‘Justice League’: Film Review
Posted: November 15, 2017 Filed under: Cinema, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Justice League, Superhero, Superman Leave a commentWonder Woman bails out a battle-fatigued Batman and Superman in Warner Bros.’ latest DC Comics-derived extravaganza.
Todd McCarthy writes: The increasingly turgid tales of Batman and Superman — joined, unfortunately for her, by Wonder Woman — trudge along to ever-diminishing returns in Justice League. Garishly unattractive to look at and lacking the spirit that made Wonder Woman, which came out five months ago, the most engaging of Warner Bros.’ DC Comics-derived extravaganzas to date, this hodgepodge throws a bunch of superheroes into a mix that neither congeals nor particularly makes you want to see more of them in future. Plainly put, it’s simply not fun. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice grossed $872.7 million worldwide last year, apparently about enough to justify its existence, and the significant presence of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in this one might boost its returns a bit higher than that.
Fatigue, repetition and a laborious approach to exposition are the keynotes of this affair, which is also notable for how Ben Affleck, donning the bat suit for the second time, looks like he’d rather be almost anywhere else but here; his eyes and body language make it clear that he’s just not into it. For his part, Henry Cavill’s Superman, left for dead and buried in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (we see the grave of Clark Joseph Kent more than once), isn’t resurrected until the second half, and it takes considerably more time for him to snap into action.
That leaves things mostly in the capable hands of Wonder Woman, who’s just as kick-ass as she was this summer but in a less imaginative, one-note way. The good news is that Jesse Eisenberg’s embarrassingly misguided Lex Luthor from the previous outing is nowhere to be seen.
So what are we left with here? With all the characters that need to be introduced, the virtually humor-free script by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon (who was brought on to complete directing duties after Zack Snyder had to leave for family reasons) less resembles deft narrative scene-setting than it does the work of a bored casino dealer rotely distributing cards around a table. Everyone is very downcast in the wake of Superman’s unimaginable fate and there’s naturally a new villain threatening to bring the world to an end, a big meanie named Steppenwolf (voiced by Ciaran Hinds). So Bruce Wayne, with Diana Prince’s assistance, must put together a new team to save the world yet again. Read the rest of this entry »
Marvel Comics: That Time When Captain America Face to Face With Hitler
Posted: January 22, 2017 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: America, Captain America, Comic Books, Comics, Hitler, Illustration, Marvel Comics, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentSuperman Model Sheets, by Curt Swan
Posted: November 22, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Comic Books, design, Illustration, Model Sheets, Superhero, Superman, vintage Leave a commentWhy is My Spidey Sense Tingling?
Posted: October 27, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Comic book, Illustration, Spiderman, Superhero Leave a commentCumbria, England: A Guy Wearing a Batman Suit Chases Some Guys Wearing Clown Suits
Posted: October 14, 2016 Filed under: Comics, Crime & Corruption, Mediasphere | Tags: Batman, BBC, Clowns, Comic Books, Evil Clowns, Facebook, Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick, killer Clowns, London, Royal Leamington Spa, Superhero Leave a commentA “killer clown” craze is sweeping Britain, with police warning people against dressing as clowns in order to intimidate or harm people.
Now, the craze has taken a change for the strange in Cumbria, where a man is dressing as Batman and vowing to chase down the creepy clowns.
A photograph has been shared on Facebook of “Batman” seemingly chasing off a “killer clown”.
BBC Cumbria reported local company Cumbria Superheroes is behind the effort to rid the streets of clowns.
They have reassured that the costumed man is not a vigilante, but just trying to reassure local children who are scared of the “killer clowns”.
BBC Cumbria also shared a screenshot of an image, apparently from a local child, who was reassured after hearing “Batman” caught the clown. Read the rest of this entry »
Steve Ditko Page: ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #29
Posted: August 13, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: DC Comics, design, Illustration, Lettering, Original Art, Spider-Man, Steve Ditko, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentDaredevil #53
Posted: April 2, 2016 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment | Tags: daredevil, Illustration, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentSure, Superman Has X-Ray Vision. But How Would It Actually Work?
Posted: March 23, 2016 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment, Science & Technology | Tags: Absorption spectroscopy, Albert Einstein, American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Aristotle, Black Hole, Color, Comic Books, Gravitational wave, Light, LIGO, Superhero, Superman, Visible spectrum Leave a commentRhett Allain writes: There is a reason Superman is called “super”. He has super-strength and super-speed. He flies, and he is mostly indestructible. He can shoot laser-like things from his eyes. Finally, he has some type of X-ray vision. Although comic book scholars have debated Superman’s vision before, let’s consider how it could work.
