For Memorial Day

Remembering those who gave it all for our country this Memorial Day, with this Sgt. Rock cover to Our Army At War #297 (October, 1976) by Joe Kubert, where Sgt. Rock shows in no uncertain terms the sacrifice our soldiers have had to make for our freedoms.

Covering Perez X-Men

Of the many titles George Perez worked on for both Marvel and DC, sadly, X-Men was not one he did any work on regularly.

The only two covers George did during the regular run were of X-Men #112 (August, 1978), inked by Bob Layton, and X-Men #128 (December, 1979), inked by Terry Austin.

Still, two pretty good ones!

Of course, Marvel did adapt one of George's portfolio pieces for the cover of Age Of X-Man Alpha (March, 2019), as an incentive variant (the original sketch was based on Marvel Team-Up Annual #1....).

While it was Frank Miller and Terry Austin who did the cover of X-Men Annual #3 (August, 1979), there is some of the all too rare Perez X-Men interior art (covered by Between the Pages blog, here!).

Happy Birthday Zatanna And Gardner Fox

According to the DC Calendar, today is the birthday of that mistress of magic, Zatanna...as well as the birthday of her creator, author Gardner Fox.  

That little bit of magic says what better time to look back at the saga that introduced Zatanna...the search for Zatara, her father!

Hawkman and Detective Comics

It all started in Hawkman #4 (October-November, 1964) by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, as Hawkman met Zatanna, and Hawkgirl met Zatanna....and the Hawks had to bring these two together (Zatanna had accidentally split herself in two using her magic to try to find her father).  Later, in Gotham City, Batman and Robin fought a witch in Detective Comics #336 (February, 1965) by Gardner Fox, Sheldon Moldoff and Joe Giella, who was manipulated into fighting the dynamic duo by the Outsider...but, what does this have to do with Zatanna?

Atom and Green Lantern

With her first cover appearance in Atom #19 (June-July, 1965) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, Zatanna recruits the Atom for help in reaching the subatomic world of Catamoore, where she thinks she can find her father.  When the duo arrive there, they battle an old foe of Zatara's, the Druid, who claims to have stolen Zatara's magic and banish him.  They defeat the Druid, but, Zatanna must continue her quest.  Green Lantern helps out next, in Green Lantern #42 (January, 1966) by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Sid Greene, where Hal gets a magical power boost to his ring from Zatanna, ends up in another magical dimension (Ys), where Zatara had been sent by the Druid.  There, Green Lantern and Zatanna face the Warlock, but find Zatara had already left with the Warlock of Ys' crystal ball.

Detective Comics and Justice League Of America

Stretching things a bit, Zatanna gets help from the Elongated Man in Detective Comics #355 (September, 1966) by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino, where Ralph helps her find the book of I-Ching, which will help Zatanna find her father in the dark realms.  Zatanna finally finds her father in Justice League Of America #51 (February, 1967) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Sid Greene, and defeats Allura (an evil elemental who caused the problem) with the help of magical duplicates of the heroes who helped her before (revealing she was the witch who bedeviled the Batman), but is nice enough to gather the real heroes to thank them for their help!

Zatanna's origins

After all that adventure, a look back at the origins of Zatanna and her father, Zatanna, including how John Zatara first learned his backward magic, and how Zatanna discovered her father was missing in a special tale originally from DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #5 (November-December, 1980) by Gerry Conway, Romeo Tanghal and Vince Colletta, rounds out the collection of JLA: Zatanna's Search (2004), which has a cover by Brian Bolland.

Now, if DC would just collect these stories again, perhaps adding Zatanna's back ups from Adventure Comics, Lois Lane, Supergirl and the Zatanna Special....it would be magic!

Image's Big Bang Comics

When Image Comics hit the scene 30 years ago, it created a revolution in comics, with highly stylized art by big names and flamboyant characters...but, where would that leave the old style of comics from the Golden, Silver and Bronze Ages?

Well, enter...Big Bang Comics!

For 35 issues (and a few specials) from May, 1996 to January, 2001, Big Bang Comics brought back the old school comics, with characters that looked familiar (Ultiman, the Knight Watchman, Kid Gallahad, Thunder Girl, the Blitz, the Whiz Kids and more), giving people new stories in older styles, while including modern Image heroes like Savage Dragon and Mighty Man!

the 1940s

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the 1950s

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the 1960s

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the 1970s

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the 1980s

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Specials

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Big Bang Comics was a fun little exercise in "new nostalgia", giving readers old style comics with new characters...

...and survives now, as its own company, Big Bang Comics, with print on demand comics, which you can find here (highly recommended!).

Now, for more of what Image was usually known for, take a look at these columns by my fellow Super Blog Team-Up contributors:

Between The Pages Blog

Killer Walking Dead Cakes

Asterisk 51

Better Late Than Never: Spawn #1

Comics, Comics, Blog: 

Image Comics: Remembering my early days

Superhero Satellite Podcast Episode 3:

Image Comics Road To Revolution

In My Not So Humble Opinion:

Astro City: That Was Then…

Jesse Starcher - Source Material -

Darker Image!!! - 

Chris is on Infinite Earths

Cable Eats a Bagel: the de-imagification of Nathan Dayspring Askani’Son Summers

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Holy Friday The 13th Batman!

Long before Jason went to camp, the Joker was causing mayhem on Friday the Thirteenth, but here, he seems to be giving Batman and Robin all the laughs, on this Batman #40 (April-May, 1947) cover by Jack Burnley and Charles Paris. 

Quite an unlucky time for the clown prince of crime, by walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror and crossing the path of a black cat!

Covering Perez Flash

Continuing our look back at covers by George Perez, this time, with issues of the world's fastest man....the Flash!

Starting with Flash #293 (January, 1981) where George even drew half the issue (teaming up with Firestorm to face the Atomic Skull), as it was his only Flash cover, and adding the iconic image from Crisis On Infinite Earths #8....well, just because!

Well, that was George's only pre-Crisis Flash cover, as he covered Flash (Wally, instead of Barry) for a few issues early in his run.

Flash #15 and #16

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Flash #17 and Annual #2 (inked over Mike Collins' pencils)

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Flash was also featured on covers of the Justice League of America and New Teen Titans as well....

Sadly, between the time this article was written, George Perez passed away (June 9, 1954 to May 6, 2022).  The lost to the comic book community is great, and here are a few links to other articles here on George's work, including Logan's Run, Green Lantern, Justice League of America, New Teen Titans, some on his birthday, and more to come, to keep George's legacy alive.

Covering Perez Green Lantern

Taking a look back at the career of artist George Perez.

This time, a focus on covers he drew for Green Lantern over the years, starting in 1980!

Green Lantern 132 and 141 (September, 1980 and 1981)

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Green Lantern 142 and 143 (June and August, 1981)

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Green Lantern 144 and 145 (1981, almost!)

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Action Comics Weekly 602 and Green Lantern Plus 1 (inked over Scott Kolins)

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 Green Lantern Corps 59 and Green Lantern 65 (2011, Variants)

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Planet Of The Apes Green Lantern 1 and 2 (2017, Variants)

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Green Lantern Emerald Warrior 9 (June, 2011)

These, among the many covers of Justice League of America and Brave and the Bold, are just a few of the places where fans have been able to delight on Perez's version of Green Lantern!