The Fate of Fathers

For Father's Day this year, my sons both made me cards. Khristian, a comic book fan who knew what his dad liked, drew me a card that said "Spending Father's Day with my dad..." and on the inside was a crying Batman that said, "Something I can do that even Batman can't!" It made me smile and gave both of us a fun afternoon of figuring out what other heroes had a similar problem.

Did you ever stop to realize how many superheroes are fatherless? It seems like a requirement before you put on the spandex!

Here's what we're talking about:

Peter Parker 

Though the fate of his real father is kind of convoluted (spies? Maybe, maybe not), let's look at the man who raised him: Uncle Ben. Here was this kindly old man who gave us the single most famous line of advice in comic book history ("With great power..."), and how does he end up getting repaid? Shot dead by a burglar in the first issue! Of course, that's a better fate than being run down by a car like a stray dog as he was in "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark". Still, that single act changed the carefree direction Peter had taken with his powers and turned him into a superhero.

Tim Drake/Robin 2

This Robin (later Red Robin) actually started out with a fairly decent father relationship. His dad tried, if nothing else, to keep an eye on his son. Even when he eventually found out his little boy was fighting crime with Batman, he kept it cool even though he made it known often that he didn't like it.

Though the relationship had some very rough spots, it ended in a horribly painful way with Tim screaming into the phone for his dad while Jack faced a very out-of-shape Captain Boomerang in Identity Crisis.  In the end, the kid became an orphan with his dad dying in his arms. Captain Boomerang came back in Brightest Day, Tim's father did not.

Batman

Can there be any doubt that his father's death was pivotal in this character's development? His all-consuming battle with criminals everywhere began with Crime Alley and hasn't stopped since.

In later years a miniseries called "The Untold Legend of the Batman" would show how Bruce's father was actually the first one to put on a Batman-type costume at a costume party just before they died, which Bruce would later say gave him the subconscious push for his own costume design.

In a very cool twist, the Flashpoint Batman series allowed Thomas Wayne to survive the mugging encounter, with young Bruce dying. In essence it gave us a new angle on the old Batman myth. Apparently, that moment in Crime Alley was destined to create a hero.

Superman

This guy wins the big prize because he lost not just one dad, but two! And not only that, but Pa Kent has died more times than Aunt May so Supes just keeps getting gut punched reboot after reboot!

Originally sent to Earth from Krypton by his biological father, Jor-El, Superman only later learned how his father had sacrificed his own life to save his son. Fortunately, the Kents found young Kal-El and he was assured a happy life forever.

Nope. Pa Kent has died in the comics, cartoons, Smallville and even the movies. No matter how many times he comes back, it seems the writers are determined this man must stay dead for Clark to carry on as a superhero.

Dick Grayson/Robin 1

A circus acrobat...what could be safer? Well, if the mob moves in on your circus, accidents can happen.

Dick and his parents made up the Flying Graysons, a trapeze act that was the hit of the circus. Unfortunately, one night the wires broke and Dick joined the ranks of superhero orphans. Robin was brought into the Batman comics because they were trying to reach a wider audience, and it actually worked. Soon every major hero seemed to take on a child sidekick (Captain America had Bucky, Captain Marvel had Captain Marvel Jr., Sandman had Sandy, etc).

Daredevil

Jack Murdock was a fighter who ended up on the wrong side of some gangsters by not throwing a fight. As a result, they killed him all kinds of dead while his blind son could do nothing to help him. Later on, Matt Murdock would put on the red spandex (or red leather if you saw the movie) and fight crime to avenge his dad's wrongful death.

While by no means a saint, Matt's father showed true character in his death, which is sort of an underlying theme throughout most of the fathers' deaths on here. There was some sort of selfless act that caused it.

Green Lantern

Hal Jordan's dad was a test pilot for Ferris. That meant he got to fly a lot of unstable planes because he was the best pilot there was. See the possibility of problems here?

His dad was a test pilot. Hal himself would grow up to be a test pilot...for the same company. Sounds a little crazy, I know, but it led to him being considered fearless enough for a green power ring when the time came for a new Green Lantern.

