Strange Adventures #231

Strange Adventures #231 (On Sale: May 27, 1971), has a really cool cover by Sid Greene. 

We begin with our cover feature  "Attack of the Flying Gorillas" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #125 (1961). A small planetoid populated by flying gorillas approaches Earth and begins to steal its atmosphere.

Next up is the Atomic Knights in "Here Come the Wild Ones" by John Broome and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Strange Adventures #160 (1964). The Knights encounter a roving band of boys who want to become outlaws when they grow up. Marene disguises herself as a boy and infiltrates the group.

Kadey and his Blue Belts stumble upon a pre-war invention that turns people into automatons. They use it to enslave the rebel boys until the Knights defeat them. This is the last Atomic Knights story and they will not appear again till Hercules Unbound #10 (1977).

That is followed by "The Martian Masquerader" by John Broome, Gil Kane, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #67 (1956).

Next, we have "Assignment in Eternity" by Otto Binder, Sid Greene, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Strange Adventures #83 (1957).

This brings us to Adam Strange in "The Challenge of the Crystal Conquerors" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Mystery in Space #71 (1961). Adam Strange catches the Zeta-Beam to Rann where Alanna greets him and explains that crystal beings called the Karalyx have arrived on Rann and began immediately attacking the world. The weapons of Ranagar city are ineffectual against the creatures, so she takes Adam to a secret hideout on Crater Island to hopefully design a weapon to defeat the Karalyx. There Adam devises a weapon that uses ultrasonics that he hopes will destroy the invaders. In attempting to use the weapon, it does not work, and "Alanna" reveals herself as Kathifran, one of the Karalyx who has taken Alanna's place. She explains that they are fugitives from the Karalyx's homeworld and they plan to switch bodies with all the humans of Rann so that when the police of their own world arrive, they would destroy the Karalyx bodies that contain the minds of the people of Rann. She goes on to explain that they created a being known as Akabubu an "electro-nuclear brain" that allows them to create this feat. With Adam Strange defeated, the renegade Karalyx plot to not only take over Rann but other worlds as well, including Earth.

Taken to Akabubu, Adam has his body switched with one of the Karalyx, named Tragdol. Now in a Karalyx body, Adam is reunited with Alanna and the other people of Ranagar that have been converted. To their surprise, they are unable to use any of the Karalyx's fantastic powers. Instead, they secure weapons and attempt to attack, however in a subversive move, the fake "Adam" and "Alanna" use it as a way to convince the people of Rann that they are who they pretend to be. The fake "Adam" and "Alanna" then round up all of the Ranagarian's that are trapped in Karalyx forms and dump them in the Lake of Insalla.

Adam realizes this lake is where Ranagar's drinking water comes from, and the group travels into the refinery plant. In traveling through the filtration system they realize the Chlorine that is used to purify the water weakens their crystalline bodies. Realizing that Chlorine is the weakness of the Karalyx and that they can contact Akabubu telepathically, the converted Adam Strange has his soldiers collect bottles of pure Chlorine from the refinery and then orders Akabubu to change them back into humans. Before the now restored Karalyx renegades can command Akabubu to reverse the process, Adam uses Chlorine on them and they are soon defeated. Soon the police of Karalyx arrive and are informed of what happened.

Later, Adam tells Alanna that he planned for the ultrasonic device to fail to begin with because he was tipped off that something funny was going on when the fake Alanna had kissed him. After getting a kiss from the real Alanna, the Zeta-Beam wears off and Adam is once more returned to Earth.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Detective Comics #413

Detective Comics #413 (On Sale: May 27, 1971), has a beautiful Batman cover by Neal Adams. 

This issue begins with Batman in "Freak-Out at Phantom Hollow" by Frank Robbins,  Bob Brown, and Dick Giordano. Batman is called to the small town of Phantom Hollow after a series of incidents. A legend claims the town is haunted by the ghost of a woman who was tried as a witch. Now the old bell in the tower outside of town has been rung and the jailhouse has exploded.

Batman questions some of the townspeople and investigates the bell tower. He catches two boys in a cave outside of town. They are hippies who were harassed by bullies from town who shaved their heads. To get even the boys used a recording to sound the bell and fireworks at the jail. But they did not destroy it.

While Batman questions the kids, the bell rings again and another explosion occurs in town. Batman leaves the kids in the cave with their teacher Clare Antrim. While Batman heads back into town, the real culprit Big Lanny appears. He traps the kids in the cave. Batman's return to town was a feint to draw out Lanny. Batman defeats him and deduces that Lanny was the descendant of Nell Cabot, the suspected witch. He wanted revenge against the town and set the boys up to take the fall. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016).

