Sherlock Holmes Day

 Happy Sherlock Holmes Day!

The reason May 22 is the day to celebrate this holiday is because on this day in 1859, his creator, English author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born. 

The character of Sherlock Holmes first appeared in the 1887 novel A Study in Scarlet. However, he would become popular thanks to short stories starring the character in The Strand, a British magazine. Doyle would go on to write four novels and 56 short stories focused on the character. In the over 150 years since his debut, Holmes's adventures have not only been adapted into various forms of other media, but many authors have written new stories with the character. He also has been parodied and pastiched many a time.

While not the first fictional detective, Holmes is arguably one of the most famous, and helped popularize the genre. Doyle is believed to have drawn inspiration from American writer Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin and French writer Emile Gaboriau's Monsieur Lecoq. Doyle himself has said that one of the inspirations for Holmes was Scottish surgeon Joseph Bell. Doyle had worked for Bell as a clerk, and Bell was known to be quite observant, able to deduce things from a glance.

My first exposure to the character was a small book. It had a gray cover, and it was part of a series of classic literature adapted for children. This small book collected three Sherlock Holmes short stories: The Red-Headed League, The Adventure of the Copper Beeches...and a third. I forget which one it was. But I loved that little book, and I would read the heck out of it. I also was a big fan of the 1980s Grenada TV series starring the late Jeremy Brett as the Great Detective. Heck, my favorite Disney Animated Canon film of all time is the Great Mouse Detective, an adaptation of Eve Titus's books, which were inspired by Holmes. Yeah, I'm a fan.

Holmes is a character that has been retold, adapted, and parodied for over a hundred years. He truly is one of the most iconic fictional characters ever created. So, enjoy a Holmes tale today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

International Tea Day

 Happy International Tea Day!

This day is one that is rather close to my heart, as I am a proud tea-drinker. The first International Tea Day was held on December 15, 2005. This day was held in countries known for the production of tea, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Kenya, and Uganda. In 2019, the Intergovernmental Group on Tea decided to celebrate it on May 21. The United Nations made a resolution to celebrate International Tea Day on December 19, 2020. The U.N. would celebrate the first International Tea Day post-resolution on this day in 2021. 

What is the purpose of this day, you may ask? Well, the purpose of this day is to raise awareness of the history and cultural signifiance of tea around the world. It's not surprising. Tea is one of the most-consumed drinks in the world. You know which country consumes the most tea? You're thinking England, right?

Nope. England has a lot of tea drinkers, but India is the country with the most tea drinkers. They love their tea over there. 

Some of the earliest records of tea drinking can be traced to China's Shang Dynasty, in which it was drunk as a medicine. According to Chinese legend, Emperor Shennong discovered tea thanks to some leaves blowing into his cup of hot water. He drank the mixture and was like, "Hey, this is pretty darn good!" A medical text by physician Hua Tuo from 220 AD is an early credible record of ancient tea drinking. However, 21st century research has been rather inconclusive about the health benefits of tea.

In 1555, Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Ramusio would first make Europe aware of tea thanks to his publication Voyages and Travels. In the 16th century that tea would come to the West, thanks to Portuguese priests. Later on, the British would introduce tea to India in an attempt to break China's monopoly on the drink, but it wouldn't be until the late 20th century that tea would become truly popular there.

In the US, for a long time, tea (at least hot tea) would not be popular thanks to British taxation on British taxation on tea while it was a bunch of colonies. In more recent years, specialty teas would become popular, and sweet tea is quite popular in the South.

So yeah, tea has quite a long and fascinating history, more than I could talk about here. But it is an incredible drink. One that I enjoy a nice cup of every morning. So enjoy a nice cup of tea today! If that's your thing, of course. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and you want to give thsi blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

World Bee Day

 Happy World Bee Day! 

The first World Bee Day was held on May 20, 2014. This day was proposed by the Slovenian Beekeepers' Association to raise awareness of the importance of bees and the pollination process. It's also on this day in 1734 that Anton Jansa, a pioneering figure in beekeeping, was baptized. This was done with the support of the Slovenian government. In 2015, this initiative would become international thanks to Apimondia, aka the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations.

Beekeeping has been practiced by humanity since the days of ancient Egypt and Greece. The Mayans also practiced it in pre-Columbian times.

Bees are very important to ecologies because they are pollinators. They help flowering plants reproduce. As a result, bees can be found in every continent except for Antarctica, naturally.

The most common kind of bee is the Halictidae, or the sweat bees. They're called that because they're believed to be attracted to sweat. There are 4,500 species of bee in this family. The largest bee family is the Apidae family, with over 5,700 bee species. Halictidae bees are the most common bees in the Northern Hemisphere. 

It's estimated that about a third of the human food supply comes from flowering plants. Thing is, bees are under threat. And there are a lot of reasons why. Pesticide usage, loss of habitat, disease, and climate change. Farmers have been working to mitigate this, mainly by planting native flowering plants to encourage bee population growth. 

Bees are important and fascinating little critters. They also are the reason you may enjoy honey. You can learn more about the importance of World Bee Day here. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

International Museum Day

Today is International Museum Day!

This day was first organized in 1977 by the International Council of Museums. It's a day meant to celebrate the importance of museums.

A museum, for those not in the know, is a building that is dedicated to the purpose of collecting and interpreting artifacts. Museums can specialize in a particular artifact, like art museums or natural history museums. Many major cities all over the world have museums. 

The word museum comes from Latin. The word itself was descended from an Ancient Greek term which denoted a place dedicated to the muses, which would be dedicated to the study of the arts and sciences. 

The earliest known public museum was the Ennigaldi-Nanna's Museum, dating to around 530 BCE. It was named after its curator, and is located in modern-day Iraq. It would be discovered by British archaeologist Leonard Woolley in 1925.

