I remember a house ad for this, wonder if it's in the issue?

This was a 68-pager, and while I don't think it was the first in this format, it was part of multiple revamps for the title. From 1979, Adventure Comics #463, cover by José Luis García-López.

The opener, "Urtumi the Image Eater" is an oddball one for the Flash, as returning from Earth-2 he's attacked by a bizarre creature, which had been released when archeologists removed a Native American tablet. (Story by Cary Bates, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Joe Giella.) "Mind over Murder!" is a bit more substantial, as Deadman tries to use a somewhat-unhinged scientist's invention, to create a new body for himself. It doesn't work, and Boston continues to get irritated by Rama Kushna, who tells him that would never have worked, and he should be grateful for what he has, because he might have it for eternity...I think Rama was trying to be encouraging, not threatening, but Boston doesn't really see it that way. (Written by Len Wein, pencils by José Luis García-López, inks by Frank Chiaramonte.)

"The Night of the Soul Thief" opens with the Justice Society on the trail of Batman's true killer, and both Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne are unmasked, as their secret identities had been exposed in the wake of Batman's death. The team fights assorted elementals, before being taken before one Fredric Vaux, a sorcerer plotting to end the current age of heroes, so the ongoing conflict of Order vs. Chaos could get back on track, with Chaos victorious and him ruling earth in its name. Vaux had wanted to erase even the memory of the heroes, but too many people in Gotham City remember Batman for that to go away easily. Helena is furious that her father died for nothing, a pawn in a larger game; but on losing Vaux is discarded by Chaos and seemingly done. Doctor Fate then uses what was left of his spell, to convince Earth-2 that Batman and Bruce Wayne had both died, but had been separate men, saving Robin and Huntress's identities. (Written by Paul Levitz, pencils by Joe Staton, inks by Dave Hunt.)

"Climax" is an Aquaman story, and I may need to take a moment to see if he (or Flash or Wonder Woman, for that matter) had his own title at the time: I feel like I've read several Aquaman stories in Adventure. This month, it's Aquaman vs. Aqualad, Mera, Vulko, most of Atlantis, and capitalism! Universal Food Products had entered into a manufacturing partnership with Atlantis, which everyone thought would be good for everyone; except for Aquaman, who had discovered UFP's generators were heating the sea to unlivable levels, while their fertilizers were going to deplete Atlantis's farmland. Or farm-waters; I'm not sure how it works. Arthur wasn't currently the king, and everyone seems to think he's just being stubborn; but come on: the UFP guys had a boat commander in a very Nazi-style uniform, with a friggin' monocle. Pretty sure they're the bad guys, man. Aquaman exposes them, but admits to his friends he didn't blame them, since he didn't have any proof backing him up. Feels like a trust exercise they failed, though. Also, is it my imagination, or despite having less rep Aqualad threw down with his mentor more often than Robin or Speedy did with theirs? Yeah, Robin would've been a good soldier at the time; but I guess Speedy and Ollie probably rough-housed all the time. ("Put down the needle, Roy!" "Make me!" "Put down the chili, Ollie!" "Make me!") (Written by Paul Kupperberg, pencils by Don Heck, inks by Joe Giella.)

Bees. My god. It's Wonder Woman vs. "The Insanity Swarm!" Intelligent bees attack the Houston space center, leaving those stung as mindless and comatose. It's old JLA baddie the Queen Bee, who, when wrapped up in Diana's magic lasso, explains she had taken their minds, but even the lasso couldn't force her to give them back: she had set the self-destruct to prevent even her doing so. But, if Wonder Woman became her slave, then maybe...(Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Joe Staton, inks by Frank McLaughlin.) 

 This was around DC Implosion time, wasn't it? But, there is a US Postal Service Statement of Ownership this issue: total paid circulation, single issue nearest to filing date, 91,693. As usual, those would be blockbuster numbers today, but I don't think were amazing for the time, maybe even for a bimonthly book. Still, this didn't have a copy of the house ad promoting it; not because it would've been redundant, but this book was no ads at the time! I'll add said ad the next time I stumble across it.

Read more!

The continuity hadn't gone out the window yet, and that might be the one costume that looks better on a guy?

From 1984, All-Star Squadron Annual #3, written and edited by Roy Thomas, researched by Dann Thomas, and a whole mess of artists! Jerry Ordway, Rick Hoberg, Rich Buckler, Wayne Boring, Richard Howell, Carmine Infantino, Don Newton, Marty Nodell, George Pérez, Keith Giffen, and more!

