Outside the Beltway

A limited ruling out of Ohio with wide ranging implications.

A 17th state legalizes gay marriage. There’s no turning back.

Films from the House of Spiderman have grossed more than those from the House of Superman. But that’s mostly because of ticket price increases.

Fox and Disney are in a legal fight over movie rights to a minor comic book character.

The Camelbunga Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

Marvel has created an alternate universe in which Spiderman is a half-black, half-Latino teenager. Some people are angry.

Jack Kirby’s heir are trying to posthumously renegotiate half-century old deals with Marvel.

DC is once again resetting the clock on its universe and starting all its books over with issue #1.

When I started collecting the books, back in early 1977, copies of Action #1 were available for something like $3500. 

Marvel Comics is suing the estate of its second most famous figure in order to keep the rights to its most lucrative properties.

Marvel Comics is releasing a special issue of Amazing Spider-Man #583 with Obama depicted on the cover.

The lead character of the new Marvel movie hasn’t received the pop-culture exposure of Superman, Batman, Spiderman, or the Hulk.

Marvel Comics is putting back issues of its comics online, hoping to lure young fans. Excelsior!

For universal icons, albeit fictional ones, to suddenly become partisan props is a bit sad.

Rare comic books have been among the best-performing investment vehicles.

The publishers are being coy about whether someone else will wield the mighty shield, but insist that “This is the end of Steve Rogers, the meat and potatoes guy from 1941.”

The Silver Surfer will make his live-action debut in the second installment of the Fantastic Four movie franchise.

Superman is the biggest franchise in comics and Batman is close behind. Marvel’s stable of characters is more interesting, though.

This isn’t your father’s Batman. (That Boy Scout Adam West would never do such a thing.) He’s not even your brother’s Batman. (Tim Burton’s vision was dark, but whimsical too.) No, this killer is your grandfather’s Batman, the Dark Knight who, in his early 1939 appearances in Detective Comics, didn’t show any qualms about dispatching the bad guys.

I’m glad to see Lee get a piece of this pie given that none of it would exist without his creative vision.

Marvel Comics is putting out a special edition Avengers book for free distribution to American troops around the world.

Reuters is abuzz with news that Colombia is publishing a Pope John Paul II comic book. I’d point out that Marvel already did this–in 1983.