Today we've got another title I keep picking up in the cheap bins, even though I'm nowhere near a full set. I don't think, anyway. From 1988, Action Comics Weekly #604, with stories by James (Priest) Owsley, Max Collins, Martin Pasko, Mike Baron, and more; and art by Rick Burchett, Gil Kane, Terry Beatty, Dan Spiegle and more.
Five serialized stories and a two-page Superman strip this issue, starting with Green Lantern, as former GL John Stewart testifies before Congress. Recently, Star Sapphire had forced an F-16 down and wrecked a couple buildings in Central City; Congress was investigating Green Lantern's involvement. Which, John points out, wasn't him, he didn't even have a ring at the time: they mean "the white guy," the missing Hal. With his identity not a secret, his testimony is going OK, until Hal's ring suddenly appears for him, and Carol Ferris--a.k.a. Star Sapphire--arrives to testify against him! John makes a bubble around Carol's head, while ranting about how dangerous she was; and she suffocates. Sapphire had recently killed John's wife Katma, and John worries his anger may have made him a killer, and flees. Back at Hal's apartment, John gets the power battery, but Sapphire brings the building down around him, killing a little girl. John confronts her in the morgue, where she remained, faking her death to further torment and incriminate him. Sapphire had wanted revenge for losing her subjects, the Zamorans, who had left this reality with the Guardians; John calls her a stand-in, Sapphire says he should know. Unable to get past Katma's death, John no longer blames Hal, and orders the ring to return to him (which would be a mean feat, if he was dead) and is subsequently arrested. A dark eight pages!
Also this issue: terrorists from the Legion of Morality blow up a comic shop, in Wild Dog! The Secret Six pull off a scam to get a confession from a manufacturer--who appears to be a bratty kid--who caused acid rain to sell siding? Deadman is captured by the federal government! And a ton of sexism in a post-WWII Blackhawk story! Action Comics Weekly would only run from #601 to #642, not even a full year, but I still have a long way to go.
Damn that is dark, but not unwarranted for that particular place in time. John would eventually get over his anger towards Star Sapphire/Carol in Hal's early 90's relaunch though, but for some weird reason they've never brought Katma Tui back.
ReplyDeleteAh yes... evil Carol. I do miss Katma though.
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