Dispatches from The Arrowcave

Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge

Welcome to Dispatches From The Arrowcave! I'm your guest host, Frank Lee Delano. Since November of 2007, Adama has crafted this blog, devoted to everyone's favorite Emerald Archer. Whether it be comics, toys, convention scenes or more, Adama has trained his sights (and yours) on all things Green Arrow. Unfortunately, Adama hasn't been able to update very regularly of late, and rather than leave you wanting, has graciously allowed me the chance to make you all an offering.

Today, a wealth of bloggers are taking part in "Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge!" The greatest (and not so) heroes in DC Comics are the subjects of puzzles, quizzes, interactive original stories, and more. Each blog also contributes to a meta-challenge, helping you get closer to scans of obscure art and even more blogging fun than most folks can handle. We hope you'll take on the DC Challenge, starting right here with two trivia questions and the first part of a serial crossing over into other blogs. Also, I recommend taking advantage of Adama's break by catching up on his archive of fantastic posts! Enjoy!

Question #1: After an assassination attempt was made on former Green Arrow Connor Hawke, who did Ollie summon to take his son to the hospital?

A) Doctor Fate
B) The Flash
C) Superman
D) Plastic Man
E) I Don't Know

Question #2: Neal Adams was the artist who redesigned Green Arrow in the 1960s, giving Ollie Queen his trademark goatee. Which of the following characters did Adams co-create?

A) Batgirl
B) Man-Bat
C) Sgt. Rock
D) Firestorm
E) I Don't Know

...And now, here's the beginning of Green Arrow's story...

1982

Life was pretty damned good for Ollie Queen. Sure, he wasn't a millionaire anymore, so the specialty shafts he fired with peerless precision as the urban vigilante Green Arrow just weren't as spectacular as they used to be. Didn't matter though, because his career as a heroic modern day super-archer was riding high. He felt good about having returned to the Justice League of America, alongside his pretty bird of a partner, Black Canary. His ex-kid sidekick Speedy had turned loose of a drug habit, and was now turning the tables on the pushers that once hooked him.

After another night on the streets, defending the little guy against the titans of evil, Ollie was satisfied with his place in the world. He was just one doorlock away from returning to his apartment, and more importantly his bed, for some well earned zzz.

Once inside, in the darkness, the Emerald Archer detected an intruder. Drawing an arrow with stunning swiftness, Green Arrow cocked back a bolt and aimed. A figure emerged from the shadows-- lean, young, and strawberry blond. "Oliver," he said, almost in inquiry. "Father?"

"Like hell," answered Ollie.

The intruder was decked out in green and brown, with a full quiver strapped to his back. A practical costume for any crusading archer in the not-too-distant future. "My name is Connor. My mother is Sandra Hawke, and you're my dad."

"Moonday Hawke? You're full of it. It's only been a few years since I was with her."

"And a couple decades for me. I'm from the future, dad. Someday, I'm going to take your place, but right now, I need your help to get home."

It was all too much, and yet, something in Ollie wanted to believe that this was all true. Another son, like Roy...

Just then, the phone in Ollie's apartment rang.

Answer the Phone?
Hold Position?

Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge

Great. I put my trust in you, and what happens? You make me look like an idiot by answering questions wrong? You get me killed by making bonehead plays? What are you, secretly C.I.A., trying to ruin my rep? You work for The Man, pig? You passing over these links, looking to "investigate" my teammates?

The Anti-Didio League of America
The Aquaman Shrine
The Atom: Tiny Titan
Being Carter Hall
Comics Make Me Happy
The Continuity Blog
Crimson Lightning
Dispatches from the Arrow Cave
El Jacone's Comic Book Bunker
Firestorm Fan
Girls Gone Geek
I Am The Phantom Stranger
The Idol-Head of Diabolu
Justice League Detroit
...nurgh...
Once Upon a Geek
Pretty, Fizzy Paradise
random picture day
Reilly2040's Blog
Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Toyriffic
when is evil cool?