Our backup is Batgirl in "Squeeze-Play" by Frank Robbins and Don Heck. Continuign from last issue, Batgirl confronts the killer wig-maker, Vazly, and his assistant, Wanda. The villains try to kill her using a wig, but she escapes. Although Batgirl apprehends Vazly, Wanda escapes. Batgirl deduces Wanda's next target, the widow Mrs. Sanders. Batgirl arrives after Wanda has gotten Sanders to pay an extortion demand to release her from the killer wig. This time Batgirl stops Wanda and puts a stop to the killer's schemes. this tale was 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 #408

Adventure Comics #408 (On Sale: May 27, 1971), has a Supergirl cover by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Supergirl in  "The Face at the Window" written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky and inked by Henry Scarpelli. After the case of the "haunted" theater and the arrest of Starfire, everyone in San Francisco knows that Supergirl is now operating in the city. The KSF-TV news crew is agog at the fact that the Girl of Steel has moved to San Francisco and has rescued two of her staff.

Geoff informs them that they have been ordered to do a documentary on some famous old homes of San Francisco. Linda Danvers rushes off home to change into more comfortable street clothes. When she leaves, Nasty hires two persons to snatch Linda's wig off her head and take a picture, but Linda easily foils the unmasking scheme.

After filming several famous houses, the news crew arrive at the old Stanley mansion, a dilapidated building with a spooky reputation, owned by a man -old man Stanley- who inherited it when his nephew and niece died and hasn't left the house in forty years. When they attempt to make a documentary, they are chased away at shotgunpoint by old man Stanley himself.

But Linda sees a little girl standing at an upstairs window, and takes a picture surreptitiously. Then she is told that Stanley has lived alone in the house ever since the deaths of his niece and nephew circa 1918. And when she develops the photos, she sees nothing. Linda decides to investigate.

Supergirl sneaks into the mansion and encounters the little girl, who asks Supergirl's help to find her parents. She says they are both there in the house but have been hidden from her.

At that same moment, Nasty -who had gone to the mansion to spy on Supergirl- gets caught by Mr. Stanley. While the man is busy throwing Nasty out, Supergirl and the child take the opportunity to explore the cellar. Supergirl's x-ray vision finds a lead container hidden behind a wall. She quickly melts away the brickwall and the metal. Before she can look inside, Stanley shows up and starts firing. The Maid of Might overpowers him easily, but then she finds the little child has disappeared.

Supergirl looks for her uselessly. Then she looks into the melted lead-lined chamber and finds two corpses and the doll the little girl was carrying. Mr. Stanley murdered them after their little child died of the influenza and put out the story they had gone to Europe to forget. So he inherited all their money and property, but he was so frightened of being found he never left the house or spent any money.

As old man Stanley is taken away by police, Supergirl sees the little girl in a portrait -- of Cynthia Stanley, the couple's daughter.

Our backup is Supergirl in "Invasion of the Mer-Men" written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky and inked by Dick Giordano. While spending the day at the beach, Linda and Johnny Drew are confronted by an invading force of alien Mer-Men. Linda runs away in order to get changed and return as Supergirl, but Johnny and their attackers are already gone. Investigating the place, Supergirl finds several tracks leading right into the sea.

Supergirl dives into the waters but her powers -which have been malfunctioning for a while- fail, and she has to go back to the beach. Later, her boss Geoff and a police boat arrive at the spot where Johnny disappeared and look for his corpse, but their search turns up nothing. Supergirl is determined to find Johnny, and she goes to Kandor and has the scientists implant filters in her nostrils that will enable her to breathe underwater or in space.

Meanwhile the Mer-Men appear before an assemblage of Earth's scientists and military men to confirm they are stealing Earth's water to save their own planet. If they succeed, Earth will be a lifeless, dry desert within a year. This story continues next issue.

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.

Action Comics #402

Action Comics #402 (On Sale: May 27, 1971), has a beautiful Superman cover by Neal Adams. 

We begin with "This Hostage Must Die" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Continuing from last issue, Red Hawk, the leader of the Navarro tribe, has stolen Superman's powers with a mysterious red jewel and takes him captive, intending to trade him for their lost land. Superman discovers that the red jewel is drawing energy from a red sun, and frees himself by blocking out its light. Then he discovers that Frank Haldane has found the treasure of Montezuma, and is attempting to steal it with a mechanical mole of his own design. Superman captures Haldane and turns the wealth over to the Navarros.

