Halloween Month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog! Marvel Comics’ Doctor Strange movie is coming out soon.
With every single Marvel Comics character apparently coming to a large or small screen near you it’s only a matter of time before we’re treated to Brother Voodoo – another of their neglected horror heroes.
And here’s another look: Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
With superhero Cosplay rivalling monster themes for Halloween these days I figured it was a good time to showcase the various superhero pantheons that Balladeer’s Blog has examined in a style similar to my mythology posts.
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AUSTRALIAN SUPERHEROES
Sampling: Vixen – She’s part human and part fox … The Jackaroo – Picture a costumed Crocodile Dundee … The Technocrat – She’s a mutant technopath with a flying rocket-skateboard … The Southern Squadron – Australia’s home-made team of superheroes.
Top Hero On List: Dark Nebula – A cosmic and mystical hero whose adventures combine science fiction and the supernatural, like Doctor Strange meets Green Lantern.
Comment: For this list I went ONLY with superheroes created by Australian writers and artists and published in Australia.
FOR THE OTHER AUSTRALIAN HEROES CLICK HERE Continue reading
Filed under Halloween Season, Superheroes
As always October is one long celebration of Halloween here at Balladeer’s Blog. The hulking undead figure in the picture is Simon Garth, the title character in Tales of the Zombie from Marvel Comics. Marvel still hasn’t properly used their horror figures, with just Blade the Vampire Slayer (Debut Year 1973) and the Ghost Rider (Debut Year 1972) getting treatment on the big and small screens.
For additional pics and my in-depth examination of Tales of the Zombie, Satana the Devil’s Daughter and three others Continue reading
Filed under Halloween Season, Superheroes
In recent years Halloween has become just as much about superhero cosplay as about horror, so here’s a masked crime-fighter who combines elements of both. Will Eisner’s superhero the Spirit – who debuted in 1940 – rose from the grave of his secret identity Denny Colt.
The Spirit’s secret HQ lay underneath Wildwood Cemetery and his Rogue’s Gallery of foes included gangsters and supervillains as well as supernatural and sci-fi menaces.
The art and narrative innovations that Eisner introduced in his Spirit stories cannot be overstated.
After the original 1940-1952 run of the character the Spirit has been kept alive over the decades in various reprint series and new adaptations.
There was even a made for tv movie about the Spirit in 1987 with Sam “Flash Gordon” Jones as Denny Colt/ The Spirit. I reviewed that item HERE . The 2008 theatrical film version directed by Frank Miller is better known. Continue reading
Filed under Halloween Season, Superheroes
Foolkiller drawing his Purification Gun.
These days in pop culture it’s Marvel Comics’ world and the rest of us are just possible LMD’s. Regarding one of their rare missteps my script doctoring of Marvel’s handling of Foolkiller continues with Part 22. Wonder what all this is about? FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE
Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) attempts to end the reign of terror of the Scavenger of Atlanta, at that time still on the loose following the hurried wrap-up to the 1970s run of the original Man-Thing series.
*** ADULT THEMES AND VIOLENCE ***
We’re up to issue number five of the Foolkiller solo series. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
This time around the subject is the 1968 Mexican film Batwoman (La Mujer Murcielago).
For starters this should NOT be confused with the Jerry Warren film The Wild, Wild World of Batwoman, but often is because Warren was the stateside distributor for plenty of Mexican films in the 50s and 60s. This movie is purely a Luchadora film with Batwoman being a wrestler as well as a seasoned crime fighter.
It’s not quite fair to call this a “bad” film, but it is a bit of a weird one. In my view it’s much tighter and more entertaining than most of the El Santo movies from Mexico. And I’m not just saying that because of how incredibly sexy the star Maura Monti is. She has an arresting (see what I did there) figure that’s perfect for her version of the Batwoman outfit: a bikini, boots, mask and cape.
Like the Turkish movie Three Dev Adam, which features Spider-Man, Captain America and El Santo, this little honey did not pay for character rights but slipped under the radar long ago thanks to its south-of-the- border origins. Maura Monti has a certain screen presence that was lacking in other Luchadora flicks like Wrestling Women vs the Aztec Mummy. And this movie is nowhere near the embarrassment that Halle Berry’s Catwoman was. Continue reading
Filed under Bad and weird movies, Superheroes
She also never expected him to get so much enjoyment out of killing her. Look at that smile!
(FOR A SERIOUS LOOK AT AUSTRALIAN SUPERHEROES CLICK HERE )
Another entertainment world scoop for Balladeer’s Blog. My sources in the industry – and by the industry I mean the business – have told me Zack Snyder’s next foray into pointlessly glum and operatically melodramatic superhero stories will see Superman killing off his love interest Lois Lane.
Unfortunately audiences may have quite a long wait for this little honey because first Kal El has to be brought back to life in the Justice League movie.
Snyder’s plan for a film trilogy about the last day in the life of Bruce Wayne’s parents will also get in the way since my sources tell me that Zack STILL doesn’t think that audiences understand Batman’s origin story. Continue reading
Filed under humor, Superheroes
Foolkiller with his Purification Gun
Superheroes are everywhere these days! My script doctoring of Marvel’s mishandling of Foolkiller continues with Part 21. Wonder what all this is about? FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE
Foolkiller (Greg Salinger) delivers some vigilante justice to a human trafficking ring and tangles with an obscure Marvel Comics superhero who foolishly tries to interfere with our antihero’s efforts.
The Foolkiller name is based on the figure from 19th Century American folklore.
The Maggia is the Marvel Comics Universe’s pastiche of the Mafia.
*** ADULT THEMES AND VIOLENCE ***
We’re up to issue number four of the Foolkiller solo series. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
Infinite Horizon, with their two newest members
The Israeli superhero team called Infinite Horizon (Adiri Atchelet) has been a sensation so far with readers of Balladeer’s Blog.
As promised, in the near future I will post an article examining the two newest members of the team – Young Lion and Mediator.
In the meantime, here they are on this cover alongside the team members we’ve already met, like Doctor Z’Roa, Splendor, Titan, Gazelle, Professor Fever and Monitor (seen here in his new all-purple costume).
FOR MY ARTICLE ON THE MEMBERS OF INFINITE HORIZON CLICK HERE
FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SUPERHERO PANTHEON Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
Professor Fever fighting his teammates in Infinite Horizon – Gazelle, Dr Z’Roa, Splendor, Titan and Monitor.
Infinite Horizon, the Israeli super-team that Balladeer’s Blog examined recently, are proving pretty popular with readers! Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
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