Quick Book Reviews

The Grand Slave Emporium: Cape Coast Castle and the British Slave Trade
William St. Clair

This fine and concise book by William St. Clair focuses on the life of one specific building; Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle, which I was fortunate enough to visit back in 2000. St. Clair examines all facets of the Castle and debunks many myths. The focus is, of course, on the role of the Castle as a facilitator for the slave trade and St. Clair paints a vivid picture of all of those involved, from the ships’ Captains to the local tribal Chiefs to the slaves working in the Castle itself. The most striking aspect of the trade and life at the Castle, as portrayed by St. Clair, is the sheer normalcy of it all. Overall, it is an impressive piece of work and St. Clair’s writing style has a sufficiently loose feel to it that will engage most readers.

There are some problems, though. First of all, the discussion of the outgoing slaves and their life at the Castle is only briefly discussed. I certainly would have expected more, but this is perhaps because most of St. Clair research is based on the Castle’s archival documents and very little about the slaves was likely recorded. I would have also have liked to see more discussion of the Castle’s history post-1850 or so as that is only briefly touched upon. It would have also been helpful to provide a brief overview of local tribes and geography to provide context. Related to that point, some political context was needed to makes sense of certain events such as the Asante War of the 1870s. All in all, it is an excellent work and highly recommended for anyone interested in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

The Inheritance of Loss
Kiran Desai

The 2006 Mann Booker Prize winner. This novel has a dreamlike feel to it, as the reader is transported to northern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. We are introduced to each character slowly and their personalities and motivations are revealed as certain political events transpire around them. All of the is counterbalanced by a subplot involved one character searching for the American dream in a series of below minimum wage kitchen jobs. Many big issues are raised in these pages, including the clash between colonial sensibilities and the modern Indian identity is ever present, but ultimately no resolution is reached. It’s lovely but a little rudderless – a collection of arias rather than a full opera.

Notes From the Boob Tube

I don't want as much TV as I once did. That's a good thing. There's still some decent stuff on there, though. Here's what I've been watching:

My Name is Earl
I was a pretty big fan after Season One, but had doubts that they could keep the momentum going into Season Two. I’ve often found that high concept stuff runs out of gas when the writer can’t find new use to take advantage of the gimmick. I guess this ‘crossing things off the list’ thing has legs though, as Season Two has been better than Season One. Of course, some shows are stronger than others (the “My Name is Randy, My Name is Joy etc…” episode is the highlight so far), but even the weaker episodes have a few good laughs. The interaction between Joy and Marlee Matlin as her lawyer is beyond funny.

The Office
The highlight of my week. Is that sad? I don’t actually think so. I am of the camp where I enjoy both the British and American versions, but I honestly laugh out loud much more with Michael, Dwight & Co. I never thought that a TV show could come up with a line as good as Phyllis’ “It says ‘bushiest beaver’” from Season One, but there has been plenty of jaw dropping humour this season. At the conclusion of each episode, I have a sense of dread that this is all too good to be true and the cast will all start to exit for other projects, and we the viewer are left with a bit hole in our hearts. Nothing on TV makes me nearly as happy as this show.

Ugly Betty
They had me from the start – it was nice to see a good fish out of water story on TV. The thing is, after a few episodes it began to feel like a bit of a skipping record. We have so many job switches, cliffhangers, controversies and bits of stunt casting that you’d think this show had been on the air for 5 seasons. While those kind of tricks may keep things moving, they don’t do much for character development. I’m watching out of habit now, but it’s on the verge of being dropped from my viewing rotation.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Would you think I was shallow and anti-intellectual if I said I was more intrigued by the behind the scenes drama of a late night comedy show than those at the White House? That’s kind of where I’m sitting now. I hope this show is able to survive as it maintains a pretty high quality and it’s nice to have something other than a procedural or reality TV in an hour-long format. The cast is strong – I am particularly impressed by Amanda Peet (not just a pretty face) and Steven Weber. The thing is – Aaron Sorkin is Aaron Sorkin. He writes what he knows and as such, it gets a bit repetitive. Sometimes I feel like this show is so close to Sports Night that I keep wondering when Benson will show up. Still, I’m pulling for this one but I don’t know that I follow it religiously.