In our backup, Superman and Supergirl star in "The Feud of the Titans" also by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman and Supergirl are made hostile to each other and goaded into a feud when fumes from a "brainwash bomb" they are disposing of in the Fortress of Solitude's disintegration pit combine with Kryptonian elements there and make them hate each other. Superman begins to suspect the truth after seeing a two-headed bird's two heads quarrel with each other in the Fortress, and he rescues Supergirl from death when she falls into the disintegration pit. Once outside the Fortress, they regain their senses, and they clean the gas from their headquarters.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff. 

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #139

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #139 (On Sale: May 25, 1971), has a cover by Jack Kirby, Vicnce Colletta and an unknown characature artist.

Let me just say that Jack Kirby has a wonderful imagination from which flowed some incredible ideas; putting Don Rickles into Jimmy Olsen was not one of them. "The Guardian Fights Again" written and penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta is the vehicle through which Kirby introduces Don Rickles to the DC universe. Morgan Edge is beset by Goody Rickels, a Don Rickles lookalike, who wants to break out of his research job and is assigned to investigate a UFO landing nearby. 

However, Clark Kent is abducted by the UFO, and the Guardian, the Newsboy Legion, and Goody are captured by Ugly Mannheim and Inter-Gang, who force them to eat a meal laced with Pyro-Granulate. Mannheim them lets them all go, informing them that the chemical will cause them all to burn up in 24 hours. 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.

Girls' Romances #158

Girls' Romances #158 (On Sale: May 25, 1971), has a cover by Don Heck and Dick Giordano.

We begin this issue with "My Lover My Enemy" drawn by Ric Estrada and Vince Colletta. Jennie is a special agent for the Secret Service, working undercover and romancing foreign spies to gather evidence against them. She decides to leave her job when she falls in love with one of the men she has been investigating.

Next we have "One-Man Woman" drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Young Love #41 (1964).

This issue ends with "Hungry Heart!" drawn by Artie Saaf and Vince Colletta. Shy Stephanie never knows what to talk about when she's on a date until she finds someone who is interested in her cooking skills, which she can discuss for hours.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Date with Debbi #16

Date with Debbi #16 (On Sale: May 25, 1971), has a cover by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli.

We begin with Debbi in "The Chick-Watcher" drawn by Doug Crane and Henry Scarpelli.

We follow that with Debbie in "All Wet" penciled by Stan Goldberg.

Next up is Debbi in "Equal Rights" by John Albano, John Rosenberger, and Henry Scarpelli. This was reprinted in Best of DC #53 (1984).

That is followed by Buddy in "Funny Feelings" penciled by Stan Goldberg.

Next is Debbi and Buddy in "The Raving Rivals" penciled by Stan Goldberg.

We end with Debbi in "Great Roving Robots" with pencils by Samm Schwartz.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Teen Titans #34

Teen Titans #34 (On Sale: May 20, 1971), has a cover by Nick Cardy. 

This issue features "The Demon of Dog Island" by Bob Haney, George Tuska, and Nick Cardy. The Titans investigate spooky goings-on on Dog Island, where Donna (Wonder Girl) Troy has been looking after an elderly lady, Miss Wickersham. Through Lilith's mental powers, they learn that Miss Wickersham is actually an ancient witch whose spirit is slowly possessing Donna, who resembles the witch as she looked in her youth. The Titans must deal with the Jukes brothers, superstitious inhabitants of the island who believe Wonder Girl is a demoness due to her super-strength and must prevent the unwitting Wonder Girl's total possession before Miss Wickersham finally dies and is reunited with the spirit of her murdered lover. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 2 TPB (2007) and Teen Titans: The Bronze Age Omnibus HC (2017).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Superboy #176

Superboy #176 (On Sale: May 20, 1971), has a cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with Superboy in "The Secret of Superboy's 'Sister'" by Leo Dorfman, Bob Brown, and Murphy Anderson. When little Kathy Warren (who is staying with the Kents until her mother, Martha Kent's friend, recovers from an auto accident) accidentally bursts a space-brain that Superboy has captured, her intellect is raised to genius status. Thus, when even Superboy is hard-pressed against the alien Truhls, Kathy conquers them with a secret weapon. But the weapon creates an energy feedback that appears to restore her intelligence to that of a normal child. Later, after Mrs. Warren has recovered, Kathy goes back to her family.

The backup is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "Invisible Invader" by E. Nelson Bridwell and George Tuska. A thief uses the power of invisibility in his crimes, and Invisible Kid must find a way to counter his own power to stop him. Reprinted in Best of DC #24 (1982), Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 10 HC (2000), and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4 TPB (2010).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Super DC Giant S-26

Super DC Giant S-26 (On Sale: May 20, 1971), has an Aquaman cover by Dick Giordano.

