When people think of a superhero, they think of Superman. Oh, they may have another favorite like Spider-Man or Batman or even Matter-Eater Lad if you're insane, but Superman is just quintessentially the guy comic books are made of.

Part of it is his humility, uber-Americanism, and classic look. More of it is that he has all the powers that anyone person could want with absolutely no drawbacks. He can fly, he's super strong, he's damn near invincible, he shoot eye lasers, and he can even see through solid objects. This makes him objectively better than not only most superheroes, but also most deities in the world's religions.

But see... writers are lazy, and whenever they felt the need to resolve a story and flying and punching and lifting things wouldn't do they would just add powers to Supes. Eventually he became a collection of the most completely random, and stupid, abilities you could ever imagine. Lest they be forgotten in the wake of an excellent-looking new movie, here are the dumbest.

More »

Once a month the amazing staff at 8th Dimension Comics selects a pile of the best new releases for us to peruse and judge.

Half Past Danger #1: Jeremy Bulloch of 8th Dimension Comics and I play a little game when he hands me the selections for the months books in the column; He has one sentence or one panel to convince me to try it. In the case of Stephen Mooney's Half Past Danger that sentence was, "Imagine if Indiana Jones had to fight dinosaurs." Wordlessly, it went right to the top of my pile.

The book follows a former WWII sergeant named Thomas Michael Flynn, who lost his whole platoon in the Pacific Theater when they stumbled upon a secret Nazi base surrounded by a tyrannosaur infested jungle. Only he made it out alive, and the now he spends his day drunk on survivor's guilt and brandy. It's sheer pulp genius that is instantly engaging and wonderful.

Mooney hits all the proper old-school notes. There's hulking unstoppable Aryan supermen, wily Asian kung-fu masters, a devious and mysterious femme fatale, and I really can't stress how awesome the dinosaurs are. I don't even want to keep reading this book. I want it in production as a film right this instant. Until then, get yourself hooked right now because Half Past Danger is already a summer hit in my book.

Rating: 10 of 10

More »

Photos By Abrahan Garza.

Literally speaking we imagine these costumes are really hot on the inside.

Check out all of our Comicpalooza 2013 adventures: Day 1: Talkin' 'Bout Geek Education, Day 2: Let's Get Dangerous, and Day 3: Fear of a Black Dalek.

With another year of Comicpalooza in the books it's time for us to celebrate our favorite part of the convention: the costumes. We admire anyone, whether they put hours in to crafting a outfit or bought it off the rack, who is willing to dress up as their favorite character and head out to the convention. Before we say goodbye for another year we want to take a look at the hottest outfits we saw this year, presented for your viewing pleasure.

More »

Brian Dowd

Nicoletta Maranos

Having spent a good portion of my life on stage I enjoy my role as a journalist on the sidelines a great deal. You see a lot of interesting things when you fade into the background. At Comicpalooza at the George R. Brown Convention Center this weekend you'll get the exact opposite of that.

Cosplay is a huge deal, with people spending hundreds of dollars and hours trying to either recreate their most beloved characters or offer a fun new twist on them. It's a particularly wonderful kind of fandom that brings out the most creative and exuberant atmosphere.

One of Houston's best known cosplayers is Nicoletta Maranos, who will be attending as Connor from the video game Assassin's Creed 3. She specializes in video game characters, and I always run into her and her detailed creations whenever Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds rolls through town. Her work can take up to 80 hours to complete, but the end product speaks for itself.

More »

Comicpalooza this year is bigger than ever before, with more stars and more than 300 hours worth of programming to keep you busy. Just to give you a heads up, here are the ten things you absolutely don't want to skip.

10. Cryptozoology 101: You might remember our own Ken Gerhard as a pillar of the goth music community with bands like Flowers and Machines. Turns out he actually managed to score an even more awesome post-rock star career, hunting Bigfoot and other legendary monsters. Gerhard will offer a basic guide to the field of monster hunting science, as well as stories gleaned from his own considerable research.

