Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is just a few weeks away. Martian Manhunter 9 is in stores this Wednesday.

J'onn J'onzz made a very dramatic debut on Supergirl on CBS. I'm paying a lot more attention to the Manhunter from Mars. I was disappointed that he was replaced in the 2011 relaunch of the Justice League. I understand completely that, next to Superman and Green Lantern J'onn's power of invisibility and intangibility become more evident. There have been some great Justice League stories involving the Manhunter.

One of my favorites is JLA: Earth-2. It was the second time since Crisis on Infinite Earths that the Crime Syndicate of America had returned. This time, courtesy of Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly. If you are familiar with the story, you know the pivotal role J'onn played in the outcome.

Another one of my favorites is JLA: Liberty and Justice. I keep coming back to this story a lot, re-reading it. I wish it were the story being adapted for the live action Justice League movie. The Avengers can have their alien invasion. Let them have Thanos and the two film Infinity War. Let them go full-blown cosmic. Stop the Marvel-DC competition. Forget Darkseid. Liberty and Justice is the story to go with. Okay it's basically a comic book super-hero version of Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain. It's a gripping drama. All the Justice Leaguers have their moments - especially J'onn.

Yet another favorite is the twelve issue Justice series by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite. Yes, it's an homage to Super Friends. I didn't notice that until nearly the end of the series, and only because I read it mentioned somewhere online. The final battle starts at the Legion of Doom's headquarters. What makes it less of a Super Friends story is the inclusion of the entire Justice League line-up. One of the very cool moments is an early battle between Grodd and J'onn.

I don't agree with Brad Meltzer on who best embodies "the heart and soul" of the Justice League or the "human condition". His approach a few years ago was to take a Star Trek: The Next Generation approach to the team and position Red Tornado as Data.

I started reading Justice League of America during the satellite years after J'onn had left the team and returned to his homeworld. I was fortunate enough to follow the team for his return to the Detroit League and an invasion that was thwarted. After Byrne's Legends, it was pretty cool to see J'onn part of that reformed team - Batman's Justice League. Off and on he's been an important part of the team, gaining a higher profile with appearances on the Justice League animated series, a few of the films, and on Young Justice. I really enjoyed seeing him part of the New Frontier adaptation.

I really enjoyed seeing Phil Morris as Smallville's Martian Manhunter.

I get the reason why Cyborg replaced J'onn. The Modern Age of DC Comics isn't so much about science fiction like the Silver or Bronze Ages were. Technology is the big thing these days. A character like Cyborg is going to be key to any team, Titans or Justice League. That's what makes Vic Stone such a cool character. In 2011, the choice was to make Justice League the flagship title. In 1980, New Teen Titans was the breakout hit. Vic had been part of that. Now, he was part of rejuvenating the League. I get that. Technology over science fiction. Cyborg's origin was also tied in to Apocalypse, Darkseid and Mother Box-Boom Tube technology. The story as presented, there was no room for the Martian Manhunter to play any key or decisive role.

Which is why I keep going back to Liberty and Justice. Your mileage may vary. For me, it's a much better, more compelling and engaging story.

Which brings me back to why I'm supporting the Martian Manhunter more now than before. It's been almost two years since David S. Goyer's verbal gaffe over J'onn. On a panel, in front of an audience that was recorded as a podcast, he made some disparaging comments about the Manhunter.

People only remember the negatives. No matter the number of great accomplishments, people will only remember the negatives. I don't want to rehash his comments to instigate anything. His comments made me stop and look at the number of times DC had tried to keep a monthly Martian Manhunter book going. It made me look at the reasons I wasn't buying a Martian Manhunter comic book. It made me think, Y'know, maybe the next time DC launches a Martian Manhunter book, or the next time he makes an appearance, I should support it. Maybe I should let DC/Warner Bros./Time Warner hear the sound of my wallet to support this unsung hero. Maybe that will make a difference and be remembered more than some ignorant comments casually thrown out.

So, that's kind of why I'm excited that Martian Manhunter 9 is out this week. As long as DC is going with it, I'll support it. I'll try to keep up with his appearances on Supergirl. Hopefully they'll bring him back around as part of "The Magnificent Seven". Remember when they retconned Black Canary in place of Wonder Woman? Yeah, same thing with Cyborg and J'onn. Maybe one day they'll fix that.

Stranger things have happened.

You've probably seen the story, or a variation of it.

