We looked at Masks last month, and I mentioned having no idea what the Black Terror's deal was. This issue, sorta-kinda helps, but not really. From 1990, the Black Terror #3, written by Beau Smith and Chuck Dixon, art by Dan Brereton. 

The Black Terror in this one is Ryan Delvecchio, undercover G-man working as a hitter for the Capone family--in 1990! Allison Capone steps up as the latest heir to the family name, with an elaborate scheme to destroy America's financial structure and put the mob in charge of it. Delvecchio was the ninth Black Terror--the rest having died in the line of duty, which isn't a ringing endorsement--but the Terror had been intended to be the real force of justice in the country, while the FBI was largely useless paper-pushers. But his handlers may be ready for a tenth Black Terror... 

Got two issues of this the other day, and it's neat but doesn't have any connection to the original Black Terror comics other than the costume, which Brereton updates slightly with a trenchcoat rather than a cape. Said trenchcoat also features multiple buttons, not unlike Brereton's next book, the Psycho.

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Is werewolf blood tasty enough to risk a mouthful of hair?

My little scanner was giving me the hassle today, which I thought might be because it's really old, but might just be the cable going bad. Still, every so often my scans come out really off-kilter, sometimes because the comics are old and ratty, and other times straight-up user error. And yet I seem to be on the Ed Wood school: shoot once and call it! Anyway, this issue was nearby to try: From 1974, Werewolf by Night #15, "Death of a Monster!" Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Mike Ploog, inks by Frank Chiaramonte. (Spelled "Chiarmonte" here!)

This was, of course, a crossover with Tomb of Dracula, also written by Wolfman. I wonder if it's more fun to do one of those where you don't have to co-ordinate with another writer, or if it just feels like making work for yourself...After an initial scuffle with Dracula, Jack and Topaz open the sealed diary of Jack's ancestor, Baron Russoff, which fills in some continuity for both series: back around 1795, Dracula had killed the Baron's wife for not "kneel(ing) to his power." In return, the Baron braves Castle Dracula, stakes him, and throws the coffin in the river. (I thought this was maybe where Drac would be found at the start of his series, but the coffin-in-the-river...I'm not sure how it all lines up, but I'm used to like Hammer Dracula movies just going "somehow Dracula returned.") Still mad, the Baron smashes up a lot of Drac's stuff, before rescuing a peasant girl the vampire had been keeping prisoner. The girl turns out to be a werewolf, who later bites the Baron; leading to the family curse that now plagued Jack.

The diary indicates Dracula had not been able to control the peasant girl werewolf, so Jack wants to face him again as the Werewolf (by Night!) but needs the mystic help of Topaz. (They have a kiss here, but were they a couple? I need to get the Essential of my shelf!) Topaz describes her powers as able to do about anything she needed, but Wolfman maybe hints that her power was being drained, so she might not be able to pull this bit twice: putting Jack in control of the Werewolf, to face Dracula. This fight doesn't go the distance, as Drac is more concerned with getting the diary, which he refers to as "the second book of sins," but Rachel Van Helsing snags it first, escaping with Frank Drake in a helicopter. Dracula had tried to sabotage the 'copter by smashing up the controls, but didn't do a good enough job! Unless that came up next time: that story would continue in Tomb #19, without Jack and Topaz; but the Werewolf (by Night!) would face vampires again in WbN #19. Not Dracula there, I don't think, despite appearances.

Rachel Van Helsing was consistently awesome; Frank Drake doesn't have a great showing here. Although, bat-Dracula on your head while in a moving helicopter...yeah, screaming like a little girl is not a completely unwarranted response, I guess. Read more!

"Curious."

In Hulk stories, I think there's a sweet spot in your gamma bomb explosions, like a Goldilocks region: too close, vaporized; too far away, cancer; but if you hit it just right and maybe have the right genetics, you too could become a horrible monster. Lucky! 

Kurt's asking a lot of questions because he maybe doesn't always get to do street level stuff like this that isn't all about mutants and such. And it's a fair question; since the Tracksuits are very obviously only in it for the money. They also seem like thinking ahead isn't their strong suit; so to speak. And it's a bit late in the game, but I wish I had like a no-prize type thing set up; like a point system where points don't accumulate, I don't really give you anything, and it gets you nothing but a momentary warm glow. Because a Happenstance buck to anyone who can guess what the screaming Tracksuit's head is from! Maybe two more if you can tell me where that hairpiece came from, too; since I'm not even sure there.

