Comic Book Retro 50: August 1976

 Welcome back to Comic Book Retro 50 where I look back at what a young Dave-El was buying off of the spinner racks a half century ago.  

What pray tell did I buy in August 1976?

Picking up where we left off in  June 1976, it's Freedom Fighters#5 with a cover by cover by Rich Buckler & Vince Colleta. 

In the previous issue written by Marty Pasko, Wonder Woman was called on to intervene in capturing the renegade super team and winds up on the wrong end of a presumably killing blow from a big bad called King Samson.  

"The Rise and Fall of King Samson" now pairs up new incoming writer Bob Rozakis along with returning artists Ramona Fradon and Vince Colletta as the Freedom Fighters need to figure out how to cure Wonder Woman of her case of death.  

Bob Rozakis was a frequent go-to writer for a lot of DC Comics in the 1970's.  He would continue as the writer for Freedom Fighters for the rest of it's run until it's end in 1978.  

After ending with issue #43 back in November 1972, Teen Titans returned to the DC line up with issue #44 as of August 1976 with a cover by Ernie Chan & Vince Colletta. 

"The Man Who Toppled the Titans" was co-written by Paul Levitz and Bob Rozakis (him again) with art by Pablo Marcos & Bob Smith.

Long time non-super hero member Mal Duncan adopts the super hero indentity of the Guardian in this issue.  IMHO, I think it was a clever use of established lore from other comics. (The costume and name came from the super hero who helped the Newsboy Legion in Jack Kirby's run on Jimmy Olsen.) 

Mal Duncan's time as the Guardian will regrettably come to an end in issue #44 to be replaced by a really stupid idea. 

Meanwhile, back to issue #43...

Long time foe of the Justice League Dr. Light comes after the junior heroes as a stepping stone to defeating the JLA.  He does not succeed and this defeat at the hands of a bunch of kids will continue to haunt the villain, saddled with reputation of "defeated by kids".  Subsequent appearances in JLA and Suicide Squad will inevitably bring up Dr. Light got beat up by kids.  

Until Dr. Light's rep was replaced with "rapist" in 2004 in Brad Meltzer's Identity Crisis series.  So THAT is what he became known for after that.  

OK, this nostalgic look back at comic books took a dark turn.

Let's look at more super team action with Justice League of America #136, part 2 of the 3 part annual Earth 1 Justice League/Earth 2 Justice Society crossover with the Fawcett Comics super heroes of Earth S tossed in as well.  

Fun fact about this cover by Ernie Chan & Frank Giacoia: this is the first time the Batman of Earth 2 has been featured on a comic book cover since...

BEGIN....COMIC BOOK NERD ALERT! 

While the line of demarcation for Earth 1 super heroes is clear for some characters like Barry Allen/The Flash (Showcase#4) or Hal Jordan/Green Lantern (Showcase#22), the switch from what we know to be Earth 2 to Earth 1 is less clear for heroes who remained in continuous publication from the Golden Age to the Silver Age.  

What is the point where the Batman character starring in his own book and in Detective Comics became the Silver Age version? 

One such dividing line was when Julius Schwartz took over as Batman's editor and slapped a yellow oval around the bat on Batman's chest in the spring of 1964.

But an oval-less Batman had already been appearing next to Silver Age compatriots in Justice League of America.

Other considerations on when Batman switched from the Golden Age version to the Earth 1 Silver Age version involve calculating what issues of Batman and Detective were on sale concurrent with Showcase#4 and maybe in even going further back to when Jack Schiff took over as editor and the titles became less dark and further removed from the character's

Golden Age roots blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

END....COMIC BOOK NERD ALERT! 

Fun fact about this cover by Ernie Chan & Frank Giacoia: this is the first time the Batman of Earth 2 has been features on a comic book cover since in a very long time.  

"Crisis on Earth-S"  continues to shenanigans created by just here for a good time plotter E. Nelson Bridwell and really wishes Julie Schwartz did not have his phone number scripter Martin Pasko with stalwart JLA artists Dick Dillin & Frank McLaughlin doing their damnedest to make it all look good.

As I noted in last month's Comic Book Retro 50, Pasko was not a willing or joyful participant in these proceedings.  IMHO, a lot of the dialogue and captions still read more like Bridwell's voice than Pasko's.  

Long time Captain Marvel nemesis King Kull is doing... things.

Evil things.

Things... of evil.

