Category: Comics Reviews

Comics Reviews: Superman 348, Action 508, DC Comics Presents 22

Superman 348 coverSuperman #348 – “The Master of Wind and Storm” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts in the Arizona desert, where a couple of developers are preparing to build a retirement community. They’ve hired a Native American “rainmaker” to bring water to the desert (and as a publicity gimmick), but they’re shocked when his ritual summons a weird-looking cloud creature and the skies open up and pour rain down on the parched land. A couple weeks later in Metropolis, Superman saves an oil refinery from blowing up (and manages to do so without wasting any of the oil). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 348, Action 508, DC Comics Presents 22”

Comics Reviews: Batman 324, Detective 491, Brave & the Bold 163, Warlord 34

Batman 324 coverBatman #324 – “The Cat Who Would Be King” – Len Wein/Irv Novick/Bob Smith

Last issue, we found out Catwoman is dying of some rare disease (which she hasn’t told her boyfriend Bruce Wayne, though he suspects) and she was suspected of stealing some ancient medicinal herbs from an Egyptian exhibit at the museum. Catwoman and Batman tracked the theft to an abandoned warehouse, where they were captured in a polymer spider web coated with super-strong adhesive. Their captor (and the real thief) turned out to be Cat-Man. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 324, Detective 491, Brave & the Bold 163, Warlord 34”

Comics Reviews: Flash 285, Wonder Woman 267, Green Lantern 128

Flash 285 coverFlash #285 – “If at First You Don’t Succeed …” – Cary Bates/Don Heck/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with Flash returning to Central City after a leisurely morning jog around the equator (show off!) Flash is enveloped in a cloud and starts laughing like a maniac. Turns out Trickster is planning a crime and decided to get Flash out of the way. Trickster’s gas is a mixture of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), helium, and a few other things; it not only makes Flash laugh uncontrollably, it causes him to float up off the ground where he can’t use his speed. He’s laughing too hard to concentrate on saving himself, but figures he can use that to his advantage. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 285, Wonder Woman 267, Green Lantern 128”

Comics Reviews: JLA 178, Legion of Super-Heroes 263, Jonah Hex 36

JLA 178 coverJustice League of America #178 – “The Chess-Master of Mars” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

Despite the title, this isn’t an Edgar Rice Burroughs pastiche, Last issue, the JLA were menaced by stylized chess pieces come to life and we found out (although they still haven’t) that it was all caused by Despero playing a cosmic chess match against ex-JLA member Martian Manhunter … except Despero is playing the JLA, so Martian Manhunter has to do his best to destroy his friends. This issue opens with the League gathering for an emergency meeting on the Satellite. Zatanna has figured out the chess angle, but doesn’t know who’s behind it. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 178, Legion of Super-Heroes 263, Jonah Hex 36”

Comics Reviews: Superman 347, Action 507, DC Comics Presents 21

Superman 347 coverSuperman #347 – “The Sleeper Out of Time” – Gerry Conway/Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

This one starts with the set-up for the rest of the story. A funky-looking green alien is in suspended animation on a starship. He’s delivering a peace message (in what looks like a Cosmic Cube) to a rival star system, when his ship is hit by a comet and goes off course … landing on Earth. Meanwhile, Superman is out on a date with Lois, who seems to have set her sights on rekindling their romance. She’s acting kind of goofy, like a teenage girl with a crush instead of her usual self, but Superman notes that she seems to be enjoying the change … and so is he. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 347, Action 507, DC Comics Presents 21”

Comics Reviews: Batman 323, Detective 490, Brave & the Bold 162, Warlord 33

Batman 323 coverBatman #323 – “Shadow of the Cat” – Len Wein/Irv Novick/Bob Smith

Last issue Selina (Catwoman) Kyle found out she was dying of some nameless but deadly disease. Her doctor mentioned that the Ancient Egyptians might have found a cure, so Selina was very interested in an Egyptian exhibit that contained jars full of ancient healing herbs that hadn’t been opened for thousands of years. Later, that exhibit was robbed and the guard was scratched by a familiar-looking figure. Following the clues to their logical conclusion, Batman shows up at Selina’s place to arrest her. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 323, Detective 490, Brave & the Bold 162, Warlord 33”

Comics Reviews: Flash 284, Wonder Woman 266, Green Lantern 127

Flash 284 coverFlash #284 – “Run Flash … Run for Your Life” – Cary Bates/Don Heck/Frank Chiaramonte

You’ll remember last issue Flash found out that Professor Zoom was the one who killed his wife, Iris. Flash caught Zoom and was returning him to face punishment in Zoom’s home era of the 25th Century. But Zoom’s time ship was booby-trapped to zip backward to before the beginning of time in the universe. Zoom assumed that he and Flash would perish there together, since the ship was moving too fast to bail out. But Flash decided to take his chances and jumped out into the timestream, leaving Zoom to his fate. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 284, Wonder Woman 266, Green Lantern 127”

Comics Reviews: JLA 177, Legion of Super-Heroes 262, Jonah Hex 35

JLA 177 coverJustice League of America #177 – “Graveyard Gambit” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

This one starts in the middle of the ocean with Aquaman pounding some Russians who are illegally killing whales. Aquaman gives them a lecture on how surface-dwellers rape and pollute the oceans, and takes out some of his anger by having the whales capsize the ship. Aquaman tells some dolphins to save the whalers from drowning, but suddenly the sailors start glowing and turn into weird gold-colored statues of stylized soldiers. The dolphins freak out and take off, leaving Aquaman to ponder in the sailors were turned into statues, or if they were statues masquerading as sailors to begin with. He also wonders why the statues’ design looks so familiar. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 177, Legion of Super-Heroes 262, Jonah Hex 35”

Comics Reviews: Superman 346, Action 506, DC Comics Presents 20

Superman 346 coverSuperman #346 – “Superman’s Streak of Bad Luck” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

You can guess the theme of this story by the title, and Superman’s bad luck starts on the first page. It’s winter and the streets are icy as hell, which means traffic accidents. This one happens to involve Lois Lane skidding out of control toward a delivery truck. Superman scoops up some sand from a nearby construction site and dumps it on the street, giving Lois enough traction to slow down. But the truck driver freaks out for some reason and bails out of his vehicle, leaving it to plow straight toward Lois. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 346, Action 506, DC Comics Presents 20”

Comics Reviews: Batman 322, Detective 489, Brave & the Bold 161, Warlord 32

Batman 322 coverBatman #322 – “Chaos—Coming and Going” – Len Wein/Irv Novick/Vince Colletta

This one starts with Selina Kyle looking through a scrapbook of her exploits as Catwoman and feeling a bit wistful at leaving that life behind. Elsewhere, a newspaper van delivering bundles of the Gotham Guardian is assaulted (and sliced in half!) by Captain Boomerang. He’s pissed off at the Guardian’s owner, who he says owes him a million bucks and has 24 hours to pay up. Batman shows up to tackle Boomerang, but the villain uses the old “endanger-the-innocents” ploy to distract Batman long enough to escape. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 322, Detective 489, Brave & the Bold 161, Warlord 32”