Category: Comics Reviews

Comics Reviews: JLA 176, Legion of Super-Heroes 261, Jonah Hex 34

JLA 176 coverJustice League of America #176 – “The Dream Factories of Doctor Destiny” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

Last issue, Dr. Destiny built a new version of his Materioptikon which could bring people’s nightmares to life. The JLA destroyed his infernal machine and are now tracking him to his hideout by homing in on Destiny’s twisted psyche courtesy of Green Lanterns ring. They trace him to an abandoned film studio and bust in, only to face more manifestations of their own darkest fears. Superman and Wonder Woman decide to bypass the usual brawl and head into the main building to look for Destiny, only to find Zatanna has beaten them to it. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 176, Legion of Super-Heroes 261, Jonah Hex 34”

Comics Reviews: Superman 345, Action 505, DC Comics Presents 19

Superman 345 coverSuperman #345 – “When Time Ran Backward” – Gerry Conway/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with Superman stopping an experimental satellite from crashing into metropolis. The satellite is called NEWS-1, which you’d think would indicate a news satellite, but it actually stands for National Environmental Weather Satellite; it’s not a weather monitoring satellite, it’s meant to be for weather control … built by STAR Labs, of course. But something went wrong, prompting Superman’s intervention. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 345, Action 505, DC Comics Presents 19”

Comics Reviews: Batman 321, Brave & the Bold 160, Warlord 31

Batman 321 coverBatman #321 – “Dreadful Birthday Dear Joker” – Len Wein/Walt Simonson/Dick Giordano

This one starts with Commissioner Gordon at the police station, opening an invitation to a party thrown by the Joker. Naturally, Gordon dismisses it as one of Joker’s stupid pranks, but he’s forced to take it seriously when all the cops in the building start laughing uncontrollably. Batman shows up in response to a call from Gordon and sees the Jokermobile outside the station. The roars of laughter from inside warn Batman the place is filled with laughing gas, so he dons a rebreather device for protection and busts in. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 321, Brave & the Bold 160, Warlord 31”

Comics Reviews: Flash 282, Wonder Woman 264, Green Lantern 125

Flash 282 coverFlash #282 – “Mishmash” – Cary Bates/Don Heck/Frank Chiaramonte

Last issue Professor Zoom told Flash he knew who had really killed his wife, Iris. Before Flash could inquire further, Zoom attached a pair of density boots to Flash’s feet, causing him to sink into the ground toward Earth’s molten core. Flash uses his super-speed aura to protect himself from the heat (and to keep a sheath of oxygen around himself), but the boots are too dense to vibrate out of. As he gets deeper underground, the heat finally melts the boots enough for Flash to vibrate free, but he’s immediately swept into a flow of molten magma. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 282, Wonder Woman 264, Green Lantern 125”

Comics Reviews: JLA 175, Legion of Super-Heroes 260, Jonah Hex 33

JLA 175 coverJustice League of America #175 – “But Can An Android Dream” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

As you can tell from the title, this one focuses on Red Tornado. Gerry seemed to like using Reddy to reflect on what it means to be human. The story starts with Red Tornado resigning from the JLA over some mistake he made on a mission. His teammates assure him they don’t care about his screw-up, but he quits anyway and heads down to Earth to “find himself”. He starts by reviving his old John Smith identity and going to see Traya, the orphan girl from the Middle East that Reddy’s sort of adopted. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 175, Legion of Super-Heroes 260, Jonah Hex 33”

Comics Reviews: Superman 344, Action 504, DC Comics Presents 18

Superman 344 coverSuperman #344 – “The Monsters Among Us” – Len Wein, Paul Levitz/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

It was a dark and stormy night … No, this isn’t a novel by Bulwer-Lytton (or Snoopy), but it is rather “gothic” in theme. It starts with Superman blocking a lightning bolt from striking in downtown Metropolis and using his heat vision to evaporate the storm clouds. He rushes to a mansion (Castle Kanlyn) outside the city and changes to Clark Kent. Clark is ushered into the mansion by his host, Ms. MacArdle, to find Lois is waiting for him. They’re there to report on a séance where the participants try to contact the spirit of a dead magician named Roland Randall. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 344, Action 504, DC Comics Presents 18”

Comics Reviews: Batman 320, Detective 488, Brave & the Bold 159, Warlord 30

Batman 320 coverBatman #320 – “The Curse of the Inquisitor” – Denny O’Neil/Irv Novick/Bob Smith

This one starts with a mail carrier delivering some stuff to an office belonging to a guy named Sigerson. The mailman and a cleaning lady both think it’s strange that they’ve never seen the mysterious Mr. Sigerson. We soon find out why; Sigerson is an alias used by Batman, and the office is a mail drop. Batman subscribes to a clipping service that sends him info about crimes all over the world, but he doesn’t want that correspondence addressed to Bruce Wayne. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 320, Detective 488, Brave & the Bold 159, Warlord 30”

Comics Reviews: Flash 281, Wonder Woman 263, Green Lantern 124

Flash 281 coverFlash #281 – “Deadly Games” – Cary Bates/Don Heck/Frank Chiaramonte

You’ll remember last issue Barry finally dealt with Clive Yorkin, the crazed prison escapee who Barry thought responsible for the murder of his beloved wife, Iris, by accidentally burying him in a sinkhole. But at the end of the issue, Barry got a call from his friend, Detective Frank Curtis, who told him he had proof that Yorkin wasn’t the one who killed Iris. Before Frank could elucidate, Barry heard what sounded like a gunshot. This issue opens a moment later, with Barry wondering what’s going on at the other end of the line. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 281, Wonder Woman 263, Green Lantern 124”

Comics Reviews: JLA 174, Legion of Super-Heroes 259, Jonah Hex 32

JLA 174 coverJustice League of America #174 – “A Plague of Monsters” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

Last issue ended with Black Lightning turning down membership in the JLA and a new villain in a weird costume (the Regulator) using an army of controlled rats to attack a STAR Labs facility. This issue starts with Regulator inside STAR, ordering his rats to swarm over a guard. A STAR scientist confronts the villain and we get a self-narrated origin. Regulator used to work at STAR and invented a helmet that allowed him to control vermin, but using the helmet drove him crazy and he was committed to an asylum. Now he’s back for revenge on his colleagues at STAR and everyone else who wronged him, which seems to include most of the city. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 174, Legion of Super-Heroes 259, Jonah Hex 32”

Comics Reviews: Superman 343, Action 503, DC Comics Presents 17

Superman 343 coverSuperman #343 – “The Last Days of Metropolis” – Denny O’Neil/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one’s kinda goofy, but it seems familiar to me. I may have had it as a kid, or maybe it just reminds me of the typical Silver Age weirdness. This one starts in Ancient Rome, specifically in Pompeii, where a sorcerer named Moximus has conjured a vision in his brazier of Superman in the future. Moximus says Superman heralds destruction, then warns his fellow citizens about a more immediate threat … Mount Vesuvius, which is about to spew lava all over their town. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 343, Action 503, DC Comics Presents 17”