9. Quidditch: Believe it or not, Quidditch is incredibly fun to watch. Yes, running around holding a stick between your legs looks a little ridiculous, but the matches are high-speed and exciting, with truly dedicated collegiate players vying for championship status. Until we can figure out flying broom sticks (Or hoverboards, Mattel. The clock is ticking) Quidditch will remain ground based sport, albeit a very, very entertaining one.

More »

It's just months since Grant Morrison killed off the latest Robin, Damian Wayne, in the pages of Batman: Incorporated. Wayne was an artificially aged clone birth from Talia al Ghul from Batman's DNA, in essence a son he never particularly wanted. Trained to be a master assassin by the age of ten, he eventually assumes the role of Robin where he excels.

Most people weren't really keen on the mouthy and somewhat bratty character upon first introduction, but for me and I suspect a lot of fans Damian grew into an extremely enjoyable character. He actually was able to achieve a kind of edgy brilliance, backed up with his considerable skill. Being always able to hold his own, he was no longer the Batman bait that so many of his predecessors were. When Damian finally fell in battle with his own mutated clone, The Heretic, it was devastating for his father.

Lately, he's been trying to find a way to resurrect Damian, and even though it means I'm rooting for the continued non-existence of a child and the endless grief of his father, I really, really hope Damian manages to stay dead. Permanently if possible.

More »

Once a month the amazing staff at 8th Dimension Comics selects a pile of the best new releases for us to peruse and judge. This month, we'll tell you what titles to look for that will be available on Free Comic Book Day on May 4.

Beware the Batman/Teen Titans Go Beware the Batman shows off a more kid-friendly version of the Dark Knight... Of course, any version of Batman that isn't done by Scott Snyder could be considered more kid-friendly. It's an energetic book that is a good intro for younger readers, and it doesn't skimp on good-paced action in the name of accessibility.

Teen Titans Go is more firmly in the range of children's lit, but remains fun for all that. The book comes with connect the dots and puzzles as well as profiles on the members of the team making it feel more like a DC-sponsored issue of Highlights than anything else.

More »

Austin's Moontower Festival (no relation to Houston's wiener-slinging bunch) comes into its second year boasting a massive lineup. In a city chock-full of festivals, it looks to be one of the coolest.

Set for Wednesday, April 24, through Saturday, April 27, the lineup this year is stacked with big names old and young, with plenty of room for upstarts to be seen in front of a new audience, at venues scattered all over Austin.

The Moontower people are boasting a schedule that includes more than 90 comics spread out over 80 performances for four days at 11 venues. It's like a more organized SXSW, without the giant Doritos machine, Japanese people and amateur drinking.

Because comics are professional drunks, you see.

If you are a SXSW regular, the venues will be familiar to you, spread out from Sixth to Eighth Streets. Badges start out at $129 and can run up to $599 if you want to mix and mingle with the comics and get preferred entry to shows. The mid-level badges are sold out.

More »

This past weekend, Houston lost the Comedy Showcase, the longtime comedy club down I-45 that helped break local and touring comics for the past three decades. The closure left Houston with just one dedicated comedy club, the Improv, near IKEA off the Katy Freeway.

Comics in town are obviously distressed. With one comedy club and some stray open mikes to hone their craft, it's a precarious time to be a comic in the Bayou City.

REWIND:

Comedy Showcase Closes Its Doors Leaving Houston With One Comedy Club

One comic, John Wessling, thinks the onus is on local bar owners to take a chance on the scene.

"People in the bar and restaurant business need to be bold enough to open an independent comedy club inside the Inner Loop," he says. "All the economic indicators are solid; there's no overwhelming reason not to do it, it just takes a group with some vision to decide to do it."

More »

Once a month, the amazing staff at 8th Dimension Comics selects a pile of the best new releases for us to peruse and judge.

This month I eschewed single issues to focus on a trio of brilliant graphic novels. First up is Hair Shirt by Patrick McEown, the Eisner Award-winning artist of Grendel fame. Hair Shirt follows two extremely damaged young college students as they return to the small town they grew up in and end up trying to rekindle a childhood romance. John is a talented art student struggling with a bad breakup and a long history of unresolved personal issues manifesting in horrible dreams.

More »