30 Rock
The Bizarro Studio 60. I cringed through the first episode. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. Everything seemed wrong - flat jokes, bad pacing etc... I was certain that it would implode within a month. I felt for the cast as there is plenty of talent on the show, it just didn't work. What happened next? It got better. A hell of a lot better. The show developed its own style, its own identity and hits a level of absurdist humour that you cannot find elsewhere. Now, it's the funniest thing on TV other that the Office. What a comeback. This is great stuff and Alec Baldwin seems to be having the time of his life.

Amazing Race All-Star Edition
The Amazing Race is the one network reality show that I’ve stuck with through the years. Maybe it’s the wanderlust filled traveler in me, but I love seeing other parts of the world and I really love to watch people struggle to communicate (speaking English with a Spanish accent isn’t the same as speaking Spanish people!). I’ve watched every year since Season 2 (except the Family Edition, which I bailed on) and I was pretty impressed with the All-Star teams on paper – seemed like a decent combination of personality and skill. I was wrong. After only one episode, I am ready to strangle about half of the teams. There are 3, maybe 4 teams who can win this them without an intervention of God (or the producers) – let the others get booted in a massive elimination.

Property Virgins
Really only of interest to snoopy people who follow the Toronto real estate market (like me!); this HGTV show is a blast. The host is a no nonsense real estate agent who loves to give first time buyers a dose of reality (“So that’s the kind of house you like? Too bad – you can’t afford it”). The agent picks 3 homes in the couples’ budget and they tour each of them – surprisingly most couples end up buying one of them (I’d recommend checking out more than 3 houses before buying). If you watch closely enough, you can actually see the couples’ dreams vanish into thin air. It’s fascinating to watch expectations lower to the point where they settle for a hunk of junk in a neighbourhood they would never have considered. It’s great stuff and I’m hooked.

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: Batman and the Outsiders #1

There are some events in comic book history that exist as major milestones on a personal level, but not resonate the same way across the industry. The appearance of Batman and the Outsiders #1 on the racks was a major event for me. This was not simply due to the fact that it was a new title with my favourite characters as headliner, but also because it was conclusive proof that my favourite title (Brave and the Bold) was dead. I was on 9 years old at the time, so I did not really full appreciate the ins and outs of the industry. To my mind, a comic book title was still alive and well until it stopped showing up at the store.

Although I was sad that the B&B was gone, this cover certainly grabbed my attention and raised my hopes. At that stage in my life (I was 10 years old), I’d have followed Batman anywhere. Although, I don’t think the series ever got close to the level of Brave and the Bold, it got off to a very strong start here. We see the classic Aaparo Batman, intent on rescuing his friend Lucius Fox. When the JLA turns him down, Bats heads out on his own, with a little help from Black Lightning. The scene where Batman resigns from the JLA is still one of the best ‘Batman tells Superman to go fly a kite’ moments of all time.

The supporting cast is introduced slowly, we know Black Lightning and Metamorpho, but there’s plenty of mystery around Katana, Halo and Geo-Force. There was so much to love about this issue, so much potential. At the time, it seemed like such a watershed moment – but I can see now that I was just a silly kid who thought this was the next JLA. Can you blame a guy for Jim Aparo would keep drawing Batman forever?

TwoMorrows Reviews Today!

Alter Ego #64

I’ve been finding this mag (to which I’ve subscribed for 3 years or so) to be a bit hit and miss lately – for every interesting article on some nearly forgotten comic book creator, there’s something that just does not interest me. This particular issue is no different.