Another early public museum is the Capitoline Museums, first opened in 1471 in Rome. These museums came about thanks to Pope Sixtus IV donated some bronze sculptures to the people of Rome. In 1759, the British Museum would be opened. 1793 would see the opening of the Louvre in Paris. Yes, the 18th century was a time of commoners gaining increasing access to knowledge of the past.

The first museum in the United States was the Charleston Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. This museum was opened in 1773, only three short years before the country declared independence from Great Britain. It also had the first female director in 1920 in Laura Bragg. It's a museum decorated to natural history and art. 

So, yeah. Museum have been a large part of community life for generations. So go enjoy one today if you can! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

The Brave and the Bold #2 (May 2007)

Back in August of 2025, I wrote about the first issue of The Brave and the Bold, a team-up comic whose name had a long history. You can learn more about that here. That comic was from the third revival of the title, which lasted until 2010. The title was started by the powerhouse creative team of writer Mark Waid and artist George Perez, and they showed their greatness in that issue. 

We were left in that issue with a bit of a cliffhanger. Batman and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern had been investigating an odd murder which led them to Las Vegas. When there, they discovered that the murder was over the powerful artifact known as the Book of Destiny, a tome that contains all knowledge of the past, the present, and the future. Such a book could not just make for interesting reading, but it would also be devastating in the wrong hands. And last we saw, an alien known as a Venturan had gotten their paws on the book, so that means our heroes are going to need some further help. So, where do we go from here? Let's find out in The Brave and the Bold #2!

The cover is a George Perez and Tom Smith piece. Naturally, it's incredible. It depicts the Hal Jordan Green Lantern and the Kara Zor-El Supergirl in the skies over the planet of Ventura. It's incredibly colorful and detailed. The planet is a casino and gambling world. Think of it as Las Vegas as a planet, and the art shows that well.

"The Lords of Luck (Part II) - Ventura"
Writer: Mrk Waid
Penciler: George Perez
Inker: Bob Wiacek
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Executive Editor: Dan DiDio

The story begins with the Girl of Steel, the Maiden of Might, Supergirl. This isn't the same Kara Zor-El that we last met on this blog battling Kraken. That version was erased from history. This is the post-Crisis version of Kara, a chatty teenager. She's flying in space with Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern.

"No, Kara. Superman said Khund coffee makes you crazy."

The two have some banter, and Hal catches her up (as well as us) on the last issue. Basically, an alien has made off with the Book of Souls, a powerful artifact that has all knowledge of past, present, and the future in its pages. Batman and Hal started the investigation, and the Dark Knight is continuing the investigation on Earth. Hal called in Supergirl to help track the alien...and the trail leads to the planet known as Ventura.

Ventura is, in the tradition of the "Planet of Hats" trope, is basically a massive casino. Their economy is based on gambling. Kara spots a man being tossed out a window...

...from a very high floor of a building. The Kryptonian powerhouse swoops down and saves the man's life. He begs her to help him, claiming that the casino swindled him out of his life savings. A cop tells Kara to not get involved and takes her away. It's revealed to be Hal Jordan in disguise, who explains to her that the man wasn't cheated, he was just unlucky.

You see, a planet of gambling has very strict regulations. Which is how it can be sustained. Hal shows her an example in the form of a time-traveler arriving at a casino. Now, he thinks he has an easy advantage, knowing future lottery numbers. Problem for him is...Ventura has regulations for that, too.

"Smithers...release the hounds."

They also are not fond of Green Lanterns, hence why Hal not only needed backup, he also had to go incognito. My guess is Ventura doesn't like Green Lanterns because their rings allow wielders to find ways to get around the various security devices they use to avoid cheating. 

Supergirl and Hal fly off, Hal pointing out that the perp is using the book to stay ahead of them. Hal cannot assume that they're going to fail, and that it's supposed to be that way. Let's look in on Earth, shall we?

On a nice night in the skies over Texas, a charter plane is flying. The pilot is talking with his wife about their anniversary plans. Batman has stowed away on the plane, and one of the beings that attacked Las Vegas in the last issue has a very nasty alien weapon locked on him. However, the Dark Knight has a savior: Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle.

"Batman always has to be in everything, doesn't he?!"

He shows Batman where he took down the alien sniper...only to find that he's vanished.

And to make things worse, they're now both in the crosshairs. Back on Ventura, Hal and Kara continue their search. The book is in the hands of a powerful alien bookmaker. 

"Ladies, my new novel is a New York Times Bestseller! My thanks to you all!"

He's feeling good. With this book, he could make the biggest killing in Venturan history. He sees an image in the book change, and it leads him to wonder if the book...just rewrote itself?

Elsewhere, Kara and Hal are witnessing a fight between some aliens and a pair of gladiators called the Cragg Brothers. Well, it was a less a fight and more a brutal beatdown from said Craggs. When the Craggs fight, you do not pray to win, you pray to live. 

You see, Hal figures that the book thief were here. Most people would not gamble with small stakes if they had a book that knew the future. They'd want the big score. They want big money, and this arena deals with amounts of currency greater than some planets have.

Kara tries to flirt with Hal, but he's had enough of it. He awkwardly tries to get her to knock it off, but she just flies off in a huff, angry that Hal thinks she's a child. And things just got harder.

The announcer...announces that there is a new combatant in the arena tonight, fresh meat for the Craggs to slaughter. 

Kara planned to murder the costume designer.

Hal then realizes the Maid of Might has got a little plan going.

The Cragg Brothers charge at her, but being a Kryptonian, she easily makes the rocky warriors into piles of rubble. Hal grabs a betting robot and looks up who bet on Supergirl to win. After all, thanks to the Book of Destiny, a better would not only know that the Cragg Brothers would fight Supergirl, but that also she would fight them and win. The Lantern ditches his disguise to get the Venturan, but he's gone, his box a wreck. The Gambling Police arrive and start shooting at our man. Thankfully, Supergirl has his back. She spots him with the book thanks to her telescopic vision. Said Venturan looks through the book to see how he escapes, but it only shows him getting shot and killed. Which happens right then and there. And then someone else makes off with the book.

