Feature Details
ComicMix Six
Six of a kind — we pull together a half-dozen prime examples for your consideration and amusement.
News Articles Featured in ComicMix Six
Tue May 4, 2010 — by Alan Kistler
ComicMix Six: Weird Iron Man Armor Upgrades
If your high-tech armor isn't broke, maybe you shouldn't try to fix it!
Tony Stark isn’t just a cool exec with a heart of steel. He’s also the technological hero called Iron Man. And with Iron Man 2 coming out this Friday, we’re sure to see new suits of armor with cool improvements. Over the years, Tony has constantly redesigned and updated his armor. There's been stealth armor, undersea armor, space armor, briefcase armor, armor that has horned face plates, armor with extended shoulder pads, etc., etc.
But some changes are not all they’re cracked up to be and perhaps should’ve been left on the drawing board. So let’s take a look at some of the silliest upgrades Iron Man has made to his famous armor.
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Weird Iron Man Armor Upgrades ›
Fri Mar 19, 2010 — by Marc Alan Fishman
ComicMix Six: Vampires That Don't Suck (Human Blood)
A sextet of the plasmalicious intolerant
Vampires are everywhere these days. But long before we had Team Edward
Count Duckula – Spinning off from the popular Danger Mouse series created in the U.K., came a vampire with who'd rather toast with a tomato than nibble on a neck. In the series, Igor whilst incanting the resurrection spell of his deceased master, was accidentaly provided ketchup in place of the ceremonial blood. Thus Count Duckula was born! Far more concerned with fame, fortune, and feasting on fennel, fava beans and fresh fiddlehead ferns, Count Duckula was known more for his fondness of broccoli sandwiches than being a creature of the night. And hey, even if he decided to switch menus? Fat chance! The poor duck didn't even have fangs.
Angel & Spike – Joss Whedon took his video store lump of coal, and coaxed it into a diamond of a TV series. He did so first by fleshing out Buffy to be more than just "Pert. Wholesome. Way Lethal”. Better than that though, he introduced a pair of tragic vamps. Smokey-eyed, bleach-blond Spike and always-afflicted sorrow-souled Angel were both introduced into the Buffy show but eventually outgrew their roles there and turned into breakout anti-heros with a new show, and multiple comics. And what of their diet de-jour? Well, Spike (in the fourth season of the series) was implanted with a chip rendering his bloody biting habit incapacitated. And Angel? Well, cursed with a soul, he's the vampire forced to pay the world back for the sins he committed earlier in life. Sure both these babe-magnets had their anti-hero appeal, but in the end, Angel ended up solving mysteries with some chick with a thing for bones, and Spike was revealed to be a rather poor version of Brainiac.
Blade – We could get into the comic backstory here... how the brainchild of Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan in the early 70's was Eric Brooks. Brooks' mother was ravaged by vampire Deacon Frost during his birth, thus granting him a swatch of vampiric powers. Of course, this rambles on, as most comic backstories do... But allow us to switch to the recent movie-marvel-verse version we're all a bit more familiar with. Similar to his comic counterpart, Blade's mother was attacked by a vampire prior to his birth, and due to it, was imbued with all the vampires powers, and none of their weaknesses; Save for the worst one around, the lust for human blood. But Wesley Snipe's Blade is a tragic hero, choosing to exist off a concocted “formula” made by his mentor (Stick, aka the dude who opened for Johnny Cash back in the day...) rather than suck the blood from humans. The pros? Well, Blade looks super cool in his trench-coat as he lays waste to vampires ranging from the prissy Steven Dorff to the steroidal Triple H, all while having that “Gritty Hero with the Heart of Gold™” look abouts him. The cons? Well, three decent movies down, and Blade hasn't really found his audience in the funny books just yet. Sucks, don't it?
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Vampires That Don't Suck (Human Blood) ›
Wed Mar 17, 2010 — by Alan Kistler
ComicMix Six: Irish Superheroes on 'Crazy Sexy Geeks'
On this day, everybody thinks they're Irish, but here are six superheroes that actually are-- and a few of them may surprise you!
