Showcase #83

Showcase #83 (On Sale: April 24, 1969) has another killer Joe Kubert Nightmaster cover.

The full-length Nightmaster strip "Sing a Song of Sorcery" is by Denny O'Neil and Berni Wrightson. Lending Bernie a hand on his first full-length story is Michael Kaluta and Jeff Jones. This is the first work at DC for both Kaluta and Jones.

Rock star Jim Rook remembers how he and his fiancée, Janet, were separated after being snatched though a dimensional portal to the nightmare world of Myrra by old King Zolto, and how he learned that Warlocks had captured Janet. He also learned that he is the only person who can wield The Sword of Night. Like his ancestors before him, Rook must take up the mantle of the Nightmaster if he wishes to save Janet.

On the road to the Warlock Castle, Nightmaster and Boz encounter a barbarian. Rook bests the barbarian, Tark, and sparing his life, Tark joins the boys on their quest. Joining Tark are Doe and Rae, two sirens who have lost their voices to a warlock spell.

They reach the citadel of the Warlocks and learn that Duck Spearo has brought in a foreigner in to be his Duchess. Jim realizes that must be Janet. Attacked by Warlock Troopers, they learn that Spearo is leaving at moonrise with his new Duchess.

They head for the palace and after subduing a few guards reach a moonship docked on the roof. Inside the castle they find the crystal casket that contains the voices of Rae and Doe and take it with them to the roof, just as the ship sets sail.

They grab a mooring line and pull their way onboard. They learn that the Warlocks have captured Janet as they need an Earth-woman to open the portal for an invading army. They attempt to rescue Janet, but are attacked by metal warriors filled with the souls of dead warlocks.  Forced over the edge of the moonship they ware saved when the sirens begin to sing and their songs become pathways in the sky.

Nightmaster defeats the remaining metal warriors, but watched helplessly as the moonship, and Janet, sail off into the night without them.

The book ends with a two-page map of Myrra and a text piece called "The Men Who Make Nightmaster" giving an overview of Denny O'Neil and Berni Wrightson.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.