"Oh Zarquon, my horoscope said this would happen!"

Hey, it's that gambler Supergirl saved earlier! He flees, but Hal manages to catch him. It turns out that he's from the planet Rann, which is associated with the space-faring Adam Strange. He has adventures there. He's actually on Ventura because of a mission. He's a member of an underground rebellion. He came to Ventura to get funds for Rann's war against Thanagar. With this book, Rann could not only win the war against Thanagar, the Thanagarians could be destroyed. He tries to escape with a Zeta Beam, which ends up taking Hal as well.

Supergirl tries to rescue Hal but ends up eating arena floor. Her outfit got torn up, revealing that she was wearing her Supergirl outfit...complete with the Superman logo on it. One of the most famous emblems in the DC Universe. Yeah, she's in trouble.

I have to admit, like the first issue, I really enjoyed this one as well. I liked the exploration of Ventura. The idea that they have all these security features against telepaths and time-travelers and the like makes a lot of sense considering its hat is gambling. There are a lot of ways to cheat in the DCU, and for Ventura, a planet whose economy is clearly heavily dependent on gambling, preventing that is paramount. After all, who'd want to gamble at a casino where there's no fair chance to win? It also is a great subtle way to show just how powerful the Book of Destiny is. If it can foil all of these security measures, then it's something truly dangerous. 

I also got some laughs out of Hal's interactions with Kara Zor-El and Batman's with Jaime Reyes. Intergenerational banter is quite amusing. I couldn't help but feel a bit for Hal. After all, a teenage girl making doe-eyes at Hal and his awkwardness when trying to deal with this? Yeah, poor Hal just wanted to be professional about it.

The Venturan using the book to gamble on a disguised Supergirl winning makes a lot of sense. After all, if you had a powerful artifact that could tell you the future, the temptation to change things to make your own life better will come with it. Supergirl using this trope to her advantage is great as it helps show that she's hardly your stereotypical bubble-headed blonde. And of course, we got one exciting pair of cliffhangers, Hal on his way to Rann and Supergirl getting exposed. 

As for George Perez's art here, well...come on. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you all know how much I love his art, and how sad it is that he's no longer with us. The man left behind an incredible body of work, something to admire for any comic book artist. I hope that more budding comic artists discover his work and get inspired by it.  

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2024 trade paperback The Brave and the Bold: The Lords of Luck. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time! 

Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, Mother's Day is the day we celebrate mothers and mother figures and all they do for us.

The holiday has its roots in 1868. One Ann Jarvis attempted to create "Mother's Friendship Day" as a way to help families get back together after the American Civil War. Jarvis wanted to expand this into an actual memorial for mothers done yearly, but her death in 1905 prevented that. However, her daughter Anna would continue her mother's efforts.

Anna Jarvis would go on to establish the current Mother's Day as we know it in 1905. She campaigned to make it a national holiday. In 1910, West Virginia would be the first U.S. state to declare the holiday officially, the other states at the time quickly following suit. On May 8, 1914, Congress passed a law declaring the second Sunday in May be Mother's Day, which led then-President Woodrow Wilson to declare Mother's Day a national holiday the next day.

Since then, the holiday has been seen as a time to show a little extra love for the mothers of the world, mainly celebrated through the giving of flowers and gifts. So, I hope you got your mother a nice bouquet of flowers and an equally nice little gift today. As well as showed her a little extra love today. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog a little additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Firestorm the Nuclear Man #3 (June 1978)

With the passing of Gerry Conway, I thought a good way to honor him would be to look at something he wrote this week. Now, Conway left behind a rather extensive body of work, not just in comics, but also in television. And since I wanted to look at more DC stuff, I decided to look at something Conway wrote for DC. And it was an opportunity for me to revisit a character we haven't seen much of in this blog: Firestorm. 

Conway created the character alongside another name familiar to Marvel fans: artist/inker/writer/editor Al Milgrom. Conway wanted to bring some of that Marvel energy to DC and write a youthful Spider-Man like teenage character. Firestorm's flaming head design came from Conway's love of the whole "hair on fire" thing. Firestorm was also unique as the hero was two people merged into one, mainly the iconic combination of teenage Ronnie Raymond and middle-aged scientist. This came about as Conway had wanted to not only play about with the trope of the teenage hero getting powers. His idea was to portray the teenager as not the sharpest guy around and ending up sharing the powers with an older person who would understand the power. Hence why Firestorm is two people fused into one.

Al Milgrom, Firestorm's other creator, also took inspiration from Jack Kirby when it comes to the character's design, in particular the character of Lightray. Mainly, in the headpiece he wears. 

As I have said before, this ongoing series ended up not lasting long thanks to the "DC Implosion" of the late 1970s. It seemed as if Firestorm would be doomed to obscurity...thankfully, Conway was also writing the Justice League book, and brought Firestorm into the group, making him one of DC's icons. I can't help but wonder if Firestorm stayed on the team during the Detroit Era, how would his interactions have gone with Vibe, Steel, Vixen, and Cyndi Reynolds? I think he would have been a great mentor to them. Missed opportunity there. Anyway, let's take a look once again at the early days of Firestorm in Firestorm the Nuclear Man #3!

The cover is an Al Milgrom piece. It's pretty good, depicting the newest member of Firestorm's rogues gallery, Killer Frost, giving our hero a big ol' freezing smooch. Behind her is a group of frozen skeletons. This lady has a weird sense of aesthetics. 

"Kiss Not the Lips of Killer Frost!"
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciller: Al Milgrom
Inker: Bob McLeod
Letterer: Ben Oda
Colorist: Mario Sen
Editors: Gerry Conway, Jack C. Harris
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story begins with Firestorm arriving at Bradley High School. Is he there to give a pep talk to the student body? Well...sort of.

"Where's my money, Carmichael?!"

