CBR Live! Archive
Snark Free Corner for 8/7
Welcome to the latest installment of your breath of snark free air!
Enjoy!
Unsung Comics
Betty's Diary only lasted forty issues, but in those forty issues, it left an indeliable imprint upon Archie Comics, to the point where now, sixteen years after the last issue came out, stories from Betty's Diary continue to be popular in Archie digests.
The concept of Betty's Diary began as a backup in some Archie title (one cool point to the person who can tell me what comic it was, I forget), but they were a lot different than the series, which began in 1986.
The 1986 series, written by writers such as Kathleen Webb (whose writing I adore) and Frank Doyle, among others, the comics tended to go for realism, which is a rare feat in Archie Comics usually.
Often, the comics were funny, but it was a character-based humor, as the stories revolved around Betty just telling us, the readers, the normal happenstances in her life. Like, via this cover, Veronica getting too much attention one night...
Other times, the stories took on a more serious bent (or at least, not going for humor as the main ingredient), like looking into history, or the creative process for writers, or just finding out things about your friends that you didn't know (like the fact that Reggie does charity work secretly when he thinks no one is watching him).
Isn't that line on the roller coaster cover clever?
It was a great series, and it's too bad that it isn't around today.
At least Kathleen Webb still writes for Archie!
Cover Homage
One cool point to the person who first tells me which comic this comic cover is homaging!
Cool Comic Things
Comic Books: Where an aardvark can become Pope.
Yes, during the classic Church and State storyline, Cerebus the aardvark became the Pope of the Eastern Church of Tarim.
It did not end well.
Heck, let's just say that Cerebus, the book, as a whole, is a cool thing about comic books!
Snark-Free Challenge
What Marvel superhero who has never been a member do you think would make a good member of the Avengers?
Same question, only what DC superhero who has never been a member do you think would make a good member of the Justice League?
Great Supporting Cast Members
One of the coolest aspects of John Byrne's Superman revamp was the introduction of Maggie Sawyer, the head of the Special Crimes Unit in Metropolis.
Obviously, such a unit would often come into contact with Superman, and Maggie became close friends with Superman.
Maggie had been married once, and had a child, but left town when she realized she was a lesbian. In Metropolis, she began seeing Lois Lane-esque reporter, Toby Bailey. Heck, no wonder Superman and Maggie got along so well, they even have the same taste in women!
Maggie was a cop in Star City before she left, and I always thought that a story that we never saw and we SHOULD have seen is seeing Maggie in her Star City days, as you got to figure she ran into Green Arrow more than a few times.
I would have loved to have seen that confrontation.
After being a supporting character in the Superman books for a long time, Maggie admittedly fell to the wayside a bit, so when Gotham Central started, Greg Rucka imported Maggie to Gotham City to join the cast of Gotham Central.
That's where she is now, and to be honest, she doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot in the Batbooks. She's made a couple of 52 appearances, though.
Maggie even once starred in her own mini-series (ostensibly titled Metropolis SCU)!!
Look, she can even be badass while wearing an evening gown!
- Posted on August 7, 2006 @ 08:29 PM
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25 Comments
Bill Reed
August 7, 2006 at 9:49 pm
Archie comics never get enough credit. And Maggie Sawyer never gets enough to do.
I'm sure I've seen the cover before, but I can't place it.
Let's see... who hasn't been in the JLA or Avengers at this point? I suppose some of the new Seven Soldiers guys...
Clearly, *Devil Dinosaur* should join the Avengers.
Evan Waters
August 7, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Dammit, I know the title the cover's from, but not the issue #.
Kitty
August 7, 2006 at 10:09 pm
Wait, they don't make *Betty's Diary* anymore? Damn! That was a fantastic book.
Harpo
August 7, 2006 at 10:29 pm
An Avenger?
Spider-man!
or Wolverine!
or... uhhhh... nevermind...
My actual choice - Doc Samson
He's never been an Avenger has he?
FunkyGreenJerusalem
August 8, 2006 at 1:59 am
Howard The Duck should be an Avenger.
What would be cooler than Howard and Beverly hanging out at the tower and ragging on the rest of the team?
Hell, I think they should move in and just not bother telling the other Avengers - Jarvis should stumble across them living in the attic.