Ryan Reynolds kept his Deadpool costume. The variation is that there's a difference between DC and Marvel. Ben Affleck wanted to keep his Batsuit. He asked if he could keep it. He asked! When he was told how much the suit cost to make, he said he'd take pictures in it and be happy. The difference between DC and Marvel is that Ryan Reynolds didn't bother asking, he just kept his costume.

His reason was that it took so long to make the Deadpool film, he felt he had earned the costume and was entitled to it.

This is the modern generation. Entitled.

My question for you is this: Are you okay with this?

Deadpool is supposed to be this whole bad-ass "Merc With a Mouth". This could be a bit. It could be a great way to promote the film and put bodies in theater seats. "Hey man, did you hear what Ryan Reynolds did? The guy who was Hal Jordan kept his Deadpool suit! That's so bad-ass! I want to see Deadpool, now! Ryan Reynolds is so gonna rock as Deadpool!"

As a dad, I can't help but look at it from that point of view. Maybe when I was younger, I would have thought it was cool for a few seconds.

I don't want my kids to have a sense of Entitlement. A sense that they deserve something. Maybe Reynolds feels that he has earned the suit from all the hard work over ten years of getting the film to the cineplexes. Maybe he has. I kinda think that maybe as a matter of ethics and principal he should compensate for the suit.

What is it that artists want? compensation for their work? Compensation rather than...what's that word? Exposure?

Let's say you're the costume designer. You've spent a lot of man hours on creating the costume that is faithful to Rob Leifeld's design. Ryan Reynolds decides he's entitled to take home your hard work. Are you complimented that an actor of his stature has deemed your hard work worthy of his possession.

Are you okay with someone just taking something he wants?

Or, maybe a better solution is that he make a charitable donation or pay something, like, a dollar to have the suit. Something, rather than just walking off the set, daring anyone to challenge his claim.

Okay, maybe it's a slow news day to be making something out of nothing. Maybe it is just a gimmick to promote the movie..."Bad-ass" Ryan Reynolds keeps his Deadpool costume!

Is that the real story?

This weekend, Ryan Reynolds will finally be bringing the long anticipated Deadpool film to theaters. Next month, Henry Cavill returns as The Man of Steel, joined by Ben Affleck as the new The Dark Knight and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The 2016 wave of super-hero films is just about to begin!

In preparation, Asher Elbein posted an analysis of Superman in The Atlantic. Steven Grant shared the story on social media and sparked a lively debate.

Elbein makes some valid points about the character's struggle in the modern age.

Superman is a moral figure. It is a challenge to wrap one's head around "powers and abilities far beyond mortal men". Imagine what it must be like to try to write that. Monthly. Across four to six comic book titles. There was a time when there was no Kryptonite. There was a time when there was just Superman.

Elbein sites two standout Superman stories: Mark Waid's Superman: Birthright, and Kurt Busiek's Superman: Secret Identity. There is another that is worth noting, Paul Dini's collaboration with Alex Ross, Superman: Peace on Earth. It presents Superman's origin in a two-page spread before launching into a story about the limitations of Superman's abilities.

He can't solve famine. He can stop hatred. Superman is invulnerable to pain, but not suffering. He can only bend steel in his bare hands. He can not bend wills or change the course of mighty prejudice and bias.

Peace on Earth was the first of four oversized graphic novels that Dini and Ross worked together on. They stripped down Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Captain (Shazam!) Marvel to core essentials and told a story. There was no attempt made for it to be a defining story. Yet they were.

Here is what I liked most about Peace on Earth and the stripped down, "unplugged" Superman.

There was no Krypton.

The Silver Age was marked by "strange, new worlds and civilizations". The world of Krypton became a thing because of J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter; Green Lantern Hal Jordan was a space-cop reporting to the Guardians on Oa; Hawkman was now Katar Hol a space-cop from Thanagar; and Adam Strange was an archaeologist transported to Rann by Zeta-beam like Flash Gordon. The Silver Age was a sci-fi boom. The Superman family expanded with Kara Zor-El, Krypto, and a host of super-pets. There was even The Bottle City of Kandor. Superman traveled back through time and across space to have adventures on Krypton before it exploded.

I don't wish to demean a great, classic story. However, the story of Superman is not on Krypton. It is not about Krypton. It has nothing to do with the past or history of Krypton. For me as a fan, at least, Superman's story is here on Earth. He is a person with a dual identity and incredible super-powers helping his adopted world.