If you've looked at my past reviews of Firestorm issues, you may be familiar with Mr. Clifford "Cliff" Carmichael, years before he'd become an incarnation of the Thinker. Firestorm threatens Cliff that if he starts making cracks about anyone in the school, he'll put him six feet under. Martin Stein, the elder half of Firestorm, is naturally rather annoyed by this. It's bad enough that Ronnie can drag him into becoming Firestorm any time he wants (remember, he was unconscious when he and Ronnie were merged), but now he's just going around threatening people. Ronnie's irresponsibility is hurting him as well. 

The Nuclear Man splits back into his dual identities, Martin having no memory of his time being merged. Again, this is due to him being unconscious when he and Ronnie were merged. Ronnie does feel lousy about the whole thing. He heads to school, noticing Cliff walk by, making no smarmy comments. He is so overjoyed by this he fails to notice Doreen Day trying to get his attention so she can ask him out.

Elsewhere, Stein is taken to the Arctic. You see, there's a geothermal plant being constructed there called Project Mohole in response to the energy crisis (remember, this is the late 70s). Stein is there because he had developed a condensing device that'll help the plant work. It's here he reunites with an old student of his.

"SHUT UP GUYS HE'S MINE!"

Meet Crystal Frost, the only woman on this project, but she was the designer of the plant, and she 2recommended Stein be here. The other scientists all crowd around him, much to Frost's fury. She feels they're ignoring her because she's a woman. Uh, Dr. Frost? I don't doubt you had to deal with sexist BS from insecure manchildren (it was the 70s), and that is really not cool, but I think your reaction is a 2bit...much here.

Frost shows Stein around, while being overjoyed to see him again after all these years. You see, when she studied under Stein in college, she was thrilled that he wasn't bothered by her gender but accepted her mind and skills. She ended falling in love with Stein, and she believes he felt the same way. No other man in the college compared to him as far as she's concerned. She found them all boorish, patronizing, and aggressive. Her words, not mine. They gave her a nickname: the Ice Maiden. 

She goes up to Stein and hugs him while diagnosing her problem. She confesses her feelings to him, but he only saw her as a fellow scientist. He never felt the way towards her that she did towards him. Thing is, I can imagine that Stein does have a lot of respect for Frost, considering what she has achieved. I can imagine he would have had nothing but good things to say about her as a student. Heck, I can imagine he'd have no issue with having Frost as a friend. But he never looked at her in the romantic sense. 

Thing is, Stein is being a bit overly brusque about brushing off her feelings. This infuriates Frost, and she tells him to go laugh it up with the other men. She stomps away feeling angry and bitter when she notices that the thermofrost unit (basically a big super-fridge) was left open.

Indeed, it's not. It's always supposed to be closed. For some bizarre reason, she goes inside the unit and ends up knocking the door closed, trapping her inside. 

Frosty, you couldn't close the door from the outside?! Really?! She ends up trapped in there for two hours. Welp, nice knowing you, Frosty! The other men search for her. Stein can't help but feel this is his fault. he tells the others that Frost was a very withdrawn student. He tried to get her to open up. Come out of her shell, as it were. From his perspective, she always seemed to be...at war with herself mentally, and he hoped that helping her open up would, well, help her find some kind of peace. But she clearly misinterpreted his motives, and he didn't realize it. This helps the others discover where she's at. One of the men tries to unlock the door, but a blast of cold air forces it open. Crystal Frost has been reborn.

"Am I pretty now, Ma?! AM I PRETTY NOW?!"

Evidently the transformation also gave Frosty a haircut and a new outfit. I also think it screwed up her brain. She kisses one of the men, freezing him solid. A group of security men arrive, and they become human icebergs as well. She has one main target: Martin Stein. 

Over at Bradley High in Manhattan, Ronnie Raymond is playing basketball. He shoots, and he SCORES! The Bradley High basketball team (I'm calling them the Atoms. Get it? Because Firestorm the Nuclear Man?) is now twelve points in the lead. Ronnie is thrilled as his girl Doreen is there. He also notices someone talking to Principal Hapgood, and it's gotten him concerned. 

"I'm sorry, but you have to know this: your refrigerator is running."

Back in the Arctic, Killer Frost has cornered Stein and gives him her freezing kiss. Ronnie feels the chill and realizes that Stein's in trouble. He races off in the middle of the game and transforms into Firestorm...ending up in Frost's arms.

"Thanks for helping me try this new lipstick, Firestorm!"

I can imagine Frost is a bit weirded out right now.

The kiss traps Firestorm and causes him to become frozen as well. He manages to break out of the ice. He starts to apply a bit of Pokémon logic. Killer Frost is an Ice-Type, he's a Fire-type. Fire beats Ice, right?

2Blasting Frost with fire only seems to make her stronger somehow. She freezes the ceiling, causing it to come down on our heroes. Firestorm turns the ceiling shards into harmless snowflakes. Ronnie tries to use his matter alteration power on her. Stein warns him that he's never used the power on living beings. It could cause a disaster. And he's right.

"AH, THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY ACTIONS!"

Our hero recovers quickly, and pursues Frost, only for her to seemingly crush him with a piece of wall. However, as part of his power set, Firestorm can pass through solid matter, so it doesn't hurt him. He goes through the floor, Frost in hot pursuit. Stein then has a moment of inspiration.

Frost is now a heat vampire. If she needs heat, then what happens if she is trapped in somewhere cold? That gives Ronnie his own idea, using his power to surround Frost and trap her in a refrigeration unit. As the temperature drops, she slowly becomes immobile. She pleads with Firestorm to let her out but then turns around and screams that she'll kill him. The issue ends with her being frozen solid, and Ronnie lamenting the situation. 

This was an... alright issue. I do think that Killer Frost being a heat vampire and using it to fuel her powers is a neat twist on how cryokinetic powers work. Other adaptations tend to ignore this aspect of her powers, and I think it's a shame. But I can understand why. Adaptations like to simplify where possible, after all.  

