Wednesday Comics: DC, July 1984 (week 2)

I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis! This week, I'm reviewing the comics released on the week of April 12, 1984. 

Omega Men #16: Cavalieri and Nino deliver the last of the fill-in issues before the new, regular creative team arrives. On Euphorix, the warrior in training Katydid rashly follows her teacher Skokiaan to the moon of Tallgrass. Skokiaan was sent there on a mission by Primus to check out reports of Branx activity but has failed to return. When Katydid arrives, she is captured by warriors and imprisoned in the Killing House, a parasite entity designed by the Psions. There she must fight the other captives, including her teacher. Katydid defeats her with a power surge that shorts out the Killing House's symbiotic nerve center. Now free of the House's control, the warriors make peace with one another and decide to set up an outpost on Tallgrass.

The cover says this is a "very special" issue. I don't know if that's the case, but it's an interesting side-story.

Tales of the Teen Titans #44: Wolfman and Perez/DeCarlo present part 3 of "The Judas Contract." Adeline Kane reveals to Dick Grayson the origin of her ex-husband, Slade Wilson, who was a top soldier until an experimental drug left him incapacitated for a time but ultimately gave him super-powers. He because an assassin for hire, an occupation that endangered his family, resulting in an injury to his son Joshua that left him mute.

After hearing her story, Grayson agrees to her help in rescuing the Titans and taking the Terminator down. First, though, he needs a new superhero ID. He decides on Nightwing as an homage to both Batman and Superman--and maybe because that's a costume he had on hand, for some reason. Joshua reveals his super's get-up and his codename of Jericho. He's a mutant with the power to take control of people's bodies.  The two fly off in the T-Jet on the trail of the Terminator and Terra.

Batman #373: Moench and Colan/Alcala bring back the Scarecrow who we last saw in Detective Comics #526. Moench has to do a bit of retconning as Detective 503 had left Crane mentally incapacitated, so in this story he's out for revenge against the villains that basically brough him along as a sort of prop in 526. Scarecrow's got a new device that emits waves (electromagnetic? sonic? It's unclear.) that activates fear centers in the brain. 

When he fails to get to the Joker thanks to the actions of Batman and Robin, he decides he'll have to take out Batman first. He lures Batman into a trap at the Gotham Zoo. Jason, who was already having nightmares causes his school performance to suffer before the Scarecrow shows up, disobeys Batman and goes investigating on his own and finds the Scarecrow's lair--and the Scarecrow himself!

Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon and the reformed Bullock have finally come to good terms, but Gotham is still a corrupt system. Mayor Hill has cut a deal have Doctor Fang released from prison in exchange for a hit on Bullock.

Arak Son of Thunder #35: The Thomases and Randall/DeZuniga bring Arak and his companions to Damaskos where Alsind hopes to rejoin his family. As they approach the city, Arak sees a giant flaming sword in the sky above. Nobody else sees it, though. After a scuffle with Alsind's uncle's guards, the family is reunited, and they sit down to a meal. Alsind's uncle, Abu, enlists Arak to find the sword he saw in his vision, which is said to grant power to the man who wields it.

The Wandering Jew shows up. He gives some backstory on the sword (it's Gabriel's) and issues a warning regarding its dangers, but then he gets a spear in the back as assassins burst into the room. Arak and fight back and the survivors flee. Arak notices that they are serpent men! 

This is an interesting issue marred a bit by the really phoned in depiction of Damaskos and its culture. It's like the laziest sword & sandals, low budget version of 1001 Arabian Nights.

There's another "Young Arak" backup with art by Forton where Arak attends ritual with his shaman grandfather around the death of a young woman. Arak decides he will be a warrior, not a shaman, but his grandfather suggests he may not have a choice in the matter.

Flash #335: Bates and Infantino/McLaughlin pick up right where last issue left off with the Pied Piper's manipulation having made the Flash look dangerous and violent on TV. The next phase of the Piper's plan involves the mayor of Central City vilifying the Flash on television, but the mayor's loyalty to the Flash proves too powerful for the Piper's conditioning to overcome. So, the Piper sends the Mayor to kill himself in a plane crash, and the Flash has to save him. In another plot, men hired by a voice on a tape recorder set off a bomb, causing an avalanche onto Peter Farley's house where Cecile Horton is staying.

