Detective Comics #401

Detective Comics #401 (On Sale: May 28, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams. A nice cover, but otherwise this issue is such a step down form #400.

We begin with Batman in "Target for Tonight" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Joe Giella. In a visit with Commissioner Gordon, Batman is given a message delivered by a hunting falcon, claiming that Batman is the next target of someone calling themselves the Stalker. Suddenly he is shot at and heads to his Wayne Foundation penthouse to figure out his next move. 

There he and Alfred watch a TV interview with big game hunter Carton Yeager, who shows off trained hunting falcon, his filled trophy room and the one empty plaque there, saying that is for the head of his most dangerous challenge. Just then, an arrow shatters the TV, an arrow with a message explaining that Yeager knows his secret identity, but will not reveal it. Rather, he is now hunting Batman. 

Batman heads out for Carlton's lair, the Safari Club, where he is shot at by a crossbow and hears a taped message from Yeager telling him to come to the New Urbia Island Project, as the hunt is on. Batman sneaks onto the island, but soon falls into a net trap. Yeager shows up and boasts that he knew exactly what Batman would try to get on the island and that though he could just kill him right now, that that would not be much of a hunt.

Batman frees himself, swings over the muddy ground and finds Alfred tied up in an underground garage. Rather than free him, Batman attacks him, pulling off his mask to reveal Alfred is actually Carlton. He manages to get away from Batman, but in his haste to leave, falls through a trap door meant for Batman and is impaled to death. The real Alfred shows up and is stuck in the thick mud. Batman explains that the lack of mud on the tied up Alfred's shoes was the clue that he was actually Yeager. This story ws reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 TPB.

Next is the letters page and it contains letters by Doug Moench, Martin Pasko and Alan Brennert, all three soon to be DC writers of much note.

We end with  "Midnight Is the Dying Hour" starring Robin and Batgirl and continuing from last issue.  The creative team is still Denny O'Neil, Gil Kane and the horrible inks of Vinnie Colletta. After last issue stumbling upon a murder at Hudson University, Batgirl soon finds herself the killers next victim, awakening to find herself bound, gagged and being sealed in a room behind a brick wall.

Earlier in the evening, Robin conducted his own investigation of the murder, finding that the body of Willard was pointing at a book of poetry (particularly the words "POE") and remembering the Poe festival, Robin finally realizes who the killer might be.

Rushing to the theater, Robin catches the killer just before he can set the last brick, sealing Batgirl's tomb, but the murderer manages to get away. Robin frees Batgirl, and the two begin searching the theater for their assailant. After a chase through the theater, Robin and Batgirl manage to catch the killer who turns out to be none other than student Jack Markham. This story has been 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.

Date With Debbi #10

Date With Debbi #10 (On Sale: May 28, 1970) has a cover by persons unknown. That is the way things roll with this series, nobody knows nuthin'.

We begin with Debbi in "The Belly Bomber," which is quickly followed by Debbi in "Ask Me Anything." The final story is "Bon Voyage, Mr. Hawk" which must star someone else. We have no information other than this on this book.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Adventure Comics #395

Adventure Comics #395 (On Sale: May 28, 1970) has another Supergirl cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Supergirl in "The Rejected Supergirl" by Robert Kanigher, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. When the class at Stanhope College votes for the men they'd most like to be, Superman wins. Supergirl is asked to place capsules bearing the nine winners names on each of the nine planets. On Pluto, she encounters a group of metal lions which resemble the Metal Men. After defeating the lions, she returns to Earth.

When she returns to earth, the class votes for the most admired female and Supergirl finishes last. Linda is surprised and hurt by the results. Despite her bruised ego, Supergirl helps a fellow classmate whose father has gone bankrupt attempting to produce a movie. She then helps a transport ship with a cargo of medical supplies.

When she returns to Stanhope, Supergirl discovers metal in her hair from the alien lions. She suspects that the metal caused the computer tabulating the voting results to fail. The vote is taken again, and this time Supergirl is the winner.

We end with our cover-story, "The Heroine in the Haunted House" by Robert Kanigher and Kurt Schaffenberger. Actor Vincent Sale takes up the challenge of staying overnight in a haunted house that belonged to inventor Amos Ameswell. When Sale is frightened out of the house earlier than expected, Linda Danvers decides to take up the challenge.

The next night, Linda stays in the house. She grows bored and turns on the television before falling asleep. She is awoken by the ghost of Jor-El who mocks her. She is then confronted by a Kryptonian thought-beast. After the beast is melted by the Girl of Steel's heat vision, she begins laughing hysterically. Supergirl has apparently gone mad.

The Phantom Zone criminals then reveal themselves and gloat over Supergirl's mental state. However, she was faking in order to turn off the device which resembled a television. The inventor actually created a device which allowed the Phantom Zone prisoners to appear on Earth. The inventor, wearing a cloak and carrying a scythe, then appears and attacks Supergirl. Continued next issue.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #390

Action Comics #390 (On Sale: May 28, 1970) has another Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issues begins with our cover-story, "The Self-Destruct Superman" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos.
An earthquake near the White House accidentally activates an anti-Superman weapon given to the President by Superman himself. Superman intended for the weapon to be used against him should he ever go mad. Using super-hypnosis, Superman blocked the knowledge of how the weapon worked from his own mind.

The weapon attacks Superman, leading to a chase around the world and through time. Eventually, Superman is contacted by a Kandorian who explains that the weapon was invented by Jor-El on Krypton. Fearful for his life, Superman begins to suffer from stress. He then realizes his own fear is killing him. He makes a stand against the machine. It self-destructs when Superman uses a helmet to alter his own brain waves.

Superman at last remembers an incident that occurred as a child on Krypton. Jor-El's weapon nearly killed young Kal-El, so Jor-El deactivated it. However, Kal-El developed an instinctual fear of the weapon which lasted his entire life.

The back-up, "The Tyrant and the Traitor", featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, is by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. President Peralla of the planet Lahum, used an army of indestructible androids to conquered his world and plans to expand his empire to other planets. Diol Masrin, who has led his people in revolt against Peralla, is secretly allied with the Dark Circle empire. Unable to intervene officially, the United Planets requests the aid of Chameleon Boy and the Legion Espionage Squad.

Chameleon Boy, Brainiac 5, Timber Wolf, Element Lad, Saturn Girl, and Karate Kid capture a ship carrying contraband weapons to Lahum, weapons supposedly effective against the androids but actually obsolete. Impersonating the ship's crew, the Legionnaires rendezvous with Chavak, Masrin's lieutenant. They capture him, and Chameleon Boy takes his place, while the other male Legionnaires pose as new recruits. The disguised Legionnaires, accompanying the rebels on a march to their base camp, where they are ambushed by the humanoids. When blasted, the chemical beings burst into pieces, each of which then grows into a new humanoid.