The death of Hal's father left a gaping hole in his life, and it motivated him to do some crazy stuff before he got the ring. Even after the ring, though, his father's legacy continued to push him to be a better man. Though we barely even saw the man, his "blaze of glory" moment reverberated through the DC universe for decades.

DC...Now you're starting to worry me.

With the announcement of 52 new series coming out starting in August, you know DC is going to have to throw a LOT of characters out there for a series shot. The vast majority of them will crash and burn within an issue or two, but some might make it. Unfortunately, after the initial coolness factor has worn off we're starting to see some DC comics that look like gigantic steps back for the company.

Case in point: The Teen Titans

Don't get me wrong, I stopped reading this title years ago. I've picked up an issue or two when it looked good, but for the most part I've never seen anything in this one worth reading on a regular basis. Now they've rebooted the team, and it doesn't look promising.

Tim Drake is still Red Robin...but not the RR we've ever seen before. Now he appears as if he's truly trying to be a red robin or something. He could call himself ChickenMan right now and make more sense.

And what in the world is going on with the other guys on the team? Superboy has a tattoo? Wonder Girl looks like she stepped out of a Tron movie. And what about our two other mysterious figures lurking on the page? Perhaps Vixen and Starfire?

Again, I'm not a regular reader of this book so I have no vested interest in the team per se, I just hate to see DC going off on some crazy tangents with core characters. One thing that kept me in their camp after Marvel went crazy with the Spider-Man reboot is the fact that they've stayed true to their characters over the years. Now it would appear they're going to go for a company-wide "Brand New Day", and that doesn't fill me with confidence.

On the plus side, Hawk and Dove are getting a series shot. I was hoping to see Don Hall back in the role of Dove, but I guess that's part of a reboot we won't see.

I'm also not a fan of Hawk's costume color change to black instead of white. I appreciate the desire to show them as opposite sides of the spectrum in actions, but did we have to make it so obvious? Hawk's costume was always one of the coolest ones out there!

I'll definitely be giving this series a shot for the first few issues at least because I like the characters and loved what they did during Brightest Day (let's hope Boston Brand makes an appearance in here soon). I just think it's going to be a long shot for this book to last any length of time. DC is flooding the market with new books and fans will be forced to just buy into titles they are seriously interested in instead of trying new ones simply because of the sheer number of possibilities out there. Spacing them out over a period of five months or so would have been a much better gauge of how good a book was doing. Most of these guys will just be cannon fodder in this war.

Oh, and by the way, 52 new series out there and we never got a chance to submit any scripts? I think DC should seriously consider opening their doors to new talent out there. I appreciate giving established guys a series, but when you're rebooting your entire lineup anyway, why not see who else is out there to shake things up a bit? Just sayin...

So Many Masks

Several weeks ago we had a poll asking which type of mask you'd wear if you were a hero. You never really realize how many there are out there until you break them down...which we'll do right now.

Domino Mask

Worn by: Nightwing, Green Lantern, Robin, etc.

Probably the most famous type of mask, it also covers just about the least of the face. I still have a hard time believing this would fool anyone, but it apparently has for years.

The mask begs the question "What in the world is keeping it on your face?" First of all it has to be something that will stay on in the middle of a fight no matter how sweaty you get. But then it has to be removable without ripping the skin around your eyes off.

Yes, I know Green Lantern's mask is created by his ring and is therefore part of the costume, but Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and many others have had this little thing stuck to their faces for years without a problem or reasonable explanation.

Cowl

Worn by: Batman, Nighthawk, Red Robin, etc

The most popular choice in our poll, the cowl serves this purpose of keeping the hair covered at least. Now it's not necessarily as easy to figure out who you are under the mask as the domino mask would be.

Add to that a certain streamlined effect and you have a pretty cool look. The fact that it's attached to the flowing cape doesn't hurt either. All in all it can be a fairly intimidating appearance when it's done right.

There's a reason Batman's iconic look has stayed with pop culture for decades. It's an old faithful design that just works.

