Peerless Power of Comics!

Superhero vs Superhero Star Brand #9 Star Brand vs. Star Brand! Part 4 of “Stop Hitting Yourself!” “Where Walks the True Believer!” Writer – Cary Bates Penciler – Keith Giffen Inkers – Bob Wiacek Letters – Ken Lopez Colorist – Andy Yanchus Editor – Michael Higgins Editor-in-Chief – Jim Shooter September 1997 Star Brand and Nightmask, the only two heroes to “survive” the New Universe into the Marvel of today. That is to my limited knowledge, of course. Both characters originated from Marvel’s failed “New Universe” line of books, a series set in a more realistic Earth setting than Marvel’s primary universe with the hook that a mysterious cosmic event gave a select number of individuals super powers. Star Brand was both the name of the hero and the source of that hero’s powers. Ken Connell was granted the Superman power set (minus heat vision and cold breath) when a mysterious old man showed up at his door and slapped a tattoo on Connell. The tattoo, which Connell dubbed “the star brand,

At this time of year my thoughts often drift back to an afternoon in late June and a classroom in Brooklyn, New York. As I sat at my desk I stared longingly at the outside world through an expansive open window - a perfect day in my mind’s eye. The semester was dwindling down, final exams were concluding, and the months of July and August beckoned, when the days seemed endless. Summer meant exploring parks, back yards and city streets with friends; baseball and stoop ball, collecting gum cards, flying wooden airplanes and rushing to purchase Ice Cream from the Mr. Softee truck when its familiar melody wafted through the air. Sometimes it was an immense pleasure just to stare at the clouds above as time stood still.  Trips to local candy stores (for those too young to know, those establishments sold loose candy, soda, rubber balls, newspapers, magazines and, of course, comics) offered numerous surprises: June, July and August brought an array of 25 cent, triple-length Annuals comprising