Huh, I had thought the Golden Age Tarantula had been a later addition; but nope, he first appeared in 1941! He's probably best known to modern readers as getting killed off in Nightwing, and his successor would...um...do stuff to Dick; but back in the day he became a costumed mystery-man as part of his research into his heroes for a later book. I think his costume was maybe altered or updated by Jerry Ordway though, and it's pretty good; but this issue he gets tripped up on a metal lockbox while pursuing Nazi saboteurs. (Aside: I used to think Nazi saboteurs in WWII-set comics was just the hokiest thing in the world; that there were more in comics than there ever could've been in real life; but lately...) Tarantula is saved by Wonder Woman, and together they investigate the case, which contains an illegible list of names, some newspaper clippings, and references to the Justice Society! Wonder Woman doesn't recognize the photos there, so they take it to her Amazon "magic sphere" back at their Perisphere headquarters. The sphere begins by showing them a JSA meeting, from a year prior, as the team was trying to raise a cool million for war orphans, and razzing Johnny Thunder a bit for dropping the ball: he'd managed to stop some thugs posing as Atom and Sandman, but admitted his Thunderbolt wasn't good with financial stuff. Still, if only their honorary members Superman, Batman and Flash chipped in...and the Thunderbolt delivers them, with $100,000 each!

Green Lantern and Dr. Fate go to deliver the cash to President Roosevelt himself; with Fate saying he had sensed "strange emanations from our nation's capital (sic)." (That should be capitol!) They find shadow-men threatening the president, and shut them down: they had been sent by old JSA foe Ian Karkull, who had previously been reduced to a literal shadow of himself. The shadow-men burst into flames, but GL is able to pull a charred list from the flames: nine other locations, each with a JSA foe. Fate sets a "24-hour protective spell" about the "Executive Mansion," and he and GL race back to JSA headquarters in Gotham. Most of the team then heads out to face their old foes, with Johnny Thunder and GL in reserve. Meanwhile, Ian Karkull likewise puts his forces into the field, promising each one that completes their mission a $100,000. The Tarantula on his team wasn't the same one; and it's weird to see Catwoman with the realistic cat mask; otherwise Wotan was the only one I recognized.

Superman of course has to save Lois Lane, after her plane gets shot down by the Lightning Master, who is about to destroy a hospital for his payday. Supes thinks he should be able to walk through his electrical weapons, but the "new and improved" version gives him pause; until he gets an assist from Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt! Elsewhere, the Hawks stop Alexander the Great, the Spectre stifles Zor, and the Atom and Sandman clobber Tarantula; all before they could attempt to carry out their assassinations. Flash, and his future wife Joan, have an only-slightly harder time with Sieur Satan; but Joan also demands she get to come with him. Batman and Robin chase Catwoman in Hollywood, but she takes out another hitman instead, unwilling to become a killer. Green Lantern faces Wotan, but while the villain is thrown back into another dimension, his last stray shot clips a tree, knocking it over onto a child, killing them. GL isn't sure that kid was Karkull's target, but is furious to find out.

Hourman faces Dr. Doog in Georgia, where he plans to electrocute a good chunk of the countryside to get his target. Despite struggling with Miraclo side-effects, Hourman had been forced to take two pills back-to-back, but he gets an assist from Doog's old foe, Starman! He had seen Hourman go in, and wanted to apply to the JSA. Finally, Dr. Fate saves a small boat from a freak storm, then confronts Karkull, who has set a trap for him, in a house made out of flesh...! Fate summons the JSA for help, getting the entire team, plus Robin, Lois Lane, Joan Williams, Hawkgirl, and Starman. The heroes with ray powers zap Karkull, while the Spectre senses other souls within him. Karkull grows to giant-size, but the Spectre matches him, and Karkull bursts, showering the assembled heroes in a weird light. (A color plate seems off here; I wonder if all copies had this?)

Fate and the Spectre believe that Karkull had "stolen time" somehow, and his demise would prolong the lives of those present, or maybe just make them "more vital" while they lived. That feels like a good start for the rookie Starman, but Hourman and Green Lantern both have to take leaves from the team, and Dr. Fate follows suit: he had to determine if he was in charge, or Nabu. The JSA opts to keep this case a secret, which is why it was news to Tarantula and Wonder Woman--she wouldn't join until months later. Tarantula agrees to honor the Society's wishes and keep this under his hat, although he doubts Karkull was on to anything with his targets...eight of whom would later become President of the United States! Figuring out where each would have been on or about June 28, 1942 would've taken a bit of research.

