Wonder Woman #189

Wonder Woman #189 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has another dramatic cover by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano, and, yes, the scene depicted actually happens in the story.

The book-length "Red for Death" is written and drawn by Mike Sekowsky and inked by Dick Giordano.  Continuing from the previous issues, Diana Prince and Patrick McGuire plan to illegally enter Red China in pursuit of I-Ching who has crossed the border to find his daughter Lu Shan. Diana and Patrick disguise themselves as Chinese peasants and fly a small plane across the border, but are soon shot down near the village of Ashai, where Diana believe I-Ching was headed..

They escape the wreckage and make their way to the village where they are greeted by I-Ching, who has temporarily given up his pursuit of daughter Lu Shan in order to help the local villagers. Their government has ordered the villagers to work in the mines to the north, where they will all die. Ching and his friends help them pilot an old river boat, loaded with old World War II weapons, toward the southern border.

When the Chinese army finds the village empty, they begin a search of the  river heading south. They locate the group where they have hidden the riverboat for the day and though Diana's group try to kill them all, a radio message does get out. Realizing they can no longer wait for the cover of darkness, the band makes a run for it in the riverboat in broad daylight. They are shortly attacked by three MIGs. Diana and Patrick shoot down two of the enemy planes, but the third has them in his sights. It is shot down in the nick of time by the British as the boat had crossed the southern border.

Once back in Hong Kong, Inspector McLean explains that due to incident Diana's passport is being revoked, and she will have to leave the country. The artwork by Sekowsky in this issue is killer, a lot of that due to Giordano's stunning inks. This story was reprinted in Diana Prince: Wonder Woman Vol. 2 TPB.

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.

Tomahawk #129

Tomahawk #129 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has another cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with Tomahawk in  "Treachery at Thunder Ridge" by Carl Wessler and Frank Thorne. Despite Frank Thorne's wonderful artwork, I just find it hard to reread these books. I think the real problem with this title is that the characters never grabbed me.

The back-up strip is "General Tomahawk" drawn by Bob Brown and reprinted from Tomahawk #51.

Edited by Murry Boltinoff.

Our Army at War #221

Our Army at War #221 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has another Sgt. Rock cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with "Hang Up," a 14 page tale by writer Joe Kubert and artist Russ Heath. Sgt. Rock and Easy Company are pinned down in a burned out building and surrounded by enemy troops. While waiting for the soldiers to move in on them, Sgt. Rock tries to calm the nerves of a new recruit named Smitty. He tells him the stories of how Ice Cream Soldier got his name and how Bulldozer joined Easy.

While this is going on, the enemy soldiers make attempts to approach, but they are driven back. Smitty keeps complaining that he is a coward and too scared to fight, that that is his "hand up." Rock says how Smitty is not the only one with a hand up; Rock has one too. He asks Smitty to remember that when they started there were ten of them and how now they were down to six. He shows Smitty the dog tags he retrieved from each fallen member, saying that that was HIS hang up.

Smitty takes the dog tags and says he is now ready, so Sgt. Rock leads a charge out of the building and passed the enemy troops. Smitty, the new recruit, proved himself during the escape. When the fighting is over Little Sure Shot says his hang up is being an Injun and Rock tells him to can it.

In the midst of this story is a two-page Battle Album on the Monitor and the Merrimack, drawn by Joe Kubert.

That is followed by a one page gag strip, "You're in the Army -- Now" by Pete Costanza.

The following page is the classic one page ad, "The word from high is -- The Great One Is Coming!" Yeah, Jack Kirby is coming to DC, but he is never mentioned by name in the ad.

Lastly we have "The Butcher, the Baker...The DESOLATION Maker" by Fred Ray. Eben Dwayne is a cook and indentured servant at an inn during the Revolutionary War, and is ordered to make a meal for Banastre Tarlton, the infamous British slaughterer of innocent men. Tarlton is unimpressed by Eben's cooking and beats him for his trouble. Afraid of another beating from the Inn owner, Eben slips out during the night, escaping through a swamp till he meets Col. William Washington and his men.

He informs them of the whereabouts of Talton and in the morning the Battle of the Cowpens erupts. Col. Washington and Tarlton meet on the field of battle and it is not going well for Washington, so Eben attacks him with a cooking cauldron. Eben is wounded, but Col. Washington tells him that when he is better he will become his personal cook.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Detective Comics #400

Detective Comics #400 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has yet another beautiful Batman cover by Neal Adams, this one introducing the Man-Bat on this the 400th issue of the company's namesake title.

Sometimes DC did anniversary issues right, and this is one of those instances. You could tell just by looking at the cover, that the Man-Bat was something new and different.

We begin with "Challenge of the Man-Bat!" by Frank Robbin, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Zoologist Kirk Langstrom is working late at the Gotham Natural History Museum putting together a bat habitat. When the Curator finally leaves Langstrom alone he can pursue his true interest: working on a serum that can give him enhanced auditory abilities through a bat gland extract.

At the same time, a group of thieves, known as the Blackout Gang, break into a vault. They equip themselves with black body stockings, "light-intensifier" goggles and ultra-sonic cutting tools that enable them to work in total darkness. However, Batman still manages to find them and a fight ensues. The gang's momentary advantage dissipates once Batman makes physical contact. Realizing their heist has gone south, the Blackout Gang escapes from the building in a hurry, leaving behind an ultra-sonic cutter. Realizing their mistake, the gang hatches z plan to use the tool's frequency to lure Batman into a trap.

Back at the museum, Kirk Langstrom tests his new formula upon himself in his darkened lab. The dripping of a faucet is suddenly blasting in his ears and his eyes are blinded by the single lightbulb.. He runs across the blacked pout lab and retrieves a pair of sunglasses, realizing that he was able to avoid all obstacles in the dark. He surmises that his vocal cords are now emitting super-sonic signals, like a bat. He uses was to plug his hearing.