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Ugh, are we Groundhog's Day'ing it again? In this timeline?

I mentioned this one yesterday, but had a copy handy! From 1994, Batman Adventures #22, "Good Face Bad Face" Written by Kelley Puckett, pencils by Mike Parobeck, inks by Rick Burchett.

This Two-Face story would have been set earlier in the animated continuity, as he busts out of Arkham; pausing only briefly to flip on whether or not to let the Joker out: nope! Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce is listening to the psych reports on Harvey over and over: his "Big Bad Harv" persona was seemingly gone, leaving something else...something dangerous. At Gotham Penitentiary--we've seen its motto, "Building Character Through Adversity" before!--Two-Face busts out a mob lieutenant he had prosecuted, but only to offer him a job.

Batman realizes, Two-Face was building a gang: none of the criminals he broke were simple muscle, but skilled specialists. (Many of whom might seem familiar, like that scurvy scallywag "Tim Bruce.") Bats knows, next he'll go for Blackgate Prison, and disguised as a guard, he realizes Two-Face was going for the secondary control room. Two-Face releases the prisoners, to try and take Batman as a group, but they get gassed; and the GCPD catches Two-Face and his crew in a very packed boat. All wrapped up--except, that wasn't really Two-Face, but a double! Batman isn't fooled by the feint or the fake--the body language was off--and confronts Two-Face: his theory was that Harvey was still in there, and that's why he needed the coin. Bats didn't think he could make a decision to be bad on his own, and puts a loaded gun in Two-Face's hands to confirm his theory. Without the coin, he can't shoot Batman, and collapses.

Commissioner Gordon is slightly upset at Batman risking that one; but he had been pretty sure. In the end, Batman flips the coin: he kept it, wanting something to remember Harvey by. Read more!

"What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?" (In the audience, Harvey Dent roars "YEAH!")

I wonder if Ty actually flipped any coins writing this one. I also wonder if the creative teams felt obligated, 22nd issue, have to trot out Two-Face: they did in the prior series for Batman Adventures #22, then again here, but not for the next series, Batman: Gotham Adventures #22. From 1997, Batman and Robin Adventures #22, "Fifty fifty" Written by Ty Templeton, pencils by Brandon Kruse, inks by Terry Beatty.

Two-Face is busted from an Arkham prison van, against his will; which doesn't trouble him nearly as much as losing his coin in the getaway. Batman and Robin are puzzled, since the escape was on Harvey's third visit to a skin-graft clinic, on a Friday at 9:45...nothing seems to add up there. In a mob bar, Two-Face is forced to make do with a mere quarter, scratching one side of it; when his benefactor arrives: "Little" Jonni Infantino, a third-rate mobster. Infantino had been having trouble with a rival, but knew when Harvey had been district attorney, he had built a case against that rival, that went nowhere without Harvey's notes. Flipping the coin, the scratched side comes up, and Two-Face refuses to help. Infantino then threatens Harvey's ex, Grace Lamont; but the scratched side comes up again, and he still refuses to help.

Consulting with Harvey's doctor, Batman comes to the conclusion that he had been abducted; and the doctor assures him Harvey's only remaining friends, Bruce Wayne and Grace Lamont, were in no danger; even as Infantino heads to Grace's house. Two-Face then gets away from Infantino's goons, sacrificing his quarter to call and warn Grace. Then, furious, he smashes the pay phone open to recover the quarter, but is then recaptured. Grace does get out, calling Bruce Wayne for help: claiming to be out-of-town, Batman has Alfred pick her up, then waits at Grace's house, to beat up Infantino. Robin figures he was dumb enough to have kept Harvey at his own bar, and they go to rescue him--except the coin turns on them, as Harvey cracks them both with a chair! A goon wants to make his rep by killing them while they're down, but the coin turns up unscarred again, and Two-Face takes a bullet to save them.

With the unscarred side again showing on the ground, Two-Face gives them the info to put the rival mobster away too, before complaining for his old coin back: "This one's a pain." Read more!

It is baller as hell to get Pérez on the cover here.

