Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 44 - The Twenty-First Appearance of Batman

Detective Comics issue 44 was a fantasy story straight from a dream that Dick Grayson had after falling asleep while reading a book. The Batman stories have changed substantially from his early appearances. The introduction of Robin and marketing toward younger children have greatly changed the stories. This is essentially a fairy tale with Batman and Robin as characters. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 43 - The Twentieth Appearance of Batman

Detective Comics issue 43 is another straight by the numbers formulaic story, repetitive of several we have seen recently in the Batman in Order series: Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson have gone on a cross-country vacation when they stop for a night at a hotel in an unnamed small town. They quickly discover that the new mayor of the town rules it like a dictator using the police force to enforce his will on the townspeople. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 42 - The Nineteenth Appearance of Batman

The 19th appearance of The Batman took place in the August 1940 issue of Detective Comics issue 42. The cover was very basic with a nearly generic, smiling Batman watching Robin tackle a mobster in front of a stark yellow background. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 41 - The Eighteenth Appearance of Batman

The 18th appearance of The Batman took place in the July 1940 issue of Detective Comics issue 41. The cover featured Robin in hand-to-hand combat with a knife wielding thug and Batman diving in to save him. Read More.

Batman in Order - World’s Fair Comics Issue 2 - The Seventeenth Appearance of Batman

The 17th appearance of The Batman took place in the June 1940 issue of World’s Fair Comics Issue 2. This was a special issue produced for the 1940 World’s Fair and featured multiple characters interacting with or visiting the 1940 World’s Fair in separate stories. This marked the first time that Batman and Superman shared the cover of a comic book. They do not, however, appear in the same story. Read More.

Batman in Order - Batman Issue 2 - The Sixteenth Appearance of Batman

The 16th appearance of The Batman took place in the June 1940 (Summer) issue of Batman issue 2. This is the second issue of Batman’s solo series. This issue is significant in that it features the return of The Joker and Cat Woman (The Cat)! Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 40 - The Fifteenth Appearance of Batman

The 15th appearance of The Batman took place in the June 1940 issue of Detective Comics Issue 40. This is the second issue of Detective Comics that takes place after Batman gets his solo series. This issue is significant in that it introduces recurring Batman villain Clayface! Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 39 - The Fourteenth Appearance of Batman

The 14th appearance of The Batman took place in the May 1940 issue of Detective Comics Issue 39. This is the first issue of Detective Comics that takes place after Batman gets his solo series. The cover actually better depicts a scene from the prior issue of Detective Comics rather than issue 39. Read More.

Batman in Order - Batman Issue 1 - The Thirteenth Appearance of Batman, First Appearances of The Joker and Catwoman

Golden age comics were immensely dense and lengthy. The story length of a single-issue rival’s modern day multi-issue graphic novels. The Batman character had actually been a very dark and serious character until DC added his sidekick Robin to make it more kid friendly. Many golden age stories were silly, cheesy, and simple but Batman, early on, was far darker and grimmer. After Robin came along the stories began to take a simpler tone. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 38 - The Twelfth Appearance of Batman

The twelfth appearance of The Batman took place in the April 1940 issue of Detective Comics Issue 38. Robin makes his debut on the cover of the issue and Detective Comics issue 38 marks a change in Batman who becomes less grim and more of a swashbuckler type. Batman is even smiling on the cover and multiple times in the issue itself. The next chronological appearance of Batman will be in the pages of his own solo comic book title. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 37 - The Eleventh Appearance of Batman

The eleventh appearance of The Batman took place in the March 1940 issue of Detective Comics Issue 37. Batman once again appears on the cover and unlike other past issues, the art depicted actually relates to the story inside with Batman fighting two heavies on a port dock. The next appearance of Batman after this issue is in his singles comic debut- Batman issue 1 which features the debut of Robin. Read More.