Meanwhile, at the Wayne Foundation, Bruce works on some stereo-locater ear plugs to increase his hearing and test them out on Alfred, locating him by listening to his heartbeat.  He develops a sonar detector calibrated to the cutter's unique frequency.

Back at the museum, Langstrom notices that his hands are growing hairy and claw-like. He uses his coat and hat to hind his mutating body, but when his hat is knocked off his head he rushes blindly across the room till he sees himself in a reflective surface. It is then that he realizes he is mutating into something inhuman; he wanted to be like Batman, but has instead turned into a Man-Bat! Realizing he has turned into some sort of freak, he decides to go into hiding till he can find an antidote.

The next morning the curator receives a telegram informing him that Kirk has flown to Chicago to sit with his ill mother. What the curator does not know is that Langstrom is sleeping on the ceiling of the bat exbibit, clutching to a stalactite. That night Langstrom awakes, ravenous with hunger and runs toward the cafeteria, which takes him through the gem collection.

As luck, or plot would have it, the Blackout Gang has decided to rob the Gotham Natural History Museum gem collection and use their sonic tool to lure Batman there. Note: this page introduces us to a new Adams' designed Batmobile, built, so it says, by an advanced-thinking car company for Batman to use. Batman arrives and is able to seek out each gang member by his heartbeat. However, figuring that Batman might try to use some sort of sonar, the gang throws pi9ng pong balls into the room, causing Batman to become disoriented, unable to track the members.

They pile onto him and are about to crush his skull when they hear a strange Skreee! sound. The Man-Bat lays into the gang and gives Batman the time he needs to regain his senses and rejoin the fray. Fighting side-by-side the Batman and the Man-Bat make easy work of the gang. The gang defeated, Batman wants to thank his new friend and casts a flashlight upon Langstrom. Batman congratulates him on his amazing disguise, Langstrom replies, "Disguise? I only wish it were!"

The Man-Bat runs away, declaring, "I've succeeded, only too well!" leaving Batman to wonders if he just made a formidable friend... or a foe. It does not get much better than this! This classic origin story has been reprinted in Batman Family #1, Man-Bat #1, Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2 HC, Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 TPB, Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 2 TPB, Batman Arkham Man-Bat TPB and Batman by Neal Adams Vol. 2 TPB.

This classic is followed by the first team-up of Batgirl and Robin in "A Burial for Batgirl" by Denny O'Neil, Gil Kane and Vinnie Colletta. Driving to the library at Hudson University, Barbara Gordon hears a cry for help. She enters the building as Batgirl, and runs into an escaping young man. She is momentarily distracted by a strange odor and the man gets away. She retraces his steps and, finding a dead body, heads out after the man. She finds him being attacked by two students. She stops these students with the help of the nick-of-time arrival of Dick Grayson.

Later, at the police station, she tells the chief of police that she came up from Gotham City with her friend Barbara Gordon who was delivering some rare books written by Edgar Alan Poe for an upcoming Poe festival. The police chief explains that the young man they captured, Mark Osher, is a known "radical" and probably the killer of the murdered man, Amos Willard, who is the school business manager. The chief goes on to recount that Willard planned to have a nearby forest cut down so the university could build a new gym and that the plan was opposed by Professor Huntington, the schools biologist, and Osher. At a rally the previous night, Osher had threatened to kill Willard. 

Batgirl goes to speak to Osher, who maintains his innocence and claims that he is was knocked out in the library and he had panicked when he came too and found Willard's body. In search of clues, Batgirl seems to put something together when she remembers the odd smell she first encountered. She sees Robin leaving the Library as she head to a different location, where she is knocked unconscious. Batgirl regains consciousness to find herself bound and gagged and her unknown attacker sealing her into a room with bricks. This story was continued in the next issue and was reprinted in Best of DC #30, Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB and Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Aquaman #52

Aquaman #52 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has yet another stunning Aquaman cover by Nick Cardy. Giordano's refusal to add nonsense tot he artwork allowed Cardy to utilize every inch of cover space to tell his story.

We begin with Aquaman in "The Traders' Trap" by Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo, which continues the story that began in Aquaman #50. Aquaman and his female companion's fight against a tribe of cave dwellers is interrupted by an alien slaver ship, which captures Aquaman and the girl as slaves. They imprison them in glass tubes, but Aquaman is able to break loose. He then defeats the aliens and escapes the ship, but is forced to leave the girl behind.

Aquaman then returns to the caves where he feels a pulling force guiding him. He is knocked out by the villagers who take him closer to the source of the pull. Aquaman recovers and fights off the villagers. Back in Atlantis, Mera watches as Black Manta sends men to the ocean floor outside the city. When Prof. Vulko suggests what Aquaman would do if he were there, Mera shouts out in vain for her husband to return. Amazingly, Aquaman finds himself growing in size, emerging from the realm in which he had been lost, a subatomic universe in Mera's ring, and reappears in front of a startled Mera. After their reunion, Aquaman learns of Black Manta's presence, and prepares to send the villain an ultimatum. This story was reprinted in Adventure Comics #503.

Next we have Deadman in "Never Underestimate a Deadman" by Neal Adams,  concluding the intertwining back-up story that began in Aquaman #50.  Deadman and Tatsinda, in her sddire form, emerge on Earth near Ocean Master, who is bemoaning his fate. Sighting the alien craft some distance away, Deadman possesses Ocean Master and enters the aliens' vessel, conversing with them and learning of their plot to conquer Earth by blasting it with intelligence-destroying rays. He also learns that, since they do not believe in taking life, they merely sent Aquaman into a subatomic universe in his wife Mera's ring.

Using Ocean Master's body, Deadman attacks them, but an alien ray knocks out Orm's body. The aliens take it in stride that Orm had been possessed and place themselves in a trance that blocks Deadman's attempts to take them over. Deadman notes the locations of the ray-amplifiers on a globe of Earth, and realizing they are far from human habitation, he uses the bodies of animals to destroy the amplifiers. Deadman worries that the radiation device might still work without the amplifiers, and needing someone who can enter the alien ship, decides to bring back Aquaman. Deadman possesses Prof. Vulko and through him reminds Mera of Aquaman, causing her to demand Aquaman's return...and her will is powerful enough to accomplish it, enlarging him from the universe of the ring.