Honestly, I think Frost's transformation would have had more impact had we gotten to know the character a bit more when she was still human. Also, she talks about how she is treated with disrespect by her male co-workers, I would have liked to have seen more of that here. I also liked the tragic nature of Crystal's story. She thought she had found love with Stein, but he just saw her as a good student who needed a mentor and a friend. If Stein wasn't so brusque towards her, maybe things would have been different. 

I did like the scene where Stein and Ronnie were arguing early on about Ronnie misusing his powers, and how becoming Firestorm upends his own life. It makes sense there'd be friction between the two over being Firestorm. Remember, at this time, Stein has no control over the Firestorm Matrix. It's all Ronnie in the driver's seat. And even worse? At the time, Stein would have no memory of being Firestorm. So yeah, his life gets wrecked because Ronnie is high on being Firestorm. It's a shame this issue doesn't really resolve it or set up some way of resolving it in the future. I do get the intention of the ending, I just think the execution could be better. 

Al Milgrom is a fine artist. His work isn't unique like a Byrne or a Kirby or a Perez, or even the Buscemas, but the man does great artwork in his own right. It does the job just fine. 

Crystal Frost was the first Killer Frost, but she's arguably the most obscure of the Killer Frosts. That's because she didn't stick around too long. In Firestorm #21 (March 1984), it was discovered that her mutation was deteriorating her body, slowly killing her. Firestorm tried to give her his power in order to help sustain her, but her body couldn't handle it and she, well, blew up real good. But it would not be the end for Killer Frost.

Frost had a friend named Louise Lincoln. In her grief and desiring revenge against Firestorm over Crystal's death, she recreated the experiment that transformed Frost and became the second Killer Frost in Firestorm #34 (April 1985). She would be the current Killer Frost until the New 52 reboot.

With the New 52, a new Killer Frost was introduced: Caitlin Snow. First appearing in Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #19 (June 2013), she would be a member of the Suicide Squad and the Justice League. Now, I'm not sure if she was created for the CW Flash series and then brought into the comics, or it was the reverse like it was for the Ava Ayala incarnation of the White Tiger. Based on what I could figure out, she did come from the comics originally, but don't quote me on that. And since the DCU's been through at least twenty thousand continuity reboots since then, Killer Frost's history in the DCU now is basically just...who knows. 

To Gerry Conway, I say this: Thank you. Thank you for all your contributions to comics and television. Rest well. You earned it.

If you want to read this story for yourself, I suggest tracking down the 2011 trade paperback Firestorm: The Nuclear Man. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

World Donkey Day

Happy World Donkey Day, everyone!

May 8 is World Donkey Day. This is a day to celebrate and recognize the hardworking animal known as the donkey. World Donkey Day (May 8) was started by a scientist named Ark Raziq. Raziq's scientific specialty was the study of desert-dwelling animals. He realized that the donkey had played a big part in helping build human society, and he felt they should be recognized for it. The first World Donkey Day was set up and celebrated in 2018, descended from a Facebook group he started dedicated to donkeys.

The donkey's relationship with humans is a long one, with humans having first domesticated them in Africa around 5000-7000 years ago. The origin of the word "Donkey" is lost to history, although there are some theories. 

Donkeys have long been valued by humans because they are seemingly the perfect working animal. Donkeys can run up to around 30 mph. They are strong animals, able to tug heavy loads for many miles. They are also somewhat self-sufficient and can bear harsh conditions. These animals have a reputation for being stubborn, but diligent and persistent. They can live between 50-54 years. Donkeys can be found all over the world, being used for various purposes, from working farms to being pets. They have also been used for meat and milk. 

There are believed to be over 40 million donkeys in the world, most of them living in underdeveloped places. There are also feral populations of donkeys in various places around the world, including North America. Australia has them, but they're considered an invasive pest. In more developed places, donkeys tend to be used as pets or to guard livestock. Wild donkeys primarily live in deserts, where they are solitary and form home ranges. Donkeys were introduced to North America by the Spanish in the 15th century. They became popular in Ireland in the 17th century thanks to Oliver Cromwell confiscating horses there. 

So, yeah. Donkeys are hardworking critters, and they should be given their flowers for that, as they say. Thanks for reading this blog entry! if you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and ant to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Cinco de Mayo

 Today is Cinco de Mayo!

You're probably asking yourself, what is Cinco de Mayo? Well, it's a holiday celebrated in both the United States and in Mexico on May 5, Cinco de Mayo literally meaning "May 5th" in Spanish.

Both countries celebrate the holiday rather differently. In the US, the day is seen as a celebration of Mexican-American culture. In fact, it's often mistakenly seen as the Mexican Independence Day, but that's not accurate. The actual Mexican Independence Day is September 16th, which celebrates the Cry of Dolores, the event that triggered Mexico's fight for independence from Spain.

The American version of Cinco de Mayo is believed to have started in 1863, among Mexican miners in California. They were overjoyed that their home nation was standing up to the French Empire, so overjoyed that they broke into spontaneous celebration. The American Cinco de Mayo would mainly be celebrated in California up into the 1940s, when the rising Chicano Movement would help spread it to the rest of the United States. In the 1980s, many marketing firms, especially beer companies, sensed the celebratory nature of the holiday and used it to promote various products. This would help make the holiday much more popular in the US, and further evolve it into the modern celebration of Mexican-American culture it is.

In Mexico, it's a minor holiday. There, it's the day where the Mexican Army, led by Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In 1860, the Mexican Civil War, aka the Reform War, had ended. The war had wrecked Mexico economically. As a result, then-President Benito Juarez had been forced to suspend payments of interest on foreign debts for a couple of years, which angered Spain, Great Britain, and France. The three countries formed the Tripartite Alliance, the goal to basically invade Mexico and force them to make the payments.

