Super-Blog Team Up 8: Batman vs Green Lantern (Guy Gardner)

 

Greetings Super-Blog Team Up fans..the band is back with another tale to weave into the fabric of the blogosphere. This round we tackle “Versus”. If you are reading this years from now some context is needed. In this year of 2016 Super Hero films are still big bucks at the box office and both Marvel and DC are hanging their hats on two films where their main “Good Guy”characters square off one on one. Dc’s Batman V Superman debuted to mixed reviews but a very large draw and is still making big money as we speak. On may 6th Marvel takes their shot in the war with Captain America: Civil War which trumpets the big battle between Marvels head honcho Captain America and Iron Man! Both films promise a full-scale battle of Hero vs Hero.

 

Fortunately comic book history is filled to the brim with tale after tale of Earths mightiest heroes battling each other, even villains vs villains, not to mention Super Team vs Super Team! So many examples of epic battles with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Some battles have loved ones in danger and others where heroes secret identities hang in the balance. It brings us great pleasure here at The Superhero Satellite to bring you none of that! In fact this may be the shortest battle of Hero vs Hero in the history of comics. Without further adieu I present to you the moment when the Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, The Bat, Batman took on the galaxies greatest protector, The GREEN LANTERN!! Okay…its Guy Gardner but he is a Lantern darn it! Anyways..on with the show..strap in and let’s get going to 1986..

Begin Transmission : May 4th 2016

DC had finished their massive crossover Crisis On Infinite Earths as detailed gloriously in past Super-Blog Team Ups and was looking to clean up many loose ends that resulted in its conclusion! Believe us there were a ton of them! The company decided after successful reboots of their core characters that they would pull all loose ends together into a bright red bow and make sense of all the individual titles by reforming their Super Team….The Justice League Of America! John Ostrander and Len Wein were the scribes in charge of reuniting DC’s heavy hitters under one banner. The story would be called Legends and it would take place over the course of 6 issues and multiple crossovers . It would be a jump on point for new readers and launched several new titles such as Flash, Suicide Squad and the brand new Justice League. In the story Darkseid wages a bet with Phantom Stranger that he will turn the world against earths Superheroes and uses a human political pawn as his catalyst. The end result sees DC’s finest come together to seemingly reform the Justice League and thwart Darkseid’s somewhat silly plot. Legends #6 boasts an all-star line up for the Justice League boasting Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Shazam, Black Canary, Guy Gardner, Dr. Fate , Changeling, Martian Manhunter and Blue Beetle! The band was back together and DC fans were excited for this league to continue on and protect this new DC Universe, Post Crisis. All was right with the world again…or was it?

Sadly this League would dissolve quicker than it came together. Superman declined the invite, Wonder Woman walked away quietly, Changeling went back to his gig with the Titans and Flash sped away disinterested in being bound to a team. It seemed the rug had been pulled out from fans who had suffered through some bad times in Justice League history with the ill-fated Justice League Detroit (which actually kicks some major ass and is a very fun read!) and With many JLA heavy hitters seemingly out of the mix for the next round of this new league, The new groups prospects of commercial success seemed significantly less. How can we have a JLA without the Trinity? (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) Well Writer/ Artist Keith Giffen along with J.M. Dematteis and Kevin Maguire would roll out the LEAST likely band of misfits the Justice League banner had ever seen.

So was born the Justice League International or the Bwah Ha Ha League as it is fondly recalled by the comics faithful. Giffen and DeMatteis would bring a very lighthearted comedic tone to proceedings.

The famous Justice League #1 from May 1987 sported one of the most copied covers in comics history with a family picture sort of cover sporting this new team with some very suspect looking participants. While the team boasted classic JLA heavyweights such as Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary it also assembled a far more unique crew than the JLA had ever seen. Many of which were imports from DC’s recent acquisitions from Charlton Comics, Fawcett, and the Kirby verse. The Blue Beetle, Mister Miracle, Oberon , Shazam and a brand new Version of Dr. Light rounded out this roster. One member however stole the cover with the now famous “Wanna make somethin of it??” Guy Gardner, a relatively lesser known member of the illustrious and complicated Green Lantern Corp filled out the roster. It was apparent that Gardner was bringing the “Attitude” to its ranks. One look at Batman’s face knows this team is already in trouble.

 

 

For those not familiar with the Justice Leagues newest Green Lantern would quickly grow to love the renegade Lantern. He originally debut in Green Lantern Vol. 2 Issue 59 and from the get go we know that this Green Lantern didn’t play by the rules. In this issue The Guardians give Green Lantern Hal Jordan a lesson in humility by showing him what would have been if Guy Gardner had been selected by Abin Sur to wear the famous Green Power Ring rather than him. We can all be thankful it turned out the way it did. During his travels Gardner would be passed over many times to lead the Lanterns in favor of Hal Jordan and John Stewart but always held to his guns that HE was the one destined to lead the team…alas at the time this did not come to pass however it would be a core reason why he was tormented by being subservient to another leader.

Guy went headlong into battles with DCs greatest rogues gallery would find himself in a bad situation in DC’s fabled Phantom Zone where he would be beaten into oblivion and permanently injured. A victim of brain damage, Guy as a result was a moody , self indulged prick who commanded the leadership of the JLI. Gardner however was not taken seriously by his new team mates. This certainly wasnt the Green Lantern Corp. anymore!! Joining a new group would be a little “problematic” for Guy as we will see..

We all know the story of the Batman. Avenging his parents death, Bruce Wayne goes on a mission to rid the world of evil doers. Along the way he gains multiple sidekicks with Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Superman and many others. For all intents and purposes..Bruce Wayne was never good with relationships and no matter if it was with a partner, a love interest, or a Super Team, Batman’s relationships always turned out badly. Batman would be part of The Batman Family, The Justice League Of America and even The Outsiders…all of which were dysfunctional relationships to say the least.

 

Batman as well was never one for playing second fiddle to anyone and usually assumed the leadership role as would be the case with the latest incarnation of the Justice league International. After the downfall of Justice League Detroit former Leader, Martian Manhunter was reluctant to put the lives of another team in his hands as he felt squarely responsible for their demise. Batman took the reins while the group was in their bonding period. However…unlike anyone he ever teamed with, Guy Gardner was NOT a team player and it was up to Batman to put him in line. It was the battle of wills..The mysterious Batman VERSUS an ultra powerful ring wielder who has the power of the universe at his hands…only one would prevail in a Game of Thrones.

From the opening page of Justice League #1 Vol. 2 1988, Gardner was already front and center and plotting to do a grand take over of the leadership position of the mighty newly reformed Justice League. Tensions would fly at their first ever meeting as a group..and Gardner and Batman would get their first taste of each other..it was NOT love at first sight!

 

In fact Gardner’s overtures towards the leadership position would not only be rejected but it would lead to an all out breakdown of the team only in their first organized group meeting. Batman could see right away that despite his reluctance to once again lead a super team…this boat needed a captain..and FAST!

 

 

With Gardner upstaged in front of the team, it would not only intensify the fire between Bats and Guy. It was just the start in a series of confrontations..as Batman attempted to instill a sense of protocol to proceedings Guy would be there to challenge his every word..

Guys temper would make for some tense moments in the team’s business. Gardner had no respect for Manhunter’s word despite Jonzz being a longstanding leader of the original Justice League Of America. Guy also would have none of The Big Red Chesse’s (Shazam) words either, but when it came to Batman, Gardner would dare not step any further.

