Category: Comics Reviews

Comics Reviews: JLA 144, Superboy & the Legion 229, All-Star Comics 67

JLA 144 coverJustice League of America #144 – “The Origin of the Justice League—Minus One!” – Steve Englehart/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

This is a retelling of the JLA’s origin. Of course, the JLA’s origin has been retold and rebooted a million times since, but back in 1977, this was kind of a big deal. I’m not sure how well this fits with later JLA origin stories, especially JLA: Year One. A bunch of heroes team up with the JLA in issues 11 and 12 of that maxi-series, but it’s obviously not the same story. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 144, Superboy & the Legion 229, All-Star Comics 67”

Comics Reviews: Superman 313, Action 473, Black Lightning 3

Superman 313 coverSuperman #313 – “The Only Way You’ll Save the Earth … Is Over My Dead Body!” –  Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This one continues from last issue with a recap of what’s been going on; the journalists’ conference, the mysterious epidemic, Superman fighting Nam-Ek, and he and Supergirl confronting Amalak on his spaceship. Amalak gloats to a chained Supergirl that Superman taking Nam-Ek to Earth to cure the plague won’t work because it’s spread too much. Amalak figures Superman will be so distraught at not being able to save all the people that he’ll fall apart emotionally. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 313, Action 473, Black Lightning 3”

Comics Review: Batman 289, Brave and Bold 135

Batman 289 coverBatman #289 – “Sign of the Skull” – David V. Reed/Mike Grell/Vince Colletta

This issue starts with the villain narrating the story. He tells us his name is Cosmo Dugger aka Skull Dugger, and he has anhedonia, which means he’s incapable of feeling joy. He recounts how he was attending a baseball game and used an invention to steal the joy from the batter who hit a home run. Unfortunately, that killed the player, which seems to have come as a surprise to Skull Dugger. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 289, Brave and Bold 135”

Comics Reviews: Flash 250, Wonder Woman 232, Green Lantern 95

Flash 250 coverFlash #250 – “One Freeze-Dried Flash—Coming Right Up!” –  Cary Bates/Irv Novick/Vince Colletta

This issue introduces Golden Glider, Captain Cold’s sister. She’s got some hate for the Flash … why? Let’s read on and see. We start with Flash running along a street at super speed (as he does), but he runs through some letters frozen in mid-air. Of course, that means he’s about to mix it up with Captain Cold. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 250, Wonder Woman 232, Green Lantern 95”

Comics Reviews: JLA 143, Superboy & the Legion 228

JLA 143 coverJustice League of America #143 – “A Tale of Two Satellites” – Steve Englehart/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

Going by the cover (and the splash page) this could almost be a Marvel comic, since it depicts Superman and Wonder Woman slugging it out. But this is all DC, though Steve Englehart had left Marvel not long before, so maybe there was some influence there. This issue addresses the tension that’s been brewing between Wonder Woman and the rest of the JLA for the past few issues. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 143, Superboy & the Legion 228”

Comics Reviews: Superman 312, Action 472, Warlord 7

Superman 312 coverSuperman #312 – “Today the City…Tomorrow the World!” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Springer

This issue continues the story from last issue about the mysterious illness at the World News Conference in Central City. We get a WGBS report recapping the outbreak and Morgan Edge freaking out because a bunch of his top people (Clark, Lois, Steve Lombard) are at the conference and he doesn’t even know if they’re still alive. Superman flies in a bunch of supplies and builds a treatment center for the patients right beside the hotel. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 312, Action 472, Warlord 7”

Comics Review: Batman 288, Detective 470

Batman 288 coverBatman # 288 – “The Little Men’s Hall of Fame” – David V. Reed/Mike Grell/Bob Wiacek

This is a continuation of the Penguin story from last issue where he was committing crimes based on the “short men of history”. The first thing we see is a bunch of guys robbing a building. They take out the guards with perfect precision and when Batman shows up, they take him out too. Of course, it’s not the real Batman, and this wasn’t a real robbery; it’s just a dress rehearsal that Penguin’s putting his men through for the real robbery. He expects Batman to have solved his “short men in history” clues, so he’s trying to prepare his men for the inevitable showdown. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 288, Detective 470”

Comics Review: Flash 249, Wonder Woman 231, Jonah Hex 2

Flash 249 coverFlash #249 – “A Hero Named Super!” – Cary Bates/Irv Novick/Frank McLaughlin

This one concludes the Master Villain story from last issue, when some punk kid drew a cartoon villain that was then brought to life by a curious alien and slapped Flash around. You know, the usual. This issue starts with Barry talking in his sleep about his high school girlfriend, Daphne Dean (who we met last issue and who has some kind of sinister secret). Iris listens to Barry talking about he and Daphne messing around (and kinda gets into it), but before he can get to the good part, the phone rings. Continue reading “Comics Review: Flash 249, Wonder Woman 231, Jonah Hex 2”

Comics Review: JLA 142, Superboy & the Legion 227, All-Star Comics 66

JLA 142 coverJustice League of America #142 – “Return From Forever” – Steve Englehart/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

This issue basically solves the mystery of why Aquaman, Elongated Man, and Atom didn’t respond to the JLA emergency signal for the last couple of issues. Apparently, they’ve been hanging out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, taking a break from the superhero thing. Atom’s having some kind of existential crisis, complaining that his powers are pretty much useless. Maybe he should move to South America and be a swashbuckler … nah, too crazy. Ralph and Aquaman try to cheer him up, but they’re interrupted by a couple of spaceships shooting at each other. Continue reading “Comics Review: JLA 142, Superboy & the Legion 227, All-Star Comics 66”

Comics Review: Superman 311, Action 471, Black Lightning 2

Superman 311 coverSuperman #311 – “Plague of the Antibiotic Man” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Springer

This one starts with my least favourite trope, the old “let’s start the story in the middle then do an extended flashback to catch people up” trick. So we start with a freaky-looking horned dude beating the shit out of Superman and Flash. From the dialogue, we learn that the one-horned purple people eater is named Nam-Ek, he’s from Krypton, and Supes thinks he’s responsible for a plague that’s been ravaging Central City (though Nam-Ek denies it). Flash gets punched right into orbit and then the flashbacks begin. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 311, Action 471, Black Lightning 2”