Along with a bit of fun for a jam issue, Roy Thomas had intended this to patch a few continuity issues: Green Lantern's very brief tenure as chairman of the JSA, Hourman's leave of absence, Dr. Fate's changing helmets and powers; as well as the heroes' long-lives and vitality past what would usually be expected for their ages.

Read more!

For no reason I can think of, I thought this was the last issue of this series...wait, I remember what I was thinking of! And we blogged that one already, and this one's right here, so...from 1978, DC Special Series #10, Secret Origins of Super-Heroes; featuring "This Immortal Destiny!" Written by Paul Levitz, pencils by Joe Staton, inks by Michael Netzer; "This Light A-Borning" Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Don Newton, inks by Frank Chiaramonte; and "The Canary Is a Bird of Prey" Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Mike Vosburg, inks by Terry Austin.

I feel like this framing device has been used before, or again, possibly even in another retelling of Doctor Fate's origin: a diary entry from Kent Nelson's long-suffering wife, Inza. Who loved her husband, no problems there; she just wearied of sharing him with Nabu: whenever he put on the helmet, Kent would be gone, leaving Dr. Fate in his place. In Kent's defense, it seems like he was only becoming Fate when needed to defend reality or whatnot; not just to get away or anything. I'm hard-pressed to think of a less rewarding alter-ego; I can't recall if Kent even remembers much of his time as Fate. And his origin includes the death of his father, getting aged up after his training, and Inza is basically a prisoner, since she can't magic her way through the walls of the tower they live in?

I don't know if readers were clamoring for the secret origin of Lightray, he was pretty far down the depth chart. But, after he saves some kids, a child asks what most probably thought, weren't you born with powers? Nope, as a child on New Genesis, while exploring with Metron and Orion, he came across a secret Apokolips base, and got zapped with a ton of radiation. Metron had kind of got them into that one, and wracked with guilt that young "Sollis" might die, he struggled for weeks to save him. He succeeded, with Sollis awakening with new powers, and Highfather suggests he select a new name for himself, to reflect his new status. I could see Lightray and Orion being childhood friends, after the latter first came to New Genesis, but Metron as a kid is just weird. Like he sprung from the Source as an older guy with weird eyebrows.

Lastly, the not-super-secret, but pre-Crisis origin of Black Canary, after Ollie asks her if she "ever regretted not living what most people consider a 'normal woman's' life?" While an agressively stupid and sexist question, Dinah does have to wonder, is she her own woman, or her daddy's. He trained her to be a supercop, while also being somewhat conflicted at the thought of risking her. As a young woman, she was basically on the job already, doing ridealongs with her dad and his new partner, Larry Lance; but dad would have a heart attack, possibly caused by Dinah not getting accepted to the police academy. (There only being so many spots open for dames back then; this was described as "the days before women's liberation.") She tells Larry she'll take the insurance money and open a flower shop, but was already planning a new career, in the growing field of "costumed mystery men!" First as a Robin Hood-type robbing from criminals, then joining the Justice Society; Dinah would eventually marry Larry (who also quit the force, fed up with cops) but he would later get killed trying to save her from the age of Aquarius or something. (I wonder if she goes into a crying rage every time she hears that song. I certainly do.) Grief-ridden, she would emigrate from Earth-2 to Earth-1 and join the Justice League; and while she missed those she had lost, she loved her new life. Crap, I think I've read her pre-Crisis origin stuff--and there's more, and it gets nuts--too much, since I've lost track how much, if any of this, carries into post-Crisis or modern continuity. Read more!

As often the case around here, things have been on blog-o-pilot for the last week or so: I've been out, and it's the brief stretch where it's really hot locally. Maybe this comic will make things seem cool by comparison! From 2008, Reign in Hell #4, featuring "Counterstrike!" Written by Keith Giffen, pencls by Tom Derenick, inks by Bill Sienkiewicz; and "Half Measures" Written by Keith Giffen, pencils by Justiniano, inks by Walden Wong.

No opening recap here, as war in Hell continues, with the Demon and Blue Devil smacking each other around. That's...kind of good on Danny, for going toe-to-toe with Etrigan; but on the other hand, remember when he used to be fun? Two lower-level devils cut out as the fighting gets too close, as that could maybe release something worse...Elsewhere, Dr. Fate visits, I think that's Lady Blaze? about the ongoing Neron problem, but may have said too much and gets attacked by her she-devils. Zauriel meets with part of the Shadowpact, regarding a resistance in Hell, which may also involve Zatanna.