Sun Feb 14, 2010 — by Marc Alan Fishman
Comicmix Six: Lovelorn Losers and Loners
A sextet of sucky suitors who want your solace.
Valentine's Day can be a lovely little holiday, can't it? You and your sweetie exchange little trinkets of love... romantic candle lit dinners... kanoodling on the futon while you watch DVR'ed episodes of Doctor Who... you know, all that gushy stuff. But we know for some out there, the day is just another in a long line of 'Hallmark Holidays' meant to sap money out of fools in love. And if you don't have a Valentine (your Mother only counts if you're still in grade school...) well, Comicmix wants you to know you're not alone. Here's a few folks who think "One is the lonliest", but deal with it anyways:
1.Ultimate Hulk - The Grey/Green (depends on the "Season" we suppose) Goliath may have have the hots for Betty... But then he started eating people, which assume was a big turn off for her. And sure, he may have a rockin' set of abs, and can tear a tank up like tissue paper... But he's also got serious anger management issues. He also once scaled a building yelling for Freddie Prince Jr.'s head on a platter, whilst naked. Not what we'd call a Don Juan in the least.*
2. Booster Gold - We know what you're thinking... Cool futuristic suit. Flight. A shiny gold flying iPad 4.0 for a best friend... What's there not to like? He's got to be batting off the ladies with a bat! But, sadly, the DCU's newest 'Time Master' is also it's newest loner. Having to help defend the DCU's time stream can really put a damper on a dude's love life. And when he's not getting pants by the Joker on a recursive loop, Booster's biggest mission seems to be finding new ways to piss off Rip Hunter, not pitching woo to Fire.
3. Smeágol / Gollum - Middle Earth has it's fair share of uggos, crazies, and weird dudes... But no one takes the "loner" monicker to new depths like this former Stoor-Hobbit. And hey, we admit that we sometimes have an odd 'fondness' for an inanimate object (we're looking at you, fantastic replica Alan Scott Power Battery with replica ring...), but Gollum takes it to a whole new creepy level. Sorry buddy, when you'd rather leap into an active volcano to be with your 'Valentine' than try a round of Speed Dating at the Prancing Pony... you're taking the term 'dedicated bachelor' to a new low.
Mon Jan 18, 2010 — by ComicMix Staff
ComicMix Six: Favorites (and not-so-favorites) of the decade
And then one day you find ten years (and two weeks) have got behind you...
Since everybody thinks it's the end of the decade, we'll do a recap of the decade to go along with our recaps of 2009. This is by no means a definitive list of "the best of the decade", just our disparate takes on what stuck out in the minds of everybody here at the Mix as to what happened in the last ten years. Backwards ho!
Best Ethnic Replacement for Milquetoast Hero of the Decade: Jaime Reyes, Blue Beetle
Ted Kord fans (yes, all 28 of you...) slow your roll! I am one of you! Need proof? I totally own the original Ted Kord action figure from back in the mid 90s! But let's face it guys, Ted wasn't doing much since his Justice League Extreme days now, was he? So, leave it to DC Architects Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, and Judd Winick (ok, one architect, one great noir writer, and that guy from MTV) to give Ted a swansong, and smear his boring white-guy-noggin all over a castle wall. A short time later, yet-another-space-bound-artifact came crashing down into the DCU, at the feet of second generation Mexican immigrant Jaime Reyes. Poof! The DCU has this generation's Vibe! Jaime is the perfect addition to DC's general melange of milquetoast major leaugers. Jamie's got “Benetton Ad” written all over him, as he lives in the southwest (El Paso, Texas, I tell ya whut.), is best friends with a slacker named Pedro, and all but spews Spanglish in between beetle battles. Jaime's Blue Beetle is a far more marketable sort, trading Kord's wits and a powerfully dorky light/air gun for slick alien techno-armor with a disposition for deadly demolition by way of any number of fun action-figure accessories. Jaime enjoyed an ongoing series for a few years, but has seen his stock rise with recent appearances on Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon series. And just to kick sand in our collective Ted-loving-faces? They gave Jaime Ted's old ride. Ay, dios mio. –Marc Alan FishmanFavorite Idea Wasted of the Decade: The Illinois Spaceknights, Civil War
We know the story well enough, don't we? Nitro done blowed up Stamford, and Tony Stark done led ole' congress to pass the Superhuman Registration Act. What with a plethora of newly discovered super-powered people... something had to be done with the excess. Welcome to The Initiative! Marvel opted to train every Tom, Dick, and Butterball with powers in a military style bootcamp. After graduation came placement into any one of 50+ super teams, each to be covered under the Fifty State Initiative. Now, it's no secret I'm a loyal native son of the Chicagoland area... So, imagine my surprise that the state housing the nation's third largest city would be protected by... The Spaceknights?