This reprint-fest begins with "The Creatures from Atlantis" by Jack Miller and Ramona Fradon and reprinted from Showcase #30 (1961) During a morning sea-storm, Aquaman and Aqualad come to the rescue of a cargo ship that's been struck by lightning. When Aquaman finds that the cargo hold broke open and crates carrying a new type of poison are drifting out of the ship, Aquaman and his undersea pals collect all the boxes. Ordering Aqualad to bring all the cargo to shore, Aquaman then returns to his home. There he finds fish with a telepathic message from Atlantis asking for help. Thinking of Atlantis, Aquaman recounts his origins: How his mother was an exile from Atlantis who bore a child with a lighthouse worker. As he remembers how his mother revealed his true nature on his death bed, Aquaman decides to go to Atlantis to find out what he's needed for. Upon his arrival, he is suddenly attacked by two giant humanoid sea monsters.

Brought into the city, Aquaman sees that the people of Atlantis have been enslaved by this race of amphibious sea creatures. When trying to demand answers by one of the leaders of these creatures, Aquaman is sentenced to work on the same device the other Atlantians are working on. There he finds out from one of the workers that these creatures came from a "hole" that appeared in the water. Sometime later, Aquaman attempts to start a revolt by summoning an army of sea creatures to come to his rescue, however, the creatures have blowguns which they use to turn back the attackers. Later, hiding in a tube close to the creatures, Aquaman learns the truth: They are criminals from another dimension who are building a device that would melt all forms of resistance from the surface world in their bid to conquer the entire planet Earth. Spotted by the creatures, Aquaman is locked up in a cell but manages to contact his undersea friends, who summon Aqualad with a swordfish to spring Aquaman out of the jail.

Racing to the surface to stop the creatures who are out on a test of their new weapon, Aquaman, Aqualad, and an army of sea life attack the monsters. However, they do not stop the creatures from testing their weapons. After a number of attacks, Aquaman orders an army of seagulls to drop bombs on the creature's vessel rendering it inoperable. The feeling creatures enter an undersea forest, where Aquaman manages to grab hold of their dimensional device and uses it to send them back home. Once the people of Atlantis are free, they reward Aquaman with a Hero of Atlantis medal before Aquaman and Aqualad return to their home in the sea.

Next, we have "A World Without Water" by Joe Millard and Ramona Fradon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #251 (1958). Aquaman is thrown into the year 6958 A.D. by an accidental atomic explosion. There he is revived by Zed-3, a scientist, who informs them they have done limited time travel experiments, but that almost all water on Earth evaporated in a nova eruption 1000 years ago. The sea creatures adapted to life on land, and Earthmen invented pills to replace moisture content, which sustains Aquaman. Just as Zed-3 is about to send Aquaman back to 1958 with a time machine, criminal scientist Dr. Varn breaks in and attempts to hijack the device. Aquaman commands the land-dwelling whales, manta ray, octopi, and flying fish to defeat Varn and his gang. Then Aquaman is sent back to his normal era.

Next up is "The Human Flying Fish" by Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #272 (1960). One day in a lighthouse, a man named Victor Bragg and Dr. Krill watch as Aquaman uses his fish telepathy in order to catch a number of smugglers making their getaway on a speed boat. Bragg figures that there is no way to beat Aquaman, however, Dr. Krill tells Bragg of a special operation that would turn him into a human flying fish. With new-found powers based on the flying fish, Dr. Krill predicts that Aquaman would not be able to stop Bragg. Bragg undergoes the operation and is transformed into the Human Flying Fish. Soon he is sent on missions to steals sunken treasure and other items of value from under the sea, outperforming Aquaman each time and making his escape in a helicopter that Dr. Krill has waiting for him each time.

Eventually getting wise to the Human Flying Fish's tactics, Aquaman devises a trap for the crook, luring him to appear when he makes a false report of a priceless cargo of uranium that was lost at sea. Taking the bait, the Human Flying Fish attempts to steal the uranium (really an empty container) and is soon incapacitated when Aquaman summons electric eels to his aid. He then uses swordfish to knock down Dr. Krill's helicopter and the two crooks are arrested.

That is followed by "The First Aquagirl" by Robert Bernstein and Ramona Fradon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #266 (1959). While riding in her yacht, a young woman sees through its glass floor that Aquaman has his leg pinned in the mouth of a giant clam. Grabbing an electric torch and jumping overboard, she saves Aquaman's life. Upon returning to the surface, both Aquaman and the girl are shocked to learn that she was under the water for 60 minutes. The girl introduces herself as Lisa Morel, daughter of Dr. Hugo Morel, a famous Ichthyologist. Swimming to meet her father, Aquaman is once more surprised to find that Lisa can also swim at great speeds and up waterfalls. When revealing the discovery to Lisa's father, he dismisses it until she exhibits the ability to command sea life when she orders seals to prevent her father's prized globe from falling into the ocean. Convinced, Dr. Morel asks Aquaman how he acquired his powers, Aquaman explains his origins once more. Since none of the Morel family originated from Atlantis, that theory was ruled out. Aquaman tells them he must return to the sea but he will return the next day.