Batman would literally become Guys babysitter. At every outburst or irrational thought, Bats was there to shut Guys outbursts down and amazingly there was zero retaliation..

Despite Guys reluctance to fight Batman, he would antagonize The Dark Knight at every opportunity. Both parties were now in the advanced stage of their passionate dislike for each other. Gardner took every shot he could whether on the battle field or in front of their peers. Serious group debriefings were fertile ground for Guys barbs….as Batman continued to make mental note of his detractors poor attempts to get under his skin.

 

 

Batman continued to hold the Lantern at bay, but when the League had their back against the wall, Gardner challenged Batman’s leadership for the last time. The defiance, the outbursts, the smart remarks and the tantrums would come to a head. Gardner would build up the courage to put the money where his mouth was as once and for all, Guy Gardner challenged Batman for the coveted Leadership position of DC’s high-profile flagship super group.

All the pent-up frustration..all the years of being held back by his peers in the Green Lantern Corps and now again in the Justice League. Gardner even removed his power ring and with no more fear in his heart, Guy Gardner BIT!!

Guy Gardner handed his ring to Blue Beetle and rushed furiously towards Batman and FINALLY these two rivals would square off one on one, head to head in a battle to end all battles this war was finally settled…

With ONE Punch…

What? Were you expecting something different? A bigger battle? A drawn out brawl over the course of six issues? Nope not here…sometimes less is more. Masterpieces are not created in one stroke of the brush…this rivalry was the exception. Batman would go on to leave the League a short time afterwards but Guy would still not achieve the top spot. Batman would go on to lead again and even Guy many years later, would finally get his respect as a Leader in the Green Lantern Corps...but that my friends is another story for another day. If you are hungry for a fight the battles continue with our group of Fellow Super Bloggers…read more below!!

 1. Between The Pages : “Star Wars Versus…” http://betweenthepagesblog.typepad.com/between-the-pages-blog/2016/05/star-wars-versus.html

2. Crapbox Son Of Cthulhu: Jack Of Hearts vs ROM!! http://crapboxofcthulhu.blogspot.com/2016/05/super-blog-team-up-versus-edition.html

3. Chris Is On Infinite Earths Guy Gardner vs Blue Beetle! http://chrisisoninfiniteearths.blogspot.com/2016/05/justice-league-america-52-1991.html

4. LongBox Graveyard: Fire and Water: Human Torch vs Submariner https://longboxgraveyard.com/2016/05/04/fire-and-water-the-human-torch-vs-sub-mariner/

5. Coffee and Comics Blog: Spiderman Versus Ghost Rider http://coffeecomicsreading.blogspot.ca/2016/05/marvel-team-up-91-1980.html?m=1

6. In My Not So Humble Opinion: Captain America vs Wolverine https://benjaminherman.wordpress.com/2016/05/04/captain-america-vs-wolverine/

7. Bronze Age Babies: Civil War – Silver Age Style! Tales of Suspense 58
http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2016/05/super-blog-team-up-civil-war-silver-age.html

8.Superhero Satellite: Super-Blog Team Up 8: Batman vs Green Lantern (Guy Gardner) – http://wp.me/p2N3Qb-M8

9. The Unspoken Decade: War Machine vs Cable
https://theunspokendecade.com/2016/05/04/sbtu-presents-vs-war-machine-vs-cable/

10. The Retroist: The Joker vs Sherlock Holmes http://www.retroist.com/2016/05/04/super-blog-team-8-joker-sherlock-holmes/

 

 

Super-Blog Team Up 6: Top 10 80’s DC Comic Titles That Ended Before Their Time..

 

The mighty S.B.T.U. has returned and welcome back heroes to our sixth official event! For those new to Super-Blog Team Up, welcome to a blog experience like no other. For those faithful out there..a hearty WELCOME BACK!! As you all know the S.B.T.U. are a collective of like-minded comic book bloggers/podcaster’s who have come together to save blog readers from the boring abyss of the blogosphere. The team comes together quarterly to each take a turn putting our unique spin on a singular topic!

This time around its everyone’s favorite topic.. TOP TEN LISTS! Don’t worry there will be no bait clicking here.All lists will be contained within one page of each blog..no clicking each number of the list to get to number one!! Well enough formality…you are now on-board the Super-Hero Satellite. We ask that you strap in tight..this Satellite is equipped with the technology for time travel. Todays destination will be the 80s and in the offices of DC Comics! We present the Top Ten 1980s DC Comics that were cancelled before their time.

Begin Transmission: May 6th 2015

10: Ambush Bug: Poor Irwin Shwab a down on his luck shlem. His friends Arg Yle The sock and Cheeks The Wonder Toy, were companions to Bug who was a man with a mental condition who thought he was a superhero. Irwin had the ability to teleport with a device inside a green insect like skin suit he found. Ambush Bug was an intentionally a comedic character who gathered quite a following in the mid 80s. He popped up in a number of titles and was the DC universes very own nuisance. After a one shot special and two mini series, Ambush Bug drifted into obscurity as fast as he entered the DCU. He would re-appear out of the blue several times more but the honeymoon was over. The comedic aspect of these books would not fit in with the new direction of DC today…however in the 80s..this was comic gold. Ambush Bug was not a case of cancellation but rather a case of what was not meant to be. After the strong reaction to his mini series, the Bug was primed for a solo series debut, however with shifts in creative at DC and changes in the comic book landscape..poor Ambush was simply shelved and not revisited. Ambush Bug remains a soft spot in my heart as it was on a trip as a kid to the “Big City” that I visited a local Comic Book Store and purchased my first Ambush Bug issue (Son Of Ambush Bug #1) along with an issue of the Direct Only Legion Of Super-Heroes #1 Baxter Series!! It was also on this day that I passed on a book that the comic store owner told me was great..Watchmen #1. Who wanted that right? Especially at cover price…Besides it had a stupid cover. Yikes..what was I thinking!! Hindsight my friends..

 

9. Night Force: In 1982 the comics industry Horror market had, with all intents and purposes, died. Hits like Tomb Of Dracula had expired and interest in the genre had waned. So it came as a surprise when Marv Wolfman of New Teen Titans fame decided he wanted to do a new horror title which would be a hard sell to DC or any company at that time. Wolfman convinced DC and along with Horror master artist Gene Colan, they went to work on this new horror concept, Night Force. It was cool because it avoided going to the cliche well by not going with classic horror movie monsters (Like Dracula) and they created a new group of Horror characters. It centered around a sorcerer Baron Winters, who played the puppet master to a team of Supernatural Demon Hunters. They tracked the Supernatural in what ever place or time it existed. Winters could send his team back in time or where ever the threat may appear. The Night Force cast was not consistent (One of the knocks on the series) and the series rotated members in and out which always kept the book fresh. The high hopes that Wolfman preached did not add up to sales on the newsstand. The cancellation was based on early direct sales numbers which Wolfman contested. The Newsstand sales had come in much later, the book had actually performed pretty well. It was too late as the book was sentenced to its death. I compel you to find these issues in a back issue bin somewhere as these books were ahead of its time. It was brought back (sans Gene Colan ..which was the heart of the book IMO) twice, but the magic was not there. One cant help but think Night Force would make a great AMC or Netflix Series these days…you heard it here first kids!

