New Titans #69 – “House of Cards” – Barbara and Karl Kesel/Steve Erwin/Bob Smith
Last issue, the Joker put together a new Royal Flush Gang to work for him, but what none of them realize is the “Joker” is really the Gambler tracking them into doing his bidding. Wanting to prove how great he is, Danny Chase let himself get recruited by Ten to join her own band of street thieves (colourfully referred to as Ten’s Little Indians), but the Gang figured out Danny is a friend of the Titans. This issue starts with “Joker” telling Danny is he can survive for three hours while the rest of the Gang tries to kill him, he’ll be set free. Danny takes off, leading his pursuers into a casino to reduce their mobility, and
taking advantage of their own weaknesses (such as Queen being a drunk who’s jonesing for a belt of booze). Danny realizes they can track him through the headset he was given when he joined the Indians (although he doesn’t know “Joker” has put a charge in the headsets to kill any Indian who proves disloyal). Danny does okay to start with but soon gets overwhelmed by sheer numbers. He’s forced to call the Titans for help and they show up just in time to keep him from being killed. The Titans do better than their encounter with the Gang last issue, although the Gang seem to be defeating themselves part of the time. Queen is hammered, Jack has PTSD from “Joker” gouging out his eye to give him a cybernetic one (and he fixates on Raven, who says she can alleviate his 
pain), and when Cyborg tells King that the real Joker is still locked up in Arkham Asylum, King leaves the fight to check that out. The drunken Queen shoots Ten and the Indians pound the crap out of Queen in retaliation. Troia lets them know about the sabotaged headsets, which they all quickly ditch. King goes after Gambler (with a little help from Jack) and prepares to hold him while his headquarters fills with water. (King is basically unable to die because his meta-gene was awakened during the Invasion.) Jack refuses to leave, but before anyone can drown Starfire swoops in to save all three of them. The Titans wrap things up and we see Danny Chase is still an asshole.
Legion of Super-Heroes #11 – (Tenzil Kem Takes a Bite Out of Crime) – Tom and Mary Bierbaum/Keith Giffen, E. Craig Brasfield/Al Gordon
Last issue, Roxxas attacked the contingent of ex-Legionnaires assembling on Winath and wounded several of them. Meanwhile on Earth, Tenzil Kem (aka Matter-Eater Lad, who’s apparently become famous) has shown up with a holo-TV crew, acting like some kind of weird Indiana Jones-style archaeologist … except his theories are completely idiotic. Basically, he used the archaeology show to get onto Earth and now he wants to try a different show … a courtroom drama. On Winath, Brainiac 5 tends to Roxxas’s victims, most of whom are stable but it looks like Celeste Rockfish won’t make it. On Earth, Tenzil talks to Shvaughn Erin about Brek (Polar Boy) Bannin, who was arrested for treason two years ago and still hasn’t gotten a trial. Tenzil and Shvaughn
know the EarthGovernment is monitoring them (although I’m not sure if they know EarthGov has been taken over by Dominators), so they communicate with telepathic earplugs while Tenzil continues to act like an idiot TV star. Polar Boy isn’t too thrilled to have Tenzil as his lawyer, even though his public defender hasn’t done a damn thing for him in two years. Tenzil convinces him that public attention will be on the trial (because of Tenzil’s fame), so the EarthGov won’t be able to sweep everything under the rug, as they’d obviously like to do. Tenzil meets with the prosecutor (Jakobi), who’s actually honest but can’t throw the case without getting the government on her ass. (She seems quite taken with Tenzil …) Tenzil soon finds out the deck is stacked against him, 
with no time to prepare for the trial and a judge predisposed to favour the prosecution. Tenzil makes a farce out of the trial, but his chaotic style lets him double-talk the judge into admitting that Polar Boy is fit to stand trial but was denied that right for two years. Jakobi drops the charges and Tenzil hustles Polar Boy off-planet as fast as possible (though he does manage to get a smooch from Jakobi before leaving). In an epilogue, we see Jo Nah (aka Ultra Boy) wasn’t actually disintegrated while fighting Roxxas last issue, he was just blasted through a warp to another part of the galaxy. Unfortunately, that part ends up being in the heart of Khund territory …
Suicide Squad #45 – “The Jerusalem Serpent” – John Ostrander, Kim Yale/Geof Isherwood
This one starts in Beirut with Kobra trying to buy some triggers for nuclear bombs. The sellers turn out to be American undercover agents, but Kobra anticipated that and has an ambush ready. After slaughtering everyone else, Kobra tortures the leader and sends him back with a message that the Kali-Yuga (the destruction of life on Earth to make way for a new civilization, which Kobra is doing his best to bring about) will begin in Jerusalem. When the Egyptian government gets wind of Kobra’s threat, they hire the Suicide Squad to stop him (not wanting
their own “differences” with Israel to be co-opted by Kobra). Amanda Waller is briefed on Israel’s own team of meta-humans (the Hayoth), but Israel doesn’t take Kobra’s threat seriously, so the Squad will have to sneak in to stop him. Bronze Tiger and Ravan go in first by boat. There’s still some tension between them, since Bronze Tiger broke Ravan’s back the first time they met, causing Ravan to swear vengeance, but they decide to cooperate … for now. In Jerusalem, Kobra’s hideout is raided by the Hayoth, but instead of freaking out about being found, he seems glad they showed up. Vixen arrives in 
Jerusalem (as fashion model Mari McCabe) and Waller suggests she still has feelings for Bronze Tiger, which Vixen (rather unconvincingly) denies. Deadshot and Captain Boomerang were supposed to be on Vixen’s flight too, but they were “delayed” in Australia when Boomerang stopped for a few drinks. Unfortunately, their luggage wasn’t delayed, which means Deadshot’s guns and costume are on their way to Israel. In Jerusalem, Bronze Tiger and Ravan hide with an old friend of Ravan’s and hear about Hayoth’s fight with Kobra earlier. Mossad picks up Waller and Vixen (not
realizing the new Atom is with them too) and takes them to a prison where they show off Kobra, captured earlier by the Hayoth. The Israelis are felling pretty smug, but Waller realizes Kobra must’ve wanted to be caught to further his plans.