Back on earth, the Etrigan-less Jason Blood is hitting the spell books, trying to find a way to keep the Demon from ever being bound to him again. Good luck with that! But he's visited by Deadman, who warns of Ruma Kushna losing balance: all "infernal" things had been purged from earth, but that was driving her insane. Boston advises, an intervention. Finally, the Etrigan/Blue Devil brawl hits "deep detention," something it took all of Hell to imprison in a "runespout," which of course they then fall into. After a massive explosion, a familiar figure emerges from the smoke...none other than the main man himself, Lobo! The next issue box praised the "frag-tastic" return of the "real" Lobo; what, was there a fake? I was thinking of the later New 52 version, but that was years away.

The second feature continues Dr. Occult and Yellow Peri's journey deeper into Hell, in search of Occult's "soulmate" Rose. They appear to be coming up on a weird techy part of Hell, but not much to that one.

Read more!

Shoot, I was going to blog this issue, then it was missing a big chunk in the middle. Well, we'll take a look at what I've got left: from 1982, the Flash #309, "How Do You Kill a Legend?" Written by Cary Bates, pencils by Carmine Infantino, inks by Dennis Jensen.

This issue is largely Silver Age-style silliness, with Kyrad--an alien--or rather, a far-future man--travelling back to the past to steal super-powers to save his people from a menace. And the Flash wasn't even his first choice, he was going to steal Green Lantern's ring! Which is a shame, since stealing Flash's super-powers would kill him...Flash realizes why Kyrad needs powers, and they go back further in time, to the lightning storm that first gave him his powers. Then we're missing some pages, and Kyrad sacrifices himself to stop a monster, and Flash returns to the present. Still, when Flash goes back in the past, he becomes a phantom, since he can't exist at two places in the same time: "One of the unbreakable laws of time travel" at that time, as we've seen recently.

Also this issue: a Martin Pasko/Keith Giffen/Larry Mahlstedt Dr. Fate back-up, "Tomorrow is Forever" Hmm, I thought I had the reprint of that one, but now I'm not sure. And the letter's page includes a Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation: Paid circulation, actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date, 85,635.
Read more!

80-Page Thursdays: Countdown Special: Eclipso #1!

The last of the Countdown specials I have: from 2008, Countdown Special: Eclipso #1, featuring stories by Robert Loren Fleming and John Ostrander, with art by Colleen Doran and Ray Kryssing and Tom Mandrake.

Huh, for some reason I thought this was going to have a reprint of Eclipso's first appearance, but we saw that in another 80-page reprint several years back! Instead, this one leads with a highlight of Eclipso's 90's book, "Black Pieces," featuring a chess match with Eclipso vs. Darkseid! (Which reminded me of an old Thor Annual with Odin playing Dormammu, and man, I've been blogging a long time.) Moreso than the actual match, the conversation is key: Eclipso tells that story about Noah's ark again, which Darkseid probably doesn't believe. Darkseid reveals the secret origin of Desaad, which may or may not be true either, but is genuinely disturbing. Eclipso explains a little about his black diamonds...and why he can't kill his former host Bruce Gordon, or Bruce's long-suffering girlfriend Mona Bennet. Yet. And before the game ends in a draw, Darkseid confesses why he had his own mother assassinated: revenge, for her murder of Darkseid's first wife and only love. (Of course, consider the sources: any or all of the above could be lies. Or retconned.)

Next we have a two-parter from the 90's Spectre series: "Into the Dark Side" and "Final Judgments." On the cover for the latter, the planet-sized Spectre appears to be giving earth the People's Elbow...That would be entirely too playful and fun for this series, yeah. As occasionally happens, long-time ghost Jim Corrigan has had it up to here with being the Spectre. He wasn't able to save the life of the woman he loved, and the general ongoing awfulness of humanity has gotten on his last nerve. This leaves him open to possession by Eclipso, who argues that he's been where the Spectre is, and humanity isn't any more worth saving now than when he was God's angel of vengeance. The Phantom Stranger puts together a mystic all-stars team to confront the Eclipsed-Spectre--the Demon, Zatanna, and the female Dr. Fate--but snubs Madame Xanadu, for telling him his terrible plan won't work. Xanadu then, with Father Richard Craemer and Ramban, pulls the spirit of Corrigan out of the Spectre, leaving him soulless and completely controlled by Eclipso! This seems like a ridiculously bad idea, and the Stranger's team gets clobbered.