Meanwhile, what is up with the good Captain? Where is he in all this chaos?  

So all the fandom at DC wanted to see a team up of the Captain Marvel cast with the classic DC heroes and Bridwell writes them out of this story?  

By the way, props to Dillin for drawing Billy Batson in the classic C.C. Beck style.  

Meanwhile the Joker (of Earth 2) and the Weeper (of Earth S) are doing... things.

Evil things.

Things... of evil.

Mr. Scarlet (of Earth S) stops the Joker.

With an Infra-Red Ray Pistol! 

OK, I'll bite: How does an Infra-Red Ray Pistol work?

Very well, thank you! 

Meanwhile The Shade (Earth 2) and Dr. Light (taking a break from getting his ass kicked by the Teen Titans on Earth 1) are doing...   you know... things.

Evil things.

Things... of evil.

There's some fuckery being caused by satellites (of EVIL!) which Hawman (Earth 1) and Bulletman (Earth S) cause to collide in a spectacular BWAAAAADOOOOMMM! 

Good show, Dillin and McLaughlin.  

For even MORE Info on this insane issue, check out Alan Stewart's blog for his own 50 year look back at JLA#136.  

Elsewhere on Earth 2 brings us to All Star Comics#63 with a cover by Rich Buckler & Wally Wood  

With Gerry Conway back at Marvel, it's up to Paul Levitz to go solo and write the "The Death of Doctor Fate", wonderfully illustrated by Keith Giffen & Wally Wood.  

The JSA is being attacked by the Injustice Gang.

So Levitz is making a boo-boo here! The super villain team on Earth 2 is the Injustice Society.  "Injustice Gang" is the sobriquet of the super villain team on Earth 1.  

Speaking off criss-cross multiple Earth chicanery, after being defeated on Earth 1 in Superman#301, Solomon Grundy is back on Earth 2 to get his butt kicked by Superman again, this time the Golden Age version.  

Keith Giffen and Wally Wood with colorist Carl Gafford continue to evoke classic Joe Shuster in their delineation of the Golden Age Man of Steel.  

Hey, the cover does not lie: Doctor Fate dies! 

But at the same time the Injustice Gang Society Whatever is causing grief, Earth is beseiged by the supernatural menace called Zanadu.

Sadly, this would be Keith Giffen's last issue as penciller on All-Star Comics.  Giffen would move over to Marvel for a year long stint pencilling The Defenders.  

Writer Paul Levitz and artist Keith Giffen would reunite on Legion of Super Heroes in 1982.  

Elsewhere and elsewhen on Earth S, we arrive at Shazam#26  under a cover by Ernie Chan & Kurt Shaffenberger.

Billy Batson (who makes a passing reference to the events of JLA#135-#137) is on his cross country tour which brings him to Washington DC  and the "The Case of the Kidnapped Congress"  by  E. Nelson Bridwell and Kurt Schaffenberger.

The dinosaur Captain Marvel is slugging on the cover? It's Sen. Mitch McConnell.  

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Because Mitch is really... really old.  

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Cmon! That's funny! 

Shazam was not the only TV show to get a comic book series. 

 

Welcome Back, Kotter #1 is a thing that existed and a thing I shelled out 30 cents for. 

Under a cover by Bob Oksner, the issue contains a story Elliot S. Maggin, Jack Sparling & Oksner

I was a big fan of the show and I used to memorize Gabe Kaplan's end of episode bad jokes. 

After ALL these years, I still use the "tongue growing a mustache" line when I don't feel well.  

Flash #245 comes our way with a cover by Ernie Chan.  (We are coming near to the end of Chan's run as DC's go-to cover artist.)   

"Who Put the Zing in the Flash?" by Cary Bates, Irv Novick & Frank McLaughlin is 10 pages of nonsense I barely remembered without doing some research first.  

What is more significance is the Green Lantern back up,  "Perilous Plan of the Plant-Master" by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin & Terry Austin.

While Green Lantern's own title had been revived a few months back, he was sharing that space with Green Arrow and there were still some solo tales that needed to be burned off in The Flash.  (The next issue will mark the end of GL's run as a back up in this title.)  

The bad guy in this story is Jason Woodrue, the Plant Master, a old enemy of the Atom.  In this tale, Woodrue would mutate into the Floronic Man, a monstrous form he would maintain from here on out. 

Alan Moore would make clever use of Woodue's Floronic Man in Swamp Thing.   

