peter john rios

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#125

Hellblazer (1998)

JLA: The final issue of the run that began with Grant Morrison. This storyline takes place during the Infinite Crisis event and, as a whole, the storyarc ends with a whimper. This will eventually lead the way for Brad Meltzer’s run on Justice League of America. (2006)

Legion of Super-Heroes: The final issue of the run that began with Five Years Later. It’s not the same Legion though. At issue 62, post-Zero Hour, the old Legion was gone and the new “Archie” Legion was the focus. The next series after this final issue would be just called “Legion”. (2000)

Marvel Team-Up: There it is. One of three comics picked off the shelf that would kick off my super-hero comics reading. No more Richie Rich. No more reading and rereading my uncle’s comics that he gave me. I was now buying comics. I still have the issue as battered as it is. And it’s probably why I have a soft spot for Tigra. For those keeping score, the other two issues from this same cover month is Captain Carrot 11 and Justice League of America 210. (1983)

New Titans (1995)

New X-Men (2002)

Nightwing: Marv Wolfman returns to the character he created (Nightwing, not Dick Grayson. Although Wolfman’s Grayons IS my Dick Grayson). Anyway, watch this cover and the cover for the next post. Things that make you go Wha-Huh? (2006)

Wolverine: I like anniversary issues. What can I say? (1998)

Wonder Woman: Not many artists can do perspective the Garcia-Lopez way. (1997)

X-Factor (1996)

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From the never read/never owned file:

Superboy: First appearance of Kid Psycho. A character that never really would be in my consciousness except for his random final appearance (and death) in Crisis… 3. (1965)

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From the never read/never owned/covers that just grabbed my attention file:

Birds of Prey: Frank Quitely draws the Birds. Very cool. (2009)

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Superman: Come on. We all know what kind of power THAT is. (1958)

“Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us… In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Does that answer your question? 

Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.”

(via tonguelikeelectric88)

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#219

Cerebus (1997)

Flash: In the Identity Crisis to Infinite Crisis days of DC, this issue (which would continue into Wonder Woman 214) became a hot issue. It may show the power that the overarching story of the falling out between Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman had on the rest of the DCU. It’s been a number of years since I read this issue so I’m unsure what was so special about it. (2005)

Justice League of America: In this two part JLA/JSA team-up story, Black Canary’s origin is explored and a major retcon is put in place that will alter the character from here on out. For years, readers were told that Black Canary originated on the parallel world of Earth-2. In an earlier JLA/JSA team-up, Black Canary’s husband dies and she leaves the JSA to migrate to Earth-1 and join the JLA. Along the way, she somehow gains the ability of her sonic scream. In this 1983 2-part story, it’s revealed that it wasn’t the Golden Age Black Canary that crossed over, but rather the Golden Age BC’s daughter! Turns out, the Golden Age BC had a daughter who was cursed by a villain to emit a sonic scream every time it attempted to talk. This child was placed in a limbo until a cure could be found. Time passes, the child grows up in that limbo in suspended animation. During the JLA/JSA adventure that would kill her husband, Black Canary is stricken by the effects of deadly radiation. Instead of migrating from Earth-2 to Earth-1, the older BC demands to see her daughter once more in limbo. While there, Superman gets the idea to put the Golden Age BC’s memories into her young daughter’s mind, leaving the Golden Age BC, now deceased, in limbo as her final resting place. He then takes the new younger BC to Earth-1 where she now has control of her sonic cry, believes she’s the Golden Age BC and will, eventually, fall in love with Green Arrow. These two issues reveal all of this creating a Golden Age Black Canary and a Modern Age version when the daughter’s identity is eventually restored. Mother and daughter of two different teams, different eras, different worlds. Eventually that retcon would go even further with the merging of all Earths in the great Crisis… but that’s a history lesson for another day. By the way, Perez’ art of this era is definitely a favorite. It’s incredibly detailed, the inks are thick and lush and his costume attention is masterful. It almost looks like Huntress is actually wearing a mask, rather than it being part of her face. If that makes sense. Love it. (1983)

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1976)

Superman: The first part of the 4-part Sacrifice story spinning out of the Omac Project mini-series during DC’s build up to Infinite Crisis. For those who didn’t read DC at the time, there was a definite air of mystery around the buildup - so much so that I just assumed, by the cover solicits, that Superman was actually rushing along to battle villain after villain in some kind of attempt to ambush him during all the chaos. Turns out that Superman was the “villain” of this storyline and it would lead to an eventual confrontation with Wonder Woman which would end in an highly controversial way. DC was great at throwing twists and surprises along the way as they led their readers through this interesting year. (2005)

Uncanny X-Men (1987)

Wonder Woman: The FINAL part of the 4-part Sacrifice story spinning out of the Omac Project mini-series during DC’s build up to Infinite Crisis. The finale and Wonder Woman’s actions would set in motion even more turmoil for the Trinity, for Wonder Woman and her supporting cast, and for the DCU in general. There weren’t many readers (if at all) that truly could guess what would be the outcome of all of this. (2005)

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#234

Daredevil: This. This is the subsequent issue to Born Again, the storyarc that many consider to be the best comic story ever. Madcap. Yikes. Part-Ambush Bug, Plastic Man and a precursor to Deadpool, this story was such a downer. I’ve read in Back Issue! that Denny O’Neil was supposed to follow Frank Miller but he had moved over to DC over conflicts. Marvel had to scramble to do fill-ins before Ann Nocenti joined the book. I’ve noticed many of the great 80s Marvel runs are followed by issues/runs that have nothing to do with what came before. So strange. (1986)

Fantastic Four (1981)

Justice League of America: There’s my girl. In a costume with coloring that makes much more sense than her original blue/yellow outfit. Also, I always dug how the two strands of hair falling down in front of her eyes give her an animalistic/exoctic look. Nice touch to her design. This run and her later appearances in Suicide Squad are the two series that made me a fan of her character. (1985)