Category: Comics Reviews

Comics reviews: Flash 307, Wonder Woman 289, Green Lantern 150, Jonah Hex 58

Flash 307 coverFlash #307 – “Prey for the Piper” – Cary Bates/Carmine Infantino/Bob Smith

This one starts with a helicopter transporting a gigantic gong (from a tribe in the South Seas) to the Central City Museum. Pied Piper uses his horn to take control of the chopper pilots, forcing them to drop the gong on an unfinished building site. The gong bounces around inside the building’s steel skeleton, making so much noise it almost knocks the construction workers off the girders. Luckily Barry Allen is nearby and changes to Flash so he can stop the clangorous gong. Continue reading “Comics reviews: Flash 307, Wonder Woman 289, Green Lantern 150, Jonah Hex 58”

Comics Reviews: JLA 200, Legion of Super-Heroes 285, New Teen Titans 17, All-Star Squadron 7

JLA 200 coverJustice League of America #200 – “A League Divided” – Gerry Conway/George Perez/Brett Breeding

This is a special anniversary issue of JLA, clocking in at a whopping 72 pages. It features a number of top artists of the day drawing different chapters. As indicated above, George Perez and Brett Breeding did the framing story and climax, and the whole thing was written by Gerry Conway. I’ll give art credits for each chapter as we get to them. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 200, Legion of Super-Heroes 285, New Teen Titans 17, All-Star Squadron 7”

Comics Reviews: Superman 369, Action 529, DC Comics Presents 43, Warlord 55

Superman 369 coverSuperman #369 – “Superman’s Last Christmas” – Cary Bates/Rich Buckler/Frank McLaughlin

This one starts with Lana Lang and Steve Lombard doing a live broadcast from Galaxy Plaza where they’re waiting for an appearance by Superman. The Man of Steel has been delayed saving a house from falling into a sinkhole. After filling the sinkhole with lava, Superman carries out his original mission, bringing a gigantic Christmas tree to Galaxy Plaza. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 369, Action 529, DC Comics Presents 43, Warlord 55”

Comics Reviews: Batman 345, Detective 512, Brave & the Bold 184

Batman 345 coverBatman #345 – “Calling Doctor Death” – Gerry Conway/Gene Colan/Klaus Janson

This one starts with a guy named Keswick being taken to see someone called the “Doctor”. This mysterious Doctor (who we can’t see clearly but seems to be in a wheelchair) is planning some kind of major crime and Keswick offered to sell details to the cops. The Doctor isn’t happy about Keswick’s treachery and uses some kind of deadly dust to shut him up permanently. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 345, Detective 512, Brave & the Bold 184”

Comics Reviews: Flash 306, Wonder Woman 288, Green Lantern 149, Jonah Hex 57

Flash 306 coverFlash #306 – “Through a Glass, Permanently” – Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn/Carmine Infantino/Bob Smith

This one starts with Barry Allen and Fiona Webb at a disco, which apparently were still around in 1982. Their funky fun is interrupted by Mirror Master, who shows up to steal the disco ball for some reason. He uses a gun to freeze everyone in the place, but Barry vibrates out of danger and changes to Flash. He tackles Mirror Master, but can’t grab the slippery thief. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 306, Wonder Woman 288, Green Lantern 149, Jonah Hex 57”

Comics Reviews: JLA 199, Legion of Super-Heroes 284, New Teen Titans 16, All-Star Squadron 6

JLA 199 coverJustice League of America #199 – “Grand Canyon Showdown” – Gerry Conway/Don Heck/Brett Breeding

Last issue, the Lord of Time cooked up a convoluted scheme (is there any other kind for him?) that involved taking four JLAers (Flash, Green Lantern, Elongated Man, and Zatanna) into 1878 Arizona. Lord of Time has info that an anti-matter strike (like the one at Tunguska in 1908) was supposed to happen in 1878 over the Grand Canyon. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 199, Legion of Super-Heroes 284, New Teen Titans 16, All-Star Squadron 6”

Comics Reviews: Superman 368, Action 528, DC Comics Presents 42, Warlord 54

Superman 368 coverSuperman #368 – “The Revenger of Steel” – Cary Bates/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

Over the last couple of issues, Superman changed himself into a reptilian alien named Vlatuu so he could infiltrate the Superman Revenge Squad. Because his transformation actually changed his brain patterns, his plan worked; he insinuated himself into the Revengers and gained their trust (and the amorous attentions of an alien hottie named Nryana). Vlatuu managed to defeat the Revengers’ Superman android, thus earning the privilege of going to Earth to kill the real Man of Steel. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 368, Action 528, DC Comics Presents 42, Warlord 54”

Comics Reviews: Batman 344, Detective 511, Brave & the Bold 183

Batman 344 coverBatman #344 – “Monster My Sweet” – Gerry Conway/Gene Colan/Klaus Janson

This one starts with Batman returning to his penthouse at the Wayne Building, where Alfred is waiting to ask him about Arthur Reeves’ big announcement. Reeves (who’s running for mayor) has been harping about Batman being a criminal and wanting to shut down his vigilante activities; he just announced that he knows Batman’s secret identity and will reveal it at a press conference that night. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 344, Detective 511, Brave & the Bold 183”

Comics Reviews: Flash 305, Wonder Woman 287, Green Lantern 148, Jonah Hex 56

Flash 305 coverFlash #305 – “Don’t Take My Wife—Please” – Cary Bates/Carmine Infantino/Bob Smith

This one starts in Keystone City on Earth-2, where we see Joan Garrick (wife of Jay Garrick, Earth-2’s Flash) asleep at home while Jay is out on patrol. A lightning bolt of some kind zaps her away and she ends up in some rocky hellscape, making her way along a precarious ledge. Something falls from above and she slips trying to avoid it, falling off the cliff … which is when Barry Allen (aka the Flash of Earth-1) wakes up. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 305, Wonder Woman 287, Green Lantern 148, Jonah Hex 56”

Comics Reviews: JLA 198, Legion of Super-Heroes 283, New Teen Titans 15, All-Star Squadron 5

JLA 198 coverJustice League of America #198 – “Once Upon a Time in the Wild, Wild West” – Gerry Conway/Don Heck/Brett Breeding

This one starts out in the Old West, with bounty hunter Jonah Hex tracking someone across a stretch of desert. (No, I didn’t get my reviews mixed up, this is a JLA comic.) Hex notices some vultures circling not far away and thinks it might be the fugitive he’s looking for … or someone in trouble. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 198, Legion of Super-Heroes 283, New Teen Titans 15, All-Star Squadron 5”