Celebrating Detective Comics #1000-Batman Through the Years

Last year when Action Comics #1000 came out, I had a huge tribute article that day. I loved Superman and wanted that article to be as big as it could be, and I listed my favorite Superman stories. Then like a dope I did Batman’s a few months later. So today, March 27,2019 when the landmark 1000th issue of Detective Comics comes out for Batman’s 80th…I got nothing. This wont even get posted on the right date

 

This doesn’t mean that I don’t respect Batman, but I think it’s also well documented that I liked Superman more. My favorite thing about Batman was the detective stuff and that has kinda been downplayed over the years.

But I feel like I need to do something to acknowledge this event, so here is a look at the many versions of Batman over the years via the covers of Detective Comics starting with the very first issue from 1939!!











Actually I tell a lie, this is the cover of Detective #27, the first appearance of Batman ever. I just can’t believe this cover is 80 YEARS OLD! You can tell Bob Kane and (yes) Bill Finger already had the character down pretty good even from this start.

Top 10 Favorite “The Simpsons” Celebrity Cameo’s

The end of this year will mark a very impressive anniversary. It was thirty years ago that The Simpsons spun off from The Tracy Ulman Show and became it’s own series. Yeah, amazing isn’t that this was originally a bunch of filler shorts?? Anyway it became it’s own show… And I avoided it entirely in 1989. Why? Because as hard as it may be to believe, The Simpsons was controversial in its day. Yeah I was around then and find that baffling. I guess Bart was a poor role model or something. It would take a few more years for people to start accepting not EVERY show had to be wholesome and educational, leading the way for Family Guy, South Park, and many others. The Simpsons truly was a game changer, as much  as I hate that overused expression it really applies here. But I covered the shows that were inspired by this one in another article. I don’t remember when I first tuned in, but it wasn’t right away. One reason was the "controversy".  The other reason I didn’t watch was also the small fact that the show originally aired opposite The Cosby Show and nothing was going to make me not watch that!

But the show was a smash and was soon EVERYWHERE. In fact the Simpsons even presented on the Emmy Awards one year! I did finally watch re-runs when I was in college, and found the show could be really good. I was never a die hard fan but I certainly had no problem with the series. I tune in occasionally, especially if there is a stunt going on like the Family Guy crossover (yes I know that was  a Family Guy episode). It’s also a Halloween standard at this point, who doesn’t watch as many of those “Treehouse of Horror” episodes they can? And of course the amazing thing is that, for some reason, IT’S STILL ON!! I mean, what the hell? Who is still watching these?? In fact it’s gonna plow right through its 30th season and start setting records to the longest scripted television series…..ever! That’s crazy!

So it seemed only fitting to discuss this show since whether you love it o hate you can’t deny it’s a major part of pop culture. It’s hard to believe there was a time when this show didn’t exist. So since I talked about the Halloween stuff to death, what other area could I cover? And that was an easy choice. One of the many cool things about the show are all the celebrities who have done cameo’s on it. So here are my ten favorite. And I am only counting when the actors played themselves, actors playing an actual character is another list my friends (one I am sure I will get to).

#10.Betty White
If you’re going to be angry and hate celebrities, you may not want to approach the sweetest and kindest celebrity ever!

Random Thoughts-The New Lex Luthor (no spoilers)

So I talked about the new Superman when he showed up on Supergirl, it was only fair to discuss this week’s newest casting. Yes my friends we have  a new Lex Luthor. Let's go over his appearance this past Sunday Supergirl, without any spoilers and real quick.

 

Not gonna lie, I was not excited about it. I have never been much of a Jon Cryer fan. The only thing’s I’ve really seen him in were Superman IV and Two and a Half Men. Course he was ridiculous in Superman IV and while he was ok in “Men” he was kind of a tool. Add to that the ghost of the last new Luthor, Eisenberg who trashed the character, I had my concerns.

What did I think?

I was very, and happily, surprised! So again with no spoilers, Cryer really did a fantastic job. He’s a much better actor than you would realize after that lame sitcom he got stuck on. This was a Lex that had everything. He had  a sense of humor and some humanity in him. But he was still smart as a whip and cunning. Luthor is always 2 steps ahead of everyone, except Superman, and that showed. He’s still got another two episodes so it’s hard to say for sure where he will rank on my list of actors who played Lex. He doesn’t beat Rosenbaum or Shea, or Hackman, but he is sure hell better than Eisenberg. Cryer seemed to really get Lex, and while I don’t think he physically fit the role 100% I think he nailed the rest of it. His scenes with Lena were superb. I was very impressed by the end of the episode, and that final scene was perfect it may be one of my favorite Arrowverse moments from any of the shows. Can’t spoil it so go watch it!!! It’s a shame these DC TV writers don”t write the movies, why couldn’t we have had this Lex in Batman V Superman rather than the Joker wannabe we ended up with?


I also loved the nod to the old comics, especially the plot point of Luthor having cancer by kryptonite exposure which was a real thing once. By the way I haven’t been thrilled with this season on Supergirl, but this episode as a whole was pretty damn good. Wonder what next week will bring?


So that’s it. my initial reaction to seeing the new Luthor. What did you guys think? Comment and let me know.

Five Amazing Yet Cliched Movie Scenes

Movie cliche’s are a dime a dozen. The bad thing is when a movie either uses them incorrectly, or just too often. But here’s the thing, you could argue that cliche’s aren’t always a bad thing. Just because a scene is kind of cliched doesn’t mean it’s bad. If done well, a scene full of cliche’s can still be a powerful and effective moment. This is what good directors and actors can do.

