Yet another crossover that's a crossover...because they said so, that's why!

I would've sworn this story came after #116, the end of the "Morgan's Quest" storyline, but nope! One short. From 1987, Warlord #115, "The Citadel of Fear!" Written by Michael Fleisher, art by Ron Randall.

The issue opens with a desert caravan that tempts fate by talking about the recent scourge of the desert...the Warlord? Who has been leading raids for captives, taking them to a "citadel of terror" from which no one has ever returned--okay, first off, it's "Citadel of Fear," it's right there in the title; second, if no one ever returned, how did anyone hear about it? Regardless, during the attack, one caravanner kills himself rather than be taken, leading the Warlord to kill one of his own men in rage.

Meanwhile, much closer to Shamballah, Travis, Mariah, and Shakira have just arrived, their quest to save the magically-aged Jennifer seemingly a failure. More oddly, Travis seemed to have forsaken his wife Tara, now declaring his love for Mariah. Shakira thinks Travis is acting a fool, and rides off...I'm more than 90% sure Travis wasn't 100% faithful to Tara, if that sort of thing was even an issue in Skartaris. Back at the citadel, the "Warlord" marches his prisoners in, then unmasks: she's Y'smalla, a Vashek assassin. And she's using an image inducer-style device, courtesy of her partner here: Desaad! Yes, Darkseid's lackey, from the New Gods Desaad. This issue was a Legends crossover; I have to say it's been a dog's age since I've read that one. Anyway, Desaad has some kind of mission there, but is also enjoying the opportunity to torture peasants and feel their pain--that seems new; I would've thought he'd be all about inflicting pain but not receiving it; unless I'm misremembering. (Y'smalla got an entry in an Who's Who update, shortly after the Watchmen entry, but that probably makes her one of the better-known Warlord bad guys. Check after the break!)

Travis and Mariah ride into a village, that had earlier suffered a raid by the fake Warlord, so they're not thrilled to see them. They're captured and going to be burned at the stake, although a rider does take off, to tell Tara. The rider gets there in time to see Tara captured by Desaad, so then has to ride back and save Travis and Mariah. He then takes them to the citadel, where Travis tells Mariah while he doesn't love Tara anymore, he still has to save her. That's not entirely true, though: Mariah knows Travis only loves her because of a magic amulet, and is feeling more than a little guilty about this. In the Citadel, Desaad had planned on killing Tara, in front of all the captives, as Morgan, to further break them; but with Morgan coming Desaad has to think quickly and create a different illusion: Tara getting fed grapes by loincloth-clad hunks.

Still, Travis sees through the illusion, with another magic item, a ring I'm guessing was from a prior issue even if I don't recall it right this second. Desaad knows when it's time to bail, and skips out as a huge chunk of machinery is about to crush Tara and Mariah, with Travis only having time to save one! Knowing she'd never be able to live with herself, Mariah tosses the amulet into a fire, freeing Travis to save Tara. Luckily, even though they weren't close, Shakira had stayed nearby, and helps Mariah get clear. Tara and Morgan are reunited; while Desaad consoles himself with the thought that he had damaged Morgan's legend, and Y'smalla was still out there...

Warlord had a Crisis crossover around issue #91, but I don't know if readers were clamoring for the book to be part of the DC universe. This wasn't the last time the New Gods would come up, either. After the break: how about I blog the same damn comic twice, because I found it in the quarter bin, and didn't think I had done it already since it was scheduled for seven years from when I originally wrote the post?

Because it amuses me, and because I didn't want to have a solid week of Warlord posts, I've scheduled them out to 2030; but let's sneak one in now! From 1987, Warlord #115, "The Citadel of Fear" Written by Michael Fleisher, art by Ron Randall.

