I had the original giant format comic that Tarkas refers to. In the intervening years, I lost it, but I bought the regular format reprint. My favorite scene of the entire book was right after the fake Superman flies away with Lois and MJ. Peter Parker, in a state of near panic, grabs Clark Kent by the elbow and demands, "The phone booths! Where are the phone booths?" The next panel shows Peter glaring at what was at the time the new design of public phones, just plexiglass privacy dividers on either side of the phone and no doors.

I know that somebody in either Marvel or DC thought that was hysterical, and I have to agree with them. It's the strongest memory I have of that book, and when I tell people about it, they usually look at me with a condescending gaze and pat me on the arm and offer to get me something to soothe my nerves.

It's tough being a FOLC sometimes.


Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.

- Stephen King, from On Writing