Ernie Chan provides the cover to Superman#305 which marked the return of the OG Toyman by Martin Pasko, Curt Swan and Bob Oksner.  

From Superman to Superboy, it's the Legion of Super Heroes in Superboy#221 with a cover by Mike Grell 

"The Trillion-Dollar Trophies" by Jim Shooter, Mike Grell & Bob Wiacek introduces the Legion to the twin threats of Charma...

And Grimbor!

Charma seduces men and Grimbor chains them up. Their home planet is a leather bar.  

Ostensibly, Grimbor is out to capture the Legion so their super rich benefactor R.J. Brande will pay a hefty ransom. But Grimbor is so proud of his handiwork, he wants to keep the chained up Legionnaires as trophies instead of taking the money. 

There is some disturbing kinky BDSM shit going down in this issue.

More Legion solo action with Karate Kid #5 with Mike Grell's inks salvaging an Ernie Chan cover.   

"The Tomorrow Thief" by Barry Jameson, Ric Estrada

& Joe Staton is about something. 

I know I bought it but I can't remember a thing about it and this post has gone on too long for me to care enough to research it.  

Batman's in action with Detective Comics #465 with a cover by Ernie Chan.   

"The Best-Kept Secret in Gotham City" by David V. Reed, Ernie Chan & Frank Giacoia is a clever tale about an emergency plan Batman has if anyone gets the big idea to kidnap Commisioner Gordon to learn Batman's secret identity.  

Bruce is maintaining an office with a secretary for an imaginary man. Bruce knows that if someone actually comes calling for Mr. Merrick, he knows Gordon is in danger. Merrick is the name Batman told Gordon to give if ever threatened to give up Batman's secret I.D.

The Calculator strikes again, this time against Elongated Man

"The Elongated Plague" is by Bob Rozakis, Ernie Chan & Terry Austin, following up on the 2 previous issues where Calculator took on the Atom and Black Canary.  

With a cover by Ernie Chan, Batman Family#8 runs into another daughter of a Bat-villain, this time Catgirl, the alleged offspring of Catwoman.  

In "The Copycatgirl Capers", Bob Rozakis, Irv Novick &  Vince Colletta expose that this "Catgirl" is not ANOTHER duplicitous daughter but the same one as before.

Yep, it's the Joker's Daughter who had bedeviled the Teen Wonder back in Batman Family#6.  

Seriously, who is this clown? 

Give us a couple of months. The answer is forthcoming in Batman Family#9.

The issue is rounded out by a reprint from Batman #129 in 1960.

And just before Barbara Gordon leaves Gotham City to serve in Congress, we also got a reprint from 1972,  Detective Comics #424, "Batgirl's Last Case".

Not quite her last case. After a couple of guest appearances in Superman, Batgirl regains a regular berth in Batman Family.  

August 1976 Books I Did NOT Buy

Batman#281 

Action Comics#465

Despite the enticement of a Steve Lombard back up  

Although I was buying other TV tie ins like Shazam, Isis and Welcome Back Kotter, I did not pick Super Friends#1. 

By August 1976, the DC banner was gone except for one hold out:  Our Army At War#298. 

So that was my world in comics books in August 1976. September is coming and it's time for Li'l Dave-El to go back to school.

But I still found time for comic books and we'll find out what I bought in next month's Comic Book Retro 50: September 1976.

Next week: I recently purchased a facsimile edition of a classic comic from 1963.  

From Batman#156, "Robin Dies At Dawn!" 

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Thanks to The Tom Breevort Experience, the Grand Comic Book Database. Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books and Mike's Amazing World of Comics.   

Tim Curry

 OK, you gotta be fucking kidding me!

I'm still gobsmacked that Dolly Parton died at age 80 when I hear that Tim Curry has also passed away at the age of 80.

I need to have a chat with Death for a minute.

Look, dude, I don't know what the problem is here why you keep taking out people that other people actually like. If you got to take out an 80 year old, there's a target who is big, fat, loud and orange and I don't know how you can fucking miss him! 

Damn it! 

Where was I? Oh yeah, Tim Curry is dead and life sucks worse now.

It was just a few weeks ago when we were staying with Andrea's dad for a week, he and I were watching CBS Sunday Morning.

He's old. I'm old. Of course we're watcing CBS Sunday Morning.

Ben Mankiewicz was interviewing Tim Curry.

Tim Curry has been through some shit.

