. We’ve got some good ones this week, so let’s press on.

Nate Winchester, occasional commenter and operator of Hunting Muses, asked:

Has anyone asked you to sum up Final Crisis yet?

Well, Nate, to answer your question:

No.

Now you probably want a real answer:

So in order to correct the fact that there are Infinite Earths and nothing makes sense because of Darkseid, some people shoot a bullet backwards through time at Darkseid to undo what he did so instead of a bunch of Earths with lots of continuity no one understands, you have a nice way to wrap it up and say “THERE IT’S ALL SOLVED EXCEPT BATMAN IS NOW CAPTAIN CAVEMAN” without having to account for anything.

Grifter wrote in with another question:
(more…)


Feb142009February 14, 2009February 17, 20091Commentby Doom DeLuise

The Scott Summers Awards for Top 5 Doomed Superhero (B)Romances: #3

Posted in rants & nostalgia by

#5 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #1

blue and gold#3: Booster Gold and Blue Beetle II
Began Courtship in Justice League #3, 1987
Written by: J. M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen

Summary:
Not your typical romance, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold first met when Maxwell Lord brought Booster into the Justice League in the late 80s. No longer focused on strictly American superheroics, the team eventually changed its name to the Justice League International, and “Blue and Gold,” as they’re frequently referred to, started partnering up, mostly in zany comic relief roles, most notably when they opened Club JLI, a gaming resort on the Pacific island Kooey Kooey Kooey.

Over the years, the duo became best friends and were practically inseparable fan favorites. During the Doomsday conflict (which inevitably led to the Death of Superman), Booster came up with the name for the superpowered bad guy, but both he and Beetle suffered severely in Doomsday’s warpath. Blue Beetle was left in a coma, and Booster’s suit (which he derives most of his powers from) took enough damage to the point where it was inoperable. Once he healed up, Blue Beetle (aka Ted Kord) used his fortune and technological genius to build Booster a new suit. What are friends for, right? (more…)


Feb132009February 13, 2009March 16, 200911Commentsby Doominator

Stump the Doominator

Posted in stump the doominator by

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellI’m a lax contributor here at Doomkopf, mostly because I’m terrible at actually remembering to go to the comic store, and even when I do, I either get Astonishing X-Men or a long canceled series. But after Doom DeLuise asked me to help him with his countdown, I knew my calling … to sum up storylines concisely.

So here’s my challenge to you, fair readers. I want you to send me storylines, and I will attempt to sum them up in one sentence. It may be a run on sentence. Once I get five, there will be a new post. Oh, and for bloggers out there, I’ll use it as a way to link back to your blog, so we both win. As a bonus, each time, I will attempt to answer an obscure question about the X-Men. My X-Men library goes back longer than I’ve been alive, so chances are, I can answer it.

How do you enter? Email me at doominator_at_doomkopf.com. ‘Nuff said.


Feb132009February 13, 2009February 17, 20091Commentby Doom DeLuise

The Scott Summers Awards for Top 5 Doomed Superhero Romances: #4

Posted in rants & nostalgia by

#5 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #1

dr manhattan on mars#4: Doctor Manhattan and Laurie Juspeczyk
Courtship Appears in Watchmen #1-12
Written by: Alan Moore

Summary (contains spoilers):
Doctor Jonathan Osterman gained superpowers when he was involved in an accident with an Intrinsic Field Subtractor, which turned him into the super-powered Doctor Manhattan. He was given the abilities to teleport and manipulate matter in nearly any way imaginable, and, due to the nature of the accident, was thrust into a sort of quantum universe, where he experienced time all at once, instead of in the linear fashion we’re used to. Oh, and it also turned him blue.

After the accident, Osterman’s sweetheart (Janey Slater) left him when she suspected a budding relationship between Osterman and another masked vigilante, known as the second Silk Spectre, real name Laurie Juspeczyk.

Her suspicions grew accurate, as Dr. Manhattan and Laurie started seeing each other shortly thereafter. Due to the extreme levels of his powers, though, the United States government thought it was in their best interests to form a partnership with him, which eventually led both Manhattan and Laurie to live together on an army base, secluded from the rest of society, for the most part. (more…)


Feb122009February 12, 2009February 17, 20095Commentsby Doom DeLuise

The Scott Summers Awards for Top 5 Doomed Superhero Romances: #5

Posted in rants & nostalgia by

#5 | #4 | #3 | #2 | #1

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about love and relationships a lot lately. Well, not really, but I was trying to think up an interesting topic to blog about, and the timeliness of Saturday’s big Hallmark holiday made romance a natural fit. As is par for the course, though, I like to take the expected and turn it on its ass; so, rather than present a list of the top five best superhero romance stories of all-time, I’ve decided to take a gloomier turn and craft up a list of those loves that were never meant to be.