Full Face Mask

Worn by: Spider-Man, Union Jack, Deathstroke, etc

For a real mystery man look, it's hard to go wrong with this type of mask. Covered completely, heroes sporting this look have that mystery surrounding them that leads a lot of people to wonder what person is really under all that.

Truthfully though, it's hard to imagine Spider-Man without his full mask. And Deadpool just doesn't seem as funny any other way. Union Jack was able to use the look to his advantage to fool Baron Blood into thinking he was an old man when in actually he was young Joey Chapman.

There are a lot of advantages to going this route...though the cost of material goes up a little. That, and it's hard to figure out how you can breathe that well in a tough fight with cloth on your face.

Goggles

Worn by: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Plastic Man, Vigilante, etc.

Now this one is hard to pull off right. The first time I read a Plastic Man comic in the 70's I couldn't figure out what was going on with his eyes. Which way was he supposed to be looking? Eventually I figured it all out and the craze seemed to catch on.

Now heroes like Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle have added to the mix of using a functional mask. I mean, when it's raining outside which hero can still see in a torrential downpour? Try that Spider-Man!

Seriously though, I think this could be considered cheating just a little.

Sunglasses

Worn by: Nomad, Hitman, Blade, etc.

If you're not up for goggles, there's always a cheaper way out through sunglasses. While I consider Jack Munroe's Nomad to be one of the best heroes out there and best costume for a casual hero type, I've never been one to follow how he kept the sunglasses on. Also, how are they handy in a fight indoors?

It's really hard to see a hero pull this off and not look like someone off "Jersey Shore", but it's been done. Oddly enough, this is the one look that looks best in the movie versions of the characters. It's hard to pull off a mask on a real person, but sunglasses always look tough.

I almost threw Cyclops in with this group, but I'm not really sure it would be fair. I think he'd fall more under a mixture of the goggles and sunglasses crowd.

No Mask

Worn by: Superman, The Sentry, Punisher, etc.

Of course, there are those who skip masks altogether and just say "Here I am. Look at me!" It's usually done by someone with nothing to hide because their identity is public (like the Punisher) or they look differently when in their secret identity (like DC's Captain Marvel or The Sentry). And yes, Superman hides behind glasses (even dumber than a domino mask) and still folks can't figure out who he is.

Whatever the reason, this is the easy way out. Fight as hard as you want to and never worry about someone seeing your face because your mask got shredded. I can't say I'm a fan of this though. For me, I think it's always cooler to see a hero in some form of mask. The only exception I'll give is the Punisher. I think he'd look a little weird wearing one for some reason.

Helmet

Worn by: Ant-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Fate, Forbush Man, etc.

For real protection, it's hard to go wrong with a good old-fashioned piece of metal on your head! Whether you're using it to control an entire suit of armor like Iron Man or just to hide your identity like Red Hood, you can't say anything about the functionality of one. However, hiding the costume takes a lot of creative thinking when you can't just cram it all under your tuxedo and walk in.

I've always  thought artists probably love drawing helmeted characters more than anything else. No worries about emotion on the face or anything...just a blank slate.

The only character easier to draw would have to be the Question.

Hood

Worn by: Green Arrow, The Spectre, Moon Knight, etc

While hiding identity, I have to say this one would be hard to justify as safe. Think about it: your peripheral vision is absolutely shot. True, you're ready for a rainstorm, but if someone comes at you quietly from the side you are dead.

Also, how do you keep this on your head while you're running after (or away from) a bad guy? When I have my hood on and I go running to my car in the rain, it always flies back and lets me get soaked.

Functionally, I have to say this one is at the bottom of the barrel. Yes, the "mysterious stranger" look works when stepping out of the shadows...but it's not the best choice in a fight.

Over-the-Head Mask

Worn by: Captain America, Hawk and Dove, the Atom, etc.

I'm not sure of the official name for this look, so let's just say it's a cowl without the cape kind of thing. It's been popular for years with everyone from the Flash to Vindicator wearing one.