 

8. Vigilante: Screw the Punisher.In 1983, after the pending demise of Night Force, Marv Wolfman paired up with one of the  best artists in the industry, George Perez. Together they created a hard-hitting, very adult themed, violent book based loosely on a Golden Age western character of the same name. The Vigilante was an exercise in unevenness. Obviously inspired by Marvels Punisher, The Vigilante began his campaign of revenge following the murder of his family by a gang of Mobsters. Adrian Chase, was a successful District Attorney hell-bent on seeking vengeance for his family. The Vigilante was different in the sense that he didnt “Have it all together” sometimes his violence escalated into killing the innocent. He even gave up his identity for a period of time with two others taking up his mantel. When he made the call to return to the hood..the sad part was it was too late. *Spoilers* The Vigilante spiraled into a dark place and went on a killing spree that included bad guys, police, and whoever go in his way. Upon realizing his mistake he was taken over by overwhelming grief. The Vigilante took his own life which at the time was groundbreaking. This book was overlooked by many which is a shame as some writing credits went to Alan Moore and Paul Kupperberg. This was also one of the early Direct Market only books which many newsstand fans may have totally missed out on. If you like great writing..and you like the Punisher, then read the book that set the bar for violence in the 80s!

 

7. Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew : I loved Harvey Comics and I loved Funny Animal Comics! DC was not exactly known for their kids books…but boy they went out and delivered one of the best one that was ever published. Like a Heavy Metal band writing an amazing ballad, DC swung for the fences making one of the first Super-Hero Funny Animal teams!! I grabbed every Captain Carrot book I could find with my allowance money of a very rich 20 bucks. (Thats was BIG money in the 80s as a kid people!!) The Zoo Crew was the funny animal version of the JLA..and this kid was hooked. You had Captain Carrot (Superman), FastBack (The Flash), Alley Cat Abra (Zatanna) Yankee Poodle (Captain America meets Wonder-Woman) Rubber Duck (Elongated man/Plastic man) and Of course the Metal Pig…PIG IRON (The Thing meets the Hulk!) Interestingly enough..the Zoo Crew as they were called, often crossed over with regular DC Cannon. Cap met with Superman several times and even battled Starro just like the original JLA!! Of course after a great start and hot sales, Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew became lost in the shuffle. The final nail was driven into the coffin of the era of the funny animal books. Cap of course would return in several cameos throughout the years but I am still looking forward to the day a full on Zoo Crew book is relaunched!! To Read more about the Zoo Crew, the Satellite has covered these crazy super animals in detail..check out this link!!

https://charltonhero.wordpress.com/2014/08/11/super-blog-team-up-4-prequel-capes-and-carrots/

 6. Manhunter: Anyone remember Marvels Secret Invasion? You know, its the one where The Skulls infiltrated The Marvel Universe and stole a number of heroes identities. No one could be trusted. They could be a Skrull!! Well anyone who collected comics back in the mid 80’s knows of a little DC Comics Crossover event known as Millennium. The Green Lantern’s old nemesis, The Manhunters, infiltrated the DC Universe long before any Skrull! Once again..No one could be trusted! Manhunter’s literally took the place of many people in the DC Universe. Well as successful as Marvels Secret Invasion series was..Millenium was equally unsuccessful. DC seemingly produced a great crossover until it went off the rails at the end as its conclusion. It was notorious for spawning a brand new Super Team..The New Guardians. Sounds great right! Guess what..they absolutely SUCKED. Anyways..On to this Manhunter Solo Series. This Manhunter was yet another public defender named Mark Shaw, who as well was disillusioned with the justice system who sought out a mysterious underground sect of crime fighters called the Manhunter’s. Historically the Manhunter’s were a group of crime fighting Androids who’s mantra was “No One Escapes The Manhunters” . Eventually the Manhunter androids would go too far in Shaw’s mind as they attemoted to take over the Guardians and destroy the DC Universe!  Shaw would escape their ranks and go on to don a Ninja influenced uniform and spent his time kicking ass. I will admit back in the 80s I was a fan of Ninjas..and while this book comes off as total **** today..in its time..in its place..I thought Manhunter’s were the coolest thing ever!!

 

5. Blue Devil: When you collect comics one of the best thing about the hobby was trading! Cashing in a few of your undesirables for some brand new books that you wanted. One mans garbage is another man treasure…as was the case on this particular trade. While I cant remember what the book I traded, I fondly remember grabbing Blue Devil #2. Blue Devil was brand new to me at the time and just looked damn cool!! He was a muscled up Blue skinned, Big Horned…uhhh well Devil! He wore a big giant collared singlet and toted a super charged pitch fork. Well while it may sound terrible..Blue Devil was charming. The title didn’t take itself seriously and there was a lot of self parody. You better believe the rouges gallery were one for the ages. The Devil combated the likes of Shockwave, Godfrey Goose, Roadmaster, The Green Gargoyle and more. I always though the fact Blue Devil was never a member of  Keith Giffens Bwah Ha Ha version of the Justice League was a missed opportunity. I think DC mishandled his return to the New52 most recently, making him a dark Demon Hunter who killed off Demons with his Trident Of Lucifer!! I  cant help but think this book deserved better! In the right comedic hands this book could return or he would make a great accent to a team!! By The way…he was good enough to be on the Justice League Unlimited TV series so that has to stand for something…right??!!

 

 

4. Hex: The Future was never the same when Jonah Hex was teleported from 1875 to the year 2050 with guns a blazin!! I may not be joined by many on this but, this was my all time favorite incarnation of Hex! From the gunslingin wild west to the post nuclear Mad Max inspired dark industrial future, Hex took on a Futuristic Batman, Giant metal Robots, a Chain Saw wielding crazy cyborg and even fought his own girlfriend Stiletta! The book lasted a mere 17 issues due to poor sales and a horrendous creative switch late in the series. Mark Texiera was the titles original artist and visually made the book look and feel cant miss!! However..Keith Giffen (Who has been mentioned several times in this article) at the time had adapted completely an abstract noir art style that literally put the fork in the title. It was THAT bad. While this series gets no love on the web..this reader would insist on the HEX title returning for one more run! Hey,there’s a new Mad Max movie coming out this year…its time for Hex to return back to good ole 2050!! I go into extreme detail on this title and more in one of my favorite Satellite posts “Hex Style”. https://charltonhero.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/hex-style/

 

3. Booster Gold: On what Earth did a slick talking, Super Jock Celebrity Thief, from the year 25th Century get cancelled? No justice I say! Booster Gold was originally portaryed as a disgraced character from the 25th Century who was caught cashing in on Football Games that he was playing and intentionally throwing for his own personal financial gain. Well one night as he was working his new blue-collar security job (After being fired from his career in disgrace!) in a Space Museum Micheal Jon Carter would steal everything he needed to get his life back! Lifting a slick magnetic Gold Power Suit…one Legion Flight Ring and even a Force Field belt..he was transformed into the Futures #1 Superhero Celebrity..whether they were ready for him or not! With his Robotic companion Skeet’s, and as well his Time Traveling buddies like DC’s father of Time, Rip Hunter, Booster was set for sure success upon his solo debut in 1986 . With Dan Jurgen’s at the helm Booster lasted a mere 25 issues and his last issue came out during the ill fated Millennium crossover. With these characters and creators on the books side, the character had unlimited potential.While Booster was highly positioned in big events several times over the years and even received his own book again, he can never seem to keep readers at the door. This is DC’s most underrated and misused character and Booster deserves better. Booster was given a lease on life after the cancellation when mastermind Keith Giffen (I am still mad at him for ruining Hex!!) used him for his infamous Bwah Ha Ha Justice League book where he became a comedic buddy cop team with…well he happens to be next..Its Blue Beetle!!

