Hey!! Kids Comics: Batman 311 (1979)

Batman, Vol. 40, No. 311

Cover date: May 1979

Cover artists: José Luis García-López & Tatjana Wood

"Dr. Phosphorus Is Back!"

Writer: Steve Englehart
Penciller: Irv Novick
Inker: Frank McLaughlin
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Paul Levitz
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

Plot: Batman teams with Batgirl to take on Dr. Phosphorus, who threatens to "reign over all" in Gotham City.

Hey!! Kids Comics: Superman Annual 9 (1983)

DC comics released the Superman Annual No. 9 in 1983, the first annual for Superman published since 1964! This also the first Superman Annual to feature original content instead of reprints of older stories. With a cover, by Gil Kane, this issue has a feature story and back up story.

1. "Villain! Villain! Who's Got the Villain?"

Written by Elliot S! Maggin, penciled by Alex Toth, inked by Terry Austin, colored by Tom Ziuko and lettered by Gaspar

2. "I Flew with Superman!"

Written, penciled and inked by Curt Swan, colored by Anthony Tollin, lettered by John Costanza, plotted by Cary Bates and copied by Elliot S! Maggin.

Super Powers: Batman's Wayne Foundation Playset

Here is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, recreate the Mego Wayne Foundation Playset for the Super Powers Collection.

What a lot of folks may not know or remember is that in 1970s during the Bronze Age of comics Batman relocated his entire base of operations into the very heart of Gotham City!

After Dick (Robin) Grayson left for college at Hudson University, Batman decided he needed to be closer to the city to fight crime so as Bruce Wayne he became more involved in the day to day operations of the Wayne Foundation and moved from Stately Wayne Manor to the penthouse of the Wayne Foundation Building in downtown Gotham City. The Wayne Foundation is a charitable organization created in memory of Bruce's Father Dr. Thomas Wayne.

Super Powers Batcave Revisited

Today I decided to get the Batcave Command Center Playset out and set it up for a while... there are some minor changes from the last time though... A few of the decals were replaced with different decals and a mat for the floor was added.

I found a little metal tea set that I thought would be perfect for Alfred. Alfred is always bringing something like this down to the cave for Bruce and Dick!

The Penny, Joker Card, and Batcomputer can be found in papercraft templates gallery of my deviantArt page.

RIP Dennis (Denny) O'Neil

Dennis “Denny” O’Neil, best known for writing and editing Batman comic books, died on June 11 of natural causes. He was 81.

O’Neil wrote “Batman,” “Detective Comics” and “Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight” in addition to serving as an editor for DC’s Batman-related comic books from 1986 until 2000. Along with editor Julius Schwartz and artist Neal Adams, O’Neil helped to bring Batman back to his original, more ominous persona after the 1960s “Batman” TV series had a campier take on the superhero.

Teaming up with artist Neal Adams, O’Neil also reinvigorated the characters of Green Arrow and Green Lantern by pairing them up as best friends and “hard-traveling heroes” who traversed the United States together righting wrongs while exploring complex issues of politics and social justice in the 1970s – one of the first comic book runs to tackle these issues in such a way.

Hey!! Kids Comics: Batman 321 (1980)

Batman, Vol. 24, No. 321

Cover date: March, 1980

Cover artists: José Luis García-López and Tatjana Wood

"Dreadful Birthday, Dear Joker... !"

Writer: Len Wein
Penciller: Walt Simonson
Inker: Dick Giordano
Colorsist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Ben Oda

Plot: It's The Joker's birthday - and he's celebrating by rounding up his enemies from all around town, including Robin, James Gordon, and Alfred Pennyworth in this classic issue from 1980!

Super Powers Catwoman Custom Figure

Thanks to the wonderful talent of custom figure maker Justin Vinson, Catwoman has now joined the Gotham City villians.

If Catwoman had ever made it to the Super Powers Collection odds are that the design would have been based off the Bronze Age DC Comics Catwoman as featured in the DC Style Guide by José Luis García-López. Justin has perfectly captured that design with this figure and she fits in very well the other villains in the collection.

Corgi 1:16 scale Die-Cast Robin Cycle

In 2005 Corgi released a 1:16 scale die-cast Robin Cycle that is almost an exact copy of Robin cycle featured in the the DC Bronze Age comics and in the DC Style Guide. Packaged in a nice open face display box (approx. 5.5" x 4"), at 1:16 scale, making it perfect for the Super-Powers collection! The Corgi Robin Cycle comes with a non-articulated Robin figure attached to the bike, but with a little effort the figure can be removed and the Super-Powers Robin figure actually sits nicely on the bike.

Joker's Toxic Lab Playset with Figures

Joker, Penguin, and Riddler have captured Robin! Will they dowse
him in a bath of acid or will Batman save him? You decide!