In 2012, he had a stroke that left him paralyzed.  Over a decade plus later, he's still hanging in there. But he was definitely pondering his mortality. 

When you're 80 years old and trapped in a body frozen by a stroke, I suppose one can't help but ponder the inevitability of death.

But he approached the subject of death without bitterness but with a remarkable calm and an appreciation of the life he has had.

Tim Curry started with a groundbreaking role as Dr. Franken Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In a film of utter insanity and unfiltered strangeness, Tim Curry captivated the viewer as  the transexual transvestite from Transylvannia.  

Curry also stood out as Rooster Hannigan in Annie (1982), the monster known as "Darkness" in Legend (1985), the Concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers (1993), and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996).

Perhaps my favorite Tim Curry role was as Wadsworth the Butler in Clue (1985).

Here is a video compilation of Curry as the Butler.  

Tim Curry never married or had any children. And beyond that, his personal life was a closed book.  Even in the book Curry actually wrote about his life.  

“I guarantee you, if it matters, that I have experienced true love, true heartbreak, and everything in between, including no small amount of wreckage. Which, naturally, helps inform who I am. I have loved and been loved and I hope you have, too. But I’m not interested in your romances. And specifics about my affairs of the heart or the bedroom are—respectfully—none of your fucking business.”

An odd sentiment to express in the introduction of his memoir.

But Tim Curry was perhaps an odd fellow who gravitated to odd roles that sparked our interest and made us smile.

Or grimace.  Such as Tim's portrayal of Pennywise in the TV adaption of Stephen King's It.   

Tim Curry played a character who became a recurring meme.  In the video game  In Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, released in 2008, Curry plays Soviet Premier Anatoly Cherdenko.

 “I’m escaping to the one place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism… SPACE!”

I kind of dig where he's coming from.  

Perhaps Tim is not dead. He's just escaped this corrupted old world into space.

God speed, Tim Curry and safe journey into forever.  

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A  second post is coming up later this morning, Comic Book Retro 50: August 1976.  

Après La Coloscopie 2: Electric Boogaloo

Back in January, I wrote a blog post called  Après La Coloscopie which is "after the colonoscopy" in French.

I experienced my first colonoscopy earlier this year and you got to read about it,you lucky blog reader you.  

This post of Après La Coloscopie 2: Electric Boogaloo is about my wife's colonoscopy from last week, you lucky for a second time blog reader you.

This is not the first time my wife's anal probing has been the subject of a post on this blog. I wrote about her previous one in June 2021 here.   

I wish Andrea and I had more active social lives so I didn't have to resort to our respective colonoscopies for blog material.

"Andrea and I spent an enchaning evening with our fabulous friends Charlton and Pippa at a quaint little French bistro where we dined on devine escargot and a percocious vintage of Champagne. Afterwards we attended an exquisite performance of La Boheme where Pippa playfully stuck her tongue in my ear, the cheeky little tart!"

No, we're gonna talk about anal probing.  

I had expected that having experienced my own colonoscopy that I might be helpful and empathetic to Andrea in the run to her own.  But our experiences diverged.  

In the days leading up to my own exam, I was told to avoid foods that came in little fiddly bits:  corn, peas, beans, peanuts, popcorn, that sort of thing.   

Andrea had a far more restrictive diet.

I was told to not eat anything 24 hours before my procedure. Since my procedure was at 10 AM on a Friday, my 24 hours of NOT eating began at 10 AM on Thursday so I allowed myself one last breakfast at 9 AM on Thursday.

Andrea's time frame for NOT eating was the day before.  Her procedure was on Thursday at 11:45 AM .  She started NOT eating the whole day of Wednesday.  So she went longer without food.

I am not going to compare notes on the "prep", drinking the vile liquid that promotes excessive pooping to completely clean out the colon. It's disgusting process that I do not want to relive for myself and I sure as hell have no desire to know what was going on with Andrea during this part of the process.

That didn't stop her from reporting to me on her progress.

Andrea was exhausted going through this.

I was exhausted hearing about it. 

The day of the procedure was uneventful.  

I spent the time waiting in the lobby re-reading my own blog.  God, so many typos.

Afterwards we had a brief meeting with the doctor who said a couple of small polyps were found and would need to be sent off for testing to be sure it was nothing serious. But the doctor seemed to think given their small size, there would be nothing to worry about.  (Andrea will worry anyway.) 