Now, color me confused here folks. Illinois has no connection to NASA, where one might THINK a connection to “Spaceknights” might be relevant. Since the Civil War ended in 2007, nothing else has come of the aforementioned Illinois superteam. But I guess they're not alone. Wikipedia lists no less than 25 other states not only in the dark... but without totally horrible team names like “the Spaceknights”... Hell, at this point, I'd sooner hope they are disbanded, and redubbed “the Windbags”. Epic Fail anyone? –Marc Alan Fishman
Most Forgotten Book of the Decade: 1602
Remember this book? Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, gorgeous colors by Richard Isanove, did gangbuster sales? Now, alomst completely forgotten. Didn't make many people's best of decade lists, wasn't mentioned in sales material for Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader (okay, competing publishers, but still, that doesn't matter to booksellers) and it seems to have dropped off the radar. Which is a shame, because it seemed more like the Marvel Universe I knew and loved than anything else Marvel published in 2007. —Glenn Hauman
Most overlooked of the decade: Street Fighter (UDON/Image)
Yeah, we know. A comic based on a fighting game series? But here's the thing: UDON's team borrows the best elements of a kung fu movie, layers on the manga-esque melodrama and soap operatic intertwining ensemble cast storylines, glues it together with a heaping dose of love for the source material, and then polishes it until it shines with stylish and flashy artwork. I can't speak to how well it works if you don't know the game, having known how to pull a Hadoken my entire life, but if you like Street Fighter even a little bit, it's a heck of a ride. —Matthew Weinberger
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Favorites (and not-so-favorites) of the decade ›
Wed Jan 6, 2010 — by ComicMix Staff
Comic MMIX Year-End Picks: Favorites (and not-so-favorites) of 2009, part 1
Now that 2009 is officially over, we can do a year in review. This is by no means a definitive list of "the best of the year" as we'd never come to a consensus, just think of it as our varied and individual take on what stuck out in the minds of everybody here at the Mix. After all, as the song says, it's a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world. Onward!
Shortest Death of the Year: Kyle Rayner. Green Lantern Corps #42/43 (DC)
For those who know me well, I was offered quick condolences when I picked up Peter Tomasi's Green Lantern Corps
#42. Kyle Rayner, my personal favorite 'Super Hero' was given a
decidedly trite death; sacrificing himself with an exploding Alpha
Lantern Core in order to blow up a smattering of not-so-easy-to-kill
black lanterns and their Nekron inspired construct. Gaping plot hole be
damned! Sure Mr. Rayner was one of two honor guardsmen, who we'd
'assume' knew how to wield the emerald light with a little flair, might
figure that the ring could make a nice bubble to contain the
aforementioned big-bada-boom, and NOT include himself... But it was far
sappier dramatic
for Kyle to tell Natu (his current, non-refrigerator-bound-beau) and
Guy (his best-buddy-with-a-bygone-bowlcut) that he 'wuved them. And
guess what? Not twenty pages later, Kyle was resurrected by Star
Sapphire Miri Riam, who showed us yet another unknown power from the
crystal spewing pink ring club. It seems that 'True Love' allows a Star
Sapphire to combine hearts, and save a dead lover. I guess Miri wished
she could have done that when he husband died, a few issues ago.
