This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at the best new superheroes from DC’s First Issue Special, in which they introduced new characters to see if they drew enough fan response to get their own series.
FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL Vol 1 #12 (March 1976)
Title: Starman
Synopsis: A blue-skinned alien from the warlike Tradlavian race, Mikaal Tomas, was sent to Earth to start laying the groundwork for his planet’s invasion of our world. His female mate Lyssa was slain by his own people when she showed compassion for previous planets conquered by the Tradlavians and tried to warn Earth.
Disillusioned with his own race following that, Starman battled and defeated the first wave of the Tradlavian invasion and prepared to defend Earth from the impending additional attempts. The energy crystal he wore granted him superpowers like flight, the ability to shoot energy blasts from his hands, a degree of superstrength and rapid healing. Continue reading
A SESAME STREET CHRISTMAS CAROL (2006) – This 46 minute special, which presents Oscar the Grouch as the Ebenezer Scrooge substitute, opens and closes with some very Christmassy scenes of artificial snow falling on the Sesame Street set. The apartments on that street are all decorated for the holiday so everything looks very festive. 
FLORIS (1969 and 1975) – Rutger Hauer and Paul Verhoeven’s neglected television series starring Rutger as a swashbuckling hero caught up in the Guelders Wars of the Netherlands. Read about it 
BAD MOVIE REVIEW: HITLER – DEAD OR ALIVE (1943) My review of this bizarre movie 
JUSTICE SOCIETY AND JUSTICE LEAGUE CROSSOVER STORIES: 1963-1969 – Their first 7 meetings 
As regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog may recall, December and early January are when I sprinkle in more tales of the Paladins of Charlemagne. These are the legends about Charlemagne and his Paladins, not the actual history, so there will be dragons, monsters and magic. 
RUGGIERO AND THE ENCHANTRESS ALCINA – When we left off last time around, the Emperor Charlemagne and his armies were still engaged in their war against the recent Muslim invasion from North Africa and Spain, led by Agramant. 
FIRST SEMIFINAL – In this game the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS clashed with the visiting GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS. The Red Raiders parlayed their 7-0 1st Quarter lead into a 14-3 advantage by Halftime. Northwestern College continued to dominate after the break, ultimately winning by a final score of 35-10. 
POWER MAN Vol 1 #48 (December 1977) 
Shades (at right) and Comanche, escaped cons who served time at Seagate Prison with Luke Cage back when he went by his real name Carl Lucas, were sent by Bushmaster to abduct Power Man’s girlfriend Dr. Claire Temple and her colleague Dr. Noah Burstein. They have done so and, per Bushmaster’s orders, they give Luke Cage/ Carl Lucas their boss’s ultimatum. 
They make it clear to Power Man that to gain the release of those two doctors he has been close to for years, he must capture and deliver to Bushmaster one of his foes, private investigator Misty Knight. The villain doesn’t just send Shades and Comanche (at left) to abduct her because Misty’s associates, her investigative partner Colleen Wing and the superhero Iron Fist, stand beside her. 
A FLINTSTONES CHRISTMAS CAROL (1994) – Balladeer’s Blog’s 14th Annual Christmas Carol-A-Thon continues with a review of this 69-minute version featuring the story tailored to fit the characters from The Flintstones. 
Not only does Fred become unbearably snobbish toward the players with “lesser” roles but he grows impatient and short-tempered with everyone around him. In addition, Fred goes Method Actor on everybody, so thoroughly immersing himself in the role of Scrooge that he becomes a stingy figure in “real life” too. 
With Venezuela’s announcement that they want to annex Guyana we all got another reminder that centuries-old issues can turn hot again at any moment. The 19th Century situation when Venezuela and Great Britain nearly went to war over what was then called (and spelled) “British Guiana” was fodder for my “What if” speculations about another Harry Flashman adventure never completed before George MacDonald Fraser’s death. 
The Action: Sir Harry Flashman and his wife Elspeth visit British Guiana right after 
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