Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell - March 2019

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s … 3 Great Family-Friendly Superhero Comics

It’s no secret that superhero movies are dominating the box office. The highest- grossing movies of 2018 (and the third and fourth highest-grossing of all time) were “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” There’s never been a better time to be a fan of superheroes or to become a fan of superhero comics. If your kids are interested in reading more about superheroes, here are a few great titles your whole family can enjoy together.

Marvel” explores what it means to be a teenager, a first-generation American, a friend, and a superhero. The storylines promote an important message: “Good is not a thing you are, it’s a thing you do.” In just a few years, Ms. Marvel has become an established superhero in comics, and it won’t be long before she steps onto the big screen with a live-action movie. ‘SUPER SONS: THE POLARSHIELD PROJECT’ Jon Kent, son of Superman, and Damian Wayne, son of Batman,

hit shelves until April 2, 2019, which means you and your kids have plenty of time to reserve a copy of this graphic novel at your local comic book shop! ‘CHAMPIONS’ “Champions” is a story about teenage superheroes, but don’t expect pizza or relationship drama in these panels. These comics tackle how young people today approach problems with a readiness to rally together and take matters into their own hands. “Champions” doesn’t shy away from hard topics, making it more appropriate for older kids and teens. But that doesn’t mean this story lacks heart or humor. Featuring comic favorites like Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man as well as popular newcomers, “Champions” is about identity, purpose, and what it really means to save the world.

‘MS. MARVEL’ Since her debut in 2013, Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, has been a wildly popular character, and her comic has gained critical acclaim. A 2015 Hugo Award winner, “Ms.

couldn’t be more different. But when a mysterious force threatens the world, these super sons must learn to trust each other — and themselves — to save the day. Based on the hit “Super Sons” comic book series, “Super Sons: The Polarshield Project” doesn’t

Find these titles and other incredible stories at your local comic book shop.

MORE TO THE STORY The Hot Air Balloon Isn’t the Most Dangerous Part of This Case

Hot air balloonists are seen as an odd sort. What kind of person goes up thousands of feet in the air in a wicker basket? With this in mind, it’s easy to see why so many people believe the story about a couple of airheads misusing a commercial dryer. The popular version of this story goes that, after a bad landing put their hot air balloon in a lake, two men sought to dry off the balloon quickly by shoving it into a dryer at the nearest laundromat. Unsurprisingly, the dryer, which wasn’t designed to handle such a massive load, exploded. Rather than being grateful they had survived their own stupidity, the men sued the dryer manufacturer for $885,000 and won. A big part of product liability cases is determining if the product was being misused when it caused the injury. For example, trying to dry 128 pounds of balloon fabric in a dryer clearly labeled as having a max load capacity of 18 pounds would be an incorrect use of the dryer. But that’s not what really happened in this particular lawsuit. In October of 1976, William Stair hired professional hot air balloonist Timothy Horan to advertise for the Shrine Circus. As part of the deal, Stair promised to clean Horan’s balloon if it got

dirty on the job. Stair had connections at Sinai Hospital, where several industrial-sized washers and dryers were located. These giant washers and dryers were capable of spinning 2,000-pound loads of waterproof material — more than enough to clean Horan’s 128-pound nylon balloon. Fred Jessop, an associate of Stair’s, brought Horan to the hospital, where they were able to wash the balloon just fine. However, when they put the balloon in the dryer, the machine began to groan and oscillate. The men stopped the dryer to rebalance the load. When they turned on the dryer again, it started and ran without incident. Then, a few minutes later, the dryer exploded without warning. The men were badly hurt by flying shrapnel, and likely only survived their injuries because they were already at a hospital. They sued the dryer’s manufacturer, American Laundry Machinery Company, for damages. In 1980, after a Maryland court determined “the accident was attributable to defects in the machine itself, and not to any act or omission of the persons operating it,” Horan and Jessop were awarded compensatory damages of $1,260,000.

2 www.blocklaw.com

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