For me, Krypton doesn't matter. As an average guy on the street seeing a man flying across the sky, I probably would not know what planet he was from. I might be curious as to where his powers come from, but if we approach Superman the way Busiek approached the Marvel Universe from a photographer's perspective there is more unknown than known. More exciting mystery.

Familiarity breads contempt.

This was the trouble I had with the hesitant, indecisive Clark Kent presented on Smallville. For me, when he did not go to college, that was a huge thing. It's one thing to struggle to find a moral center. Young people face that every day. The series bogged down in a web of secrets and lies that isolated the characters and bred mistrust. That was worse than Kryptonite or magic to weaken Superman.

Elbein presents a term I really like connected to The Man of Steel. Superman is an aspirational character. We struggle with the inspiration that this "perfect" individual provides us. Our struggle is that Superman demands us to "look up in the sky". To rise to the occasion.

With Krypton part of the Superman story, there's been this whole explanation for what the "S" stands for. It's supposed to be the coat of arms or the family crest for the House of El.

The "S" is just an "S".

It's been retconned into being the family emblem. Marlon Brando wore it in 1978. Jor-El's original chest insignia was a sunburst. Krypton's red sun. Historically, Martha Kent used the blankets from the rocket to fashion the Superman costume. She fashioned the "S" for Superman. That's what the "S" stands for. That may have been another, Silver Age retcon, too.

That's basically the crux of the matter. Superman should be basic, simple and fun. It should be okay for him to wear his underwear on the outside. That, I believe, is why Marvel is succeeding where DC is struggling. DC is trying to present mature, complex, layered, nuanced, intricate characters. Marvel says, Here's Iron Man. He wears armor and fights bad guys. The best line from Avengers was Robert Downey, Jr.'s response to Chris Evans. Cap says, "We need a plan of attack!" Iron Man's response, "I have a plan: attack!" Simple. Basic.

The Superman and Justice League animated series kept it simple and basic. Live action keeps trying to complicate it.

I wish fore more stories like Peace on Earth. The problem is that after over 75 years over four or more monthly series, writers look to break new ground. That's no easy task.

There is the belief that Superman will come back around. That the whole Dark Knight approach to The Man of Steel will fade away and he will return to brightness. I hope so. I like that Superman is aspiratonal.

I want to look up in the sky.

It's been 398 days since Friends started streaming on Netflix. This month, Funco Pop! releases Friends vinyl figures. One of the most gripping news headlines right now is the FRIENDS reunion to salute james burrows on directing his 1,000 episode. The story is actually that all of the sitcoms that Burrows has directed are gathering to salute the director, including the cast of Friends - minus Matthew Perry, who might pre-record a message for the event. He's in England (London, baby!) appearing in a play.

There is a devoted audience clamoring for a reunion. That audience probably would want the series to continue forever.

And, why not?

I think I understand comics a little - from a fan's point of view. Comic book racks are dominated by super-hero comics. Dom. E. Nated. Other comics that do well are action and drama centered. I don't know sales figures, but I guess concepts like 24, the three different CSI's, X-Files, The Twilight Zone do pretty well.

Star Wars is proving that sci-fi is durable and popular. Star Trek, Firefly, Serenity, and Battlestar Galactica are just a few that have endured over the years. Doctor Who has done pretty well at IDW and perhaps is enjoying renewed interest at Titan.

Comics are action driven. I get that. Sitcoms don't really translate well to comic books. Classic shows like Get Smart, My Favorite Martian and Welcome Back, Kotter didn't even last a year.

The reality is that most television series tie-in comic books just don't last. The Batman Adventures was probably the most successful. Because it was Batman. The Simpsons and Futurama probably have a cult following.

So, how successful could a Friends comic book be? The emphasis would be on could.

That's really the gamble. But then, comic books are really just a gamble. DC and Marvel have been gambling for years, seemingly just throwing things at the wall to see what would stick with fans. They pretty much just run things up the flagpole to see who salutes. Those gambles have paid off at times. Other times not so much.

I believe that if there is such a die hard Friends fanbase and audience, a comic book could work. With the number of television series tie-in comics that there have been over the years, I'm surprised that a Friends comic hasn't seen the light of day. I'm sure someone thought of it and it was maybe passed on.