The rebels manage to escape and reach their camp, where they meet Masrin and the disguised Chameleon Boy encounters the real Chavak's girlfriend, Yroa. Saturn Girl, meanwhile, reaches Hueuas, Lahum's capital city, and schemes to infiltrate the Presidential Palace by applying to become the assistant of Wanpar, Chief of Scientific Development, unaware that a woman on his staff recognizes her as Imra Ardeen. Continued next issue. 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.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #130

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #130 (On Sale: May 26, 1970) has another cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issue starts with our cover story, "The Computer-Man of Steel" by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza. After being blasted during the night by a strange ray, Jimmy Olsen awakens to find himself compelled to buy parts from an electronics store. Using the parts Jimmy builds an advanced computer. Using the computer, Jimmy is able to beat a robotic chess master given to him by Superman, and to predict the outcome of horse races. Jimmy's computer then predicts trouble at Superman's Fortress.

Informing Superman of the possible threat, he and Jimmy arrive at the Fortress and save the city of Kandor which was in danger from one of Superman's experiments. Once the city is saved, Superman leaves for a space mission, but returns a short time later exhibiting brain damage.

Hit once again by a strange ray, Jimmy performs surgery and transplants his computer into Superman's head. Although this saves the Superman, he becomes an unfeeling menace. When he tries to destroy Kandor, the Superman Emergency Squad emerges to fight him. Jimmy and the Kandorians realize that this is not Superman, but Brainiac. The computer villain arranges to have Jimmy build the computer using his own components and had replaced Superman with a Superman robot. The Kandorians then disassemble Brainiac.

We end with "Olsen, the Teen-Wonder" by Bob Haney and Murphy Anderson. Jimmy Olsen is nominated for the Young Man of the Year award, but loses to Robin. Jimmy thinks that he could do what Robin does, so he puts on the Robin's costume and impersonates him. When Metropolis is plagued by a string of robberies, Jimmy traces the bandits who all where costumes based on the Roman god Mercury. Jimmy is caught by the gang, but Superman saves him. After the gang is defeated, Jimmy realizes that Robin's life is harder than he thought. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Green Lantern #78

Green Lantern #78 (On Sale: May 26, 1970) has another Green Lantern/Green Arrow cover by Neal Adams. The highlighting of the word "family" made you think of Charlie Manson.

The book-length "A Kind of Loving, a Way of Death" is by Denny O'Neil,  Neal Adams and Frank Giacoia. While biking through Washington state, Black Canary is attacked by a biker gang. She holds her own for a while till one of the bikers runs her over. They take her bike and leave her for dead on the side of the road. A man wearing buckskin shows up and takes her away. Two weeks later, Hal Oliver and the Guardian drive into a small town in a Washington Indian Reservation and stop by a café for a meal.
When a biker gang shows up and harasses the owner, Hal and Ollie act timid and leave, but return shortly as Green Lantern and Green Arrow. Let's just say, the bikers don't stand a chance, though one tried to make a getaway on his bike and is stopped by an Ollie arrow.

Oliver recognizes the bike s the one Superman made for Black Canary and beats information out of the biker that they took the bike from her weeks ago and left her to die. Hal has to stop him from killing the guy. The Guardian wants to talk to the owner about white harassment of natives, so he stays in the café as the green guys go out looking for Canary. They find her with little effort, but when Ollie tries to take her back she says she will not go with him, that she is home. The buckskinned guy shows up, says his name is Joshua and that Black Canary is now a member of his "family." Ollie is unable to convince Canary to come with them, so they leave her with her new family.

Joshua gives her a gift, a gun. When she says using a gun is wrong, Joshua pulls her deeper into his control, till she accepts the gift. When Hal says that Ollie just needs to realize that she just doesn't dig him anymore, Oliver punches him and storms off into the woods. There he hears gunfire in the distance and heads for it, finding the "family" doing shooting practice and overhears him ranting about going into town and killing everyone there. Realizing he needs help dealing with all of them, Arrow fires a flare arrow for Lantern, but in the glow of the flare he is seen and shot.

Green Lantern shows up and disarms the family and traps them in a pit. Joshua and Black Canary escape and find the wounded Green Arrow. Joshua orders her to kill Oliver, but she can't do it, she remembers their love for one another. When she drops the gun, Joshua picks it up to do the deed himself, but is punched by Green Lantern. As he falls to the ground, his gun discharges and he accidently kills himself.

I don't remember if Frank Giacoia ever inked Neal Adams again, and though he toned the artwork down a bit, he was not that bad. Now that might be that Neal was in his prime and no one could hurt his pencils that much, or it might be that Frans was not that bad of an inker for Adams. This story was reprinted in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #2, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection Vol. 1 TPB, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection HC, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1 TPB, Showcase Presents: Green Lantern Vol. 5 TPB, Green Lantern/Green Arrow TPB and Absolute Green Lantern/Green Arrow HC.

Girls' Romances #150

Girls' Romances #150 (On Sale: May 26, 1970) has a cover by John Rosenberger and Vince Colletta. As usual, with anything Colletta inked, the penciler is a guess people have made.

We begin with our cover-story, "Too Much Loving... Too Many Tears" drawn by Artie Saaf and Vince Colletta.  Some credit the pencils to George Tuska, but Saaf's own invoice says otherwise, but this is the problem with Colletta's inks, the pencils are destroyed by them. Vanessa marries pro football player Wally, but when he is injured and confined to a wheelchair, he fears that she will be drawn back to her old boyfriend Nick.

Next is "The Loneliest Girl in Town" drawn by Jack Sparling and Vince Colletta. Amanda's career as a model keeps her too busy for romance, until she finds someone who's gone unnoticed the whole time -- her manager Burt.

We end with "I Lived a Lie" drawn by Ric Estrada and, yep, you guessed it, Vince Colletta. Julie marries Steve just before he leaves for Vietnam. Months later, Steve's friend Roy, who has always loved Julie, comes to tell her that Steve is missing in action, but another secret may prevent Roy from ever getting closer to Julie.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Superboy #167

Superboy #167 (On Sale: May 21, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams featuring Superbaby. It also features the ever popular crowd running towards you that Neal was so known for.

We begin with "The Day Superboy Blew Up the World!" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Murphy Anderson. It is Superboy's birthday (the day the Kents found his rocket) and Jonathan Kent wonders why Superboy is moping around. He reveals that he a nuclear-powered alien space probe heading towards Earth and intercepted messages from the craft indicating it plans on landing on Earth, which might cause it to explode. Superboy is unable to penetrate the craft's force-field.

Jonathan Kent tells him the story of how, as Superbaby, he once tried to blow up the Earth with his super-breath as if he were blowing up a balloon globe. His super-breath caused volcanic eruptions, oil gushers, and other catastrophic results, but Martha Kent lured him back with the smell of a tasty stack of homecooked pancakes.

After hearing the story, Superboy gets the idea of fashioning a phony "Earth" globe of magnetic iron, which pulls the space probe away from Earth and lets it harmlessly destroy the iron globe. The most interesting thing about this story is the credits which state that Mike Esposito was the inker, but you would have to be blind to believe that.