While the awards are named after the on-again, off-again leader of the X-Men, this isn’t just a top five list of all his failed romantic rendezvous; rather, it’s a list for all superheroes who have been burned by love. Cyclops just happens to be the best (or would it be worst?) at it.

cyclops x-men#5: Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor
Began Courtship in Uncanny X-Men #168
Written by: Chris Claremont

Summary:
Shortly after the death of Jean Grey, Scott Summers met an Alaskan charter pilot named Madelyne Pryor, a woman who coincidentally looked nearly identical to Jean and who also happened to be the sole survivor of a plane crash that took place the same day that Phoenix died.

Scott became stuck on the idea that this woman was the reincarnation of his lost love, and the two began a romance immediately. Eventually, Scott confronted her, asking if she was really Jean, at which point Madelyne smacked him and transformed into the Dark Phoenix. Only, not really. She was merely under the control of Mastermind. After resolving that conflict, Scott decided to move on from Jean, married Madelyne, moved to Alaska, and retired from the X-Men. (more…)


Feb112009February 11, 2009February 11, 20091Commentby Jim Doom

All Hail Reagatron

Posted in news by

Jim at Cornfed Gamer alerted us to this article at Wired about an action figure museum in Oklahoma. Most notable was the surprise revelation that we have Ronald Reagan to thank for some of the fondest memories of our childhood.

Liberal action figure fans may be chagrined to learn that many of their favorite toys would not exist today if not for Ronald Reagan. Under his watch the FCC removed restrictions implemented in the ’70s banning children’s shows that promoted a commercial product.

Suddenly shows like Transformers and He-Man emerged with accompanying lines of toys. Occasionally, broadcasters got a cut of the toy sales for scheduling certain shows. From 1977 to 1987, the percentage of toys on the market that were licensed from TV shows or movies jumped from 20 to 80 percent.


Feb112009February 11, 2009February 11, 2009NoCommentby Doom DeLuise

Book of Doom Preview:
Nightwing #153

Posted in books of doom by

nightwing 153Nightwing has had his own series for about thirteen years now, and this is his final issue. I’d say that’s reason enough for this to be our Book of Doom for the week. Through his exploits in Bludhaven, his stint as a cop, his battles with Nite-Wing and Blockbuster and Tarantula, his time spent as a mobster, and his most recent time spent fighting Two-Face every other issue, it all comes to a head here.

To see our thoughts on the issue, come back on Saturday for the roundtable discussion, and, as always, feel free to send your own thoughts to be included with ours. Just send your reviews to doomkopf@doomkopf.com by Friday night to be included in the weekend roundtable.

Here’s what DC has to say about the issue:

Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art and Cover by Don Kramer and Jay Leisten
It’s the fateful, final “Batman” Last Rites” issue featuring an “Origins and Omens” backup! As Robin, Dick Grayson fought alongside Batman as part of the dynamic duo, the greatest crime-fighting team in history. As Nightwing, he teamed up with his peers to combat injustice in the Titans and the Outsiders. Now, Dick Grayson faces the most important battle of his life. Batman is dead. The Mantle of the Bat must be passed, but it will require all of Dick’s training and skills to carry out the last wishes of Bruce Wayne and protect Gotham City. Will it be enough to protect himself from the dangers that await him? Or is this the last the world will see of Nightwing?


Feb112009February 11, 2009February 11, 20092Commentsby Jim Doom

What I’m buying this week – Feb 11, 2009

Posted in news by

Jim Doom:

• Action Comics #874 – I actually have no idea what’s going on this month, but I’m going to go out on a limb and assume it’ll be dealing with the aftermath of New Krypton.

• Batman #686 – This is the beginning of Neil Gaiman’s two-part tribute to Batman and Alan Moore. I’ve heard it’s supposed to be good. I’d probably buy it even if it wasn’t.

• Incognito #2 – I wasn’t super thrilled with issue #1, but it was good enough that I want to stick with the series for at least another issue.

• Nightwing #153 – Doom DeLuise hasn’t gotten around to announcing it yet, but this is his choice for this week’s Book of Doom. It’s the final issue, you know.

• Thor #600 (maybe) – I have a soft spot for big anniversary issues like this and I’d like to reward Marvel for returning to the original numbering. But this thing is like $5. I’ll have a flip through at the shop and see if I can justify that.

Colonel Doom: (more…)