What would make a Fiends comic book work is a writer like Jeff Parker. Someone like Parker that gets how television and comics work, to blend the two. Maybe someone like Sholly Fisch, because a mature, adult sitcom about relationships and sex needs to be re-imagined for a comic book audience. I see Friends as an extension of Archie. Archie has done pretty well lately staying relevant and in touch with current pop culture, fads and trends.

Friends could fit in that Scooby-Doo, Archie audience. It could fit into the X-Men, Titans, Young Justice, Runaways audience. Or it could aim for the whole Love and Rockets audience.

One of my favorite comic books from the '80's was 'Mazing Man. It's a shame that book didn't catch on.

The fact that the show has been off network television for ten years and on Netflix for over a year, and fans are still asking for a reunion tells me that there are still fans. Comic book buying fans? Y'never know.

What do you think? I challenge you to think of how a Friends tie-in comic book could work. Instead of just commenting, "It'll never work, here's why..." leave a suggestion or two - snark free - on what would appeal to you as a comic book reader. Or to other, Friends die hard fans.

Bob Denver was born on January 9th, 1935. It's been eleven years since he passed away. He is best remembered as Maynard G. Krebs from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; He was "Dud" Wash, Charlene Darling's husband on The Andy Griffith Show; cab driver Rufus Butterworth on the short-lived The Good Guys; Dusty on the equally short-lived series Dusty's Trail; and Junior, a NASA maintenance man lost in space on the Sid & Marty Kroft series Far Out Space Nuts. His greatest and most-identifiable role is as the title character on Gilligan's Island. After three seasons, he joined the original cast, except for Tina Louise for two cartoon series - The New Adventures of Gilligan and Gilligan's Planet - three live action reunion films - Rescue From Gilligan's Island, The Castaways of Gilligan's Island and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island - as well as a behind the scenes documentary about the series Surviving Gilligan's Island.

So, here's what I'm thinkin': legend has it that Sherwood Schwartz, Gilligan's Island creator took a roll of butcher paper and filled it with story ideas for the series. Pause, if you're not familiar with what "butcher paper" is, it's the white paper that meat is wrapped in at the meat counter at the store. Take as long as you need to figure out how a television comedy writer got his hands on a roll of butcher paper. Schwartz did, filled it with story ideas. The show lasted only three seasons. There still had to be more ideas on that butcher paper, 'cos there were 24 cartoon episodes of The New Adventures of Gilligan from 1974 to 1975 and 12 episodes of Gilligan's Planet from 1982 to 1983. The concept was recycled on Dusty's Trail for another 26 episodes.

So, here's my question: Sherwood Schwartz wrote jokes for Bob Hope.

The Adventures of Bob Hope ran from 1950 to 1968 and produced 109 issues at DC Comics.

Schwartz also wrote for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was another DC Comic that produced five issues from 1949 to 1950.

Schwartz was also a writer for My Favorite Martian.

Gold Key produced nine issues for My Favorite Martian between 1964 and 1966.

Okay, here's my actual question: why wasn't there ever a Gilligan's Island comic book? Sherwood Schwartz worked with at least three television properties that were developed for comic books. Bob Hope led the pack. DC Comics produced a very successful Jerry Lewis comic book that started out as Martin and Lewis before the comedy team broke up. Red Skelton was another comedian that Schwartz wrote for. Skelton was featured in a comic book started in 1936 called Hullaballo; later it was called 1000 Jokes. In all, there were 109 issues between 1936 and 1969. Schwartz seems to be literally surrounded by comic books. With a property that would definitely have benefited from a comic book audience. If we're looking at it from a modern perspective.

While it would have been awesome to have a Gilligan's Island comic book, or a tie-in comic book to either of the cartoons, I would hazard a few guesses why. As entrenched in pop culture as Gilligan's Island is now, the show itself was a laughing stock while it aired. It struggled in the rating for three seasons. Network executives didn't want it on the air. Critics panned it. Modern audiences don't so much laugh at the jokes, but laugh at the concept. And yet, audiences are treated to homages to the show. The series Lost is basically a re-working of the concept.

Who knows what kind of audience the comic book would have drawn. Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis and the comedians of 1000 Jokes were lucky to hit over a hundred issues. Most sitcom comic book tie-in comic books didn't last very long. Most television series comic books don't last very long. There were a number in the 1960's. Not very many in the '70's. The concept of a TV series tie-in didn't come back around until the 1990's and the 2000's with CSI and 24.