SIDE NOTE: Andrea got the call a couple of days ago that the polyps were benign.  So now she will need something else to worry about.   

A nice discharge nurse named Jack helped me guide Andrea back to our car and it was back home to the Fortress of Ineptitude to crash for the afternoon.

Oh look! It's a message from Pippa! So sorry, luv, it is après la coloscopie and we need to rest, you naughty little minx! 

Dolly Parton

 

"Find out who you are and do it on purpose."

OK, this one hit hard folks.  

Dolly Parton passed away yesterday at the age of 80.

Below is a video posted by Bryan Seaver speaking on behalf of his family on the passing of his Aunt Dolly.

 "If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one."

I was impressed by her talent as a singer and a songwriter.  

And I was an avid fan of Dolly Parton the person.  A kind and generous soul who greeted the world with a smile and embraced everyone with love and compassion.

She had a wonderful sense of humor about herself and was a fantastic storyteller. 

  "I'm not offended by dumb blonde jokes because I know that I'm not dumb... and I also know that  I'm not a blonde."

Here is a clip of her appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2010, being so gracious and charming as only Dolly could be.  

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.”

I was speaking with a co-worker in the aftermath of hearing the news about Dolly's passing.  She told me her daughter received books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and her child's eyes would just light up, not just for getting a new book but that it came from Dolly Parton.

The Imagination Library was just one of many ways that Dolly used the power of her celebrity to promote initiatives to help others to have a better life, a life filled with hope, love and possibilities.

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow,  you gotta put up with the rain!”

Dolly's success in life as an entertainer, entrepreneur and philanthropist did not come without pain. Her childhood was a harsh hardscrabble life of poverty in the Tennessee mountains but she rose above those obstacles with determination and positivity.  

“People say how you stay looking so young? I say, well, good lighting, good doctors, and good makeup.”

Here is another appearance on Letterman with Dolly performing with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.  

 “It’s a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I’d be a drag queen.”

There's a wonderful story of how Dolly Parton once entered a drag queen contest dressed as "Dolly Parton".  She didn't win.

Dolly was a woman who was devout in her Christian faith but she did not abide by those who professed to be Christian who sat in judgement of people being who they were.

Dolly was a kind and supportive ally of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Dolly Parton took it to heart that Christ wanted us to love everybody.   

Dolly Parton was the embodiment of joy and love and an inspiration to the world.

And we will miss her so very much.

“Cause I am strong and I can prove it

And I got my dreams to see me through

It's just a mountain, I can move it

And with faith enough there's nothing I can't do

And I can see the light of a clear blue morning

And I can see the light of brand new day

I can see the light of a clear blue morning

And everything's gonna be all right

It's gonna be okay

[lyrics from "Light of a Clear Blue Morning"]

Tuesday TV Touchbase: Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Plus Superman and Green Lantern

Before we get underway, good news for a show I watch: Stuart Fails To Save the Universe has been renewed for Season 2. 

Now if we can only get similar good news for a 3rd season of The Librarians: The Next Chapter. Please? Pretty please?

Andrea and I finally finished up Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.  Instead of running these episodes once a week on ABC as God intended (I'm sure it's in the Bible somewhere), the 2nd half of season 6, 10 episodes were dropped at one time on Hulu.

While I am down with the young people (see Friday's post for proof of that), I don't understand this need to cringe filange wench binge TV shows at one time.   

And I certainly can't see anyone sitting down to watch 10 episodes of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune at one time.

I mean, I know a little weed can work wonders but there is only so much lifting the Mary G. Wanna can do to get through 10 hours of Ryan & Vanna and celebrities of questionable celebrity status.  

Below is a photo from the season 6 finale with Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Kelly McCreary and Billy Gardell.  I knew who Billy was.  He's a comedian and actor who used to be "how is his heart NOT exploding" super fat when he was on Mike & Molly, then he went on a GLP1 shot and now he's "how many years has this man been dead" thin. 

I had to Wiki who Mary Elizabeth and Kelly were.

Kelly plays a doctor on Grey's Anatomy and Mary Elizabeth is a character known only as "the Waitress" on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. 

Kelly and Mary Elizabeth did well with some big wins but Billy had to settle for pity money.

"Pity money" is my euphemism for the least amount of money a person can win on Wheel of Fortune just for showing up. For Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, it's $30,000 for the celebrity's charity.  

Most episodes of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune have me complaining either "Who are you people?" or "I didn't know <insert name> was still alive".  

