Category: Comics Reviews

Comics Reviews: Superman 338, Action 498, DC Comics Presents 12

Superman 338 coverSuperman #338 – “Let My People Grow” – Len Wein/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with Superman at the heart of an exploding supernova. No, he’s not on vacation, he’s collecting energy from the supernova that he hopes will help enlarge the bottle city of Kandor. The energy from the exploding star is so great Superman has to wear a special space-suit, and even then he’s almost overwhelmed. His collecting device melts, but he figures he’s got enough supernova energy, so he heads back to Earth. But being at the heart of the supernova sapped his strength and he passes out, plummeting down toward the ground. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 338, Action 498, DC Comics Presents 12”

Comics Reviews: Batman 314, Detective 485, Brave & the Bold 153, Warlord 24

Batman 314 coverBatman #314 – “Once Beaten, Twice Sly” – Len Wein/Irv Novick/Frank McLaughlin

This one opens with Batman in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. An informant has told him that Two-Face took the stolen nuclear codes to New Orleans, so Batman has come looking for him. Batman wants to get the stolen nuke codes  back, but he also wants to prevent King Faraday from killing Two-Face. Batman rousts a local pickpocket, who gives him Two-Face’s hiding place. Minutes after Batman leaves, King Faraday threatens to blow the punk away if he doesn’t cough up the info again. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 314, Detective 485, Brave & the Bold 153, Warlord 24”

Comics Reviews: Flash 275, Wonder Woman 257, Green Lantern 118

Flash 275 coverFlash #275 – “The Last Dance” – Cary Bates/Alex Saviuk/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts where things left off last issue: Flash is being compelled to speed across town against his will by a teenage girl who’s obsessed with him and has somehow found a way to control his actions. And Iris is at home wondering if her marriage is on the rocks, as crazy man Clive Yorkin peeks through the window. Yorkin was the subject of an experiment to remove his criminal tendencies, but it ended up driving him crazy and he now seems to be fixated on Barry Allen for some reason, even though Barry had very little to do with the experiment and was the one who got it shut down in the end. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 275, Wonder Woman 257, Green Lantern 118”

Comics Reviews: JLA 168, Superboy & the Legion 253, Jonah Hex 26

JLA 168 coverJustice League of America #168 – “The Last Great Switcheroo” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

This one starts soon after last issue left off, with Green Lantern imprisoning four members of the Secret Society of Super-Villains in a diamond cell. But you may remember, these people aren’t really the SSSV, they’re Superman, Green Lantern, Batman, and Wonder Woman in the bodies of Wizard, Reverse Flash, Blockbuster, and Floronic Man, respectively. The villains are currently inhabiting the heroes’ bodies and they’re eager to dispose of the real superheroes before their fellow JLAers can figure out they’ve been switched. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 168, Superboy & the Legion 253, Jonah Hex 26”

Comics Reviews: Superman 337, Action 497, DC Comics Presents 11

Superman 337 coverSuperman #337 – “Too Many Crooks” – Len Wein/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with some people watching Superman fly by; not an unusual occurrence in Metropolis, but this time Superman is on fire. It turns out he just came from putting out an oil-rig fire and was covered in oil, so he used the friction from his flight to burn it off. He goes to the Daily Planet, where he changes to Clark Kent and runs into Jimmy and Lois, who tell him Morgan Edge expects them all in a meeting to discuss the falling circulation of the newspaper. Before they make it to the meeting, they hear a ruckus outside and see Terra-Man attacking a plane. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 337, Action 497, DC Comics Presents 11”

Comics Reviews: Batman 313, Brave & the Bold 152, Warlord 23

Batman 313 coverBatman #313 – “Two for the Money” – Len Wein/Irv Novick/Frank McLaughlin

This one starts with a guy making an anonymous call to the police to report the theft of some nuclear codes (which we saw last issue). The tipster turns out to be the hacker who stole the codes, but before he can tell the cops where he hid them, his boss shows up to chastise him. Since his boss is Two-Face, that’s gonna be some heavy chastising. The hacker says he was worried about Two-Face’s idea of selling the codes to a foreign country. Two-Face says he wasn’t planning on committing treason, he was going to work out some kind of a double-cross. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 313, Brave & the Bold 152, Warlord 23”

Comics Reviews: Flash 274, Wonder Woman 256, Green Lantern 117

Flash 274 coverFlash #274 – “The Mark of the Beast” – Cary Bates/Alex Saviuk/Frank Chiaramonte

You may remember last issue Flash stopped a prison riot that was touched off by the prisoners’ opposition to the Nephron Procedure, an experimental treatment to remove criminal impulses by stimulating the brain. Flash found a whacked-out Clive Yorkin, the only prisoner to volunteer for the Process, in a chair that’s wired to deliver either pleasure or pain to a person’s brain. Turns out Yorkin isn’t strapped in—he sat in the chair voluntarily and he’s been pushing the “pain” button over and over, delivering pure agony to his own nervous system. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 274, Wonder Woman 256, Green Lantern 117”

Comics Reviews: JLA 167, Superboy & the Legion 252, Jonah Hex 25

JLA 167 coverJustice League of America #167 – “The League That Defeated Itself” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

This one starts rather dramatically, with Superman punching out Green Lantern on the JLA Satellite. But if you remember the end of last issue, you know these aren’t the real Supes and GL; the real heroes had their minds switched into the bodies of the Secret Society of Super Villains, and vice versa. So this is actually the Wizard decking Professor Zoom. Zoom tries to use GL’s ring against Wizard, but Wizard uses Superman’s strength to shatter the green energy. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 167, Superboy & the Legion 252, Jonah Hex 25”

Comics Reviews: Superman 336, Action 496, DC Comics Presents 10

Superman 336 coverSuperman #336 – “A Rose By Any other Name” – Len Wein/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with some guys robbing a jewelry store. They’re jumped by the vigilante known as Thorn, who kicks the crap out of them and leaves when the cops show up. Thorn heads home and changes back to her alter ego, Rose Forrest. But unlike most costumed crimefighters, Rose and Thorn aren’t aware of their alter egos because they have a split personality. So when Rose wakes up the next morning, she’s weirded out from the “dream” she had of being Thorn and beating the shit out of the crooks. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 336, Action 496, DC Comics Presents 10”

Comics Reviews: Batman 312, Detective 484, Brave & the Bold 151, Warlord 22

Batman 312 coverBatman #312 – “A Caper a Day Keeps the Batman at Bay” – Len Wein/Walt Simonson/Dick Giordano

This one starts in the middle of the action, with Calendar Man robbing the Metropolitan Museum. It doesn’t really look like Calendar Man because he’s dressed as Odin; why is he dressed as Odin? Because it’s Wednesday and Wednesday is named after Woden, who was also known as Odin. Calendar Man has gone all out in his dress-up, even riding an eight-wheeled motorbike in reference to Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. Batman swoops in on his whirly-bat and goes after Calendar Man, who tries to flee into a tunnel. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 312, Detective 484, Brave & the Bold 151, Warlord 22”