Science fiction seems to work better in comic books than comedy. Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica have all fared well over the years in the super-hero market. Espionage and action adventure does equally well; like James Bond.

The old saying goes, Comedy is not easy.

I would imagine that Mr. Schwartz spent so much effort working to keep the series on the air, that he might never have thought of a tie-in comic book. Which is a shame. It's also a missed opportunity.

Word is Josh Gad is writing and starring in a new Gilligan's Island movie. Hopefully, it won't be terrible, like other updated properties have been. Maybe with renewed interest there might be a comic book tie-in. I'm not sure I would read a comic book for an all-new, all-different Gilligan's Island. Unless, Gad proved that he had the concept of seven stranded castaways that represented the seven deadly virtues the way Schwartz did. And he had the comedy down.

I'm thinkin' that Gilligan's Island would have been, and probably still could be, a pretty decent comic book. There have been a lot worse ideas for a comic book. Most comic book publishers sometimes just throw books on the stands and see how well they do.

Batman '66 lasted 30 issues. Ralph Garman, Kevin Smith, Ty Templeton and Alex Ross teamed up for a sequel to second season The Green Hornet guest appearance. Batman '66 Meets The Man From UNCLE by Jeff Parker is currently on the stands.

DC is also publishing comics based on the '70's Wonder Woman television series.

Bob Gale, who was involved in the original Back to the Future is actually going back to fill in some blanks with an ongoing comic book series.

Marvel has reclaimed the license for Star Wars. Star Wars and Darth Vader comics are among the top selling titles. Marvel has also published comics for Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca - among other characters - with comics for Obi-Wan and Anakin and C-3PO coming.

So, why not a Gilligan's Island comic book?

I'd read a Gilligan's Island comic book. Would you?

There are moments you wait a long time for.

I remember seeing Michael Keaton as Batman for the first time. Up to that point, in June of 1989, Batman had been either Adam West, or Olan Soule in the Super Friends cartoons. Ha! "Cartoons". That's what we called them before they became Animated Series.

The first Batman film was pretty good. Batman Returns was okay. Maybe the best thing about that film was that it inspired Andrea Romano to cast actor Kevin Conroy as Batman. Perhaps the only thing more epic was the casting of Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, as The Joker. The two actors have been connected with the characters since 1992. To the point, where Hamill announced his retirement from the character. That's a pretty strong connection.

DC Comics brought Batman and Superman together in January, 1941 in World's Best Comics. In June the title became World's Finest Comics. Batman appeared on the Superman radio program.

And then, nothing.

George Reeves died in 1959. Adam West suited up as Batman in 1966.

Christopher Reeve played Superman from 1978 to 1987. Reeve died in 2004.

Neither John Haymes Newton, Gerard Christopher, Tom Welling, or Dean Cain were paired with an actor playing Batman. Okay, so there was that Smallville: Season Eleven four-issue arc that featured a The Dark Knight Returns Batman and Robin. Still, comics.

The only thing that's come close is Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly. Not even Val Kilmer or George (Franchise Killer) Clooney has the opportunity to be paired up with a Superman.

This is an epic moment. The World's Finest finally coming to live action. The first time in 75 years.

I think I'm just a little excited about this.

I figured it out! I know why movies like The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel didn't work for me. It just popped into my head when I saw Spectre, the latest James Bond film with Daniel Craig opens Friday, November 6th. Maybe you heard a little something about it.

Daniel Craig has been making the rounds promoting the film, saying that he would rather be cut by broken glass than make another James Bond film and giving tips on how the next actor should play the character. His best advice is, "don't be bull****." Yeah! I am so ready to get my ticket to see the film now! It's taken me Skyfall to come around and see Craig as a credible Bond, and not just a Timothy Dalton or a George Lazenby - y'know, a transitional Bond - the guy we have to watch until the next James Bond comes along. There's a lot of talk about Idris Elba taking the role; whether or not he'd be credible or too street for the role. None of that really matters. The James Bond films are about a few things: fast cars, cool equipment, objectified women and evil villains. The films are not so much about James Bond himself.