We end with "The Super-Mammoth Mystery" also by by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Murphy Anderson. When the Dale Brothers Circus comes to Smallville with their star attraction, Trixie the world's largest elephant, Superboy has to check it out. When Superboy flies by, Trixie goes wild, but Superboy is able to bring her under control using the smell of peanuts. The circus gives Superboy free circus tickets for his good deed. After Superboy flies off, Kuku the clown and Nardu, the ringmaster, comment on how well Trixie did, even fooling Superboy.

When Superboy takes Lana Lang to the circus, Kuku distracts him while Nardu causes the circus tent to collapse. While Superboy helps the people trapped inside, Trixie gets loose again and attacks an armored car on the highway. When the car goes missing, Superboy joins the search. He finds Trixie and flies her back to the circus, which then leaves town. Once out of town, the circus stops and Nardo and Kuku open up the side of Trixie, who is a robot and inside of her is the missing armored car. When they open it up to get the loot they find Superboy waiting for them. Superboy figured out Trixie was not real when she did not eat any peanuts and the circus had no bales of hay for her to eat either.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Secret Hearts #145

Secret Hearts #145 (On Sale: May 21, 1970) has a cover said to be by Bill Draut, but I see other hands at work on this.

We begin with "I Have Him Now" by Joe Gill and Bill Draut. Lenora schemes to take Calvin away from her cousin Sally, but when she wins and marries Cal, she finds that he's a compulsive gambler who only married her because he though she was richer than her cousin and he needed more money for gambling.

Following that is a one-pager entitled "Gemini Woman" by Raymond Marais and John Celardo.

Next is "Beware of a Frenchman's Kisses" by Joe Gill, John Celardo and people claim Nick Cardy, but I don't think so. Sure a few panels here and there (mainly page 4) have a Cardy look, but that is also a Celardo look, when he got a brushy and loose. Eleanor's Aunt Mary gives her a trip to Paris as a graduation gift and accompanies her as chaperone. While visiting a museum, her aunt bows out from dinner, telling her niece to no go to Chez Angelique, as the clientele is "unspeakable." So, of course, that is where she goes and when she gets there she finds a table waiting for her with artist Paul Rowan, from the museum, already seated. He said as soon as he heard her aunt tell her not to go there that she would of course show up.  After dinner they go to a café together and he walks her home. It is there that she learns that her aunt set up the whole thing.

We end with "I Didn't Want to Do It" by Jack Miller, Jay Scott Pike and John Rosenberger. When Darrell breaks up with Ginny, she hatches a scheme to get revenge on him by enlisting her friend, Felice, to date Darrell and break up with him after he falls in love with her. The plan goes well until  Felice actually falls in love with Darrell herself. Got to say that the artwork on this story is very good.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

DC Special #8

DC Special #8 (On Sale: May 21, 1970) has a cover for WANTED: The World's Most Dangerous Villains by Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Superman and Batman  "Joker-Luthor, Incorporated"  by France Herron, Jim Mooney and Sheldon Moldoff and reprinted from World's Finest Comics #129. When Superman checks into a disturbance at an outdoor exhibit in Metropolis, he finds that the Joker has joined forces with
 Lex Luthor and using an atomic dispenser, they turn Superman into a stream of electronic particles. Hearing that the Joker has gone to Metropolis, Batman and Robin arrive at the exhibit, but are unable to capture the two fiends. After they escape Superman slowly returns to normal. 

Batman believes the Joker gave away their next crime and show up the next day at a spring flower show, where the Joker is found in a giant flower and Luther is inside a giant mechanical bee. Superman is again shot and turned into a stream of electronic particles and Batman and Robin are unable to keep the two from stealing some prized bulbs and escaping once more.  Mr. Webb, who put on the flower show says he is still going ahead with a gem exhibit the next night.

The next night we see Mr. Webb enter a bunker using a concealed elevator and arriving on the stage inside an impenetrable glass bubble where the gems will be displayed The Joker and his men arrive by helicopter and try to break into the dome. Meanwhile, inside the dome, Webb gathers all the jewels and asks to be let out of the dome. IT is all a ploy as once in the open, Webb uses jet shoes to fly out with the gems. However, Superman figured the whole thing out and stops the flying Webb, really Luthor and Batman and Robin handle the Joker.

Next is the Flash in "Who Doomed the Flash?" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella and reprinted from Flash #130. The Flash’s runs into a number of his old foes around Central City, but when Flash checks on them, he finds that each is still in jail. The only connection between the villains is attorney Paul Barrett and when the Flash visits Barrett’s office, Barrett knocks him out.

Barrett disguises himself as the Flash and breaks Mirror Master out of jail. It was Barrett who was impersonating the villains and who has been under Mirror Master’s mind control since his trial.

The Flash awakens to find he has been imprisoned in a Mirror Master trap. He is able to escape using a filling from a recent dentist appointment. After freeing Barrett of Mirror Master's control, Barrett leads Flash to the crook’s next heist. Flash tracks down Mirror Master and returns him to jail.

This is followed by Green Lantern in "The Day 100,000 People Vanished" by John Broome, Gil Kane and Joe Giella and reprinted from Green Lantern #7. Green Lantern checks into the strange disappearance of all the citizens of Valdale, but comes up clueless.  Green Lantern realizes that he was supposed to be in Valdale when the disappearances happened and wonders if he was the real target. Suddenly Green Lantern is struck weak for a moment, his mind going momentarily blank.

The weakness was caused by the Guardians of the Universe who have once again pulled an astral projection of Hal Jordan to Oa. The Guardians relate to Hal the story of Sinestro, the rogue Green Lantern. Sinestro was the ring bearer of sector 1417 and initially he performed his duties well, but he soon became corrupt. First he built a fabulous palace and dispensed justice to his constituents. Sinestro then dissolved the high council and made himself dictator.

In response, the Guardians stripped Sinestro of his ring and power battery and banished him to the universe of Qward. Sinestro immediately got involved with the Weaponers of Qward and plotted revenge, beginning by capturing Hal Jordan.

After realizing that he was correct in guessing that the Valdale vanishings were meant to capture him, Green Lantern’s energy duplicate is returned to Earth, this time retaining his memory of the Guardians. Once he returns, Hal flies to the inter-universe aperture that allows access to Qward. He finds it sealed. So, he flies to Coast City and uses the power ring to make the citizens invisible as he learned that his transporter beam only affects visible humans. Green Lantern then walks around town baiting Sinestro.

Green Lantern’s plan is successful, as he is beamed to Qward by Sinestro, who believes Green Lantern is powerless. His ring still functions however, and he defends himself, but when Sinestro threatens to kill the people of Valdale if he does not stop, Green Lantern exchanges his life for theirs. They are returned to Earth and Green Lantern is placed into a yellow bubble until his ring runs out of charge.

But Green Lantern speeds up the Qwardian clock to make them believe his 24 hour charge has expired. His ring is still charged enough to defeat them all. He imprisons Sinestro in a force bubble of his own. Finally, Hal returns to Earth and attends his engagement in Valdale.

