I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis! This week, I read the comics released the week of November 8, 1984.
Tales of the Teen Titans #50: Wolfman and Perez bring their series to its 4th anniversary and the Titans to the wedding of Donna Troy and Terry Long. Like most comic book weddings, it's a "star-studded" affair with appearances by Diana, Clark, and Bruce, as well as pretty much every character that has been a Titan over the years. It provides an opportunity for some light retconning or at least lampshading as Dick points out to Duella Dent that she's too old to be Two-Face's daughter, and a joke is made about how Hawk and Dove aren't as old as the person greeting them thought they would be. There is a lot of nice character stuff here, with Gar running himself ragged to get the wedding right, Vic worrying about standing out as a cyborg, and Donna and Dick having heart-to-heart conversations with each other and their individual mentors. What we don't get is a villain attacking, though there is a tease that winds up being a bait and switch.
All and all, this was a well-done issue. One of the best in the Titan's run so far, and another which will make the Year's Best Comic Stories digest.
Amethyst #2: While Amy Winston's parents try to rouse her on Earth, Amethyst is stumbling around Gemworld. She gets upset when she sees her beau Prince Topaz kissing Princess Turquoise after a rescue, but there are bigger troubles brewing. Fire Jade is stirring up rebellion in the Aquamarine Archipelago, and unnatural events are occurring, including the disappearance of Castle Sardonyx.
The Monitor and Lyla also make their cameo, with them intrigued by the power readings they are getting from Amy Winston even though she isn't a superhero.
Arak Son of Thunder #41: Responding to a question posed in the letter column, Thomas reveals that it has been his plan to leave the series with issue 50 and at this point, the plan is to just end the series then. He says sales took a bit of a dip when Colon left the book, and they never recovered.
Arak and friends are on the Karama being taken back to North America at the order of the Caliph. Arak and Valda have a hard time staying together. A storm sweeps her overboard and she's presumed drowned. However, an island comes into view in a place where none of the experienced sailors have seen one before. Arak and Satyricus go ashore to investigate and wind up in an arena fighting a large bull side-by-side with the very much alive Valda. The trio is able to kill the bull, but then there's a small earthquake. The ground opens up, and Valda and Satyricus fall in. Arak is confronted by the priestess who's running the show and is shocked to find she's his old foe, Angelica.
Batman #380: Hoberg joins Alcala, taking over for Newton who passed away in August. Unfortunately, his debut is marred by Moench providing a ridiculous plot twist. With Fang's hired assassins having failed three times to kill Bullock, a panicked Hill agrees to let Fang out so he can do the job himself. First, Fang plans to get Batman, but he's not the only villain on the prowl. Night Slayer is headed straight for Nocturna and Jason. Those two, Batman, and the two villains all collide in the penthouse of the Ritz-Carlton. There, Batman deflects Night Slayer's pistol shot enough that he kills Fang, but not before grazing Batman's temple and giving him a concussion. In his addled state, Night Slayer switches clothes with him, convincing Batman that he is the Night Slayer. Horrified by what he believes he has done, he runs off into the night before Jason can stop him.
Flash #342: The trial of the Flash drags on with some conceptually, at least, interesting stuff showing how trials would work in a superhero world. For instance, Rip Hunter is called as an expert witness to opine on whether a time traveler can be killed before he's born.
Most of the issue is given over to the typical superhero stuff and the fallout from last issue. The Flash's face and Big Sir's brain are repaired by the apes of Gorilla City, then the Flash and Big Sur set a trap for the Rogues.
G.I. Combat #274: Finally, we get our Monitor appearance in this book in the first Haunted Tank story. J.E.B. Stuart is watching and commenting on the Haunted Tanks travails with Attila the Hun, when suddenly he feels a strange presence. He turns to see the Monitor standing behind him the ghostly realm. The Monitor doesn't say a whole lot, other than he's new to this world of "blood and death" and then he's gone. Meanwhile, the tank's crew have got themselves in real trouble, so Stuart appeals to Alexander the Great for permission to help his guys. Alexander grants this but also allows Attila to help the Germans. Just for grins, Alexander doesn't tell them they must inhabit human bodies when they do. So, Stuart plays Italian partisan leading the tank crew to G.I. POWs on the march, and Attila becomes a German take commander who has got around the grooming standards.
Next, there are 3 more World War II stories. In a "Women at War" piece, a female Soviet soldier goes to respect an American ship captain on a perilous run across the North Atlantic carrying supplies. In the Pacific Theater, Gunner and Sarge rely on pooch to save them from the Japanese when they are both injured. In a humorous one-pager, POWs rig a baseball bat to take 3 Japanese soldiers.
The Mercenaries are in the Western Ghats and seem like they stepped back in time to the 19th Century in the anachronistic portrayal of India, as they help two young lovers against the Raj.
Jemm, Son of Saturn #6: Potter and Colan/Mcloed spend much of the issue with Jogarr and Superman. We learn that he is Jemm's cousin, exiled because of his democratic ideas. Ultimately captured by White Martians and forced to labor in a mine for the element used to power a super-weapon. He and his fellow miners were survivors of the holocaust. He hates Jemm because he represents the monarchial government that exiled him. Superman convinces him to give his cousin a chance.
Meanwhile, Tull has his ally, Senator Berkley assassinated, planning to pin it on Saturnians, and Jemm is forced to destroy a White Martian pursuit craft in his escape.
Omega Men #23: The reports of the exit of Moench and Smith/Maygar were a bit premature, as they finish out their story this issue. With Primus and Felicity out of comission, Shlagen tries to stop the Dredfahlians from destroying Nimbus's body. Meanwhile, the other Omega Men fight Branx demons of Nimbus' mind to save their friend's soul. In the end, Nimbus makes peace with the demons of his guilt and integrates them back into his self, regaining his full power and his will to live.
Next issue is promised as a done-in-one from Wolfman and Kevin O'Neil.
Star Trek #11: Kirk and crew of the regular universe waste no time in escaping the Imperial controlled Excelsior to the Mirror-Enterprise and making a run for it. Stiles remains a jerk, and Kirk has to punch him out and throw him in a warp shuttle to send him to warn Starfleet. Mirror-Kirk has the same cunning as his counterpart, though, and sends a message to Mirror-Enterprise's computer to start a self-destruct sequence!
Meanwhile, the transfer of Spock's katra to his new body hasn't been going well, and it seems he may die. Mirror-Spock with Mirror-Chekov and Sulu supporting him, shows up on Vulcan. He mind melds with his counterpart, and that may be helping to heal his damaged duplicate. Barr and Sutton/Villagran deliver another issue that feels of a piece with cinematic Trek.
Superman #404: Kupperberg and Infantino/Oksner present a story clearly marked as "imaginary" where Clark lost his powers in a battle with Lex Luthor as Superboy, and in adulthood is married to Lana with a son and the owner of a chain of supermarkets. When Lex is released from prison and goes on a rampage, Superman has to make his debut, mimicking some of his Superboy powers with technology powered by Kryptonite.
This is a pretty good story as "What if?" type stories go, but it feels out of step the more serial storytelling in vogue in the era (and now, for that matter).
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