I feel like I didn't see a ton of Mighty Mouse cartoons as a kid--although I'm pretty sure I watched Heckle & Jeckle at least occasionally, so I don't see how I would've missed it...? Also, here's a book I never expected to find cheap, if only because I'm not sure the sales were ever huge for it. From 1991, Mighty Mouse #5, "The Final Fate of the Flashback!" Written by Michael Gallagher, pencils by Ernie Colón, inks by Marie Severin. Cover by Ernie Colón and the great George Pérez, a parody of Crisis on Infinite Earths #12.

Shoot, Pérez also did the cover for the previous issue, a riff on Crisis #7, with a ton of cartoon characters I'm not sure Marvel had the rights to...This issue would conclude the two-issue "Mices on Infinite Earths," as Mighty Mouse tries to come back after the death of Mighty Mousette, who perished in battle with the Anti-Minotaur. Knowing he was no match for the Anti-Minotaur and his own alternate universe counterpart Mangy Mouse; MM was forced to get help, including his buddy Bat-Bat, Prince Samor the Sub-Plotter from a previous issue, and old foe the Cow, from back "in the Bakshi days!"

Mighty Mouse had been somehow sidetracked last time, leading to Mighty Mousette's death; and the other heroes might be going the same way, as they get shellacked by the Anti-Minotaur while MM fought Mangy Mouse. The Minotaur pulls one more rabbit out of his hat--well, not a rabbit, but another, earlier mouse: the original Supermouse! I really wonder if Marvel cleared any of this with legal...Supermouse destroys the Anti-Minotaur's planet, and Mighty Mouse races to save the other heroes before they were sucked out of the universe. His power used up, MM was done for, but is saved by Supermouse, who disappears again, just before he can help Anti-Minotaur. The Minotaur puts all the heroes back, with no memory of what happened, except for Mighty Mouse and his super-memory, who would always remember Mighty Mousette.

Also this issue: yet another parody of Keaton-era Bat-Mania, with Bat-Bat in "Everyone's a Critic!" (Written by Mike Kanterovich and Tom Brevoort, pencils by Mike Kazelah, inks by Marie Severin.) As the much-hyped sequel "Bat-Bat 2" opens, the hero receives a threatening note, claiming his pic would close in two weeks! Bat-Bat suspects the villainous Brushtop...who seems familiar somehow, as do his henchmen Highbrow and Turtleneck! Bat-Bat catches them trying to replace stars on Hollywood Boulevard with their own; which may be the most meta joke in the whole thing; but are they who sent the note...? No, and you'll never guess; don't try. Read more!

Yeah, yeah, Luke; we all feel that way reading the news.

Aw, but Luke's reading about a Cap favorite: versus the Phoenix, who was Baron Zemo's son, from Captain America #168! The Spidey headline in the Bugle probably refers to Amazing Spider-Man #127 or #128; and all three of those were on racks a couple months before this issue! From 1973, Luke Cage, Power Man #17, "Rich Man: Iron Man--Power Man: Thief!" Written by Len Wein, pencils by George Tuska, inks by Billy Graham. Cover by Gil Kane and Billy Graham.

Luke is irritated not so much by bad press as no press, and smashes a hole in another desk considering what could improve his Q-rating: maybe a better name than "Hero for Hire," maybe? He doesn't have much time to consider it, as he's offered a job by Orville Smythe, on behalf of Stark Industries! The job is to test security, by trying to steal a new deep-space suit; but to keep things authentic, no one would know except them and Tony Stark himself. You already see where this is going, but the check in Luke's hands has too many zeroes in it for him to focus.

Luke of course ends up punching it out with Iron Man, eventually calling the fight for security: if he couldn't get it, who could? Iron Man's dismayed to hear about this 'test' set up by someone who didn't work for Stark Industries; and Luke realizes they've been had. Smythe steals the suit and an experimental "sky-skate" that looks like a jet-propelled minivan; but Luke gives chase and stops him: Smythe takes a pretty big fall, and I don't know if he survived or not. We don't see him again, but is there anybody at Marvel named Smythe that isn't a bad guy? As typical for his stories at the time, Luke comes away from it possibly more in the hole than he started: Iron Man offers to reimburse him, minus damages...so many damages. And subplots continue as well, with Luke receiving a mysterious unmarked package, which is probably either a bomb or Gwyneth Paltrow's head. Still, this would be the first issue with Luke using the name "Power Man," which, um, is kind of given away on the cover...and the title page...and the indica. Read more!