The thing that makes this one slightly less believable is the way the heroes usually have it during "casual times". Most of the time their whole head is through the mouth part with the mask laying behind their head until the pull it up over their head and on. That sucker would be so stretched out it would blow off in a light wind.

There is a variation of this mask where the hair is seen. Marvel's version of Captain Marvel and the original Captain Britain look are two heroes who go that way with it. Again, I'm not sure what it's officially called though. You know what I mean, right?

Weird Everything-But-The-Face Mask

Worn by: Puck, Justice, The Angel, Gambit, etc.

Ok, I had no idea what you actually called this one, but I've seen it from time to time. I guess this would be considered a "face frame" more than a mask.

I suppose this one would be more for those heroes who want to wear a mask, while still wanting people to know what they looked like underneath. This might even fit into the "no mask" category.

Maybe you're proud of your hair, or maybe you just like the way you look in the mirror, either way, if this is your choice it's not very functional for anything other than keeping your ears warm in the wind.


There are a lot of characters that fit into combinations of categories that I didn't cover. For example, Magneto would fit into the helmet/face-frame mixture. Doctor Doom would fit into the helmet/hood group. Deadshot would be an entirely new combination, with full-face mask/eyescope group. The combinations are endless.

As you can tell, it would be impossible to categorize them all. Hopefully I've covered the most often used ones though.

Heroes and Villains of the Spectrum - Red

I thought it would be fun (and a personal challenge) to try and make a few lists of the characters out there who insist on putting a color in their names. Sometimes it's painfully obvious and unnecessary, and sometimes it's a little weird (Red Skull). Let's kick it off with the color red...

Red Tornado

He's the android who became human who became an android again.

He was originally part of the Justice Society for a brief time before a crossover event caused him to come to our universe to enlist the aid of the JLA in saving the JSA.

He's one of those characters whose backgrounds are so convoluted it's hard to keep up with what really happened or where he really came from. Still, it's a pretty safe bet that he'll be back in the JLA books someday. He's sort of like a standard, like the Martian Manhunter.

Red Robin

This particular hero has been three versions of Robin: Dick Grayson (in "Kingdom Come"), Jason Todd (during "Countdown"), and most recently Tim Drake (in his own series). 

It's hard to say who did the best job of playing the part, mainly because Dick Grayson's version was relegated to roughly two pages of action in the miniseries. If we had to cast a vote, however, I think Jason Todd's version held the most promise. Unfortunately, as soon as "Countdown" ended, the writers threw him out of the costume as soon as possible with no explanation as to why.

Red Hood

The first Red Hood became the Joker, but Jason Todd (who was killed by the Joker) decided to use the moniker when he came back from the dead for some reason. He became this brutal Punisher type character, killing criminals before eventually trying to force Batman to kill the Joker himself.

Jason has long been the loose cannon of the DC Universe, finding meaning and direction during his trips through the multiverse in search of Ray Palmer. As Red Robin, he avenged his own death and that of one of the multiverse's Batman versions by killing a version of the Joker. Now he's back to being the Red Hood and just showing up as needed. He was supposedly killed during the Battle for the Cowl fight with Dick Grayson, but there's no doubt he'll be back one day soon.

Rocket Red

Russia's knight in shining armor, this character is more of a team rather than a single unit. 

For a while, he was a member of the Justice League International, and helped out on a lot of missions.

Lately, the character has been relegated to second-tier status with a few menacing appearances in Green Lantern, and a guest shot or two in the old "Justice League Unlimited" cartoon series.

Red Guardian

Another hero whose choice of color in his name was due more to political leanings than anything else, Red Guardian was supposed to be like Russia's answer to Captain America. While he was a rather acrobatic character, he didn't initially have a shield and the fin on his head was a little weird.

Eventually he was killed off and his girlfriend took his place. She actually managed to get a pretty cool power set with flight and energy beams, while the original had nothing more than skill and luck to keep him alive for as long as it did.

He even got an action figure several years back. Quite an accomplishment for such an almost-forgotten character.

Red Skull

Slated to become the bad guy in the newest Captain America film (did you forget he was the bad guy in the 90's movie as well?), this guy has been around forever and a day.