Lastly we have Hawkman in "Shadow-Thief of Midway City" by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #36. A creature made only of shadow robs the Midway City Bank just as the Thanagarian authorities recall Katar and Shayera, They postpone their departure to search for the fiend. Hawkman and Hawkgirl eventually catch up to the shadow thief as he robs a private residence of a fortune in rare coins. but are unable to prevent the crime.

We follow teh shadow thief and learn he is Carl Sands, who become fascinated by shadows in prison, and while using a color-disc magic-trick projector after his release, accidentally discovered another dimension, and a being in trouble there. Saving the alien, Thar Dan, gave him a Dimensiometer, a device which enabled Sands to exist in shadow, as a gift.  However, when Thar Dan discovered that use of this device would trigger another Ice Age, and requested his invention’s return, Sands ignored the plea and continued his ravaging of Earth.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl are able to identify the creature from mug shots, by comparing it to the shadow profile of convicted burglar Carl Sands. Hawkman believes that suspending Shadow-Thief in the air would prevent his escape, and when some birds tell them where the shadow thief is, they lift his mobile home into the sky..The Thief has to rip the Dimensiometer from his wrist in order to become solid on Earth, and they catch him. This action ruins the device, one use short of starting the new Ice Age.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Three Mouseketeers #2

Three Mouseketeers #2  (On Sale: May 19, 1970) has a cover by Phil Mendez.

We begin with the Three Mouseketeers in "Hi-Ho and Away"  written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer and reprinted from Three Mouseketeers #2 (1956). Minus gets a horse.

Next is the Three Mouseketeers in "Fatsy at the Bat" written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer and reprinted from Three Mouseketeers #5 (1956). Fatsy can't stand not getting a hit.

That is followed by the Three Mouseketeers in "Yo-Yo Trouble" written by Seymour Reit and drawn by Rube Grossman and reprinted from Three Mouseketeers #13 (1958). Minus finds a yo-yo.

Next we have the Three Mouseketeers in "Meet Max" written by Seymour Reit and drawn by Rube Grossman and also reprinted from Three Mouseketeers #13 (1958). The Mouseketeers enlist Max the Potato Bug in their continuing war against Hamilton Hawk.

The next story features the Three Mouseketeers (surprise!) in "Brain Vs Brawn"  written by Seymour Reit and drawn by Rube Grossman and reprinted from Three Mouseketeers #2 (1956).

We end this reprint fest with the Three Mouseketeers in "Silently Yours" written by Seymour Reit and drawn by Rube Grossman. This story was reprinted from Three Mouseketeers #10 (1957). This is a mostly silent story about Minus trying to pick a raspberry.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Hot Wheels #3

Hot Wheels #3  (On Sale: May 19, 1970) has an adequate cover by Neal Adams, but it gives the book a tone that does not in any way match the interior. It puts the emphasis on the bad guys and relegates the heroes to very small heads in the police car and, of course, the obligatory headshots running down the left panel.

Now this may seem like a minor criticism, but this book was really Alex Toth's baby, and he had a particular product that he wanted to sell, and it was about the characters and their interaction with their cars. Alex had done a number of car books by this time and he knew how to deliver one of those, but I think he was aiming for something more accessible to kids than what DC had in mind.

Nothing points that out clearer than the cover by Alex that was rejected by DC. It puts forth the same idea, that the kids are working with the police and are being shot at. However, it changes the emphasis, moving it away from the bad guys and putting it clearly onto Jack Wheeler.

Alex even employs the unusual design choice of having Jack's head in the left margin do the talking. This moves those obligatory headshots from static window dressing to active participant in the cover. It is a brilliant idea on Toth's part. I just have to wonder what Dick Giordano's problem was with Toth's ideas here.

The book begins with "Stakeout," a 13-pager by Joe Gill, Alex Toth and the horrific Vinnie Colletta.  Colletta could destroy just about anyone's pencils and he certainly sucked the mood right out of Toth's work here. Toth demands a broad, assured stroke and Colletta was never in possession of one. The only bright side to the artwork on this issue is that it is the last time that someone else will ink Toth's Hot Wheels pencils and that is a very good thing.  When some bank robbers are making their getaway in what appears to be an old clunker, but is actually a "funnycar," Jack and Janet come upon them and take off in hot pursuit. Jack ends up flipping their dune buggy, but luckily land in a junkyard's pile of old tires. When the police arrive and ask the two to describe the car, Jack informs them that was a '55 Chevy, but since it was actually a funnycar, they can swap out the bolt-on body and might be any other car the next time the see it.

 Sure enough, across town the gang is picking up their girlfriends and the '55 Chevy is no more. Back at Wheeler Motors the kids talk it over with Jack's dad and decide to stake out the four largest banks in town to see if they can catch the gang in the act. They need to be in police cars to do it, so they go to the Commissioner with a plan to soup up four police cars so they can keep yup with that funnycar. The Commissioner agrees. Besides making the cars faster, they paint them and remove the roof lights. Jack, Tank, Kip and Mickey are joined by plain-clothes officers and the stakeout begins.

Days go by but finally an old pickup pulls up to one of the banks, and, yes, it is the robbers. Jack and his companion, Detective Ross, take off in hot pursuit, but have to drop back as one of the robbers is in the back of the pickup shooting at them. The gunman is tossed out of the truck on a tight turn and Jack notes that they are heading out of town on Monument Road. Tank blocks the road in his car, but Jack warns him that they are coming too fast to stop and a change of tactic is needed. Tanks zig zags his car in front of the truck slowing them down and the other cars converge, capturing the thieves.  Wheeler Motors offers to soup up all the police cars if the Commissioner approves.

This is followed by a two-page Racing Album by Jack Keller highlighting the 1956 Daytona race a one-page text story featuring the Hot Wheels gang entitled "Not Too Bright!" and one page of gags, "Car Toons" by Henry Boltinoff.

The back-up story is  "The Raid of the Red Baron," an 8-page tale drawn by Ric Estrada and Dick Giordano. While dune bugging across the desert to Sweet Springs for a picnic, Janet and Jack are bombed with  a flour sack by resident asshole Dexter in a WWI Fokker. Dexter then chases them down, causing them to flatten in the dust before finding Mickey and Ardeth in their buggy and strafing them. Dexter then has engine trouble and crashes the plane on the edge of a cliff. Dex is fine, but copilot Ferdie has been thrown from the plane and needs a doctor. Jack and Dexter head for the nearest town and retrieve a doctor, who examines Ferdie and the gang help get him back to town.

Ardeth then douses Dexter with her now sandy potato salad. The art in this one is a little strange. The first few pages are dramatic and then as the story wears on the art becomes much more cartoony.  I think Ric was having an issue with what type of tale he was illustrating.

The book was edited by Dick Giordano.

Adventures of Jerry Lewis #119

Adventures of Jerry Lewis #119 (On Sale: May 19, 1970) has a cover by Bob Oksner.