DC Comics Ground Zero is an Absolute Mess and Other Comic Book Matters

Look… I hate writing articles or doing podcasts like this. I am told they can be funny or interesting, but I legitimately want to like stuff… not hate it. I don’t “hate watch” stuff, I don’t sit around looking for ways to be offended or disappointed. There is too much of that in this world. Sometimes, however, you discover that things really have changed and changed in a way that is not always the best. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 36 - The Tenth Appearance of Batman

The tenth appearance of The Batman took place in the February 1940 issue of Detective Comics Issue 36. Batman once again appears on the cover and like other past issues, the art depicted seems to have little to do with the issue itself. Batman will appear regularly on the cover of Detective Comics from this point forward. Batman is swinging from a post over a set of wooden steps and is kicking a couple of shirtless, sword wielding, racially caricatured Asian characters. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 35 - The Ninth Appearance of The Batman

The ninth appearance of The Batman took place in the January 1940 issue of Detective Comics Issue 35. Batman, once again appears on the cover, however, the art depicted seems to have little to do with the issue itself. Batman has, what appears to be, a mad scientist type in a pro wrestling cross-face chicken wing while the scientist attempts to jab a seated man with a needle. This has nothing to do with the Batman story in issue 35 of Detective Comics. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 34 - The Eighth Appearance of The Batman

The eighth appearance of The Batman took place in the December 1939 issue of Detective Comics. Batman, does not appear on the cover, instead a man in a red mask and a fedora who doesn’t appear in any story in the comic book graces the cover. However, Batman’s picture and name now appears directly above the Detective Comics logo. This issue is one of the most disjointed and simplistic stories so far in Batman’s eight appearances. It also appears to have been written to take place before his seventh appearance and directly after his two-part battle with The Monk and his vampires as that is referenced at the beginning of the story. Read More.

Shazam! The Complicated History of the Original Captain Marvel and Why He is One of My Favorite Heroes… And How No One Can Get Him Right

Captain Marvel (that’s his real name, more on that later) was already thirty-one years old by the time I was born. So, he is way before my time. However, there was a big Captain Marvel renaissance in the early 1970s when I was born with DC Comics publishing the Shazam! comic book title and later, a Shazam live action Saturday morning show, a cartoon series, and the Shazam Mego action figure was a staple of any 1970s kid’s action figure collection. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 33 - The Seventh Appearance of The Batman

The seventh appearance of The Batman took place in the November 1939 issue of Detective Comics. Batman, complete with what appears to be a gun holster on his belt appears on the cover. We finally, after six previous issues, get an origin story for Bruce Wayne’s transformation into Batman. It is the now familiar story of the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne following a movie with their young son Bruce looking on. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 32 - The Sixth Appearance of The Batman

The sixth appearance of The Batman took place in the October 1939 issue of Detective Comics. This issue did not feature Batman on the cover, instead a police officer putting a criminal in a chokehold. How times change. Detective Comics issue 32 followed up on the story of the mysterious Monk who is hypnotizing people, including Bruce Wayne’s fiancé Julie Madison. Since this is the October issue of Detective Comics, I suppose it is appropriate that this has a vampire theme to it. The ending of the last issue promised us Batman chasing the Monk to Hungary where he would battle werewolves, however, the henchmen of The Monk end up being vampires instead which made far more sense for this story. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 31 - The Fifth Appearance of The Batman

The fifth appearance of The Batman took place in the September 1939 issue of Detective Comics. Once again, Batman was featured on the cover and this adventure pitted him against a new foe: The Monk, a mysterious man dressed in a red cloak and hood who had as his heavy a giant gorilla. We discover something new about Bruce Wayne in this issue, he is engaged to a woman named Julie Madison who is hypnotized (along with others) by the Monk. However, Batman manages to save a man who is about to jump to his death and also return his fiancée Julie to her home. Julie sees The Batman does not recognize him as Bruce Wayne. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 30 - The Fourth Appearance of The Batman

We continue our Batman in Order series here with Detective Comics issue 30 cover dated August 1939. These Batman in Order reviews are less about the creators, behind the scenes, and the process of it all, and more about the story of The Batman, the character, and how he has changed and evolved and often represented or stood against common conventions of the time. The fourth Batman story is part two of a two-part series about an antagonist called Doctor Death. Batman not only kills somebody again in this issue (his third kill) he largely does so intentionally. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 29 - The Third Appearance of The Batman

We continue our Batman in Order series here with Detective Comics issue 29 cover dated July 1939. These Batman in Order reviews are less about the creators, behind the scenes, and the process of it all, and more about the story of The Batman, the character, and how he has changed and evolved and often represented or stood against common conventions of the time. The third Batman story is part one of a two-part series about an antagonist called Doctor Death. This marks the first issue that Batman does NOT kill somebody, though he thinks he does. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 28 - The Second Appearance of The Batman

We continue our Batman in Order series here with Detective Comics issue 28 cover dated June 1939. These Batman in Order reviews are less about the creators, behind the scenes, and the process of it all, and more about the story of The Batman, the character, and how he has changed and evolved and often represented or stood against common conventions of the time. Read More.

