Wednesday Comics: DC, September 1985 (week 2)

I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis! This week, I'm looking at comics that were published on June 13, 1985.

Legion of Super-Heroes #14: Levitz and Lightle/Mahlstedt have the Legion auditioning new members. After a routine call for testing purposes turns into an encounter with Ontiir of the Dark Circle, another candidate appears in the form of the diminutive alien, Quislet. As the Legionnaires gather to make their decision, Saturn Girl comes in and requests they give consideration to a mysterious masked candidate she vouches for: Sensor Girl. In the end, Polar Boy, Tellus, Quislet, Magnetic Kid, and Sensor Girl become Legionnaires.  

Batman #387: Moench and Mandrake conclude the Black Mask arc. I had this issue and the one before as a kid, but not the part in Detective. It's interesting how the story is crafted so that you really don't need that other issue for the most part to make sense of things. Here, Bruce Wayne announces a masquerade party to lay a trap for Black Mask. Black Mask knows it's a trap and knows Bruce and the police know he know's it, but his analysis of Bruce's psychology is fault as he doesn't know the wealthy playboy is Batman, so he comes. He and his goons fail to kill Bruce, of course, and Robin tracks them to their lair. Batman and Robin fight through the False Face Society to get to Black Mask who has gone just a bit crazier and is burning everything left of his life as Roman Sionis. Batman is barely able to get the villain out of the fire in time, and not before the black pigment from the coffinwood mask is seared onto his face. Black Mask ends up in jail, repeating the word "Janus" to himself. Circe leaves her mask with a guard to give to Sionis, and disappears into the night.

This was a good arc, one of the best of Moench's run, I think.

Amethyst #9: Cohn and Colon/Kessel reveal secrets of Gemworld's creation as an impish creature called the Dream Weaver visits Amy Winston on Earth and takes her on a dream voyage to Gemworld's past. The creature's version of events is that Citrina made a pact with the Ancient Ones allowing the creation of Gemworld, but only as long as she was alive. When she died, the Ancient Ones got to consume the magic generated in the world. In this version, Citrina broke the deal and now Amethyst must honor it. Amethyst thinks she knows the truth, though. The Ancient Ones (through Dark Opal and others) have worked behind the scenes to end Citrina's life early so they can collect. Amethyst vows to stop them, but she will have to physical return to Gemworld to do it.

Arak Son of Thunder #48: The Thomases/Loifficiers and Infantino/DeZuniga have Arak and Valda contend with the warrior woman Mu-Lan, who's a lot fiercer than her Disney counterpart. When they hold their own, Mu-Lan says it was only a test. She takes them to meet her grandfather who reveals the dragon of Canton is no dragon at all. Later, at a dinner, after Haakon tries to drug Arak, but is thwarted by Brunello, the grandfather reveals the dragon is a creature summoned by a sorceress. Arak and Valda are sure that sorceress is Angelica.

Flash #349: This issue shows that Bates and Infantino/McLaughlin have a few twists left, at least. After being found guilty, Flash basically just gives up and asks they take him to jail. Soon, though, he's visited by Nathan Newbury, who this issue reminds me we first met back in issue 338, so Bates has had this laid out for a while. Newbury is from the future and came back in time to observe Flash's trial because the death of Reverse Flash before he was ever born is something of a temporal anomaly. He reveals that Flash, according to the hsitory record was acquited, so his conviction points to further disruption. He also tells how Reverse Flash came out of the timestream to ensure Flash's conviction when Newbury had thought he ensured Flash's acquittal.

Meanwhile, the Reverse Flash appears to have captured all the Rogues. It's that group that manages to work out how all this is possible. Someone is involved that has access to greater technology than the Reverse Flash (or Newbury) is doing this: Abra Kadabra.

G.I. Combat #279: Kanigher and Glanzman give is two Haunted Tank stories, though one is more a vignette. The cover story, Stuart's Raiders are tasked with assaulting a cache of stolen gold and recovering it so that it can be used to fund an insurgency in Germany. Faced with gold bars worth $30,000 each, the crew are tempted to take one, but Jeb keeps them in line. It's a good thing too, because a portion of the bars are booby-trapped. As luck would have it, another group of Germans tries to take the gold back and winds up catching the brunt of the explosion.

In the other story, the Raiders go swimming and wind up having to deal with an ambush while they're in the water.