We begin with Jerry Lewis in "The Dropout Who Dropped In" by Alan Riefe and Bob Oksner. Wanting to better himself and finally get a diploma, Jerry reenrolls in high school, where he makes every teacher's life a nightmare. Some problems are caused by Jerry's lack of brain power, but many of the things he is accused of are actually the work of two other students, who have decided to make Jerry's life miserable after Jerry ruins their gag to soak the principal. In the end, Jerry inadvertently helps stop the two kids from stealing exam questions that they plan on selling to other kids. Regardless, Jerry flunks out and a month later is trying to ship an apple to his teacher in correspondence school.

Next we have Jerry Lewis in our cover-story, "The Teenie-Weenie Genie", also by Alan Riefe and Bob Oksner. While playing football in a junk yard, Jerry destroys Renfrew's football but finds a genie in a stove pipe. The genie is not very good and when Jerry asks for a million dollars the genie conjures up a wooden nickel. When he asks for a lot of diamonds, the genie gives him a deck of cards. The genie confesses that he has lost his powers and that his fiancé's family is out to get him since he backed out of the marriage he no longer feels worthy of.

Jerry moves the genie into his house and they realize he just needs his bottle back to restore his powers. Jerry and Renfrew go in search of bottles just as the genie's fiancé and family find them. A chase ensues and the genie is trapped back in his bottle by a family member who then commands the genie to send them home, which the genie does. He just doesn't go with them. Jerry got bonked on the head and Renfrew wishes that he would snap out of it.  Jerry does, but he has a tremendous headache which he wishes would go away. Renfrew realizing they have just blown two of their three wishes, tells Jerry to shut up, that all he really wanted was a new football. And so he is given one.

We end with Jerry Lewis in a one-pager called "A Smashing Good Time", by Henry Boltinoff and Bob Oksner.  Jerry is driving his car and can't remember where he is going. He doesn't need gas, he doesn't need to wash the car. As he smashes into a wall he remembers that he needed new brakes.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #102

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #102 (On Sale: May 14, 1970) has a rather dramatic cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover-story, "When You're Dead, You're Dead" by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick and Mike Esposito.  While covering an international parade of rare animals for the Daily Planet, Lois Lane meet is rescued from an attacking tiger by the turbaned Rajah Satdev from Nepalunda. He invites Lois to dinner, which she agrees to as long as she can interview him as well. He tells Lois that back in his home, he is worshipped and admired but that no woman has ever moved his heart, till he laid eyes on Lois,.

ON their way to dinner they hear a bulletin of how Clark Kent has scooped another Superman story and Lois comment that she would sell her soul to the devil for such a scoop. Just then a lightning bold appears out of nowhere and destroys a sky-scraper in front of them.  Superman appears and puts the sky-scraper back together. Lois gets photos and asks Rajah to take her to the Daily Planet so she can file her scoop.

That night while Lois and Rajah  are enjoying dinner, the city is hit by a blackout. Rajah suggest that perhaps if she made another wish to the devil, the lights would go back on. Suddenly the lights in the restaurant go back on, but the rest of the city remains dark. Meanwhile, Superman has repaired the power grid and while waiting for the lights to go back on, is drawn to the only place where they are working and sees Lois and Rajah together. For dessert Lois gets a flambé that will not light until she wished it would and Rajah  gets Devil's Food Cake.

The next day the two go to the beach and Rajah  has Lois go in the water first while he removes his slippers. In the water Rajah  kisses Lois and she suddenly feels chilled. While Rajah  continues swimming, Lois goes back to the beach where she sees cloven-hooved footprints in the sand that suddenly disappear in the blowing wind. When he gest back to the beach, Rajah  drinks what he says is a special elixir made just for him. When Rajah  nods off, Lois takes a sip to see what it is like and suddenly feels light-headed.

Wanting to see what Rajah  looks like without his turban, Lois removes it to find Rajah 's head adorned with horns. As she takes off his slippers, revealing his hooved feet, Rajah awakens and tells Lois she will pay for what she has done and blasts her with some sort of beam from his ring. A look in a mirror reveals that Lois now has horns as well.

Just then, Superman is flying by with Lana Lang. A fight ensues between Superman and Rajah  and when Rajah  shoot Superman with the same lightning bolts that toppled the sky-scraper, they bounce off of Superman and kill Lois. This brings us to our cover and the story is concluded next issue.

We follow that with "The Cry-Baby of Metropolis" drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger and reprinted from Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #10. Lois dreams that Superman has left her and upon awakening realizes she has not dated him in weeks and worries that she might be getting too old to attract him. The next day, she and Clark visit Metropolis Research Laboratory to see Professor Lockhart's new invention,  a machine that can restore youth to animals. Clark disappears and Superman arrives to look at another invention of the professor's, leaving Lois alone with  the youth machine.

 Lois Lane uses the machine on herself in hopes that it will make her look a few years younger.  Only then does she overhear that the problem with  the machine is it never stops making you younger. Only a massive dose of x-rays seems to shop the machines effects.

Lois wakes up the next day as a teenager teenager. Lois tries to get Superman to use his X-ray vision on her secretly, which would restore her to normal, but nothing she plans actually results in x-rays being used.  Finally she decides to confess to Superman, but she has grown too young to speak. Superman then tells her that he knew what she had done all along, and had faked the conversation she overheard. His x-rays do noting to affect the youth-plunge she now finds herself in, but that he has the real antidote and gives it to her hoping that Lois has learned her lesson.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Strange Adventures #225

Strange Adventures #225 (On Sale: May 14, 1970) has another nice cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with Adam Strange in "The Radio-Active Peril" by Gardner F. Fox,  Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #64.  A billion years ago on Rann,  Carlon Zan was exiled into space aboard a ship. Passing through a time warp turned Zan's ship radioactive and transported Zan to present-day Rann. Adam Strange arrives on Rann to find the city of  Ranagar glowing radioactive.

In a lead-lined bomb shelter below the city, Adam learns that  Carlon Zan's very touch turns people and objects radioactive, and that the city hastily built these bomb shelters to protect the people. Adam Strange studies films of Zan’s arrival and notices that one of his footprints does not become radioactive. Ranagaran scientists study the footprint and determine that a rare element, Malybium, counteracts the radioactive man’s touch. Using a gun designed to spray Malybium, Adam and the Ranagarans stop Zan’s movement, and he is changed into lead.

Next is the cover-story, "The Wooden World War" by John Broome, Sid Greene and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #33. By the 27th century, all wood on Earth had been destroyed (Broome predicting the destruction of the forests by men of greed). When people began to die in buildings made of wood due to a strange poisonous gas the wood emitted, all wood on Earth is burned. Once all wood was destroyed, invaders from space arrived and cut down the Earth's fighting corps. It is discovered that the only thing that can resist the invader's death rays is wood and that the whole poisonous gas thing was a hoax (oh, the Trumpers would love this!). Hendricks, a guard at the Museum of Flight reveals that he secretly hid the old WW I biplanes and with them, the Earth is saved.

When they received not a single letter regarding his issue #223, they had letters written by Sergius  O'Shaugnessy (Denny O'Neil), Marv Wolfman and Harvey Nussbaum.

We end with the Atomic Knights in "Menace of the Metal-Looters" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #141. A race of aliens arrive on Earth in search of a rare metal called Zaxion, which only exists on post-nuclear war worlds. The aliens' search brings them near Durvale. Radiation given off by the alien devices causes the humans in town to become weak. Only the armor of the Atomic Knights resists the radiation.