Batman in Order - Detective Comics issue 27 - The First Appearance of Batman

We begin our Batman in Order series here… appropriately enough in the very beginning with Detective Comics issue 27. These reviews will be less about the creators, behind the scenes, and the process of it all, and more about the story of The Batman, the character, and how he has changed and evolved and often represented or stood against common conventions of the time. Read More.

Halloween Girl, Book. 2: Dead Reckoning (Graphic Novel Review)

For my When It Was Cool review of writer Richard T. Wilson’s graphic novel Halloween Girl Book 1: Promises to Keep, I wrote that “Readers will find themselves immersed in weird, often chilling worlds.” In Halloween Girl Book 2: Dead Reckoning, the latest installment of the series, Wilson takes things in a different direction, aiming for the heartstrings more so than for outright horror. Read More.

Halloween Girl, Book. 1: Promises to Keep (Graphic Novel Review)

When I reviewed the premiere issue of writer Richard T. Wilson’s Halloween Girl graphic novel series (Mad Shelley Comics) just over a year ago, I was intrigued by that first installment — based on Wilson’s The Halloween Girl film and its sister web series, Under the Flowers — and wondered where the series would take readers. I’m happy to say that it went to places wholly unexpected by yours truly, and the result is the graphic novel Halloween Girl, Book. 1: Promises to Keep. Read More.

Black Adam (2022) Movie Review

To say that the Warner Brothers DC movie Universe has been a repeated disappointment would be an understatement. Even the “best” of the DC movie universe has been underwhelmingly lackluster (I’m looking at you Wonder Woman and Aquaman) while the worst of it has been abysmal (Batman Superman Dawn of Sadness). Warner Brothers/DC needed a homerun, fun, action packed smash hit and finally got it (mostly) from Black Adam starring Dewayne “The Rock” Johnson in the titular role. Read More.

Mad Shelley Comics Releases Entire Series of HALLOWEEN GIRL Horror Graphic Novel

Following rave reviews and critical acclaim for Vol 1-4, Richard T. Wilson’s entire Halloween Girl graphic novel series has just been released! The Emmy® award-winning, writer-filmmaker, describes his latest project as a ‘supernatural odyssey with a healthy dose of reality’. “After all these years, this feels like the first thing I’ve written in a way. I feel like my whole life, I’ve been punching through the darkness like the ‘Halloween Girl’ - but this is the first time I’ve actually written about it!” says Wilson. Read More.

How to Start Reading Comic Books

Comic books are pop culture. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Peacemaker, popular characters that started in comics can be found everywhere on TV, streaming, movies, videogames, and more. At the same time, Comic books are an arcane subculture. Most people who have seen an Avengers or Batman movie have never read a comic book, and there are good reasons. Read More.

Who is Black Krrsantan from The Book of Boba Fett Star Wars Series on Disney+?

The Star Wars Disney Plus show The Book of Boba Fett has, thus far, been divisive among long time Star Wars fans. Sound familiar? The Disney era of Star Wars seems as extremely divisive as modern politics with some fans hating it with others loving it. I must admit I am somewhat underwhelmed by the solo series given to one of my favorite Star Wars’ characters- Boba Fett. However, I was thrilled to see a cult favorite character make the jump from the comic books to the TV series- Black Krrsantan. Read More.

Halloween Girl, Vol. 1: Promises to Keep (Graphic Novel Series Review)

The new graphic novel series Halloween Girl from Mad Shelley Comics launches on October 1, 2021, on Kindle Comics (Amazon) with the first installment in a planned 7-issue series based on creator Richard T. Wilson’s The Halloween Girl film and its sister web series, Under the Flowers. Halloween Girl, Vol. 1: Promises to Keep is an engaging start to this young-adult–oriented supernatural series. Read More.