Merry Christmas folks!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:10:00 +0000

I know it seems like I only get on here for holiday wishes these days, but Merry Christmas anyway :)

Happy Thanksiving 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving guys. Eat tons of turkey, enjoy the parades and football games, and try not to trample anyone to death going after that big sale.

I couldn't find any GA Thanksgivng material, but here's some delicious Hostess pies to tide you over:

Ollie Watch: 10/28

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Hey guys! We have a couple GA appearances in this weeks comics.

Blackest Night #4: The dead continue to rise in the 4th of 8 issues in this mini. Green Arrow makes a very brief appearance, where he is seen fighting alongside Black Canary against a tide of undead. He appears again slightly later, when Barry Allen warns everyone to keep their emotions in check, as the undead are attracted to them. He then adds "That means you, Arrow." Poor Ollie, he'll never be able to live down his temper, will he?

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10: Green Arrow joins The Atom in battle against a giant, mutated Batman! I love Green Arrow's appearances in this comic, and apparently so do the writers! Batman even refers to GA as his best friend at one point. Thanks for all the GA love, guys!

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Mayhem of the Music Meister

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:12:00 +0000

Holy crap! I just saw the newest episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, featuring Neil Patrick Harris as the Music Meister and a singing Aquaman, Black Canary, Gorilla Grodd, Black Manta, Clock King and GREEN ARROW! More later, but try to catch it ASAP if you missed it!

DC Character T-Shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Greetings, gentle readers! I was off fishing with a group of friends over the weekend (including Ljacone of Comic Book Bunker fame) and while shopping for odd and ends, I came across this:

As you can see, they managed to cram quite a few characters onto the front of the shirt. The fact that it contains so many of my favorites makes me wonder if the manufacturer is reading my mind :) The characters they excluded, namely Wonder Woman, confused me at first, until my roommate noticed that the images are all men! I's wager that there's a similar shirt in the Ladies section with the Ladies of DC!

Of particular interest to us here at the Arrowcave is the image on the top right, Green Arrow.
Here's a close-up of the image:

I have no idea who the artist on these might be, since I'm especially bad at this (maybe someone out there can help me out?) but the image is very dynamic and attractive. You can see Ollie drawing his bow to down a bad guy off screen!

As an added bonus, we get a double shot of GA family awesomeness. Toward the bottom of the shirt, we have Roy Harper in his Red Arrow costume! Here's a closer look:
Again, we have an archer drawing his bow to fire off screen. I was very surprised to see Roy on an item of merchandising, especially in his Red Arrow costume. Its not something you see everyday!

You can bet that I'll be wearing this shirt with pride from now on!

JLA Monopoly at Once Upon a Geek

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Once again, our ood friend and fellow blogger Shag Matthews has written an article about a product featuring Green Arrow. This time, its JLA Monopoly! The set features all the first 8 JLA characters, with spaces for The Arrowplane, Weapons Expert (with Ollie firing his trick arrows) and Archer Extraordinaire. The equivalent of the Chance and Comunity Chest cards also feature Ollie heavily, and he even gets his face on the 1 dollar bill!

Be sure to head over there and check it out!

Once Upon a Geek Green Arrow Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Hey guys! My good friend Shag over at Once Upon a Geek has done a post on all his GA action figures! I own a few o these, and plan to do a more in depth review on a couple soon, but his collection is really impressive! Head on over there and check it out!

Update: Shag also did a piece on a pair of boxers with both GA and Firestorm on them! I might just have to find a K-Mart now...

Back to the Bins #24

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:29:00 +0000

Hey folks! If you're interested, I appeared as a guest host on the Back to the Bins podcast, with my good friend Scott Gardner, where we each chose a back issue that we'd picked up out of a bargain bin to review. Give it a listen, if you're interested!