How Do Mere Mortals See?
There is one important aspect of human vision. In order to see an object, light has to go from that object to the eye (light in the visible spectrum). The light from that object can be either reflected light or the object can emit its own light. But either way, the direction of this light is from the object to the eye. This is important.
The eye is only a receiver of light—there isn’t some type of “vision ray” that shoots from the eye. I only point this out because it’s actually an idea that some people have about light. Ask yourself this question:
You are in an absolutely dark room (with zero light sources) for some extended period of time. What do you see after a while?
The answer is that you will see black and nothing but black. Black is the color our brains associate with the lack of light. However, many people will give an answer that you will some some stuff after your eyes adjust.
[Read the full story here, at WIRED]
Perhaps their answer is based on their previous experiences (you rarely get an absolutely dark room) but also on their idea that the eyes do the seeing and can adjust to new situations.
What About X-Ray Vision?
We can make X-ray images. That’s not science fiction. Here’s how it works. If you take high speed electrons and shoot them at a metal surfaces, you can produce X-rays. X-rays are just like visible light except they have a much shorter wavelength (but they are still electromagnetic waves). But since X-rays have a different wavelength (and frequency) they interact with matter differently than visible light. This means that some materials (like human flesh) are partially transparent. You can use this to create an X-ray image by shining X-rays through a human and putting an X-ray detector on the other side. The X-rays don’t pass through bones as much as flesh, so you can get an image.
So, how could this work with Superman’s vision? If his eyes could detect X-rays like humans detect visible light, he would still need an X-ray source. Read the rest of this entry »
CATWOMAN by Bruce Timm
Posted: November 21, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Bruce Timm, Cartoon, Catwoman, Comic Panel, Comics, Superhero Leave a commentWonder Woman #34, 1949
Posted: November 8, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: 1940s, Adventure, Cartoon, Comic Books, design, H. G. Peter, Illustration, Robert Kanigher, Superhero, Wonder Woman Leave a comment—Wonder Woman #34 (1949) by Robert Kanigher & H.G. Peter
Historical Proof: Yes, Even Superman Can Be Replaced by a Robot
Posted: November 4, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Entertainment, Robotics | Tags: Illustration, Robots, Sci-fi, Science fiction, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentOrange County, California: Man Dressed As Batman Accused Of Committing Crime Spree
Posted: October 27, 2015 Filed under: Comics, Crime & Corruption, Mediasphere, U.S. News | Tags: Batman, Batman Costume, Berkeley Police Department, Orange County, Orange County sheriff, Superhero, The Dark Knight, Westminster Police Department Leave a commentThe masked man tried to evade police by hiding in plain sight at a pool in his boxers, without taking off his Batman costume, police said.
WESTMINSTER (CBSLA.com) — A man who dressed as Batman is behind bars after committing a crime spree in Orange County on Monday, according to police.
The suspect, believed to be in his 20s, robbed a victim of jewelry about 8:30 a.m. at Bolsa Avenue and Ward Street in Garden Grove, said Officer Rachel Archambault of the Westminster Police Department.
[Read the full story here, at CBS Los Angeles]
About 20 minutes later and two miles away near Bolsa Avenue and Purdy Street in Westminster, the masked man targeted a second victim at gunpoint, Archambault said.
Phouc Lee said the bandit demanded money when he fought him off.
“I was trying to chase the suspect down. The officer is right there. I tried to wave him down,” Lee said. He chased the masked man into an apartment complex, which was surrounded by officers from Westminster, Fountain Valley and Garden Grove. Read the rest of this entry »
Question: It Came From Where?
Posted: October 22, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Action Comics, Comic book, DC Comics, Illustration, Krypton, Superhero, Superman, vintage Leave a commentCaptain America’s Bicentennial Battles, 1976
Posted: July 4, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: 1970s, Bicentennial, Captain America, Comic book, Marvel, Superhero Leave a comment[VIDEO] AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: Official International Trailer #1 2015 [HD]
Posted: May 24, 2015 Filed under: Asia, China, Entertainment | Tags: Avengers Age o Ultron, Cinema, Disney, Marvel Entertainment, Movies, Superhero, video Leave a commentStephanopoulos: It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane!