Kana is back courtesy of Kanigher and Cruz, and this time is "transcendental meditation" takes him into a Mad Max-ian future where he helps the civilized Survivors fight against the hostile Wasters. Finally, there's a Mercenaries story by Kanigher/Catan where the three are hired to help an opposition leader return safely to a Latin American country for an election. An assassin disguised as a flight attendant almost ends his life, but the Mercenaries are there to save the day.

Omega Men #30: Klein and McManus bring this arc to a close. Artin/Primus reveals the answer to one of the Psion's Four Questions. It's an answer the Psions have discovered more than once before but their ego hasn't allowed them to accept and so they have forgotten it. The Psions were uplifted from reptiles by experiments of the species that would be the Guardians of the Universe. Learning the technology these ancients left behind, the Psions "improved" themselves, then went out seeking their creators. When they found them, the Guardians were disappointed in their creations and exiled them to the Vega system until they learned something more than soulless science. While the Psions are reeling from these revelations, the Omegans escape and help some of the inhabitants in their experimental domain do likewise. The robots who have now gained sentience vow to take care of the rest.

Red Tornado #3: The Construct has taken over the world. What few superheroes are left take their last stand and the free human population is down to a scattered few in hiding. It's all very Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Meanwhile, Red Tornado is out on a mountain in Wyoming being aloof from humanity. Sulking really. Kathy who is one of the last free humans finds him. At first Tornado rebuffs her, but she offers that the very fact he can question his humanity means that he has it. He's convinced by this argument and reconnects with his human side, deciding to save humanity. 

Star Trek #18: Kupperberg is writer on this issue with Sutton/Villagrain still on art. We get a Scotty solo story. He visits an old from who is commander of Starbase 7. When an assault by armed men appears to be only related to theft of the station's new shipment of paper towels, Scotty and a cadet wind up investigating. They discover a plot by a cabal of Starfleet officers (including Scotty's friend) to manufacture and sell a dangerous drug of abuse. Interesting, this is exactly the sort of story element (a Starfleet officer selling drugs) than Roddenberry objected to in Ellison's original City on the Edge of Forever script. 

Super Powers #1: Series Two of the Super Powers toys have hit shelves, so we get another out-of-continuity (in fact, from this issue, it's unclear if it's in continuity with the first limited) limited series. This time, Kirby does the penciling himself with Theakston on inks and Kupperberg scripting. Due to the revolt depicted in Hunger Dogs, Darkseid flees from Apokolips. He uses his last boom tube and so constructs a new star gate once he's in his secret base. Darkseid plans to conquer Earth using the Seeds of Doom. The Justice League stands in his way, and this issue is mostly about Martian Manhunter and Aquaman going up against his plans.

Superman #411: The cover proclaims this "a very special issue" and the title of the story by Maggin and Swan/Anderson nods to at least one way that's true. This is "The Last Earth-Prime Story." On Earth-One, former science fiction agent and editor Julie Schwartz is a homeless in the Bowery on his 70th birthday. After attempting suicide by jumping off a building, but being rescued by Superman, he is kidnapped by a forgettable super-villain, Olaf. Perry White's concern for his old friend leads to Superman looking for him and rescuing him from Olaf. The ordeal has been too much though, and Schwartz is dying. He has Superman transport him to Earth-Prime where they arrive at an office birthday party for that universe's Julie Schwartz, editor at DC Comics. Bringing two versions of the same person together as one is dying apparently causes them to merge into one. Schwartz and Superman have a brief conversation alluding to Crisis and the end of multiple worlds, then Superman says goodbye. Back on Earth-One, Clark Kent adds a bust of Julie to his apartment next to the bust of Mort Weisinger.

New Teen Titans Annual #1: Wolfman and Hannigan/DeCarlo present a backdoor pilot for a Vanguard series. The Vanguard is a group of space-themed alien super-heroes. We meet them in the reveal of a previously untold adventure of the Titans when Raven and Terra were still with them. The Titans intervene when the Vanguard appear to chase and apprehend Superman on Earth, but the truth is that Superman is a robot created by Brainiac who has captured the real Superman and is using him to power a planet-scorching weapon. The Titans help (well, mostly just watch) the Vanguard rescue the Man of Steel, and the combined power of the group defeats Brainiac--for now.

Apparently, the comics reading public wasn't all that keen on the Vanguard, because they have only appeared in-story one other time in the DCU (and even then, basically in a cameo).

