DC Comics' Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Video

So far, DC Comics is doing a pretty good job of promoting Wonder Woman's 75th Anniversary. Here is the latest, a video that shows the different looks of Wonder Woman over her 75 years.

If you haven't already seen this, please do. It's awesome!

365 Days of Books of Interest: Day #66: Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years

I only have two 75th Anniversary books: Superman and Lois Lane. But there are still so many more that I want to get: Batman, Teen Titans (50 Years), Robin, Green Arrow and more.

The next one I do plan on buying is Catwoman, she's one of those gray characters. She's neither good nor bad. She has a tendency to steal from the rich as well as from crime bosses but she doesn't always keep the money and jewels for herself. She been known to help the poor, animals, women who are abused and downtrodden.

I've been a fan of Catwoman for a long time and I can't wait to add this to my collection.

Book: Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years by various writers and artists

Description:

First appearing on newsstands in 1940’s BATMAN #1, only a few months after the Bat-Man himself debuted, Catwoman has been essential to the Dark Knight’s world from almost the very beginning. Menacing (and sometimes romancing) the Caped Crusader for more than seven decades, Catwoman has become one of Batman’s greatest villains, but also one of his greatest allies.

Friend or foe, Gotham’s feline femme fatale continually skirts the line between right and wrong. She’s a dangerous criminal whose claws aren’t to be crossed, but she’s also the city’s Robin Hood, using her unlawful talents to help those in need. This rich contradiction has made her one of the most complex and compelling characters in all of comics.

CATWOMAN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS is a stunning retrospective of Catwoman’s history, featuring stories from comic book legends Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Dennis O’Neil, Dick Giordano, Len Wein, Kurt Schaffenberger, Chuck Dixon, Ed Brubaker, Cameron Stewart, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale, Paul Dini, Guillem March and more.

Book of Interest: Robin The Boy Wonder: A Celebration of 75 Years

I really want this book, I just added it to my wish list. It features all the Robins including Stephanie Brown although the New 52 removed her stint as Robin, fans considered her still being one. 

Book: Robin The Boy Wonder: A Celebration of 75 Years by various writers and artists

Description:

Holy anniversary, Batman! Every knight needs to have a squire, and every Sherlock Holmes must have a Watson. So it has been with Batman and his partner in crime, Robin for seventy-five years. The Boy Wonder’s spunk and color balance against the Caped Crusader’s seriousness and gloom to create a perfect partnership, a Dynamic Duo.

Though Batman has always needed a Robin, it hasn’t always been the same Robin. Many different crimefighters have taken up the name and costume, from jovial Dick Grayson to calculating Tim Drake to violent Damian Wayne. Each left his or her mark on the character, and today the Boy Wonder almost as recognizable and beloved as the Dark Knight himself.

Collecting stories from Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Carrie Kelley, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne and more, ROBIN THE BOY WONDER: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS compiles the best moments from seven decades of the Dynamic Duo. It includes Robin’s first appearance by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, as well as tales from industry legends Jim Mooney, Sheldon Moldoff, Frank Miller, Chuck Dixon, Jeph Loeb, Marv Wolfman, Geoge Pérez, Jim Aparo, Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert and more.

Wishlist: Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years

I really want this! I know I still haven't gotten around to reading either the Lois Lane or the Superman 75th anniversary books. They are both still sitting on my bookcase and still sealed up. But I will.

I will probably do the same thing with this one but I still want to read all the stories and see which stories made the cut for the book.

Just like with Lois and Clark's 75th Anniversary I'm working on some posts to honor The Dark Knight so please stay tuned :)


Book: Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years by various writers and artists

Publication: July 22, 2014

Description:

2014 marks the 75th anniversary of Batman, the world's greatest detective! And if a hero is measured by his foes, then Batman is truly the greatest hero of all, as his incredible rogues gallery is unrivaled in comics history. This new title collects the best Batman stories of all time, arranged according to era, and featuring appearances by The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler and many others.

Batman 75th Anniversary: Darwyn Cooke's Batman Beyond short

I still love watching Batman Beyond and I absolutely love this short. This is another amazing 75th Anniversary Batman short.

Batman 75th Anniversary: Bruce Timm's Short

I just love these Batman shorts that have been released for the Batman 75th Anniversary. Oh, I think this is really amazing.

Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short - Video

This was created by Zack Snyder and Bruce Timm and produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

Okay, that was really cool. But it would have been nice if Lois Lane was included more in it, it's her 75th Anniversary as well. It just feels like another DC Comics attempt to diminish Lois Lane's importance. It's funny (and not in a good way) that besides Clark, Lois was in the first issue of Action Comics and yet she's treated as if she's a newly created character.

Again, I like the video, I just wish that Lois wasn't continued to be pushed to the sidelined. It's rumored that Lois will be getting her own comic series in 2014 but I'll believe it when I see it.

Details for Lois Lane and Superman's 75th Anniversary Books

DC Comics is finally deciding to celebrate Lois Lane's 75th anniversary with a special hard cover book. Too bad it doesn't come out until November 27th, it would be nearly the end of the year by then. I guess it's better late than never. So far the cover has been "To Be Determined", I hope the artwork that they end up using is something really good. Lois deserves it. 

Superman will also have a special 75th anniversary book, but DC had announced that earlier but at the time had no plans to also celebrate Lois Lane as well. So don't forget to pick up his book too.

Here are the details from the September solicits for Lois Lane and Superman:

LOIS LANE: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS HC

Written by Jerry Siegel, John Byrne, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and others

Art by Joe Shuster, John Byrne, Phil Jimenez, Frank Quitely and others

Cover by TBD

On sale NOVEMBER 27 • 384 pg, FC, $27.99 US

Don’t miss these tales starring Lois Lane, Superman and more, reprinted from ACTION COMICS #1-2, 6, 484, 600 and 662, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #631, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #2-3, MAN OF STEEL #2, SHOWCASE #9, SUPERMAN #29, 33-34, 58 and 168, SUPERMAN 80-PAGE GIANT 2011 #1, SUPERMAN: LOIS LANE #1, SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #5, 16, 23, 42 and 106, and WONDER WOMAN #170!

SUPERMAN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS HC

Written by Jerry Siegel, Edmond Hamilton, Otto Binder, Cary Bates, Joe Kelly, Alan Moore and and others

Art by Joe Shuster, Wayne Boring, Curt Swan, Doug Mahnke, Dave Gibbons and others

On sale NOVEMBER 27 • 384 pg, FC, $39.99 US

This amazing celebration of all things Superman includes stories from ACTION COMICS #0, 1-2, 137, 242, 544, 775 and 900, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #498, Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, SUPERMAN #11, 17, 53, 75, 76, 141, 149, 247 and 400, SUPERMAN ANNUAL #11 and a 1940 story from LOOK MAGAZINE!

75th Anniversary: Alex Ross' Tribute Art for Action Comics #1

This is a beautiful tribute of Action Comics #1 by Alex Ross. I love Ross' artwork because he has such a way of making his paintings look real. I love everything about this picture it's just so perfect.

75th Anniversary: The New Adventures of Superman's Lois and Clark: From Rivals to Romance

This is my fourth installment for the 75th Anniversary of Action Comics #1 and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman is getting the focus today.

by Book Girl

I thought Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a really great show. We got to see how a rivalry turned into a real romance. It's hard to image with Lois Lane being such a cynic while Clark Kent had such a sunny personality. But it happened.

I found Lois to be smart, self-assured and maybe a bit too proud of all her career achievements. She was the quintessential 90s woman and prior to meeting Clark Kent, she was only concerned with her professional life.

But just as Lois was basking in the glory as top reporter at the Daily Planet, in walks Clark Kent her soon to be rival. Right from the start you could see that Clark was a nice guy who had instantly fallen for Lois. But she didn't really see Clark as a rival at first, she mostly regarded him with animosity because unfortunately for Clark, she only saw him as a pest and a small time reporter who didn't measure up to her reporter skills. But her point of view would change as soon as they were partnered, Lois was quickly finding out Clark was a very good reporter, which kicked off the rivalry.

Throughout the first season, you saw an intense rivalry but it was also pretty funny especially once Superman appeared on the scene which caused Lois to do some crazy things trying to get a story on the Man of Steel. For instance in the episode "Neverending Battle", Clark had no choice but to pull a prank on Lois, due to the underhanded tricks she was using to be the first to get her story. This showed Lois that Clark could easily match her competitive streak and the results were really funny. Lois & Clark: TNAOS is probably the only live-action adaption of Superman that prominently showed the rivalry in such detail, the second would be Superman: The Animated Series.