It’s All Connected: How the Arrowverse Fulfilled the Promise of the MCU for DC

When you hear the phrase "It's all connected" you think about the MCU aka the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel's movie and TV franchise that promised to connect all the properties launched by Marvel Studios into a cohesive whole. While the movies all clearly take place in the same universe, until Disney Plus the Marvel TV shows were allowed to reference the movies, but you never really saw the movies reference anything from the TV shows. The one exception being Edwin Jarvis from Marvel's Agent Carter appearing in Avengers Endgame. Read More.

Celebrating the B-Team: Marvel Comics Nighthawk

My favorite superheroes from both Marvel and DC Comics often aren’t the main eventers. Sure, I like Superman, Batman, Captain America, the Avengers, Spider-Man, and so-on but the characters in comic books I spend the most time with are often the second-stringers or the B (and lower) level characters. I already know all I really need to know about Iron Man and Batman. Tell me more instead about characters like Moon Knight and Blade the Vampire Hunter. Better yet, let’s dive even deeper. Read more.

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Omnibus Review

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe by Marvel Comics is legendary among comic book fans and historians as one of the first major reference series ever published for comic book characters. “From Abomination to Zzzax!” read the tag line of the collected edition Omnibus published last year which I now have in hand. The Deluxe edition is expected out in 2021. The collected Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Omnibus is a beautifully hardbound graphic novel collecting the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe from 1983 issues 1-15 including the two “books of the dead and inactive” and the “weapons and paraphernalia” issue. Click Here.

The 100 Favorite Comic Book Issue of When It Was Cool

We have previously published the popular 100 Greatest Comics of All Time list here at When It Was Cool but today, Karl from When It Was Cool gives us his 100 favorite comic books of all time and it is a very different list. Many of these comic books aren’t critically acclaimed, nor best sellers, these are literally the 100 comic books that made him a fan of comics for almost 50 years and kept him a fan! This is a comic book collectors love letter to comic books! Read More.

Darth Vader Issue 1 from Marvel Comics (2020) Review

Since Marvel Comics regained the Star Wars comic book license several years ago, the Star Wars comic franchise has been largely pretty good aside from a few small hiccups along the way. Out of all the Star Wars comics published so far, the multiple Darth Vader series have largely stood out as the best among them. That trend seems to continue with the new Darth Vader series which released on February 5, 2020. Read More.

Super-Blog Team-Up Spectacular! Polybag It!

The 1990s were a ridiculous excess of collector-mania. People would buy comics, sometimes by the dozens, to get variant covers, lenticular covers, chrome covers, and my least favorite of the bunch- polybagged gimmick covers. I really didn’t mind the silly cover gimmicks that didn’t take away from the comic book experience. I remember especially liking Ghost Rider issue 15 (from the Danny Ketch era) which glowed in the dark and Silver Surfer issue 50 with a shiny chrome Silver Surfer front and center. Read More

Morbius The Living Vampire - The Early Years. A Look at the Marvel Comics Character Turned Movie Material

Morbius has been around since 1971 but he probably isn’t one of the first names you might think of when picking new properties to base major motion pictures on. Still, while Morbius might not have been on the front of most people’s minds when thinking about a movie character, he is still a very interesting choice and one that might work out very well. There is a lot of upward potential with Morbius as the horror side of the Marvel Universe is largely unexplored. Read More.

50 Years of Comic-Con

Comic-Con has come pretty far, blooming to a small community of about 5,000 yearly visitors in the 1980s, exploding to tens of thousands of fans in the 1990s, and nearly doubling in size between 2000 and 2005 alone! Now, celebrities, experts, writers, creators, and film directors all make Comic-Con an important part of their media circuit, and considering that the con has added fire to the flame of numerous franchises from Star Wars to Hellboy, it’s no wonder why. (That’s right! Star Wars had its big advertising push at San Diego Comic-Con in 1976, with genius marketer Charles Lippincott handing out posters that are now worth thousands today.) Read More.

Joker (2019) Movie Review… It’s Complicated

Reviews for the Joaquin Phoenix 2019 psychological thriller Joker have been all over the place with some loving the movie and viewing it as a masterpiece while others have been far less kind. When It Was Cool saw Joker on opening weekend and I left the theater feeling like I had just watched one of the best movies of my life. Joker is complicated on many levels but so is the comic book character on which it is based, so are the issues and themes addressed in the film, and so is life. Read More.