Hollis and Wayne are out on a scouting expedition and the first to encounter the aliens. They try to talk to them, but the aliens realize the Knights' armor is made of Zaxion. Before being captured the brothers signal Gardner. Gardner and Bryndon rescue their friends and chase off the alien invaders. Once the aliens leave Earth, the radiation that caused human weakness disappears.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Girls' Love Stories #152

Girls' Love Stories #152 (On Sale: May 14, 1970) has another cover butchered by Vinny Colletta's inks. The inks might be hiding the pencils of Artie Saaf.

We begin with a Table of Contents drawn by Liz Berube.

That leads to "Laura" by Barbara Friedlander, Werner Roth (or Artie Saaf ) and Jack Abel. Laura comes close to marrying several wealthy men, as her mother advises, but in the end she realizes that she truly loves a humble fisherman.

Next is "Confessions: Episode Six" by Barbara Friedlander and John Rosenberger  Jewel's plot to steal Dr. Anderson away from his ailing wife falls apart when he and April discover that Jewel has been concealing Paul's letters to April. Anderson returns to his wife and the sisters try to reconcile.

We end with our cover-story, "The Prettiest Girl in Town, Poor Thing" by Jack Miller, George Tuska and Vince Colletta. Gail dreams of being famous but she thinks she can detect when men are trying to take advantage of her. But when she falls for Darren, she doesn't see that he's willing to cheat to help her get ahead.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Teen Titans #28

Teen Titans #28 (On Sale: May 12, 1970) has another great cover by Nick Cardy.

The book-length "Blindspot" is by Steve Skeates and Nick Cardy. Donna Troy's roommate, Sharon Tracy is out for a walk one night when she sees something she should not have and is shot at and chased by some men. She manages to lose them, but in doing so she also loses her purse with her ID. At around the same time Aqualad is looking for the Titans, having been unable to contact them for weeks. When the Titan's HQ is deserted, he heads for Donna's apartment, where Sharon mistakes him for the men who were shooting at her; the men who show up just after Aqualad.

A fight ensues and Aqualad takes care of business. When the bad guys scram, Sharon tells him what happened and how she saw something horrible, but she is unable to remember what it was. For her safety, Aqualad stashes Sharon at Titans headquarters and heads to Hudson University in search of Robin.

He finds him, fighting car thieves in an alley and joins in the fray. As they fight Aqualad tells Dick about fighting the thugs trying to harm Sharon and suddenly remembers that one of the men he fought in her apartment worked for Ocean Master. Now Aqualad needs the help of the Titans more than ever. Robin takes him to Mr. Jupiter's estate where the other Titans refuse to help. He tussles with the group, calling them chickens till Donna explains how they feel responsible for Dr. Swenson's death and how they vowed to never use their powers again.

He talks them into putting on their uniforms again and going to hear Sharon's story. They agree and Lilith goes into a trance and resurrects Sharon's missing memories. As Sharon walked though the park she saw three men talking and one of them shot another with a ray-gun that revealed the man's true form, that of a hideous alien. Aqualad asks for their help in finding the truth and stopping the killers coming after Sharon, but the team hesitates and Aqualad. Angry and alone,

Aqualad heads back to the park where Sharon was attacked in searching of clues. As he finds a paper with  scientific notations on it, he is assaulted by three men, one of whom is Ocean Master. A fight ensues and Aqualad is knocked out and tied to a tree where he will die in less than an hour without water. Continued next issue. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 2 TPB.

This is followed by a one-page Tiny Titan gag strip by Pete Costanza.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Phantom Stranger #8

Phantom Stranger #8 (On Sale: May 12, 1970) has a really great cover by Neal Adams.

We have the book-length "Journey to the Tomb of the Ice Giants" by Denny O'Neil and Jim Aparo. An icebreaker searching the arctic for oil encounters a giant made of ice. Word of the encounter reaches the ship's owner Mr. Muttson, who is later found frozen in a block of ice in his steam room. Dr. Thirteen is called in to investigate. The Stranger shows up and Thirteen blows a fuse, as usual.

Dr. Thirteen says this reminds him of a similar incident and he tells "The Adventure of the Brittle Blossom" in which a wealthy recluse is found frozen in his hot house. When he notices that some of the flowers are also dead and brittle, Thirteen deduces that the man was frozen by Freon gas dispensed through the water pipes. His nephew was the murderer.

Although the Ghost Breaker believes the death to have a rational explanation, forensics reveal that the ice came from the arctic. Though warned by the Stranger that there is evil in the arctic, Dr. Thirteen and his wife travel by helicopter to the damaged icebreaker. After finding a giant sword in the ice, the couple is attacked and captured by the ice giant. As the Phantom Stranger tries to negotiate their release, Tala shows up, telling the Stranger that he should let the ice giant have the Thirteens. Pushing her away, the Stranger attacks, but is hurt. When he regains his senses, he sees a line of ice giants, ready to reclaim their planet.

The Stranger then tells the giants of how the world has changed under the hand of man, convincing the giants to abandon the world. When the giants say their laws require they take a human, Tala arrives and gives the giants Marie Thirteen as their permanent prisoner.

After the Phantom Stranger uses dynamite to seal the ice giants cave forever, he finds Marie Thirteen alive and well. Tala appears and says how she had disguised herself as Marie and had been the one taken by the giants. The sorceress was able to free herself later. Marie Thirteen then tries to explain what happened to her husband, but he doesn't believe her, explaining the whole thing away as delusions. As they leave we see the ice giant's sword laying on the ice.

This is one of my favorite eras of Jim Aparo's artwork. In his year and a half on Aquaman he has morphed into this amazing story-teller. I was not the only one to notice this. On page 16 of the story we see an ice formation that looks like Batman and portends to his long stint on The Brave and the Bold that is just around the corner. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents Phantom Stranger Vol. 1 TPB.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Batman #223

Batman #223 (On Sale: May 12, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson on Batman and Robin Face Danger Around the World!

We begin our reprint fest with "City Without Guns" by Bill Finger (or William Woolfolk, you decide), Dick Sprang and Charles Paris a reprinted from Detective Comics #196. Gang boss Frank Lumardi flees Gotham City and heads for London. A month later Bruce and Dick visit London and go to Scotland Yard to learn about British detection methods, where they are shocked to see an empty frame that once held a picture of Batman and Robin. The inspector showing them around only says that it will never hang there again. Before he can say more, the Inspector leaves to an alarm sounds in Leicester Square.

As Batman and Robin, Bruce and Dick hitch a ride with the Inspector to the scene of a stolen briefcase. They find the crimes are being committed by Lumardi and his gang. With the help of Scotland Yard and one of their more zealous British fans, Chester Gleek, Batman and Robin track down the fugitive and capture him on the Oxford campus.

Before leaving London Batman and Robin discover that it was Chester who took the picture from the wall in Scotland Yard's headquarters, because he believed that the British police were not displaying the photo in a proper place of honor.

