Category: Comics Reviews

Comics Reviews: JLA 154, Superboy & the Legion 239, All-Star Comics 72

 

JLA 154 coverJustice League of America #154 – “I’ll Kill You in Your Dreams” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

This issue starts with a skull-faced bad guy melting wax figurines of some JLA members and gloating about how he’s soon going to get revenge on them for real. He’s not identified, but the fact that he has history with the League, and his constant references to “destiny”, means we can make a pretty good guess as to who he is. We see he’s in a faux castle that sits on top of a huge building, which is located on an island in a river. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 154, Superboy & the Legion 239, All-Star Comics 72”

Comics Reviews: Superman 323, Action 483

Superman 323 coverSuperman #323 – “The Man With the Self-Destruct Mind” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This one starts with some drama (or melodrama, as the case may be); we see a weirdo named Atomic Skull freaking out and using his powerful eye-beams to demolish a statue of Superman. Seems Atomic Skull is dying (painfully) and the only people who might have cured him were thrown in jail by the Man of Steel. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 323, Action 483”

Comics Review: Batman 299, Detective 477, Brave & the Bold 141

Batman 299 coverBatman #299 – “The Island of Purple Mist” – David V. Reed/John Calnan/Dick Giordano

When we last saw Batman, he’d been looking for someone who was leaving clues around Gotham to expose Batman’s secret identity. He tracked the clues to a penthouse in downtown Gotham and was greeted by a bright light and a mysterious figure. The figure turns out to be local Millionaire Baxter Baines (in a weird-looking dude in a purple cape) and warns Batman that if he steps out of the circle of light he’s standing in, he’ll die. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 299, Detective 477, Brave & the Bold 141”

Comics Reviews: Flash 260, Wonder Woman 242, Green Lantern 103, Firestorm 2

Flash 260 coverFlash #260 – “The 1000 Year-Old Root” – Cary Bates/Irv Novick/Joe Giella

This one’s a bit strange, so bear with me. It hinges on the premise (first revealed in Flash #203) that Iris West (Barry’s wife) was sent from the future as a baby because her parents thought the world was on the brink of nuclear war. The baby appeared in the backyard of Ira West and his wife and they decided to raise Iris as their own. Iris and Barry eventually found out the truth and actually visited her real parents in the future. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 260, Wonder Woman 242, Green Lantern 103, Firestorm 2”

Comics Reviews: JLA 153, Superboy & the Legion 238, Black Lightning 8

JLA 153 coverJustice League of America #153 – “Earth’s First and Last Super-Hero” – Gerry Conway/George Tuska/Frank McLaughlin

This issue starts with Green Arrow complaining. I know, what a shock, right? It’s about the JLA not doing enough to help the common people—nothing we haven’t heard from him before. He also manages to insult Red Tornado, but before anything can come of it, Arrow starts vibrating. Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern all begin vibrating and suddenly disappear, despite Wonder Woman trying to snag them with her lasso. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 153, Superboy & the Legion 238, Black Lightning 8”

Comics Reviews: Superman 322, Action 482, Jonah Hex 11

Superman 322 coverSuperman #322 – “Laser War Over Metropolis” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

A quick recap: Parasite used a crystal to make Superman’s powers increase out of control which also made Superman act like kind of a dick. Parasite stole the knowledge of how to operate the top secret Laser Defense System and is threatening to obliterate Metropolis if he doesn’t get a billion dollars. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 322, Action 482, Jonah Hex 11”

Comics Reviews: Batman 298, Warlord 12

Batman 298 coverBatman #298 – “The Case of the Crimson Coffin” – David V. Reed/John Calnan/Dick Giordano

This one starts with Batman noticing a boat sneaking through the fog, turning its lights off briefly, then sneaking back out again. He concludes they must’ve made a drop off and goes to check it out. A trail leads to a dilapidated mansion where Batman finds a secret door behind the staircase. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 298, Warlord 12”

Comics Reviews: Flash 259, Wonder Woman 241, Green Lantern 102, Firestorm 1

Flash 259 coverFlash #259 – “Black Hand—the Kill-Proof Criminal” – Cary Bates/Irv Novick/Joe Giella

This one starts with Black Hand doing his annoying “narration” schtick again. It’s even more obnoxious than usual; not only is he breaking the fourth wall, he has home movies too. He recaps last issue, when he stole the aura that protects Flash from burning up at super speed and Flash promptly—well, burned up, leaving nothing behind but his boots. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 259, Wonder Woman 241, Green Lantern 102, Firestorm 1”

Comics Reviews: JLA 152, Superboy & the Legion 237, All-Star Comics 71

JLA 152 coverJustice League of America #152 – “2000 Light Years to Christmas” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

This issue is a bit strange; it’s supposed to be a Christmas allegory, an updating of the Star of Bethlehem/Three Wise Men story. But it’s a bit heavy-handed and I’m not exactly sure what point Gerry Conway was trying to make. Anyway, it starts with three weird-looking aliens zipping through space. They run into some kind of space warp and crash land on Earth, losing the three “gifts” they’re carrying. One lands in Georgia, one in the Middle East, and one in Canada. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 152, Superboy & the Legion 237, All-Star Comics 71”

Comics Reviews: Superman 321, Action 481, Black Lightning 7, Jonah Hex 10

Superman 321 coverSuperman #321 – “Too Strong to Survive” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts right where last issue ended, with Superman about to be detained by the Army for illegally entering a top secret facility. We get a recap to bring us up to speed: the Army told Superman a lighthouse would be attacked by foreign spies in a mechanical octopus at a certain time; he was a bit late, thanks to a fight with Solomon Grundy, but when he showed up his powers were running out of control (thanks to the Parasite, but Superman doesn’t know that) and he smashed the mechanical octopus to pieces. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 321, Action 481, Black Lightning 7, Jonah Hex 10”