Marvel Finally Does Moon Knight Right! The Fantastic Moon Knight Annual 1 (2019) Review

Thank you Cullen Bun (writer), Ibrahim Moustafa and Matt Horak (pencilers), Mike Spencer (colorist), and Joe Sabino (letterer) for bringing Moon Knight fans one of the best treatments of the character in years: Moon Knight Annual 1 (2019) “Acts of Evil”. What a fantastic, tremendous, and engaging comic book as we finally see Moon Knight outside of his own head for a change and back to his superhero roots battling fan favorite villain Kang across time. Read More.

101 Marvel Comics Characters Comic Book Debuts

Marvel Comics got its start way back in 1939, but at the time it was known as Timely Comics. The era saw the launch of some of their most iconic characters including the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and several characters that have been dominating the box office over the past several years such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, The Black Panther, Captain Marvel and more. Here is an amazing chart provided by AAAStateofPlay.com detailing the first appearance of many Marvel Comics greats! Read More.

Hawkman - Celebrating the DC Comic Book Character Hawkman!

Today is #HawkmanDay on social media and fans and comic book creators are celebrating one of the oldest DC Comics characters - Hawkman! Hawkman has a complicated backstory but a very cool costume design. He has been around since the golden age of comics, has been a staple of DC Comics since the 1940s, has had action figures, a role on the Super Friends, and appearances throughout media. Celebrate Hawkman with us today at When It Was Cool. Read More.

Frankenstein and His Early Appearances in Marvel Comics

We continue to celebrate #MonsterMonth here at When It Was Cool and today we look back at the early appearances of Dr. Frankenstein and his Monster in the pages of Silver Surfer and his own Marvel Comics title - The Monster of Frankenstein. The Monster has been used less frequently in Marvel Comics than in DC Comics but today we look at the first and early appearances of the Frankenstein Monster in the Marvel Universe. Read More.

Frankenstein 1st Appearance in DC Comics - Detective Comics issue 135 featuring Batman

We continue to celebrate #MonsterMonth here at When It Was Cool and today we look back at the first appearance of Dr. Frankenstein and his Monster in the pages of Detective Comics where he ultimately confronts Batman and Robin. The golden age of comics featured lots of scientific elements and fun action. Read More.

Moon Knight - A Great Marvel Comics Character Than Needs to Return to His Roots

Moon Knight is an amazing character from the Marvel Universe, well, he could be an amazing character. Instead, he has fallen into eras of being a low-rent Batman, a punch-em up superhero, and a social commentary for the exploration of mental illness. When It Was Cool argues that the character would best be used by returning to his original eerie macabre roots. Read More.

Man of Steel (2013) Movie Review

In this article, Karl from When It Was Cool takes a look at the movie that launched the DC Comics Warner Brothers cinematic universe and, unfortunately, set the tone for it as well. Man of Steel isn't a bad movie, but it doesn't know what it is, tries to be too many movies packed into one, and has a needless darkness that has affected every DC movie since. Henry Cavill as the lead character Superman does a fine job with what he has to work with but there is a lot going on in this movie... let's discuss it. Read More.

Godzilla - King of the Monsters Marvel Comics (1977)

In mid-1977 Godzilla stomped out of the Toho movies and into the pages of Marvel Comics and began a rampant campaign of destruction from coast to coast across the United States. Godzilla - King of the Monsters is set fully inside the Marvel Universe with Godzilla meeting the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and even the Avengers. When It Was Cool takes a look back at the 1977 licensed Marvel comic book series - Godzilla King of the Monsters. Read More.

Justice League (2017) Movie Review

Yes... we finally got around to reviewing the latest (awful) offering from the (horrendous) Warner Brothers DC movie universe. We finally get all of our (least) favorite movie universe heroes together to be sad in unison and fight an outrageously forgettable villain. DC's movie universe needs razed to the ground, buried, and forgotten. Tonya and Karl review this sludge of a movie in today's When It Was Cool movie review. Read More.

Ghost Rider (2007) Movie Review

Ghost Rider is a Marvel Comics character who got his first movie in 2007 and a sequel a few years later. Though these movies are not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe there isn't any real reason they couldn't be. The Ghost Rider movie stars Nicholas Cage in the lead role and is largely faithful to the 1970s comic version of Ghost Rider. Sam Elliott also stars as the circa 1800s era Ghost Rider which is a very different take on the comic book version. How did the movie hold up? Join Karl as he looks back at Ghost Rider (2007). Read More.