For instance, none of the films have been titled James Bond. None of them. The first film was titled after Bond's nemesis, Dr. No. Another was called Goldfinger. Yeah, I know, this isn't rocket-brain surgery. That's like titling a Superman film, Lex Luthor, or Brainiac. Instead of calling it Man of Steel, the film might have been called General Zod. Smallville, the television series, was about both a place, and - as Clark moved closer to becoming Superman - it became his nickname. Lois called Clark "Smallville", because of how Country he was in the Big City. Donner got lucky calling it Superman: The Movie. Superman II was pretty lucky, too. But III and IV weren't so lucky. Maybe that's where they went wrong. The third and fourth Superman films didn't feature any rogues from the comic books.

The Batman films have been pretty much the same way. I think it may just be the approach. I wonder if Bond film producers start with the villain, first. What's the villain's scheme. Goldfinger's scheme may have been ludicrous, stealing the gold in Fort Knox by radiating it, but the film was more about the bad guy and his scheme than it was about James Bond. More often then not, Connery just shows up and does his thing. Some of the best Batman stories feature The Dark Knight as a final solution. Things happen, and then he shows up, throws a few punches and then the story is over. That was used pretty effectively in Batman: The Animated Series.

What if, instead of calling it The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, or Batman, the films were titled after the villains, or something to do with the villain's scheme? There would be a film called The Clown Prince or The Laughing Fish. The films would be villain and scheme driven and less about whether or not Val Kilmer's Batman would hook up with Chase Meridian. As a DC Comics fan and a fan of Batman and Superman, I think it's ridonkulous that Alfred would suggest that Bruce Wayne give up the cape and cowl, and yet in every film it's there, building to Michael Caine's Alfred advising Bale's Bruce Wayne to run off with Hathaway's Selina Kyle. Yeah, not so much. Superman Returns presented Kal-El as a deadbeat dad. Maybe that was on an alternate Earth...

So, here's my thought: instead of making the films so character driven, with The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel spending ninety minutes to two hours full of angst and navel gazing, maybe it's time to flip that coin and focus on the villains. Both have really strong rogues galleries that can be tapped. Maybe Warner Bros. can take a lesson from MGM, like they are from Disney/Marvel Studios, and-

Aw, tarter sauce...

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice opens March 25th, 2016.

So, Mehcad Brooks has been cast as Jimmy Olsen in the CBS drama, Supergirl. He joins Jack Larson, Marc McClure and Aaron Ashmore among others in playing the character.

It's called "color-blind casting". Michael B. Jordan has been cast as Johnny Storm, The Human Torch, in this summer's Chronicle 2, er, Fantastic Four reboot.

Characters like Jimmy Olsen and Dick Grayson are supposed to represent the audience. I'm not necessarily going to be an orphaned millionaire philanthropist or an in investigative journalist who is secretly an alien superman. I'm not going to be The Guy; The Hero. But I could be The Guy's sidekick. That's basically the idea behind Jimmy Olsen. He's me. He's you, too. He's our stand-in. Reading Superman or Batman in the comics, you and I see Jimmy, and we think to ourselves, I could totally hang out with Superman.

Lawrence Fishburn played Perry White in Man of Steel. Sam Jones III played Pete Ross in Smallville. Now Pete's another Jimmy Olsen. Pete's a pre-Jimmy. Now, let's set aside the personal problems that Jones has had and take a look at black Pete Ross.

Smallville was not necessarily "color-blind" when it came to diversity. Jones' Pete Ross could have been a window into diversity on the series. Did Clark ever have a teacher named Jefferson Pierce? No. When the Justice Society was introduced, where was Will Everett? Okay, Will Everett was a member of the All-Star Squadron, but he was Golden-Age, just like the JSA. Sure, Vic Stone was added as a founding member of the Justice League, but where was Mal Duncan?

Here's my problem with "color-blind casting": go big or go home.

If you're going to give me John Stewart, run with it. Go all the way. That's what Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams did with the character. They did not shy away from social relevance. Jimmy Olsen doesn't need to be groundbreaking, but he shouldn't be a caricature or a stereotype either.

The problem that I have with Smallville's Pete Ross was that Lionel Luthor came to town and bought up all the land for LutherCorp from Pete's family, and people like Pete. There were no black heroes on Smallville. Just victims and villains. Diversity was seemingly bungled from the very beginning. "Color-blind casting" was wasted. Kristen Kreuk was cast as Lana, yet her parents were Caucasian, and it was never hinted that she was adopted. There was a storyline that she had a living birth father, but he turned out to be white, too.

