The Ultimate Marvel-DC Crossover

So the kiddo came home from school the other day and informed me that he and his friends started a business. It’s an art venture where they draw stuff, and you buy it from them. I’m a little fuzzy on what the other second graders in the company are doing for the good of the cause as far as creating drawings or profit sharing, but I do know my kiddo is drawing and hawking his wares to anyone he can -- me, my wife, his grandparents... you get the idea.

He has a back catalog of already drawn images – mostly Bakugan characters – to choose from ranging from ten to twenty cents each, and he does commissions (price negotiable). I requested a head shot of Galactus, and the boy over-delivered! What I ended up with was a full body action shot of the world devourer crying out as he battles the Green Lantern! It's a simple pencil and single-color marker sketch that set me back a quarter, but it was the best 25 cents I’ve spent in a long time.

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps

Need proof positive that the Batman: The Brave and the Bold series is a hit with the grade school set? Look no further than my kiddo. Apparently he and his buddy were playing "Green Lantern" on the playground, and they drew Green Lantern rings on each others fingers because... you know, you gotta have the ring, Dad!

G.I. Joe-splosion!

I loved the G.I. Joe comic book and toy line in the early ’80s. I actually devote an entire chapter of my upcoming book, Deus ex Comica: The Rebirth of a Comic Book Fan, to the franchise! I’m also a fan of Hasbro’s current Mighty Muggs toy line. I have a bunch of the Marvel Mighty Muggs and the kiddo has a bunch of the Star Wars ones, but Hasbro just started releasing G.I. Joe versions and I couldn’t be happier. I could take or leave the Mighty Mugg of Duke, but there was no way I could pass up Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes, and Cobra Commander. The packaging layout is pretty standard across the Mighty Muggs line, but what I love about the G.I. Joe Mighty Mugg boxes in particular is the image on the side of the box: It’s a throwback to the original “explosion” G.I. Joe packaging of the ‘80s! Great stuff and a cool nod to the old schoolers. The only thing that could have made these even more awesome... white-dot outlined dossiers on the back of the packaging!