Superman Returns (2006) Movie Review

Continuing the continuity of the previous Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh gets the biggest role of his career thus far as Superman in Superman Returns. Ignoring Superman III and Superman IV, this movie re-imagines post Superman II continuity with Superman flying off into space for a few years only to return to a world that has moved on without him. Kevin Spacey replaces Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and is up to another real estate scheme. Read More.

Superman IV - The Quest for Peace (1987) Movie Review

The final Christopher Reeve Superman movie features Superman trying to save the world from nuclear weapons and the super powered Nuclear Man. This movie failed on just about every level and the Wikipedia entry calls it one of the worst movies ever made. I wouldn't go that far but this movie just did not work. Join When It Was Cool as we take a look at Superman trying to save the world from itself, Nuclear Man, and then just straight up admitting defeat in our review of Superman IV - The Quest for Peace. Read More.

Superman III (1983) Starring Richard Pryor Movie Review

The hits just keep on coming for the Superman movie franchise starring Christopher Reeve. This time the directors just give up and decide to make a Richard Pryor comedy instead during which Superman shows up, turns mean, and fights himself. This movie is something else and people seem to utterly hate Superman III. Here is what When It Was Cool thought about it. Read More.

Superman II (1980) (2006) Richard Donner Cut Review

As established with my review of Superman (1978) I am not a fan of these movies and the Richard Donner cut only furthered my disdain for them. I know some people hold these films up as nostalgic symbols of their childhood, but I didn't like these films when I was a kid and I like them less now. In fact, I liked Superman II the best of them all until I watched the Richard Donner cut for the first-time and... oh boy. Here we go. Read More.

Superman (1978) Movie Review

I'm probably going to lose friends over this one. Superman (1978) is one of the most beloved movies in superhero fandom and Christopher Reeve certainly deserves the accolades. But I hate this movie. I hate everything about this that isn't Christopher Reeve. I recently re-watched it again for the first time in many years and here are my thoughts on Superman (1978). Your mileage may vary. Read More.

Spider-Man (1977) TV Pilot Review

In 1977 Marvel Comics brought Spider-Man to live action for the first time. Well... not the first time if you count the Electric Company on PBS but you get the picture. I had no idea that this ended up being a TV series that ran TWO seasons! My childhood memory wanted this to be a couple TV specials and I remember them not being very good. Well, the TV pilot wasn't as bad as I remembered. It wasn't good but it wasn't horrible. More like just boring while soaked in 1970s. Read More.

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) Featuring Daredevil Movie Review

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) was a made for TV movie featuring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as David Banner and the Incredible Hulk. One year after their return to television special, NBC brought the duo together again to team them with Rex Smith as the Daredevil to take on Wilson Fisk and his criminal empire. Karl from When It Was Cool takes a look back at this fun made for TV adventure movie. Read More.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Movie Review

One of the biggest and most epic superhero movies in history is Avengers: Infinity War. There was a literal ten year build up to this movie and it did not disappoint with a huge cast of superhero characters including Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, The Hulk, and over a dozen more. Karl and Tonya from When It Was Cool give you this spoiler free article review then, if you want to dive deeper into spoiler territory, there is a downloadable podcast to give you even more! Read more.

The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) Featuring Thor Movie Review

The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) was a made for TV movie featuring the return of Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as David Banner and the Incredible Hulk after being gone from television for several seasons and features the first ever live action appearance of Thor! Karl from When It Was Cool takes a look back at this fun made for TV adventure movie. Read More.

The Green Hornet (1940) Film Serial Review

The Green Hornet (1940) was a 13-part film serial edited into a two-hour movie. The Green Hornet is part of the George W. Trendle universe and, in that continuity, is the great nephew of the Lone Ranger. He is accompanied by martial arts expert and genius inventor sidekick Kato. In this article and podcast special, Karl from When It Was Cool takes a look at The Green Hornet (1940) Read More.

