Detective Comics #412

Detective Comics #412 (On Sale: April 29, 1971), has an amazing Batman cover by Neal Adams in the service of an otherwise forgettable issue.

We begin with Batman in "Legacy of Hate" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown, and Dick Giordano. Bruce Wayne is called to the ancestral home of the Wayne family in England by his uncle Lord Elwood Wayne. Elwood has also summoned three of Bruce's other distant relatives to his deathbed. Elwood plans to leave equal shares of his estate to the four relatives. In the event that they should die first, the estate transfers to his doctor Merrin.

That night Wilhemina Wayne is attacked by the ghost of Lord Harold, a former knight of the Crusades. The ghost claims that his brother Lorin took what was rightfully his. He seeks vengeance on the rest of the Wayne family. He stages another attack on Jeremy Wayne a short time later.

Bruce dons his Batman costume and investigates. He chases the ghostly knight in and out of the castle. He eventually unmasks the spectre as Asquith the butler, who really does appear to be possessed by the ghost. In a secret chamber, Batman finds a note written by Lord Harold. Lorin had him locked away inside the castle. Asquith dies, but the spirit carries on swearing vengeance. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016).

Our Batgirl backup is "The Head-Splitters" by Frank Robbins and Don Heck. Barbara Gordon learns the details of a strange murder in which a socialite had her head crushed. While discussing the case with her father, she mentions the popularity of wigs. Commissioner Gordon offers to buy her one for her birthday.

Barbara goes to the wig shop of Vazly and is fitted for a wig. Socialite Tina Lansbury is also fitted for one. Vazly has invented a device to use the wigs to crush skulls. He uses them to extort money from his victims. He intends to target the wealthy socialite, but her wig is mixed up with Barbara's.

That night the wig nearly kills Barbara. She rushes to Vazly's studio, where the crook tries to convince her she dreamed the entire thing. As she exits, she spots a clue. She returns to the studio as Batgirl to confront the killer. Vazly's assistant, Wanda tries to smother Batgirl with a wig. The story continues next issue. It has been reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2018).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Adventure Comics #407

Adventure Comics #407 (On Sale: April 29, 1971), has a cover by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano.

This issue features "Suspicion Confirmed" written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky and inked by Henry Scarpelli. Continuing from the last issue, Linda Danvers is lying in the waiting room of the emergency ward of a hospital after walking in and out of a burning building. She is lucky enough to slip away before someone can examine her and discover she is Supergirl.

The next morning she walks into work to find a new mystery: a man called Mr. Renard has come to KSF-TV and tells the news crew that he is reopening a theater supposedly haunted by the ghosts of an old film star and the leading lady he murdered. He thinks some person of flesh and blood is behind those haunts and hopes the modern equipment of the news crew can find the perpetrator in exchange for the scoop of the history.

The crew spends two nights there trying to check things out, resulting in Johnny Drew and Nasthalthia Luthor getting kidnapped by a ghoulish figure. Kara feels mortified because she didn't dare save Johnny out of fear to reveal her secret identity. She decides to act when the strange being kidnaps Nasty, but her powers are still acting out and she is unable to rescue them.

And because she was filmed wearing a new costume, the police think "the crazy red and blue costume is in league with the creature that is behind all this". So, in addition to blaming herself for her early inaction and her failure, Kara is now angry.

Her boss Geoff also blames himself and thinks it is his duty to rescue his employees. He intends to investigate the place alone and armed with a loaded rifle and tells Linda that if she warns the police, she will be fired. Linda warns the police anyway and they stop Geoff.

Even so, Linda feels conflicted. She has to rescue Johnny and Nasty. But what if she slips up and Nasty manages to prove she is Supergirl? Still, she resolves she has to rescue them, no matter what. She let Johnny go to protect her secret identity, and blame is eating away at her. Her secret isn't worth one innocent life.

That night Supergirl suits up and investigates the old theater alone. She discovers the "haunting" has been arranged by Starfire, who survived their latest confrontation. She heard Supergirl was operating on the West Coast and set up a trap.

Starfire captures Supergirl and after confirming the Girl of Steel is temporarily depowered, tries to dissolve her in an acid bath. Nonetheless, Supergirl is vulnerable, but her Kryptonian costume is still indestructible. Supergirl shields herself with her acid-proof costume and lets Starfire believe she has been killed.

Then she emerges, rescues her friends, and captures Starfire and her ghoulish minion. Supergirl turns them in, and then it is revealed Mr. Renard posed as the ghoulish kidnapper. As Renard claims he was blackmailed into it and Starfire complains about gutless and incompetent minions, Supergirl leaves.

Maybe I was the only one, but I loved what Sekowsky was doing with this strip.

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.

Action Comics #401

Action Comics #401 (On Sale: April 29, 1971), has a cover by Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. They say that Swan made extensive corrections to the Superman figure.

We begin with Superman in "Invaders Go Home" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman becomes embroiled in a conflict between Navarro Indians, who want to reclaim their land, and Frank Haldane, who has built a missile manufacturing site on it. But Red Hawk, the leader of the Navarro tribe, steals Superman's powers with a mysterious red jewel. The natives take him captive, intending to trade him for their lost land. This story is concluded next issue.

The backup Superman story is "The Boy Who Begged to Die" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman must decide between the life of one orphan or the lives of an entire town.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Young Romance #172

Young Romance #172 (On Sale: April 27, 1971), has a cover by Don Heck and Vince Colletta. and it is a fairly uninteresting piece of work.

We start this issue with "Too Young for Love" by Robert Kanigher, George Tuska, and Vince Colletta.

Next is "A Kiss to Remember" drawn by John Forte and reprinted from Girls' Romances #64 (1959).

That is followed by "The Lie" drawn by Artie Saaf and Vince Colletta.

That leads us to "He Loves Me Not" drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Falling in Love #34 (1960). Should a girl just wait for the man she loves to notice her?

Next up is "I Can't Marry You, Darling" drawn by John Romita and reprinted from Heart Throbs #99 (1966). We were deeply in love... but when it came to marrying him I ran into a stone wall of opposition.

That brings us to "Heartache for Three" reprinted from Girls' Love Stories #13 (1951). This one is a little different in that there is a new header at the top of page one and a new panel at the end of the story, mentioning that this story is a classic from twenty years ago, reprinted exactly as it was back then, and then asking the reader to respond if they would like to see more. This was a change from the normal DC policy of updating hair styles and clothing on the reprinted romance stories.

So we end with "So Little Time" reprinted from Falling in Love #33 (1960). There was so little time for happiness.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Green Lantern #84

Green Lantern #84 (On Sale: April 27, 1971), has a cover by Neal Adams, featuring a photograph of of Kinney/Warner executive Marc Iglesias.

This is one of my favorite issues of Green Lantern. "Peril in Plastic" is by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Bernie Wrightson and lord, are those Wrightson inks wonderful to see. The rich, silky smoothness it adds to Neal's pencils made me wish they had done a lot more work together than they did. Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris enjoy a romantic three weeks together, after revealing his secret identity to her. However, eventually, she explains that she plans to go to the company town of Piper's Dell by herself to see if Dr. Wilbur Palm, the mayor, can cure the paralysis of her legs. Later, Hal visits his friend Oliver Queen for some relationship advice, but they soon hear word that Piper's Dell is being threatened by floods caused by bombs around the town.

Green Lantern manages to save the town from destruction, but Dr. Palm insists that he stay, slapping a Kaluta (isn't that wonderful!) onto his breast, a small toy/conversation piece/personal decoration that sprays perfume into his face at intervals. As they walk about the ground shakes with the sound Ka-Looo'Ta!, created by the punch press that makes the devices. 