Wednesday Comics: DC, September 1985 (week 1)

My mission: to read DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to the end of Crisis. This week, I'm looking at the comics that were on stands in the week of June 6, 1985. 

Losers Special #1: With this, the first of the Crisis Specials, I think we hit a new phase of the event. We saw the Losers die in Crisis #3, but this issue gives them more of a sendoff and introduces a lot of readers to the characters, probably--if they bothered to buy the issue. Easy Company and a town of civilians are pinned down by German rockets. Bravo company was supposed to take those out, but they're all dead. The Losers take up the mission. Along the way, they reminisce about their individual pasts, catching the reader up on the characters that originally had solo strips, but were brought together as a team. The Losers take out the emplacement, but they are separated into two groups by smoke. Separately, Sarge and Captain Storm are killed. The smoke clears and Gunner, Pooch, and Johnny Cloud manage to regroup, but then a German plane strafes the area, killing them. The Navajo Johnny Cloud prays to the sky as he dies and sees an image of a Native American deity. Then, something strikes the hill. When Easy arrives, there is no trace of the Losers' bodies.

This story is a better death for a group of war comic characters, but it doesn't fit perfectly with their death as depicted in Crisis. Presumably we're meant to assume they were taken from the battlefield just before death to truly die in Markovia at the hands of shadow demons. But how did they get moved and healed? This story can't take place essentially at the same time as that part of Crisis #3, because Rock and Easy appear in that issue in 1944 Markovia, too. I suppose it's possible this issue was retconned out of existence before it was ever published. This is how they would have died, had not the Crisis occurred transtemporally.

Crisis on Infinite Earths #6: The Monitor's adversary gets a name this issue (Well, two, since the Psycho-Pirate just calls him "Monitor."): The Anti-Monitor. He gives the whining Psycho-Pirate enough power to control the emotions of the populaces of multiple Earths. Pirate starts pushing the peoples of Earth-S, X, and 4 to suicide in the anti-matter wave. 

Meanwhile, the Monitor's satellite is falling apart. The heroes scramble to save themselves while Alex gets read to attempt to bring the other surviving Earths into the Netherverse. Harbinger knocks him out and takes on the risk herself. Disparate groups of heroes (somehow, it's not clear) are transported to the 3 battleground Earths where they are forced to contend with the mind-controlled heroes of those worlds. Black Canary is wearing her new costume here that we haven't seen before outside of her Who's Who entry. 

In the Anti-Monitor's base, the Psycho-Pirate suffers feedback, and he loses control of the Earths' people. Harbinger manages to link Earths S, X, and 4 with the merging Earths 1 and 2 in the Netherverse, but she burns out her power, leaving her just Lyra. On Earth-2, a new Wildcat debuts and a group of villains mysteriously disappear. On Earth-1, Brainiac scoops up Luthor from and tells him he has a plan...

DC Comics Presents #85: This is the first of two Alan Moore Superman stories this month. Here he teams him up with Swamp Thing with Veitch and Williamson on art. A patch of still-surviving fungus from Krypton known as the bloodmorel infects Superman causing hallucinations and overheating. It will eventually lead to death from overexertion, and the Last Son of Krypton seems powerless in his delirious state to do anything about it. Trying to get away from people, Clark luckily encounters the Swamp Thing, who manages to link Superman to the Green through the remaining fungus. Immersed in cool calm, Superman is able to sleep and when he awakes the fever is broken. He returns to his life, unaware of the help of Swamp Thing.

Fury of Firestorm #39: Conway and Kayanan/Chen finish up the Weasel story from last issue. Firestorm manages to escape Weasel's death trap but can't capture the villain. Ronnie does some sleuthing and figures out that the connection of the people killed and those attacked is that they were all at Standford in the 60s. Even knowing that, Stein still can't figure who the Weasel might be. The Weasel attacks again and Firestorm manages to best him this time. The villain is unmasked as John Monroe...some guy nobody remembers. Ronnie heads back to New York and graduation.

Justice League of America #242: Conway and Tuska/Machlan continue the story from last issue. Aquaman finds Mera, and they make up surprisingly easily. Meanwhile, the rest of the League splits up and blunders around the Canadian woods like teens in a slasher film and get taken out by Amazo. There's even a ridiculous sequence that seems perhaps a riff on a similar scene in Temple of Doom where Elongated Man just keeps talking utterly oblivious to Gypsy dealing with an irritated grizzly bear behind him. In the end, Amazo throws most of the League in a deep hole and covers it with a Boulder.

