At last, DC Comics has a home on the iPad. Forget about the X-Men and all that other kids’s stuff: now you can buy and read some of the best comic-books ever made.

DC, like Marvel, is on the iPad in two forms. First, this standalone app in which you can browse, buy and read the available titles. This is powered by the same Comixology engine behind most branded comic-book apps. But while this is a nice way to get your favorite DC titles, it may be better to just grab the free Comics app, which is exactly the same but also contains the catalogs of Marvel and a heap of indie publishers. Some DC titles are already available in the Comics store, but now they are all in one DC store, so you can go straight for the good stuff.

Why am I so excited? Because DC comics were the ones I bought when I was a teenager, and a lot of those old titles are here. Hellblazer, Grant Morrison’s stunning Invisibles, the Sandman, and the comic book which arguably kick-started the whole comic-books-are-not-for-kids movement, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. And not as a trade paperback, either, but in its original separate issues ($3 each).

What are you waiting for? The DC app is free, and also available on the iPhone. And one more thing: Look at that picture up top, or rather, that Photoshop disaster up top. Who the hell did that “iPad” illustration?

Hobby Warehouse carries a huge inventory of model rockets and rocket accessories. If you need any rocketry accessory to help you build or launch your model rockets, you have come to the right site! You will be sure to find something new for all your model rocket needs!

This is the 140 Model B Rock Tumbler

Blackjack 55 Catamaran RTR

It has been confirmed that there are currently three live-action Marvel TV shows in the works.

One of these projects is the new Hulk TV show that we reported on last month, the second is likely a live-action Cloak & Dagger TV show (which was rumored along with the new Hulk show) and the final show has yet to be confirmed, but names like The Punisher and even the more obscure Daughters of the Dragon are being thrown around the rumor mill.

The confirmation that we’ll be getting more Marvel TV came from an interview that the Wall Street Journal conducted with Disney CEO Robert Iger. Check out what Iger had to say about Disney’s plans for Marvel Entertainment (and read closely):

“[With Marvel] we’ve taken back distribution, or bought back distribution from [Viacom Inc.'s] Paramount, for some critical franchises. Notably, “Iron Man 3″ will be distributed by us, and “Avengers.” We’re developing three live-action series for ABC and ABC Family. You can buy Marvel products at Disney stores. And we’re working on Marvel games.”

We already reported on the fact that Disney bought Iron Man back from Paramount, The Avengers was surely part of the blueprint when Disney bought Marvel, so really these three TV shows are what we’re curious about.

The fact that the shows seem to be headed for ABC and ABC Family is definitely a pivotal factor in all this. I mean, I think we could all see a Punisher TV series working well on say HBO or AMC (even on FX), but ABC and ABC family (which Disney owns) don’t seem like the venues for a character mired in such gritty, bloody violence like Frank Castle is. (Though, to be fair, Lost had it’s fair share of shocking and violent moments.)

There are plenty of characters in the Marvel Universe who could work well in a TV format, and would also stand to gain a bit of exposure to the mainstream. I for one think Cloak and Dagger would be prime candidates, while also being appropriate for the ABC/ABC Family crowd. For those who don’t know, Cloak was a young boy with a stutter who was wandering the streets of New York, while Dagger was a privileged young girl from the Midwest who fled to NYC to escape her neglectful stepmother. After a chance encounter, the two became friends and all was well until they were kidnapped and experimented on with a synthetic drug, which awakened their latent mutant powers.

Cloak has the ability to teleport himself and others through the dark void which is his body, while Dagger can take out foes via solid light projectiles. The pair ultimately decided to use their abilities to help other runaways, as well as fight against drug dealers and other criminals preying on the streets.

Cloak & Dagger already has shades of Heroes and/or No Ordinary Family coded into its premise – though some people may not look at that as a good thing. I was a big fan of Heroes in its first season, and truth be told, I’ve been enjoying No Ordinary Family so far – though I’ll admit it still needs to find its footing in the excitement department. But if Cloak & Dagger sticks to the simplicity of its premise, and casts some engaging leads in the titular roles, it could definitely work.

Daughters of the Dragon, on the other hand? It’s a really obscure Marvel property (read about it HERE), but again, the premise – a female samurai and badass detective with a bionic arm team up – could not only work well as a weekly TV show, but in some ways would be more efficient than even Cloak & Dagger. Think about it: two hot female leads with practical powers ( meaning less visual F/X), an easy weekly procedural format, plus the show would be a perfect spring board to a Heroes for Hire movie.

We’ll keep you updated as more news about these Marvel TV shows gets released, but for now, which characters besides the Hulk would YOU like to see on the small screen?

Kick ‘n Pass Football Desktop Game

Action-packed Desktop Football! Authentic quarterback throws passes and kicks field goals! With the touch of a lever on the back of the player, his arm swings to throw the ball! The ball is held in place by a tiny magnet in the player’s hand to ensure accuracy

Technically, I’m a child of the 60’s, having been born in 1961. However, it’s the late 60’s and early 70’s that I really consider my ‘childhood’, complete with G.I. Joe, Best of the West, Captain Action, Hot Wheels, and other classic toy lines. I still have some of my original toys today, and I have to say that I’m really glad I do - they bring back some wonderful memories.

When it comes to the toys of the 60’s and 70’s, there’s been enough books written to fill an iPad. And that’s a lot of books. But the 80’s, the generation of many of the people reading these words, has had less, as you’d expect.

It takes awhile to get nostalgic about a period and remember only the good, not the bad. The books that have been written around toys have dealt largely with specific lines - Barbie, G.I. Joe RAH, Star Wars, Masters of the Universe, etc.

Mark Bellomo has a new book out entitled “Totally Tubular 80’s Toys”, and in it he covers the broad range, rather than delving deeply into any one series. He goes outside basic toys as well, getting further into the wider pop culture scene that influenced his generation.

Mark is no stranger to authoring books on toys, having had books published on Joes, Transformers and more. His name might also be familiar to readers of this site, as he’s a regular Poppies judge each year

The book is split into sections, one for each year of the decade from 1980 to 1989. Yes, I know that technically a new decade starts with year 1, so that the start of the 199th decade was actually 1981, not 1980. But this book is not titled “Totally Tubular 199th Decade Toys”, it’s the 80’s toys, so using the years 80-89 is correct. After you explain that to the smart ass who brings it up, feel free to pants him.

At the end of each section is a recap of the entertainment for that year - best movie winners, top ten box office, what we were listening to on the radio, top news stories, that sort of thing. It’s a nice wrap up and delimiter between each year section.

The toys themselves are usually given a couple pages each, sometimes 4 or so for the bigger ones like Star Wars or G.I. Joe. What’s nice about this book is that while the important lines are all covered - Transformers, Barbie, MOTU, etc. - there’s lots and lots of only slightly less popular lines that adults today will remember quite fondly when they see the photos, but may have completely forgot about having as a child prior to the visual reminder.

And there’s plenty of photos to jog those aging brain cells, all well shot and edited. The text is engaging and easy to read, and was clearly written by a man who loved this decade and the playthings that dominated it.

Not only are there the usual action figures and dolls, but electronic and board games like Simon or Trivial Pursuit, puzzles like Rubik’s Cube, and even the early electronic gaming systems like Atari get their due.

Overall - ***1/2

Overall, the book was a very enjoyable read, and brought back to mind a number of toys that I had completely forgotten about. This isn’t a book designed to be the be all/ end all on any one line or series. Instead, this is a book for those who grew up then and played with these wonderful toys, whether they are collectors or not. There’s a little something for everyone, and the story of the playthings of that ear is told in an engaging way.