For some reason, he's pretty much been relegated to little more than Captain America's version of the Joker. He's out there coming up with master plan after master plan and failing each time. He dies, he comes back. He dies again, he comes back again. For some reason, Marvel just believes this man is vital to keeping Captain America stories relevant and alive...even though the Red Skull hasn't succeeded in anything in decades.

Red Arrow

Decades after running with the name "Speedy" for some reason, Roy Harper finally took the name he was meant to have: Red Arrow. Giving everyone a taste of what we saw in "Kingdom Come", Red Arrow's creation was a nod to that great graphic novel and a welcome addition to the Justice League. He even surprised Green Arrow when they asked Roy to the team instead.

He's gone back to being Arsenal now (and he's lost his arm, which isn't good for any archer), but for a time he carried the bow. Who knows...the way comic books go he may return there again.


Honorable Mention: Crimson Avenger

Lee Travis fought crime sort of like a cross between the Shadow, the Green Hornet, and the Spider. He was around in the 40's and was even included as one of the original Seven Soldiers of Victory.

Unfortunately, he left this understated costume for a weird fin-on-his-head thing (what is up with that look? Who decided that looked normal?) and took on a teen sidekick.

This is another character who made a guest shot in the Justice League Unlimited series, with his own full-length story in the comic book.

Next week, we take a look at another color in the spectrum! By the way, the only "Lantern" who will count is Green Lantern. It's not fair when you have one of every color out there.

Looking Back at the "O*'s" - The 5 Best New Characters of the Decade

We got a lot of great new characters in the past 10 years. Here are 5 that deserve mentioning.

Winter Soldier

While Bucky Barnes has been around forever, it was his rebirth as Winter Soldier that turned this teen sidekick into a serious character of his own. Rather than destroy his earlier image, Marvel chose instead to go back and show us the "unseen" parts of his past. In other words, he might have looked like just a kid, but he was actually a serious secret weapon. Don't believe me? Just pick up the Avengers/Invaders story from last year.

When Captain America died, he stepped into the boots and kept the character alive. Unfortunately, this meant we lost Winter Soldier and it's apparently for good. Steve is back, but isn't Cap so I guess Bucky will continue to fling the shield for the foreseeable future.

The Sentry

What can I say? I love this character's potential. Unfortunately, it appears he will forever be crippled by Marvel from being all he could become. That final battle in World War Hulk where he got to cut loose gave us a glimpse of what he could become.

Yes, he's Marvel's answer to Superman...though they have yet to figure out what to do with him. For some strange reason they think giving him the mental crazies is a great way to make him unique. It's not. Stop it. Stop it now.

Currently working for Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers, Sentry's future is uncertain. I just hope Marvel someday decides to let this character get a normal mind and just become a hero. 

Red Robin (twice) as Jason Todd and Tim Drake

One of the truly iconic moments of Kingdom Come was a single page where Red Robin shows up to stop the aliens inside the Statue of Liberty's head (read it if you're confused by that statement). I guess it could even be considered cheating to say Red Robin came from the "0*'s", but I'm going to anyway. This decade finally gave us that character...even though it was Dick Grayson who wore the suit.

While three different people became Red Robin this decade, the two who make the biggest impression were Jason Todd and Tim Drake. Hands down, Jason Todd was the better of the two, but DC in their "infinite" wisdom decided to erase his time in the suit after Countdown to Infinite Crisis was over. Still, the short time he wore the suit allowed us to see him take the character in this "Batman" direction of beating down criminals and taking no prisoners. He even killed the Joker during one of his trips to the multiverse after watching that incarnation of Batman die! And yet all of that was over in an instant.

Tim Drake is currently the Red Robin, and it's an interesting fit. He has yet to really do anything that makes the character stand out any differently from his stint as Robin, but there are possibilities.

Red Arrow

Speedy's had a rough life of being a sidekick, to becoming a drug addict, then eventually turning up as Arsenal, and finally going back to the bow with Red Arrow.