But the deadline for activation of the ray-device is at hand, and Deadman fears he is too late to stop the aliens. When he arrives back at the alien ship, he finds that the device backfired and stupefied the aliens, who are barely able to pilot their ship back home. An indignant Tatsinda informs Deadman that, if she hadn't swum out to the ship and ripped through the device's cables, they would "all be gibbering idiots by now!" Reprinted in Deadman Collection HC and Deadman Vol. 2 TPB.

These three issues, with the intertwining plots and some wonderful story-telling is one of my favorite arcs of the S.A.G. Aquaman era. Like I have said before, you just never knew what Skeates/Aparo/Giordano were going to come up with next.

Edited by the amazing Dick Giordano.

Adventure Comics #394

Adventure Comics #394 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has a Supergirl cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Supergirl in "The Mysterious Motr of Doov" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. While trying to stop a tornado, Supergirl and Streaky are hurled into another dimension where their powers do not function. Soon after they arrive, they meet a robot, a cowardly creature, and a brainless neon man. The travelers follow the Crimson Trail to the Motr of Doov, a supposed wizard.

The Motr is actually a man from 19th Century Chicago who came to this world long ago but was prevented from returning home by the Wicked One, a flying creature. Supergirl and her companions join the Motr on a trip to a magic geyser which returns them home. When she get home, Linda realizes that the adventure bears an uncanny parallel to the Wizard of Oz. She suspects that the Motr returned to his own time and related the story to author L. Frank Baum. Snooze...wha-? Sorry, I fell asleep.

Next is "Heartbreak Prison" by Robert Kanigher and Kurt Schaffenberger.  Supergirl receives a distress call from outer space which warns of a zenith weapon that must be destroyed. Following the distress call, Supergirl travels to a world ruled by the tyrant Tyrox. She allows herself to be captured in order to find the secret weapon. Supergirl is imprisoned in a colored cell alongside other female prisoners. Tyrox and his guards treat the prisoners with cruelty. Supergirl must refrain from using her powers because the other prisoners will be punished for her actions. Eventually Supergirl discovers the secret of the zenith weapon and begins to oppose her jailor. However, Tyrox uses Kryptonite to weaken her, then turns the planet's sun red to rob Supergirl of her powers. However, the other female prisoner use the opportunity to escape. Each is a heroine from different planets who also responded to the distress call. They take down Tyrox and free Supergirl. The threat ended, Supergirl returns to Earth.

It goes without saying that this mess was edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #389

Action Comics #389 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has a Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "The Kid Who Struck Out Superman!" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. Superman decides to try out for the Metropolis Majestics baseball team. During the try-out the coach asks if his nephew can pitch to Superman. The Man of Steel agrees, and the little league pitcher strikes him out. Superman takes the ball and throws it into space.

Later Superman tries out for a soccer team, a basketball team and a football team. He also tries out as a boxer and a tennis player.  He excels at each sport, but doesn't join the teams. Instead he throws, punches, and kicks more sports equipment into space.

We then learn that an invading alien race has sent a probe into Earth's atmosphere, a probe he cannot approach or it will explode. However, all the sports equipment has been lodged on the air intakes. When the probe returns to it's home planet, the air from the intakes is analyzed by the aliens and determined to be dangerous. Therefore the alien plan for conquest is called off, just as Superman had planned when he inflated the equipment with dangerous gasses.

Next is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "The Mystery Legionnaire!" by Cary Bates, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel.  The android Klim, created by four disabled criminals on pinion asteroid Voran-4, was undefeated until it encountered members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. However, the head of the android escaped. When Klim's body regains power, it seeks to rejoin the head. Cosmic Boy, Chemical King, and Shrinking Violet track the body to Voran-4.. After battling their way through booby-traps, the Legionnaires find the head. Klim wants revenge against the Legionnaire who defeated him, but in the first battle his vision was damaged. He thought Cosmic Boy and Chemical King were the same person. While Klim announces his revenge plan, Shrinking Violet disables him, ending the threat. This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4 TPB.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

World's Finest Comics #194

World's Finest Comics #194 (On Sale: April 28, 1970) features cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Superman and Batman in "Inside the Mafia Gang," an 18-pager by Bob Haney, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. Dick Grayson performs at the circus of P.J. Farnum, which has been the target of mafia extortion. The ropes of Dick's trapeze are cut causing him to fall. Superman is on hand to save him. However, the distraction allows the criminal who cut the ropes and threatened Farnum to escape.

Superman then goes undercover to gain evidence against the mob. He disguises himself as Alonzo Scarns, a master forger. He is the recruited by the mob and brought to their leader Karl Lukaz. To earn his place, Scarns must murder Bruce Wayne. Bruce goes along with the plan and allows Superman to pretend to kill him.

Superman, as Scarns, earns the gang's trust. However, he is still unable to find hard evidence of criminal behavior. He suggests that Batman join him undercover in order to take advantage of his detective skills. Batman disguises himself as Doc Danner, then as Karl Lukaz himself. At a meeting of the mob leaders, Batman disguised as Lukaz exposes Superman in his Scarns identity. This story continues in World's Finest Comics #195. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: World's Finest Vol. 4 TPB.

This is followed by "The Weapon That Won the West," a four-pager drawn by Winslow Mortimer and reprinted from Real Fact Comics #19.

We end with "Police Dog," another four-pager and again reprinted from Real Fact Comics #19.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Showcase #91

Showcase #91 (On Sale: April 28, 1970) features a Manhunter 2070 cover by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano.