Even released from Eclipso's power, Corrigan doesn't want to become the Spectre again, but Father Craemer convinces him not to doom the earth out of grief and loneliness. While Eclipso possesses Zatanna and the Demon, and nearly gets Dr. Fate; when Corrigan comes back it's over pretty quickly. The Spectre imprisons Eclipso in his black diamond, then seemingly crams his black fortress in there as well, and then reduces all of it to ash. Afterwards, it's difficult to tell if the Spectre is chagrined or unrepentant, but he declares he can not judge humanity as a whole, only one by one, as he finds them. I believe that would be the last (in-continuity) Eclipso appearance for almost a decade, until an altered (and ultimately unsuccessful) version appeared in 2004's JSA #56.
Read more!

I want to say this has four times as many villains as usual...

The cover proclaims "3 Villains so mighty it takes 19 heroes to fight them in the..." Giant Justice League of America #148, "Crisis in Triplicate!" Written by Martin Pasko (with an assist from Paul Levitz), art by Dick Dillin, ink by Frank McLaughlin.

And they don't even count the Legion's bad guy Mordru! He started the plot the previous issue, bringing the JLA to the 30th century, in order to rediscover the mystic artifacts the Wheel, the Jar, and the Bell. They had been onboard the JLA's satellite, but lost when it was destroyed after the 20th century. (This was written in 1977, the Satellite would be destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985.) Mordru releases the Demons Three--Abnegazar, Rath, and Ghast--who promptly turn on him, and hypnotize some of the Legion of Super-Heroes to put Mordru's giant spirit-form back in his imprisoned body. Which would be a problem, since Green Arrow and Black Canary were trapped in Mordru's beard--no, Mordru's hourglass necklace, sorry. That sounds better.

Still, despite being together for centuries, the Demons Three are torn on what to do now: Abnegazar has tired of constantly fighting humanity, and just wants to live in peace in the 30th century. Rath wants to pillage and conquer the future; and Ghast wants to go old-school and completely destroy it, as it was in the "before-time." But their powers may not work on each other, so they decide to battle via proxies, champions. Abby gets the Legion (or a few members) while Rath gets the Justice Society and Ghast gets the Justice League. Each team is hypnotized in a different way, and throw down for most of the rest of the issue; with GA and Canary rescued since Ghast realizes his team was down a couple guys.

Wildfire and Superman pick up their rivalry from when Supes was a boy, Dr. Fate is reduced to just a mask (or possibly just a head) for a bit, Batman takes a rough-looking sucker-punch from Chameleon Boy. Still, Ghast hadn't hypnotized his guys hard enough, and Power Girl was able to resist the hypnosis entirely, so by throwing some fights they convince the Demons to attack each other directly again, and Ghast destroys the other two.

Dr. Fate had already put Ghast's defeat into motion, though; by absorbing the magic of the other two demons, and using it to recreate Ghast's prison...the JLA satellite! Which may or may not still be orbiting 22,300 miles above earth today!...in the 30th century. Give or take some reboots. This is like the fifth JLA/JSA crossover issue I've bought where I don't have the prior chapter, and I think I still have another where I only have part one!



Read more!

Quick one today, since I spent the weekend doing some cleaning and rearranging; including moving my computer and scanner. Still works, so here's one from Secret Origins #31, "The Secret Origin of the Justice Society of America" Written by Roy Thomas, pencils by Michael Bair, inks by Bob Downs.

Early in WWII, before America had even entered the war, President Roosevelt asks the Flash and Green Lantern to stop Hitler's invasion of England. They get their asses beat by Nazi robot "the Murder Machine," but Dr. Fate realizes what has happened and summons Hourman to help him save the heroes and stop the Valkyries Hitler unleashed with the Spear of Destiny! When that fight also goes badly, Fate brings in more help: the Sandman, Hawkman, the Atom, and the big gun he didn't think would come, the Spectre! Who destroys a Nazi fleet singlehandedly, because although he was a ghost, the Spectre was still an American, damn it. (He may hint at it a little there, but the Spectre's attachment to humanity would erode over time: here, he more or less as human as he would ever be.)

Roy Thomas explains in an editorial at the end of the issue, that this story was to both revamp Paul Levitz's 1977 origin for the JSA, and adjust it for the Crisis, since Batman and Superman were no longer ever members of the JSA. Which was somewhat problematic, since in the original, Supes saves Roosevelt from a Valkyrie's spear. Here, although the Atom is stabbed trying to protect the President, Roosevelt is mortally wounded, and the Spectre has to bring him back from the afterlife...at a cost.
Read more!