The Last Case of the Crime Surgeon
From Batman #18 (1943), this is the Crime Surgeon’s second, and final, appearance. If you’re not familiar with the Crime Surgeon, he was a villainous physician from the Golden Age, but a criminal who had a definite code of honor. While he was later re-imagined and appeared as the “Crime Doctor” during the Silver Age, his few Golden Age appearances were far superior, as this tale demonstrates.
Cue the head mirror…
The prison warden is shot during a jail break and his injury is too much for the local surgeon to fix. Convict #5649 — Bradford Thorne, a.k.a. the Crime Surgeon — is t...
Source: Polite Dissent - February 18, 2014 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Monday PSA: Lest We Forget — George Washington
In celebration of President’s Day here in the USA, today’s comic book public service ad showcases the father of our country, George Washington.
This PSA was scanned in from Nurse Betsy Crane #18, which is dated September 1962 and published by Charlton Comics.
As a publishing company, Charlton seemed fond of PSAs that focused on American History (or at least their take on American History). Previously featured Charlton PSAs include American Pioneer, Strength of a Nation, and Your Role in the Cold War. In addition, this is the second “Lest We Forget” biographical PSA I’ve managed to stumbl...
Source: Polite Dissent - February 17, 2014 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Your Weekend Moment of Psychic Nosebleed Zen: Emma Frost
The Phoenixified Emma Frost delivers a little judge-jury-execution revenge action in this scene from Avengers vs X-Men #9.
All previous Psychic Nosebleed Zen posts.
Tags: comics medicine nosebleed emma frost phoenix x-men (Source: Polite Dissent)
Source: Polite Dissent - February 16, 2014 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Suicide Squad #15: A Quick Medical Review
Electrodes don’t work if you put them over the clothes.
Suicide Squad #15. Adam Glass, writer. Fernango Dagnino, artist. (Source: Polite Dissent)
Source: Polite Dissent - February 14, 2014 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Source Type: blogs
Atomic Taste Buds
from Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom #22 (January 1968) (Source: Polite Dissent)
Source: Polite Dissent - February 12, 2014 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Source Type: blogs
Nightwing #26: Kanium
Nightwing #26 Some Strings Attached
Kyle Higgins, writer
Will Conrad, penciler
I’m always fascinated when a new drug is mentioned in a comic book, especially when the writer puts some thought into it. Example: Kanium, introduced in Nightwing #26:
A decade ago, scientists discovered a new element called Kanium.
Drexler Chemicals was the first to develop its medical potential, converting the alkali metal with carbon and oxygen to create Kanium Carbonate.
They’ve been touting the compound as a breakthrough anti-psychotic…
So how realistic is Kanium? Unlikely, but not entirely impossible.
1. According to Nightwing, ...
Source: Polite Dissent - February 11, 2014 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
A Quick Lesson on Medical Terminology with 1980’s Batman
Today, I’m digging back in the archive to 1994 to the Knightquest storyline in order to present a brief lesson about medical terminology.
With it’s quasi-Latin and quasi-Greek, medical terms can be confusing and don’t always mean what you expect. Case in point, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59. In this comic, physician Shondra Kinsolving has been kidnapped by her evil step-brother so he can use her telepathic powers to kill from a great distance. Understandably, Shondra doesn’t want to be a part of this, so he brother injects her with a drug of his own invention:
For those of you who may...
Source: Polite Dissent - February 9, 2014 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Source Type: blogs
A Recent Conversation
SON (Age six): Does Batman kill bad guys?
ME: No. Batman never kills anyone. That’s what makes him a hero.
SON: What about Batman: Lego? All the bad guys he hits fall apart.
ME: Umm…. (Source: Polite Dissent)
Source: Polite Dissent - October 7, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Source Type: blogs
Monday PSA: A Message from Otto the Robot!
Ever wondered what adults in the early 1960s thought kids of that era thought about factor robots? Sure you did! Well, thanks to this DC comic PSA, wonder no more.