If anyone has found this site through the podcast...welcome! I hope you enjoy the content I have posted on the blog, and feel free to comment or shoot me an e-mail with feedback!

Dragon-Con 2009, part 3: Blog Crossover!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:11:00 +0000

The last part of my DragonCon involves a crossover with another blog: Firestorm Fan! I was lucky enough to be able to meet up with the proprietor of the blog and Firestorm fan extraordinaire, the Irredeemable Shag!

Shag and I met up after he'd finished going to the Patrick Stewart panel (an experience he details here). We headed over to the mall food court and grabbed some eats while we chatted and people watched. Somehow, we kept running into people we both knew. In fact, we randomly sat down next to a friend of mine from college. I tell you, thousands of geeks at the con, and you still manage to run into the same people every year :)

Anyway, Shag and I had a great time chatting about all manner of geeky things, including our respective favorite DC heroes. So you all can see how much fun we were having, here's a shot with Shag and I at the mall:
I'm on the right, looking slightly sweaty in my bright green shirt. You'll have to forgive me, but DragonCon takes place in Georgia, in the summer :) Shag is on the left, rocking it out in his Firestorm t-shirt. If only I had been thinking, I would have donned my super-awesome Green Arrow tee!

While chatting, Shag and I found out we had another thing in common (besides our love for relatively obscure DC superheroes, that is): we'd both gotten a head sketch from George Perez that weekend!

Mr. Perez was one of the top tier talents at the show this year, and he was offering quick head sketches of whatever you requested in exchange for a donation to the HERO Initiative. I jumped at the chance, of course! I wanted to get a character Perez would be familiar with, but that would also make good material for the Arrowcave...and the I hit upon an idea. Everyone's favorite archery based Teen Titan, Speedy!

How awesome is that? Way awesome, at least.

I have to say, George Perez is one of the nicest people you will ever encounter in the comic book industry. If you EVER get the chance to meet him, take it. I promise you'll not regret it. In fact, this is how gracious he is:

He was willing to hug a sweaty Adama and then compound his error with photographic evidence! A helluva guy, I tell ya!

Shag, of course, got a sketch of Firestorm. You can check out his sketch, plus his take on our Super-Blog Crossover Event here, at Firestorm Fan.

In fact, he was even kind enough to set up a Green Arrow/Speedy/Firestorm action figure diorama! Be sure the heck it out post haste! (Hopefully he won't mind if I steal the picture!)

Dragon-Con 2009 Con Report, part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:19:00 +0000

Hey guys, more pictures, more GA, more fun!

Here we have a slightly shaggy Green Arrow and a Wonder Girl. It is just me, or would this guy also make an awesome Thor?
Another super nifty GA, again from the DC photo shoot I stumbled on. This gentleman was kind enough to pose for me and everything!
This is a costume idea that I would never have come up with on my own: a civil war era Green Arrow and Black Canary! Love it!
And lastly, we have a modern era Black Canary demonstrating her Canary Cry. Luckily, I managed to snap the picture before it could shatter the glass in my camera.

Acquisitions:

Not much this year, honestly. In my current unemployed state, I couldn't afford to go wild like I normally do.

In fact, I didn't pick up any single issues at all! My only comic related purchases were a few Crossgen trades I pulled out of discount bins, namely Sigil vol. 1-3, Scion vol. 4, and The Path vol. 1. So far I've enjoyed everything I've read. I might have to track down the other trades when I find work again!

I also got a sketch from an artist you may have heard of...but that will have to wait until next week :)

Dragon-Con 2009 Con Report, part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:37:00 +0000

Hey folks! Sorry it took me so long to get this together, but there was plenty to see, do and report on at the con this year!

In this first section of the con report, I'm putting up a selection of the cool costumes and such that I spotted. Some of these are GA related, and some aren't, but they're all cool!

First up, we have Penance, of Generation X. I love it when people put so much effort into an obscure character!