I think it was their opposite personalities that also contributed to the rivalry, because initially Lois was tough and not so willing to open up to people and not to mention cynical. While Clark was nice and willing to give people a chance and he had a positive outlook on life. But I think they both truly enjoyed the rivalry because it brought out the best in both of them professionally. As the first season progressed Lois and Clark's rivalry was starting to turn into a bit of friendship and by the end of the season you saw hints of mutual romantic feelings between them although Clark also had to deal with Lois falling for his super persona as well.

By season two, their friendship had started to turn into a real romantic chemistry. Their romance was just as intense as their rivalry. Despite a few distractions, their romance grew until the viewers were finally rewarded with the wedding of Lois Lane and Clark Kent. There was a bit of a delay for the wedding because DC Comics wanted to sync up the wedding in the comic book with the one in the show.

I think the marriage made them an even better team. They were truly the dynamic duo. I thought this show was great, it had great characters, humor, drama, romance, action and adventure and fun stories. I just loved this approach to the Superman mythology, because the show focused mainly on the lives of Lois and Clark with Superman helping out along the way.

Art of the Day: Variant Covers for Superman Unchained

Below are the Superman Unchained variant covers for the 75th anniversary. I am pleasantly surprised that Lois Lane is included on three covers. I love seeing the classic Superman suit, I don't think it ever goes out of style.

Silver Age Variant by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez

Happy 75th Anniversary Lois and Clark

This the third installment for the 75th Anniversary of Action Comics #1.

No matter what version or alternate reality they're in, Lois and Clark were simple made for one another.  I don't care what costumes or hair colors they may have, I will always root for them to be together. Their love is as legendary as they are. Happy 75th Anniversary Lois and Clark, here's to you having many more.

75th Anniversary: Smallville's Lois and Clark: Their Journey to Love and Journalism

This is my second installment for the 75th Anniversary of Action Comics #1. This time I decided to focus on Smallville's story of Lois and Clark.

 

 

by Book Girl

 

Smallville changed for the better when Lois Lane showed up in the fourth season. She was this tough talking tomboy who was trying to find out who was responsible for the "death" of her cousin Chloe Sullivan (still not fan of them being related).

 

Once Clark was no longer "Kal-El" and was returned to normal, we got to see the making of the legendary Daily Planet duo as they looked for clues to the whereabouts of Lois' cousin. Right off the bat you could see she challenged him and brought out his competitive spirit. I found it interesting that despite only knowing Lois for a short amount of time, Clark could be himself around her unlike with Chloe and Lana. Even though there was no romance in the beginning, you could see Lois had made an impression on him. She was different from all the other girls in Smallville. I love the banter and snarkiness between the two of them. Once the mystery was solved and Chloe was found safe and alive, Lois embarked on her next adventure, high school. Due to a misunderstanding about her high school credits her father, General Sam Lane re-enrolled her into Smallville high where she would join Clark, well at least until it was all sorted.

Despite the rough edges that were shown during the fourth season you could still see the future investigative reporter in the making. Even though she was reluctant to join the Smallville high school Torch newspaper in the episode Façade, she excelled at reporting and wrote an immensely popular article titled "SKIN DEEP Behind the Mask of the High School Façade". Interesting since she didn't see herself in the news business at all. Her brief stint as a reporter introduced that little spark towards a career in Journalism.

Clark's name might not have appeared on the byline of Lois' stories but he assisted her with not only in the episode "Façade" but also in the episode "Devoted". He went undercover to help her by distracting one of the love crazy cheerleaders so Lois could get her hands on the formula those crazy girls used to drug the football team with kryptonite laced sports drinks. And "Devoted" also marks Clark's return to the school paper having left to play football.

Throughout the remainder of seasons 5 through 7, we got to see both Lois and Clark still trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted to do with their lives. Although, Lois was working at The Talon and Clark was in college (not studying journalism) during the fifth season, that journalism bug was still there. In the episode "Exposed" Lois went undercover to assist Chloe with a story concerning the murder of a stripper, missing women and the possible connection to a politician. Meanwhile, Clark was also investigating the same lead to prove his father's old friend the Kansas Senator wasn't involved with the murder. I find it interesting that both Lois and Clark did all the work but Chloe was the only one with an article printed in The Daily Planet.

Still not sure about her career plans, Lois ended up being Mr. Kent's campaign manager during his run for Senator against Lex Luthor in the episode "Fanatic". Initially she only wanted to help Mr. Kent because Lex insulted her by calling her "a muffin-peddling college dropout" after she suggested he drop out of the political race in the episode "Solitude". Working with Mr. Kent gave her a front row seat into the world of politics and crime and corruption.