What makes this character so interesting is how he eventually replaced Green Arrow (his mentor) in the Justice League. It was a changing of the guard that really showed his worth in the eyes of the elder heroes he'd grown up around.

He's had his fair share of moments as well. Perhaps the best was when he and Vixen were trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. She was powerless, and he was hurt, yet he still managed to get them both out of there alive.

While he'll soon be leaving the Justice League and returning to his "Arsenal" name, his time there was a great move for the character.

Hush

We'd never heard of him until he got his own 12-part storyline. While you might think Damian, Batman's son with Talia, should rank a place in this list, I think this new villain gets the spot.

After tormenting Batman with hints of who he might or might not be, he turns out to be a childhood friend with a lifelong hatred of Bruce Wayne. While that might not sound like the most original supervillain idea, there was a twist on this one in the aftermath of Batman R.I.P. -- he became Bruce Wayne.

Imagine Lex Luthor getting to become Superman, his arch-enemy. Now you see how cool this moment really is.


Next week we close down this look back over the past decade at the single character who has had the busiest and most eventful years. I'll give you a hint: it's a DC character.

Jumping On Points for New Readers

One of the many contest entries we've gotten caught my eye this week and I wanted to take a look at it. If you haven't entered the contest yet, get to it! You've got until May 30th! I'll be listing the complete prize pack at the end of this posting.

One thing a lot of people seem to love about comic books is their rich history and back story. When the hero stands facing that same old villain, sometimes there is this sense of glee that can only be enjoyed by a true fan of the series who realizes that they're fighting in the villain's original lair, or perhaps the spot where the hero lost his sidekick years before, or something like that.

But there comes a time when it becomes so convoluted the casual reader can't understand what in the world they're reading. "Who's the guy in the Captain America mask?" "Why is the Hulk red?" "Where's Spider-Man's wife?" So for those who wonder, here's my take on safe titles for casual readers and those who are going to require some explanation.

Superman

Believe it or not, Clark's not working for the Daily Planet anymore. As a matter of fact, he's almost impossible to find in his own title! Instead, the world has been taken over by a bevy of Kryptonians, some good and some bad. Mon-El (from the Legion of Superheroes) has become Metropolis's protector while Supes is away. Flamebird and Nightwing are also there to help, along with a mysterious new Superwoman and the Guardian. If you're just starting in this title, you're going to need to go back about a year to catch up with the current storyline. You can pick up the "Superman: New Krypton" TPB to get up to speed.

Batman

Pity the fool who thinks they know enough about the character just because they've watched Christian Bale in action. Bruce Wayne is dead--twice--or he's trapped in the Stone Age somewhere. Anyway, since he's been gone we've had a little bit of a tussle amongst the folks who believe they should be the next in line for the suit.

Tim Drake (Robin) is wearing it out of loyalty. Jason Todd (Red Hood) wants it to make Batman the bad dude he's supposed to have always been. Meanwhile, the obvious choice, Dick Grayson (Nightwing) doesn't want the costume (yet) but doesn't want Batman's memory sullied by pretenders. That results in several versions of Batman running around at once and fighting each other.

If you're a new reader, you can possibly pick this up by just going back about six months. Take my word for it that Batman is dead, find the first two issues of "Battle for the Cowl" and wait for the third. If you want the backstory on who everyone is and why they're fighting, it's going to take a little while. Go back about three years to see the Jason Todd/Nightwing dynamic, and about two years to see the Tim Drake/Damian Wayne conflict.

Captain America

Steve Rogers is dead, but even the most casual reader knows this since it made national headline news when it happened. Bucky (his old partner who was considered the standard for dead characters for years since he never came back) has returned and now wears the suit. He was a bad guy named Winter Soldier, but he gave that up to honor Steve's memory. And yes, Captain America is carrying a pistol now.

To make things slightly more interesting while we wait for Steve's inevitable return, the Captain America from the 1950's is wandering around out there still thinking he's Steve Rogers as well. Both Caps have fought before, and it's safe to say they'll do it again.

You can catch up to this one with the Captain America Omnibus, and the two TPBs that follow. Or just remember that Bucky is Cap, Cap is dead, the Red Skull is behind everything, and Steve's coming back.