Some "celebrities" are also questionable in their assertions they've actually ever watched Wheel of Fortune with displays of bad game decisions and surprising failures to solve puzzles.

Well, Andrea seems to enjoy Celebrity Wheel of Fortune well enough so I will endeavor to endure.  

An endeavor that must continue as Season 7 is on the way.

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Andrea and I finished the season 3 finale of My Adventures With Superman.  The season began with questions and concern about the future. 

Kara Zor-El needs to figure out her new life on Earth and her relationship with Jimmy Olsen. 

Meanwhile, Clark has visions of domestic bliss with Lois that involve a farm and city girl Lois ain't quite so sure about that.

The season progressed with the future coming to visit.  Time travelling from a dystopian apocalyptic future is Clark and Lois's son Jonathan, AKA Superboy.  He's there to re-write that future by preventing his dad from being killed by Hank Henshaw, the Cyborg Superman created by Lex Luthor.   

• Good news: Jonathan keeps Clark from dying.
• Bad news: Clark loses his super powers.
• Worst news: the future Jonathan returns to is worse than ever.

While Clark struggles with his relevance and worth without super powers, Lois and Clark get another visit from the future.

It's a different Jonathan who is crankier and surlier than the one who visited Lois and Clark before.

And this Jonathan has brought his sister, Laurel. 

So Lois now has a future where she gets pregnant TWICE to give birth to TWO super powered children.  

And those two kids and Kara are all that stand between the Eradicator, another damn weapon Lex Luthor lost control of, and total annihilation.  

Meanwhile, Clark's quest to regain his powers takes him to the Fortress of Ineptitude...Oops! That's where I live! <ahem!> To the Fortress of Solitude where Braniac sends Clark into Krypton's past to repel alien invaders to prove his strength.

Except Clark discovers that the aliens who have come to Krypton are not attacking but are refugees. (Any connections to real word events are I'm sure just a coincidence. Wink!) 

Overall,season 3 of My Adventures With Superman felt a bit uneven and chaotic.  As the ultimate knock down drag out slugfest against Eradicator unfolds, I had to struggle a bit to remember how did we get here.  

The resolution of that battle seemed to lack for me a real emotional payoff.  It just came to an end. 

SPOILER: Clark is Superman again! But he is reticent on exactly what price did he pay to regain his power.

Less reticent is Lois about the future.

Lois drops to one knee and asks Clark to marry her. 

We'll see how all this shakes out in Season 4.

 

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Andrea and I caught up to the debut of Lanterns, the HBO Max series about DC Comics' Green Lanterns.   Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre star as Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

John has admired Hal since childhood and is earnest and sincere in being trained as a Green Lantern.

Hal has aged into a bitter curmudgeon prick who is more than a little reluctant to train this newcomer in the use of the power ring.

Hal understands the assignment: he's not training John as a back up.  He's training his replacement.

The core of the action takes place in 2016 in a small town called Rushville, Nebraska.  A mass murder has taken place at a high school football game and Hal suspects alien involvement.

The sheriff's office has arrested a suspect in the killing and Hal confronts him.  Just because Hal Jordan is a cranky sonevabitch doesn't mean he can't be right about things.

Yep! The fucker is an alien who can 'SPLODE!  Hal saves Rushville and perhaps the whole state by ringing up a force bubble.  

BIG OL' HONKING SPOILER! 

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(Seriously! Spoiler alert!) 

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The end of the first episode takes us to 2026 and the sheriff has summoned John Stewart back to Rushville.  Sitting in the stands of the football field is Hal Jordan. Dead.  His ring: missing.

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(End of Spoiler alert!) 

Lanterns has a dark somber vibe as it's central mystery in 2016 plays out like a film noir detective story.   

While this version of Hal Jordan is an ornery cuss, Kyle Chandler does he damnedest to  make him endearing, even possibly likeable with flashes of wit and humanity bleeding through the hubris and selfishness.

Lanterns may have a realistic Earth bound setting but it doesn't ignore the more fantastic components of the Green Lantern comic book mythology: the Guardians of the Universe, the Man hunters, Sinestro.  

By the way, you might wonder how does the Guy Gardner Green Lantern from Superman (2025) factor into this? That answer will be forthcoming when Nathan Fillion guest stars on an upcoming episode.   

Lanterns has set the stage for a complex and very engaging storyline.  

That is that for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.