There’s quite a bit that I enjoyed: the overview of the Monster Society of Evil should please most Fawcett fans and the short article on Bud Thompson was a pleasant surprise as he is someone about whom I always wanted to know more. On the downside, however, the whole ‘Timely Pin-Up’ business seemed cute the first time around, not so much these days. The flashbacks to the 1966 convention were initially fairly interesting, but I find them to be tiresome now and I’d rather reading more creator profiles. All in all, I enjoyed this issue – but I don’t think there’s much there to attract a non-Fawcett fan.

Back Issue #20

When Back Issue was initially launched, I was a bit of a naysayer as I didn’t really see how it could replace with TwoMorrows had lost in Comic Book Artist. I was also in a particularly bad mood as that was around the time Comic Book Marketplace was cancelled. I was wrong, and I am a now a subscriber. The good people have followed up the stellar Don Newton issue with another great one with a superb mixture of features.

My attention was automatically grabbed by the Englehart/Buscema interview about Captain America’s post-Secret Empire soul searching. I was so impressed with Englehart’s praise of our Pal Sal’s artwork that I fired him an email. He responded promptly with even more praise! It’s nice to know that underappreciated artists like Sal are admired by their peers.

This issue also has a great piece on the origins of Firestorm and how can anyone not love a mag that is willing to dedicate a half-dozen pages to the Human Fly? You cannot find this stuff anywhere else, folks. My only criticism of Back Issue at this stage is that I wish they would widen their mandate to reach further back into the past. There are still plenty of creators who work pre-1970 around to give interviews – let’s talk to them before it is too late!

Stale Movie Reviews

Here's some movie reviews for those of you who haven't left the house (or ordered PPV) in a year or so:

Prairie Home Companion
I have only appreciated what Keillor & Co. have been up to all these years from a distance. I’ve seen little bits here and there on PBS, and read at least one of his books (Lake Wobegon Days, IIRC). This movie is odd – and I am not sure if that’s in a good way or a bad way. It has a timeless feel, but that become confusing at a certain point. I had a hard time believe that Kevin Kline’s character could exist in the same world as Lindsay Lohan’s character. I know it’s a movie and I am supposed to suspend my disbelief, but it just didn’t all fit together for me. Perhaps it was the performances – at times, it came across like Keillor acting as ringleader the to Hollywood All-Stars who were all attempting to out-ham each other. I don’t want to leave you with the impression that I hated this movie – as that is certainly not the case, but I can’t honestly say that I really like it either. I am ambivalent about it, and I’ve never felt that way about an Altman film before.

Grade: C+

Casino Royale
With a 13-month old at home, my wife and I don’t get out to too many movies. When we do get the chance, we prioritize. We decided that one movie we needed to see on the big screen was Casino Royale. When Daniel Craig was announced as the new Bond, I felt sorry for him. The backlash was unbelievable. Anyone who had seen Layer Cake knew that he had more than enough charisma to carry a Bond film. If you can cheer for a drug dealer, you are certainly going to cheer for Bond. This is a fun, fun film – which is a challenge, because it’s probably the flimsiest plot of any of the Fleming novels. Out of necessity, style has to overcome substance in parts – but that works. We’ve got a ‘Old School John Woo meets JJ Abrams’ thing going here, and I like it. Craig and Eva Green radiate and the supporting cast is sufficiently exotic to compensate for any stiffness. My biggest complaint is Judi Dench’s uncontrollable scene chewing. A perfect film? Nope, but it’s a lot of fun.

Grade: A-


The Break Up
How did this one make so much money? I just don’t get it. I actually had hopes that it would be good for a few laughs, as we’ve all been through some petty fights with significant others. I actually like both leads – but I’m starting to think it’s a ‘small doses’ kind of thing. The real problem, however, is the writing and directing – it just comes across like a compilation of scenes with little or no linkages, many of which are in needs of a rewrite. I’d write more about this one, but I have already forgotten most of the movies – never a good sign.