Whoopsie! –Marc Alan Fishman
Most overlooked of the year: Final Crisis Aftermath: Run (DC)
It's easy to hate event books–especially one as polarizing as Final Crisis–but it's hard to deny that sometimes damn fine things come out of them. Zero Hour gave us James Robinson's Starman, Secret Wars gave us Spider-Man's black costume (even if it was retroactive), and now Final Crisis has given us Run, a tale of the Human Flame, the most unrepentant bastard in the DC Universe, on the run from the Justice League following the death of the Martian Manhunter. It's funny, it's fast-moving, and it's smart as a whip, thanks in equal measure to Matt Sturges' (Blue Beetle, JSA All-Stars) script and the perennially underrated pencils of Freddie E. Williams II (Robin). Besides, it has the Condiment King. Who can say no to the Condiment King? –Matthew Weinberger
Favorite dialogue of the year: from Irredeemable #5 (BOOM!), written by Mark Waid, when the winged Gilgamos meets the black super-hero Volt:
"I know you! You're Black V---"
"That's the other guy."
"From Philadelphia?"
"That's the other other guy. Look, I am solidly aware that an electromagnetic African-American super is a total cliché. My apologies. I didn't order this power off the menu, I swear."
–Howard Margolin
Continue reading Comic MMIX Year-End Picks: Favorites (and not-so-favorites) of 2009, part 1 ›
Thu Dec 17, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman
ComicMix Quick Picks (in Six) for December 17, 2009
Six more windows to close... at this rate, I'll be down to only two hundred open windows by the end of the year. Sigh...
- Batman's interspecies film career. (Oh, come on-- we already have bats and robins together, this isn't that much worse, right?)
- Email from Doctor Doom. No, really:
I do not speak melodramaticaly. I speak in declamations! It is simply a matter of clarity! To speak otherwise would confuse my audience, for they cannot understand the fullness of my genius! - The Sci-Fi Diner. Not to be confused with the one that used to be on SciFi.com's website and has since died from linkrot, which was based on the real diner where science fiction authors hung out.
- An author's 12 days of Christmas.
- “If I am ever a romance heroine, I will not…”
- What if James Cameron made that Spider-Man movie in the 90's? We might have dodged a bullet here.
Thu Nov 19, 2009 — by Ian Bonds
ComicMix Six: Best Geek-Themed Games for the Holidays
With the holidays fast approaching, the question becomes: what do you get for the comic-loving gamer in your household? Well, here are some of the best releases from this year to satiate their comic-gaming lust and keep you looking like the know-it-all Santa. From purely comic-related titles to one of the year's best surprises for film-fans, this is the collection to make your gamer happy.
1: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Playing the previous title in this series isn't necessary, as the events that unfold herein are actually the video game adaptation of Marvel's 'Civil War" event from a few years ago. As players traverse the games environments, you're tasked with choosing Pro- or Anti-Registration stance as you recruit new team members for your cause. Gameplay is multiplayer-centric, as 4 players can team up together to take on all foes in this combat rich title. As players pair up different members of their teams, stat bonuses reward the player for pre-existing groups (like having all the members of the Fantastic Four as a team, for example). The control is refined from the previous title, so those who ARE familiar with the series will notice tighter control of their teams, as well ease in combining powers, one of the games newer features. Here, timed special attacks can be joined with a selected partner for a larger attack, and bigger damage results. While the ending won't match the comic's storyline, players will certainly enjoy all the Marvel references and characters throughout the title, and Xbox 360 and PS3 owners actually can download MORE characters to increase their player rosters.
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Best Geek-Themed Games for the Holidays ›
Tue Nov 17, 2009 — by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
ComicMix Six: Classic 'Star Trek' comics you should read
After growing up from the little science-fiction show Gene
Roddenberry created in the 1960s, the venerable Star Trek franchise in recent years had just about worn out its
welcome in the eyes of all but its most devoted followers. Enter J.J. Abrams and
his high-octane, supercharged re-imagining of the classic series, resulting in
one of 2009’s most commercially and critically successful films, released today on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Star Trek’s unprecedented popularity at the box office has also revitalized interest in past adventures of Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Many such tales have been chronicled in comics form since the 1960s—while the classic series was still on the air! After boldly going into our vast archives, we have emerged with six stories that we consider worthy representatives of the more than four decades of Star Trek comics history.
