The upcoming paperback release of Comic Shop: The Retail Mavericks Who Gave Us a New Geek Culture by Dan Gearino prompted me to finally read the hardcover I was sent a year and a half ago. Boy, that was a comprehensive trip through comic industry history! Gearino, a business journalist from Columbus, Ohio, puts local store The Laughing Ogre in the center of his history of how the direct market, the non-returnable distribution system for comic books, began and changed […]

Friend of the blog Bob Greenberger has been writing a series of hardcover books about DC comic characters under the umbrella title 100 Greatest Moments. The first book, reviewed by KC, was Justice League: 100 Greatest Moments: Highlights from the History of the World’s Greatest Superheroes. The second is DC Comics Super Heroines: 100 Greatest Moments. The publisher was kind enough to send me a copy, and while I’m thrilled about the idea of the content, seeing so many accomplished […]

Given that superheroes began as examples of those who could bring justice, it’s fun to see the Super Friends versions used for moral instruction. Super Heroes Say Please by Morris Katz is a 20-page board book for ages 0-3 about manners. Uncredited clip art shows classically illustrated heroes being polite and kind. They introduce themselves, shake hands, say please when they need help, take turns, share, and compliment each other. It was odd for me to notice just how many […]