As Mayor, he gives Lantern the key to the city, which is plastic and breaks in his hands. When GL says he needs to leave and fly home he finds he can no longer concentrate enough to fly, and Palm sends a number of men in suits to attack him. Eventually he is defeated, falling though the cheap plastic wall of a house. With his last thoughts before falling unconscious, Green Lantern sends his Green Lantern Ring to Star City to find Oliver.

When Green Lantern comes to, he finds that Dr. Wilbur Palm is in fact his old nemesis the Black Hand in disguise. Black Hand reveals that he has used the town's manufacturing facilities to create a system of brainwashing the townspeople, and that his invitation to Carol Ferris was a ploy to bring Green Lantern there. He has Carol brought in in her wheelchair and allows a still powerless Green Lantern and Carol to escape, knowing that the brainwashed citizens will attack them.

However, in the meantime, Oliver and Black Canary have got into an argument and returning to his apartment Oliver finds the ring, and going to Hal's hotel room, he charges the ring. He then takes a boat to Piper's Dell and returns the ring to Hal with one of his arrows just in time for GL to defeat the citizens. Green Lantern detains the citizens in energy constructs, and then uses his ring to entrap the Black Hand within a case of molten plastic.

The heroes make good their escape, and later, while Christmas shopping, Carol wonders why the people in Piper's Dell would give up so much freedom so easily for a plastic world. Green Arrow seeing plastic Christmas trees for sale wonders if they were so different from everyone else. This classic tale has been reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #16 (1981), Green Lantern/Green Arrow #5 (1984), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection Vol. 2 TPB (1993), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection HC (2001), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 2 TPB (2004), Showcase Presents: Green Lantern Vol. 5 TPB (2011), Green Lantern/Green Arrow TPB (2012), and Absolute Green Lantern/Green Arrow HC (2016).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

From Beyond the Unknown #11

From Beyond the Unknown #11 (On Sale: April 27, 1971), has a cover by Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover story, "Invaders from the Space-Satellites" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #43 (1958). In a future where Earth is ravaged by the after-effects of an atomic war, scientists decide to change the past so the atom bomb was never created.

Next, is "It's a Woman's World" by John Broome, Bob Oksner, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Mystery in Space #8 (1952). Greg Dexter lives in a time when women were in charge and men were fit only for housework. He battles to become the first Rocket Cadet and heroically saves a mission to stop a wandering planet.

That is followed by "The Billion-Year Evolution" by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #70 (1961). In 2178, Doctor Fred Gibson is on Jupiter searching for his fiancé, Elsa. His romantic rival, archaeologist Phil Travis, finds her first but lacks the medical knowledge to treat her properly. Gibson, however, finds ancient Jovian technology that reveals its history: scientist Halfar Kal invented a "Droga Ray" that evolved the Jovians into pure energy, allowing them to travel throughout the galaxy. Gibson uses the ray on himself and as an invisible energy being helps Travis save Elsa. Travis returns to Earth, but the grateful Elsa opts to stay with Gibson, who used the ray to return to normal.

Next up is "The Warning from One Million B.C." by Otto Binder and Sid Greene and reprinted from Strange Adventures #109 (1959). Clyde Harrison and Professor Beatty uncover seven robots while digging in the desert. The robots come to life and start to build some mechanism, but is it for good or evil?

That brings us to "'Terra' of the Spaceways" by John Broome, Gil Kane, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Mystery in Space #59 (1960). Jorg Randall is a repairman of the Terra, a common space vehicle. When the daughter of the maker of the vehicles crashes on a planet, Jorg is there to rescue her.

And next up is "The Man Who Ate Sunshine" by Joe Samachson, Jerry Grandenetti, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #71 (1956). Charlie Linton doesn't eat but gains weight because his body is absorbing sunshine. He uses his new ability to power the first small manned rocket into space.

We end with "The 60 Million-Mile Long Weapon" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #131 (1961). Aliens begin to plow the planet Earth to grow their strange crops, but scientist Eric Taine has an idea on how to stop them from destroying the planet.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

World's Finest Comics #203

World's Finest Comics #203 (On Sale: April 22, 1971), has a nice Superman/Aquaman cover by Neal Adams. 

This issue features Superman and Aquaman in "Who's Minding the Earth?" by Steve Skeates, Dick Dillin, and Joe Giella. Aquaman follows an underwater rainbow and strange sounds to a nearby island. On the island, he finds the ruins of an oceanography lab. Aquaman is then attacked by a group of mutant dolphins and knocked unconscious.

Later in Metropolis, Clark Kent meets a strange creature who is searching for Superman. The creature causes Superman and everyone nearby to temporarily lose their sight. It then splits in two and heads out to sea. Superman follows it. He finds Aquaman and revives him.

Together the two heroes meet the original creature. It explains that it is a mutant dolphin that was raised by humans. However, it began uncontrollably spawning clones of itself which were bent on the destruction of mankind. There are now many clones assembled. The clones use their mental powers to occupy Superman with a hallucination. Aquaman fights on. Eventually, Superman breaks the spell. Working together the mutants are defeated. Superman then carries them to another world where they can develop without threatening humanity. Reprinted in Best of DC #13 (1981) and World's Finest: Guardians of Earth HC (2020).

Editend by Julius Schwartz.

Unexpected #125

Unexpected #125 (On Sale: April 22, 1971), has an underwhelming cover by Nick Cardy. The unimaginative color is what truly ruins this cover.

This issue starts off with "Screech of Guilt" by George Kashdan and Artie Saaf. Though I am not a huge fan of Saaf, he did some nice work here and there in this story. Nicholas murders his business partner, Clinton, after Clinton discovered he was embezzling money from their company. Afterward, he hears Clinton's last words, daring Nicholas to kill him, repeated over and over, only to discover Clinton's pet parrot who continually repeats the murdered man's last conversation. 

Nicholas attempts to silence the bird, but it eludes him. Weeks later Clinton's widow calls Nicholas to her house and gives him the returned parrot. He grabs the bird and attempts to drive it somewhere private where he can shoot it, but notices a cop tailing him and panics, releasing the bird from its cage. When the cop bypasses him, he realizes that he still has a chance to track the parrot on foot. The bird leads him into a parrot jungle where his buddies peck the man to death.

Next is  "Escape into the Unknown" by Carl Wessler and Sid Greene. Convicted kidnapper Lefty, escapes from prison and hides out inside a rocket at a launch facility. While there, scientists arrive and load the rocket up with food capsules and water. Lefty wants to get off the rocket but is unable to do so. The next night he is awakened by the rumble of this ship then the weightlessness of space. Alone in the ship, Lefty goes mad, seeing people from his past. Time goes on and then one day the rocket returns to earth and when men open the capsule they find Lefty, an old man, having been in orbit for 48 years, his life sentence having not really been avoided.

We end with  "Know No Evil" by George Kashdan and Jerry Grandenetti. Ferghol has discovered a strange creature created by an ancient wizard. Using a special formula derived from rare flowers, Ferghol is able to transfer the evil from a man to a creature, named Amram, for 24 hours. The man may then commit any crime without being caught. Amram, however, is disfigured for each crime committed.

When one of Ferghol's clients confesses, Amram's disfigurement is reversed. Hoping to regain his normal body, Amram escapes in an effort to elicit more confessions. Ferghol pursues and is accidentally killed. Amram is caught. His case comes to the court of Judge Gallows, who believes the story and acquits Amram. Gallows is then forced off the bench by colleagues believing him to be senile.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Sugar & Spike #96 (On Sale: April 22, 1971), has a cover by Sheldon Mayer.

We begin with new Sugar and Spike stories "Big Yacht Race", "Zelda Rides Again", "Raymond's Pint-Size Pin-Ups", and a Write Your Own Comic Page! then one more new story: "The Smart Dumbbell" all written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer.