The three nations would invade in 1861, occupying the port city of Veracruz, and marching to the city of Orizaba. Mexico was able to negotiate with Britain and Spain, and the two countries withdrew from Mexico. But France, under Napoleon III at the time, wanted a war. France wanted to rule Mexico. France wanted to make Mexico part of its empire.

At the Battle of Puebla, 4,000 Mexican Army soldiers stood up against 6,500 Frenchmen. The Mexicans managed to defeat the French at this battle, despite the French being better-equipped. 87 Mexicans died in the battle, 131 got wounded, and 12 went missing. They managed to capture 35 Frenchmen, wound 304, and kill 476. The Battle of Puebla was not just a big political victory for Mexico, it also provided a major morale boost for the people and defenders of Mexico.

In 1862, Juarez had declared May 5th a national holiday in Mexico, where it's called "Battle of Puebla Day" or "The Battle of Cinco de Mayo". It's mainly celebrated in Puebla City, where the battle occurred, with limited celebrations throughout the rest of Mexico.

And that is Cinco de Mayo. I hope you have a wonderful day, and you got to learn something neat! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Star Wars Day

  Happy Star Wars Day!

Star Wars Day is an informal holiday that celebrates the Star Wars franchise. Fans of the franchise have celebrated this day since the first Star Wars movie came out in 1977. The usage of this date as "Star Wars Day" is because it's a bit of a pun. "May the Fourth", as in "May the Force be with you!" 

The first Star Wars movie actually was released on May 25, but again, the "May 4" pun. That day has been celebrated as Geek Pride Day. In 2011, the first organized celebration of Star Wars Day was performed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada by the Toronto Underground Cinema. The celebration included a costume contest and showing of fan films. 

The Star Wars franchise is considered one of the most successful live-action film franchises in history, having made over $10 billion in the box office over the last nearly fifty years. It also has greatly expanded to other mediums: television, novels, comics, cartoons, etc. It has fired the imaginations of fans the world over, inspiring other directors like Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan. And to this day, it's still going strong. So, enjoy some Star Wars today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

International Leopard Day

Today is International Leopard Day!

There are eight species of leopards, native to Africa and Asia. Leopards also used to be native to Europe, but they ended up extinct during the Late Pleistocene era.

Leopards have soft thick fur, which is especially soft at the belly. Leopards are known for having spot-like markings on their bodies, which are actually called rosettes. Since leopards live in a variety of areas, their colorings and rosettes can vary depending on the species. While leopards are commonly thought of as yellow in color with dark rosettes, leopards can actually come in a variety of colors, from pale cream to ochre, and even black. No one knows the exact purpose of the rosettes, but the general theory is that it's a form of camouflage. 

Wild leopards have the biggest distribution of all the big cats, but it's under great threat from human activities and population fragmentation. As I said earlier, leopards live in a variety of areas: rainforests, steppes, and even mountains. They mainly prey on large hoofed animals and primates, hunting by stalking and ambushing. They will drag their prey up a tree, as leopards are good climbers. Leopards also have great senses of sight and hearing, which aids in their hunting. They have strong jaw muscles, which allows them to tow carcasses larger than them. They are primarily nocturnal animals, active from dusk till dawn.

Leopards are generally solitary animals, with male and female leopards alike having home ranges. A male's home range can overlap several female ones, presumably as a way to increase chances of having cubs. Leopard litters can have about 2-4 cubs in them, and females normally birth litters every 15-24 months. 

Leopards have been part of many cultural myths. Among the Ashanti, for example, leopards are symbolic of leadership. In Ancient Greece, leopards were associated with Dionysus. In the myths, he used leopards as a form of transportation. He was once rescued from pirates by a pair of leopards, according to another myth.

So, yeah. Leopards are fascinating, beautiful creatures that have fascinated humanity for centuries. Show them some love today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

International Wild Koala Day

Today is International Wild Koala Day!

This day is meant to celebrate the Australian marsupial known as the koala. Yeah, koalas are sometimes called "koala bears", but they are not bears. They are marsupials. Like kangaroos, their babies are called joeys and spend the first few months of their lives in their mothers' pouches. Koalas are sedentary animals. This means they don't like to move around much. They sleep up to twenty hours a day. Some would say they're living the dream.

They also are asocial animals. That means they don't hang out with friends much. Koalas can have a body length of between 24-33 inches and can weigh between 9-33 pounds. They can live around 13-18 years in the wild. They have few natural predators, thanks to their diet. They predominately eat eucalyptus leaves. These leaves contain toxins that make the koala a very unattractive choice for food.

Koalas are naturally native only to Australia, mainly along its eastern coast. They are often depicted as gray in color, but koala fur can actually range from a silvery gray to a chocolate brown in color. Northern koalas are generally smaller and have lighter-colored further than southern koalas. 

The word 'koala' comes from the Dharug word "gula", which means "no water". This is a reference to koalas not drinking much water, as they get it from their leaf diet. Aboriginal Australians hunted these critters and incorporated them into their mythology. The first European contact with the koala occurred in 1798.

Koalas are, like kangaroos and emus, considered a symbol of Australia, like bald eagles are to the United States.

So, yeah. That is the koala for you. They're fascinating creatures, aren't they? Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time! 

International Sun Day

Today is International Sun Day!

International Sun Day is a day in which we honor, well, the Sun. The Sun has been honored and revered by many ancient cultures around the world. After all, the sun is something people all over the world had seen. 

However, this little day has a bit more of a modern origin. You see, on this day in 1978, the United States Congress passed a resignation to promote solar power. The US President at the time, Jimmy Carter, was a promoter of solar power. He even had solar panels put on the White House. They'd get removed by Ronald Reagan. Carter had promoted solar power in response to the energy crisis at the time. The day had been conceived by environmental advocate Denis Hayes, who also conceived of Earth Day. In 1994, it'd become an international event.

While not really considered an official holiday, Sun Day is still celebrated by environmentalists. One place they celebrate is Cadillac Mountain in Maine. That's because for a portion of the year, it's one of the first places in the U.S. that is touched by the sun when it rises. 