Upon his arrival, he is met by Lisa, who is wearing a duplicate of Aquaman's costume and calling herself Aquagirl and wants to patrol the seas with Aquaman. Aquaman allows her to follow along, only to ensure that she remains safe from the perils of the sea. After a few missions out at sea, suddenly Lisa's powers begin to fade away and Aquaman must rush her to the surface. Wondering what happened, Lisa is given the answers from Aquaman who found them in his mother's diary. In it, it explains that in Atlantis they eventually developed the ability to breathe underwater, however, there was the occasional "throwback" that were unable to, and so they were sent to the surface so that they can live. These throwbacks were identifiable by their purple eyes. Aquaman explains that Lisa must have been one of these throwbacks and that she gained her water-powers only because she attempted to save Aquaman, and that she would be fated to lose them anyway. Returning back to Dr. Morel's home, he admits that he lied to Aquaman about his daughter's past and that he found her 20 years ago in a lifeboat.

Up next is "The Shark with the Human Brain" by Jack Miller and Ramona Fradon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #203 (1954). Shark Wilson escapes from prison. He heads for the beach where legend has it that the sand will transform men into fish. Aquaman then encounters a real shark with Wilson's face. The shark displays amazing intelligence, but Aquaman and his fish friends defeat it. The shark then disappears, and Wilson is found on the beach. Aquaman wonders whether the legend is true and Wilson was really the shark.

The issue ends with it'\s one piece of original content,  "The Island of Fear" is a two-page text story with illustrations by Steve Skeates, Sal Amendola, and Dick Giordano.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Secret Hearts #153

Secret Hearts #153 (On Sale: May 20, 1971), has a cover by Bob Oksner and Vince Colletta.

We begin with "The Secret" drawn by Jack Katz and John Celardo.

Edie feels ignored when her politician fiancee neglects her for his campaign, so she is vulnerable when her old boyfriend Roy comes back to town.

Next is "Hard to Handle" drawn by Winslow Mortimer and Vince Colletta. Georgie sheepishly admits to his buddies that he married a girl who knows how to handle him.

We end this issue with  "The Man I Love" drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Secret Hearts #66 (1960). Arline has loved Michael since they were children but eventually, she realizes that it's really her friend Andy who loves her in return.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Phantom Stranger #14

Phantom Stranger #14 (On Sale: May 18, 1971), has an amazing cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with The Phantom Stranger in "The Man with No Heart" by Len Wein and Jim Aparo. Answering the call of Broderick Rune, the Phantom Stranger finds himself knocked out with a powerful spell. Rune, who has heart disease, then has his men perform a heart transplant, using the Stranger's very own heart. However, when his goons go to dump the body, they are shocked to find that the blanket they were carrying the Stranger's body is empty and that the Stranger is very much alive.

The Stranger then begins to haunt and stalk Rune everywhere he goes causing him to panic and flee to his second estate. There the haunting continues, and so they try mystical means of ridding themselves of the Phantom Stranger, this also doesn't work. Finally, the Stranger appears and chases Rune out into a field where he dies of a heart attack. When his aides can finally get to him, they are shocked to find that Rune doesn't have a heart in his body.

The backup is Dr. Thirteen in  "The Spectre of the Stalking Swamp" by Len Wein and Tony DeZuniga. Dr. Thirteen is called into Bayou country to investigate reports of a strange swamp monster dubbed the Swampster, who is supposedly responsible for the disappearance of people in the area. What they stumble upon is a plot by Professor Zachary Nail, who has built a secret city untainted by the destruction the human race is doing to the planet. People who have gone missing have been mentally conditioned to do Nail's bidding.

When Dr. Thirteen is captured and put under this process, however when ordered to capture his wife, Thirteen shakes off the control. During his fight with Nail, the swamp suddenly and inexplicably begins crushing the domed city, forcing everyone to flee as the domed city is destroyed.

The entire issue was reprinted in Showcase Presents Phantom Stranger Vol. 1 TPB (2006).

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Mister Miracle #3

Mister Miracle #3 (On Sale: May 18, 1971), has a beautiful cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta.