There's a MASK preview insert "Assault on Mount Mayhem" in this issue, Superman, and Tales of the Teen Titans as well, but I don't have a copy of it.

Tales of the Teen Titans #57: Cyborg's surgery is a success, and he's more human appearing than ever. He's sent to rehab and meets a tough physical therapist who I feel like should be named Sarah Potential Love Interest unless I'm totally misreading Wolfman's intentions. Meanwhile, the other Titans are hanging out at the pool then doing a little training, oddly unconcerned that the Fatal Five are out there with a new member the Titans failed to stop them from busting out of prison. 

That new member is Jinx, an Indian sorceress from who only speaks Urdu until Psimon gives her telepathic language lessons. The Fatal Five come for Cyborg's doctor, and grab him too, not recognizing the hero with his makeover. They want the scientist to awaken Neutron. Cyborg sabotages Neutron's containment vessel to a degree, causing an explosion they we are assured didn't hurt the guy inside. All the strain causes his new plastic veneers to start melting down, though.

Later. Psimon interrupts a press conference by the Major to demand ransom from the city, boasting the Fatal Five now has Neutron on its side.

Vigilante #22: Wolfman/Kupperberg and Smith/Maygar continue the story from last issue with Nightwing and Chase in a running fight across multiple locations, each saying tough guy things to each other and demanding the other stand down. Meanwhile, a guy with a heroin addiction sets out to commit a burglary on condo with no one home and winds up, through a series of bad breaks and worse choices, killing 3 people with a stolen pistol and causing a police car to wreck. He ends up out of bullets and executed on a rooftop by the Vigilante. When that makes the TV news, Nightwing and Chase overhear it and both realize that Chase isn't the current killer vigilante. Chase hadn't even known for certain. Nightwing leaves agreeing to hold off his hunt for the other vigilante so Chase (who feels responsible for inspiring the guy) can handle it, which given the murders and Chase's mental state seems a bit irresponsible. but bro code and all that. 

Wednesday Comics: DC, August 1985 (week 5)

I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to the end of Crisis! This week, I read the comics on sale on May 30, 1985.

The "Meanwhile..." feature this month mentions work continuing on new Batman project that isn't named but is clearly Dark Knight Returns. There's also discussion of a Matt Wagner project that is the forthcoming Demon limited series from the following year. Interestingly, there's also mention of a Jason's Quest revival that never came to fruition.

Detective Comics #552: Moench and Janson pick up the Black Mask story from this month's Batman. Black Mask recruits more members into his gang and takes more deadly reprisals against people he feels have wronged him, which are mostly newly installed Janus execs. He also has Circe, the model who jilted Sionis when his fortunes turned, kidnapped and subjects her to a diluted portion of the cosmetic. After that torture, he gives her an ultimatum: join him or get the full treatment. Circe accepts a mask without the tainted cosmetic in it. Batman figures out Sionis is Black Mask just as the False Face Society, but he can't find out where his hideout is or what his ultimate plans are.

Cavalieri and Moore/Patterson have Green Arrow and Black Canary facing a rash of tenement fires, arsons that Arrow believes were committed by the owners for the insurance and redevelopment. The meat of the story, though, is about what happens when Black Canary confronts a fire-throwing super-villain arsonist, Bonfire, and the Canary is strangely frozen with fear. After her rescue, she later tells Ollie that she had a strange episode of deja vu while in the blaze. Later, she's looking through her scrapbook at old pictures of her mother, the first Black Canary, and she's struck by a revelation.

Jonah Hex #92: The cover promises a "gut-wrenching final issue, but that it isn't. Instead, Fleisher and Morrow pretty much give us the same sort of story we've gotten for the past year: Hex goes after some bank robbers and picks up a teenage girl sidekick for the adventure, before returning her to her parents. Emmylou escapes the pit we saw her fall into and gets help from an old man, but then he's killed by Brett, and she's on the run again. Emmylou and Brett finally meet up with Hex in a saloon, but just as things might get some resolution, he disappears in a flash of origin light. One might be suspicious this surprise has something to do with the Hex ads we've been seeing...