G.I. Combat #267: This issue is notable for a story with art by Giffen, as advertised in the masthead on the cover. Giffen's crowded, many-paneled layouts are certainly very different from what readers of this title are used to. The Kanigher story, however, is more inline with expectations. A G.I. gets his fortune told, revealing he will die on the street of the Griffin. As he heads into an Italian valley to destroy a dam, that seems unlikely, until the area drained by the dam's destruction reveals a long-submerged Roman settlement and an ancient street were the soldier's body comes to rest.

The Haunted Tank story involves Stuart's Raiders getting captured and forced to act as scouts for a German contingent trying to cut a path for panzers through a mountain. Jeb tricks them and the Nazis get killed in their own trap. Then there's a story about a fictional woman aviator who is captured by the Japanese trying to solo fly around the world and is captive in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb is dropped. It says it's written by "Jan Laurie" but that's Kanigher.

The remaining story is set in Vietnam and appears to be an attempt to start another series as it's branded as being about "Bullett's Bravos," Marine's in Bravo Company. It deals about with the psychological toll the war taking, revealing the coporal's nightmares and paranoia about the Vietnamese citizenry. In the end, though, it's mostly about how Kanigher presents the death of celebrity Benny Berger (who I'm sure is a stand in for someone) as the real tragedy. He dies under fire with Bravo and leaves Sgt. Bullett weeping.

Star Trek #6: Ironically. the Sutton/Amendola cover of this sixth issue prefigures a scene in Star Trek VI. Barr's story is again very on-brand for Star Trek and has a number of call-backs to TOS episodes: Kirk and crew must transport ambassador Fox to Babel for a peace conference with the Klingons. However, the shape-shifting agent of an Orion terrorist group has already infiltrated Enterprise with the goal of disrupting the conference. The twist is that the agent is Fox's own daughter! Overall, a solid, Trekian issue. It's done-in-one nature, I think, makes it work a little better than the Organian/Excaliban stuff in the preceding issues.

Superman #397: A rather Hulkish, green brute of an alien shows up on Earth looking for revenge against the last survivor of Krypton. He purports to be of an ancient Kryptonian species from before the colonization by the "human" Kryptonians. He's absorbed large amounts of Green Kryptonite radiation, and he believes Superman's people to be responsible for Krypton's destruction and is looking for revenge. There's another group of aliens, though, pursuing the Kryptonite Man for some reason.

This is a very Marvel seeming story from Kupperberg. Some of that feel is no doubt due to the greater amount of physical violence in the issue, and the way it's dynamically portrayed by Barreto, but I think the core concepts of unrevealed secrets from Kryptons history, a misguided villain with an understandable grievance, that unfortunately, no peaceful accommodation may be possible seems very much the stuff of the Marvel Bronze Age. 

A continuity tidbit: Superman tells the Kryptonite Man that Krypton was destroyed by natural processes, but this contradicts Superman #205 (1968) which says the villain Black Zero was responsible.

Weird Revisited: Robot Dungeon

The original version of this post appeared in March of 2015...

I've written previously about a world where the dungeoneering was an done by androids who were the remnant of human civilization (all that's here). Well, there's another way to get dungeons crawling with robots, and that's by having a future, post-apocalyptic world that's been overrun by them. Instead of apes, or fairies, or vampires, let the robots take over something like Screamers (and the Philip K. Dick story it's based on "The Second Variety"), Terminator, or Magnus: Robot-Fighter. Unlike those examples though, human civilization can have been pushed back to pseudo-Medieval levels.

Say the robots have moved mostly underground, leaving humans to limp along on a damaged surface world. The underground bases of the robots would be a lot like dungeons. Robots would have made various robotic or bio-robotic guardians--monsters, of sorts. Maybe the robots are even aliens? A post-sentient, techno-organic swarm that landed and buried itself into the earth, spreading underground like roots, building robotic creatures in a myriad of forms as it went. You'd have a whole underground ecology of robots. Add "magic" (really psionic powers in disguise) and you've got a fantasy world, or close enough.