Padding the book with reprints we have Sugar and Spike in "Sugar at Home", "The Big Toy Mystery", and "How to Play Loozum" all 

As a change of pace, we have Sugar and Spike in "Lobsters Away" by Sheldon Mayer and all reprinted from Sugar & Spike #3 (1956).

Back to a reprint from Sugar & Spike #2 (1956) with "The Return of Uncle Charley" by Sheldon Mayer.

One more trip back to Sugar & Spike #3 (1956) for "The Shiny Round Roller" again by Sheldon Mayer.

We end back at Sugar & Spike #2 (1956) for "Photo Finish" by, you guessed it, Sheldon Mayer.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

New Gods #3

New Gods #3 (On Sale: April 22, 1971), has an interesting cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta. I'm not normally a fan of Kirby's photo-covers, but this one works for me.

This issue features "Death Is the Black Racer" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. The Black Racer, a sky-skiing harbinger of Death to the people of New Genesis, is Boom Tubed by Metron to Earth. There he stops an Inter-Gang thug from killing Willie Walker, a paraplegic black Viet Nam vet. The Racer merges with Walker's body, giving him mobility, and tracks down and destroys an Apokolips device that would have shorted out all communications devices for thousands of miles. 

Afterwards, the Black Racer separates from Willie Walker's body and leaves him in his bed, to remerge with him when he is needed. Reprinted in New Gods #2 (1984), Jack Kirby's New Gods TPB (1998), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 TPB (2012), and New Gods by Jack Kirby TPB (2018).

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Batman #232

Batman #232 (On Sale: April 22, 1971), has a spectacular classic cover by Neal Adams.

This classic issue features the debut of Ra's Al Ghul in "Daughter of the Demon" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano. As Robin returns home from a nightly patrol, he is attacked by two gunmen. They shoot the Boy Wonder with tranquilizer darts and take him prisoner.

Hours later, Bruce Wayne receives a photograph of his kidnapped partner along with a challenge to find him. He returns to the Batcave to investigate further, but when he arrives he finds a man named Ra's al Ghul and his servant Ubu waiting for him. Ra's' contacts have deduced that Bruce Wayne and Batman are one and the same, and he requests the help of the world's greatest detective in finding his daughter Talia, who has also been kidnapped. Suspecting that the two kidnappings are related, Batman agrees to aid Ra's al Ghul.

Their journey leads them first to Calcutta where they find clues linking the kidnappers to a cult known as the Brotherhood of the Demon. Batman interrogates a local thug about the Brotherhood's whereabouts and the man points them towards a building in the Alley of Widows. As Batman enters the building, a leopard leaps out and attacks him. Batman catches the animal's jaw with his elbow and is forced to snap its neck. The danger past, Batman finds a map that points them towards the Himalayan Mountains.

Ra's al Ghul finances a mountain-climbing expedition and the three begin scaling the frozen mountainsides. A sniper begins firing at them, and it appears that one of the bullets strikes Ra's. Ubu pulls him inside of a crevice, while Batman deftly evades repeat gunfire. Ascending the peak, he finds a temple belonging to the Brotherhood. 

Inside the temple, he finds Robin bound with rope and under armed guard. Batman frees Robin, and the gunmen begin to advance on him. Turning around, Batman reveals that he is not fooled by this elaborate ruse. The masked "leader" of the Brotherhood approaches him, but Batman tears the mask off of him revealing the face of Ra's manservant Ubu. He knew all along that Ra's was the true perpetrator of this crime. Ubu and Batman fight, but Batman's speed and skill prove more than a match for him. 

Ra's finally enters the chamber along with his daughter Talia. He confesses to staging the entire episode to see if Batman could prove to be a worthy successor to Ra's role of leader of the Brotherhood. He also reveals that Talia is in love with Batman, and Ra's wants assurances that the Dark Knight would be a worthy son-in-law. Reprinted in Limited Collectors' Edition C-51 (1977), Best of DC #51 (1984), Saga of Ra's Al Ghul #1 (1988), Batman: Tales of the Demon TPB (1991), Batman in the Seventies TPB (2000), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3 HC (2006), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3 TPB (2013), Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus HC (2016), Batman Arkham: Ra's Al Ghul TPB (2019), Batman (Facsimile Edition) #232 (2019), Batman by Neal Adams Vol. 3 TPB (2020), and Batman: Tales of the Demon HC (2020).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Star Spangled War Stories #157

Star Spangled War Stories #157  (On Sale: April 20, 1971), has a cover by Joe Kubert, which purports to be about The Unknown Soldier meeting Sgt. Rock, but this is not THE Unknown Soldier whose exploits we have been reading for a while now in Star Spangled War Stories. In fact, this is a bullshit reprint issue in the guise of a team-up. As a kid, buying this off the rack, how could you not feel ripped off?

"(I Knew the Unknown Soldier)" is purely a Sgt. Rock reprint by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert from Our Army at War #168 (1966). This reprint has been heavily modified. The original story was 15 pages. Only twelve pages are reprinted here and a new splash page introduction is included. Sgt. Rock and Easy Company are pinned down by an enemy gun position located on a cliff. Rock witnesses a lone soldier swing down from the top of the cliff and destroy the enemy guns. However, the soldier disappears. When the soldier saves Easy again, Rock wants to know who the soldier is. However, the other members of the company think Rock is imagining the phantom soldier.

Rock then moves forward alone and encounters enemy tanks. A flash of light temporarily blinds him, but he hears another soldier destroy the tanks. The soldier then leads him back to Easy before dying while covering the rear. The soldier's body is recovered, but his identity is unknown. The body is taken home and buried in the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. See, not the guy whose exploits we have been reading about and expected to read about this issue.

The backup is Enemy Ace in "Fokker Fury" by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Our Army at War #155 (1965). During a fierce aerial battle, Enemy Ace pursues an English plane and shoots it down. Only too late does he realize that the enemy plane's guns were empty. He returns to base feeling bad for killing an unarmed man.

Later Von Hammer receives a challenge from Alan Iver, a pilot in the RAF. The Englishman wants to duel with Von Hammer because he killed the unarmed pilot. Enemy Ace meets the challenge with his own guns empty. He dodges the English pilot's shots until both are out of ammunition. The Englishman realizes that Enemy Ace is a man to be respected. Both men come to an understanding and salute one another, knowing that tomorrow will be another day when they will do their utmost to send the enemy plane crashing to the ground.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Heart Throbs #132

Heart Throbs #132 (On Sale: April 20, 1971), has a cover by, well, who knows? Some say this is Creig Flessel, but I seriously doubt it. He had not worked for DC in ten years and would not start back for two more. The woman reminds me of Bob Oksner, but it might be Winslow Mortimer.

We begin with our cover story, "Don't Believe What They Say About Me" drawn by Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. Kathy has a bad reputation for dating too many boys she doesn't love, so when she finally meets Noel and falls in love, she's afraid he will learn about her past and drop her.

Next up is "Blind Date" drawn by Artie Saaf and Vince Colletta. Sherry is bored with her fiancee Jeff and asks her friend to set her up on a blind date, but she can't go through with it and realizes that she only wants to be with Jeff after all.

This is followed by "Two Kinds of Men!" by persons unknown and reprinted from Girls' Romances #66 (1960). Suzanne is torn between Will, who's shy and doesn't really know how to behave on a date, and confident Andy, who doesn't always treat her right.

