TAKING STOCK OF 2025

 While this blog is never at the best of times a hub of excitement, for me the most compelling event was my identification of the first post-Renaissance exemplars of the superhero idiom: the two Scottish knights of Sir Walter Scott's 1805 THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. I confess that in my original analysis of the poem, and of Scott's relevance to the idiom (a three-part essay-series starting here), I thought that one of the knights, William of Deloraine, was the eminent icon. But on reconsideration, I decided that the heroic action of the narrative was split between Deloraine and his "friendly enemy" Henry of Cranston, and I recently amended the essay to that effect. My increased interest in Scott also led me to read and review his BRIDE OF LAMMEMOOR, with less than positive results.

I reviewed all of the Burroughs "Earth's Core" books, though the only ones I really liked were the last two: LAND OF TERROR and SAVAGE PELLUCIDAR.  

In this post I firmed up the connection between tropes and icons.

I framed an aesthetic of nonsense, which came in handy for an analysis of a Bob Burden FLAMING CARROT story.

I trifled with sexual dimorphism and told a tale of two cosms.  

I attempted a definition of literary modes (using only magical-era fantasies as one example) according to the scale of the pivotal characters involved. 

Both Peter David and Jim Shooter passed this year, and I gave them props for standout stories. 

I defined the new term "eminence," which at least sounds better than "centric." 

I reworked my concept of "magical-era stories," and formulated the terms "thymotic" and "epithymotic." 

I completed a five-part review of Von Harbou's METROPOLIS and a three-part essay on the ethics of "keeping and giving," which ran in altered form on BLEEDING FOOL.

And for my year-end finisher, I got two posts out of the SPIRIT story "Li' l Adam" and one in which I FINALLY found an "Archie-Typal Mythcomic."

Favorite reviews on THE NUM BLOG: 

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 

ASTRO BOY

THE TITANS

JUSTICE LEAGUE Seasons One and Two

THE INVINCIBLE BROTHERS MACISTE

All the episodes of BUFFY and ANGEL.

THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK

OLIVIA

"THE NIGHT OF THE UNDEAD," WILD WILD WEST

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT

TO KILL WITH INTRIGUE 

BLONDE IN BLACK LEATHER (in memoriam Claudia Cardinale)

SWEET SWEET RACHEL

BEETLEJUICE

THE HYPNOTIC EYE

THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN

A KNIFE FOR THE LADIES

CHAMBER OF HORRORS 

THE LEGEND OF FRENCHIE KING (in memoriam Brigitte Bardot)

ORPHEUS

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Thanks to all who checked in or even lurked!