Jer
August 8, 2006 at 6:14 am
I nominate Jack Russell, Werewolf by Night for the Avengers. Sure "occult heroes" aren't the type that you think of when you think Avengers, but he's got the right power level for the team, brings his own soap-opera issues to the table, and gives you the opportunity to occasionally do those "team member goes wild and has to be taken down" stories that are so much fun. And, if having an actual Werewolf is too objectionable, then maybe John Jameson - Man-Wolf would be a better fit. I'd take either one.
And I nominate Sanderson Hawkins to be in the Justice League as a new Sandman. He's got the powers and the experience AND the legacy - all important things for the Justice League.
The Mutt
August 8, 2006 at 7:06 am
"One minute it's up... the next I'm getting sick!"
Must. Control. Snark.
I'd like to see Lady Shiva in the JLA, and in The Avengers... Batroc the Leaper! Batroc rules!
Jeff R.
August 8, 2006 at 8:40 am
Well, the 'heads on the sides' design is homaging the general design of most JLA/JSA crisis crossovers from the 70's and 80's. Can think of one with a similar enough central image to be a particular homage here, though.
RAB
August 8, 2006 at 10:40 am
Ahem.
On an unrelated note, Maggie Sawyer is an awful character. I reserve judgement as to whether she'll be remembered in the same category as Ebony from The Spirit, or the Crimson Avenger's sidekick Wing or Chop-Chop from the Blackhawks.
Michael
August 8, 2006 at 10:46 am
The Guardians cover looks like it's homaging that month where every Marvel cover was a shot of the main character surrounded by those heads.
Betty should totally start making out with the punk rock girl. That'll show Veronica what for.
RAB
August 8, 2006 at 11:10 am
Oops, forgot the stylesheet for this page doesn't visually indicate links. The word "Ahem" in my post above is a link.
Jeff R.
August 8, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Feh
One full year earlier than the FF cover.
Bryant69
August 8, 2006 at 1:10 pm
For an Avenger I think one of the 2nd tier X-Men would be cool - Kitty Pryde or Cannonball or Chamber or Havok.
Alternatively Jack Russel (Were-wolf by night) would be an interesting choice.
I think it's Jack Russel.
Evan Waters
August 8, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Okay, it's UNCANNY X-MEN #173.
(For some reason I can't paste the URL, but it's on the front page at http://whenwillthehurtingstop.blogspot.com).
Evan Waters
August 8, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Come to think of it, though, it's not THAT close is it?
SanctumSanctorumComix
August 8, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Guardians cover looks like a poor homage to:
Fantastic Four # 54.
Right?
(well..that and/or a TON of other books)
~P~
P-TOR
Dwayne "the canoe guy"
August 8, 2006 at 2:04 pm
On the JLA? Swamp Thing, just imagine if he started interfacing with alien plants and really really freaked out.
moose n squirrel
August 8, 2006 at 2:31 pm
On the JLA: Vril Dox.
On the Avengers: Adam friggin' Warlock.
yo
August 8, 2006 at 6:13 pm
You're focusing on the wrong part: I think the "homage" in question would refer to the pose in the center, not the heads around the side - after all, that's been done way too often by too many sources to name just one.
david
August 8, 2006 at 10:55 pm
the person who should be an avenger who has never been one is rachel summers..
1) her backstory is so strange that she would fit in well with sersi, mantis, moondragon, wanda, 'tasha, Greer, hellcat... she would find true comrodery there.
2) the move to the avengers side of the table would bring her closer to franklin richards.. and there is a great story there waiting to be told.
3) the move would allow her to become more of her own person in this timeline rather than a pale shadow of her mother.
what do you think?
DanLarkin
August 9, 2006 at 5:41 am
I think Nova should join the Avengers. Mostly because I like his costume. A timelost Legionnaire like Timber Wolf or Karate Kid could be a good JLAer.
Matt D
August 9, 2006 at 1:24 pm
I always thought that with a two team Avengers(East Coast/West Coast) you should have Justice/Firestar on one and Cannonball/Mirage on the other.
res196e7
August 9, 2006 at 11:32 pm
I think that moose n squirrel's "Vril Dox in the JLA" idea is a great one!
For the Avengers...how about Dr. Strange?
The Mutt
August 11, 2006 at 5:18 pm
If Marvel & DC had done the character swap they toyed with during all the Almagam hoo hah, we could have seen Marvel's Hercules in the JLA to annoy Superman and Batman and intrigue Wonder Woman. DC's Green Arrow joins the Avengers. The idea of Ollie butting heads with G.I. Steve and Arms Merchant Tony is giving me giggles.
Cayman
August 11, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Marvel: Phyla Vell as Captain Marvel
DC: Geo-Force