Next up, we have a pair of Bat-Villains, Two-Face and Poison Ivy! I saw these ladies leaving a huge comic book photo shoot near the con, which you'll see more of below.

I guess there was a French castle nearby that needed invading. Too bad they forgot to climb inside first!

Here we have Diance, Princess of the Amazons, complete with bracers and Lasso of Truth!

Aquaman, King of the Seas took some time off from protecting the Earth's oceans to attend the con. I spotted his arch enemy, Black Manta, later on that day. He had a tattered orange shirt hanging from his trident. Hope poor Arthur's alright...

Black Lightning also made an appearance. I really like this guy's dedication. It had to be 90 degrees outside that day, and you know he had to be sweltering inside that costume!
Here's me and comic art legend George Perez! Mr. Perez was doing quick head sketches in exchange for donations to the HERO Initiative. I'll be posting that sketch soon!
The lovely Zatanna prepares to pull something out of her hat. Yes boys, she is in fact holding a hat :)
Here's me and an amazing Green Arrow! In fact, there were several Green Arrow's at the con. Its always nice to see other GA fans, since we're so few and far between :)
A post-fight Comedian from Watchmen. Who knew that an old brown bathrobe and a smiley face button could make such an awesome superhero costume!

More to come folks!

Crisis on Earth Blog Crossover!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:16:00 +0000

Well folks, its that time again! What time you ask? Why time for another Crisis on Earth Blog Crossover, of course!

This time, we're focusing on the 25th Anniversary of the Super Powers line of action figures from Kenner. Green Arrow was featured in the second wave of this series, pictured below:

Unfortunately, I don't own this figure, so I can't review it on the site (I do have a new fig though, look for it soon ((I promise)). I can however, review the mini comic that came with GA and the other figs in the series. In fact, that's the main focus of the current Crisis on Earth Blog Crossover! Green Arrow's comic also features The Flash and Martian Manhunter.

First, we have the cover:
As you can see, everyone's favorite Emerald Archer is battling Kalibak, another character featured in the Super Powers line. We're not really sure who drew or wrote these books, but the cover is certainly well done and very dynamic! Note: the line features a large number of the New Gods of Apokolips as villains. I can only assume this was because of their recent high profile gigs on Super Friends.

On the second page, the story gets started...sort of:

Before we get to the story, we get a mail in card to join the Kenner Super Powers fan club. which apparently got you a bunch of swag and discounts on DC comics for $3.50. Not bad! Anyway, the action starts off in Star City, where the Martian Manhunter is presenting Green Arrow with an award! Apparently, the emerald duo is tired of waiting, since The Flash is late (again), so they proceed with the ceremony:

but wait, The Flash is here after all! He was just outside parking the inevitable vehicle tie in...I mean Delta Probe One. :) We also learn that GA's award is made from a "Martian Power Gem." I have no idea where J'onn's been keeping that thing all these years...but its probably best not to ask! Unfortunately, the gem has drawn some unwanted attention:

Kalibak arrives in his Boulder Bomber (also a vehicle in the Super Powers line) to steal the power gem for himself! Of course, J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter, is having none of that, and tries to tip Kalibak and his vehicle over! Unfortunately:

Kalibak launches a flaming..arrow...thing at J'onn and due to his race's weakness to fire, he's down for the count! Its here that GA first gets into the fight, trying to use a Fire Extinguisher Arrow to douse the flames and let J'onn recover, but he's foiled by the Boulder Bomber! Next:

The Flash comes in with reinforcements! Its a battle of the product placements, folks! The Delta Probe and Boulder Bomber fight it out with their included accessories, until GA intervenes again!

Unfortunately, another of Kalibak's accessories destroys GA's arrows before he can fire! Fortunately, Ollie is pretty quick on the uptake, and turns the tables on Kalibak:
Apparently one blow to the head by a normal human being can knock Kalbak out cold. Good to know :) Anyway, the boys put Kalibak in another of the Delta Probes product features, and call it a day!