We begin with "Planet of Death," written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky, inks by Vince Colletta. Sekowsky sets up his world in a few pages: In the year 2070, mankind has conquered space and colonized the solar system; However, with interplanetary and interstellar commerce comes space pirates that prey on freighters and mining operations of all the races of the galaxy; With the rise in piracy, the United Federation of Planets calls on a new breed of freelance bounty hunter. Our hero is one such man: Starker, Manhunter 2070; A suave man, Starker surrounds himself with beautiful women, and his robot assistant Arky, in his satellite orbiting Jupiter. Physically, Starker reminds me of James Colburn in the "Flint" movies.

After a night at the casino, Starker and his women return home to find that three killers (a human, a Jovian, and an Andromedin) have escaped from the maximum security prison on Deimos. Starker is told by Arky that they most likely are hiding on the pirate stronghold of Pheidos. Starker soon lands on Pheidos, the Planet of Death, where he is immediately attacked by, just about everything, drawing the attention of the three escapees nearby. The three think the planet's creatures will take care of Starker, but he manages to escape on his jet-rider.

They manage to shoot down his rider and go after him on flying sleds. Out in the open they have to fight Starker and the many inhabitants of the planet that wish to eat them all. The deadly fauna kills two of the men and Starker is able to capture the third before narrowly escaping himself.

That is followed by the two-pager, "Space Duel," also by Mike Sekowsky and Vince Colletta. Starker is captured by the Hunters, a group who put on games of sport with slaves captured all over the galaxy. They quickly learn that they should have picked on someone other than Starker. Like most of Mike Sekowsky's Showcase work, Starker: Manhunter 2070 has never been reprinted.

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.

Justice League of America #81

Justice League of America #81 (On Sale: April 28, 1970) features a cover by Neal Adams.

"Plague of the Galactic Jest-Master" is by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella. The Atom and Hawkman travel to Thanagar hoping to find a cure for Jean Loring's madness. They arrive to find Thanagar engulfed in madness. The heroes end up fighting the security forces, then each other.

The situation on Thanagar provokes the involvement of the Guardians of the Universe. They relay a message to Hal Jordan who summons the Justice League. Superman, Batman, Flash, and Black Canary then head to Thanagar to investigate. They stop Hawkman from killing the Atom, but they too are soon driven to madness. Superman is able to pull them away from the planet. Once out of range, their senses are restored.

The team soon realizes that the madness had the opposite effect on Jean Loring. While in the chaotic region, she her sanity returned. They use Jean to enter the chaos where they discover the cause. An alien called the Jest-Master who is testing planets by driving their populations mad. The team is then able to defeat him. As a result of her involvement, Jean Loring is also cured of her madness. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Justice League of America #4, Justice League of America Archives #10, Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus #1 and Justice League of America: The Last Survivors of Earth.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Late Again

My mother had her second stroke in three years earlier this month and I have not been in the state of mind to read or comment on comics. As a result, I have fallen far behind in keeping this site up-to-date, though it is 40 years late already. Hopefully, my mental and emotional faculties will return shortly and I can get back to this. I ask for you patience. Thanks.

Heart Throbs #126

Heart Throbs #126 (On Sale: April 23, 1970) features a cover inked by Dick Giordano.

We begin with "Don't Ever Love Me," a 10-pager penciled by Jay Scott Pike.

That is followed by a one-page "Dates 'n Mates" by Liz Berube.

Next is "I'll Just Die If I Don't Meet Him," a three-page story drawn by Ric Estrada and Vince Colletta.

That is followed by the six-page "Second Chance at Love" drawn by Jay Scott Pike.

We end with "Am I Too Young for Love? [Part 2]" concluding from the previous issue.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

From Beyond the Unknown #5

From Beyond the Unknown #5 (On Sale: April 23, 1970) features a gorilla cover by Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover-story, "The Gorilla Who Challenged the World," a six-page reprint from Strange Adventures #55 by Edmond Hamilton and Sy Barry. Dr. Jonas Mills isolates Mutaton, which increases the speed of evolution in . First he tries it out on a gorilla with amazing results, then on himself. As he mutates he realizes the potential danger in evolving a savage animal like the gorilla and creates an anti-Mutaton, but before he can use it on the gorilla, it realizes what he is planning and tricks Mills into drinking it himself.

The gorilla escapes and using a human mask begins to steal rare chemicals from sites all over the world. When he is unmasked during a robbery, the police begin searching for all gorillas in the area and end up in Dr. Mills lab, where the gorilla tells them that if they don't kill him, he will restore Dr. Mills mind to its former intelligence. He does so and is able to escape.

Next up is the conclusion of this story, "The Jungle Emperor," from Strange Adventures #56 and also by Edmond Hamilton and Sy Barry. When the gorilla uses the stolen chemicals to create vast quantities of the Mutaton he sends intelligent gorillas to the capitols of all countries demanding the submit to King Gorilla. Dr. Mills notices that when the gorilla's fly away they are running their jets too fast for anyone, even a gorilla to withstand the G's and surmises that King Gorilla dis not want to create competition and therefore is using robots for the other gorillas. Dr. Mills goes on TV ands says that he can defeat the gorilla and so King Gorilla fetches him to his hideout. Mills brought along a bottle of the antidote, but King Gorilla takes it from him and puts him in a cage. Dr. Mills creates a fire which shatters the antidote's glass container, He covers his face and when King Gorilla enters the room to put out the fire his inhales the vaporized antidote and then destroys the Mutaton so this can not happen again.

That is followed by "The Watchdogs of the Universe" a six-page reprint from Strange Adventures #62 by Otto Binder, Sid Greene and Joe Giella. A father tells his son a bedtime story of how he became a member of The Watchdogs of Space and helped save a world seemingly doomed to an ice age. In the story he received an award from the group for his quick thinking and after his son goes to sleep he pull the award out and admires it.