Posted: May 19, 2015 Filed under: Comics, Humor, Mediasphere, White House | Tags: Clark Kent, Clinton Foundation, George Stephanopoulos, Media bias, NRO, satire, Superhero, Superman, The Pantsuit Report Leave a comment
Accurate. http://t.co/IDm9EjyPjr pic.twitter.com/qsNxKLYhJ2
— National Review (@NRO) May 19, 2015
Original Cover Art by Brian Bolland from Superman Annual #12, Published by DC Comics, 1986
Posted: May 5, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Brian Bolland, Comic Books, DC Comics, design, drawing, Illustration, Superhero, Superman, vintage Leave a commentOriginal cover art by Brian Bolland from Superman Annual #12, published by DC Comics, 1986.
[PHOTO] Yvonne Craig as Batgirl, 1960s
Posted: April 9, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: 1960s, Batgirl, Batman, Comic Books, Costume, fashion, Glamour, Superhero, TV, Yvonne Craig 1 CommentL. B. Cole: Suspense Comics #10, Winter 1945
Posted: March 2, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Blue Bolt, Comic book, Comic book creator, Cover version, design, Illustration, L. B. Cole, Novelty Press, Superhero, typography, vintage Leave a commentClassic cover by L. B. Cole from Suspense Comics #10, published by Continental Magazines, Winter 1945.
Mild-Mannered Software Engineer by Day, Passionate Cartoonist by Night: From the Streets of NY, Meet the Sikh Captain America
Posted: January 22, 2015 Filed under: Entertainment, Global, Mediasphere, Religion | Tags: Alabama, American Bible Society, Captain America, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Marvel Comics, New York City, NYC, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Rose Parade, Sikh, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Superhero, United States Leave a commentMost office workers stick to wearing a shirt and trousers. So why has a Sikh man in his 40s been talking to strangers in New York while dressed as Captain America?
“I want to challenge people’s perceptions, I want them to have a mind freak when they see me.”
So says Vishavjit Singh, a mild-mannered software engineer by day and passionate cartoonist by night.
“When I first put on the suit, it was one of the most amazing days of my life. It was like a switch had been flicked. Strangers were embracing me, cops were asking me for photos, I was being dragged into weddings.”
The 43-year-old’s fellow Americans have not always been so welcoming. A devout Sikh, complete with traditional turban and flowing beard, Vishavjit – or Vish as he is known – has always attracted attention.
“I’m still seen by many as the ‘ultimate other’ in American society -a radical Muslim. Harassment goes up and down depending on the news,” he says.

Vishavjit Singh out of costume
He turned to his hobby of drawing as an outlet, creating cartoons depicting what life in America was like for Sikhs – focusing on the patriotism he felt for the country he was born in and the pride for the religion he belonged to.
“I realised I had to draw something fresh and the new Captain America film gave me an idea. How about a superhero who has a beard and a turban and fights intolerance?”
A local comic book convention provided the perfect opportunity for him to get his work noticed and it was there that he met a photographer who suggested he bring the character to life – by dressing up as Captain America himself.

Signh is frequently stopped for photographs
“My first response was, ‘no way’. I’d never worn a costume and I’m a skinny guy who’s been kind of teased and bullied all my life,” he says.
Then things changed. In August 2012, six people were killed after a US Army veteran with ties to white supremacist groups opened fire on worshipers at a gurdwara in Wisconsin while preparations for a service were under way.
[The film, ‘Red, White and Beard‘ is now available to watch online.]
The incident forced Singh to once again reassess the way minorities like himself were being perceived in America. His cartoons were a way of tackling the stigma faced by Sikhs, but the self-confessed introvert felt he still had to do more.
“I was trying out the uniform at home for the first time, stuffing sports pads in to make myself look bigger and trying to work out a plan.”
It was then that he remembered his earlier conversation at the comic convention. He swiftly ordered a bespoke Captain America suit tailored to fit his slender 5’9″, 130 pound (58kg) frame.
“My wife came over to me and said, ‘just be yourself’.”

Singh travelled the streets of New York dressed as Captain America
Singh began visiting college campuses and youth retreats dressed in character – complete with Captain America’s trademark shield and an ‘A’ on his turban – giving talks about social identity and life as a Sikh.
“We put people in brackets of Muslims, Jews, right wing, left wing. I want to force people to get out of those labels, out of those boxes and to start a conversation.”
It was at one of these talks that he met three filmmakers – Ryan Westra, Ben Fischinger and Matthew Rogers – then students, who were intrigued by the message Vish had come to deliver.