Grade: D

Borat: Cultural Learnings…
The first movie my wife and I had seen in theatres since the birth of our child. Does that give you a sense of how much we were looking forward to it? I must say – it lived up to our hopes. Of course it’s over the top, of course some people were perhaps misled just a little and of course not every American is a gun-toting racist. Actually, what this movie leave you with is a sense of just how willing many people are to help out a stranger, and how tolerant they will be of his lunacy. In the end, it was worth it to get out and laugh harder than I’d laugh in ages. Even the movies weakest point (the overly long nude fight) was salvage by SBC’s speech at the Golden Globes.

Grade: B+

#1 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

1. Batman

My first, my last, my everything.

This will be the shortest post I’ve made for the 12 Days, as it is extremely difficult for me to sum up what Batman means to me.

He is at #1 because he is more important to me than numbers 2 through 12 combined.

The best way I can explain it is as follows:I could not live with a comic book world that did not include Batman, but I could live with a comic book world that had only Batman.

#2 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

2. Spider-Man

No big surprise here. How can you not love Spider-man? I was raised on re-runs of the 60s cartoon and Spidey Super Stories. In fact, I believe the first Spidey book I ever read was the Spidey Super Stories with the Jaws cover.

The reason I love Spidey so much is that he comes across as very ‘human’, which isn’t always the case with superheroes. It is difficult to separate Peter Parker from Spidey, no matter how many times that costume winds up in the trash. What’s not to love? He’s a nice guy, he has girl trouble, and he feels a strong sense of justice in order to make up for his past failures. His life is my life – with a little more webbing.

As a child, I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have so many Spidey books on the racks. In the late 70s and early 80s I was reading Amazing, Spectacular, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Tales (the only way to get the good old stuff at low prices) and any treasury edition (love that Astonishing Spider-Man!) or guest appearances (there were lots) that I could lay my hands on. Some of the lowest graded books in the history of comics are in the Spider-Man part of my collection. A couple of years ago, I opened up an old Star Wars Treasury book and out fell a copy of Marvel Tales #111 (reprints Amazing Spidey #134). The fact that this book was still together in one piece defied the laws of Physics. There was no discernable spine. I must have read this one a million times – right down to that last panel featuring the Punisher.

I must admit to falling off the Spidey bandwagon in the late 80s – the whole MacFarlane era did nothing for me. Since then, I’ve focused my attention of accumulating as much of the old stuff as possible. I gave Ultimate Spidey a try, and didn’t mind it – but it’s not the same. The movies, of course, thrilled me – and I felt like a kid again, watching Spidey brought to life. I swear that I could literally feel myself swinging through Manhattan.Spidey’s supporting cast is as good as any in the comic book world, but it is Mr. Parker himself who holds it all together. We cheer for him, we cry with him and we can’t wait to see what will happen to him next.That’s what makes a great character.

#3 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

3. Green Arrow

I have always rooted for the underdog. I probably liked Ollie at an early age because he always seemed so out of place within the JLA, but he never let anyone push him around. I always enjoy his role within the JLA, especially because he always seemed to be quitting every other issue. He serve as the annoying conscience of the League, much like he had with Hal circa 1970.

The Longbow Hunters was published at a time when I was pretty much out of comics altogether. It sucked me back in. I loved it. I really don't think that it was until the Mike Grell ongoing series that Ollie was fully realized as a character (interesting since it was nearly a half century since his creation). He was now more of a detective and was much more vulnerable as he seemed isolated from the rest of the DCU. I loved everything about the Mike Grell ongoing series. I was in high school at the time and could not wait for each issue to hit the stands.I just really dug Ollie - he was pompous, hot headed and didn’t really know how to treat his superhot girlfriend. After a crisis, he’d hit the road to straighten out things in his head. I really related to that approach to life.

Ollie is an extremely flawed man, and that’s why I admired him so much. His relationship with Dinah is about as real a relationship as I’ve seen in superhero comics. It was a good idea to have him settle in Seattle - as it was a blank slate and he could work his charms (or lack thereof) on the local people and police.I lapped up every single issue. I was absolutely shocked when they killed him off. Shocked! I actually ended up really enjoying the Connor & Eddie years, but this is a post about Ollie, so let’s stick with him.