Superman and the Mole Men (1951) Movie Review

Superman and the Mole Men was a pilot, or trial balloon as they called them back in the day, series which debuted George Reeves as Superman. George Reeves became a beloved Superman to an entire generation of fans through the Adventures of Superman television series. However, Superman and the Mole Men left a lot to be desired with it's too serious attitude and ham-fisted moral message and lack of action. Karl from When It Was Cool tells us all about Superman and the Mole Men (1951). Read More.

Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979) TV Special Review

Captain America II: Death Too Soon was the sequel to Captain America, a made for TV movie special that aired in 1979. It was also the last time we would see the Reb Brown TV version of Captain America. This was actually a pretty good movie and, aside from the kind of goofy costuming, held up as well as other 1970s action-adventure properties. Join Karl from When It Was Cool as he looks back at this television special from 1979. Read More.

Captain America (1979) TV Pilot Special Review

Captain America was the first of two made for TV specials that aired in 1979 featuring the Marvel Comic books character Captain America starring Reb Brown in the lead role. Coming on the heels of the successful The Incredible Hulk television series, Captain America failed to launch into a full-fledged television series, but the TV pilot holds up better than you might remember. Join Karl from When It Was Cool as he looks back at this television special from 1979. Read More.

Legends of the Superheroes: The Roast TV Special Review

Legends of the Superheroes was just terrible. Two Legends of the Superheroes specials aired in 1979 just a few days apart. This review looks at the second one "The Roast". It reunited two members of the 1960s Batman cast- Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin) but Frank Gorshin (Riddler) who appeared in part one decided to sit this one out, along with several new heroes and villains- Hawkman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Captain Marvel, Huntress, Black Canary, The Atom, Dr. Sivana, Sinestro, Solomon Grundy, the Weather Wizard, and others. As awesome as that may sound... it wasn't. Read More.

Legends of the Superheroes: The Challenge TV Special Review

There's no good way of saying this. As bad as I wanted this to be good, or at least entertaining, Legends of the Superheroes was just terrible. Two Legends of the Superheroes specials aired in 1979 just a few days apart. This review looks at the first one "The Challenge". It reunited three members of the 1960s Batman cast- Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin), and Frank Gorshin (Riddler), along with several new heroes and villains- Hawkman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Captain Marvel, Huntress, Black Canary, Dr. Sivana, Sinestro, Solomon Grundy, the Weather Wizard, and others. As awesome as that may sound... it wasn't. Read More.

Atom Man vs. Superman (1950) Serial Movie Review

Join When It Was Cool editor Karl Stern with his look back at the 1950 Columbia serialized film adventure Atom Man vs. Superman! This 15 part serial series was a sequel to the 1948 Superman series and features Lex Luthor as the lead villain masquerading under a mask as the Atom Man while trying to destroy Metropolis. A fun filled adventures series. Read more.

Captain Marvel - Shazam! Updated and Expanded Article Looking at the Classic Character

Karl from When It Was Cool takes a look at one of the most iconic characters in comics - Captain Marvel (Shazam). Now with his own movie, Shazam is more in the pop culture spotlight than he has been in decades. In this article we take a look at the various incarnations and live action appearances of one of the earliest and greatest superheroes- Captain Marvel - Shazam! Read More.

Superman (1948) Serial Movie Review

Join When It Was Cool editor Karl Stern with this look back at the 1948 Columbia serialized film adventure Superman! This 15-part serial series featured the first live action appearance of Superman and includes his origins, the origin of Kryptonite, and his battle against the mysterious Spider Lady. A fun, action packed, movie serial. Read More.

Captain America (1944) Serial Movie Review

Join When It Was Cool editor Karl Stern with this look back at the 1944 Republic serialized film adventure Captain America! This 15-part serial series used a man in a Captain America costume playing a character with essentially none of the elements of the Marvel Comics character. The lead actor even died a few weeks after filming from a heart attack after being cast slightly overweight to play Captain America. If it sounds like this serial is horrible, surprisingly, it isn't. It also isn't really Captain America either. Read More.

Batman and Robin (1949) Serial Movie Review

Join When It Was Cool with this look back at the 1949 follow-up to The Batman titled simply Batman and Robin. Released as a 15-part serial series in 1949 this Batman adventure featured all new actors, better stories, and significantly worse costuming. This Columbia Pictures feature met with great success at the time, and we take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly costumes of this great old-timey classic. Read More.