 

2. Blue Beetle: Years ago companies like Charlton Comics were in an industry Turf war to stay relevant in the comics landscape of the 60s and 70s. Charlton had Marvels former number one artist Steve Ditko,fresh off his run on The Amazing Spider-Man. Ditko was famous in Charlton Editorial Offices for churning out book after book ,hoping something would stick..well one that didn’t interestingly enough but would be brought to life years later in the DC Universe was Ditkos Ted Kord..The Blue Beetle! No not that Jamie Reyes crap..Ted Kord damn it! Beetle debuted around the same time that DC was trying a bunch of new titles in 1986 for a minimal 24 issue run. Like the aforementioned Booster Gold, DC would have plans for Booster and Beetle in the new 1980s mega popular Justice League where they became the new dynamic duo of slapstick. Both characters were reborn in a new comedic light but did not receive their own team book at the time when they were white-hot which was a critical mistake. So much has happened to both characters that this book would not make sense to reunite them without the pre 52 history intact. There’s still hope DCs newest crossover Convergence can fix some of the lost magic!

 

1. Batman and The Outsiders: Batman shouted “I’ve had ENOUGH of your two-bit JUSTICE LEAGUE…from now on these are my NEW PARTNERS!!” as he quit the JLA on the front cover of one of my favorite all time comic books….Batman and The Outsiders #1.

I was a HUGE Batman fan as a kid. It’s all I wanted to do was role play the dynamic duos adventures with my best friends. Of course Batman was a key member of the Justice League as well and I loved that he was part of a bigger team. It always seemed that the Caped Crusader was held back in the JLA…so when I heard he was quitting and making his own team I couldn’t wait to see who this new team would be! In 1983 in a special insert edition within the pages of The Brave and The Bold the Outsiders debuted! The shape shifting Metamorpho, was joined by the electric cool Black Lightning, Sword wielding Katanna, the dreamy Halo, and earth shattering Geo-Force whom along with Batman himself made up this unconventional team of heroes. I loved them…they were not mainstream but they were my Super Group! After 32 issues Batman left the group and the characters went on their separate ways. The book was never the same… The Outsiders have been brought back to life several times in many failed efforts but Batman and the Original Outsiders never reformed. (Batman and The Outsiders Vol. 2 came close!!) It was one of the lost Gems of the original DC ..one I would love to be reborn in the New52 era. Get on it DC!!

End Transmission…

 

Well..thats all folks...I would love for those who agree or disagree with this list let me know what YOUR picks are below in the comments section. My list is just that..MY LIST..it is by no means meant to be a definitive list created from years of data and opinion. Maybe you like it…maybe you dont..but you have a right to be wrong..lol. Anyways..lets not stop there…as promised the team has loaded the deck with ton more of awesome Top Ten lists..but dont take my word for it…take it away team!!

There are plenty more Top Ten Lists to go…Please Visit the REST of the Super-Blog Team Ups Family Of Blogs!!

 

1. Longbox Graveyard: Top 10 Super-Dogs – http://wp.me/p1yye7-2IH

2. The Unspoken Decade: Top 10 Avengers Moments – http://theunspokendecade.com/2015/05/04/sbtu-presents-top-10-biggest-avengers-moments-of-the-1990s/

3. In My Not So Humble Opinion: Top 10 Avengers Sketches – https://benjaminherman.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/top-ten-avengers-sketches/

4. Legion Of Super-Bloggers: Top 10 Who’s Who Legion Entries – http://legionofsuperbloggers.blogspot.com

5. The SuperHero Satellite: Top 10 DC Comics Titles That Ended Before Their Time- https://charltonhero.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/super-blog-tea…ore-their-time/.

6. Flodo’s Page: Top 10 Green Lantern Ring-Slings …That Don’t Appear In Modern Continuity – http://flodospage.blogspot.ca/2015/05/top-10-green-lantern-ring-slings-that.html?spref=tw

7. Fantastiverse: Top 10 Avengers Greatest Super Battles – http://fantastiverse.com/ Coming Soon!

8. Mystery V-Log: Top 10 Avengers Covers – youtu.be/6cX1THVk3-k NEW!!

9. Idol Head Of Diablou: Top 10 Most Important Martian Manhunter Villains – http://idol-head.blogspot.com/2015/05/podcast-top-10-most-important-martian.html

10. Marvel Superheroes Podcast: The Top 10 Avengers (An Age of Ultron Tie-In)

http://marvelshp.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-top-10-avengers-age-of-ultron-tie-in.html

11. Chasing Amazing: Top 10 Favorite Moments Of The “Chase” – http://www.chasingamazingblog.com/2015/05/06/super-blog-team-up-top-10-moments-of-chasing-amazings-chase/

12. Between The Pages: Top 10 Wackiest DC Comics Covers –

http://betweenthepagesblog.typepad.com/between-the-pages-blog/2015/05/top-10-wackiest-dc-comics-covers.html

13. Bronze Age Babies: The Top 10 Bronze Age Characters (x2!) – http://bronzeagebabies.blogspot.com/2015/05/super-blog-team-up-top-10-bronze-age.html

14. Too Dangerous For A Girl!: Ten Best Super-Heroic Hairstyles –

http://dangermart.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/super-blog-team-up-top-ten-worst-heroic.html

15. Vic Sage Via The Retroist: TBD – Top Ten Comic Character Deaths

http://www.retroist.com/2015/05/06/super-blog-team-up-6-top-tens/

16. I’m The Gun: The 10 Best All-Star Squadron Covers!

http://imthegun.blogspot.ca/2015/05/super-blog-team-up-10-great-all-star.html

The Super-Hero Satellite 2nd Annual Holiday Special

Hey there Satellite Subscribers, its Charlton Hero on the deck of the Super-Hero Satellite transmitting from deep space. All the crew have been sent home for the holidays so its just you and I and what better time of the year than to celebrate our second official Holiday Special. In the event you missed our first Holiday Special..take a minute and soak up the music that simply means Christmas to me personally…https://charltonhero.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/the-1st-annual-superhero-satellite-christmas-special/

All done? Alright..This year..I thought no better way to celebrate than with Sears Wish Book Christmas Catalog Toy ads!. These were my absolute favorite toy pages as a kid and I can’t wait for you to see them..nestle in Heroes..pour yourself a glass of Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate..settle in around the holo-fireplace in the archive room of the mighty Super-Hero Satellite and enjoy.

Transmission Begin: Dec 25. 2014

 

 

If you lived in my hometown there was one thing that every kid in town anxiously awaited..The arrival of the Sears Wish Book. A compendium of the best X-Mas presents and THE BEST toys that you could only get in the pages of this golden tome! My hometown did not offer a ton of choices in regards to shopping. We had the local Woolco, Dalfens, or The Chain Store (Actual Name..although not so sure it was actually a Chain Store..) Keep in mind in, the years from 1980-1989 we did not have the luxury of online shopping or large shopping malls in our area.  There was no formal internet..it was truly the dark ages when you look where we are today..but we didn’t care! We had the friggin Wish Book!! The book usually landed on your doorstep or in the mail in late October which gave you plenty of time to dig through the pages and order what you wanted before the big day December 25th!!! It was a tradition to break out the pen and circle the gifts you “wished” you had under the tree that year!! For my own personal memories and maybe my kids if they read this years from now..here are a few pages of the joys I looked at in awe in the days before every Christmas!!