Click on the image for the full ad
That note from the robot is a little depressing, but at least it doesn’t mention Chiron Beta Prime.
The robot doesn’t mention what kind of diploma Bobby needs: GED, high school, college, beauty school?
Gott love the Silver Age stylings of the robots.
This PSA can be found in DC comics from October 1961, such as Batman #143, where this was scanned from. It was written by Jack Schiff with art by Bernard Baily.
More ...
Source: Polite Dissent - September 30, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Is Our Blood Supply Safe From The Scource of Lycanthropy?
In a case study presented by S. Shores, Subject AH is driving down a country road when he is involved in a traffic accident with Subject PG. Near death, AH is transfused with blood from the fatally injured PG.
Initially, AH does well and is released from the hospital. However, his mood worsens and he begins exhibiting near-manic behavior — particularly at night. By the next full moon, he has developed a full blown case of lycanthropy.
Unfortunately, the very next day, AH was involved in another automobile accident, fatal this time, and it is believed his blood was re-introduced into the blood bank system.
Th...
Source: Polite Dissent - September 24, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Batman: The Dark Knight #15: The Medical Wrap-Up
Wrapping up my medical review of Batman: The Dark Knight #15 with a few last thoughts:
Scarecrow’s new super fear toxin is distilled from the sweat of frightened children, a clever, if somewhat morbid, concept. According to the Bat-Computer, it contains adrenalin (the main chemical behind the fight-or-flight response), cortisol (a steroid hormone released by the adrenal glands as a response to stress), and androstadienone (a breakdown product of testosterone, said to be a human pheromone).
While Batman is off spraying his blood across Gotham City, Alfred is monitoring various vital signs.
“Tachycardia, blood pre...
Source: Polite Dissent - September 19, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Batman: Dark Knight #15: A Medical Review
Batman: The Dark Knight #15
Gregg Hurwitz, writer
David Finch, penciler
Scarecrow has exposed several blocks of downtown Gotham City to his new super fear toxin. Batman gets a sample of the toxin to Alfred and Lucius Fox, but they warn him that it will take months to develop an antidote (Not true. While it’s true that making an actual antidote that counters the toxin could take that long, making a bunch of antibodies to provide passive immunity — as Lucius is talking about — wouldn’t take that long at all, a few days or weeks at most. Sure, not fast enough for Batman, but not the months and months th...
Source: Polite Dissent - September 17, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Not MY Batman
My children are old enough that they’re learning to read, and like any responsible parent, I involve superheroes as much as possible. DC publishes a number of Batman, Superman, and Super Friends books that we use. The art style is “kid friendly,” and the stories are a little dumbed down, but overall the books (especially the Batman ones) are quite good.
There is one page that really bothers me though, and it’s the opening page from their favorite Super Friends book:
Batman is out when the sun is shining.
And he’s smiling. (Source: Polite Dissent)
Source: Polite Dissent - September 16, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Source Type: blogs
Superman #23.1 “Bizzaro”: A Medical review
Superman #23.1 “Bizarro”
Sholly Fisch, writer
Jeff Johnson, penciler
Generally, I enjoyed Bizarro. It was an interesting take on Bizarro, but the star of the comic was clearly Lex Luthor and his Machiavellian approach to science. That being said, I was annoyed by the clumsy biological technobabble scattered throughout the comic.
A quick example:
• “Cellular mitosis”? (Redundant. No scientist talks that way. What other type of mitosis is there? This would be like a car mechanic telling you there’s problem with your “automobile engine.”)
What I really want to focus on though is Lex’s...
Source: Polite Dissent - September 11, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
Equal Time
Last week, I showcased a couple of hospital comic covers objectifying women, so today I give you two covers objectifying men — though I can’t help but notice that the women are quite attractive in these as well (did Romita ever draw an unattractive young woman?)
Covers from Young Love (1963) and (Source: Polite Dissent)
Source: Polite Dissent - September 10, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Authors: Scott Tags: newtag Source Type: blogs