I don't think Lois dabbling in politics is off course towards her becoming a journalist because I felt like it gave her a chance to see the fight for truth and justice through working to get Mr. Kent elected. She gained even more experience when she worked for Mrs. Kent after Martha took over as Senator following her husband's death.

Now, while Lois was getting all this experience Clark was mainly focused on the heroics (and brooding over Lana dating Lex) but you could still see where he was heading career wise but just at a much slower pace than Lois. By the sixth season, Lois had finally started working as a reporter albeit at a tabloid paper but she was finally in journalism. Her first big break came when she wrote the article "Unmasking the Green Arrow Bandit" which started her on the path to working at The Daily Planet in the 7th season.

It wasn't until the eight season when Lois was at her one year mark when Clark started working at the Daily Planet. Saying he was a fish out of water was an understatement, poor guy he actually showed up to his first day of work in a plaid shirt and jeans. But with a little help from Lois and a little advice from her "Rules of Reporting", Clark was ready to go.

What I love about seasons 8 through 10, you got to see them both mature and grow into the characters we all know and love. There were still a few bumps along the way but you were starting to see Clark transforming into the Man of Steel (and the introduction of the glasses), Lois turning into the world's greatest reporter (with an amazing wardrobe) and the start of a budding romance between them.

I enjoyed their romantic relationship gradually developing instead of being rushed. They went from friends and colleagues to a meaningful relationship. The romance didn't stop them from being ace reporters either.

These last few seasons brought about some key points for both of them such as Clark discovering and fighting alongside the heroes of the Justice Society of America ("Absolute Justice") and Lois getting a chance to work with the legendary Perry White ("Hostage") gathering information on government conspiracies. I believe these two points showed how their lives were going to play out, Clark embracing being a hero and Lois becoming one of the best reporters around.

Smallville got a lot of flack from some Superman "fans" as not really being about the "real" story of The Man of Steel. But I think the story is there but it was given a fresh take to show how it was not just a discovery for Clark but for Lois as well. They went from being like so many young people trying to figure out their lives to finding their own way to the lives that they wanted. I would consider that being true to the Superman story.

Happy 75th Anniversary Action Comics

Edit: I forgot to add this, on Twitter tonight from 7-9pm EST fans will be celebrating the 75th anniversary with the hashtag #LoisLane75yrs. But don't use the hastag Until that exact time. For more information click here.

Happy 75th Anniversary Action Comics

by Book Girl

Over the next few months I would like to do something special each Thursday to celebrated Lois and Clark's 75th anniversary.

75 years ago, in 1938 Jerry Seigel and Joel Shuster created the soon to be world's best superhero Superman (Clark Kent) and the soon to be world's most daring reporter, Lois Lane. Superman was created to be the champion of the oppressed as well as standing up for what was right. At one point he stood for Truth, Justice and the American way. He still stands for those three things but now he protects the world. They were featured in Action Comics #1 and since then, they have grown to be fan favorites which isn't a surprise at all.

I just love these two and over the years they have become two of my favorite characters. They are great whether together or not. That's why both should be celebrated for the 75th anniversary.

I like Clark Kent/Superman because he was a good guy who just happen to be the most powerful person in the world. Clark was smart, good natured, courageous and kind but this farm boy was no doormat. He may have down played some of his awesomeness but he never let someone truly disrespect him or those around him.



He was also a good reporter perhaps not in the same league as Lois but hey he had a second job as world protector taking away some of his time. I also love the connection he had with his parents and how they provided him with the building blocks to being a good person.

Now as for Lois Lane, she was the feisty to Clark's mild-mannered as well as being a fearless career woman long before the women's movement got started back in 1945. She was a woman working in a predominately male career as a reporter. But she didn't let that stop her because there was nothing that would keep this army brat from going after her story. I just love how tenacious and competitive she is.

Superman wasn't the only one who stood for what's right. Lois Lane will not just sit back and let someone be treated badly for instance in Superman: Birthright, Lois told off the Publisher Mr. Galloway who was bullying and insulting Jimmy Olsen.

 

And lastly, Lois and Clark are wonderful characters in their own right but they are a great team either professionally or romantically. Even in a romantic relationship that didn't stop them from being snarky and competitive but it was with love. I found their relationship to be quite special because they were good friends (whether in love or not) and no matter what they had each other's back. I would like to thank Jerry and Joel for creating two of my favorite characters.