In the years since, solar panels have become much more common. I've seen a few solar farms here in New York, where I live. Texas has become a big place for solar. And solar panels have even been used to power the rovers that run around on Mars. The sun has helped light the Earth for millions of years, and now it could help power it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you like it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!

Marvel: The Lost Generation #8 (July 2000)

It's that time again! It's time to look in on the adventures of the First Line, the Lost Generation of Marvel Super Heroes! Last time, we saw the First Line's disastrous mission in the country of Halwan, one that caused the Black Fox to pull a "Screw you guys, I'm going home" on the team. And that was basically it. So, where do we go from here? As we go further backwards through the First Line's history, what further key moments for the team will we see? Let's find out in Marvel: The Lost Generation #8!

The cover is a John Byrne and Al Milgrom piece. It's really cool, showing the vampiric Nocturne looming over Pixie, ready to tear into her neck like a hungry man at a buffet. The background shows the Black Fox with stake in hand, ready to try and save his longtime ally from his also-longtime enemy. It gives me the vibe of a movie poster. 

"The Tomb of Diablo"
Writers: Roger Stern, John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins in a time we really haven't seen yet: the late 22nd century, the home time of Cassandra Locke, that time-traveling scientist that kept popping up in previous issues. In Tranquility City, her father Dr. Alexander Locke and his team have managed to find Cassandra in the era of the Cold War, her specialty when it comes to historical research. They manage to get a visual of her reading some microfilm in a library. 

They're amazed that Cass would go this far in her research, but Alex is not surprised. She's always been a bit reckless. A Skrull ambassador named Zorn is outraged. Cassandra's actions threaten to alter history in a very bad way. The team are doing what they can to prevent this, and Zorn hopes they succeeded. 

In said library, Cassie is doing some research. She's discovered that there has been Skrull activity on Earth as far back as 1947. She finds this contradicts Zorn and his peace delegation. Cassandra's thoughts imply that a lot of this history was lost by her time, and she laments that she can't record it all now. As she leaves, she is amused by the 1970s fashions of the passers-by.

The scene next shifts to Chicago, where a certain family is enjoying a Grateful Dead show. 

"Next time we should go see the Byrds!"

Yup, it's the MacRae family. Freddie MacRae, aka Captain Hip, got his leg busted fighting a group called the Purple Gang, which is likely a nod to the Detroit-based Jewish Mafia criminals that operated during Prohibition. A group of masked men attack the family, only to be saved by the Black Fox. 

"Besides, they're heavy!"

Little Truth thinks he's the coolest thing ever, the beginning of an obsession that she would have for her entire short life. Fred is furious with the Fox, calling him a violent fascist and a Nixon supporter. The Fox jokingly admits he did, and it's not something he's proud of. As he flies off, he thinks about the MacRaes. His Foxcopter touches down in a hangar at Foxwood Farms, just outside of Chicago, Illinois. He notes that the old hippie seems familiar, a bit of foreshadowing. 

It leads him to think about how lucky the old hippie is to have a wife and kid. It's something that Robert Paine himself never could dedicate his life to. He wonders if he should have taken in a ward (a clear reference to Robin, as Black Fox is a Batman pastiche), but decides against it, as said ward may have ended up as screwed up as Kid Justice, always trying to live up to the legacy of the Yankee Clipper. But Robert's thoughts are tabled as he has a visitor.

"Like my new headband?"

Pixie's call is not just a social one, though. Turns out that she needs the Fox's help for a mission. The two head to the nation's capital, where they meet up with Colby, who gives them a briefing. The government's been keeping tabs on Ionel Ceausescu, who is a distant relative of the president of Romania at that time. So, this story is set at some point after March 28, 1974, as that was when Nicolae Ceausescu became president of the country, and would rule it with an iron fist until shortly before Christmas 1989. 

Yeah, I'm a bit of a history buff. Ionel's been suspected of criminal ties. He was photographed talking to another man. It didn't seem odd, until the film was developed. Remember, this is decades before digital photography. It turns out the man Ionel was talking to...was invisible to a camera. 

"Well, that's a neat trick."

It's clear that the First Line's old nemesis Nocturne is active. Pixie thought he was dead, naturally. Black Fox refuses to believe he is truly gone until he is holding the vampire's heart. Pixie used to know Romania pretty well, so she could help out here. The two go to the Romanian village of Petralova. They're to meet an Agent Groza. They meet him, alright. But not in the condition they hoped.

Turns out he died of boredom waiting for the heroes to arrive.

Yup. He's dead, First Line. At the hands of Nocturne. It's here that a man from the home militia points a gun at them, announcing they are under arrest. Classic detective story trope. Fox and Pixie try to convince the guardsman that they're just an executive and his secretary who was meeting a man to talk a trade agreement. Thankfully, someone else vouches for them as well.

"I also have glorious 70s facial hair!"

Yes, Doctor Strange. He was shown to be around in issue #12, set in the late 1980s. So it does make sense he'd be around in the 1970s. Strange is able to get the militia man to back off, presumably with the help of some magic, and the two catch up. It turns out that Fox and Strange have known each other in the past, as they dealt with an issue with a "haunted house". The Marvel Appendix's entry on Black Fox theorizes that this may have been a reference to the House of Shadows, which first appeared in Strange Tales #120 (May 1964), and would go on to appear in Moon Knight's book as the Midnight Mission.

So, why is Strange here? Well, sadly, like Pixie and Bobby Paine, he's not here to sightsee. He fears that someone is attempting to interfere with the tomb of future Fantastic Four villain Diablo.