Much like I felt with Daredevil, I was really concerned when I heard that Kevin Smith would be bringing Ollie back. To me, it sort of devalued his death as well as Connor’s growing role in the DCU. I was wrong - it was pretty well done and the stories following the initial Quiver arc were strong too. I have 5 or 6 of the TPBs now and I am pretty darned impressed - the whole Arrow Family works well as a concept and Ollie rocks as the father figure. I really like the Phil Hester drawn stuff - he has helped to breathe new life into the character.I am certain that Oliver Queen has a polarizing effect on readers - I just happed to be waaaaay over on the ‘Love Him’ side.

#4 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

4. Daredevil

Yup – this list is very heavily populated by the mainstream superhero crowd (and it’s only going to get worse). When I sat down and thought of who I really loved, that’s just the way it turned out. Daredevil appealed to me from a very young age, and he’s the reason I became a lawyer. Actually, that’s not true – but he and Foggy made the legal profession look pretty interesting.I was 8 or so when Frank Miller got his hands on this title and I loved it. Many of my favourite issues were published when I was 10 years old (I’m talking issues #179-191 or thereabouts). Even though they were quite sophisticated, I understood that this was groundbreaking stuff. Most of those issues seem as fresh today as they did back then.

Some people see Daredevil as Marvel’s version of Batman. He fights crime at the street level and is pretty far from omnipotent. I’ve never really bought into that comparison, but if that’s how people see DD, I’m cool with that. You could do a lot worse than a second rate Batman. There is much more to DD than that, though. Sure, he has risen from tragedy – but his style and surroundings are very different. Daredevil operates in a very small neighbourhood and, although he is part of the Marvel Universe, seems to keep it at arm’s length. He has a circle of friends and colleagues, but never lets anyone get too close. His love life has been a mess – and who can’t relate to that?

Miller’s run is the finest in my mind, but I truly appreciate almost all of Daredevil’s eras – even the Mike Murdock lunacy. That is fun, fun stuff to read. I had my doubts when the title was relaunched in the late 90s, but was pleasantly surprised. I haven’t picked up a DD book in a few years now, but I have heard very good things about the past few arcs and will look for TPBs.Matt Murdock is probably as well developed a character, as you’ll find in superhero book. Over the course of years, writers and artists have really made sure that readers get a feel for the world his inhabits. His friends seem real and some of his enemies even plausible. All in all, it is hard not to root for the guy.

I love Daredevil – always have and I always will.

#5 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

5. The Atom

Unlike some of my previous choices, I have always loved the Atom. I guess it has something to do with the fact that he’s a crime fighter with a different perspective (worm’s eye view!). To be honest, I think that I’ve loved him because I’ve always felt a little sorry for him. He is not Superman, as his superpower is limited in scope and he really needs to engage the brain to maximize its utility. On the flipside, he’s not even Green Arrow or Batman – since he does have some powers, he cannot climb up on a soapbox and rail against the big guns of the JLA. He’s kind of in the middle, and he’s always fretted about fitting in with other heroes and has often wondered if he really belongs in the crimefighting world.

One of the first Silver Age books I ever bought was Justice Leauge of America #14. It cost me $1.00 in 1980. This is the issue in which Atom joins the JLA, but the final few panels are what make the book for me. I haven’t pulled this one out in years, but I can still see the tiny boardroom chair they designed for the Atom and the look of disappointment on his face when he realized that he would be sitting at floor level. His frown was turned upside down when he discovered that the chair levitated so that he could see eye to eye with his teammates. It was this kind of touch that make the Fox/Sekowsky issues so wonderful, and helped make the Atom such an appealing character.The Atom played a pivotal role in two of my favourite comics from my childhood. IIRC, they both made my Top 10 Favourite Comics from last year.