A desert caravan of merchants is almost safe and dry, when the scourge of the sands attacks--the Warlord, "and his blood-mad horde!" Riding his traditional armored black steed from back in the Grell days, Warlord wants prisoners, even killing one of his own men for letting a merchant kill himself to avoid "the citadel." Meanwhile, near Shamballah, the Warlord and his companion Shakira and his new girlfriend Mariah--wait a minute! That's not right...Travis wonders what their next course of action will be, since he still hasn't figured out how to save his daughter Jennifer, or how to tell his wife Tara he was with Mariah now. We'll probably get to the previous issues eventually, but Mariah has accidentally-on purpose used some kind of love amulet to make her long-time crush way too devoted to her. Shakira, seemingly far more chaste than I would've ever guessed, calls Travis on it, then takes off in a huff.

Back at the aforementioned citadel, as captives are shuffled off to the dungeons, the 'Warlord' makes a report to none other than Desaad of the New Gods! Under an Apokoliptan disguise, Y'smalla of the Vashek Assassins was greatly enjoying the opportunity to destroy the Warlord's good name; while Desaad had some mission going (maybe even a plot against Darkseid!) but was mostly just enjoying torturing captives, and experiencing their pain as well. Y'smalla knows he's a nut, but she was getting what she wanted, so...Long-time DC readers may actually recognize her from the house ads for Who's Who Update '87! Bottom left corner!

Travis and Mariah ride into a trashed village, and are immediately attacked by the villagers, who are confused why the Warlord would return without his horde, but are more than willing to have them both burned at the stake. A lone rider leaves to get his queen, but Tara has her own hands full, as she's visited by a disguised Desaad, who captures her. The rider goes back to free Travis and Mariah, and leads them to the citadel; where in front of his collected prisoners, Desaad plans to torture Tara to death under the guise of the Warlord, which should kill his reputation throughout Skartaris.

Travis pushes hard on the way to save Tara, explaining to Mariah that he still felt he owed her that; while Mariah feels like dirt. Desaad tries a bit of trickery first, with an illusion making it seem like Tara was just at a really hedonistic spa day, but a magic ring from a prior issue lets Travis see through it. Well, Desaad figures he's probably done enough, right, so time to split; as falling machinery is going to crush Tara and Mariah, and Travis only has time to save one of them! Knowing she would hate herself, Mariah tosses the amulet into a fire, to free Travis to save Tara, while the returning Shakira saves Mariah. Shakira did that sort of thing a lot: leave, then come back like she couldn't trust her friends not to die without her constant guidance. Reunited, Travis kisses Tara, while Mariah wonders if it's better to have loved and lost, and Desaad takes his leave of Skartaris, wondering what damage he might have done to the legend of Travis Morgan...Look, they had to justify the Legends crossover somehow! 

The next issue would be the conclusion of "Morgan's Quest," which had been running since #101: so many side-quests! Poor Jennifer had probably spent at least a couple months as a 100-year-old woman, but hopefully we'll blog that one someday. Maybe even someday before 2030, but no promises!

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80-Page Thursdays: DC's Spring Breakout! #1

The day I picked this up was a busy one! I had to replace the battery in my car, which took a bit of doing: walk to the O'Reilly's, walk back with the battery, bike back to the hardware store for a ratchet set...I was lucky enough to get done before it started raining, and the rest of the day kind of looked like how everyone thinks it does here all the time: namely, Seattle gray and rainy. But I had to rush, to make it to a sale the next town over! Anyway, I'm nattering on, since this won't fit in the scanner, and it's also appropriate for here that the cover says "Eight Sensational Stories to Spring you Forward" and we look at it the week we fall back! From 2024, DC's Spring Breakout! #1, with stories by Joey Esposito, Thomas Krajewski, Mike W. Barr, and more; and art by Nico Bascuñán, Scott Kolins, Marco Santucci, and more.

Oddly, only maybe two stories seem really spring break-related: the Teen Titans "Relay for your Life," where Robin tries, and mostly fails, at turning a beach day into team-building exercises; and the Metal Men in "The Day the Robot Danced." Has Scott Kolins done other Metal Men stories? Good fit there. Doc Magnus's latest robot has disappeared, Gold has called in sick but really just wanted a day off, and the Doc might've been distracted when sending Iron and Lead to enter a surf contest. A helpful surfer helps Tin get the hang of it, and he also figures out the new robot's problem: namely, it was built to be too serious, which means Doc Magnus took a perfectly good robot and gave it anxiety.

