Gingerbread Super-cookies December 2021

 I made these gingerbread DC Comics super-hero cookies December 2021.

It started with these 5--Dr. Fate, Green Lantern John Stewart, Aquaman, The Flash, & Vixen. I don't think there was any rhyme or reason to start, besides Dr. Fate being my favorite DC character & Aquaman my favorite founding Justice Leaguer.

Then, I decorated Amethyst, princess of Gemworld (because she's one of my favorites), and Green Arrow, by request of my housemate, Zach.

After starting with Katana in her last costume before DC's New 52 reboot (my favorite look for her), I couldn't resist just finishing the rest of the Outsiders teams, also with Looker in her last pre-New 52 costume, which I recognized as a modern update on her original costume. Halo was my favorite of this bunch to make. 

 The sister & brother duo, Jade & Obsidian, were next. Obsidian is my favorite gay male DC character.

DC's mistress of magic, and my favorite comic book heroine, Zatanna, was next up. I regretted not being able to include her top hat in some way, but I loved how I was able to articulate her gloved fingers & made her look like she's speaking one of her backwards spells too. I couldn't think of a great way to work in the fishnets, though.

I didn't think I could leave out her frequent magical partner, John Constantine, then.

And Wonder Woman when she's written well is usually among my most favorite super-heroines, and my 2nd favorite founding Justice Leaguer.

Those 3 made a great trio too, I thought.

And to continue with the mystical/magical theme there, I thought to include my favorite black DC character, the obscure Bloodwynd.

I wanted to show some love to the New Gods, too, and since all my remaining gingerbread cookies were the ones wearing dresses (or potential capes, for my purposes), I decided to decorate one of the very best, most enduring comics couples, Mr. Miracle II (Scott Free) and Big Barda.

Lastly, I paid respects DC's first black super-couple and DC's 2 first African-American super-heroes, Malcolm Duncan (as Herald here) and Bumblebee. 

And I find Hawk & Dove II (Dawn Granger) to be their closest counterparts as oft-forgotten members of the Titans roster, and I just like their designs and connection to the Lords of Order and Chaos.

Because I ran out of gingerbread people, this is what I ended up with at the end, along with some sugar cookie shirts & Christmas tree I decorated.

2020 Sucked! But There Were Some Good Comics! My DC Haul Ranked

 So, 2020 was kind of a dumpster fire with the COVID-19 pandemic & social distancing making many plans undoable for many people & the deaths of millions worldwide & over 300,000 in the U.S. alone. It also caused a huge loss in the Spring of the year for the comic book community, with part of March, all of April, and part of May not having any new comic book releases, & many stores also closed due to state restriction guidelines. In spite of all of this, I was doing whatever I could to give my regular local comic store business. I really don't want to see the niche market fall away. So, I thought I'd blog about the comics I bought that were released in 2020, with an attempt at ranking them according to my reading enjoyment level. I'm starting with DC here, my first love.

1. Hawkman vol. 5 #20-29

collage assembled by Tim Board of the various images from
all 29 issues of this Hawkman series

2. Justice League Dark vol. 2 #18-29

3. Far Sector #3-9

4. Freedom Fighters vol. 3 #12 (of 12)

5. The Other History of the DC Universe #1 (of 5)

6. Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen vol. 2 #7-12 (of 12)

7. Young Justice vol. 2 #12-20

8. Justice League Odyssey #17-25

9. Strange Adventures vol. 5 #1-7 (of 12)

10. tie Dark Nights: Death Metal #1-6 (of 7) and its tie-in one-shots

11. Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 6 #3-11

12. Aquaman vol. 8 #56-66

13. Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1

14. Wonder Woman vol. 5 #750-768, Annual 4

15. Superman vol. 5 #19-28 (didn't get #22)

16. The Flash vol. 5 #85-87, 750-767 (didn't get #88)

17. Books of Magic vol. 3 #15-23

18. The Terrifics #26-27 (didn't get #23-25)

19. Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #7

20. The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #2-4 (of 4)

21. The Dreaming vol. 2 #17-20

22. Shazam! vol. 3 #10-15

23. Dial H for Hero #10-12 (of 12)

24. Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1

25. Batman/Superman vol. 2 #7-13 (didn't get #6 & missed 14-15)

26. DC Cybernetic Summer #1 (80-Page Giant)

27. Lois Lane #7-12 (of 12)

28. The Dreaming: Waking Hours #1-5

29. Metal Men vol. 4 #4-12 (of 12)

30. Amethyst vol. 2 #1-6 (of 6)

31. John Constantine: Hellblazer #4-12 (didn't get #3)

32. Plunge #1-6 (of 6)

33. Detective Comics vol. 1 #1027

34. Justice League vol. 4 #39-58, Annual 2

35. The Last God #4-11 (of 12) and Songs of Lost Children & Tales from the Book of Ages one-shots

36. Wonder Twins #11-12 (of 12)

37. Superman: Heroes #1 and Superman: Villains #1

38. Nightwing vol. 4 #75 (didn't get #69-74, 76-77)

39. Catwoman vol. 5 #23-24, 26-27 (didn't get #19-22, 25, and 28)

40. Batman vol. 3 #100 (didn't get #86-99, 101-105)

41. Batman: Three Jokers #1-3 (of 3)

42. The Green Lantern: Season Two #1-8 (of 12) (didn't get #9-10)

43. Hellblazer: Rise and Fall #1-2 (of 3)

44. Flash Forward #5-6 (of 6)

45. Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1

46. Justice League: Endless Winter #1-2 (of 2)

47. Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1

48. Superman: Endless Winter Special #1

49. Leviathan: Dawn #1

50. Batman/Catwoman #1

51. Batman: The Joker War Zone #1

52. Green Lantern: Blackstars #3 (of 3)