Next is "Batman of the Mounties" by David V. Reed, Lew Sayre Schwartz and Stan Kaye and is reprinted from Batman #78. Batman and Robin are the guests of the Canadian Mounted Police for National Law-Enforcement Week.. However, during the celebration, the news that the Leclerc Brothers have escape jail arrives. After a demonstration of their unique crime-fighting techniques, Batman and Robin leave and the Mounties have to stop the event and start the hunt for the fugitives. While flying back to Gotham, Batman and Robin spot a body in the snow and land to find a wounded Mountie. While Robin takes the wounded Mountie to a hospital, Batman track the Leclerc's on foot. Robin returns to the Mounties and heads out to reconnect with Batman. Together, Batman and Robin are able to locate the criminals and bring them back to justice.

This next one is interesting in that  "The Mardi Gras Mystery" by Bill Finger, Jack Burnley and Charles Paris is reprinted from the Batman Sunday Strip #40-46, 8/6/1944-9/17/1944  Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson arrive at the New Orleans home of Mr. Bagley who invited them down for Mardi Gras. Since they are from Gotham, Bagley provides them with Batman and Robin costumes for the parade. They choose to wear their actual costumes and during the parade, Miss Lacey, another guest of Bagley's, gives Batman a secret envelope, saying he must guard it with his life. This causes some thugs to attack the dynamic duo, but the heroes manage to overcome the odds.

Afterwards, Batman learns that the envelope contains the secret location of a missing treasure and that Bagley was responsible for the attack on them. Batman manages to locate  Miss Lacey and she informs Batman about the lost treasure. Batman, Robin and  Miss Lacey go to the marked place, unaware that Bagley and his thugs are following them.

When they finally reach the lost boat in which the treasure is located, Bagley manages to place the heroes in a deadly trap. Batman breaks free and helps Robin and the lady to get out of the trap. Then, they work together to stop Bagley and his henchmen. During the struggle, a fire starts and the boat is consumed by the flames. Batman and Robin are more concerned on capturing the thugs and saving the girl, causing the ship to burn and sink and the treasure is lost once again. With the criminals behind bars, Batman and Robin are free to enjoy the rest of the Mardi Gras festival. This story was reprinted in Batman: The Sunday Classics, 1943-1946 TPB and Batman: The Sunday Classics, 1943-1946 HC.

This is followed by "Journey to the Top of the World" by Bill Finger, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris which is reprinted from Batman #93. Batman and Robin join a mountain climbing expedition in search of a lost container of stolen microfiche. The party begins the ascent of K-4, and soon runs into trouble as one of the ropes is cut causing Sidney Smythe to fall to his apparent death.

Batman suspects the other climbers are responsible. He investigates and is attacked by an masked climber. Batman eventually reaches the top of the mountain and retrieves the container. The killer turns out to be Smythe who staged the fall. He struggles with Batman, then falls to his death. When Batman returns from the mountain he learns that the real Smythe was never on the expedition. The dead man was an imposter.

We end with "Around the World in 8 Days" also by Bill Finger, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris and reprinted from Detective Comics #248. When the Gotham City Hospital is robbed of platinum, radium, and a rare serum, the dynamic duo are called in. The serum is needed to save the life of a patient who will die in eight days without it. Batman and Robin track down the thieves, but find the loot was divided up and smuggled out of the country.  Batman and Robin then race around the globe searching for the stolen serum before the patient dies. They finally locate it in Mexico with the final group of smugglers and return in time for the serum to successful restore the patient to health.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Young Love #81

Young Love #81 (On Sale: May 7, 1970) has a fairly bland cover by Bill Draut and Dick Giordano.

This issue begins with "3 Loves... 1 Broken Heart, Part II" continuing from last issue. The general consensus is that this is drawn by John Rosenberger and Vince Colletta. Diane accepts Paul's proposal, but doesn't tell him she is a widow and has a young son. What cold possibly go wrong?

Next is "Hungry Heart" by Robert Kanigher and Frank Langford. Gossiping couples at a resort watch Eve make her mind up about whether she will be with Bill or Adam. This is British artist Langford's first of four DC romance stories. Born Cyril Eidlestein, Langford, Frank is probably best know for his work on "The Angry Planet" from Boy's World and "Lady Penelope" a strip that appeared in Lady Penelope, a late sixties British weekly comic aimed at girls. He also did extensive work in advertising. According to Jacque Nodell of the Sequential Crush website, "Langford's romance work is highly stylized and exudes an incredible sense of moment -- exemplified in his characters' wildly feminine hair. His ruggedly handsome men are timeless, and are still quite attractive by today's standards. Not only a master of movement, Langford also excels during the quiet moments. Quite breathtaking, really!"

This is followed by a one-pager, "Gemini" by Liz Berube.

Next is "Love Dream, Lady" which is inked by Vince Colletta. Gloria overhears her roommate and her boyfriend on the telephone but she has nothing to worry about.

This is followed by another one-pager, "Beauty on a Budget" by Liz Berube.

We end with "Don't Make Me Do It!", the cover-story which is inked by Nick Cardy. Peggy tells both of her suitors that she doesn't plan to fall in love with either of them.

Edited by Dick Giordano.

Our Fighting Forces #126

Our Fighting Forces #126 (On Sale: May 7, 1970) has a nice dramatic cover by Joe Kubert featuring The Losers.

We begin with The Losers in "A Lost Town" by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. They seem to have decided by now that the team will not be called the Born Losers, as referenced in previous issues, maybe so it will not be confused with the movie of the same name which introduced the world to Tom Laughlin's Billy Jack or the daily comic strip which also shares that name. The story begins with the Losers being brought before a court-martial as deserters. The team, each of which must think of themselves using the word "loser" in at least one panel, think back to how they were bringing ammo to French fighters, when a German bomb kills all the French fighters and the Losers must attempt to hold the town of Perdu (Lost in English) on their own.

They run into a group of blind children being led by a blind old man. As bombing of the town begins, the hustle the blind into a basement and take on the Nazis. This was written back in the charming days of my youth, when Americans hated Nazis. When a tank rolls into town, the Losers lead it away from the hidden blind civilians where they are able to take out the tank. The danger over, the Losers say goodbye to their blind friends and head back to base where they are arrested for desertion. They explain about the blind folks, but when they go back to pick up their alibi, they are gone. The Losers are then put before the court-martial.  As the trial begins the blind people show up and are able to recognize the Losers by feeling their faces. Wow, Kanigher was really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one.

Next is the U.S.S. Stevens in "1-2-3" by Sam Glanzman.

That is followed by a one-page Warrior by Ken Barr featuring Attila the Hun, the one-page "So you want to be a Cartoonist?" by Joe Kubert, and a page of gags, called "Military Manners" by Pete Costanza.

We end with "The Fall of Constantinople," a Great Battles of History written by Raymond Marais and drawn by Ric Estrada. The story recounts the fall of Constantinople to the Turkish army of Sultan Mahomet II.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Binky's Buddies #10

Binky's Buddies #10 (On Sale: May 7, 1970) has a Binky cover by Henry Scarpelli.