We end with "Price Tag on Love" drawn by John Rosenberger. Melissa's mother wants her to marry someone rich, but when she matches up Melissa with Foster Wynne III, it turns out that his family isn't as wealthy as everyone thinks

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Superman #238

Superman #238 (On Sale: April 15, 1971), has a nice cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "Menace at 1000 Degrees" by Denny O'Neil, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. In the fifth part of the Sandman Saga storyline, Superman must now deal with having abilities much closer to his original 1940s self when he comes to the rescue of a freighter that is under attack from modern-day pirates. His powers are still weakened following his encounter with the sand Superman but he still manages to defeat the pirates.  

Superman learns that the attack was merely a decoy that allowed a terrorist named Quig to take control of a government drilling site that has been bringing molten magma to the surface. Superman attempts to stop the terrorists, but he is hit by a magma-powered weapon. In his weakened state Superman is forced to break off his assault.

The terrorists then issue demands including the delivery of hostages and a hydrogen bomb. Seeking a new story, Lois Lane volunteers as a hostage. Superman has donned a disguise and is pretending to be one of the hostages. When Lois provokes the terrorists, Superman is forced to reveal himself. He saves the hostages and stops the bomb. After the incident is resolved, Lois asks Superman why it took so long for him to intercede. Superman remains silent about his recently weakened condition. Reprinted in Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore HC (2009).

The backup story is from the World of Krypton. "A Name Is Born" is by Cary Bates and Gray Morrow. On the planet Krypton years before its eventual destruction, a teacher consults with her colleague Du-Vor. She seeks a way to control her younger students. Du-Vor offers her a story to keep them entertained.

The story begins before Krypton was inhabited. An alien explorer found the new planet and landed his ship on the surface. Although he thought he would be the first person on the planet, he soon meets another alien who has been shipwrecked. A lack of common language and a misunderstanding leads to a conflict between the two aliens. Eventually, they make peace. When they return to the alien's ship, they find it has been rendered inoperative, stranding them both. Then the aliens remove their protective helmets and meet face-to-face. 

The newly arrived explorer reveals that his name is Kryp. The shipwreck survivor is a woman named Tonn. The two never did leave the planet. Instead, they settled the world which would become named for them. This classic tale has been reprinted in Best of DC #40 (1983), Superman: The World of Krypton TPB (2008), and Superman: The Many Worlds of Krypton TPB (2018).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Girls' Romances #157

Girls' Romances #157 (On Sale: April 15, 1971), has a cover by Don Heck and Dick Giordano.

We begin with  "The Girl Next Door" drawn by George Tuska. Close friends Elsa and Wade have grown up next door to each other, but Wade is completely unaware that Elsa is in love with him.

Next up is "Dream Man" drawn by Arthur Peddy and reprinted from Girls' Romances #65 (1960). Nina goes to see a friend off on an ocean voyage and fantasizes about a handsome man she sees on the ship.

That is followed by "Love Is Forever" drawn by Artie Saaf and Vince Colletta. While Carrie's boyfriend Todd is away in the service, an accident scars her face and she fears that he will never love her again. She is surprised when he returns home from combat a blind man.

We end with "Two-Timer" drawn by Bill Draut and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Girls' Romances  #66 (1960). Bob agrees to spend time with his roommate Nate's girlfriend from out of town because Nate claims to be busy with exams. However, Bob never expected to find himself falling in love with her.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Flash #207

Flash #207 (On Sale: April 15, 1971), has a nice cover by Neal Adams. 

We begin with the Flash in "The Evil Sound of Music" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, and Murphy Anderson. Barry and Iris Allen attend a rock concert where the group, the Washington Starship perform. Grace, the lead singer, is the niece of Sargon the Sorcerer. Sargon has used the concert to lure the Flash into his control. 

Casting a spell on the music, Sargon conjures demons that attack the crowd. The Flash leaps into action to save them, but once the crowd is safe, Flash falls under Sargon's control. The mystic sends the Scarlet Speedster to the Flash Museum to retrieve Sargon's Ruby of Life. Sargon regains the ruby and escapes, but he regrets having put his niece in danger. There is, of course, an Earth-1/Earth-2 problem with all this, but the lines were very loose back in the day. 

The backup features Kid Flash in "Phantom of the Cafeteria" by Steve Skeates, Dick Dillin, and Dick Giordano. Wally West observes the disappearance of food in the school cafeteria. Some students panic because they think a ghost is responsible, but Wally suspects another speedster. 

His theory turns out to be correct. He follows the speedster to the outskirts of town. where he learns that the speedster is a member of a subterranean race who came to the surface after a series of landslides. The creature has a fast metabolism which required him to steal food to save himself from starving. Wally helps him return home, then he seals the entrance to the tunnel.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Brave & the Bold #96

Brave & the Bold #96 (On Sale: April 15, 1971), has a Batman and Sgt. Rock cover by Nick Cardy. 

Batman and Sgt. Rock indeed star in "The Striped Pants War" by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy. When Ambassador Adams, the ambassador to a South American nation, is kidnapped, Bruce Wayne is contacted by the Secretary of State to assume the role. The Adams was kidnapped by the Companeros De La Muerte, a terrorist group that is holding him for ransom. Bruce accepts the appointment when he is introduced to his guardian for the trip, Batman. We later learn that Batman was actually Alfred in disguise. 

Arriving in South America, Bruce is greeted by Abbot Carlyle, the First Secretary to the Embassy, who later introduces Bruce to Sgt. Rock at the embassy. Of course, they know one another from their adventure in Brave and Bold #84. Rock was overseeing security when Ambassador Adams was kidnapped.

While Bruce handles diplomatic matters, Batman begins the search for Adams. He is targeted by assassins twice and both times Sgt. Rock is nearby. When a bug is found in Bruce's rooms, the bug's receiver is found in Rock's room, pointing even more fingers to Rock as a traitor.

Meanwhile, a young boy delivers a lead to the whereabouts of the ambassador, pointing out the truck used to kidnap him. Batman jumps to the roof of the truck and lets the kidnappers take him to the U.S. Embassy and a secret room inside. Rock has followed and together they rescue Adams and Rock clears his name. The actual traitor is revealed to be Abbot Carlyle, the ambassador's secretary. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 2 TPB (2008), Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2017), and Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Vol. 2 TPB (2019).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #138

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #138 (On Sale: April 13, 1971), has a cover by Jack Kirby and Neal Adams. 

"The Big Boom" is written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. Continuing from the last issue, while Superman, Jimmy, and the Newsboy Legion remain trapped in a cocoon, the Guardian and the original Newsboys lead a group of soldiers along the Zoomway intent on stopping the creature which threatens the Project's nuclear reactor. 

Simyan and Mokkari send more of the creatures to fight the soldiers. Superman finally breaks free, but the four-armed terror has already damaged the reactor beyond repair. To save Metropolis, Superman throws the reactor down a deep shaft. The creatures follow the reactor which inevitably explodes without endangering the city above. Reprinted in Jimmy Olsen: Adventures by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 TPB (2003), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 TPB (2012), and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen by Jack Kirby TPB (2019).

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Super DC Giant S-25

Super DC Giant S-25 (On Sale: April 13, 1971), has a Challengers of the Unknown cover by Jack Kirby. 

We begin with "The Man Who Stole the Future" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Wally Wood and reprinted from Challengers of the Unknown #8 (1959). June’s friend Marie has inherited a castle containing a secret room. The Challengers are called in to solve the mystery. Inside a secret compartment, the Challengers find three boxes. They open the first box, and Ace and Rocky are sprayed with a liquid that restores their youth. In the confusion, the boxes are stolen by a man named Drabny.

The second box contains a helmet that gives Drabny a mind-over-matter ability. Drabny uses his abilities to take over the country of Mordania. Prof and Red go after him but get captured. They are freed by Ace and Rocky, and the youth serum wears off.

Using the helmet, and the contents of the third box, goggles that can see into the future, Drabny continues his goal of conquest against an army of tanks. The Challs help out and use the recovered youth serum to turn Drabny into a child. The devices are destroyed, and Drabny sent to prison.

