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”

Comics Review: Batman 287, Detective 469, Brave & the Bold 134

Batman 287 coverBatman #287 – “Batman-ex—as in Extinct” – David V. Reed/Mike Grell/Bob Wiacek

This one starts with Bruce Wayne at a gala for the Société Française. He’s not really a francophile, he just wants to jump the press director, Renée. A guy named Chester Cole is shadowing Bruce for a magazine profile (and it kinda sounds like he wants to be there when Bruce bangs Renée), but Bruce ditches him. Outside, he finds some thugs in the bushes and pounds them, but their detonator goes off anyway and a robotic pterosaur bursts out of the Napoleon statue inside. Continue reading “Comics Review: Batman 287, Detective 469, Brave & the Bold 134”