#80s Comic books

[comic-covers]

(1982)

[arcadebroke]

[thesparkwhowalks]

Batman of the Wasteland

Real Name: Cohen (no first name given) All Appearances: Hex #11-12

As the world teetered on the brink of nuclear annihilation, a young gymnast and criminology PHD candidate named Cohen was making a startling discovery: the Batcave! Writing his dissertation on the long-dead Dark Knight, Cohen had found the ultimate firsthand source for his research.

And then the bombs dropped.

He was safe inside the deep cave, but millions of others weren't so lucky. He made his way back to New York City, hoping to find his parents. His mother, a Rabbi who advocated for gun control, and his father, a diplomat who lobbied for nuclear disarmament, had miraculously survived the conflagration. Unfortunately, so had fascists in desperate need of scapegoats. Two prominent Jewish Americans who'd advocated for arms control (on every level) fit the bill, and they were shot dead in the street by Nazis.

Their son, inspired by his idol, designed his own Batsuit and gadgets to become the post-nuclear age's very own Dark Knight. His rule was simple: no guns in NYC. Based out of the Statue of Liberty, he patrolled New York in his futuristic jet until Jonah Hex - in full Mad Max knockoff mode at the time - mistook him for a murderer. The two fought, set aside their differences to go after the real baddies, and Batman appears to have died ditching his Batplane into the bay....but they never did find a body.

So, uh, do you think DC could find some interesting stories about a sort of Mad Max meets Escape From New York version of Batman? Because I sure as hell do. And fun fact, Bruce Wayne is also Jewish in current continuity, making Cohen here the first but least famous Jewish Batman.

[kekwcomics]

SPEKTRO #15 (Editora Vecchi, 1980)

Art: Ofeliano de Almeida

Loving the colour scheme / tinting on this. Nice 'n' lurid!

[whywoulditho]

for some reason middle aged comic fans coming on the internet to defend their decision as to why they thought a twelve year old should have died or lived is so funny 😭😭😭

[morggard]

Manga page redraw

How I love being a traditional artist

The original page:

[the-watcher-in-the-sky]

[possible-streetwear]

[seeminglydark]

A look-book and little break-down of Caro’s style and fashion Journey. I didn’t include their cheer uniform or GasCo uniform because those really didn’t influence their actual style much, other than the Varsity jacket and work jacket. I thought it would be fun to set it up almost like a magazine article and I’m in love with the results. I hope you enjoy it too. (The cover is my fave thing ever, just so you know.)

Here’s the Text:

Caro Greene, Cheerleader to Ghosthunter! An exclusive look at superstar Caro Greene’s style evolution. From femme to them!

The Teenage Years! Caro has been aware the high-femme style their parents chose for them was not the look they wanted for a long time, but didn’t know how to address it. Pairing their best friends tee-shirt over their Prom dress was the first step in figuring out their own personal style! From there, they tested out the route of borrowed too-big sweaters whenever they weren’t under the watchful eye of their family.

GasCo Era! Years of emotional neglect build until Caro chops off their hair, an asset more important to their parents than their happiness, and finds themself abruptly homeless, with nothing but some jeans, shirts and an oversized jacket belonging to their long-gone boyfriend. They get a job at the local gas station, and are gifted a new jacket that fits, with their new name on it, in their favorite color! More gender exploration leads them to a better haircut, and their first time trying a binder, and starting to not hate how they look.

Thrift stores, Sneakers, and T! Now in a new environment with supportive people at the GasCo, Caro discovers thrift stores and the tacky ‘80s aesthetic of their dreams. After years of other people controlling their body and looks, starting on low T is a big step in taking back control. They start wearing crop tops and sleeveless tees to show off new body hair, but also love chunky colored sweaters since they’re always cold. Sneakers go with everything, and when you’re short, the possibilities are endless in the kids shoes section.

Mil-Liminal! Caro’s podcast Mil-Liminal goes viral, and they are given the choice of staying faceless and anonymous, or taking the stage in live shows. They decide to do a face reveal, and that means choosing an iconic ‘look’ for their live performances. They choose their favorite color, GasCo Purple, and a jacket that is a blend of their varsity jacket and GasCo work jacket, two clothing pieces that always made them comfortable. They wear their trans identity on their sleeve, and top it off with the snapback look they donned years ago on their first venture ‘out’ as a teenager. The rest is history!

Current Caro! Which brings us to the present! There’s been some small changes, oversized sweaters and tees with a cosmic theme, which is new for the usually spookified Caro. They’re sporting white hair instead of their trademark blond, and have added a cross earring and a pendant to their Mil-Liminal uniform. A black snapback shows up as often as the purple one, and there’s a new bounce in their step, but perhaps they’ve just been indulging in too much coffee these days.

Caro Green is from my webcomics Seemingly Dark and Mil-Liminal, and podcast Mil-Liminal.

[vertigoartgore]

The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told Vol.1 TPB cover by cover artist Walt Simonson (1988).

[shyjusticewarrior]

*sobbing* he's just a lil guy

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[thesparkwhowalks]

Cryonic Man

Real Name: Philip (Last Name Unknown) All Appearances: Batman & The Outsiders #6-7

In 1947, a Professor Raymond froze, his assistant Philip, and their wives in cryogenic sleep tubes out of fear that the world would soon be engulfed in nuclear fire. Phillip was selected to be occasionally woken up to check on the outside world. He could communicate with the others via, essentially, electronic telepathy.

But Phil was hiding a secret: his wife Melissa had a degenerative illness that would take her life all too young. The advanced medicine to stave off the condition didn't exist in their time, but the tubes could bring them to future. He lied to his companions, claiming it was only 1955 when in fact it was now 1983.

Fashioning the lab's cryonic equipment into weaponry, he ran afoul of Batman's new superhero team The Outsiders while trying to steal transplant organs for his wife as The Cryonic Man. The clash led him to kidnap Katana, with the intention of using her as a full organ transplant for his wife. The rest of her team found the lab and managed to clue the other human popsicles into what was really going on, including the fact that he'd begun plundering the professor for spare parts.

In all the ink devoted to Batman: The Animated Series' "Heart of Ice" over the years, I've never once seen this story mentioned as an inspiration. Since I don't think Paul Dini would omit such a detail, it's just a weird bit of parallel thinking that the Cryonic Man has such similarities to the modern Mr. Freeze.

[imhereboo]

[designfiend]

TANK GIRL (1988-Present)

Tank Girl, a British comic book, was brought to life by Jamie Hewlett and Alan C. Martin. While initially illustrated by Jamie Hewlett, a roster of artists including Philip Bond, Glyn Dillon, Ashley Wood, Warwick Johnson-Cadwell, Jim Mahfood, Brett Parson, Jonathan Edwards, Craig Knowles, Rufus Dayglo, Andy Pritchett, and Mike McMahon have also contributed portrayal.

[current-comix]