I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis! Today, I've looking at the comics released the week of July 14, 1983.
This week sees the publication of Green Arrow/Green Lantern #1, the first issue of a limited series reprinting the seminal run by Adams and O'Neil from 1970. As it's all reprints, I won't review every issue, but I felt like the first issue deserved mention as this would likely be the place a lot of Gen Xers first read these stories.
Flash #326: Bates and Infantino/Martin move things along with the Flash gets booked and arraigned for manslaughter. Flash feels like his life as Barry Allen is over, and in an uncharacteristic display of frustration he trashes Barry's apartment. Meanwhile, the hospital goes psychiatric ward after Fiona claims Barry visited her and that just can't be! This issue really displays the difference between these really law-aligned Silver Age DC heroes and Marvel's more outlaw ones. I can't imagine many Marvel characters turning themselves in this situation (except maybe Captain America), or there really being a context where they would feel safe to do so.
Batman #364: Jason is back with the circus, but he's also playing amateur detective trying to find the Chimera, a thief whose crime spree seems to have trailed the circus' travels (and whose appearance seems inspired by Rondo Hatton's). Batman's also there, watching out for Jason, but Bruce in disguise and the Chimera in disguise confuses Jason's investigation. The Chimera gets the drop on Batman and leaves him at the mercy of lions, while Jason confronts the thief and finds out the villain has been impersonating his friend Waldo the Clown. Newton/Alcala's art works notably well this issue.
Omega Men #7: Silfer and Smith (through the first Citadelian) lay out the secret origin of Vegan civilization and X'Hal, and it's distasteful in the centrality of rape to the story. Beyond that it has a fantasy/parable kind of feel that isn't bad. It reminds me a bit of Starlin's science fantasy works like Metamorphosis Odyssey. Like Tigorr, I don't completely buy the conceit that the First Citadelian, as the serpent in the Okaaran garden isn't the cause of their aggression but merely the revealer of it. And it seems pretty simplistic to blame the Citadels tyrannical rule on the Vegan people merely being flawed. Tod Smith takes over this issue from Giffen as regular artist.
G.I. Combat #258: The first Haunted Tank story continues the weird time travel/fantasy detour, with Jeb turning out to be some sort of "chosen one' for Zeena's people via a prophecy given then by their oracle (who seems suspiciously like the ghost of J.E.B Stuart). He's got to marry Zeena after defeating a rival suitor in axe to axe combat. I assume they'll get back to World War II eventually. The second Haunted Tank tale hammers home the common reframe of this book regarding valuing your equipment. Craig rides a burning tank into a skirmish over an oasis. Easy Company has a cameo.
In the Mercenaries story, the trio is in Negombo, Sri Lanka, and hired by a mysterious guy name Han to secure a shipment of guns for the government against theft by Leftist terrorists. Turns out the rebels are the good guys and the mysterious bald dude who has a poisonous snake wrapped around his arm is the baddie!
Kashdan/Catan serve up one of those "from the equipment's POV" about combat boots in Korea, and the issue is rounded out with one of Kanigher's dueling POV stories set on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Warlord Annual #2: I wrote about this annual in detail here. This issue introduces Krystovar, a Warlord sidekick who I thought was unfortunately under-used.
New Teen Titans #35: This story really irritated me because Wolfman and Perez use a trope I really don't like. Sarah Simms' ex goes crazy, kidnaps her, shoots a guy, then holds some other people at gunpoint. Cyborg finally realizes he's been a jerk by dodging her calls and he, Changeling, and Raven go to the rescue, only because the plot demands it, a single troubled guy with a gun manages to hold them off, initially defeating cyborg with a graze and beating Changeling in a fight. The plot needs time for the guy to do his crazy, so the Titans get nerfed. It's not an uncommon thing in comics, but I feel like this usage is particularly bad.
Saga of the Swamp Thing #17: I have never before read the waning issues of Pasko's run. With Bissette and Totleben on art, and Abbie and Matt Cable reintroduced, it's beginning to look like Moore's run which follows. Swamp Thing and friends just happen to run into Abbie and learn of her marriage to the now-alcoholic Matt Cable. They're occasionally attacked by grotesque monsters in full Bissette style, which seem to appear and disappear, suggesting perhaps they are products of an unwell mind--like one in the grips of delirium. Harry Kay, having wandered off, gets stuck in a bear trap and is retrieved by the occupant of a strange insect-ship-- Anton Arcane. The Sunderland conspiracy story is still limping along, but it sort of feels like something vestigial.
Superman #388: Lois returns to confront Perry and Lana for stealing her story and is finally convinced her anger is misplaced, but not before getting in a fight with Lana that involves Lana shoving her face into a punch bowl! Meanwhile, Superman helps out a young fan with telepathic powers who is captured by (yet another never to be seen again) group of extradimensional aliens looking for a place to send their undesirables. Though the synopsis may not convey it, I think it's a better than average issue in the typical Bates/Swan mold.
Flash #326: Re: Marvel scofflaw heroes, I could see some iterations of the Fantastic Four going to jail, depending mostly on how awful Reed is being at the time - he often clearly thinks he's above the law. She-Hulk's another one who'd likely obey an arrest warrant, especially when actually being a lawyer matters to her. Banner's turned himself in without a fight a few times, although not consistently.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anyone with an actual secret identity that matters to them who'd agree to go to jail if it would expose them, though.
I think Daredevil went to prison in more recent comics.
ReplyDeleteHe did, though I believe that was after he was outed as Matt Murdock.
ReplyDeleteHo-hum week for DC here. Bought the GL/GA, Batman, Titans, Omega Men and Warlord. I had forgotten about the animal headed guys in The Warlord and how relatively silly and childish that seemed in what had been the most 'grown up' comic from DC.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I remember, Omega Men hadn't been that good of a comic when Keith Giffen drew it, and Tod Smith didn't make it better. I dropped it around issue 10.
It's funny to me you viewed beast men as somehow childish but the previous work in Warlord as the pinnacle of maturity for DC. :D!
ReplyDeleteAgreed on Omega Men. It has some good ideas ans mythos. It sounds good if you read about it in Who's Who. But the execution is off somehow.
Dinosaurs living in the center of the Earth, Atlantean super science, werewolves - That stuff could happen!
ReplyDeleteAlso, the post Grell Warlord had sound effects, something that had disappeared from the book pretty early on in the Grell years.
The dinosaurs in an eternally lit inner world, Atlantean super-science, a moon in the eternally sunlit world, werewolves - that stuff could happen!
ReplyDeleteThat said, Warlord was likely one of the most adult comic in the DC line for the last half of the 70’s and early part of the 80’s. I’m not sure what else would come close except maybe Jonah Hex or I… …Vampire. It certainly was aimed at an older audience than say the Superman books.
I haven’t reread them for a long time, but I think Warlord reads as more modern than most with its lack of thought balloons and sound effects for most of the Grell run. I’d think those would make a great reprint series if so many of them weren’t so badly inked by the fastest hand in the business.