This is what concerns me about the new Jimmy Olsen. I still want him to represent and stand for something. Let him still do all the wacky things he was able to do in the comics. Rather than making the casting arbitrary, give this new Jimmy Olsen some roots, no pun intended. Give him some background.

I hope this new Jimmy Olsen can stand next to Jack Larsen, Marc McClure, Aaron Ashmore and the other actors that have played the character. I hope he's an interesting one.

Wow, it's been almost a year since I posted a blog. Reviews have been few and far between. If you're still following me here, please leave a "Hi!" in the comments section below to let me know that you're still following me, that you read this; and maybe a thought or two in response.

One of the reasons I visit ComicVine and have a profile here is it is a fan-centered site. I can read a comic from my stash, and post a review here. I've been meaning to get back to reading and reviewing James Robinson's Starman run; then moving on to The Batman Adventures. I've been on a bit of an extended hiatus.

The main reason I've been away is that over the last few years, since 2011, my wife and I have been adopting. We've been making an almost annual trip to Kiev, Ukraine. There is a small village right outside the city, Novisilky, where the Cradle of Children's' Hope Orphanage is. We brought home our son, Justin, in October 2011. December 2012, we brought our son, Ethan, home. Just last May, 2013, we brought our daughter Isabella - Bella - home.

I've been chronicling the journey here and here, but not so much here.

I guess I could have shared my son, Justin's fascination with Smallville and the Superman story.

I could have shared how were becoming a real life First Family, or family of Imaginauts.

I could have shared that I was building my X-Men or Teen Titans team.

The journey that I was on took me away from comic books. Over here, I shared the comics that I brought with to Kiev as creature comforts to remind me of home. In the three eight week trips we made, I found one English book store. That was in the mall in Independence Square in September of 2011. It was gone by December 2012. I never found a comic book store or comic books for sale in Kiev. I saw coloring books and sticker books. I found Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and The 39 Clues in Ukrainian. But no comics.

Another reason I've been away for awhile is that I've been downsizing my comic book collection. Kids require effort, time and attention... Just like comic books. They also require money. So, hand in hand with losing interest in investing in the latest corporate gimmick, I decided to stick with what I'm actually going to be re-reading years from now. Starman moved me in a way that few other comics have. Same with The Batman Adventures. And Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's The New Teen Titans. I have a stash of Alex Ross stuff, because, Alex Ross! Eventually, I'd like to track down all twenty issues of The Batman Family, but that's a story for another day.

Now as much as I like reading comics and writing reviews of comics. I like to write, period. But my phone ain't ringin' to write Batman, Spider-Man or Spawn, know what I'm sayin'? Especially since I've just been scribbling ideas on napkins and 3x5 cards forever, sayin' "That's a great idea, right there, I don't care who ya are!"

Until now.

No, it's not a comic book. So, why bring it up? It's a start. It's a collection of the blogs I wrote while bringing my son home from Ukraine with my wife. Imagine, Alfred Pennyworth's secret diary. Man, those stories were wacky, am I right? Am I right?

Or, if Jonathan Kent had written about his son. The John Schneider or Glenn Ford Pa Kent, not the Kevin Costner one.

Anyway, I want to share that I am now a self-published author. On Amazon, Kindle and GoodReads, too!

I'll be getting back to reading Starman now, along with Batman '66, too!

Casting Michael B. Jordan as Human Torch Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four reboot is pretty shocking. Not because he's black. I'm not just a comic book fan, but I am a dad, too. I have two boys. They're from India, by way of Ukraine. I'm a white dude. They are not. So, to me, casting Jordan as the Human Torch shows that Hollywood in general, and 20th Century Fox in particular are lazy. It says to me as both a fan and a dad, "Hey, let's get somebody like Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker or Kevin Hart to play Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four reboot! Let's make the wacky hothead prankster black!"

What I remember about the first two Fantastic Four movies was Chris Evans. He nailed it as Johnny Storm. The chemistry that he had with Michael Chiklis' Ben Grimm and The Thing was awesome! Jessica Alba and Ioan Griffudd were okay. I don't think they were so much mis-cast as misunderstood. The script and direction were trying to make Reed cool. He's not cool. Sue is not inherently sexy, either. Sue Storm is like Betty Cooper. To me, she's the girl next door. I think the first two movies got some things right, but did not come close enough.

