Alan Kistler, Author at The Mary Sue

Alan Kistler

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Supergirl, Superwoman & Power Girl Historical Timeline Part 2: 1988 – 2015

Last week, we rocked out PART 1 of our timeline tracing the history of the various Supergirls and Superwomen of DC Comics, along with two ladies who called themselves Power Girl. Now, we're continuing with the Post-Crisis DC Universe all the way up to the current New 52 reality. Enjoy!

Supergirl, Superwoman & Power Girl Historical Timeline Part 1: 1938-1986

June is Superman Month. Last week, we presented a two-part timeline on the hero's evolution. But almost since the beginning of Superman's career, there have been women calling themselves Superwoman or Supergirl, the most famous of whom is Kara Zor-El, Last Daughter of Krypton. As June winds down, and as we get closer to the premiere of the new Supergirl TV show starring Melissa Benoist, let's remember the history and evolution of these various women heroic women in colorful costumes.

Celebrate Superman Month with a Historical Timeline! Part 2 – 1970s to 2010s

For those just joining us, June is often considered Superman month. The hero debuted in the 1938 June issue Action Comics #1. The real town of Metropolis, Illinois officially became "Superman's hometown" in June. And in some comics, the hero celebrates his birthday one June 1o (the day he landed on Earth) and Clark Kent's birthday on June 18 (the day he was adopted by the Kents and also the birthday of Bud Collyer, the first Superman actor).

Celebrate Superman Month with a Historical Timeline! Part 1 – 1930s to 1960s

June is a lot of things for different folks. For some, it's Superman month! It was in the June 1938 debut issue of Action Comics that the Man of Tomorrow first appeared. Some Silver Age comic books even say Superman celebrates his birthday on June 10 (the day he landed on Earth), while Clark Kent celebrates his birthday on June 18 (the day the Kents legally adopted him). With that in mind, how about a timeline of his amazing history?

Avengers: Age of Ultron – Annotations and Easter Eggs!

They called me mad. But they don't understand. I just like writing annotations, people. So when I went to see Avengers: Age of Ultron, you knew this was coming. I mean, it was either this or (perhaps I mean and) record a commentary track. So let's dive into this. And if you haven't already realized that there are spoilers, I do not know how you internet.

Agent of S.T.Y.L.E. – Marvel’s Vision, Son of Ultron

Thanks to the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, much of the world now understands the same thing I learned as a child: the Vision is cool.

Review: Gene Ha’s Fantastical, Female-Led MAE

Gene Ha's record in comics is pretty damn impressive. Since winning a the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award in 1994, he's won four Eisner awards, become a New York Times best seller, and worked on such comics as Batman: Fortunate Son, Global Frequency, The Shade, Superman, Top 10 and others. Now, assisted by artists Rose McLain and Anette Nam, he has put together an original graphic novel with a Kickstarter campaign behind it.

The Mary Sue Interview: Dean Haspiel on Archie Comics’ New Dark Circle Series The Fox

April 15 sees the start of a new ongoing Dark Circle series from Archie Comics: The Fox! Emmy Award winning writer/artist Dean Haspiel and Eisner Award winning creator Mark Waid, the critically-acclaimed creative team behind the recent mini-series The Fox: Freak Magnet, now bring you more strange adventures featuring Paul Patton Jr. AKA the Fox.

CW’s The Flash is a Great Superhero Adaptation But Iris West is Getting Left in the Dust

I truly love CW's The Flash. It's my favorite live-action comic book adaptation TV series, largely because it embraces its own absurdity with a great sense of fun. Telepathic, sentient gorilla? We got that. Villains with the guts to call themselves Captain Cold and Pied Piper? Sure, we'll include them and more. But it's possible, and sometimes necessary, to also acknowledge that things you enjoy might have a thing or two to criticize. Ikeep scratching my head over Iris West.

AGENT OF S.T.Y.L.E. – Black Widow Goes To The Movies

A while back, we did an Agent of S.T.Y.L.E. dedicated to the many comic book costumes worn by the Black Widow. Natasha Romanova has had a long history in the comics, so it's natural that she's felt like changing her suit now and then.