Has Batman arrived in time? With Robin in the clutches of the Capture Claw™, dangling over a bubbling vat of deadly acid, Joker bounces around on his pogo stick, Penguin menaces with a huge machine gun, while Riddler laughs on manically at the dire situation. What happens next? You decide!

The Joker Toxic Lab (unboxing)

Box Front

He's a toxic terror! The Joker is mixing creepy chemicals to poison the citizens of Gotham City. Can Batman save them? Re-create scenes from the animated series with this action-packed playset!

Leaf Comicbook Candy Secret Origins Mini-Comics

Sometime around 1981 or so when I was about 10 years old I headed down to the local drugstore with some change burning a hole in my pocket... Our local drugstore had a full comics rack, lots of candy, cheap toys, and a soda fountain. But there was something new among the candy selections on this day!

It was Leaf Comicbook Candy! The 6 x 8 x 7 ¼" cardboard counter top display contained 36 mini comics, each 2 ¾ x 4 ¼" featuring the secret origins of eight different DC Comics characters including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Hawkman, and the Justice League of America. Each box contained at least two of each title as well as several assorted duplicates. The comics came sealed in original bags with "Leaf Comic Book Candy Tart N' Tangy" candies that

Kenner Gotham City Bank Playset

If there is a bank in Gotham City, chances are that at some point its going to be robbed!

The Joker and Bob the goon are robbing the Gotham City Bank! Can Batman and Robin stop the bank robbers from stealing the money bags and gold, or will evil prevail? You decide!

Super Powers Batcave Command Center

Earlier, a Super Powers Batcave diorama was created on an Ultarama display system. Today, a Kenner Batcave Command Center playset has been modified into a Super Powers Batcave!

Penguin's Palace

With the help of Batman & Robin, Penguin's Palace is being raided by the GCPD!
The dirty bird is going to jail this time!

1970s Trinity

Back in the 70s Batman joins Wonder Woman and Superman at the Hall of Justice.

A while back I'd gotten both the NECA Batman Classic TV Series Adam West and the NECA Superman The Movie Christopher Reeve Action Figures, but I never wanted to display them without a Lynda Carter Wonder Woman figure to go with them. Well recently Mattel released the DC Comics Multiverse Signature Colection Lynda Carter Wonder Woman Figure! It actually scales great with them. Here they are on a Hall of Justice Ultarama Display.

Please leave any comments below.

RIP Norm Breyfogle

Artist Norm Breyfogle, best known for his iconic Batman work, passed away earlier this week at the age of 58. Details of Breyfogle’s passing are being kept private, but the artist’s passing was confirmed today by a family friend on Facebook.

The artist is known most though for his work on Batman, establishing a visual style that was all his own and helping to revitalize Detective Comics alongside writer Alan Grant. Breyfogle illustrated the Dark Knight in Detective Comics and Batman from 1987 to 1993. His art at time was fresh and iconic. He along with Alan Grant created many new characters including The Ventriloquist & Scarface along with Anarky.

What If ... ? (World's Finest)

If String Theory is true then that means that somewhere in the multiverse there is a universe in which this actually happened... Why can't I be in that universe?

Hey!! Kids Comics: The Brave and the Bold 145 (1978)

The Brave & The Bold, Vol. 24, No. 145

Cover date: December 1978

Cover artists: Jim Aparo and Tatjana Wood

"A Choice of Dooms!"

Writer: Bob Haney
Penciller: Jim Aparo
Inker: Jim Aparo
Letterer: Jim Aparo
Colorsist: Jerry Serpe
Editor: Paul Levitz

Plot: Batman stops a diamond smuggling ring but the leader practices voodoo on his gang members and has an unusual way to prevent them from talking. Can The Phantom Stranger help Batman overcome this supernatural threat?

Review: The Ultarama Display System

The Ultarama is a complete action figure display system that is both flexible and customizable. With the use of the Ultarama's molded plastic platforms that contain 80 pre-molded peg holes and its proprietary pegging system, collectors can display their collections in three totally unique ways: stacked two levels high in the shape of a semicircle, clipped back-to-back in the shape of a circle, or configured as two separate and complete one level displays. With the purchase of additional Ultaramas, collectors can build their display many stories high!

Super Powers Batcave

Batcave mock-up box art by Javier Garcia

Despite any speculation on what it may have looked like, we really don't know what an official Kenner Super Powers Batcave playset would have looked like. While conceptual drawings have been seen, it is unknown if they are actual official plans. However, given the time frame, a Super Powers Batcave playset would have only had influences from the comics and perhaps the 1966 Batman live action television show. The designs from the Batman movie with Michael Keaton would have had absolutely no influence due to the fact it wouldn't be made until 1989, three years after the last released wave of the Super Powers Collection. With this all in mind, a Super Powers Batcave diorama scene was assembled.