Next is "Captives of the Space Circus" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Wally Wood and reprinted from Challengers of the Unknown #6 (1959). The Challengers are captured by a traveling space circus. They are forced to perform acts of daring and kept in cages. The Challs manage to escape from their cells once but there are too many guards to make it far.

During one performance, the Challs meet other performers who are likewise imprisoned. The Challs formulate a plan, and with the help of the other prisoners, the Challs stage a revolt. While the other creatures escape, the Challs lead the guards to a small asteroid. They are cornered by their captors until they realize the atmosphere of the asteroid has given them enormous strength. They round up the ringmaster and his guards and turn them over to the authorities before returning home.

We end this issue with  "The Wizard of Time" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Wally Wood and reprinted from Challengers of the Unknown #4 (1958). Rocky undergoes an experiment to test a new serum that might help may adapt to extreme environmental conditions. As part of the test, Rocky is launched into space and returns in a space capsule. He emerges from the capsule unharmed, but without his memory. He also now possesses strange powers including the ability to project fire or ice, grow or shrink to any size, and become invisible. Now, if some of these powers seem to remind you of the Fantastic Four, there is a reason for that and it has zero to do with Stan Lee.

Without his memory, Rocky flees from his friends and is eventually found by three fugitives. The crooks plan to use Rocky for their own purposes, but the other Challengers find them. Rocky is wounded during the fight. He regains consciousness with his memory restored and finds his powers have disappeared.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Justice League of America #90

Justice League of America #90 (On Sale: April 13, 1971), has a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. 

This issue features "Plague of the Pale People" by Mike Friedrich, Dick Dillin, and Joe Giella. After America dumps barrels of toxic gas into the ocean, a race of pale people from the undersea city of Sareme is angered. When their sacred rock is destroyed, they decide to wage war under the leadership of Nabeur Odagled. The pale people attack Atlantis and use the gas to force a surrender from Aquaman.

When Batman finds a dead Atlantean on the beach, he summons the Justice League. Superman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and the Atom head to Atlantis where they battle the pale people. They eventually triumph, but Aquaman blames them as surface dwellers who are responsible for the damage. Hawkman tries to make peace with the pale people giving them advice on self-reliance.

While the battle was happening under the sea, Batman sought out the Flash, who failed to respond to the emergency signal. After the other Leaguers return to the satellite, Batman returns carrying the battered body of the Flash. Continued next issue, Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 5 TPB (2011), Justice League of America Archives Vol. 10 HC (2012), Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2017), and Justice League of America: The Last Survivors of Earth TPB (2019).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

G.I. Combat #148

G.I. Combat #148 (On Sale: April 13, 1971), has a so-so cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with The Haunted Tank in "The Gold-Plated General" by Robert Kanigher and Russ Heath. After an encounter with a Nazi tank, Jeb Stuart and the crew of the Haunted Tank make their way back to the command post to meet their new commanding officer, General Norton (who bears a striking resemblance to George C. Scott in Patton). The general is a stickler for appearance. He wears a gold helmet and brandishes golden pistol sidearms. The men begrudgingly follow his orders to clean themselves up.

A short time later, Jeb leads his newly polished crew into battle. The general is right beside him in another tank. The brash general charges the enemy position and leads the surge to overtake them. Following the victorious battle, the general's clothing is soiled. The men hope he will relax discipline now that their leader is no longer immaculate. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Haunted Tank Vol. 2 TPB (2008).

Next up is our first reprint, "Blind Bomber" by Hank Chapman and Mort Drucker and reprinted from Star Spangled War Stories #84 (1959). In the skies above their target, a bomber is blinded by flak fire. He is told to just circle the area slowly and once they drop their bombs, the other bombers will talk him home. Best laid plans, as they say, and the other bombers miss their target requiring our blind bomber to make a run at the targets, sight unseen. He drops his bombs perfectly and somehow manages to dodge the MIGs trying to shoot him down. Back at their carrier, they are under attack, but the pilot is able to land on the deck while under heavy enemy fire. Once down he learns that his sight should return in a week or so. 

Next, we have "Cry 'Wolf' Mission" by Bob Haney and Russ Heath and reprinted from Star Spangled War Stories #91 (1960). Davey Lee is a frogman and his senses have developed for his specialty of working underwater. While attempting to get at an enemy sub, Davey sets off a few underwater mines and has to call the mission off. The skipper of their ship decides to send Davey back with his brother, Ben, as his partner. They return and find the sub and the pen that protected it are both gone. Some searching turns up the sub, but it is now unprotected. They set charges and blow it up, but back on the ship the skipper is worried that Davey made up or hallucinated the traps he found the first time. even Ben wonders if his brother was simply crying wolf. Two days later one of their ships is destroyed and the skipper wants to know how. Now both brothers are looked at with suspicion. 

The next day on a practice run, the brothers once again encounter the underwater net and traps and are attacked by enemy frogmen. They manage to fight them off and find the submarine again. They again set charges and blow it up. Back on the ship, the skipper explains that intelligence discovered that the traps Davey first encountered were real, but when he set off the mines, the enemy removed them and put a dummy submarine in their place. This time, they blew up the real sub.

That is followed by "Soften 'em Up" by Bob Haney and Irv Novick and reprinted from Our Fighting Forces #57 (1960). A green recruit and a savvy vet watch the artillery, bombers, and tanks work over the city of Dulac. While the greenhorn is sure the town will be "softened up" the vet says not to take anything for granted. Although the town appears "softened" they soon find themselves avoiding Nazi tanks, snipers, and machine-gun nests. The two men then take out the sniper, blow up the nest and take out the tank proving the town to not be as soft as the greenhorn thought.

We end this issue with another Haunted Tank story, "Battle Window" by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and reprinted from G.I. Combat #102 (1963). The ghost of General Stuart warns Jeb that his life will depend on a single shot. Later that day, the Haunted Tank is attacked by several German tanks, Jeb and his crew manage to escape and destroy the enemy tanks, but their gun is jammed. When a fighter attacks from above they are unable to fire back until Rick repairs the gun for a single shot. They shoot down the plane, but the General explains that it was not the single shot he was talking about.

When the Haunted Tank enters an abandoned French town that serves as a Nazi trap, an old French soldier manages to warn the crew in time. The Haunted Tank is chased through the streets until it eventually prevails against the German opponents. The French soldier then saves Jeb from a sniper with a single shot.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Witching Hour #15

Witching Hour #15 (On Sale: April 8, 1971), has a cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with a framing sequence featuring the three witches drawn by George Tuska. Cynthia prepares a witch's brew. Mordred insults her, but Cynthia insists on doing her own thing claiming it to be Witch's Lib. A guest then arrives, so the witches sit down to tell stories.

Our first story is "Freddy Is Another Name for Fear" by George Kashdan and Wally Wood. Two rival psychologists plot to manipulate Freddy, a strong halfwit, into murdering the other, but the halfwit ends up killing both of them. 

Next up is "Bayou Witch" by Phil Seuling and Gray Morrow. A local Heck Belleau stirs up the populace against Old Yeller Maggie, claiming she was a swamp witch and that she was casting spells against him. Maggie was known for selling "Love Potions" and doctoring the sick. Still, Heck Helleau turned the town against her and she declares that she will no longer help the people and that, yes, in case they were wondering, she was a witch.

The luck of the people turned at that time: their boats leaked, the taxmen found their stills, storms tore off roofs, chickens stopped laying eggs, the measles ran rampant, and worse of all, the rain stopped falling. The people knew it was Maggie's doing and a group of men went into the swamp to find her and end their run of bad luck. Someone was responsible for the bad luck they were suffering through and they all knew who it was.    