The mini comic was obviously an excuse for more product placement, but it was very well done regardless. It combines some of my favorite characters (GA, MM, and the New Gods) into a fun little package. I only wish I had a copy myself!

As part of the blog crossover, several of my fellow comic bloggers are also going over and reviewing the comics that came with their favorites characters. Please click on the links below and check it out!

Aquaman Shrine- http://www.aquamanshrine.blogspot.com/

Bat-Blog- http://www.tomztoyz.blogspot.com/

Being Carter Hall- http://beingcarterhall.blogspot.com/

SpeedForce- http://speedforce.org/

Crimson Lightning- http://thefastestmanalive.blogspot.com/

Love Dat Joker- http://lovedatjoker.livejournal.com/

Justice League Detroit- http://justiceleaguedetroit.blogspot.com/
Idol-Head of Diabolu - http://idol-head.blogspot.com/
... nurgh ... -http://nurgh.blogspot.com/
Doom Patrol blog (Doug) - http://mygreatestadventure80.blogspot.com/
Fortress of Baileytude- http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/
Firestorm Fan - http://firestormfan.com/
Once Upon A Geek http://onceuponageek.com/

Action figure images courtesy of: cooltoyreview.com
Mini-Comic scans courtesy of the Irredeemable Shag

Good News/Bad News

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have good news and bad news. The good new is: I will have a lot more free time on my hands in the next few weeks. You'll probably see many more psts than you've been seeing in the past couple months.

The bad news: Your humble correspondent is now unemployed. Woo.

Ollie Watch: July 8th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:35:00 +0000

Hey guys, bet you thought I'd disappeared again! Anyway, big news in the Green Arrow world this week:

Green Arrow/Black Canary #22: The citizens of Star City are still deaf following Discord's attack. Will Black Canary be able to defeat a man who can cancel out any sound? Meanwhile, Green Arrow continues to fight off the advances of Cupid, his insane stalker.

This issue begins the split between the Green Arrow and Black Canary titles. GA will still be the star of the book, drawn by none other than Bill Sienkiewicz! Black Canary will still be in the book, but as a back up feature, similar to the Booster Gold/Blue Beetle setup. The Black Canary feature will be written by Josef Rubenstein.

Speedy, do we have to have another "discussion"?

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Speedy, this is strike two. First, you doodle in the sand while a super villain tries to impale me with a spear, and now this!

Oh Speedy, its no wonder you got yourself addicted to heroin the moment you were out of adult supervision.

Panels from World's Finest #50, page 18. Image courtesy of Comics Make No Sense.

Return from Hiatus: Con Repot: Atlanta Comic Convention

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:18:00 +0000

Hey guys, hiatus over! I find myself with a bit more free time these days, so the Arrowcave is back!

Every 3 or 4 months, Atlanta hosts the Atlanta Comic Convention. Its a small con, only the ballroom at a hotel, but there are usually deals a plenty to go around. I got a ton of stuff, so let's get started!

Firestorm: Just a few issues this time. The Fury of Firestorm 30,33, 63, 65, 85, 88, and 89 found their way into my bag.

Namor: Filled in some more of my Namor collection, with Namor vol. 2 34, 46, and annual 1.

ROM Spaceknight: More ROM! Issues 19, 28, and 74

Moon Knight: Issues 19 (twice, sigh) and 21 of Marc Spector, Moon Knight.

Legion of Superheroes: Issues 269, 275, 300, 310, and annual 2 of the original series. Also issue 51 of Legionaires, post reboot.

Vigilante: I found almost every issue of the 80's Baxter paper run of Vigilante out of a quarter bin. I now own issues 2-13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 25, 27-50 and annual 2. That's almost the entire series! I've heard great things about this series, ad now I can see for myself.

For some comedy, I also picked up a few issues of 'Mazing Man. Specifically issues 1-9 and the special.