It makes sense that Diablo would be around in the 1970s. In the 9th century, he sold his soul to Mephisto (Marvel's version of Satan) for long life so he could find the alchemical secret to true immortality, as established in Fantastic Force #18 (April 1996). In Fantastic Four #35-36 (November-December 2000), it was revealed that in the 19th century, Diablo was in Transylvania, making alliances with the local vampires, including presumably Dracula himself. Yes, Dracula is a thing in the Marvel Universe. That whole thing would end up with him magically trapped in his castle. So, it makes sense that in the 1970s in the Marvel Universe, he's still trapped in there. If Diablo is released, he'll start a new reign of terror in the region, which is right up Nocturne's alley. Also, if Nicolae Ceausescu was bad, Diablo would be even worse, because he has alchemy. 

Yeah, remember what I said about Diablo making alliances with vampires. Keep that in your brain, it'll come in play later.

The three head to Castle Diablo.  They pull a Fred Jones and split up over Black Fox's objection because time is of the essence, and they can search the castle faster that way.

Pixie finds something interesting in the castle. 

"I know Klingons have their blood wine, but this is ridiculous!"

Amusingly, Pixie remarks that this place is somewhere Dr. Frankenstein would love. It's funny she says that as the Frankenstein family is part of the Marvel Universe, too. Gotta love public domain. She discovers jars full of blood on a shelf, and someone calling to free her, presumably Diablo himself. Pixie's speech balloon hints that ol' Esteban is hypnotizing her, but Nocturne steps in, saying his will a greater...and she will obey him.

On the southern face of the castle, Black Fox sneaks his way into the castle, noting how appropriate Nocturne would come to a place like this. After all, the old monster has always played the child of the night. We then get a flashback of a moment that changed the Fox's life forever. In the past, the villainous Nocturne had captured the Fox's girlfriend Miriam (no last name given) The Fox tried to save her from the vampire, but he was unable to thanks to Nocturne breaking his legs. The vampire killed Miriam, and that was the day the Black Fox was truly born.

Back with Pixie! She wonders why she can't break her bonds, even though she should easily be able to. A bit of hypnosis is why. She gets grossed out by Nocturne drinking some blood, see it as taking his vampire act too far. Thing is...it's no act. Nocturne is a legit vampire.

"I managed to have a face even my mother couldn't love!"

Pixie finds a flaw in his confession. You see, Nocturne has been known to use a device to drain the blood from people that leaves five holes in the neck to kill people. Well, he uses it to avoid siring more vampires. He doesn't need the competition. You know, I can't help but wonder if Nocturne ever crossed paths with Dracula. He does consider trying to make Pixie a vampire, though. After all, he loves the idea of the First Line hunting her down, and it would hurt Black Fox more. Thankfully, that possibility 2never comes to pass thanks the Black Fox swooping down like an avenging angel and staking Nocturne in the heart. He has suspected that Nocturne was a legit vampire. Which make sense, this is the Marvel Universe, after all. He is admittedly a bit disappointed, as it was too easy.

However, Nocturne is not easily brought down. He yanks out the stake, pointing out that only keeps a 2vampire trapped in a coffin. I'm not sure if that's true. Thankfully, Doctor Strange is around, and he has something that can give a vampire a ton of pain. 

"I can finally see!"

Thing is, that don't work, either. It's here that Nocturne reveals why he was at Diablo's castle. Remember when I said earlier about Diablo making alliances with the local vampires in the 19th century in Romania? That's why Nocturne is here. Diablo's potions have altered his vampiric physiology, making him more biologically human. Which means he can now stand the light of the sun. Pixie then gets an idea.

Nocturne's altered physiology now allows him to be affected by the Eternal's petrifying pixie dust, which she demonstrates on Nocturne by turning his right arm into a rock. 

Nocturne learned the hard way why no one touches Pixie without consent.

Robert Paine nails the vampire with a Mighty Punch to the jaw, forcing him into retreat.

Fox yells for Strange to stop him, but there's a bigger problem: Diablo's crypt is opening up. Fox realized Nocturne planned this. Strange is able to reseal the alchemist and the castle, setting the stage for his eventual return in the Modern Age of Marvels. The Black Fox laments that now they have no idea where Nocturne is, nor where to start looking for him. Pixie isn't worried about that. He may come to them. After all, they still have his stone arm. 

I didn't realize this until I wrote this blog entry, but it can be hinted that the knowledge that Nocturne picked up in his time in Diablo's castle helped lead to the development of his Alchem-Tech that he unleashed in NYC around a decade later in issue #11.  

I enjoyed this issue. It's a solid, fun adventure story. I also liked that we get to explore the past of the Black Fox a bit more, showing exactly why he is the way he is. Yeah, you can criticize this as part of the whole "Women in refrigerators" thing, and I can see why. It's an old trope in comics, arguably in media in general. It especially doesn't help that we don't really know anything about Miriam. Just that she was Robert Paine's girlfriend and a victim of Nocturne, who only did it to torture Paine.  So, yeah. Take that for what you will. 

I also enjoyed seeing the MacRae family again, as well as the beginnings of Truth's obsession with the Black Fox. I would have loved to have seen them explored more because a pair of married superheroes isn't something you see often in Marvel Comics outside of Scott Summers/Jean Grey and Reed 2Richards/Sue Storm. Especially if the two married heroes are former hippies raising a child. You could get some good stories out of that. I can imagine Truth, as a way of rebelling against her, pulling an Alex P. Keaton. Her obsession with the Black Fox could tie into that, seeing him as a true example of a superhero that fights for "law and order", unlike her hippie parents. Just a thought. 

I've said it before about John Byrne's art, but I do like it here, even though it's not as "clean" as twenty years earlier with his work on X-Men. Again, art evolution, age, inkers, they can all have an effect. 

If you want to read this yourself, sadly, as I said before, this maxiseries has never been released as a standalone trade. It was collected as part of a 2018 Omnibus: The Marvel Universe by John Byrne, Vol. 2. Otherwise, you're just going to have to search your local comic shop's back issue bins and hope they have it. Or get the issues on Amazon or eBay. Honestly, I'd love a trade of this maxiseries. It's a lost part of the Marvel Universe's history, and it deserves more exposure. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give my blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!