They formed a lynch mob and strung up old Heck Belleau, the man who started all the trouble with Maggie, but she intercedes and saves his life, telling them that they'll have their good luck spells back. They release Heck and when he runs off they never see him again.

Phil Seuling is known for staging the First International Convention of Comic Art in 1968 and the first New York Comic Art Convention in 1969. In 1971 he wrote three comic book stories: one for Skywald, one for Warren, and this one for DC. In 1972, Seuling founded Sea Gate Distributors and created the direct market for comic book sales. Of Seuling's contribution of comics, Mark Evanier wrote that

. . . it became apparent that the old method was being destroyed, with or without selling books the Seuling way, so DC, Marvel, and other companies tried it. Within a year, around 25% of all comic books were being sold via 'direct' distribution, through Seuling's company and about a dozen others, with 75% still on conventional newsstands. Within ten years, those percentages were reversed. Today, the 'direct market' is the primary market.

Phil Seuling died on August 21, 1984, and the following year, Sea Gate closed down.

We end with "I Married a Ghost" by Murray Boltinoff and Artie Saaf. A man and his intended bride are in an auto accident which results in the woman's death. The groom still can see her ghost so he tells his best man that they are going to be married tonight. His friend humors him until he can make an appointment with a doctor. 

The ghost tries to kill her husband so that they can be together in death and so the man releases her from her vow after his friend rescues him. The friend gets a therapist to take him to an asylum, but the friend is disturbed because he thinks that he is beginning to perceive the dead woman's presence as well.

The entire issue was reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Witching Hour Vol. 1 TPB (2011).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Binky #79

Binky #79 (On Sale: April 8, 1971), has a cover by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli.

We begin with Binky in "The Slow Talker" by John Albano, Stan Goldberg, and Henry Scarpelli. Buzzy doesn't talk fast enough to get Binky out of trouble. Reprinted in Best of DC #39 (1983).

Next, we have Buzzy in "Having a Beastly Time." Buzzy gets a job as a tiger trainer.

That is followed by three one-page Sonny stories. We start with "Fast Service!" Sonny takes another customer's food and gives it to his friend. In "Quick Justice!" Sonny shoots a fly, and in "The Gourmet!" Sonny's boss eats at the competition across the street.

Next up is Buzzy in "The Ugly Beauty" by John Albano, Stan Goldberg, and Henry Scarpelli. Binky pressures Buzzy to take Peggy's "ugly" cousin Suzy to the music festival, but Buzzy already has a date with the beautiful Marge Midcroff. Reprinted in Best of DC #45 (1984).

That is followed by three one-page Li'l Leroy stories. We start with "The Trader!" Snake trades for little brother. In "New Instructions!" Leroy holds hands with his little brother., and in "Keep Calm!" Joseph throws a pebble at Leroy.

Next is Binky and his Buddies in "The Safety Patrol Boys." The buddies are volunteering to help the police.

Following that is Binky in "Paid in Full" by John Albano, Stan Goldberg, and Henry Scarpelli. Benny's father forces Benny to spend the night studying, so Benny "gives" his date with Gwen to Binky. Reprinted in Best of DC #45 (1984).

We end the issue with Binky in "Never When You Need One" by John Albano, Stan Goldberg, and Henry Scarpelli. Binky is robbed and has his car hijacked, but no policemen are to be found. Reprinted in Best of DC #39 (1983).

Edited by Joe Orlando.

All-Star Western #6

All-Star Western #6 (On Sale: April 8, 1971), has a cover featuring the new Outlaw, Billy the Kid, by Tony DeZuniga. Editor Orlando decided to keep the Outlaw name on the covers but replaced the Rick Wilson storyline with one featuring Billy the Kid.

Our first story is Outlaw in "Billy the Kid... Killer" by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga. Billy the Kid's father has been murdered and Billy has been on the killer's trail. Tracking down a Mexican named Poncho, Billy believes him to be the killer, however, Poncho tells Billy that he saw the killers of Billy's father. Agreeing to be taken to the killer, Poncho takes Billy out into the desert.

After camping, the next day Billy wakes up to find that Poncho stole everything including Billy's pocket watch. Tracking Pancho to a house, Billy finds the woman has all his money in her possession but also learns that she is blind. Finally tracking down Poncho, Poncho tells Billy that the watch was stolen. Deciding that they need more money to buy new provisions, Billy takes up a job in a town to stop Blackie Kane, a gunfighter who has been terrorizing the town.

However before Billy can round up Blackie, Billy has to rush a boy to the town doctor when a horse spooked by Kane tramples the boy. While Billy is off saving the boy's life, learning of who caused the trouble, Poncho goes after Blackie on his own. Blackie tricks Poncho and shoots him with a gun hidden in his hat. Billy returns and finds Poncho near death, Poncho hands over Billy's pocket watch. After killing Blackie and after burying Poncho, Billy takes a look at the picture inside. The picture is of Billy and her father, and we learn that Billy is secretly a girl named Billy Jo. Reprinted in Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #2 (1979) and Showcase Presents Jonah Hex Vol. 1 TPB (2006).

Next up is Wild Bill Hickock in "Town Tamer" written and drawn by Gil Kane. It is 1871 and Wild Bill leaves Abiline, Kansas late one night, having tamed the town and no longer needed there. While contemplating the fate of a wild man in a tamer and tamer world, Bill is attacked by a grizzly bear. Losing his gun, Hickock must kill the bear using only his knife and in doing so, reconnects to his true being. Once the bear is dead, Hickcock mounts his horse and rides off in search of the next town to tame. Reprinted in Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #3 (1980).

We end with "The Night of the Snake" written by Denny O'Neil and Gil Kane, penciled by Gil Kane, and inked by Tony DeZuniga. Bick Lupson was a trouble-making cattle minder. One night while drinking on the job, Bick leaves his post to find some more fun and ends up finding a cabin owned by a native woman. 

The woman has a pet snake, a servant to the great spirit she worships. Bick promptly kills the snake and attempts to rape the woman. The woman's trapper husband comes home interrupting Bick but Bick shoots them both in cold blood. Before dying, the woman curses Bick with the curse of the snake. 

Haunted by the sound of rattlesnakes, Bick races back to the ranch where his employers tell him to get back to work. The increasingly frightened Bick is dogged by the sound of the rattlesnake until his horse, spooked badly enough, throws him off it and into a ravine. Bick soon finds himself confronted by a giant snake and the ghost of the woman who he killed welcoming him to Hell. Reprinted in Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #3 (1980) and Showcase Presents Jonah Hex Vol. 1 TPB (2006).

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Superman #239

Superman #239 (On Sale: April 6, 1971), has a cover featuring "Superman's Greatest Battles" by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "Hercules in the 20th Century" by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Action Comics #267 (1960). Lex Luthor constructs a device that brings Hercules into the present. Luthor tricks Hercules into helping him break out of jail and rob Fort Knox. Hercules learns that he has been duped and recaptures Luthor.

Superman arranges a secret identity for Hercules, Roger Tate. He gets Roger a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet. He falls for ace reporter Lois Lane and tries to impress her. Lois only has eyes for Superman though, so Hercules speaks to the ancient Gods. The Gods give Hercules a portion of their power which he can use only once. Hercules then goes to prove he is superior to the Man of Steel.

This story continues in "Superman's Battle with Hercules" by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Action Comics #268 (1960). Having gained superpowers from the Gods, Hercules tries to humiliate Superman before engaging him in a duel for Lois Lane. As the duel begins, Hercules uses his magic weapons against Superman. The weapon Superman fears the most is a tiny bow and arrow which causes Lois to fall in love with the first man she sees. After having hit Lois with the arrow, Hercules thinks he has won, but she was looking at a picture of Superman and falls for him instead.