Here are five examples what I mean



Jurassic Park
Well of course young Lex is smart enough to hack into the computer so that she can get the doors locked. What child can’t do that? I mean they established it in a whole line of dialogue! As silly as that is, it was a great scene when I first saw it because of the suspense, one of my favorites in the movie. I never even noticed the idiocy of Tim just standing there banging on the chair rather than easily getting the gun for Satler

Underrated Trek:Civil Defense (DS9)

Welcome back to Underrated Trek,where I take a special look at Star Trek episodes that I love…which may not be the most popular or even liked by most. Last time I looked at an episode about a natural disaster striking the Enterprise. But just because TNG did that doesn’t mean the other series can’t do something similar. What about a lock down on Deep Space Nine? This is….

 

This episode has some similarities to “Disaster”, but does that mean it’s as good an episode? Well….

 

Top 5 Favorite Superhero Secret Origins

 



So one more article looking at secret origins of super heroes. I did iconic origins and lame as hell one’s, what’s next? How about my five favorite origins? These are origins that may not be as memorable, or as awful, as some others but I just love the story so much. Even if they re-told a million times.



The only rule here is that they can’t be one I mentioned in the other two articles. Oh and it may be these stories have been replaced long ago and that’s all fine and good but these are the stories I always loved.




Big Barda

There a lot of bad ass female’s in the DCU but Barda does not get the respect she deserves as one of them. She was bred on Apokolips to serve Darkseid, and became a member of his Female Furies. But when she met and fell in love with Scott Free she helped him escape the hell of Darkseid and made a life on Earth. Scott Free was, of course, Mister Miracle. Not the most complex of stories, but still a good one.

Top 5 Lamest Superhero Secret Origins

So I did iconic origins it was only fair to discuss the lamer one’s. These are origins so stupid you have to wonder what the writer who came up with it was thinking. The difference with this list is that the origins were so silly that they didn’t last without adjustments to them, if they weren’t tossed entirely.








#5.Catwoman

Is Catwoman a hero? Eh, who cares. A lot of people took offense in the 80’s when Frank Miller retconned Catwoman’s backstory. In the new version she was a prostitute who learned self defense to protect herself. Harsh, but better than her original origin. She was a flight attendant who hit her head and had amnesia. The cat connection was so weak it was laughable. Yeah, she pretty much had the same backstory as King Tut from the old 60’s Batman show. Ouch.

Top 5 Best Superhero Secret Origins

When it comes to being a superhero, almost all of them have a great start. They have a story which is so memorable everyone knows it, even outside comics. If they’re lucky. Not all are as memorable, for instance I love Superman but let’s be honest he had a weak origin to start. We know Superman was rocketed from Krypton but details have been changed and added for decades. The original story provides little detail. Krypton changed several times, the details of how it exploded changed, the lack of survivors changed, the Kents weren’t even developed for years! Originally Kal El was found by a “passing motorist”. What happened in Smallville? How did Clark discover his powers? How/why did he go to Metropolis? All of this is missing in that original tale. Plus Superman didn’t get his powers through any special ways they’re native to his people if under a yellow sun. So for eighty year the origin has evolved and changed, but bares only a slight resemblance to the original story. This why there have been so many revised versions of the origin from everyone from Mort Weisinger to John Byrne to Geoff Johns.

 

Flash has the same problem. We know Barry Allen was doused with chemicals same time he was truck by lightning but..what was next? Others no one knows, like Aquaman’s or Wolverine’s (ok ok the movies helped this one). The coolest origins are the one’s which are almost iconic and never change, no matter how many times they’re told. If you go back to the original source material it’s basically the same story just maybe a detail or two added. Here the five best in my opinion:


#5.Green Lantern

I first came across this origin on an episode of “Superfriends” and over the years it never really changed. Abin Sur crashed his vehicle into Earth, and since he was dying he ordered his ring to find another who was honest and without fear. The ring picked Hal Jordan. Yes slight changes have been made over the yeas, I mention the Guy Gardner retcon before, and the reason why Sur crashed has changed a million times. But that scene of Hal finding the spacecraft and getting the ring has always remained the same.

Underrated Trek:Disaster (TNG)

Welcome back to Underrated Trek,where I take a special look at Star Trek episodes that I love…which may not be the most popular or even liked by most. Oh how I love me a good character episode. Today we ask the question, what would happen on the Enterprise if a natural disaster struck? Let’s find out in :

Yeah it’s basically a text book disaster movie in space. So then what makes it work? A few things actually.

Top 10 Favorite Sitcom Horn Dogs

There’s a strange cliche in sitcoms which really makes no sense. You have family friendly shows aimed for audiences including children. And yet will get characters who are always, well, horny! I don’t mean that they are interested dating or companionship, I mean that they simply want sex. And they want it all the time! These characters are often crass and rude…and we love them! Seriously every character on this list is a fan favorite from the various show’s. Why is that? Probably because these characters have a real zest for life and an energy that is infectious. And since it’s TV we don’t really believe they’ve have had as many dates as they claim they do. Either way, these are often the characters that are the most popular and loved.

Course not every show gets it right, like Kirk from “Dear John”. He was the typical sleazy character but sadly as hard as Jere Burns tried the character never really developed. There’s also Married..With Children’s Peg Bundy who I think was more starved for attention than she was horny. But most often shows will get it right and give us beloved characters who always had three little letters on their minds. Here are ten examples :






#10.Fonzie

You may be surprised I put him so high given his affection for the ladies. Not to mention their affection for him. I mean, who else can have women line up at the snap of their fingers? But Happy Days was on in a simpler time so any sex Fonz had was implied, at the most! But it was clear he loved the ladies so it was only fair to mention him here. Henry Winkler made this character an icon. And he did manage at least one serious relationship in the series. By the way Laverne from Laverne and Shirley could almost count here but just like Fonzie, it always implied.