Last is "The Anti-Invasion Machine," another six-page3 story, this one reprinted from Strange Adventures #80 and by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. When a peace-loving Plutonian lands on Earth and warns of a coming Plutonian invasion they allow him to set up his anti-invasion "sound machine" to thwart the incoming Plutonian ships. However, before he can use the machine, he dies mysteriously and no one on Earth knows how to us the machine. Luckily one man fi9gures out that the emissary and his machine were a hoax designed to keep Earth from using nuclear bombs against the Plutonians.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Brave & the Bold #90

Brave & the Bold #90 (On Sale: April 23, 1970) has a cool cover by Neal Adams featuring the team-up of Batman and Adam Strange.

We begin with our cover-story, "You Only Die Twice" by Bob Haney, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito and featuring the team-up of Batman and Adam Strange. Batman is nearly killed while protecting crime boss Big John Jarrett from a mob hit, which leaves him a little melancholy, wondering how he will be remembered when his time finally comes. A few days later Adam Strange seeks out Batman with an amazing tale and some news. Adam tells how he was briefly sent to the future by a zeta-beam buffeted by solar flares. While there, he briefly saw a newspaper with Batman's obituary. As he grabbed for the paper, the zeta-beam snatched him back, along with a small scrap of the paper. Adam hands the scrap to Batman.
Batman reads what is actually the obituary of Bruce Wayne and Batman. The partial articles reveal that he betrayed his friends and tarnished his reputation before his death. Batman wonders why he would do these things. 

I'm going to say right here that the rest of this story does not actually make much sense, particularly considering the two articles are shown to be obituaries. Given that, is the rest of the "story" all that important? I loved the odd things that Bob Haney tried to pull in B&B, but not when he throws logic completely out the window as in this story. 

Lets just say that he is disgraced, takes Gordon down with him, fires Alfred and pretty much ends up the miserable person he was in the obits. As his death day approaches he flees to Rann with Adam but comes back on his death day to save Alfred. He and Adam Strange save the say, get rid of the crime boss, get Gordon reinstated and of course, they save Alfred.  

Here is where we get into an issue. Batman realizes that the article must have been wrong as he survived his supposed death. There is some hokey "Maybe the end of the article says that everything turned out OK" bullshit that does not fly on articles clearly designated as obituaries and clearly revealing Batman's secret identity. I can accept all kinds of odd things from Haney, but this is just bullshit story-telling. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 2, Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC and Batman in the Brave and the Bold :The Bronze Age Vol. 1 TPB.

This is followed by a one-pager "Spirit in the Séance" by Murray Boltinoff and George Tuska. A guy makes his friend join in on a séance, even though he says he is afraid. His friend should have listened to him as the spirit they connect to is his friend who died of fright.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Star Spangled War Stories #151

Star Spangled War Stories #151 (On Sale: April 21, 1970) has a new main feature and new logo this month with the introduction of The Unknown Soldier in a cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with "They Came from Shangri-La," the 14-page introduction of the Unknown Soldier by writer/artist/editor Joe Kubert. It is 1942 and a mysterious soldier who possesses intimate knowledge of military history and strategy is brought to the Pentagon to accept an assignment. The Unknown Soldier is a master of disguise, with his true face is known only to his friend, a sergeant in the army (we only see him in shadows, but it is clear that he is not wearing the facial bandages he will sport in subsequent stories). For this assignment, he assumes the identity of army air force pilot Captain Shales.  

He is sent from Washington to the Pacific where he leads a bomber mission against the major cities of Japan. This is the first attack on Japan's mainland during World War II and follows a string of American defeats in the Philippines. The bombers make their raids, then crash land in Chinese territory. They are attacked by the Chinese and only Shales and two of his crew manage to get away. They eventually meet up with a group of Chinese guerrillas who, after Shales fights their champion, conduct them to safety in Chunking.

Following the mission, the Unknown Soldier returns to Washington and pays his respects at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. OK, not the flashiest of introductions and there are still a few things they need to iron out in the character.

The back-up is  "Flaming Bait" a 12-page reprinted Enemy Ace story from Our Army at War #153 (where it was 14 pages long) by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. Before leaving on a new mission, a photographer asks to take Hans Von Hammer's picture, but due to his superstitious nature, he refuses. Another pilot, Erich Schloss, does not share Von Hammer's fear and allows a photo. On the mission, Erich is shot down, lending credence to Von Hammer's superstition.

On the next flight, Erich's brother Werner has his picture taken. During the mission, Von Hammer tries to protect Werner, but anti-aircraft fire downs Werner's plane. Von Hammer blames himself for the death of the brothers.

To thwart the curse, Von Hammer allows his own picture to be taken before the next mission. He survives several near miss encounters, but he brings his plane back intact. However, the photographer that took his picture was killed on the ground.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Flash #198

Flash #198 (On Sale: April 21, 1970) has a classic cover by Gil Kane.

Unfortunately, the fireworks of the cover wrap around Vinnie Colletta's toxic inks inside on Gil Kane's pencils of Robert Kanigher's script: "No Sad Songs for a Scarlet Speedster." When the Flash performs at an orphanage, the director asks him to help three rebellious orphan teens (who just happen to mimic the ethnic and gender breakdown of the gang from TV's Mod Squad). The teens are not impressed by the Scarlet Speedster, even though he grants their request to return to their old neighborhood. The Flash sees that it has fallen on hard times and, at the site of a demolished building, the Flash decides to build a boys club at super speed (how the girl in the group feels about this is never explored).

While clearing the rubble, the Flash discovers the stolen loot from a million dollar robbery. The crooks show up wanting their stashed money and in the ensuing fight the Flash is hit in the head with a brick, yet still manages to get the kids and the money away from the goons at super speed. When he stops at a nearby park, the kids realize the head wound has caused him to forget his adult identity and reverts to the Barry of age eight. The teens are forced to protect him.

When the crooks find the kids and the Flash, the speedster prays for powers his friends say he has n(yes, the cover is not symbolic! Go DC!). It appears to work as Barry's super speed returns and as he uses his speed to stop the crooks, he receives yet another blow to the head, which restores his memory.