In "Field Trip" Harley Quinn swings back by Belle Reve prison, to bust King Shark out for some birthday fun: I want to say Harley's currently written as well-intentioned but seemingly with the superpower to make bad decisions. The trip involves an alien monster, space, and Metropolis, because that's how she rolls. "Cold Feet" is a character piece with Batman and Mr. Freeze: Bruce Wayne is a wallflower at his own party, until Mr. Freeze shows up. Stalling, Batman explains, without any direct references to himself, that he didn't like to dance, as he had lost his partner, namely, his mom. But he still ended up at balls or cotillions or whatever, and at one a striking ballerina asks him to dance, which both brings him out of himself a little, but also teaches him how to lead...like, to lead Freeze directly into a trap. But, shades of the Gotham TV show here: the ballerina had been Nora, who had been Freeze's fiance at the time--and was at the party! He met young Bruce! That almost feels like Freeze should be putting two-and-two together in the paddy wagon.

Mike W. Barr's "Soul Survivor" maybe doesn't have anything to do with spring break, but didn't Barr create Katana? Yeah, he can do whatever. Superman and Jimmy are catching "Opening Day" for the Metropolis Meteors, and "Shape-Shift in the Park" has an unusual face-off--multiple face-offs!--with Clayface crashing a Shakespeare in the Park thing, and the Martian Manhunter being forced to play opposite him. The Lex Luthor story might be the oddest, as Lex finds himself buried alive, but getting himself out is how he proves to himself that he was better than those who were just "given" powers. But was he President again? Or maybe this was set when he was...? A choice, that also doesn't really sing 'spring break,' but this wasn't bad. I did get another 80-pager, but am mildly disappointed since I had been looking for DC's I Know What You Did Last Crisis, although that one maybe doesn't have the jokes the cover makes you think it might. Read more!

"Strike."

Hmm, I had typed something here, but I don't think it saved. Anyway, the Wand of Watoomb does look like it would hurt, shoved anywhere. Read more!

I do kind of like it when Batman says "don't get involved, I'll handle it" then immediately gets strangled.

Checking Mike's, this issue came out the same week as the Demon #13; and I'm wondering if this maybe wasn't the first non-Kirby Demon? From 1973, the Brave and the Bold #109, "Gotham Bay, Be My Grave!" Written by Bob Haney, art by Jim Aparo.

Batman gets called in, after a monster emerges from said Gotham Bay; while in an upscale portion of the city Glenda Mark is this close to putting something together: namely, that all these old portraits Jason Blood had of his "ancestors" look like him! Jason laughs it off, because this was back in the day when the hero's secret identity was sacred, not just because he's being a jerk. But, his friend Harry is on his way to his boat, when he too is attacked by the monster. (If you keep reading Demon comics, that's nowhere near the worst thing to happen to Harry!) Before Jason gets involved, there's a full page of him talking with Merlin, who was maybe like his boss at this point? Still, Etrigan saves Harry, but gets slapped around a bit. Then while giving chase, Etrigan is netted by Batman! Harry and Randu arrive in time for Randu to change him back to Jason, letting him in on the secret he wouldn't tell Glenda! (It helps that Batman recognizes them all: Jason was a "prominent demonologist," Harry "Gotham's top huckster," since he was an ad man, and Randu a "famed U.N. delegate.")

After Harry's attack, Batman has realized the monster was attacking sailors or seafarers; while Randu has to do most of the legwork via ESP: he sees a ship near Krakatoa in 1883, that was going to hang sailor Jack Dobbs for murdering the first mate. Instead, the volcanic eruption destroys the ship with all hands, but Jack somehow lives on. Batman warns Jason off the case, then tries to lure out the creature, but he may have bit off more than he could chew: the tranq he had prepared doesn't break the creature's skin! Getting choked out, Batman has to admit, maybe he did need the Demon there...