Read the rest of this entry »
Spy Ring Captured: Captain America a Powerful Force Against Spies and Saboteurs!
Posted: January 18, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Amazing Adventures, American comic book, Captain America, Comics, design, Illustration, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Lettering, Marvel Comics, Marvel Mystery Comics, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentCAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 (March 1941)
By Jack Kirby & Joe Simon
‘Captain America’ by John Romita, 1974
Posted: January 17, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Comics, graphics, Illustration, John Romita, Marvel Comics, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentJohn Romita (1974)
Downtime at Avengers’ Mansion
Posted: December 29, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Illustration, Iron Man, Marvel Comics, Superhero, The Avengers, The Hulk, vintage Leave a commentCaptain Marvel by C.C. Beck
Posted: December 27, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: C. C. Beck, Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Captain Marvel. C.C. Beck, Comic Books, design, Illustration, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentCOMIC BOOK CLOSE UP
Captain Marvel by C.C. Beck
Shazam #1 (Feb. 1973)
‘We Must Overcome These Villains or Our Earth Will Be Threatened’
Posted: December 21, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Global | Tags: Action Comics, Batman, Comic Books, DC Comics, design, Edmond Hamilton, graphics, Illustration, Lettering, Sheldon Moldoff, Superhero, Superman, urt Swan, Villain, World's Finest Comics, WORLD’S FINEST #148 Leave a commentWORLD’S FINEST #148 (March 1965)
Art by Curt Swan & Sheldon Moldoff
Words by Edmond Hamilton
‘Wonder Woman’ Brochure, 1944
Posted: December 10, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Comic strip, Superhero, vintage, Wonder Woman 1 CommentWonder Woman Newspaper Comic Strip Brochure, 1944
Toys for Tots Poster by Jack Kirby
Posted: December 3, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Christmas, Comic Books, Illustration, Inking, Jack Kirby, Lettering, Poster Art, Superhero, Toys for Tots, U.S. Marine Corps, vintage 1 CommentToys for Tots Poster by Jack Kirby
Vintage Iron Man
Posted: November 20, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Comic Books, Iron Man, Marvel Comics, Superhero, Tony Stark, vintage Leave a commentComic Panel: Captain America ‘Tales of Suspense’ #92 August 1967
Posted: November 16, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Captain America, design, Illustration, Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Superhero, Tales of Suspense, typography 1 CommentTALES OF SUSPENSE #92 (August 1967)
Jack Kirby (pencils) & Joe Sinnott (inks)
Words by Stan Lee
Comic Panel: Captain America
Posted: November 13, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Captain America, Comic Books, design, Illustration, Marvel Comics, Superhero, typography 1 Commentバットマン Jiro Kuwata: ‘Batman’
Posted: November 4, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Japan, Mediasphere | Tags: Batman, DC Comics, design, Illustration, Manga, Superhero, typography, vintage 1 CommentComic Panel: ‘Suddenly, Tony Stark…’
Posted: November 1, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Avengers, Comic Books, design, graphics, Illustration, Iron Man, Lettering, Marvel, Superhero, Tony Stark, typography 1 Comment
Marvel Announces New Wave of Superhero Movies
Posted: October 28, 2014 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Adventure, Iron Man, Marvel, Movies, Superhero, The Avengers, The Black Panther, The Hulk, Variety 1 Comment[Chart] Richest Superheroes Ranked
Posted: May 15, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Economics, Entertainment, Humor | Tags: Batman, Black Panther, Buddy, Green Arrow, Iron Man, Lex Luthor, Net worth, Superhero 4 CommentsThere are many ways to measure a superhero’s worth. Numbers of babies saved is a pretty solid one. And then there’s the literal way of measuring a superhero’s net worth.
Buddy Loans created a chart that itemizes the wealthiest superheroes and villains. Because who cares about stopping that comet hurdling towards earth if your stock portfolio isn’t impressive?

Vintage Comic-Book Panel of the Day
Posted: February 19, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Art, Comics, design, graphics, Paperback, Superhero, typography 1 CommentThis Caterpillar Might Just Be Iron Man’s Twin Brother
Posted: November 1, 2013 Filed under: Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Animation, Arts, Disney, Imgur, Iron Man, Superhero, Thor, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Leave a comment
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Iron Man might want to watch his back. He could have some stark competition in this caterpillar, discovered by Imgur user Steamdino (read more below).