We begin with Binky's Buddies in "Girl Trouble" by John Albano, Winslow Mortimer and Henry Scarpelli, which was reprinted in Best of DC #39.

Next we have two stories featuring Benny: "A Picture Story" and "Benny's Clean Get-Away," creators unknown.

We end with Binky in "Sherwood Gets the Point," creators are also unknown.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Swing With Scooter #28

Swing With Scooter #28 (On Sale: May 5, 1970) has a Scooter cover by Henry Scarpelli.

As usual with Scooter, not much information is available. We begin with Scooter in "The Drive-In Wash-Out," inked by Henry Scarpelli. 

Next is Sylvester in "The Baseball Whiz-Kid" which is also inked by Henry Scarpelli.

That is followed by Scooter in "Strike Up the Band," drawn by Winslow Mortimer and Henry Scarpelli.

We end with Malibu in "Séance Is Believing" by Barbara Friedlander, Doug Crane and Henry Scarpelli. which must have been pretty good as it is reprinted in Best of DC #53.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Superman #228

Superman #228 (On Sale: May 5, 1970) has another Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "The Mystery Bombers" by Bob Haney, Curt Swan and George Roussos. Clark Kent receives a phone call from bandits calling themselves, the T.N.T. Twosome, informing him that they have planted a bomb somewhere in Metropolis and to let Superman know that a clue can be found in an exhibit in Science City. Searching every exhibit, reading every bit of information, Superman learns the bomb's location and is able to stop it. When the bombers phone in additional threats and clues: on in the Library of Congress, one in the Monies of the World Collection, and Superman solves their riddles and finds the bombs each time.

One last clue is received and Superman is directed to a suburban house. Inside is a message from the bombers. They are aliens. They wanted Superman to solve the riddles, which required him to acquire massive amounts of knowledge on specific topics. The aliens then drain Superman's brain of the information, which they intend to sell. Jimmy arrives saying he herd their entire story and Superman needs to stop them, but he can't as the house is rigged to explode.

The aliens take off and Superman walks outside, explaining that there was no bomb and in fact, all of the bombs had been fake Superman had known for a while.  He also noticed that the bombers never  provided a deadline for finding the bombs, but that each bomb exploded soon after he found it.  He figured if finding the bombs was not important, it must be what he did to find the bombs, i.e., cramming his brain with Earth's knowledge. So, Superman scrambled the knowledge in his brain as they drained it (OK, I have no idea how you do this).

Next is the cover story, "Execution Planet" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. One day Superman wakes up with a headache and soon learns he has lost his invulnerability. Heading to the Fortress of Solitude, Superman tries to discover the cause for his suddenly failed powers, but is unable to do so. While there he loses his flying ability and needs a Superman robot to fly him home. When he tries to capture the Jet-Set Gang, he has to take a taxi because he can't fly. While attempting to apprehend the gang, Superman suddenly becomes weak, and the gang captures him.

The Jet-Set Gang turns Superman over to the Anti-Superman Gang which holds a Last Rites for Superman, attended by all the thugs in town. They put Superman in a rocket and auction off his costume, then send him to the Execution Planet. This story is continued in Superman #229.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

House of Mystery #187

House of Mystery #187 (On Sale: May 5, 1970) has another cover by Neal Adams featuring those kids. Something about the woman nestled in the tree just grabs me.

We begin with "Mask of the Red Fox" by Robert Kanigher and Alex Toth. This story is interesting in how much Cain is an active participant in a portion of it. The real treat of this story though, it Alex Toth's amazing artwork. As a kid, I was enamored of the flashy guys, Neal Adams, Al Williamson, Bernie Wrightson, and dismissive of guys like Toth. Too simplistic I thought, but I was 13, what the hell did I know.
We begin learning that the ugly witch Gretig so hated Baron Stefan's wife Sylvia, that she cursed her, tying her fate to that of a beautiful red fox. The Baron and his group of hunters is after the fox and meet Cain at the House of Mystery, the Baron's hounds sniffing and barking at the caretaker. Unable to gain satisfaction from Cain, the Baron and his group continue the hunt. Once they have left, Cain let's the fox out of his house.

Let loose, the red fox heads for the Baron's castle, while the Baron continues his hunt, him bagging a fox, but a grey one, not the red he is searching for. Returning home the hounds again pick up the scent of the red fox, but the Baron is none to happy when they return him to his castle. At the after-hunt feast, the Baron retell the story of how he first laid eyes on the red fox and how, when chasing it, he instead found, Sylvia with a sprained ankle. The Baron was infatuated and it was not long before he and Sylvia were wed and now is even more consumed by his pursuit of the red fox.

The next day, in the pouring rain, the Baron resumes his hunt for the red fox (amazing rain sequences by Toth). It is the Baron's lucky day and he corners and kills the fox. Arriving back at the castle he hands the animal over and demands that the head be mounted by dinner. Heading up stairs to tell Sylvia the good news, he finds her dead in her bed and wonders how it happened.

Next is a Room 13 gag page by Sergio Aragones.

That is followed by "Appointment Beyond the Grave" drawn by Wally Wood protégé, Wayne Howard, his third strip for DC. It is December 1943. A meeting of Manhattan Project scientist is being convened, but one scientist, Dr. Brody, is missing. As they discuss how late Brody's plane is, Brody steps from the shadows, letting them know that he is there after all.  Saying he lost his briefcase on the plane, Brody sits down and recalculates the neutron emission rates during fission of uranium. When he is completed, the scientists want to go out and celebrate, but Brody is missing again. Yeah, you guessed it; he died in a plan crash on the way to the meeting. I guess not even death could keep you away from helping to kill hundreds of thousands of Japanese.

Next is a Cain's Game Room gag page by Sergio Aragones.

We continue with "An Aura of Death" drawn by John Celardo and Mike Peppe. Herman, the abused assistant of funeral director Wurtz, gains the ability to see the angel of death hovering over people who are about to die and uses his ability to bring in business. When he asks Wurtz to make him a partner, Wurtz tells him to get out because he doesn't need him or his recommendations. He tells Herman that the townspeople refer to him as the angel of death since he is always offering his services at the scene of a death. Herman responds director that he is not the angel of death, because the angel of death is swooping down on the funeral director. We end with Herman having a new sign installed in the business he now runs.

Finally, we end with another Cain's Game Room gag page by Sergio Aragones. The entire book was reprinted in Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery Vol. 1 TPB.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Falling in Love #116

Falling in Love #116 (On Sale: May 5, 1970) has only the third cover George Tuska did for DC, ineptly inked by Vince Colletta.

As with many of the romance comics, the details are hard to find. We begin with "Waiting for Someone to Love Me," an 11-pager drawn by Art Saaf and Vince Colletta.

That is followed by "No Man Will Break My Heart Again," an eight page story penciled by Lee Elias. 

We end with "Love Is Where You Find It" an eight-pager drawn by Art Saaf and Vince Colletta.

The whole thing is edited by Murry Boltinoff.