Of course, Jason doesn't quit that easy: changing to Etrigan, he breaks into the Gotham Museum to get...a coil of rope? Meanwhile, the creature that had been Jack Dobbs brings Batman out to the raised wreck of his ship like Bats was Julie Adams in Creature from the Black Lagoon; then jumps the Demon when he arrives. The fight isn't going terrible, until Merlin, steamed that Blood missed their appointment, takes away his power, turning Etrigan back into Jason! Randu ESP's Merlin, who realizes his error and restores Etrigan. The Demon then tears the metal collar off Dobbs--his defense against being hung--and strings him up with the rope, which had been from the original boat...I don't think hemp holds up like that, even if it had been in a locker? Would a 90-year old rope hold him...oh, it's probably magic, sure. With Dobbs dead, again; the boat sinks again; and the closing captions seem to hype up the Demon returning to B & B someday--and Etrigan would, in #137. Huh, that was it? I was expecting to see like a third team-up in there. Read more!

Where the hell was this cover BEFORE Halloween?

OK, I picked this up on sale the day after, but I still feel like my point stands. From 2017, Spider-Woman #13, "Good Old Fashioned Hob Kabobs" Written by Dennis Hopeless (Hallem), art by Veronica Fish.

We saw another issue from this series (with another sharp cover) some time back, but Jessica has to acknowledge she was in a good place then: she had her "manny" Roger--new Porcupine--Gocking and longtime Daredevil supporting character Ben Urich to help with her kid, which frees her up to do stuff like fight the Blizzard! Who she takes care of pretty quickly, but was cold, so she heads home for a dry costume and a hot shower, only to find Ben there, as Roger had "...some sort of appointment." It feels like Ben didn't want to lie, but also couldn't really explain why Roger was out, because he had a meeting, at what appears to be a Bar With No Name! (Which is somehow a franchise in the 616, despite a ton of murders at the first one we saw, back around Cap #319!)

Later, Jessica makes a visit, to Moon's Hollow, NY: she explains, it was originally an extortion racket by a bunch of villains' "fed up wives and girlfriends," but they turned it into a festival town and went legit. While most are thrilled to see her, she does get a chilly reception from Olivia, Roger's ex. Back in NYC, Ben has a rooftop chat with Roger: Roger seems to legitimately feel he could be useful as the Porcupine (Sandman had gotten jobbed by him in the previous issue!) while Ben knows Roger is just smitten with Jessica, and advises him to not act on it, as she needed their support right then. Roger seems to accept that, feeling out of Jessica's league, but then has to hide Ben, as someone was coming...and he didn't think Jessica could lose both of them. A batch of villains come in, on Hobgoblin-style gliders--even someone in an older Beetle suit; those should fly? The bad guys stomp on Roger, for turning on them, forgetting where he was from. I'm not positive who all these guys were, or at least what suits these guys were wearing: there was a Unicorn and a Ringer, although they may or may not have been the originals. I don't think that was the old Beetle, he was still M.A.C.H.1, right? One might be a seriously 'roided up Mad Dog; but their boss was the Hobgoblin! Who was upset over Roger breaching a contract with him, so Roger is left, tied up, with a pumpkin bomb on his lap, and Ben doesn't get to him in time! Shaken, Ben tries to find the words to tell Jessica...to be continued! 

Ben's usually a better reporter than this, 'cause check some facts: Roger was a big guy in a big spiky suit; no way one of those little pumpkin bombs could've atomized him. There would've been chunks everywhere...hmm, unless Hobby got that good pumpkin bomb from the first Spider-Man movie. Anyway, pretty sure Roger wasn't killed, but I'm also not sure he's been seen recently. (If Ben hasn't been back in Daredevil of late, I would be beyond surprised.) I had to look, since I thought Hopeless and/or Fish might have done that Axis: Hobgoblin series: they did not, but seem to be staying with that model for Hobby. Namely, really, really smarmy and smirky.

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There's a ghost right on the box, what did you think would happen eating it?

From 1982, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #17, featuring "...the best of Ghosts and other tales of terror!" But, it doesn't actually reprint any stories from DC's Ghosts title! These stories were mostly from House of Secrets or House of Mystery, but with the host from Ghosts, the Gentleman Ghost-lookalike "Squire Shade" drawn in to present them instead of Cain or Abel. Still, it's a killer lineup this 100-pages, with art by Neal Adams, Berni Wrightson, Mike Kaluta, Wally Wood, and more!