Hercules then uses the flute of Apollo to put Superman to sleep for a hundred years. When Lois willingly sacrifices herself for Superman’s well-being, the Goddess Venus arrives to stop Hercules. Superman awakens and lures back to his own time, where his memory is erased. He remains in the past, without any knowledge of the events which just occurred.

Next up is "Titano the Super-Ape" by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Superman #127 (1959). Lois Lane befriends a performing chimpanzee, Toto. Toto is launched into space as part of an experiment. During his space flight, a uranium and Kryptonite meteor collide near his capsule. When Toto returns to Earth, he grows to giant size. Lois Lane dubs him, Titano.

Titano is still an innocent monkey, but his great size makes him a menace. Superman can not get near him because Titano possesses Kryptonite vision. The government decides to execute the super-ape. Lois is appalled but leads Titano into a trap.

Lois fears for the monkey’s life and is able to get Titano to put on some lead glasses. This allows Superman to get close enough to hurl Titano into the past. Titano survives on prehistoric Earth with the dinosaurs. I guess time-travel paradoxes did not exist at DC in the 1950s.

We end with "The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman" by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan, and George Klein and reprinted from Superman #164 (1963). Luthor escapes jail and challenges Superman to a fair fight without superpowers. Superman agrees and takes Lex to a planet with a red sun. They battle but are temporarily separated.

Lex discovers a native civilization and befriends the people, convincing them that Superman is evil. He promises to find them a new water supply but fails. When Superman and Luthor clash again, Luthor throws the fight. Superman returns to Earth, but Luthor talks him into sending the planet water for the people. Though he is returned to prison, Luthor is happy to have helped the people of the planet, and they consider him a hero.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Superboy #175

Superboy #175 (On Sale: April 6, 1971), has a cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

This issue features "Doomsday for a Super-Phantom" by Leo Dorfman, Bob Brown, and Murphy Anderson. Through a marriage of sorcery and cybernetics, Faustus Coven separates Superboy's spirit from his body, gives it telekinetic power, and makes it the servant of himself and young Asmo Coven. 

Superboy manages to get himself back into his body after a period of servitude, and Faustus Coven is destroyed by his own apparatus. Asmo, who has reformed, is taken to Smallville Orphanage by Superboy.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Secret Hearts #152

Secret Hearts #152 (On Sale: April 6, 1971), has a cover by Don Heck and Frank Giacoia.

We begin with "My Father's Wife" by Jack Oleck and Tony DeZuniga. When Sherry's father remarries, she refuses to accept her new young stepmother and nearly drives her boyfriend away with her vicious attitude.

Next is "The Day I Fell in Love" by Robert Kanigher and John Romita reprinted from Falling in Love #59 (1963). Mary has wanted to be a successful actress for many years and has neglected her personal life to do so. This makes her unable to portray a woman in love onstage until she meets and falls for director Vincent May.

We end with "The Story of Karen" drawn by Jack Katz and Vince Colletta. Kathy is shocked when she begins to have feelings for another man while her fiance is away.

Jack Katz was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 27, 1927. He attended the School of Industrial Art in New York City and began his comics career in 1943 working in the C. C. Beck and Pete Costanza studio on Bulletman. Katz used a number of pseudonyms such as Jay Hawk, Vaughn Beering, Alac Justice, Alec Justice, and David Hadley.

From 1946 to 1951, he worked as an art assistant on various King Features Syndicate comic strips, working briefly on Terry and the Pirates as an assistant to George Wunder. 

Katz went to work for Standard Comics in 1951 doing horror comics, war comics, and some romance comics until the company went out of business. From 1952 to 1956, Katz worked as a penciler and inker at the studio of Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, working alongside Mort Meskin and Marvin Stein. A slow worker due to heavy detailing, Katz was let go and moved on to Timely Comics under Stan Lee around 1954 where he worked on war and horror comics, as well as Westerns. In 1955 he left mainstream comics to paint and teach art, both privately and for the YMCA in New York City. 

Impressed by Jim Steranko's Captain America, Katz reentered mainstream comics in 1969 penciling Sub-Mariner #17 and three other stories for Marvel, a few stories for Skywald, and four stories for DC, this being the first.

But Jack Katz is better known for writing and drawing The First Kingdom,  a 24-issue, 768-page graphic novel that took Katz 12 years to complete. The first Kingdom was published as a black and white underground comic book. 

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Swing With Scooter #34

Swing With Scooter #34 (On Sale: April 1, 1971), has a cover by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli.

We begin with Scooter in "No Place for a Hero" by John Albano, Stan Goldberg, and Henry Scarpelli. Sylvester has a toothache but he's afraid of dentists. Reprinted in Best of DC #53 (1984).

We follow that with Sylvester in "The Vote Getter" drawn by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli. Sylvester will do anything to be elected student council president.

Next is Scooter in "The Free-Loader" inked by Henry Scarpelli. Sylvester seems to have a good system for getting others to pay for everything he wants.

That is followed by Penny and Cookie in "The Checker Players" inked by Henry Scarpelli.

Next up are Penny and Cookie in "The Servant Problem" inked by Henry Scarpelli. When Penny's dad fires Harvey the butler, Pussycat sabotages all the possible replacements.

We next find Scooter in "True Blue Friends" drawn by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli. When the girls think Scooter is moving away, they conspire with Sylvester to scare off any prospective buyers for Aunt Hatta's house.

That brings us to Scooter in "The Dating Game" drawn by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli. Cookie ends up with multiple dates for Saturday night.

We end with Scooter in "Malibu the Matchmaker" by Barbara Friedlander, Doug Crane, and Henry Scarpelli. Malibu gets Sylvester to take out his cousin Mala, who turns out to be a real dog! Reprinted in Best of DC #53 (1984).

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Our Army at War #233

Our Army at War #233 (On Sale: April 1, 1971), has a Sgt. Rock cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with Sgt. Rock in "Head-Count" by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. Easy Company is joined by a new replacement Johnny Doe. Johnny is anxious to kill Nazis, but he takes dangerous risks and shoots first without asking questions. Sgt. Rock warns him to be careful, but Doe doesn't listen. 

At first, Johnny's antics earn him respect as he single-handedly takes out an enemy pillbox and uncovers a Nazi trap. However, in the town of Alamy, the surviving Nazis kidnap innocent civilians and use them as hostages. Johnny plans to use a grenade to kill the Nazis without regard for the hostages. When Johnny refuses to stop, Rock fires on him. The grenade explodes killing Johnny. Rock is not sure if he was responsible for Johnny's death. Reprinted in America at War: The Best of DC War Comics HC (1979), America at War: The Best of DC War Comics SC (1979), DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #18 (1982), and DC Goes to War HC (2020).

Next is a "Battle Album" on "Mobileguns and Howitzers" by Sam Glanzman. 

That is followed by a "Medal of Honor" regarding "Dwite Schaffner" by Norman Maurer. In 1917 and the 306th Infantry is getting clobbered by the Germans. Lt. Schaffner is sent to find out and discovers the Germans are living in luxury while his men are wading through mud. They try to take the German position but are thwarted by machine-gun nests. Schaffner is sent to find the nests and he takes them out. When the rest of the men arrive the Germans come out of hiding as it was all a trap. Schaffner goes ballistic and singlehandedly mows the Germans down, saving his men and gaining the Medal of Honor. 