You have to know my first stop in the Wish Book was the Star Wars section..on the page above is my favorite toy of all time..The Death Star..yup I had that Bad Boy..and it retailed for only 19.99 back in the day!! A steal for all involved!! Now check out the bottom of the page and check out the classic Star Wars Play Doh set complete with Play Doh Style X-Wing!! You had molds to create Play Doh versions of your favorite Star Wars characters!! Loved making a great Green PlayDoh Luke!! Thats right!!

This was my era..I pulled off the Millennium Falcon (I broke the bay door assembling it myself..ugghh)..I had the Ice Planet Hoth Playset pictured above complete with collapsible Ice cave and rebel bunker!! The Hoth versions of the characters were also amazing. Plus, you were not cool unless you had the Bounty Hunters! I was never a fan of those Star Wars Micro Toys though!!

 

My second love was GI Joe!! Especially the originals!! Hawk, Grunt, Flash, Bazooka, Stalker, Scarlett, Rock and Roll, Breaker, Clutch, Zap and of course..Snake Eyes!! I had the V.A.M.P. Jeep..The Missile Launcher, Motor Cycle with side gun!! The Cobra Command Headquarters was a miss for me though. Even though it was a simple cardboard diorama..it had the elusive silver mask Cobra Commander and two Cobra scrubs!! There was no cooler figure than Cobra Commander!!  On closer inspection on the opposite page you have Haunted House toys which I loved as well!! I had the Creature, and The Wolfman! On a trip to a Florida Toys are Us I also grabbed the Lone Ranger, Tonto and Their horses!! Always wanted the Lone Ranger Playset on the back of all those comic ads. Any reader ever have that particular set?  At the bottom of the second page the Christmas debut of the legendary He-Man and The Masters Of the Universe Collection!! Check out that WindRaider in the corner!! Had every piece of that collection except Man At Arms!! Why do Toyline’s not feature as much awesome stuff these days?? What ever happened to the lost art of the Playset? Back in my day there was a Playset for everything!! Now some sets barely contain the action figures!!

 

Mego…Nuff said. I loved my Mego Spider-Man Spider Car with Spider Net! How about the BEST Bat Mobile Toy ever invented!! These have been long missing from my collection as they went to the dump many years ago after many years of play and battle damage but there was nothing cooler than playing with my Dynamic Duo and Wall Crawler action figures!! I do not recommend popping the wheels off these cars over and over again as the only thing you get is the heart break of the chassis pin breaking and your toy rendered useless! Ugghh. These were Amazing though!! Oh had Superman too!! Loved that Fonz toy but only managed a Ritchie Cunningham figure!! Never had the Planet Of The Apes Megos..which boasted the best often heralded amazing Planet Of The Apes Ape Command Tree House Playset!! This one was recently featured on Season 3 of AMCs Comic Book Men. No, I am not forgetting that wicked Star Trek set..never had that bad-boy..I would kill for a Captain Kirk /William Shatner Mego!! I am taking donations people!!

Next is a cautionary tale of Christmas past. NEVER..and I mean NEVER trade or sell one of your old Christmas toys..you WILL one day live in the waters of regret! My story occurred during an ill advised toy trade with a friend (That’s YOU John Stacey!) I lost one of my all time favorite Toys, The Star wars Rancor. I sold out my beast for a pile of vintage G.I. Joe’s..in mint condition. I think I still got the better deal but cant help but miss my Rancor!! The Jabba The Hut Playset was gifted to me at the height of the Return Of The Jedi hysteria and remains in my sons collection to this day!! One of the lost gems and the real center piece to this page was the very cool M.A.S.K. collection!! I had the Boulder Hill Playset, Transport Truck (The Rhino) and flying Sports car (The Thunder Hawk)!! For those of you not familiar with M.A.S.K. it was one of the most unique toy lines out there with a group of Super Agents equipped with transformable vehicles that they used to battle the evil terrorist regime V.E.N.O.M.!! Sound familiar? If it sounds too close to G.I. Joe… it was!! That’s why it ruled!! The M.A.S.K. collection were more or less a micro version of the Joe’s but the Vehicles and TV show left you thinking these may be the best Toys of all time..almost.

 

Boba Fetts Slave-1 was the boss of Star Wars vehicles and came complete with Frozen Han and is probably one of my favorite Star Wars toys ever made..that is until you factor in the AT-AT! I had both of these toys and I will tell you these are the standard by which all toys are to be judged!! These days if You see a vintage AT-AT Walker in a kids room and you know he has great friggin taste in toys!! One dark horse on the second page was The Duke Boys and Car Set!! Love my Dukes!! The TV series The Dukes of Hazard was a family favorite and having a wicked Bo and Luke set of figures complete with The General Lee was amazing!! The Toy line itself was very cool and I miss this set badly. The figures didnt much look like the Dukes outside of their clothes and broke pretty quickly but my time with the Dukes was a great time Yeeee Haaaa!!

 

Before The Game Boy or The 3DS there were Coleco Table Top Video Games!! If There were ever a cooler game system at the time..I dont know what it was! The Coleco Table Top games featured crude LCD graphics and were like having an arcade in your living room!! I had Galaxian (Which broke sadly..but was replaced with..) Frogger! I had Donkey Kong as well. Kong was the best of the bunch and was responsible for hours of gaming fun that Christmas..The sad reality was these things ate batteries like nobodies business!! You HAD to use the (Sold Separately) adapter or you had to mortgage your house to play these things!! They were also great due to the waaayyy cool side cabinet stickers and graphics these things still stand out in any retro collection!! Thanks Sears!!

 

I cannot go out without giving a shout out to my personal favorites the Go-Bots!! Got only three items on this page from actual X-Mas gifts and those being the very cool Super Go-Bot versions of Cy-Kill and Leader-1!! They were huge..simple and great!! The other was the shameful “Go-Bots Rogun Cap Rifle” I am pretty certain this was not official Go-Bots merchandise but Sears claimed it was so I received it one fateful December 25th!! I did however own three other huge pieces of Go-Bot lore..The Go-Bots Command Center (Won in a Trade…thanks Leslie Card!!!), The Renegade Thruster (Christmas Gift!!) and the fantastic Go-Bots Power Warrior set!!! (Got this on a trip to NY City baby!!!)

 

Countless big name franchises were just mentioned..Star Wars, GI Joe, Marvel, DC but the DarkHorse franchise was SECTAURS!! Warriors of The Symbion!! If you didnt have these figures you really missed a unique Toyline that passed by many people..but old Charlton Hero here is gonna tell ya that these figures absolutely kicked ass!! A toy based on a race of inset /human hybrids who rode massive insects and battled in the World of Symbion!! The figures themselves were a little taller than the Masters Of The Universe figures of their day but were more articulated. They had a flashy faux metal design for Armor and their “Vehicles” were large very detailed insects with real fur that you fit on your hand like a glove. The trick was that your fingers acted as their legs to add another level of creep factor to the beasts!! Prince Dargon was always my favorite but my X-Mas gift collection one great year consisted of Skulk and Trancula, Pinsor and Battle Beetle, Zak, Mantor, Skito and Commander Waxpax, the latter Four figures came with mini insects that feature a button activated feature that was unique to its owner! Then of course there was the elusive Hyve..a Battle set of Battle sets!! Sadly I never had this masterpiece in my collection. A real showcase gem of any figure collection are these toys!

