Reviews, ruminations, and (occasional) ramblings.
Superman #310 – “The Man With the Kryptonite Heart” – (Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Tex Blaisdell)
This one starts with agents of SKULL breaking into STAR Labs (so many acronyms) and stealing radioactive material. Superman shows up and slaps them around, but one of the SKULL guys is accidentally caught under some falling debris. After Supes leaves, we see Albert Michaels, STAR Labs scientist, cooperating with another SKULL agent. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 310, Action 470, Warlord 6”
Batman #286 – “The Joker’s Playground of Peril” – (Denny O’Neil/Irv Novick/Bob Wiacek)
This one starts with Joker escaping Arkham Asylum (again!). He kills his psychiatrist by shrinking him (get it? Shrinking the shrink? Yeah, I didn’t think it was funny either, but then I’m not a homicidal maniac like the Joker). The dead shrink leaves a clue, so Batman (with Robin tagging along) goes to an amusement park where there’s a big costume party for charity. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 286, Brave & the Bold 133”
Flash #247 – “The Mad Mad Earth of Abra-Kadabra” – (Cary Bates/Irv Novick/Frank McLaughlin)
We start out with Flash in a 64th century prison for “killing” Abra-Kadabra last issue. Of course, Abra’s not dead, he just used some weird techno-magic bullshit to teleport away just as Flash was attacking. Abra was aiming to send himself to Flash’s own time period, but instead of materializing on Earth-1, he ends up on Earth-2 and is confused to see the Jay Garrick Flash showing off for a crowd. Continue reading “Comics Review: Flash 247, Wonder Woman 229, Jonah Hex 1”
Justice League of America #140 – “No Man Escapes the Manhunter” – (Steve Englehart/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin)
This issue starts the whole Manhunters story, which eventually leads to Millennium and everyone’s brother, wife, or co-worker being a robot. We start with a bang: a Manhunter attacks Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Black Canary at the Wayne Foundation, where GL has asked for a meeting of the JLA. Arrow and Canary are slapped down pretty fast and GL surrenders. Batman then takes on the Manhunter and gets tossed off the roof. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 140, Superboy & the Legion 225, All-Star Comics 65”
Superman #309 – “Blind Hero’s Bluff” – (Gerry Conway/Jose-Luis Garcia Lopez/Frank Springer)
This is the end of the goofy “Krypton never existed” arc. We start with Superman busting up an operation by Sam Simeon’s mob (no, not the guy from Angel and the Ape). This has been an ongoing thing, with a mob war between SKULL and Simeon running for the last few issues. Simeon was planning a strike against SKULL and Supes took them out before they could execute it. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 309, Action 469”
Batman #285 – “The Mystery of Christmas Lost” – (David V. Reed/Romeo Tanghal/Frank Springer)
This is another Dr. Tzin-Tzin story, so you know what that means: more mystical crap. After busting out of prison using ants, Tzin-Tzin uses some kind of elixir to make everyone in Gotham into a dimwit … except Batman; he’s spared so Tzin-Tzin can gloat. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 285, Detective 468”
Wonder Woman #228 – “Retreat to Tomorrow” – (Martin Pasko/Jose Delbo/Vince Colletta)
The story starts with Wonder Woman flying around in her invisible plane, when a weird rocket ship comes through a “hole” in the air and almost collides with a jet. WW saves the jet and finds out the rocket is occupied by a Nazi called Red Panzer. He seems familiar with her, but is surprised to find her in 1976. As they fight, a grapple ray pulls them and the rocket back through the hole in the air. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 228, Green Lantern 93, Warlord 5”
This issue of JLA contains two stories (this was in the “52-page” era), including Englehart’s first JLA story. So let’s get to it!
Justice League of America #139 – “The Cosmic Conspiracy Against Adam Strange” – (Cary Bates/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin)
This issue has two stories, which I’ll deal with one at a time. The first is a continuation of last ish. We see Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and Black Canary on the JLA Satellite searching for their teammates (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman). Continue reading “Comics Review: JLA 139, Superboy & the Legion 224”
Superman #308 – “This Planet is Mine” – (Gerry Conway/Jose-Luis Garcia Lopez/Frank Springer)
We start where we left off last time, with Superman whining about being an Earth-born mutant instead of a Kryptonian, and Supergirl telling him to grow up and accept it. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 308, Action 468”
Batman #284 – “If There Were No Batman…I Would Have to Invent Him” – (David V. Reed/Romeo Tanghal/Frank Springer)
This is a weird one, folks, so hang on to your chakras. We start with someone describing how he switched the Sphinx at Gizeh for an exact copy, dumping the old one into the Mediterranean sea. Supposedly, this gave rise to “another fable of Atlantis”, but in the DC universe, Atlantis was real, so I don’t know why he said that. Who is “he”, you ask? It’s everybody’s favourite mystic weirdo, Dr. Tzin-Tzin. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 284, Brave and the Bold 132”