The back-up story, "Call It... Magic" is by Mike Friedrich, Don Heck and unfortunately, Vinnie Colletta once again. This story features Zatanna in only her seventh appearance and her first in three years. In a little over a year, she would start her own short-lived series in Adventure Comics. Zatanna is the daughter of John Zatara, the crimefighting magician from the 1940s DC books, and Sindella, a member of the race of Homo magi, a branch of humanity with innate magical abilities, which Zatanna has inherited. 

This also marks Don Heck's first super-hero artwork for DC and signals his first transition from Marvel to DC. Donald L. Heck was born in the Jamaica neighborhood of New York City on January 2, 1929, His first known comics work appeared in two Comic Media titles, both cover-dated September 1952: the war comic War Fury #1, for which he penciled and inked the cover and the eight-page story "The Unconquered", by an unknown writer; and the cover and the six-page story "Hitler's Head", also by an unknown writer, in the horror comic Weird Terror #1 He started at Atlas/Marvel in 1955 and, with the exception of a half dozen or so miscellaneous stories for DC here and there, would work for them exclusively till 1970. In his first long stint at Marvel he transformed from a romance/horror/western artist to a super-hero artist and was known for co-creating Iron Man and lengthy runs on that book, The Avengers, Captain Marvel, The Amazing Spider-Man and on the Ant-Man strip. 

Of Heck's transformation, Roy Thomas said of the artist, "Don was unlucky enough, I think, to be a non-superhero artist who, starting in the sixties, had to find his niche in a world dominated by superheroes. Fortunately, as he proved first with Iron Man and then with the Avengers, Don could rise to the occasion because he had real talent and a good grounding in the fundamentals. He amalgamated into his own style certain aspects of Jack Kirby's style, and carved out a place for himself as one of a handful of artists who were of real importance during the very early days of Marvel".

At DC he was relegated to the back-up strips for a while: Robin, Batgirl, Aquaman, Supergirl, Jason Bard, Rose and the Thorn and Zatanna all saw Heck's pencils. Later he would draw the Justice League of America, Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Hawkman, Dial H for Hero and co-create Steel, the Indestructible Man with Gerry Conway. 

Don Heck's last known comics work was the 10-page "The Theft of Thor's Hammer", by writer Bill Mantlo, in Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #15 in 1993. Don died of lung cancer in 1995.

When Barry and Iris take in Zatanna's show, she singles Barry out of the audience, but something goes wrong and her attempt to make Barry disappear, by kissing him, backfires and she disappears only to find herself in a strange land watching two sorcerers battle. She has been called by Namba to help him fight Xarkon, who possesses Namba before Zatanna can stop him. Meanwhile, Barry senses someone calling to him and vibrates to invisibility then follows the path of disturbed vibrations left by Zatanna and uses the Cosmic Treadmill to follow her. He eventually finds Zatanna and together they are able to defeat Xarkon and expel him from Namba's body. They are both returned to the stage where their kiss concludes and the audience is none the wiser when Barry uses his bowers to magically return to his seat.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Batman #222

Batman #222 (On Sale: April 21, 1970) has a classic cover by Neal Adams, sometimes incorrectly flagged as inked by Dick Giordano. Obviously this is not so. I remember the day I came home from school and my brother says to me, "The guy on the radio just said that Paul McCartney is dead." It was a real thing, the clues on the album covers and in the songs and for a while it consumed us.

The cover story is "Dead... Till Proven Alive!" by Frank Robbins, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano and it is based on the rumors that flew in 1969 that Paul McCartney was dead and had been replaced in the Beatles by the winner of a \Beatles look-alike contest. One interesting aspect of this story is that it features both Batman and Robin, just months after they had split them up, and begins with Dick Grayson listening to the radio with some friends where they are being told how to find the next clue to the death of Oliver Twists' member Saul Cartwright. When they hear that the Twists are going on tour and hitting Gotham, this leads to his friends asking Dick to ask Bruce if he could swing for the Twists to come to Hudson University for a concert.

Since both Dick and Bruce would like to get to the bottom of the whole "Saul is Dead: schtick, Bruce invites the Twists to stay in the now unmothballed Wayne Manor. What then transpires is a series of thwarted attempts by Bruce and Dick to find out if Saul is the real Saul, some ending up with gunplay. Finally Batman and Robin confront the band, accusing Saul of not being the real Saul. He breaks down and says he is tired of this nonsense and he will tell the truth when band member Glennan pulls a gun on the group saying he has spent enough time trying to keep them from finding out the truth and will just kill them instead.

Saul knocks the gun out of Glennan's hand and Robin takes him out. Saul confesses that he is not the phony, the other three are and that the rest of the band was killed in the Himalayas when they went looking for enlightenment and he hires the look-alikes to keep the band going and dreamed up his own death to keep people off the track. With Glennan in jail, the rest of the band come clean with what happened and form a new group called Wings! Just kidding, they are called The Phoenix.

The back-up Batman story is "Case of No Consequence!" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano. After an exhausting night of patrol, Batman finds a deaf-mute photographer who has mugged and his camera stolen. Batman tracks the mugger down to a local pool hall, but in his exhausted state finds the mugger a bigger problem than normal. The mugger escapes but Batman tracks him down and eventually retrieves the camera and the man's wallet. Batman fixes the camera which has been damaged and returns it to the photographer who takes Batman's picture.

I really enjoyed the artwork by Novick and Giordano in this issue, which was reprinted in Showcase Presents Batman #5 TPB. 

Edited by Julie Schwartz.

Witching Hour #9

Witching Hour #9 (On Sale: April 16, 1970) has an amazing cover by Neal Adams. I know a lot of my love for this cover comes from the use of color by Neal or Jack Adler that adds to the depth and mood of this piece. You just don't see covers this good any more.

We begin with a three witches' framing sequence by Alex Toth and Bill Draut (signed "Wild Bill") that picks up from the previous issue and incorporates Neal Adams's "photo" of Igor and the little girl. The art looks amazing and once again, like the cover, the coloring has a lot to do with the impact the art carries.