Although the Wish Book still exists to this day I still get that little trickle of excitement that my kids may never truly get when it arrives at our house. If you ever were a kid of the 70s and 80s you knew what you had and appreciated this wonderful part of X-Mas! many Christmas memories were generated by these rich pages and a big part of my childhood was from the fine folks at Sears. If you worked at Sears or had anything to do with the creation of this book this guys says thanks for the memories!

So..as it is ..it is Christmas day and I urge you all to go spend time with family and friends and thank all my readers for simply coming to visit this humble little blog on ocassion. It truly means a lot that I can write this little snapshot for myself and family for years to come. Ill dim the lights in the Satellite and beam you all back home. Be good to each other and goodnight, To my friends at the Super-Blog Team Up a huge thank you for entertaining this Blogger and hang with the Heavyweights for a while. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays..or what ever it is you celebrate and see you again in 2015!

Hero…OUT!

BATMAN: Blood Sport

 

 

 

Transmission Date: 8/ 16/ 2014:

Welcome back Heroes. If you have ever wondered whats in Charlton Heroes  Comic Book Collection then lets dip in the old longbox storage unit deep in the storage area of the Satellite There are those comics that you read as a child that leave that mark on you that you always fondly remember when you grow up. Such was the case with a small arc in the pages of Batman and Detective in 1982. I called the run “Blood Sport” others may call it Batman vs. The Vampiri..but what ever you want to call it I LOVED this small story arc. Hence our little get together today. Batman issues #349-352 as well as a cross over in Detective Comics #517-518 contain the full Blood Sport arc. As a kid horror movies were a big deal. Friday The 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and of course greats like Fright Night were what we were raised on in the advent of the VCR! Many a weekend did myself and my friends cower under sheets and behind pillows trying to survive yet another viewing of great R rated horror movies that none of our parents thought would be an issue as The Vampire craze didnt only extend to 2000s Twilight era, the 80s loved Vampires too! Thus DC’s Vampire savant the great artist Gene Colan known for his work on dark Vampire titles like Tomb Of Dracula for Marvel, fit the tone of this run.

What is significant about the Blood Sport Storyline is that it marked the modern-day return (at least the 80s return) Of a very old Batman Villain, The Monk. The Monk first appeared in 1939 in the pages of Detective comics #31 . This version of the Monk is a revised updated version who was once a slaver who is tricked into a Voodoo ritual and forced to live out the rest of his life as a living undead Vampire!!  Batman #349 begins as Batman fresh of an investigation of the Academy Of Crime decides to check in on Robin and Alfred at home. However the call is unanswered as we discover that The Boy Wonder has been abducted and is bound. Robin at this point in comics had fallen in love with a girl named Dala. What Dick doesn’t know is that Dala has a dark secret. Dick not being one to let his guard down investigates and follows Dala home only to discover a terrible secret about his new mysterious love. As with all of Grayson’s past loves, nothing is ever easy in love and life as would be the case with his latest heartbreak Dala. Upon tracking his own girlfriend under the guise of Robin, Dick walks into a trap…

Dala apparently came from money as her home was a giant mansion..of course of the scary, semi haunted, Scooby Doo variety like all mansions in comics. Grayson deciding to do some extreme B&E on his newest interest is met with a club to the back of his head and a free fall down over an elaborate set of steps. He is an intruder..lets be clear here. …he awakes bound and shackled..

Being resilient and adaptable as The Boy Wonder is, he absorbs the attack and frees himself of his shackles only to uncover the secret…his chick is a straight up killer..but there’s more..Dala aint alone! Nope she is followed by her crazy Vampire Brother Louis Dubois..Together The Vampiri ATTACK!!

 

 

 

Busting out is never easy especially when you see the result of past visitors to the mansion. As Robin makes his escape he suffers an undisclosed injury but eventually, the Boy Wonder busts loose..to safety.

 

As Robin runs into the street running for his life, he is struck by a car and incapacitated..but luck would be on his side as he is found by token movie Trope, the Holy Father Green!! OF course..The Exorcist movies were still fresh in people’s minds and Father Green fit the bill. However as he is rushed to the hospital, we see the effects of Robins injury..we discover he had been bitten in the neck by Dala..and Father Green being an expert on the subject determines he has been afflicted by the Mark Of The VAMPIRI!! Gene Colan may have drawn my favorite version of classic Robin in all of comics because that last panel is etched into my memory and made me more excited about a comic book than ever before as a 8-year-old boy!! This was the stuff of pure comic book escapism…I was HOOKED on Batman going forward!!

My best friend in primary school (Jason M!! Shout out!!) at the time collected comic books as did I and had in fact amassed not as big of a collection as I did but had the better books and he landed Bloodsport! This  left me scrambling to find one. His Aunt had the inside scoop at the Drug store and always gave him a stack of comics which I had been lucky enough to have from time to time as well. This was competition damn it!! Almost impossible in the day of no comic book or hobby shops I found a copy at a local drug store!! Well it wasnt long before the next issue rode onto shelves and we were scrambling again to scour my town for its meager selection of comics. It was dog eat dog people!

 

On to Batman #350..sadly I did never ever found on the shelves in my hometown...None of my friends had it either, so I was at peace with missing this issue even though I was dying to see Robins fate! Well as it turns out after the good Father Green explains to Robin all about his misfortune but Robin simply is over his stay at the hospital and leaps back into action..but something is different..

 

Back to the Robin cycle he goes and back to the warmth of the Batcave . Bruce and Alfred get the vibe that Robins sudden return is not without cause for concern.Batman being very astute, sees that Dick is not himself and tells him to catch a few winks to get over whatever got the lone Grayson in his state of disarray. Prior to retiring for the night he explains to Bruce that both of them have an engagement at Dala’s mansion of doom. Bruce accepts knowing somethings up. By god its a mystery, and Batman’s on the case! On a couple of visual notes looking back at these issues I love the simple panel layouts where very little carries over outside of the panels. In todays books the art of maintaining the integrity of a panel is dead. Read a copy of Deadpool where the panel is almost bothersome and something that is an annoyance to the story and characters are out of frame more than they are in! Yes I am officially THAT complaining old man! As well check out the “Continued On 2nd Page Following” banner at the bottom of the page to guide the reader in the case they got lost after an ad! Thats attention to detail people!

As the party goes, Dick under the trance of the Vampiri, joins right in with his former kidnappers. Bruce takes that as his clue to investigate the house of Dala and her crazed Brother!! It doesn’t take long for Bruce to surmise that something sinister is afoot! As Batman jumps into cowl mode on the outside in the garden he comes face to face with the Vampiri monk himself and the scrap ensues. As usual Batman always is startled by the strength of his adversary and struggles with him..the picture of the monk on the bottom left panel displaying his fangs is classic Gene Colan and as a kid I can truly say these images stuck in the brain. Seeings I didn’t get this issue I was free of the nightmare potential..THEN IT HAPPENED..

 

As with many of the Bats fights..round one goes to the villain..this time however the Brother Vampiri leaves his mark on Batman literally.  Batman is savagely bitten on the neck as per 80s standard fare with Vampire horror standards. Not being on to lay down Batman gains his bearings after the bite and batters the Vamp with a well placed large stick and clubs him mercilessly over the back of his head only to be clocked by his own Boy Wonder who is clearly still whipped by his latest disastrous relationship. Once again look how much is neatly packed into 8 panels..not a wasted space.Its also of note when looking at some of Colans work notice how much it rains in his books. It’s almost hysterical! Makes for great cheap backgrounds though!