Action Comics #570: The first story by Kupperberg and Schaffenberger/Hunt has a Superboy vibe, except that it has Jim Olsen as its focus instead of some random Smallville kid. A blast of cosmic energy splits off Jim's inflated ego into a super-villain who calls himself Alter Ego. The bit of mystery here isn't in Alter Ego's identity. Superman figures that out early on. Rather it's in how Jim got split and how to fix it.

The second story by Boldman and Bender/Marcos is more "humorous" than the first. One might say "silly," even. After saving a man's life, Superman accepts the guys invitation to dinner for beef bourguignon, but then stays and stays, making a complete annoyance of himself. This could have easily turned to horror as having a super-powered bore for a house guest might in real life, but once the man blows his top at the super-freeloader, Superman drops the act and reveals the truth: the man had been infected by some alien something or other in the initial incident and only making him angry could cure him. 

I mention the "stuck in the past" nature of this era of Superman a lot but should also point out this isn't inertia or ossification. Superman was different at points in the 70s ("Kryptonite No More," and all that). Superman was different just a few years prior with stories by Wein and Starlin and Wolfman. This was a choice editorial made.

Ambush Bug #3: Giffen, Fleming, and Oksner deliver their funniest issue yet, provided you like silly, absurdist humor goofing on silly DC characters of the past. It's actually kind of clever, structurally, we get vignettes in text and comic form uncovering what happened to a lot of obscure and best forgotten in the estimation of Fleming and Giffen DC characters like Egg Fu, The Green Team, and Binky. It's also sneakily taking a swipe at Crisis on Infinite Earths and the rationale for it, as all of the segments point to a mysterious woman being involved in their disappearances or deaths. In the end, we find out who is responsible: Jonni DC, Continuity Cop. Just as she confesses, she's blasted by Darkseid for the recurring "next issue, a fight with Darkseid" gag.

Arion Lord of Atlantis #34: Kupperberg and Duursema get Arion and Chian back to the City of the Golden Gate and into the business of selecting a new king. In Atlantis, that's done by a council of wizards presided over by Arion. These days the wizards have only the barest magic except Arion, but still tradition. There's one scheming wizard up to no good, though, and he disrupts the proceedings and gets Arion trapped by shadow bat things. Meanwhile, Wyynde is reunited by Mara. He finally returns her affections in a leering sort of way which puts her off. Apparently, having a dog head for a while changes a guy! Who isn't put off by the new Wyynde is the princess and potential successor to the king, T'Galla. She and Wyynde get along quite well to the irritation of Mara.

All-Star Squadron #48: Mike Harris takes over as artist. This is his first work for the Big Two. He goes on to do a fair amount of work at Marvel in the '90s on grittier titles like The 'Nam, The Punisher, and Cops: The Job. Here, the All-Stars travel to the UK, meeting the Blackhawks on the way. Churchill wants them to find the Shining Knight who disappeared investigated something at the site of Camelot. The All-Stars find Shining Knight in the company of other Arthurian characters who turn out to robots. Our heroes are captured, and they learn that Dr. Fate's old enemy, Wotan, is behind it all.

World's Finest #318: Cavalieri and Delbo/Alcala bring back Sonik who had his debut and only appearance to date back in issue 310. Beyond that the issue is very much of its era. Lilanne Stern is now on RTV. There's a wealthy popstar named Marlon Monroe (a Michael Jackson stand-in) who is menaced by robots made by one of his staff, and a boy in a bubble with an immunodeficiency syndrome someone may be trying to kill. Superman and Batman are on the case though, and everything works out in the end.

Tales of the Legion #326: We start the reprint era this month, so I won't be reviewing this title anymore, but I wanted to note it. 

V #7: Newell steps in as writer, and we an issue that focuses solely on Julie as she goes back to her now empty hometown, trying to get some time to herself to go to terms with everything that has happened. A mother and father get mentioned and the implication is that perhaps both are dead due to the Visitors, though based on the V wiki, this appears to be new material. Anyway, she's followed by an assassin that has the appearance of a high school friend, but when a Visitor patrol attacks them, the assassin seems to have a change of heart and saves her life. The issue is rather ambiguous on several points, which was perhaps Newell's intention.

XNOO is Nearly Upon You!

The latest Kickstarter from the Merry Mushmen is XNOO #1, a 276 page "aperiodical" fantasy comics anthology. It features work by several rpg and comic artists, among them James West, Stefan Poag, and Jason Sholtis. Of interest to readers here, it also features the debut of the Land of Azurth comic "The Runaway Shadow" written by me and featuring art by comics veteran Mike Kazaleh. There's also great stuff by artists like Alexey Gorboot. Kennon James and Tim Molloy, and more!