The first, Worlds Finest #236, is a ‘Fantastic Voyage’ inspired tale in which Batman and Superman are helpless as people are coming down with an incurable disease. Who do they call? You’ve got it, the Atom. This is Dick Dillin at his finest, and the story forever endeared me to the little guy. The Atom shows a some real courage and tenacity as he travels through the body, which serves as a series of booby traps. It’s a really fun story and serves as a great showcase of the Atom as a character. I have been trying to track down original pages from this issue, and I’ve got 5 of them now.

The second special comic is Justice League of America #142. This is one of those crazy Steve Engelhart stories involving sexy aliens and psychotic robots. It’s a real doozy (did I just type that?), but it begins rather quietly with the Atom wondering if he quit the superhero game. He doesn’t have much time to pontificate as he, along with Elongated Man and Aquaman are thrown into an issue full of craziness. In the end, the Atom proves his worth as a hero and feels vindicated in sticking with the JLA. The panels below are of him receiving thanks from Mantis, umm… I mean Willow, the aforementioned sexy alien. It was only in more recent years that I went back to the original source material.

I was probably about 22 when I bought my first issue of the Atom’s Silver Age title (#20 to be precise). I loved it. I love the energy infused into the panels by Gil Kane, and the Gardner Fox stories were nothing short of fun (with a little science and history thrown in for good measure). I’ve now got a complete run of the series, and those books make me very happy. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the Time Pool stories? It’s always fun to time travel with the little guy.I’ll pick up just about anything with Ray Palmer in it. Heck, I’ve even got a soft spot for the ‘Atom Special’ books from the 90s. I am not really plugged into the DCU these days, so I really don’t know what has become of Ray Palmer (was he raped too?). I tried the Simone/Byrne Atom series and it was sorely lacking in just about everything that makes the Ray Palmer Atom great.Here’s to my #5 pick – the little guy who packs a big punch.

#6 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

6. The Spirit

OK – we are now entering the ‘obvious choice’ zone of my list. This is where I reveal that I am nothing more than a clichéd fanboy. If you have followed my postings at all over the past few years, these won’t come as a big surprise to you. Unlike my selection #1 through #5, I became familiar with the Spirit as a more ‘mature’ comic book fan. I had seen the old Warren mags and various Overstreet cover galleries as a kid and always though he looked appealing, but never got into him. That’s probably a good thing, as I think the Spirit can be best appreciated after getting a little comic book experience under your belt.I’ve now got just about every Warren and Kitchen Sink Spirit mag published, as well as a growing number of Archive Editions and the Harvey Giants from the 60s. I will buy just about anything with the Spirit’s mug on it. Heck I’d even buy a Spirit mug if I could find one.

Denny Colt is a bit like the Unknown Soldier in that he is an everyman as well as man without an identity. He is famous in his world and yet relatively anonymous. He works best when he take a hands-off approach to crimefighting and let the bad guys start in-fighting and pretty much brings themselves to justice. It’s a very different technique when compared to most Golden Age crimefighters, and when mixed with the Spirit’s great sense of humour – shows just how far ahead of the curve Eisner & Co. were in the 40s. It was its own genre – with elements of every single genre thrown into the mix. In the end, it’s the humour that gets me – whether the Spirit is pulling a prank or on the butte end of a joke, it keeps the strip fresh and lively.

The Spirit will likely live forever in comics because so many stories can be told with him as the protagonist. He’s been on the high seas and in space and it all seems to make sense. My fingers are crossed for more and more quality Spirit-related projects in the future. The good news is that so many creators respect and admire Eisner, that I am sure that they will try to maintain all of the super duper goodness that makes the Spirit the Spirit.

#7 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

7. Unknown Soldier

My first exposure to the Unknown Soldier was in Brave & the Bold #146. What a great first impression. Oh, did I ever love the World War Two setting and the team up with this master of disguise. It seemed a lot more ‘realistic’ than other books I had read to that point. Prior to that, I was only aware of the Unknown Soldier through house ads featuring those awesome Kubert covers (the ‘Cave In’ cover to #222 stands out in my mind).