This issue features "The Paranoid Pill" written and drawn by Jack Kirby and inked by Vince Colletta. Mr. Miracle is baited into a trap by Dr. Bedlam, one of Darkseid's agents. The trap is in the form of the Chandler Towers, a 50-story building full of people whom Bedlam has driven insane with a "Paranoid Pill". Mr. Miracle is on the top floor, and the only exit is through the front door--and past 5,000 maniacs--at the bottom. Reprinted in Jack Kirby's Mister Miracle TPB (1998), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2007), Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1 TPB (2012), and Mister Miracle by Jack Kirby TPB (2017).

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Superman #240

Superman #240 (On Sale: May 13, 1971), has a beautiful cover by Neal Adams. 

We begin with Superman in  "To Save a Superman", the sixth part of the Sandman Saga storyline, by Denny O'Neil, Curt Swan, and Dick Giordano. Superman suffers a humiliating loss of face as he fails to stop a burning building from completely collapsing. Yet even as he contemplates letting humanity fend for itself as a way to placate his wounded pride, Superman decides to use what's left of his waning powers to stop a would-be bank robbery by the Anti-Superman Gang. 

Meanwhile, Diana Prince's mentor I-Ching comes on the scene to help Superman, as he suspects that Superman's loss of powers may be of a supernatural cause. Just as I-Ching is about to put Superman into a sleep, Anti-Superman Gang members break into I-Ching's basement residence and club Superman in the head. Though suffering a head injury and now down to merely regular human strength, Superman prevails in defeating the gangsters. Reprinted in Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore HC (2009).

Our back-up from the World of Krypton is "The Man Who Cheated Time" by Cary Bates and Michael William Kaluta. Under the Scarlet Jungle of Krypton lies a condemned device, with which scientist Mal-Va planned to send his assistant Zol-Mar into the past and then return him after 10 minutes. However, Zol-Mar had ambitions of his own and sabotaged the machine, intending to stay in the past and be acclaimed for his mastery of the technologically advanced devices he carried with him. But the experiment, and Zol-Mar's plans, went horribly wrong when the time travel machine sent Zol-Mar in the wrong direction. 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.

House of Mystery #193

House of Mystery #193 (On Sale: May 13, 1971), has a beautiful cover by Bernie Wrightson, his second for DC, this being the followup to the stunning House of Secrets Swamp Thing cover.

We begin with "Voodoo Vengeance" by Alan Riefe and Tony DeZuniga. A white plantation owner gets into a voodoo duel with his laborers. He comes up with a plan to fake his death and tell them his spirit will torment them forever, but after he is put inside the mausoleum, one of the laborers rolls a stone down an incline so that it blocks the mausoleum wall and entombs the white man.

Next is "Dark Night, Dark Dreams" by Gerry Conway and Bill Draut. A landlord doesn't want to sublet a room so when a woman shows up on his doorstep he assumes that she is the woman that he wasn't expecting for another week. A police report comes over the radio that a number of dangerous lunatics have escaped from a nearby asylum and he takes the opportunity to use light and sound effects as well as a dropped knife to scare her into a faint. 

He laughs to himself that when she comes to she won't want anything to do with the place. He turns on the radio once more and the police are warning that only one lunatic still remains at large but she is the most dangerous of all and warn those who come into contact with her not to provoke her. The description they give reminds the man of the girl he met on the doorstep, and he is unaware that she has picked up the knife and is advancing upon him from behind.

Following that is a "Cain's Game Room" by Sergio Aragones and a one-page gag, "The Hero" by Lore Shoberg. The entire issue was reprinted in Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery #1 (2006) and House of Mystery: The Bronze Age Omnibus #1 (2019).

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Girls' Love Stories #160

Girls' Love Stories #160 (On Sale: May 13, 1971), has a cover by Artie Saaf.

We begin with "Heart of Stone" drawn by Tony DeZuñiga. Lisa returns to her hometown to get revenge on the rich girl she hates by stealing her fiance.

Next up is "Someday I'll Find Him!" drawn by Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Secret Hearts #26 (1955). Though she doesn't love him, Irene is determined to marry Dennis because she fears she'll never get another offer.

We end this issue with "Love a la Mode" drawn by George Tuska and Vince Colletta. Susan is ashamed of being poor so she tries to hide where she lives from her boyfriend Chris.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Young Love #87

Young Love #87 (On Sale: May 11, 1971), has a cover by Don Heck and Dick Giordano.

We begin with "Too Proud to Love" by Mary Skrenes, Werner Roth, and Vince Colletta. Rich girl Patricia doesn't think she needs anything from anyone, even when a riding accident leaves her unable to walk. Her handsome doctor finally gets through to her and she asks for his help.

Next up is "The Other Woman" drawn by Winslow Mortimer. Louise is sure that her husband Carl is seeing another woman but she gets a big surprise when she finds out the truth.