In addition to the comics stories, it's filled out with articles by the likes of James Maliszewski and myself on related topics. My text piece is on comics adaptations of literary Sword & Sorcery characters.

You're going to want to check it out.

Head over to Kickstarter now to be notified on launch tomorrow.

Wednesday Comics: DC, August 1985 (week 4)

I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to the end of Crisis! This week, I read the comics on sale on May 23, 1985.

Batman and the Outsiders #24: Barr and Davis send most of the Outsiders to the Gotham Zoo where Rex and Sapphire have a tense meeting with Simon Stagg over their wedding plans. A group of armed men attack, and the Outsiders have to deal with the chaos they cause. In the aftermath, it's revealed the attack was cover for the attempted assassination of Stagg orchestrated by his assistant. After Rex saves his life, Stagg warms on the idea of the hero marrying his daughter.

Meanwhile, Halo is in the city by herself and encounters a friendly hippie guy in a van who calls himself Brother Abraham. Meanwhile, he offers her a place stay and drives her to a secluded commune called Eden.

Blue Devil #15: Truly the DCU most be overrun with geniuses because an inventor on the level of Cassidy just winds up doing special effects and theme park animatronics. In this issue, as Blue Devil contends with Verner's Vanquisher (Verner's chaffeur that he had empower by scientists as a superhero), the two fight a King Kong-esque robot running amuck that Cassidy made for the studio tour. The process that created the Vanquisher seems to have made him mentally unstable, and he kidnaps Marla with whom he's infatuated.

Green Lantern #191: Engelhart and Staton/Patterson reveal the Predators identity at last, and it is certainly unexpected. After Hal's discover of Carol's perfume lingering in the Predator's hideout, he also finds the reporter's videotape showing the meeting between Green Arrow, Black Canary, Carol, and himself, that on one else involved with seems to remember. Hal calls Ollie, Dinah, and John Stewart, but no one's home, so he heads to Carol's place and shows her. Even with the reveal, I'm still not sure why the Predator doesn't want them to remember this, but luckily, I don't have to think about that long, because the Predator shows up and kidnaps Carol. He takes her to his old theater hide out. Powerless Hal suits up for battle and confronts the villain. He gives a good showing, but he can't stop the Predator from playing the old organ (something Carol thinks is important). When he does, Carol declares her love for the Predator, as he does for her. Then they merge into one being: Star Sapphire!

Infinity, Inc. #17: The Thomases and McFarlane/DeZuniga introduce the rest of Mr. Bones crew, and they are an odd bunch. I don't know quite what to think about Thomas and DeZuniga creating Arak as a historical S&S hero then doing a modern, minor villain that bears his name but is unrelated presumably other than being Native American. Does him calling himself (or someone else naming him) Arak suggest that the original Arak is a well-known historical figure in the DC Universe? 

Anyway, Fury finds herself prisoner of this team who call themselves Helix. They want to ransom her for millions from Carter Hall. Hector tries to rescue her but gets defeated.

New Teen Titans #11: Wolfman and García-López/Tanghal continue the story from last issue. After sleeping on it, Joe is still weirded out by the mutated bug people, and I mean, who wouldn't be? He and Kole get the other Titans and they head out to the mansion where we follow the familiar pattern to this title of our heroes getting captured so they can talk with the villain while he puts them in one trap, then they escape and end up in another, then they escape and the bad guy is neutralized in some way. In this case, Weathers and his mutant followers (including his own grasshopper mutant wife) expose themselves to a gas that turns them completely into bugs so they can survive the nuclear devastation he's sure is coming, and they let the Titans go. Other than following the typical Titans formula, this story is just weird. With its Hellstrom Chronicle vibe and schlocky mutants, it feels like something from a 70s Marvel comic, or done a different way, one of DC's now-defunct horror/sci-fi anthologies.

Sgt. Rock #403: The main story by Kanigher/Catan involves Rock and an Italian resistance fighter pursuing a German officer guilty of war crimes to a church in Terza, Italy, where the officer has asked for sanctuary--and Pope Pius XII. This story is another one that has that weird story beat that comes up on occasion where Rock seems to really want to capture a German officer (it's always an officer) to make him stand trial instead of killing him. And this is after the guy just shot the Pope. Rock's hesitancy leads to the resistance fighter getting shot. Rock then pursues the Nazi into the church's bell tower where in the scuffle, the German gets knocked out of the tower by the bell and falls to his death.

