Tag: January 1980

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”

Comics Reviews: Batman 319, Brave & the Bold 158, Warlord 29

Batman 319 coverBatman #319 – “Never Give Up the Ghost” – Len Wein/Irv Novick/Bob Smith

This one starts with Gentleman Ghost and a couple of henchmen stealing industrial diamonds from a factory. Naturally, Batman shows up to pound them and does pretty well until Gentleman Ghost uses a hoist hook to snag Batman’s cape, holding him helpless above the floor. Ghost and his thugs take off, but Batman manages to snag the satchel full of diamonds with his Batarang and invites Ghost to try and retrieve it. Ghost isn’t stupid enough to approach Batman (who has almost freed himself from the hook), but vows he’ll get the diamonds sooner or later. By the time Batman does get free, Ghost is long gone. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 319, Brave & the Bold 158, Warlord 29”