The Batman - 1943 Movie Serial Review

You win some and you lose some. Unfortunately, the 1943 Columbia movie serial The Batman is a real loser. From terrible casting to overt in-your-face propagandized racism, there is little to love about the first appearance of the Batman on film. Join When It Was Cool editor Karl Stern as he takes a look back in this free article (accompanied by a Patreon exclusive audio podcast) at the first time Batman appeared on film and what happened next! Read More.

When It Was Cool Asks the Hard Questions: Superman - Red Shorts or No Shorts?

The comic book and movie community is divided. The world is at war. The hard question must be asked: Do you prefer your Superman with or without red shorts? Yeah, it's not the most pressing question in the world but fans seem genuinely divided over Superman's shorts. In this article, When It Was Cool editor Karl Stern talks about why it both does and does not matter. Read More.

Adventures of Captain Marvel 1941 Republic Serial Review

When It Was Cool takes a look back at one of the most critically acclaimed serialized features from the golden era of movies; Republic films Adventures of Captain Marvel (Shazam) starring Tom Tyler and Frank Coghlan, Jr. This serial is perfectly cast and holds up much better than most of the old movie serials do. Find out all about the series and what happened to the two main stars as we take a look back at the Adventures of Captain Marvel. Be sure to download the podcast review special as well! Read More.

The 100 Greatest Comic Book Stories of All Time

When It Was Cool has crunched the numbers using dozens of Best of Comics, Greatest Comic Books, and Must Read Comic Book Stories lists. We have polled the visitors to When It Was Cool and these are the 100 Greatest Comic Book Single Issues, Comic Book Runs, and Graphic Novels of all time! Where did your favorite comic book or comic book story rank on the top 100 comics of all time list? Check it out! Read More.

Werewolf by Night - When It Was Cool Remembers this Dark Marvel Comic Book Series

When It Was Cool takes a look back at the 1970s Marvel Comic book series Werewolf by Night which, not only brought the classic Wolfman / Werewolf into the Marvel Universe but introduced us to other new and interesting characters like Moon Knight. #MonsterMonth continues with a look back at this frightening Marvel Comic book series- Werewolf by Night! Read More.

The Tomb of Dracula - When It Was Cool Remembers this Macabre and Dark Marvel Comic Book Series

When It Was Cool takes a look back at the dark 1970s Marvel Comic book series The Tomb of Dracula which, not only brought the classic Vampire into the Marvel Universe but introduced us to other new and interesting characters like Blade the Vampire Slayer. #MonsterMonth continues with a look back at this macabre Marvel Comic book series- The Tomb of Dracula! Read More.

The Twilight Zone #5 and #6 (Gold Key Comics) Comic Book Review

Joseph Perry is back with another great comic book review. This time he takes a look at The Twilight Zone from Gold Key Comics and review two issues of The Twilight Zone television show comic book spin-off. Read More.

Absolutely Everything You Did (or Did Not) Want to Know About the Most Maligned G.I. Joe Character- The Headman

He is a character so unlikable that he was portrayed as being hated by G.I. Joe and Cobra alike! Writers and artist went to great lengths to make him completely hateable with no redeeming qualities because drugs are bad... m'kay? Join us on a detailed look at the G.I. Joe enemy- The Headman. Read more.

Superheroes I Really Want to Like

Karl Stern from When It Was Cool takes a look at some superheroes he really wants to like but hasn't found a great story about them. This article also contains a free When It Was Cool podcast special you can stream or download. From Ant-Man to the X-Men here are some comic book characters we really want to like! Read More.

The Outer Limits Issue 5 (Dell Comics) Review

Joseph Perry is back to take a look at this 1960's comic book adaptation of the popular The Outer Limits television show which showcases the great art of Jack Sparling. Comic books from back when it was cool. Read More.

King Kong One-Shot (Gold Key) Comics Review

Joseph Perry takes a look at this wonderful comic book adaptation of King Kong. Read More.

Batman Issue 1 (DC Comics) 1940 Review

When It Was Cool takes a look back at the iconic Batman solo title debut from 1940 featuring two Joker stories and an early peak at Catwoman, plus Robin the boy wonder. Batman issue 1 shows us a very different Batman than the one in the modern age, one who kills. We also get the origin of Bruce Wayne and his transformation into the Batman told for the first time in comics. Read More.