I didn't have this before, but recently got it while buying DVD's! Anyway, no scans from this little one, I'm afraid, but if you hit your local shop, you might be able to get the facsimile reprint of the Limited Collector's Edition #C-23, better known as the House of Mystery treasury. It'll be easier to read and includes Neal Adams's "The Widows Walk" and "Nightmare" from this one. 

Right about when this posts I'll probably be starting a busy Halloween of horror movies and Boo Berry! Ooh, I've been eating lower carb and am just dying for a big blue bowl of sweetness; in typical horror comic twist-ending fate it'll probably blow the top of my head off! If I survive the experience, there's a toy show Sunday; and we'll see you next week!

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Admittedly, House of Mystery deserves a Congressional medal of honor probably more than any recent recipients.

Wait, I might be thinking of the Presidential Medal of whatever; but we're not waiting to save this for November 13th, either!

Ugh, this isn't even an 80-page Thursdays one. Some years I'm maybe on the ball enough for a whole month of horror comics or something, like all those Twilight Zones last year; and this year, um...I actually wrote Friday's post before this one, but there's some overlap between the two: from 1998, Welcome Back to the House of Mystery #1, featuring stories by Steve Skeates, Mike Friedrich, George Kashdan, Bob Kanigher, and more; and art by Jim Aparo, Gil Kane, Wally Wood, Neal Adams, and more. Cover by Bernie Wrightson.

This was a 100-pager, under the Vertigo label, reprinting classics from House of Mystery, as well as two Bernie Wrightson numbers from Plop! ("The Gourmet" and "Molded in Evil," Wrightson also has "The Secret of the Egyptian Cat" from HoM here.) Because they may have thought the reprints weren't enough of a draw, there's also a new framing sequence with art by Sergio Aragonés; although I wish it was with his usual collaborator Mark Evanier. Sergio also does a little piece for "Cain's True Things You Didn't Know About the House of Mystery!!!!" Four exclamation points, so you know it's good!

I'm going to mention it again tomorrow, since I've already written that post; but a few from here were just reprinted in the giant facsimile edition of Limited Collector's Edition #C-23, the big House of Mystery treasury! That one also has "Nightmare," "Secret of the Egyptian Cat," and "His Name is Cain Kane." So, you could probably grab those now if you hurry!

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"Break."

Back in the Walt Simonson Fantastic Four issues with the Time Variance Authority, there's a reference to a void where leftover stuff from deleted universes gets tossed, and there's what appears to be a Supergirl in there: a bit of a jab at DC and their assorted Crisis events. (Not to be confused with the comic of the same name, which is really well done and also often a downer.) Thrown into the void-hole would probably be a good place for Monarch, except McFarlane just gave him a figure! I don't love their 7-inch scale, but fudge it for bigger characters like him. 

There was a local Target, that for a long stretch, had a ton of Waverider figures. If they had been 6-inch, like the old DC Universe Classics or Marvel Legends, I probably would've bit; but instead I held out for them to go down in price and they seemingly just disappeared: maybe the timeline changed and bip! Gone. Anyway, you guys probably know Monarch's history, and I did have an Armageddon 2001 tag...that I had to update a bit, but there's an old post where I wanted a DCUC version! Well, take what you can get, and I did say there I didn't want an unmasked one, since Monarch loses any gravitas he had without it. Also, I think McFarlane has an Extant figure coming (from Zero Hour) and that's just Hawk/Monarch in a third identity, isn't it? I keep hoping for classic Manhunter, but I doubt it'll happen.  

"Unctuous Robot" is a They Might Be Giants song, but I kinda figure Death's Head might not be the most popular employee (or freelancer) at the TVA. And Black Cat charming her way past Monarch: everyone seems to think security breaches are all guys typing frantically at keyboards, when it's probably more often a pretty smile getting waved through a checkpoint! Also, Kurt does rattle off a lot of actual X-Men continuity: they did fight a lot of robots.

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