One of the aspects of the Unknown Soldier that really appeals to me is the Man of 1,000 Faces side to the character. To me, a ‘master of disguise’ character has almost limitless possibilities (hence my love for the Chameleon as underused Spidey villain). In this case, it allows him to glide from one horror of war to the next, attempting to dull the impact wherever possible.

This Man of 1,000 Faces is also a man without a face, and this allows him to move anonymously through war zones, fading into the background when necessary. The most talented writers realize that the Unknown Soldier can act as a mirror – reflecting his surroundings. This is perhaps what I like most about the Unknown Soldier. Through him we get to experience the moral ambiguities of war, trying to maintain our balance on a razor’s edge.

The panels to the right are from the Michelinie/Talaoc run. The Unknown Soldier is disguised as a German Officer and has just passed a loyalty test by shooting a young woman. He’s had to make this sacrifice to save thousands of other lives. When I read this type of Unknown Soldier story, I feel like I am sharing his pain and outrage.

#8 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

8. Tubby Tompkins

Tubby is probably the biggest shit disturber in comic book history. Nobody gets up to, and into, more trouble than this guy. He is greedy, lazy, arrogant and delusional. I love him.

He is Little Lulu’s nemesis as well as her paramour. He is the perfect Yin to her Yang. Together, they are the 'Hepburn and Tracy Jr.' of the Four Color world. Lulu just wouldn’t be Lulu without Tubby serving as the constant headache in her life.Whether he’s trying to get a free soda, eating someone else's food, keeping girls out of his clubhouse or trying to frame Mr. Moppet for some crime, Tubby does it all with a lack of both grace and class.

They just don’t make kids like Tubby anymore. Tragic.

#9 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

9. Alfred Pennyworth

I think that everyone needs an Alfred in life. Someone who will stick by you through the best and worst of what life has to offer. He is the person who keeps Batman/Bruce grounded, and keeps him from going off the deep end. Like many readers (and Bruce from time to time), I probably took Alfred for granted. He was simply a nice British chap who made tea at all hours of the night.

From time to time, some writers give Alfred his due and capture his essence of Alfred and show just how important a role he plays in the Bat-Universe. More recently, I was delighted to see Michael Caine do Alfred justice in Batman Begins. He was absolutely perfect.There are not many comic book scenes that have touched me as much as the following page from Batman: Dark Victory as Alfred gets Dick Grayson settled in at Wayne Manor and attempts to make up for some of the mistakes he’s made in the past. When I first read this, I was absolutely blown away.It still gets me today.

#10 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

10. Lone Ranger

I can’t really admit to having grown up on the Lone Ranger. I did see some reruns of the 50s show when I was a kid and certainly enjoyed them, but the Lone Ranger was never really part of my childhood. It wasn’t until I read an article in Comic Book Marketplace 6 or 7 years ago, featuring those wonderful painted covers, that I became a true Lone Ranger fan. The moment I saw them, I just had to have them.

Thanks to this era of eBay and instant gratification, within weeks I had a dozen of ‘em. Nice, shiny, beautiful covers. You know what else? Those stories between the covers weren’t half bad, either.I really love the Lone Ranger because he’s the most misunderstood man in the west. He’s not actually wanted for anything, but the very fact the he wears a mask targets him for suspicioneverywhere ge goes. He has to win each person over individually, but once he has – they are an ally for life. Of course, as Lyle Lovett once sang, Tonto does the dirty work for free and he certainly plays a vital role in these adventures. Yet, there is something about the Lone Ranger, whose identity was borne of tragedy (like so many heroes) that makes him the real stand-out for me.

There’s nothing quite like a Lone Ranger comic book. A beautiful painting on the outside and a Newman/Gill masterpiece on the inside.