To fill in some of my Mike Grell collection we turn to the Book Nook, a used bookstore near the con. There, in the 50 cent bin, I found most of the second Jon Sable: Freelance run. I got issues 1-4, 6, 8-17, and 20-22.

Aquaman: Just one ish this time, issue 8 of the 91 series.

I also picked up a few random issues of Green Lantern, Alpha Flight, Avengers, Secret Society of Super Villains, Ambush Bug, and finally, the last issue of the Beta Ray Bill Stormbreaker miniseries.

Good times, good times! I also got to hang out with my friend Scott Gardner of the Two True Freaks podcast. Its always nice to attend the con with a friend!

EDIT TO ADD: I forgot something! I also found Essential volumes for 4 dollars! I ended up with Essential Fantastic Four vol. 1-3, Essential Marvel Two-In-One vol. 2 and Essential Amazing Spider-Man vol 7. Wooo!

Speedy, please pay attention...

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:57:00 +0000

In another tidbit from our friends over at Comics make No Sense, we have Green Arrow and Speedy fighting the Blue Lancer, only...

...Speedy doesn't really seem to be doing much fighting. I can imagine how this conversation went:

"Speedy, you go around and try to shoot him from behind, that shield is.... "

"Seriously Speedy, I could use some help here, this guy is throwing all manner of spears at me."

"Speedy, stop doodling in the sand and actually help me!"

"This is because I ran off and let you get addicted to heroin, isn't it?

FCBD Part 1: Teen Titans print!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I know I said I was going on hiatus, but I found myself with some extra time this weekend, and wanted to report on Free Comic Book Day!

I'll elaborate on my purchases tomorrow, but for now I wanted to show you a print I picked up at Galactic Quest in Lawrenceville, GA. The artist, inker Nathaniel Massengil, was there at the store doing a signing!

I picked it up because of the cool Speedy there in the corner, but the more i look at it, the more I like it over all! I specially like the giant Aqualad in the upper left corner. Go Garth!

Tidbit Arrow: GA fights a Dinosaur

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Enjoy!

(From World's Finest #42, page 20. Image courtesy of Comics Make No Sense)

Hiatus Arrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:26:00 +0000

Hey guys! You may have a noticed a distinct lack of content around here lately. Unfortunately, your humble correspondent has been incredibly busy the past month or so, and things done look to let up for a while. Between searching for a new place to live, work, and general laziness, I won't have much time for blogging until June. Hopefully, I'll have to site back up and running and on a regular schedule then.

I might still post random tidbits as I get time.

Megacon '09 Con Report

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:22:00 +0000

Hey, cats and kittens! I'm over the con plague and prepared to report on Megacon 09!

Megacon was held in sunny Orlando Florida from Feb. 27th-March 1st. This was my first trip down to Orlando for Megacon, so I went in really excited! Special thanks to the folks over at Comic Geek Speak for letting me crash on their floor!

Panels:

First off, panels! The only panels I attended were the daily DC Nation meetings. The first day featured Dan Didio and Jimmy Palmiotti discussing their career in comics and chatting with the fans. I had a ton of fun. Both Jimmy and Dan are very engaging, funny guys who really care about the fans, and it shows.

The second meeting, on Saturday, featured an expanded panel of Dan Jurgens, Billy Tucci, Jimmy Palmiotti, Dan Didio, George Perez, and Ethan Van Sciver. The meeting started off with a very special event: George Perez birthday! In fact, Dan Didio read out a document from the mayor of Orange County Florida, proclaiming that day George Perez Day!

George gave a great speech thanking the fans, Dan, and especially his wife for supporting him throughout his career. The crowd went crazy! Then, as an added bonus, Dan noticed that someone in the back of the room might be able to help George celebrate his special day:

George told the audience that when he and Marv Wolfman were creating Starfire, it was their fervent hope that some lovely young lady would dress up as Starfire and show up to a con. Well, this certainly fits the bill!

