ONE HUNDRED BEST JUSTICE LEAGUE STORIES #1

I found this DC "greatest hits" on markdown for $3, so even though I knew I wouldn't agree with its choices, I bought it.

Robert Greenberger's text is pretty much what I expected: it's a list of touchstones for hardcore fans, discussing things like the different headquarters that the group used over time. My personal preference would've been for the "greatest moments" in terms of the stories that were best in terms of action, drama, mythical insight, or whatever.

So here's my first nominee; 1967's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #51. This was the culmination of the months-long "Zatanna plotline," in which the daughter of the magician Zatara went looking for her lost father in various DC stories, all scripted by Gardner Fox. After Zatanna crossed paths with Hawkman, the Atom, Green Lantern, the Elongated Man and Batman (sort of), Zatanna united all of these heroes (again, sort of) to aid her in rescuing Zatara from a mystic land. Fox's scripts could sometimes be too dry, but there's a lot of good humor and human interest here.

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Tertiary RICHARD DENNING acted in TWICE TOLD TALES with--

Secondary BRETT HALSEY, who voiced a character in the 1992 X-MEN cartoon--

Primary CHRIS POTTER as GAMBIT.

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Tertiary SANDY DENNIS acted in PARENTS with--

Primary RANDY QUAID, who also played DOC HOLLIDAY in PURGATORY

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Secondary REGINALD DENNY  acted in a 1961 pilot-film of THE PHANTOM with--

Primary ROGER CREED as THE PHANTOM.

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Secondary LYDIE DENIER acted in an episode of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD with--

Primary JOHN BRADLEY as ROBIN HOOD.

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Primary ALEXIS DENISOF played WESLEY WYNDHAM-PRYCE on ANGEL.

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Tertiary BRIAN DENNEHY voiced a rat in RATATOUILLE along with--

Primary BRAD GARRETT, who voiced  NOAH in PROJECT GEEKER.

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Secondary REBECCA DE MORNAY acted in an episode of JESSICA JONES with--

Primary MIKE COLTER, who both guested as LUKE CAGE on JESSICA JONES as well as playing the character in his own show.

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Secondary PATRICK DEMPSEY acted in TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON with--

Primary PETER CULLEN, voicing OPTIMUS PRIME.

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Secondary JUDI DENCH acted in THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK with--

Primary VIN DIESEL as RIDDICK.

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Tertiary CATHERINE DENEUVE acted in THE HUNGER with--

Secondary SUSAN SARANDON, who also acted in SPEED RACER with--

Primary EMILE HIRSCH as SPEED RACER.

MONSTER MASHUPS #40

For some time I've been meaning to do a quick writeup of the amusing if somewhat superficial "harem adventure with monsters," ROSARIO + VAMPIRE, and now I've completed a writeup of the serial's final arc, here.

Though much of the action takes place at a "school for monsters," most of the time the various creatures of the academy don't "cross over" in any important way, except for the principals of the series-- the mortal Tsukune Aono (who morphs into a monster halfway through the storyline), his true love the vampire Moka, the succubus Kurumu, the snow maiden Mizore, and a witch, Yukari. There are also assorted recurring "guest stars," such as Moka's vampire-sister Koko and another witch named Ruby-- but these five are the core personalities of the series.

There were also two seasons of an anime adaptation, reviewed here, but it's comparatively superficial, and plays up the sex angle so much that I observed that "the series is filled with so many gratuitous panty-shots that it manages the signal feat of making them all rather boring."

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Tertiary WILLIAM DEMAREST  acted in NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES with--

Primary RICHARD WEBB, a.k.a. CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT.

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Tertiary KATHERINE DEMILLE acted in THE BLACK ROOM with--

Secondary BORIS KARLOFF, who was also an evil tribesman in TARZAN AND THE GOLDEN LION  with--

Primary JAMES PIERCE as TARZAN.

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Secondary MYLENE DEMONGEOT acted in OSS-117: MISSION FOR A KILLER with--

Primary FREDERICK STAFFORD as OSS-117.

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Primary ALAIN DELON played ZORRO in a 1975 version of, well, ZORRO.

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Secondary JENNIFER DELORA acted in ROBOT HOLOCAUST with--

Prumary NORRIS CULF as NEO (not the one from THE MATRIX).

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Secondary JULIE DELPY acted in AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON with--

Primary ROBERT DOWNEY JR as IRON MAN.

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Secondary DOM DELUISE voiced a character in an episode of DISNEY'S HERCULES with--

Primary TATE DONOVAN as HERCULES.

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Primary PETER DELUISE played TUG, one of the not-fortunately-named SOLARBABIES.