The second story is the first publication of Tom McWeeney, who will go on to do a lot of work in the 90s, particularly at Wildstorm. This goofy story is not a career high point, though, and would have made more sense in Weird War Tales, if anywhere. Soldiers die and are burnt to a crisp on a deserted battlefield. Is it nuclear war or at least are they caught in a nuclear test? No, it's a pizza in the oven and they're...anchovies? 

Saga of Swamp Thing #39: Moore and Bissette/Totleben continue the story with Swamp Thing walking into the reservoir covering Rosewood to deal with the vampires. The vampires aren't a threat to him, that is until the next generation is born. The survivor of the brood is an inhuman monster that rends Swamp Things body apart. That doesn't stop Swamp Thing, though. He just moves through the Green and becomes a whole hillside of vegetation. He moves and diverts the water of the reservoir into the river again (likely flooding places downstream, but anyway...) and the vampires die in moving water. Before all that, the parents of the boys who went missing come to Rosewood, and one of them is killed by their own vampire son, but the rest escape. Constantine tells Swamp Thing he didn't take care of things quick enough. Now word will get out, and people will believe in vampires. That's what the enemy he's trying to defeat needs. Constantine tells Swampie to meet him in Maine.

Warlord #96: I reviewed this issue here.

Talent Showcase #18: The editorial reiterates the reason for the name change and tells us that the next issue will be the last. This issue is a weird mix of sci-fi stories done by established pros (Bruce Jones, Shawn McManus, and Dan Adkins) sometimes with the assistance of relative newcomers that could have been anthology book inventor stories from a few years ago. Then there are several short, humor cartoons, and even a text piece by John Constanza. The only complete newcomer story is a superhero humor piece with everything but the lettering done by Kerry Callen, who will go on mostly to work for Mad.

Who's Who #6: We're into the D's and we get Darkseid, the Demon, DeSaad, Doctor Bedlam, and the Deep Six courtesy of their creator, Jack Kirby. Atari Force is well represented with Dark Destroyer and Dart by José Luis García-López. García-López also does Deadman, perhaps because he's the artist on the limited series that will be published at the end of '85. Amethyst's Dark Opal also shows up with art by his original artists, Colon. Marshall Rogers renders Deadshot who will become more prominent in the next few years. Deimos shows up from Warlord, courtesy of Grell. The then-recent Demolition Team is here, courtesy of their co-creator, Dave Gibbons. There are, of course, a lot of "Doctors." Giffen and Mahlstedt give us Doctor Fate instead of whoever's drawing All-Star Squadron this month.

Wednesday Comics: DC, August 1985 (week 3)

I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis! This week, I'm looking at comics that were published on May 16, 1985.

Batman #386: This was the subject of the last recorded but to date unreleased episode of The Bronze Age Book Club and an episode I am fond of. Moench and Mandrake set out to create a new major Batman villain, and they are more successful here than Moench's attempt with Nocturna and Night-Slayer at least to the extent that Black Mask continues to appear and has even been in a movie.

We're introduced to Roman Sionis scion of a wealthy family and subject of childhood trauma in parallel to Bruce Wayne. After his company releases a poorly tested cosmetic that has horrible potential side effects, Sionis is ruined and snaps, becoming the masked crime boss Black Mask and contesting with Batman as the head of the False Face Society of Gotham. Black Mask uses his toxic cosmetic to kill his enemies, and Bruce Wayne is his next target.

Jemm, Son of Saturn #12: Potter and Colan/MacLeod bring the series to an end, if not a definitive one. The Red Saturnians storm the one remaining ship of the White Saturnians and Synn, grieving the death of her lover, distractedly agrees to end hostilities, but in no way indicates a willingness to make peace with Jemm. In fact, Jemm's own people are still ambivalent about his actions. He flies to Earth to save Luther from the Kamah, the last belligerent Koolar. His fight with her is sort of perfunctory, but its decisive. Meanwhile, Lincoln and Crazy Eddie find Bouncer still alive in the rubble. They offer him to come with them to find a place to live and he agrees. They reunite with Luther along the way, but not before the boy and his alien friend say their goodbyes. Jemm returns to his people even if they are not yet ready to embrace him.