For a real fantasy world, assume that the alien robotic swarm invaded a fairly D&Dish world (except with maybe less conflict to begin with).

Wednesday Comics: Vigilantes & Warlords

Last week, in my Wednesday Comics post, I accidentally left off one comic, the issue of Vigilante from April 5, 1984:

Vigilante #8: Wolfman brings his Electrocutioner vigilante over from Batman #331, presumably so he can continue to clarify Vigilante's previously murky stance on where he draws the line regarding killing. We are also treated to a renewed examples of criminals getting off on pesky technicalities like illegal searches as Adrian Chase's friends try to convince him to become a judge.  There's the issue of a mysterious microchip that the Controller is after. There's a nice sequence in the beginning where Vigilante is pursued by a guy in a mini-copter that really showcases the talents of Andru/DeCarlo.

In other news perhaps of interest to longterm readers of this blog...

We finally have a solicitation for the Warlord Omnibus. It supposedly only has a price of $75.00, which seems low given the page count (1040 pages).

In any case, it's supposed to include 1st Issue Special #8, Warlord #1-50, and Amazing World of DC Comics #12. For a volume 2 (if there is one) that leaves the non-backup stories from Warlord #52-71 (#51 is a reprint), Warlord Annual #1, Warlord (1992 limited series) #1-6, and Warlord (2009) #1-16 for a total of around 1005 pages in that one, by my count.

Arduin Got It

I don't know much of anything about Dave Hargrave or his inspirations for Arduin but the art and content suggest Hargrave's inspirations (or at least his artists inspirations) were much closer to mine and my friends' early influences than the likes of Gygax, Arneson, or Barker. 

I had read a few works off Appendix N in the first couple of years I played (some Howard, some Lieber. Tolkien) but it would probably be well into the 90s before fantasy comic books, art by Frazetta, Vallejo, and Whelan, etc., and animation weren't bigger influences that literary fantasy.

The things I see in Greyhawk now that I think were informed by Gygax's interest in historical wargaming would have been over my head when I first encountered it, and were not something I would have sought to add to a setting. Barker's world has a bit of Sword & Planet vibe but would have felt too bound by propriety and protocol. Greenwood's Realms seem geared toward trilogy novel so of play, but Tolkien's was the only trilogy I was interested in at that point. Hargrave, on the other hand, had insect people like Bug from Micronauts and Amazon warriors of the sort that were all over comics and seem de rigueur for fantasy worlds.

I can't say that (beyond the art) I've ever been particularly interested in Arduin. I came to it too late. Had I discovered it around age 12-13, it might have been a different story.

[Greyhawk] The Wild Coast

In the waning days of the Great Kingdom, folk who were faced with debts they could not pay or disagreements with the legal authorities that might see them imprisoned or facing the hangman often found it convenient to flee narrow area of flatwood, sandhill, and wetland along the Northwest edge of Wooly Bay. There, they would be, if not welcomed, at least accepted into the independent community that had grown up among the several, squabbling towns. The region had an infamous reputation and was known as the Wild Coast.

Primarily, the Wild Coast served as a safe haven for brigands and outlaws from the woodlands west and smugglers and pirates from Wooly Bay to the east. Trade went on between the groups without fear of Dyvers' or Greyhawk's tax agents. The towns grew up to crater to the needs of these clientele but also drew others in search of freedom: escaped serfs and slaves, political dissidents, fringe religionists, and more than a few nonhumans. 

The freedom of the Wild Coast was just as often manifest as lawlessness. Existence was precarious when local powers shift quickly and much of the population is transitory. Humanoids raided up from Pomarj and monsters driven out of other areas sometimes found this sparsely populated region ideal.

It seems like Gygax wanted the Wild Coast to evoke a bit of the American "Wild West." I drew inspiration from a number of places: the Romagna during the late Middle Ages/early modern period, Barataria Bay in the early 19th Century. Mostly, it's just a fantasy region though.