We end with "I'm Married, Darling" drawn by Jack Katz and Vince Colletta. Paul and Anne meet on a cruise and are immediately attracted to each other, but he tells her he's married. It turns out to be a ploy he uses all the time to keep from having to see his dates a second time, but this time he regrets it, as he has fallen in love with Anne for real.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Our Fighting Forces #132

Our Fighting Forces #132 (On Sale: May 11, 1971), has a Losers cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with the Losers in "Pooch: The Winner" by Robert Kanigher and John Severin. After inking the last issue, Severin takes over the art chores for the Losers, his first regular series assignment at DC. He will remain on the strip for the next three years. When Sarge and Gunner are in London they run into a K-9 combat dog who had helped them, before they had joined up with the Losers, against the Japanese on a Pacific island. Sarge and Gunner worry that the Losers' bad luck would rub off on Pooch and get him killed, so they leave the disappointed animal with his handler in London. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Losers Vol. 1 TPB (2012).

Next up is "The Invincible Armada" by Robert Kanigher and Ric Estrada.

We end this issue with the U.S.S. Stevens in "Cabbages and Kings" by Sam Glanzman.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Batman #233

Batman #233,  Giant #G-85 (On Sale: May 11, 1971), has a nice cover by Dick Giordano.

We begin the reprints with "The Death-Cheaters of Gotham City" by  David V Reed and Jim Mooney and reprinted from Batman #72 (1952). In Gotham City, there is a strange "Death Cheaters Club." A wanted criminal, who fits the qualifications for membership, is denied the same and vows vengeance against all the members. As some of the members start dying, the prime suspect is the criminal, but after Batman starts investigating the mystery, the real killer is found and it is revealed as one of the prime members of the club.

Next, is "The Other Bruce Wayne" by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Charles Paris and reprinted from Batman #111 (1957). Commissioner Gordon calls Wayne Manor to summon Bruce Wayne, not Batman, to the GCPD Headquarters. There Bruce finds an unexpected newcomer: his father's cousin and his own namesake, Bruce N. Wayne. Bruce N. is a detective from "out on the coast," and is one of the top private investigators in the country. He and Bruce have never met before, but a case has brought him to Gotham City. 

Besides meeting Bruce, he wishes to consult Batman for help. Bruce N. is dismayed that Bruce appears to be a social butterfly, with no profession and seemingly no ambition. He resolves to "make a man" of Bruce by training him to be a detective. Reluctantly, Bruce comes along with Bruce N. as they set upon the track of Varrel, a "scientific thief" who specializes in stealing new inventions.

Batman and Bruce N. encounter Varrel, but the thief escapes. Later, when Commissioner Gordon calls Bruce N. and lets drop that he has not yet told Batman of the Varrel case, the detective begins to suspect his relative of being Batman. In a final encounter with Varrel, Batman kayos the thief, makes him up as Bruce Wayne, and then lets Bruce N. see the both of them together, throwing him off track. After Varrel is jailed, Bruce N. says his goodbyes to Bruce, despairing of ever teaching him to be a detective, and wondering how he could ever have suspected him of being Batman.

Our next tale is "The Murder of Bruce Wayne" by David V Reed, Lew Sayre Schwartz, and Charles Paris and reprinted from World's Finest Comics #58 (1952). A member of the International Chemical Company's Board of Trustees is severely injured after an unfortunate accident and is unable ever to walk again. The man decides to get revenge on the other members of the board, including Bruce Wayne, with plans to kill them all in such a way that he could see the moment from his bed. 

Batman is unable to stop the murders as the trustees die one by one until only Bruce Wayne is left. As Batman, Bruce Wayne tricks the killers in their attempt on his life and locates the secret hideout of the crippled man, thus capturing him and ending his murderous spree. Afterward, Batman reveals that each trustee's death was actually carefully staged, so their killers would believe them dead and make it easier for Batman to capture the killer.

That is followed by "Bruce Wayne's Aunt Agatha" by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Batman #89 (1955). Bruce and Dick receive the unexpected visit of Aunt Agatha, who intends a long stay. Her presence complicates their activities as Batman and Robin, but they gladly accept her in their home.

The old woman's belief that Bruce is a meek and fragile young boy threatens to compromise his and Dick's secret identities. When they go out as the Dynamic Duo, Agatha thinks they're heading towards a masquerade party and they play along to keep their secret. When Batman and Robin encounter some criminals and confront them, they are accidentally captured by the criminals, who are about to eliminate them until the intrusion of the Joker. When the thugs are distracted, Batman and Robin take the chance to break free and capture the criminals, and later the "Joker" removes his mask, revealing Aunt Agatha in disguise. She removes Bruce's cowl and tells the criminals that they have been captured by a fragile young boy who was heading to a masquerade party, which she was attending as well.