In order of publication:
1: “The Museum at the End of Time” – Star Trek #15, Gold Key Comics, August 1972
Love them or hate them, the Gold Key Star Trek comics occupy a special place in the hearts of old-school Trekkies. The 61 issues—complete with crazy character likenesses as well as the Enterprise belching fire from its warp engines—helped to fuel fans’ needs for new Star Trek stories in the early 1970s. This story features the Enterprise pulled through a cosmic vortex into a mysterious region where time has no meaning. There, the crew finds all manner of trapped spacecraft and captive beings—along with a ship full of angry Klingons! A tale typical of the Gold Key run, this issue is noteworthy as being an apparent inspiration for “The Time Trap,” an episode of the animated Star Trek series produced a year later by Filmation Associates.
(Reprinted in Star Trek: The Key Collection, Vol. 2
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Classic 'Star Trek' comics you should read ›
Mon Oct 26, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman
ComicMix Six: Six word comics biographies
If you've ever visited Smith magazine, you've probably been there for the great comics (A.D.: After the Deluge, The Pekar Project, Next-Door Neighbor, Graphic Therapy,
Shooting War, and My Home Birth) and their innovative Six Word Memoirs. Inspired by the famous anecdote of Ernest Hemingway telling a complete story in only six words ("For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn") they've gotten enough contributions from readers to fill an entire series of Six Word Memoir books
Amazingly, though, they haven't really combined the two.*
It works suprisingly well, and a few of them are already made for it-- "With great power comes great responsibility"; "Truth, Justice, and the American Way"; "Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot"-- and so we've decided to jump start the process. So here are our first six:
- Reed Richards: Don't worry, the shielding will hold.
- Batman: I promised on my parents' grave.
- Wonder Woman: War's easy. Compassion's harder. Peace ... inevitable.
- Wally West: Dreams can come true so fast.
- Cyclops: "Boy Scout"? I kill by looking.
- Lois Lane: You think YOU have high standards?
We'll be adding more via Twitter, using the tag #comicmix6wordbio. Feel free to play along via Twitter, or add your own in the comments.
* Okay, they've illustrated a few of the stories as comics, such as this piece from Rick Parker.
Thu Oct 22, 2009 — by Jenifer Rosenberg
ComicMix Six: Halloween iPhone Apps
Anyone who has been grocery shopping in the past few weeks has probably noticed that Halloween decorations and goodies have already started disappearing from the shelves to be replaced by Christmas merchandise. Most of you have probably already put together your costumes (All of my House Hufflepuff gear is ready for the big day!). Halloween is a hugely popular holiday, and that means there is a large variety of iPhone applications to go along with it. Apps are like the latest accessory to the perfect outfit - you can find something to fit with just about any ensemble - and the great thing about apps is that they don't disappear when the retail world decides to focus on the next holiday. I have selected my six favorite festive Halloween Apps to review for those who might be in the market for some extra Halloween spirit.
Zombie Me! by Portegno Apps: You can't go five feet in this day and age without there being zombies! This application allows you to take a picture or use a picture from your library and zombify it. There is a selection of facial features and body parts which can be re-sized, angled and tinted to match your picture, and with a little creative editing, you can make a very "realistic" looking zombie. This application is a ton of fun at parties, because you can snap a picture of your friends and then show them their zombie-self a few minutes later. You can even upload your zombie mug to Facebook for a laugh. Witness what I did to my cat.
Whack-O-Lantern by Decode Entertainment: In this Whack-a-mole style game, Halloween-themed characters peek up from behind curtains, gravestones and other hiding places in a spooky scene. The goal is to tap your main target, Percival Pumpkinhead, as many times as possible when he appears. You can also achieve a bonus from tapping a mustachioed skeleton named Boneski, but tapping a little grinning green guy called Zombish McBrain will cause you to lose points. The game features cute, clean cartoonish graphics and an excellent Elfman-esque backtrack that will put you in the mood to watch some Tim Burton films.