In a weird turn of events this issue actually carried over to another title! While common place today this was a much rarer occurrence in these days. Companies were less like a pack of gougers like they are today..well at least they hid it better back in the day..so as it would be..the “Blood Sport” storyline carried over into two issues of Detective Comics. On a side note there is a secondary story that is happening throughout all the issues and more prominently in the Detective issue. Batman’s identity is uncovered by a dirty politician who threatens to expose Batman..however Vickie Vale..(yes she was actually in a comic and not just the Tim Burton movie) investigates the situation and it is discovered to be photoshopped!! Wait photo shop didn’t exist back then but they pulled some form of chicanery to alter a photo. It was all forgotten after this issue! I didn’t know this story was in the book as I obviously could care less as a kid if the panels didn’t include a vampire! Anyways..back to the Vampire storyline..

 

Boy do I miss these covers! You have an action scene that draws you into the action of what the narrative is inside the book and the use of speech bubbles! “Good Lord Batman what happened to you!!” Even though this was what I call a bait and switch cover as this scene never actually happens in the book. Robin at this point is still firmly in the clutches of the Vampiri and NOT at the Batcave with Alfred..hows that for nitpicking dissection. I love the bait covers though..they always worked on me!! Anyways I will not spend a ton of words on this issue which is essentially a fill in the gaps issue which gives the full background on the Vampiri ! First Batman returns home and discovers that he like the Boy Wonder is afflicted with the curse of the vampire!

Alfred intercepts him in the washroom of Wayne Manor and is horrified by what he sees!! Batman however has reacted differently than Grayson. He is still in control of his faculties  and pushes Alfred away and knows not to hurt him. As well look at the curious decor in the Manors washroom. The nice fish soap dish gold sink taps and green color theme. What does that say about Bruce’s tastes? I don’t know but its out there now.

 

 

After Batman leaves the cave in search of the Vampiri and his Boy Wonder Alfred gets a visit from the mysterious and curious Father Green who sees to have an unhealthy knowledge of the Vampiri. He weaves the full tale to Alfred of Dubois and Dala, a brother and sister duo of post civil war slavers who treat black folks very poor in that time. Dubois is awaken by the beating of drums, so naturally he is drawn to the source of the drums only to find a voodoo like event occurring on a beach. During the festivities he is bitten by a snake and turns into the Vampiri as the black folks he had once mistreated laughed at his plight. Dala, his sister had followed him to this get together and is attacked and bitten by her own Brother! Thus are born The Vampiri who live on for centuries later up to modern-day 1982 anyways!

As Father Green finishes up his story he knows that Batman to is now infected by the same venom that The Vampiri are infected with as well as Robin! Now as we have a problem. As well it is finally confirmed that Dalas Brother, Louis Dubois is officially calling himself THE MONK!! Thats right..THE MONK!! Now if that doesn’t strike fear into the hearts and souls of readers what will I beg? In the meantime Batman struggles with the fact he is now a Vampire..uh I mean Vampiri!! This Dark Knight is able to fight the full effect of the Vampiris mark and is still able to fight off his urges..

Ì nabbed this bad boy in a quarter bin of a local comic book shop much later but somehow I had read the conclusion to the saga. The cover of Batman #351 ,even though it states it was drawn by Gene Colan and Dick Giordano looks more Giordano that Colan. The Batman is almost hysterically laughable and I always disliked the cover but the Gargoyle mast-head on the edge of the building is all Gene Colan..so it gets partial marks from me on this one. #351 is the wrap up..the Coup De Gras as it maybe! Batman vs The Vampiri …Final Battle. Lets begin. Batman scours Gotham for his Ward..Dick Grayson aka Robin only to find him using his charm and wiles on the much older Vickie Vale..Grayson is not in charge of his mind as he has transformed fully into a Vampire and is about to seal the deal on Vicki’s neck when good old Bats has something to say about it all!! Vickie is Batman’s GF at the time so this is clearly inappropriate !

To be clear Batman doesnt not have the best history with his women but those who mess with his girl usually ends up in a bad place at the end of the story. Robin is no exception..with a well placed southpaw..I honestly didn’t know Wayne was a lefty? Can anyone verify this fact? Weird. Anyways Grayson’s out cold and Vampire Bruce pulls his cheating ass off the ground and back to the Batcave for much-needed treatment! A hilarious part of this is the final panel on the page where Alfred laments that the ominous Father Green may have overstayed his welcome. Really whats weird about a man of the cloth who shows up at your door in yet another thunderstorm in the dead of night? These days we call the cops and seize his computer! Anyways..

 

 

 

Batman struggles to get Dick some blood or possibly an antidote..but his Vampire side is fighting him and his frustration is at a boiling point..Love the old Batcave by the way. The giant coin and the Dinosaur is a must have for any home! Hey its better than the fish-shaped soap dish!! Help is on the way as Father Green finds his way to the Batcave!! How did the father know about the cave? Apparently not the hardest secret in the world as Christopher Chance who had been covering for Bruce in his public appearances as well wanders the Manor as well thinking something is up. On top of that photos of Bruce as Batman circulate so it looks like while Bats battles the vampires his whole identity has been blown to the media as well. Toss in people randomly finding out about the Batcave it looks like the jig is up for Bruce and his secret of the cowl!

Father Green explains to reverse the affliction of the Vampiri Robin needs a complete blood transfusion!! Apparently not an issue as Alfred stays to assist Dick Grayson, Batman and Father Green go to throw down with the Monk once and for all!! Not two seconds after walking into the aforementioned Scooby Doo mansion the final confrontation begins!! This time Batman’s pissed and its going to take more than fangs and a hot sister to stop the Dark Knight!! The Monk attempts a high cross body and Bats gives him the fling ding to the other side of the room. The poor Monk is about to get ragdolled!

 

The Monk turns the tide with the nerve pinch, dropping Wayne to the floor but Father Green and his cross are here to save the day! Now even the Lord is involved in this Battle Royal!! While Dala holds poor father Green on the floor The Monk goes in for the final kill..or bite. One problem..If you have already been bitten what is the purpose of being re-bitten? Not sure what the Monks endgame is on this one but anyways Batman says NO!

 

Batman once again showing is left-handed punching power unloads a left hook which literally rocks the Monk into the air and between to crosses that may as well be Football uprights…this one silences The Monks efforts for this evening. Dala however has the resilient Father Green pinned to the floor and Batman, not being one not to hit a woman, stiffs her with a solid right for the win! Father Green has the healing serum and Batman asks for it before he loses control. Now I am a mere reader but would one not have asked for it earlier? Whatever its more dramatic this way darn it!

The sub-plot throughout these issues has been the photos of Batman’s identity and Vickie Vales investigation into the matter. At the end we see Vickie search through her files to find all her pictures of Bruce and batman are missing..who or what has the photos?`Now that the Vampiri are out-of-the-way this plot now takes center stage as one of my all time favorite villains DEADSHOT arrives to go toe to toe with the Dark Knight!!

The story actually crosses over with another issue of Detective Comics as in Detective 518 the first few pages deals with Bruce’s recovery and the final fate of the Vampiri!One of my favorite Detective Comics cover ends this series and makes up for that goddawful batman 351 cover! Deadshot is front and center and rocks it!

 

Batman is on the mend people and has no idea that his identity is in danger at this point but is just as happy as turncoat Robin is to see Batman still alive! As Father Green administers the serum Batman is on the mend and the Vampiri..now also in the Batcave are strapped in and ready for transport Father Greens Herse. What is he up to..and what ever happened to Dala and The Monk? I guess we will never know.

