Slash Option: Lois Lane/Comet the Super-Horse

"Slash Option: Lois Lane/Comet the Super-Horse" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #92 (DC, 1969) by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Mike Esposito

Oh Lois...

Slash Option: Batman and Poison Ivy

"Slash Option: Batman and Poison Ivy" from Detective Comics vol.2 #14 (DC, 2013) by John Layman and Jason Fabok

A natural pairing. Batman does love a bad girl. I wasn't reading New52 'Tec until Chew's John Layman started writing it. I must say, his opening story had some nice twists and turns. The book is back on the pull list. I do find the art a bit "technical" for my tastes - I like my Batman a bit more expressionistic - but it's still well done. A preference, not a complaint.

Slash Option (Obvious): Batman/Catwoman

"Slash Option (Obvious): Batman/Catwoman" from Catwoman vol.4 #2 (DC, 2011) by Judd Winnick and Guillem March

The sex scene heard 'round the world in the New52's version of Catwoman. I don't really want to talk about it again. I see Ann Nocenti is now writing the Cat. I didn't stick to her Green Arrow, but she still has some good will left over from her awesome Daredevil run, so I'm trying it. I also like to give a shot to women writing female characters. I realize I didn't like Jo Duffy's Catwoman, but I'm still very interested in women writing female protagonists and what is hopefully some kind of gender authenticity. Of course, some men can't write men, so it's not a foolproof formula, just one that you don't see enough in today's mainstream comics.

Slash Option: The Wedding of Batgirl and Robin

"Slash Option: The Wedding of Batgirl and Robin" from Batman Family vol.1 #11 (DC, 1977) by Bob Rozakis, Curt Swan and Vince Colletta

An often-mentioned "slash option", but remains fan-fictional since Dick and Barbara never really sealed the deal even if they dated for a little while. This splash makes me think all superhero weddings should be conducted in tux and wedding dress versions of the characters' costumes NO MATTER WHAT. Where are the action figures from this?

As for Batman Family, it was a mid-70s anthology series mostly featuring members of Batman's supporting cast of heroes, with original stuff and reprints from older stories. Wiki informs me that it brought back the forgotten Batwoman from limbo and also introduced Duela Dent, who I thought was a much more recent character. The article also says Batman Family was a better seller than Detective Comics in its day and that DC almost axed Detective at the time, instead cancelling Family after 20 issues and giving 'Tec its mandate.

Apes in Love

"Apes in Love" from Angel and the Ape vol.1 #1 (DC, 1968) by Joe Albano, Bob Oksner and Henry Scarpelli

One of the things that sold comics in the 60s was APES. There's just something about them. Or maybe this series was created as a response to the specific Ape-mania created by the Planet of the Apes movie, which also came out in 1968. However it came into E. Nelson Bridwell's head, Angel and the Ape is about a couple of private eyes, one a beautiful girl, the other a talking ape (which later series would have originate in Gorilla City). The humor book was re-titled Meet Angel with its seventh and final issue, showing CONCLUSIVELY that it couldn't be marketed without the Ape. It was followed by a mini in '91 that connected it to the Inferior 5 (Angel is Dumb Bunny's sister), and later by a Vertigo series by Howard Chaykin and Philip Bond, so beautiful art but a story I dread to check out.

Slash Option: Jessica Jones/Captain America

"Slash Option: Jessica Jones/Captain America" from What if Jessica Jones Had Joined the Avengers?" (Marvel, 2005) by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos

Sorry, Luke Cage!

Slash Option: Linda Park/John Fox (Future Flash)

"Slash Option: Linda Park/John Fox (Future Flash)" from Flash vol.2 #116 (DC, 1996) by Mark Waid, Oscar Jimenez and Jose Marzan Jr.

For the next five days, Your Daily Splash Page pays homage to, what else, Saint Valentine's! Romance will abound, not all of the "Slash Option" variety.

Slash Option: Supergirl/Superman

"Slash Option: Supergirl/Superman" from Supergirl vol.5 #7 (DC, 2006) by Joe Kelly, Greg Rucka, Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmind

Ok ok, it's not really OUR Supergirl and Superman, but it does give a fright, doesn't it? Brrrr.

Slash Option: Superman/Wonder Woman

"Slash Option: Superman/Wonder Woman" from Adventures of Superman #440 (DC, 1988) by John Byrne, Jerry Ordway and Dennis Janke

What Lois doesn't know...

Slash Option: Superman/Huntress

"Slash Option: Superman/Huntress" from JLA #37 (DC, 2000) by Grant Morrison, Howard Porter and John Dell

Do you like "Slash Option"? Should there be more romance, dubious and otherwise, in Your Daily Splash Pages?