I'm sure there are a lot of Fantastic Four fans doing fantasy casting. As a comic book fan who is a dad, here is what I would like to see:

I would like to see Corbin Bleu, from Catch That Kid and the High School Musical trilogy as Reed Richards. Being a hero, and being smart should be color-blind. Instead of taking the easy route, and casting Jordan as Johnny Storm, cast a young, smart black Reed Richards. I enjoy Idris Elba's Heimdall. He was pretty good in The Losers opposite Chris Evans. I like watching movies that Chiwetel Ejiofor is in. I liked him in Serenity and Salt. I like Laurence Fishburne. I grew up in a world where Darth Vader was voiced by the guy who played Alex Haley in roots. The actor inside the costume was white, but the costume was black, and the voice was black. That was a big deal. Billy Dee Williams was cast as Lando Calrissian to show that black guys were not bad guys "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

I think it's great that Nick Fury was modeled on Samuel L. Jackson and that he in turn was able to play a character that was modeled after him. The First Family doesn't need a stereotypical, token black guy. What comic books, and comic book adaptations need is more of the diversity that was shown in the Justice League animated series. J'onn J'onzz and John Stewart were a couple of intelligent adult black males. Stewart was smart. He only got angry at things that were worth getting angry over. Justice League showed that a team could be balanced, both male and female as well as racially and culturally diverse. It was a true melting pot.

I would cast High School Musical trilogy star Vanessa Hudgens as Sue Storm. Both she and Corbin Bleu have been part of a successful trilogy. The Fantastic Four is going to become a franchise. You don't make one film without the option for a couple of sequels. Sue is the team's Betty Cooper. The glue that holds all these guys together. It would be hard to find some one that was "plain" or "ordinary" to play Sue. Kate Mara is not Megan Fox or Angelina Jolie. Vanessa Hudgens comes closer to the change that the First Family needs in the 21st Century. Sue should be pretty, smart and sassy, which is what she's grown to become in the comics. She started out pretty typical for a female comic book character. Pretty much like Lois Lane. Pining away for a man. I'm reading Essential Fantastic Four Vol. 1 right now and it is hilarious to see her pining for Namor, and Johnny tearing the glossy head shot up.

I would cast Victorious and Rags star Avan Jogia as Johnny Storm. Not to be stereotypical that a Hispanic or Latino should be the wacky hothead prankster; but, instead because Sue and Johnny are siblings. Sister and brother. I know blended and built families from personal experience. I know that Jordan and Mara can be Sue and Johnny. But that's not what the comics have been about for 53 years now. It's been about a family of "imaginauts" as Mark Waid described them. Attention should not be all about how different Sue and Johnny are. It should be about how different all four personalities are from one another. That's what the comic book stories have been about. These four different personalities putting aside their differences, arguments and squabbling and standing together as a quartet. That's the lesson I'm trying to instill in my boys as a comic book fan dad. We put aside what makes us different and come together as a family.

WWE star Dave Batista might just be a little too old to hang with these kids. That might work, it might not. But Ben Grimm needs to be somebody that looks like he could do some heavy lifting. That was the only weakness of Michael Chiklis' Ben Grimm. He didn't look like he could stand up for his egghead best friend Reed. He didn't look like he could do any heavy lifting if he had to. The next Fantastic Four movie is going to switch to a CGI Thing. I would hope that they use the technology for the character that was used for The Hulk in The Avengers. Any way you look at it, whoever plays the character needs to have some muscle. The actor should either be ripped, or be able to bulk up and put some muscle on. That's someone like Batista, or John Cena, or another one of the WWE stars getting their big break and being cast as Ben Grimm. I see Ben as the "token white dude". I think the one thing that should carry over from the comics is that Ben is a white Jew. He should be the minority of the team.

With the number of re-launches, Marvel has had ample opportunity to do what was done with Nick Fury in The Ultimates. Instead, they chose to maintain the "status quo" and keep things the same with the Fantastic Four for 53 years. So here we are in 2014, casting the first black Human Torch; and it's a shocking, big deal. Ultimate Fantastic Four would have been the best opportunity for change and diversity. Look at both Nick Fury and Miles Morales. There have been other opportunities for change and diversity. Robinson and Kirk re-launch Fantastic Four on Wednesday, February 26th. That could have been a good time for change. Instead of probably what will happen. Launching a new Fantastic Four book set in the film universe. Fans aren't ready for change. Fans will never be ready for it. There is never a "perfect" time. There is just "do it". Let's be the change we want to see.

What do you think of my fantasy casting?