Thu Sep 24, 2009 — by Matthew Weinberger
ComicMix Quick Picks (in Six) for September 24, 2009
There was a lot going on today, so let's see if we can get these Quick Picks done in ComicMix Six words or less.
- A lawyer explains the Kirby lawsuit.
- Heroes ratings nosedive, its worst ever.
- Peanuts lookalike kids can win big.
- Daredevil movie reboot coming, no Affleck.
- Whedon confirms Buffy: Season 9 comic.
- Ghost Rider 2 wheelie-ing into theatres.
- Obama cover fad jumps the shark.
What was missed? Comments are open.
Wed Aug 5, 2009 — by Marc Alan Fishman
ComicMix Six: Every Panel You've Ever Visited At A Convention!
With the Chicago Comic-Con and WorldCon both around the bend, you may be tempted to waste your days away at the panels off the main floor. But I say, gentle geeks... NAY! Why waste your precious con time in stuffy rooms with stale ice water and tons of other mouth-breeders, when you can peruse the artist alley (where local, hip and trendy comic creators like to be... ahem...), grab schwag at the big booths (or not if YOUR local con has no big booths this year... epic fail...) or spend all of your inheritance on the dealer floor!
But Marc, you plead, I'm tired! I want to make my voice heard! I need to learn hot new tips and skills on how to make my portfolio Marvel worthy! Well, I said it once, and yes... I say it again: NAY. Why, you ask? Because ALL panels at comic conventions break down into one of these top 6 over-done panels:
1. “Mondo-Nation-Neighborhood-Universal-Pow-Wow”
Yup, this is the stalwart gotta-go-to panel they hype and hype and hype. Hey! Do you want HOT, never-seen-before, uber-rare, special sneak previews of all the things to come?! Well cart your XXL self on down to Hall H for a sensational panel that's sure to knock your sock and sandals combo clear off! Drooling yet? Well, sop it up, fanboy. Thanks to the interwebs, all you're gonna get is a rehash of the solicits you read about months ago on ComicMix, IGN, Newsarama, Comic Book Resources, CSN, or a hundred other places. And those special sneak peaks you're just vibrating to see? Yup... posted on the artist's message boards about the same time you were reading those months-old solicits! And you were counting on some tantalizing rumors about all your favorite characters? Well Bucko, are you in for a treat! Turns out the big boys can't tell you anything you can't (and most likely DID) read in Wizard itself, last month. Sounds fun? Sounds to me like 2 hours of time you could have spent waiting in line to get that Red Hulk Sketch Holofoil Variant Cover 17B signed, kiddo.
Continue reading ComicMix Six: Every Panel You've Ever Visited At A Convention! ›
Fri Jul 17, 2009 — by Matthew Weinberger
ComicMix Six: Comic Book Folks to #FollowFriday on Twitter
It's #followfriday on Twitter, and these are some of the comics folks you should be following if you aren't already doing so...
- Warren Ellis – If you’ve ever read anything by him, especially The Authority, Planetary, or Transmetropolitan, it probably won’t surprise you
to learn how angry he can get on his Twitter. What will surprise you—and
probably make you laugh--is how flowery his language can get when he’s on a
tirade. Oh, and he also has a lot of really interesting links to share and
interesting insights on the medium to discuss. Besides, who else do you know
that’ll greet you every morning with “Good morning, sinners?” http://www.twitter.com/WarrenEllis
- Ben Templesmith – Possibly the handsomest man in comics, Ben
Templesmith is the Australian-born artist behind Fell (with Warren Ellis) and
several Steve Niles projects, most famously 30 Days Of Night. His Twitter feed
is chock-full of goodies, including insights as to the life of a professional
artist, many interesting links, and a healthy dose of political opinion, if
that’s your thing. He’s still one of the friendliest folks around, too—almost
seven thousand followers, and he’ll often still take the time to answer a quick
question from you here and there. http://www.twitter.com/Templesmith
- Bryan Lee O’Malley – The mastermind behind the Scott Pilgrim
series hates just about everything on the Internet and doesn’t mind saying so.