Hulk

This one actually isn't that bad. Green Hulk is still around, and yes it's Bruce Banner. But there's also a Red Hulk running around as well, and we have no idea who he is yet. At one time it appeared they were going to make it Doc Samson, but that's been proven wrong. Now I have no idea. He's someone with some serious issues in the past with Bruce Banner, and he's someone with absolutely no qualms about killing or maiming.

If you want to follow this one, it's easy. A six-issue story arc has just ended this month, so pick up next month's issue and keep reading from there.

Spider-Man

Here's one you might be a little confused on if you haven't read it in a few years.

Mary Jane and Peter aren't married, and never have been, in fact. This is due to a deal with Mephisto that Peter made to save Aunt May. In order to make sure the old bat didn't die, he gave up his life with the woman he loved and all memory of it right to her face.

Now roughly the past 20 years of Spider-Man continuity is gone...but only in this book. Venom is still around with a hatred for Spider-Man that comes because the Symbiote used to be a part of him--even though it technically wasn't because it never happened. However, instead of losing this valuable character Marvel just figured the fans would be to stupid to figure it all out. Likewise, Harry Osborn isn't dead, and neither is Norman Osborn.

To get caught up to speed, pick up "One More Day", "Brand New Day", and everything in between. Roughly a year or so back to get caught up again.

The Flash

Barry Allen is back. This is the perfect time to jump into this series if you've missed it. With the "Flash: Rebirth" miniseries just starting out, even older fans will have something to grab on to. Barry Allen, Bart Allen, Wally West, and Jay Garrick are all actively involved in the title, so somebody named Flash is bound to be familiar to you!

You currently don't have to go back at all to catch up to this. Barry Allen was dead but is back. Bart Allen went through time and grew up, became Flash when Wally West disappeared, and then lost his powers and died when Wally came back...and now he's back as a kid again. Wally West was Flash, has kids, and is still Flash in a way. Jay Garrick is and always has been the Golden-Age Flash. Now you're ready for the next issue. This series has been throwing some wonderful bones to long-time readers lately, but it's not so impossible to follow you'll be lost or anything. Jump on in!

These are obviously just the big heavy-hitters in the comic book world. There are several other smaller titles that you can jump in on and not need to know a lot, but here are a few to avoid unless you want some serious back story reading:

* X-Factor
* Green Lantern
* Iron Man
* Wolverine (read X-Force instead)

And now, the contest prize pack! Don't forget, we're holding a drawing on May 30th for some great prizes. All you have to do to enter is send an email to me at ComicsInCrisis@yahoo.com with an idea for a future posting. I may or may not use your idea, but even if I don't you automatically get an entry into the random drawing and could win some great stuff.

Here's the Prize Pack:

* A digital copy of "Comic Book Confidential", the documentary about comic book history that includes interviews with Frank Miller, Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, and many other great artists and writers! You'll need an iTunes account to download the gift from the iTunes store, but the account is free and almost everyone has iTunes on their computer already.

* A copy of "Was Superman a Spy?", a new release book about comic book urban legends. Which white superhero was supposed to be the first black one? Which famous mutant was actually supposed to be an animal that evolved into a man? Who looked exactly like Mister Incredible with wings in his first incarnation over 50 years ago? All these great questions will be answered and a lot more. It's a fun read!

* A dozen different comic books from the Modern Age! These are from my collection and will hopefully introduce you to some titles you might have missed, along with some that are well-known like Spider-Man, etc.

* One mystery superhero action figure! This will be a superhero figure that is new in the package and in great condition. I don't know if you're an action-figure collector or not, but it would make a great gift for any comic fan you know who is.

* I'll also be throwing in a copy of my latest novel, "Stolen Lives". While this has nothing to do with comic books, you still might find it a fun summer read.

All this just for sending in one little email! So hurry up and get with it! We're on our last week of the contest. You can enter as many times as you'd like as long as you give me a different posting idea with each one. So if you've ever had a burning comic book posting question, now is the time to make it known!