Wednesday Comics: DC, July 1984 (week 1)

My mission is to read DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis. This week, I'm looking at the comics that were at newsstands on the week of April 5, 1984. 

Sword of the Atom Special #1: The captions in this issue purport to be from the book all of Ivy Town is talking about, The Atom's Farewell by Norman Brawler. We get a recap of the Sword of the Atom limited series, with Jean's affair, and Ray's trip to the Amazon and encounter with the Kartarthans. Since Ray's return from the Amazon, he's been having trouble with his size-change abilities. He goes to a dinner with Jean, Paul Hoben and Paul's date, but things are clearly strained. After dinner, Jean and Ray go to the Ivy Town Overlook, have an honest discussion of their relationship, and decide to split amicably.

Ray heads back to the Amazon with Norman Brawler in tow, determined to find Morlaidh. Despite a group of cocaine smugglers getting in his way, he succeeds. The Atom bids Norman farewell and goes to live with Laethwen and her people. Brawler returns to the U.S. and finishes his book.

I intuit the existence of this story as a one-shot to mean that the response to the limited series was good, but not so good that the powers that be wanted to greenlight Strnad and Kane for a full series. Unfortunately, that makes this issue all set up. Not a single sword is in the hands of the Atom, except on Kane's cover. There's a continuity glitch here too, in that the story definitely suggests Ray hasn't really been able to use his size-changing ability effectively since returning from the Amazon, but he's been appearing in the Justice League in stories that clearly take place between the two SotA books.

Atari Force #7: Tempest is being tortured on the Destroyer's ship, while Dart and Packrat are fighting against tough odds to avoid capture. Martin does the only thing he feels like he can and surrenders himself to the enemy.  Morphea turns out to be the wild card that turns the tide for our heroes. After Psyklops' psychic attack brings up painful memories of her upbringing, she unleashes her full power, defeating him and rescuing Tempest. Meanwhile, Dart and Packrat have managed to take the engine room. With the choice to either let our heroes go or risk destruction, the Destroyer lets them go and lets them take Martin's probe with them. Maybe it all seems a bit too easy, though? We'll see!

Conway and García-López/Villagran really deliver this issue. Morphea's backstory is interesting, and the layouts are amazing.

Blackhawk #271: Evanier and Spiegle resolve the Ted Gaynor storyline. A chance meeting with a British officer reveals some bad behavior on Gaynor's part from his academy days. Given the suspicions he already has, it prompts Chuck to do some digging, requiring him flying into German-held territory. While he's gone, the rest of the Blackhawks must stop a Merson-designed, giant worm-like war machine. When that's done, they confront Gaynor with the truth that he has killed German prisoners and noncombatants including children. Gaynor is unapologetic. He's kicked out of the Blackhawks, and we're told he later dies at Sevastopol between German and Soviet lines in unclear circumstances.

In the solo "Detached Service Diary" backup with art by Staton, it's back to the French town of "La Resistance," which the Germans seek to destroy for its symbolic value. The Blackhawks defend the town, even though Allied Command has given up on it as a lost cause, but eventually they run out of supplies and ammunition and are forced to evacuate the citizenry. The German's overrun it and level it to ground.

DC Comics Presents #71: On Bizarro World, Bizarro (No. 1) creates a Bizarro-Amazo who steals the powers from super-powered people and gives them to the non-super. After acquiring the powers of the Bizarro Justice League, the android heads to Earth. Bizarro No. 1 pursues him and enlists the help of Superman and an impowered Jimmy Olsen to stop him.

Bridwell and Swan/Hunt are the creative team on this one. It presents the multi-"hero" version of Bizarro World that appears in Who's Who but was a relatively recent invention, having debuted in Superman #379. Like many Bizarro stories, its inconsistent in just what being "backwards" means and to what degree bizarros stick to that. Still, for its type of rather Silver Age-y story, it's not bad at all.