That said, following him is really the best way to get news about the upcoming
Edgar Wright-helmed movie adaptation. Basically, if BLO doesn’t say it, it’s
not official—regardless of what Matt Fraction (www.twitter.com/MattFraction)
might suggest. http://www.twitter.com/Radiomaru
- Brian Michael Bendis – His Twitter feed might be the only
thing the New Avengers scribe has written in the last five years that didn’t
somehow involve Luke Cage or Spider-Woman. What it does include is Bendis’s
take on just about everything going on in the comic book world, along with
reposted links to just about everything Bendis-related going on in the world.
As an added bonus, you’ll get a new appreciation for comic book editors once
you see how bad his grammar and punctuation is. http://www.twitter.com/BRIANMBENDIS
- Gail Simone -- If Twitter gave out a prize for “crazy
mysterious,” this Wonder Woman writer would surely win it several times over.
Until recently, apart from the occasional fake flamewar with Mark Waid (http://www.twitter.com/MarkWaid),
she mostly appeared, gave an assignment—for example, “TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT: Fictional convention panels that SHOULD
exist, but never, EVER EVER EVER will” or
“Today's Assignment: Tweets as sent by participants during epic comic
stories. What did they twitter to friends as it all went down?" —and then vanish
again until the next time. Now, she tweets more regularly, if only to tease Geoff
Johns about Blackest Night. http://www.twitter.com/GailSimone
- ComicMix -- Okay, seriously, if you’re not reading our Twitter feed, what the heck are you waiting for? http://www.twitter.com/ComicMix
Fri Jun 12, 2009 — by Marc Alan Fishman
ComicMix Six: Sucktastic Super Powers!
So, you want to be a superhero? Not a problem. Oh... you're not a billionaire orphan with years to dedicate to the martial arts? Don't fret! I'm sure you can play in a lake of toxic ooze, or get bit by a genetically unstable super-wombat, right? Well... even if you don't have powers, don't feel bad. Cause there are some folks out there in comic-book-land that would have been better off as bartenders or stock-boys than crime-fighters or super-heroes. Don't believe me? Well kind citizen, scope this list of lameoids out, and see sometimes it's no so bad being normal after all*.
Night Man – Johnny Domino was just your run-of-the-mill jazz musician with those totally hip round sunglasses (Superboy anyone?) and that always fashionable accessory... the dangely cross earring in one ear! Too cool for school you say? Well, without warning, an alien bolt of lightening hit a cable car, which in turn hit Johnny's convertible, and a piece of shrapnel wound up in his head. Talk about a crappy Monday! Well, lucky for Domino, the shrapnel caused him to gain super human abilities! These powers combined with a kevlar vest and a grappling gun allowed Domino to take to the night and don a name shared by his underpaid jelly doughnut eating brothers-in-arms! Johnny Domino is the man who need not sleep... He is the man who can sorta hear your dirty thoughts... He's the man who doesn't need night vision goggles to see in the night. Johnny Domino is Night Man!
Mr. Brownstone – That's right kiddos... Not everyone gets a superpower and decides to become a hero. Sometimes they decide to become a minor villain! Garrison Klum was born one of those despicable mutants you've heard of. When puberty hit, did Klum gain eye lasers capable of destroying mountains? No. Did he gain a flexible metallic shell allowing him to become invulnerable and superhumanly strong? Nuh-uh. Did he gain the power to teleport? Yes! But... not himself mind you. Garrison only gained the mutant ability to teleport small amounts of liquid! Now, give the guy some credit... he renamed himself after a slang term for heroin, and teleported a few ounces of the good stuff right into Spider-man's heart! Sure he ended dying from his own teleporting brother literally teleporting inside him and exploding out of him (ew.)... But give him credit. The world gave him a lemon of a power, and hey, he made lemonade.