This is Norman Maurer's first work for DC since 1952. Maurer had a long association with the Three Stooges that began about the time of his marriage to Joan Howard, the daughter of the comedy team's Moe Howard on June 29, 1947. In 1949, he produced two Three Stooges comic book issues for Jubilee, based on the short films the team made for Columbia Pictures. In 1953, Maurer created the first 3-D comics, Three-Dimension Comics featuring Mighty Mouse, with his brother, Leonard Maurer, and Joe Kubert. Two three-dimensional Stooge comics were also issued in 1953. He returned to the Stooges in comic form in 1972 with Gold Key Comics' The Little Stooges, which ran for seven issues over the next two years. Between 1971 and 1976 Maurer would do 19 stories for DC, mostly "Medal of Honor" stories for his old friend Joe Kubert. 

We end this issue with "The Sapper" by Sam Glanzman. Joe Jingles was a Sapper, he wielded the mine detector and he liked saving the lives of his men rather than killing the enemy. One day during a rainstorm his men found out that as he dug out the mines he found, he would plant flower seeds in the holes. Like Joe Kubert was fond of adding to his books, Make War No More.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

House of Secrets #92

House of Secrets #92 (On Sale: April 1, 1971), has an amazing cover by Bernie Wrightson. Bernie had done five horror covers for Marvel by this time, but to be honest, they sucked, every one of them. This is his first cover for DC and he hit it out of the park and at the same time, birthed a new DC hero and rebirthed the swamp creature genre (I know, Savage Tales #1 with the Man-Thing hit the stands in January, but I know it never hit the stands in my town and was impossible to find). This is a fitting cover for one of the classic comics of the past 60 years. If you do not own this book, you wish you did. April is staring with not a bang, but an explosion!

We begin with a frontispiece by Gerry Conway and Bernie Wrightson. In the graveyard behind the House of Secrets, Abel invites the reader to join him in hunting for a snipe, while his brother Cain lurks behind a gravestone laughing at his gullibility.

Next up is the story that launched a genre and brought tears to my 14-year-old eyes. "Swamp Thing" is by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson and Bernie captures the haunting sadness of the creature like no one else may have been able to. While the Man-Thing seems like a mindless child, the Swamp Thing is all about emotional pain.

A mossy, muddy, grotesque creature with the saddest eyes you have ever seen, shambles through the swamp till it comes to a clearing and sees a house upon a hill and it only makes him sadder. He remembers the "soft, golden lady" who lives there and wonders what she is doing. Linda Olsen Ridge is being toasted by her husband Damian on their six-month anniversary, but we learn that she has another man in mind this night, Alex Olsen, her dead first husband and the best part of her life, and it is another anniversary that her thoughts focus on, the night she gave him a golden bracelet as a symbol of their undying love. Alex and Damian were scientific partners till the day the lab exploded and Alex died.

Damian senses that Linda is thinking of Alex and he remembers back to their partnership, their friendship, and how he longed and lusted for his friend's wife. How he rigged the lab to explode to get rid of the only thing standing between him and the woman he desired above all others. How Linda never knew that Alex was not killed by the explosion and how he dragged his torn-up body to the swamp and buried him alive. How he slowly went from bereaved friend to something more, something he had long desired.

Not feeling well, Linda retires to her room, but Damian can sense that she is starting to suspect something, that she is flinching from his touch, and that it will only be a matter of time before she realizes what he did to Alex. As much as he loves her, his "own neck comes first" and so he decides to kill Linda before she can turn him in for Alex's murder. Back in her room, she feels eyes upon her, even though Damian is across the house. When Damian comes to see how she is doing, he brings a hidden hypodermic needle, and as he stands poised to kill his unsuspecting wife, the swamp creature breaks through the window and attacks!

Damian is no match for the monster's strength and the creature chokes him to death. He turns to Linda and holds out his hands trying to explain to her, wanting to tell her the truth, but his vocal cords no longer make sounds and Linda is terrified. The fear in her eyes is more than he can bear. He looks to his wrist where once a beautiful golden bracelet resided and cannot remember what happened to it. The sad-eyed creature leaves her and returns to the swamp that is now his home. "If tears could come, they would."

Bernie Wrightson would later say, "I recall Len [Wein] offered me the "Swamp Thing" short story to draw that night. The deadline was really tight and I remember doing most of the work on a weekend. I had help from [Michael William] Kaluta, [Jeffrey Catherine Jones], [Alan] Weiss, and Louise [Jones]. I remember that to save time we photographed the whole thing."

For fun, you can search the Internet and see the photos that became this classic story, with Michael William Kaluta as Damian, Bernie as Alex, and Louise (Jones) Simonson as Linda.

Now this is and it isn't the Swamp Thing that would return in a year and a half; this story takes place in an older time and pertains to characters with slightly different names than what was to come. I think when DC saw the sales for this book, the series was a no-brainer, but this was at the time a genre that had been pretty much ignored for decades, and DC wisely moved the series to the current era. Reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #9 (1981), Roots of the Swamp Thing #5 (1986), Swamp Thing: Dark Genesis TPB (1992), Roots of the Swamp Thing HC (2009), Roots of the Swamp Thing TPB (2012), Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Omnibus HC (2017), Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Vol. 1 TPB (2018), and Swamp Thing Halloween Horror Giant #1 (2018).

Next is "After I Die" written by Jack Kirby and Mark Evanier and drawn by Bill Draut. A wealthy man named Maxwell James is obsessed with what happens after death. His obsession grows stronger when he arrives at his wife's deathbed. She begs her husband to take care of Hal, her brother-in-law but is shocked when he realizes that she sees something utterly horrifying in her final moments. 

After his wife's death, Maxwell makes increasingly callous attempts to pursue this mystery, even paying to see a critically injured child and angrily storming out when the child makes a full recovery. Finally, Maxwell loses his patience and attempts to kill his wife's brother-in-law Hal with a gun. In the ensuing struggle, Maxwell is fatally shot and begs Hal to look into his eyes. As Hal obeys, he sees the reflection of the terror beyond death in Maxwell's eyes and is driven to permanent insanity. I think this is Mark Evanier's first work at DC.

Next up is "It's Better to Give..." by Virgil North (Mary Skrenes), Alan Weiss, and Tony DeZuniga. A homeless man named Smilin' Sam encounters a crying boy in the town dump who is upset that he has broken his balloon. The homeless man remembers that he's got a dime on him and so he gives it to the kid and tells him to get another balloon. The kid thanks him and tells him that he'll pay him back someday. Shortly, Sam notices dimes starting to fall from the nozzle of an abandoned bathtub and can't believe his good fortune. 

He gathers them up and goes into town to eat at a fancy restaurant, donate to the Salvation Army and buy new clothes. A criminal observes that the man has run into some money and follows him back to the dump to relieve him of it. The criminal kills Sam just as the little boy shows up and accuses the man of killing his friend. The man threatens to hurt the kid if he ever squeals and the boy swings his new balloon at the man who laughs at the boy but stops laughing when the new balloon begins to grow so large that it engulfs the killer completely. The boy then approaches the balloon with a large pin and pops it. The killer has disappeared and Able shows up to explain that it is better to give than to receive especially when you are dealing with a young warlock.

We end this classic issue with "Trick or Treat" by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin. The story opens with a painter (perhaps) taking what he calls "magic paint and canvases" from a gallery. We see a guard on the ground, perhaps dead. He takes the items back to his place where he says that according to legend, whoever follows the instructions and paints the canvases according to the numbers provided will have their life changed. He follows the directions and paints a knife-wielding ghoul. He thinks it is pretty creepy but does not care as he knows his life is about to change. In the background we see the ghoul step out of the painting, knife in hand. I have to say this is some of the strangest Dick Dillon art I have ever seen.

The entire book has been reprinted in DC Silver Age Classics House of Secrets #92 (1992), House of Secrets #92 [Variant] (1993), Millennium Edition: House of Secrets 92 (#20) (2000), Showcase Presents: The House of Secrets Vol. 1 TPB (2008), and House of Secrets (Facsimile Edition) #92 (2019).

Edited by Joe Orlando.