The rest of the panel consisted mostly of audience questions, although there was a discussion about Jimmy Palmiotti's last birthday party that leads me to believe that comic book people live much more interesting lives than the rest of us. No Green Arrow news, although Dan Didio did mention that characters like Conner Hawke, Wally West, and Kyle Raynor (replacements whose predecessors are back from the dead) do have a story to tell, and that it will be told in the future.

The third meeting was basically just a conversation between the fans and Mr. Didio. Dan would ask questions of the audience and then encourage discussion between its members. Yours truly's answer to the question of "What was the first comic you ever read" with "Who's Who in the DCU" provoked a bit of shock from Mr. Didio. I explained that since I started out with Who's Who, by the time I got around to reading actual comics, I already knew who everyone was! This panel was a ton of fun, and you could feel the comics love in the room.

Acquisitions:

Holy crap folks, Megacon is a great place to drop some serious dough. Here's a picture of just about everything I picked up at the con, all artfully laid out in my living room:

As you can see, its quite a haul. One thing you may notice is the massive pile of Essential, Showcase, and Archive volumes in the middle there. I went a little crazy over the three day con, picking up 15 of these volumes in total. Luckily, the sales were great, and I didn't pay full price for a single one of them. Here's a list for the curious:

Essential X-Men vols. 1, 2, 4, and 5
Essential Nova vol. 1
Essential Thor vol. 1
Essential Power man and Iron Fist vol 1.
Essential Luke Cage vol. 2
Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition vol. 2
Essential OHOTMU Update '89 vol. 1
Essential Spiderman vol. 4
Showcase: Aquaman vol. 1
Showcase: Batman and the Outsiders vol. 1
Archive Savage Dragon vols. 1 and 2

Someone (me) certainly has a ton of reading to do! Plus, I also picked up Marvel Visionaries: Walt Simonson Thor (which I'm reading now. Its awesome) and the Best of Spiderman vol 3 for 5 and 3 dollars respectively. The Spiderman volume was an especially awesome find, since its a nice big hardcover that normally retails for $30.

Next, we have my action figure purchases: all of DC Direct JLA wave 2 (Adam Strange, The Atom, Elongated Man, and Firestorm) for $2 each. Now that's an unbeatable deal! From that same booth, I picked up a bust of Nighthawk for $20 bucks. I'll add him to his fellow Defenders Moon Knight and Doctor Strange on my desk!

Next, we have my few single issue purchases. As you can see from the picture, Crazy Ed finally came through with Green Lantern #87. That means that my run of Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow is finally complete! This issue was especially hard to find because it also happens to be the first appearance of Green Lantern John Stewart. Expect a review of this issue when I finally get around to finishing my review series of that run.

My only other single issue purchases were issues 11 and 19 of Who's Who, issues 8, 9, and 11 of Defenders, and the first six issues of The Uniques. The Uniques is a self published title whose creators are fellow members of the CGS message boards. Check out their website here for some seriously awesome superhero fun!

Next, we have the two sketches I commissioned. First, we have the Doctor Strange sketch I got from the incomparable Avery Butterworth:

Holy crap, how awesome is this? I couldn't be happier with this sketch. I love the effect of the magic around Doc's Hand, and the serious expression on his face.

Then we have this fun little Booster Gold sketch from fellow CGS forum member Andrew Charipar:

I love this one too. Booster's Smirk, the thumb's up, Skeets? Perfect! (You can also see the side of my cat's head in this picture. Hi Dinah!)

Lastly, we have what is possibly the greatest purchase in the history of commerce. Observe:

Yes, you're seeing it correctly. These are, in fact, balloon sculptures of Green Arrow and BLue Beetle. How awesome are they? Seriously? They were created by balloonissimo extraordinaire Pasquale Palazzolo. During the weekend, he also created Doctor Manhattan, Yellow Lantern Kryb, Nite Owl, Rorschach, Jarvis, Martian Manhunter, and more. Pasquale is incredibly talented, and his balloons were a really big hit at the con. In fact, DC writer Tony Bedard absolutely loved balloon Ted, enough to snap a few pictures!

