As the summer wind comes blowin’ in, from across the sea, here’s everything I read in the exceedingly fast month of June. Batman: Daylight Vol. 1 by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey • 5 Stars on GoodreadsI know a lot of you kids out there are all hepped up on Scott Snyder and Nick... Continue Reading →
It’s been a while since I’ve sat down for any serious navel-gazing here on my blog. In fact, this poor little exercise in creativity has definitely taken a back seat to my YouTube endeavors, and sometimes I regret that … and other times I feel like the Peanuts panel that tops this post … "I... Continue Reading →
64 years ago, the creation of the Marvel Universe took a giant leap forward when three of the company’s most famous heroes debuted in their first comic book appearances ALL ON THE SAME DAY! Yep, hard as it is to believe, the Amazing Spider-Man, the Mighty Thor, and the Astonishing Ant-Man all hit newsstands on... Continue Reading →
A book by one of my favorite authors, a fascinating history of Hannibal Lecter, and three—count ‘em, THREE!—DC Finest volumes make up my May reading list. Ironwood by Michael Connelly • 5 Stars on GoodreadsDespite having a minor stroke last year which temporarily affected his vision, Michael Connelly is on a roll, with 2026 being... Continue Reading →
Here we go with another look at my three latest DC Finest purchases and reads … and this time, it’s All Batman, All the Time! There’s already been two Batman volumes in 2026, and there’s three more on the horizon between now and the end of the year, plus another Bat-centric Team-ups volume (which just... Continue Reading →
On June 23, 1960, a new and different comic book appeared on newsstands. And while giant-sized comics costing 25 cents were nothing new—Dell, Archie, and Harvey had been doing them for years—Giant Superman Annual 1 was something very different for DC Comics, it’s first-ever, 80-page, all-reprint issue, and the first giant-sized issue to star comics'... Continue Reading →
Just in case you missed my appearance on the San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog's first SDConCast of their 15th (!) season, you can now watch it right here, right now, through the wonders of technology! Once again, the nice people at the Unofficial Blog (Kerry and James), teamed me up with my friend and fount... Continue Reading →
Lots of graphic novels and comics collections in this month’s reading stack, along with one very disappointing crime/thriller novel. The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins • 2 Stars on GoodreadsGod, this book was tedious. I read Welsh-Huggins' first Mercury Carter book (The Mail Man) a while back and had problems with that one, too, to be... Continue Reading →
It’s Comicon season once again, with at least three major cons in the past month or so, I thought this would be the perfect time to look back at some of my earliest convention—and comic fandom—memories! Tales From My Spinner Rack Episode 30: "Comicon Memories Part 1: The New York Years," chronicles that long-ago time!... Continue Reading →
Been a little while since I’ve done one of these (partly because I'm doing them three at a time), but here we are … these are the three latest DC Finest volumes I’ve read and enjoyed. DC Finest War: The Big Five Arrive by Robert Kanigher, Bob Haney, Joe Kubert, and Ross AndruThis is the... Continue Reading →
Unless you’re involved in a life-threatening situation or—like me—can upgrade to a nicer place and save some monthly moolah, don’t move, kids. My recent move carved two months out of my life, losing valuable walking, watching, and reading space. I finished exactly ONE book in all of February, that coldest, darkest month, and I am... Continue Reading →
On March 30, 1939, a new hero greeted comic book fans on their local spinner racks. “The Bat-Man” swooped onto the cover of Detective Comics 27, nabbing a criminal in the act. Welcome to Tales From My Spinner Rack Episode 29: “My Favorite Batman Artists, From Bob Kane to Jim Lee!” In honor of Batman’s... Continue Reading →
Tales From My Spinner Rack LIVE! returns to WonderCon on Saturday, March 28 at 3:00 PM in Room 209. I'll be joined by WonderCon special guest Mark Evanier as we take a deep dive into the artistic history of Batman in honor of his 87th birthday on March 30, the date when Detective Comics 27... Continue Reading →
To paraphrase Paul Simon, “Where have I gone, Joe DiMaggio …?” For the past two months, I have been consumed with moving. It’s only now, two weeks after I actually moved, that I’ve come up for air long enough to write about it. And to read a book again. And walk. And maybe actually blog... Continue Reading →
PSST! … Tales From My Spinner Rack fans, I’ve been keeping a secret from you. Before I got my comic book spinner rack, I had another, “secret” spinner rack, this one dedicated to paperback books. Episode 28 reveals the story behind that other rack, the one devoted to my James Bond vintage paperback collection! Welcome... Continue Reading →
