THE ISIS TOUR

"Oh Mighty Isis!"  These were the words that school teacher Andrea Thomas would utter to transform into the superheroine called Isis.  In 1975, before Wonder Woman or the Bionic Woman, Isis became the first female superhero to lead a regular weekly television series.  

Isis was created to be a companion show for Shazam!, both series created by Filmation Associates.  Because of her association with Captain Marvel, her series eventually bled over into DC Comics.  Because of this, she's earned a place on this blog!

Buckle up, and we'll review the long and complicated history of the mighty Isis!

THE "WHEN SUPERBOY MET CHARACTERS FROM HIS FUTURE SUPPORTING CAST" TOUR

In the pages of Fawcett Comics, a superhero named Captain Marvel made his debut in 1940. He quickly became the best-selling superhero across all comic publishers at the time. Riding on that success, Fawcett introduced a younger hero in 1942... Captain Marvel Jr. The new character became a hit in his own right, and within just a few months, he was regularly featured in three ongoing Fawcett titles. One of those, Captain Marvel Jr., ran for an impressive 118 issues.

Seeing how popular these younger heroes were, DC Comics decided to create a teenage version of their own biggest star, Superman.  But there was a challenge. Superman’s origin story said he was the only survivor of a destroyed planet, which didn’t leave room for another younger Kryptonian growing up on Earth.  The solution? They rewrote Superman's backstory and introduced the idea that he had actually started his heroic career as a young lad, going by the name Superboy. His first appearance as Superboy came in 1945, in More Fun Comics #101.

Over the years, writers began creating stories that showed young Superboy crossing paths with all sorts of characters who would later become part of Superman’s regular supporting cast. In this tour, we’ll take a look at some of those early, imaginative encounters!

THE RED KRYPTONITE TOUR (Part 4 - 1964)

The last installment of this tour guided us through all the red kryptonite stories through 1963  

The Red Kryptonite Tour - Part 3 (1963)

We pick up now with all the marvelous and whimsical Red K stories that were published in 1964. The numbering for each entry will pick up from where our last tour left off. Have fun!

THE DC SUPERHERO CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN TOUR

In 1964, DC introduced its readers to a new heroine called Zatanna.  Zatanna Zatara, to be exact. She was the daughter of another hero, Zatara (Giovanni Zatara, to be exact!), who debuted in Action Comics #1, along with Superman, in June 1938.  Zatanna opened the door for many other Golden Age heroes, and eventually many Silver Age heroes as well, to have children who would take up the family business of crime fighting.  In this tour, we will take a look at the many superheroes in the DC universe who are the children (or grandchildren) of another superhero!   

THE MARVEL FAMILY TOUR

Let's start this tour off by making one thing very clear!  The wizard is named Shazam.  The hero is named Captain Marvel.  I don't care how many continuity reboots DC undertakes; the hero who Billy Batson turns into when he says, "Shazam!" is Captain Marvel.  I said it, and I won't take it back!

In this tour, we will go sightseeing through the Marvel Family of heroes who have popped up since the Cap's debut in 1940.  Strap in and enjoy!

THE RED KRYPTONITE TOUR (Part 3 - 1963)

The last installment of this tour took us through all the red kryptonite stories through 1962.  1963 would be the year with the heaviest volume of red kryptonite-related tales, so in the third installment of this tour, we will cover that one year only.  

The Red Kryptonite Tour - Part 2 (1961 through 1962)

The numbering for each entry will pick up from the earlier entries from this Red K journey!  Enjoy!

THE COMMISSIONER JIM GORDON LIVE-ACTION TOUR

When it comes to transforming Batman from the written page to live-action television or theatrical endeavors, Commissioner Gordon will typically be in tow, making the same transformation.  Their histories are bound.  In this tour, we will look at all the actors who have undertaken the role of Batman's longest partner in the fight against evil!

THE INSECT QUEEN TOUR

In my infancy of becoming a comic book fan, I was hooked immediately on two things... The Legion of Super-Heroes and the Superman family of extended characters.  And one of the several commonalities where the two worlds intersected was with Insect Queen!  Superman's childhood gal pal and girlfriend, Lana Lang assumes the costumed persona of Insect Queen, a heroine who eventually becomes a member of the Legion's Reserve!

I thought it would be fun to travel through Lana's appearances as Insect Queen, and then take a quick glance at the legacy the character inspired years after her original debut.

Let's get strapped in and put this tour into drive!

THE DC TWINS TOUR

Twins have long been the subject of fascination for the majority of folk who aren't one!  DC Comics has had its fair share of twin characters.  In this tour, we'll examine DC twins focusing on those where each twin is a costumed character of some sort.

THE ORIGINAL LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES MEMBERSHIP TOUR

The Legion of Super-Heroes holds a special place in my heart, as it was the catalyst for my 50-year comic book reading and collecting journey. My love for this team has only deepened over the years. While I've enjoyed every iteration and reboot of the Legion, it's the Silver and Bronze Age team that remains my favorite. Every month, I eagerly awaited their next adventure, often losing track of time as I delved into the details—memorizing not only the names but also the home planets of each character in the expansive cast!

In this tour, we'll explore the evolution of the Legion from 1958 to 1989, tracing how the team’s roster shifted over the years.  Strap in tight, because this is going to be a long ride!