Ahhhh, Megacon. Good times were had by all. Hopefully, I'll get to go back next year!

Con-Plague: Defeated!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:36:00 +0000

Greetings, loyal readers! The Con-Plague has officially been defeated. Megacon report to follow this evening!

Crisis on Earth Blog Crossover!

noreply@blogger.com (Adama) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0000

(Hey everyone, as indicated below, your humble correspondent has been struck down with the Con Plague. Hopefully, yours truely will be feeling well enough to do a full con report later this week. In the meantime, the Irredeemable Shag has organized a massive blog crossover. Since the Dispatcher is unable to continue, Frank Delano of the Idol-Head of Diabolu has graciously provided us with a guest spot!)

"Finally, Adama (Dispatches from the Arrow Cave) has been struck down with Con-Plague. He's not feeling well and is resting up. He unfortunately won't be able to participate in the crossover. He'll be with us in spirit!"

It may be far worse than that, as your favorite Green Arrow blog has also been struck by... CRISIS ON BLOG-ONE! Masterminded by The Irredeemable Shag of Once Upon a Geek, you're witness to a DC Universe Blog Event so overwhelming, even Adama's absence can't keep the Emerald Archer from being enlisted! In his stead, this is Frank Lee Delano reporting!

Our post today revolves around the extraordinary cover to the 1998 Crisis On Infinite Earths Hardcover. Laid out by superstar George Pérez, the enormous piece was painted over by the universally acclaimed Alex Ross! Below are three key Arrow-related appearances on the masterwork.

This is a very sullen-looking Golden Age Oliver Queen, probably because he was retroactively wiped from existence after the Crisis. For over a quarter century, the "Earth-2" adventures of GA and Speedy never happened. They were never in the Seven Soldiers of Victory, and the closest they had to a counterpart during the Golden Age was Alias... the Spider. Even with the recent return of the Multiverse, you'd be hard pressed to find any noteworthy recent appearances of the GAGA (O.G.A.?)

Alternately, Ollie could just be depressed about the lousy company he's been given in this shot, including Chop-Chop of the Blackhawks and Space Ranger's sidekick Cryll. You couldn't find a worse freak show if you included the Doom Patrol, for whom Doug has recently started a blog, which is taking part in this crossover! You might also try Rick's Mail it to Team-up, another participant!

Here's the classic Silver Age Green Arrow we all know and love! That "platform" he's stepping on is actually the Elongated Man, member of Justice League Detroit, whose blog features an extension of this image (along with teammates Zatanna, Vixen, Steel and Vibe.) Actually, Ollie's former Justice League of America allies are well represented in Crisis On Earth-Blog. Founding member Flash races through Kelson's Speed Force to his seeming end in this Crisis entry (though we now know otherwise!) Rob Kelly's The Aquaman Shrine and my own Martian Manhunter blog The Idol-Head of Diabolu spotlight others who preceded Green Arrow on the team. Who can forget the ideological rivalry between bleeding heart liberal Ollie and the right wing Hawkman, showcased at Luke's Being Carter Hall? Among the Johnny-Come-Latelies who barely served with Ollie are Firestorm Fan Shag's favorite Nuclear Man and Rick's beloved Plastic Man. Wait-- there's no Black Canary blog? What a gyp!

Finally, here's Speedy, and boy was he a Tiny Titan in the original piece. Sorry for the resolution folks! I already covered the Doom Patrol elsewhere, which nixes the only real connection left for Roy Harper here. Hopefully he won't mind if I plug the final Crisis on Earth-Blog all-star, Rob Kelly's I am the Phantom Stranger, especially seeing as he designed our great logo (with the Neal Adams GA!)