 

 

Hey Heroes if you liked this post..there are plenty of other Retro posts to occupy your taste for the 1980s. Give us a Like at the bottom of the page or leave us a comment as tell me how much you loved , or hated, or simply to say Hi! Chat all about these and other Satellite Transmissions on Twitter using #SuperHeroSatellite or chat with my Blogging Brethren The #SuperBlogTeamUp. Contact me directly on Twitter Charlton_Hero . Now..next stop we go head to head with Skeletor and his goons on Eternia as Super-Blog Team Up Returns for its fourth big team up!

 

Transmission Ended..

Quitting your job..

Transmission Date: March 4 2013

This is not a typical post today..this marks an important event in my life..after many years I up and quit my job..this is my story..

There comes a time when change comes calling..

14 years is a long time to be working anywhere. I just finished a run of that length at my most recent job. As with any job it has its ups and downs. In sales some times the downs outweigh the ups as with my last job. We all have had times when we are unappreciated, overworked and generally taken advantage of. What do most of us do? We put up with it. We go to work with people that we like who are in the same boat as us and we can relate to each others misery. Then you have those people at work you generally cannot stand and force a smile and a laugh at times to keep the peace. My workplace was full of all of these types.

We indeed DO have a problem..

Work sucks at the best of times..but sometimes its those annoyances that drive you to the door. I am sure everyone pictured what you would do if one day you could speak your mind..just let loose and not get fired. For once you could tell that boss what you think..tell that customer to stick it..tell the needy guy one desk over to do his own FN work and stop bothering me with your crap cause I got enough of my own. Politics sometimes is the biggest cancer at the workplace. When the powers that be have a agenda sometimes everyone including the company itself suffers. If you had just one chance..If I had my Vince Russo moment..I could tell em whats up!

A funny thing happened to me though. After years of sending out a casual resume and getting no response, the exact moment I had reached my limit at work was the exact time someone actually wrote me back. Somewhere out there in the divine universe someone actually at a parallel moment in time read my resume and responded to it! It was as if fate himself was screaming out to me saying “Its time!”

Walking out those doors are never easy..but always cathartic!

Let rewind the tape 4 months. A new Boss arrived at my workplace and “Changed ” things. Years prior we had two of the best managers running our particular store now their work was deemed unacceptable and our new boss was going to “Fix” all the issues at the store. It was the same thing as a meteor striking the earth. Suddenly we were under a microscope. Our work was not up to par in her mind. Yep things were a changing. This particular boss had no clue how to deal with people. In fact not only did her demands upset the staff but all of management as well. It became a full blown game of us vs. her and it was painful. The company stepped in to bring peace but the writing was on the wall. After her supposed discipline she was given the keys to the corvette and was on a mission to run us all over with it for selling her down the river. It was like my life had become a John Cougar Mellencamp song…we had indeed fought authority and yes..authority always wins.

So life at work officially became hell. I had to do something. The New Boss was mounting an offense, and the backlash against us from her discipline was slow and methodical. She began to nitpick details she could trip you up with. Yes revenge would be sweet for her. However being one step ahead of this I managed to dot every “i” and cross every “T”. Yep I went into self preservation mode. I turned to my last line of defense as my co -workers were being “disciplined” one after the other for “Performance”. This would not be me. My computer at home would become a my nuclear missile. I jumped on that bad boy for two days in a row and pumped out as many resumes as humanly conceivable, I was at war and I would be victorious. Unlike previous attempts it seemed divine intervention was at work as this time I actually attracted an audience. One thing however, it didnt pay enough. Bummer. The other job I wouldnt be caught dead working in. Two strikes. The third came and I actually got an interview! Could this be it!

So the interview came..the person doing the interview was so completely an utterly full of shit it was impossible to concentrate on the interview. I declined. So there it was, after three possible roads out of hell and I choose none. I was a defeated man. I went back to that store with my head down ready to be put to sleep. Hours later a phone call came in for me..It was my wife calling me to tell me that I had received a phone call about a job from a certain company and they wanted me to call them back immediately. I could not express the feelings of that one moment. Could it be true? Will they pay enough? Would it be a reputable company? Everything was perfect. I went through a lengthly interview process and it was a hit out of the park home run. I landed that baby!

That’s right..I nailed that interview…soooooo good. Now what do I do about my current job?

There was one hang up to the entire thing..it didnt start for another three months!!?? I still had to go to work in torment and try to survive for three months. I became fearless. I marched into work with authority and openly voiced any damn thing I wanted to voice. If there was something I thought she was doing wrong..I was there to let her know. I pissed her off and you know what it was cathartic. Things changed though..she either knew something was up and backed off or she genuinely found the maturity to properly deal with things and became human..to that I say..

Some people you will miss after leaving work..others..well..not so much!

So the only thing left to do was decide how to quit. Would I go out in a reign of verbal bullets. Would I dismantle the boss with sign language and throw the middle finger in the air! Everything crossed my mind. Yes they were about to take this job and shove it!

Maybe thats not the way..hmm. Wait Batman walked away from the “Two Bit” Justice League and join the Outsiders which is essentially what I was doing..maybe that was the way..

Heck..if Batman can quit the Justice League..surely I can make a change!!

Before anymore fireworks at work and before I did anything stupid I was transferred to another store. Probably for the better. Now I would be working with another boss that I had encountered 9 years prior who I hated equally as well..but something happened. Times change and even some people. I began enjoying work again..all the while a lingering feeling that this was only temporary and I would be leaving anyways. Somethings were brewing they were cancelling managers holidays for the summer months apparently a renovation was set to upgrade the store to get ready for the competitor (Of which I secretly now worked for!) The company had started the year of accountability where everyone’s jobs were no longer safe. I was leaving at the right time. When all these dates were coming up I could not help but smile and think..

How about that!! I QUIT!!

Admittedly despite the change in company direction, the new workplace was actually very cool. The staff were amazingly hard workers for small wages. I truly admired some of their work. I was motivated for the first time in months..I wanted to do a great job and do my best. I had a great review from a particular audit of my area.I had an amazing visit from home office of my areas. I was on top. So how did I go out? With a thank you and a hand shake. Even got a “Rehire Recommended” on my exit interview. I left with dignity intact, having never been “Disciplined” in 14 years of work. I was not quitting at the bottom of my time with the company I was leaving at the top of my game and it felt great…and on my own terms.

My last hurrah was the writing a resignation letter. What could I say that was ME? At work every piece of correspondence I would send I would attach “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” at the end. My world was about comic books and I was a proud comic book fan. Bold as some might say. So on my way out I wanted to stress that they had overlooked my talents and that my talents would indeed make a difference… for the competition..anyways..here is my letter as it was sent. The names and company have been blocked obviously..but you get the point..

My actual Resignation Letter. The names have been blocked basically so I dont get sued..LOL

Source: Uploaded by user via Charlton on Pinterest

End Transmission..

P.S. So it was done after 14 years I was officially out of the company that provided for my family for so many years. I keep in perspective not to begrudge the company for the last 6 months as I have very much enjoyed my job and the people I worked with for the most part. Now I have a whole new journey in front of me…weird. Oh one more video for the road which actually sums up how good I feel at this point. Stay positive and positive things will follow..I am slowly learning that this is not just a saying but a fact…cross your fingers for me.

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