Fury of Firestorm #25: Conway and Kayanan/Tanghal bring back the Black Bison. This comes about through the actions of Silver Deer, a woman with shape-changing powers who wants to get back to the old ways but wears fishnet stockings and high heels. Anyway, after framing John Ravenhair for murder she reawakens Black Bison within him to start his project of revenge against the white man. Firestorm winds up in dire straits having been bitten by Silver Deer in the form of a venomous snake and then buried under a mound of toys animated by Black Bison.

Before all this, we get a bit of character drama stuff. Ronnie is confronted by his friends about being seen with Lorraine. A mobster tries to bribe Lorraine's father the senator who is about to face an ethics hearing. Martin shares a kiss with Belle (mother to Byte and Bug) before he's whisked away to be Firestorm.

Justice League of America #228: Conway's back as writer with Tuska/Nino on art in what is billed as "back to basics" on the credits page. The Martian Manhunter races back towards Earth with a squadron of Martian warships in pursuit. After buzzing the JLA satellite, he crashes in New York and at first gets into a scuffle with the League in that superhero "I don't have time to explain, so let me punch you" way until they capture him and force him to explain. He reveals that the Martians of Mars II are on their way to conquer Earth.

The robotic Challenger, sent by the Marshall of the Martian forces, issues an ultimatum to the United Nations demanding that Earth surrender itself to Martian control within one "terrestrial revolution." The Justice League realize it's going to be a war between the two worlds.

Conway's story brings some high Bronze Age energy back, but Tuska and Nino aren't the most pleasing artistic pairing. The Patton/Giordano cover is good, though.

Wonder Woman #317: I can honestly say I have no idea where Mishkin is going with all this. Sofia Constantinas is mesmerized into entering the gates of the Underworld, but Steve Trevor and Glitch the alien gremlin manage to rescue her. Their visit also seems to revive Eros who was a statue. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman meets a splinter group of Amazons in South America, and learns from their queen, Atalanta, that Hippolyta was given her directive of separation from the world as a trial by Aphrodite to teach her how to love not as a permanent condition. In Atalanta's telling, Hippolyta refused to do so, at least until the birth of Diana. All of this leaves Diana really confused about who to trust and who is right.

The Huntress backup is looking good under Beachum/Martin with some very 80s clothes and hairstyles on display. Cavalieri's story involves Helena heading out to California by train for a vacation but winding up trying to solve the murder of an old college friend who's now an antiquities dealer. It involves a ninja named Nightingale.

[Greyhawk] North Province

Art by Mihai Radu

The Overking was traditionally appointed by vote of the magnates ruling the constituent territories of the Aedi. One of these was the region now called North Province which was held by House Naelax since the Great Kingdom's founding.

In time, Naelax seized the Malachite Throne themselves after the period of strife known as the Turmoil between Crowns. This dynasty came to a end under Ivid V, sometimes called Ivid the Mad, though that epithet fails perhaps to distinguish him from his predecessors. Before his ascension, the young Ivid was hardly considered a likely candidate for the throne, given that he was not possessed of any exceptional qualities to make him standout from his numerous siblings. 

In the fullness of time, though, Ivid was proved to possess the most essential quality for rulership: he was still alive. Not a few of his siblings were likely murdered and these assassinations are laid at the feet of Ivid's cousin and staunchest supporter, Grennell, who was ultimately elevated to Herzog of North Province.

Grennell, born to a cadet branch of House Naelax, was not in line to inherit even a lesser holding, so he put his skills at the application of violence to use, first in skirmishes against the Northern Barbarians and orcs, and then as assassin for his cousin, first in secret, then more brazenly. In the end he was rewarded with a ducal throne. After the reign of terror perpetrated by the pair, there were few other potential claimants left.

By all accounts, Grennell is a man of perversity and sadism. People who had displeased him or even ones who provoked his interest for any reason were taken by his henchmen and brought to his Iron Tower where they were subjected to the art of a scarred hobgoblin who served as his chief torturer or the attentions of the Herzog himself. His passions excited by these horrors, he then joined his retainers in feasting, gambling and debauchery.

The commoners and lesser landholders of the area around Eastfair lived in fear of their Herzog. Many have taken to having their children and heirs moved to the hinterlands or even out of the province to at least save them from Grennell's appetites.