This leads us into "The Lonely Road Home" written by Steve Skeates and inked by Murphy Anderson and with pencils attributed to Bob Brown or Jerry Grandenetti. I don't know, some figures are awkward and stilted and don't look anything like Bob Brown. I don't really see Grandenetti in this either, but the Anderson inks are pretty overpowering, so hard to say. Years ago Rob Richards made a wish on a statue that he never grow old and it worked. Now years later, he finds life empty and meaningless and for some unknown reason has returned to his old home town, which he had left when people started to notice that he was not aging. He finds himself drawn to the old Nealson house. There he meets old flame, Linda Nealson, who also has not aged and who says she has been calling to him ever since she heard of the wish he had made, but that it had taken years for him to "hear" her call. When he asks he how she is still young, she explains that like him, she is dead. Like him, she wished to never grow old as well. It ends with a half-page of the framing sequence that just looks fantastic and which some credit to Neal Adams and I can see why.

This is followed by "The Day after Doomsday..." a page and half by Len Wein and drawn by Jack Sparling. Two soldiers from opposing sides meet in the ruins of a large city and shoot each other to death. A third man, called "the last man on earth" finds the two bodies and wonders who won the war. This one also ends with a half page framing sequence, this time it looks much more like Toth and Draut.

Next is our cover story, "The Last Straw" which has absolutely beautiful art by Jose Delbo in service of a great story. Chou Hung was the sole heir to a wealthy family is tasked with keeping the family tomb swept clean each year, lest the family holdings be confiscated by the warlord General Wu. Chou purchases a magic broom from an old warlock that promises that once the tomb is swept by the broom, it will never need sweeping again. Chou uses the broom and is visited by the spirit of his grandfather who tells him that since he has tried to neglect his duties, he will be punished and Chou  now finds he cannot let go of the broom until the last straw is worn out through tomb sweeping. It took years but he finally used the last of the broom, but when he went back to his estate for money he found it was owned by the warlord and that all the dust he had magically swept away over the years, returned once the broom was no more. Chou also discovered that he was unnaturally old, that each straw of the broom ate away a year of his life.

This is followed by a page and a half of framing sequence by Toth and Draut, which leads into "Trumpet Perilous!" by maybe Jack Sparling and Jack Abel, but it might not be Sparling as the Abel inks just destroy the pencils. Elliott and Ramsay search for the lost city of Athai. About this story just let me say that if you should perhaps come upon something called The Trumpet of Doom in an ancient city, don't blow it.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Debbi's Dates #8

Debbi's Dates #8 (On Sale: April 16, 1970) has a cover by Stan Goldberg.

This issue begins with Buddy in ""The Principal of the Thing". Next is "The Passer," which is followed by Benedict in "The Mad Drummer." We end with "A Bat-Ty Tale," "A Pressing Problem" and "Love Bugged." I have no writer or artist information on this book.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Superman #227

Superman #227 (On Sale: April 14, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson on this "All Kryptonite" issue.

We begin with "The Super-Powers of Perry White" by Jerry Coleman, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Action Comics #278.  After eating the fruit of a strange plant in his garden, Perry White gains super powers which he uses to become Masterman, a new super hero. Eventually his mind is taken over by Xasnu, a plant creature from another world. It was the fruit which allowed him to take over Perry’s mind and the powers were just a side effect. Xasnu, as Perry, attempts to kill Superman, knowing he is the one person who can stop an invasion.

He learns Superman’s secret identity, but Superman has hypnotized himself not to feel pain when exposed to Kryptonite. Superman is forced to hide at his Fortress of Solitude. Perry attacks him there and nearly kills the Man of Steel. Supergirl arrives just in time to save her cousin by exposing Perry to White Kryptonite, which destroys plant life, including the one controlling Perry. His memory is lost for the entire experience.

Next up is "The Great Kryptonite Mystery" by Jerry Coleman, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley and reprinted from Superboy #58.  Superboy begins deliberately exposing himself to Kryptonite meteors and collecting them in a secure vault. He refuses to tell anyone why he is hurting himself. The continued exposure causes the Boy of Steel to become ill and his powers weaken. After collecting several such meteors, Superboy hides the vault of Kryptonite on the ocean floor. He explains to his foster parents that he hoped to build up an immunity to the Kryptonite meteors, so that he could use them later against ten Kryptonian criminals due to arrive on Earth in 15 years.

This is followed by "The Super-Revenge of the Phantom Zone Prisoner" by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan and George Klein and reprinted from Superman #157. When Phantom Zone criminal Quex-Ul is released from the Zone by Superman, having completed his sentence, he vows revenge against Superman. While Quex-Ul creates a magnet to gather Gold Kryptonite, Superman visits Krypton’s past to learn that Quex-Ul is innocent of his convicted crime.

When Superman returns, Quex-Ul tries to use the Gold Kryptonite against him. Supergirl informs Quex-Ul that he has been cleared of his previous crimes. This revelation causes the former Zone resident to save Superman, sacrificing his own powers to the Gold Kryptonite. The accident gives him amnesia, so Superman gets him a job at the Daily Planet.

Next we have "The Invasion of the Super-Ants" drawn by Al Plastino and reprinted from Action Comics #296. A race of giant ants is spotted outside Metropolis. Superman is unable to approach the ants because of the presence of Green Kryptonite. Instead, he flies into a Red Kryptonite cloud which temporarily gives him an ant head and makes him immune to Green K. He then approaches the ants and communicates with them. He learns that they are from another planet and have come to Earth to warn humans about nuclear destruction. Superman takes their message to the U.N. after the ants have repaired their rocket and left Earth.