Amethyst #8: I have this issue, but I didn't remember anything about its contents. Mishkin/Cohn and new artistic team Jurgens/Kesel (though we're told Colon will return to the title he co-created next issue) finish the Fire Jade arc. After her identity is revealed to Princess Emerald, Fire Jade attacks, but Prince Garnet appeals to her, and she hesitates, allowing Amethyst to take out the demonic creature commanding her. Then, what's left of Lady Emerald in Fire Jade, sacrifices herself to stop the grim reaper from taking Citrina. It's doesn't have the old woman, but it does give her enough time to pass on custody of Gemworld to Amethyst before dying.

Meanwhile, Prince Topaz and Lady Sapphire are caught in a storm and seek refuge in an isolated city which is under the leadership of White Opal, brother to evil overlord.

Arak Son of Thunder #47: Arak and friends are in a harbor in China and Arak is unsettled by all the dragonboats given the beef he's got with the Serpent. Seemingly confirming his suspicion, a real dragon attacks some ships and Arak dives in to save a woman, but Arak himself is knocked out. He's rescued by his old ally Haakon who is in China possessing as a Byzantine ambassador as part of a scheme. After all that, Valda and Arak get some time alone, but then Mu-Lan attacks, and it isn't the Disney version!

Flash #348: After seeing the footage Frye recorded, the Flash believes Reverse Flash is back. He tells Cecile, who starts an investigation of her own. Meanwhile, Reverse Flash keeps taking down the Rogues, and some in the police force wonder if the Flash is responsible.

While all this is going on, the jury in the Flash's trial deliberates. They are deadlocked until Nathan Newbury steps in. Contrary to my expectations, he actually seems to be trying to help the Flash. He uses a device to show the jury what really happened: that the Flash is Barry Allen and so had a good motive reason to murder use lethal force to stop Reverse Flash. They jury members are all going to vote for acquittal, but then Reverse Flash appears in the strange realm Newberry has taken them to and somehow possesses him. He then uses Newberry's power to make the jury vote unanimously "guilty."

Legion of Super-Heroes #13: Levitz and Lightle/Mahlstedt send Timber Wolf and Karate Kid's Sensei to Lythyl, a planet like a combination of a deadly martial arts tournament and a bondage club, to fulfill a request from their dead friend. Things get bad enough that some other Legionnaires have to come to the rescue, but they managed to rescue a boy named Myg.

Omega Men #29: Klein and McManus/Mitchell continue the Omegans' trying to get out of the Psions' research station. Their benefactor, the mysterious Artin, through robot minions requires them to complete a task on their way out. The Omega Men penetrate the Psion temple of the Four Questions with Kalista projecting an image of the Psion leader Malthus. In the end, the identity of Artin is revealed, and its Primus, only he doesn't look like the Primus we've known.

Red Tornado #2: Busiek and Infantino/McLaughlin continue on from last issue in pretty much the same mode. The Construct gloats while civilians reject Tornado even as it helps them, and Superman shows up to enforce that the JLA meant their prohibition of Tornado's heroics by tearing the android limb from limb. He self-repairs but in the end he's had enough and says he's never going to help humans again. The Construct takes control of electronic devices across the globe. T.O. Morrow figures out the Construct is behind all this and begins formulating a plan to fight back.

Star Trek #17: We get a new writer this issue, L.B. Kellogg, with a same artistic team. This story is less like a TOS episode and more like something we would have gotten in a later series. Sulu, Uhura, and Bryce go on an undercover mission in a capture ship to make contact with a dilithium smuggler on a space station who happens to be an old flame of Uhura's. Meanwhile, Kirk and the Excelsior discover the mining is being done by slave labor. Uhura and Sulu take down her old lover, putting an end to slave trading and illegal mining, and Kirk promises to relocate the aquatic native species whose environment has become untenable.

Superman #410: Bates and Swan/Williamson give us another one of those action-free puzzle stories so common to Superman comics in the era. Superman stops a satellite falling toward Hawaii by kicking it into a volcano, but after Clark Kent writes the story evidence goes forward that it didn't happen, and Clark's fired in disgrace after (as Superman) he's forced deny being the source of the story to keep Earth's trust in Superman. It's all a hoax contrived by Lex Luthor in a plot to take down Superman, but how it plays out we'll have to see next issue.