Comics Reviews: Flash 279, Wonder Woman 261, Green Lantern 122

Flash 279 coverFlash #279 – “Death-Feast” – Cary Bates/Alex Saviuk/Frank Chiaramonte

You’ll remember last issue ended on a big cliffhanger, with crazed convict (and number one suspect in the murder of Iris Allen) Clive Yorkin ambushing the Flash and using a weird new power to drain Flash’s life-force. Yorkin used it earlier on some innocent bystanders and on Heat Wave, which left them looking old and ravaged. Flash tries to fight Yorkin, but can’t vibrate out of his grasp because can somehow match his vibrations. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Flash 279, Wonder Woman 261, Green Lantern 122”

Comics Reviews: JLA 172, Superboy & the Legion 257, Jonah Hex 30

JLA 172 coverJustice League of America #172 – “I Accuse!” – Gerry Conway/Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

You’ll remember last issue Mr. Terrific was killed during the annual JLA/JSA reunion on the Satellite. At first, it looked like an accident—an explosion blew out a wall on the Satellite—but it was determined Mr.Terrific was strangled and the explosion was meant to cover up his murder. Since nobody entered or left, and no one is hiding aboard the Satellite, it looks like one of the superheroes is the killer. Superman comes to that conclusion quickly and asks the two Green Lanterns and Dr. Fate to seal off the Satellite until they figure out who the murderer is. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 172, Superboy & the Legion 257, Jonah Hex 30”

Comics Reviews: Superman 341, Action 501, DC Comics Presents 15

Superman 341 coverSuperman #341 – “The Man Who Could Cause Catastrophe” – Len Wein/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts with an earthquake opening a huge fault in downtown Metropolis. Superman shows up to rescue the people who fell in, then closes the fault in a very Silver Age way: he fashions a huge needle and thread out of broken lamp posts and telephone cables and sews the fault back together, sealing it with his heat vision. I can’t even begin to analyze all the reasons that wouldn’t work. Superman can’t figure out what caused the fault in the first place, since Metropolis is built on solid bedrock, but we see the man who engineered the whole mess … Major Disaster. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 341, Action 501, DC Comics Presents 15”

Comics Reviews: Batman 317, Brave & the Bold 156, Warlord 27

Batman 317 coverBatman #317 – “The 1001 Clue Caper” – Len Wein/Irv Novick/Frank McLaughlin

This one starts with a cop giving Batman a package at the police station. It’s a book of 1001 Riddles, which tells Batman the Riddler is back to his old tricks. Robin (who’s still helping Batman during his break from university) wonders how they can figure out which riddle in the book is the one Riddler will plan his crimes around. Batman says there’s no point trying to guess; they just have to wait for Riddler to make a move … which doesn’t take long. Riddler steals a truck full of chickens (!) not long after, which hardly helps since there are plenty of riddles about chickens. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 317, Brave & the Bold 156, Warlord 27”