We end with  "Secret of Kryptonite Six" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Klein and reprinted from Action Comics #310. Superman releases Jax-Ur from the Phantom Zone on a trial basis when Jax-Ur claims to have a cure for an Atlantean plague. Superman and Jax-Ur use a time-bubble to travel to Krypton prior to its explosion. Jax-Ur retrieves the formula for the cure from an old laboratory in the Jeweled Mountains. He also sets up a device to send a fragment of the Mountain to Earth when Krypton explodes.

When Superman and Jax-Ur return, Superman gives the plague cure to Lori Lemaris and the Atlanteans. Jax-Ur then hypnotizes Jimmy Olsen into uses the Jewel Kryptonite fragments on Superman.

Afterwards, Superman's presence cause fuel to explode when he is near. Superman believes he must leave the Earth, until he deduces that the real cause of the explosions is the fragment of Jewel Kryptonite in Earth's orbit. The Phantom Zone criminals are able to use the Kryptonite to focus their thoughts and cause the explosions. Superman hurls the fragment into the sun, ending the threat and Jax-Ur's scheme.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #129 (On Sale: April 9, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. 

We begin with "Superman Versus Ultra-Olsen" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Murphy Anderson.  This is Anderson's first work on Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen and begins a string of Olsen stories both penciled and inked by Anderson that would lead up to the return of Jack Kirby to DC. Jimmy's father brings him half a medallion which legend has it once granted powers to a Mayan king. For some strange reason, Jimmy has the other half, which was given to him by Professor Lang. Superman agrees to fuse the two halves together and hands the restored medallion to Jimmy. As is wont to happen in these stories, Jimmy receives super-powers from the medallion. He experiments with his new powers by performing super-deeds in public and some crooks come up with a plan to utilize his power for themselves. They kidnap Jimmy's father, using him as a hostage and forcing Jimmy to steal for them. Jimmy is able to stop the crooks by planting his signal watch in the stolen loot, which leads Superman to the kidnappers. Superman rescues Mark Olsen and Jimmy's new powers eventually wear off.

Next is the cover story, "The Pen of Prophecy" by Leo Dorfman and Murphy Anderson. While taking photographs of a museum fire Jimmy Olsen discovers an antique box containing a quill pen and a jar of ink. He takes the box home, intending to return it to the museum after the museum is repaired, but later, when Jimmy's typewriter breaks, he decides to finish his story using the quill pen. Suddenly, his hand becomes controlled by the pen. He writes an odd story about a man trapped in a submarine. He turns the story in to the Daily Planet, where Clark Kent sees it. The story tips Superman off to the location of a criminal and turns out to be true.

The next time Jimmy uses the pen, he writes another apparently fictional story which turns out to be true. When he tells Clark about the pen, Clark tries it and is also overcome by the compulsion to write, but his story reveals his secret identity. He covers up this revelation and in the confusion, the ink is spilled. He finds a note revealing that the ink once belonged to Edgar Allan Poe and was given to him by a descendant of Nostradamus. With the ink spilled and gone, Jimmy is unable to write any more magic prophecies.

We end with "The Superman Hall of Trophies" from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #24 and is by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley. While giving a tour of the new Superman Hall of Trophies. Jimmy demonstrates Superman’s powers with the help of several statues and robots. The real Superman replaces one of the statues to surprise Jimmy, but he becomes paralyzed by Kryptonite. When crooks show up to rob the museum, Superman tips off Jimmy to his predicament and Jimmy is able to free Superman so he can capture the crooks.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Green Lantern #77

Green Lantern #77 (On Sale: April 9, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams as we hit the second issue of the "New" Green Lantern.

The 23-page "Journey to Desolation" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Frank Giacoia begins  Green Lantern's and Green Arrow's Quest to find America. While traveling by pick-up truck across the country with one of the Guardians of the Universe in human guise, Green Lantern and Green Arrow pass through the small mining town of Desolation. Several miners shoot at their truck and the team immediately investigates the bizarre actions.

In a case of mistaken identity, the miners thought that team worked for Slapper Soames, the mine owner who runs the company town of Desolation with an iron fist. Slapper is planning to hang young Johnny Walden, a local folk singer, for stirring up revolt within the community. The miners are planning an actual revolt to free Johnny, behind their leader, Jacob. When Green Arrow sees how well-fortified and well-armed Slapper's men are, he advises them to call off their attack, but Jacob refuses to listen and charges into battle.

Green Lantern and Green Arrow both join the fight. During the melee, the Guardian accompanying them informs Green Lantern that since he has taken a leave of absence from his normal duties, his power ring will no longer protect him from mortal harm. This is new information to the Greens, and Lantern is injured during the fight, while Green Arrow is taken prisoner.

Unused cover by Neal Adams 

Green Arrow is taken to Slapper's office where he learns that the leader of the revolt, Jacob, was really working with Soames. Slapper liked that Johnny's songs were stirring up descent, as he wanted to start a futile revolt and crush it, so that the miners would never rise up again. He had to make Johnny the scapegoat as he was afraid that Johnny's songs might catch on, like Bob Dylan's did, and the last thing he wanted was eyes on Desolation. Green Lantern, who has recovered from his injuries, is able to arrive in time to save his friend.

Afterwards, Green Lantern admits that his recent confusion as to right and wrong has weaken his will power and thus, the power of his ring. This was an obvious change that was needed it Green Lantern was to talk on more realistic bad guys such as Slapper Soames.

Strange that this issue, like last issue, was originally supposed to have a different cover, one not too different from the cover actually used. Also, I don't know the story of how Frank Giacoia inked this issue, but I believe it would be the one and only time he inked Neal Adams's pencils. The results were a very watered down Adams, which I guess explains the lack of an encore for this artistic team.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Girls' Romances #149

Girls' Romances #149 (On Sale: April 9, 1970) has a cover inked by Vinny Colletta.

We begin with our cover-story "That Kind of Girl" drawn by Ric Estrada and Vince Colletta (personally, I always loved those kinds of girls!). Next is "You Can't Lie About Love" drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs. We end with "Too Good to Be Loved" drawn by Murphy Anderson.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.