After their successful feat, the trio return home, and soon enough, Aunt Agatha returns to her home, leaving the Dynamic Duo free to roam the streets of Gotham once again identities safe from prying eyes.

We end with  "The Crime of Bruce Wayne" by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Charles Paris and reprinted from Detective Comics #249 (1957). Bruce Wayne agrees to impersonate the Collector and go to jail as part of Commissioner Gordon's plot to discover how an imprisoned man intends to escape. But Wayne is framed for the convict's death during his escape attempt, and Batwoman and Robin must clear his name before he can be executed.

The Dynamic Duo of Batwoman and Robin confront the Collector and his gang on several occasions, and each time the criminal manages to escape. The heroes decide to trail the criminal as he gets away his most prized loot from the Gotham Museum, and they are led to the Collector's hideout, where they capture the criminal during a final confrontation.

Batwoman and Robin arrive in time to stop the execution of Bruce Wayne, bringing with them the real Collector. When Bruce is released, he shows his gratitude for Batwoman and her excellent detective work.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Tomahawk #135

Tomahawk #135 (On Sale: May 6, 1971), has a nice cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin this issue with Hawk, Son of Tomahawk in "Death on Ghost Mountain" by Robert Kanigher and Frank Thorne. When Hawk stops two men from attacking a traveling salesman, the man gives Hawk one of his catalogs as a reward. Seeing all the things in the catalog that he could buy, if he only had some money, Hawk decides to leave the ranch and seek his fortune. He heads into town to tell his friend Jess that he is leaving only to find Jess is off to seek his fortune as well, to win the heart of Tina. Jess has a map left to him by a dying prospector that points to a secret gold mine.

Jess and Hawk decide to find the gold together and Hawk is a little worried when he sees the gold might be on Indian land. They find the supposed gold mine by passing through a waterfall and taking a tunnel to the mountain beyond. The mountain is an old Indian burial mound and after seven days of digging, they strike gold. A few days later an Indian burial party arrives and tells them to leave. Jess wants to fight the Indians, but Hawk and he get into it instead. When the mound collapses, Jess is killed by a buried spear. Hawk returned the gold to the ground and promises not to return.

This is followed by a two-page spread of The Wild Frontier "Thunder Across the Plains" by Sam Glanzman.

We end this issue with "Spoilers" by Jerry DeFuccio and John Severin. It is 1865 and the Civil War is over when Captain Stanard Kirby returns to the ruins of his ancestral home in Virginia. By 1873, Kirby has moved on to Kansas where he has become the leader of a gang of robbers and assassins known as Kirby's Raiders. After the heat from lawmen becomes too much, Kirby and the gang split up for a few months to let the heat die down and Kirby takes the majority of their money and rides off to Colorado where he finds a ranch to work. He hides the money in a tree for safekeeping. When a plague of locust arrives the rancher and his neighbors burn a line between the locusts and his ranch. In the end, the money is all destroyed and Kirby never returns to his gang, only to be caught years later.

Edited by Joe Kubert.  

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #111

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #111 (On Sale: May 6, 1971), has a nice cover by Dick Giordano. 

We begin with Lois Lane in "The Dark Side of the Justice League" by  Robert Kanigher, Werner Roth, Vince Colletta, and Murphy Anderson. Darkseid's minions Simyan and Mokkari derive a potion to drive Superman mad. They have miniature clones of the Justice League apply it to Lois's lips while she's on vacation. When she kisses Superman, the potion takes effect and the mini JLA attacks her. To her defense, the Project creates 8 mini Lois Lanes, each uniquely powered to destroy the JLA clones. They also provide her with a lipstick antidote for Superman's madness and one kiss is all it takes for Superman to come out of the spell.

Now comes the real artistic treat of this issue, the Rose and the thorn in "Law of the 100"  by Robert Kanigher and Gray Morrow. The 100 sends the son of one of their top assassins to kill the Thorn, but he becomes her ally--and the 100's target--when he learns they set his father up for the police. I was hoping Morrow would become the regular artist for this strip, but, unfortunately, this was a one-and-done situation.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Falling in Love #124

Falling in Love #124 (On Sale: May 6, 1971), has a cover by maybe Bob Oksner. Not sure, he may be inking someone else.

We begin with "Anybody's Girl!" drawn by Werner Roth and Vince Colletta. Barbara works as an exotic dancer, tossing her garter to the men at the end of her act. Tired of being groped, Barbara quits her job and becomes a waitress in a diner. There she meets Cliff and falls in love. After Cliff proposes, she meets his brother, Jonah, who does not approve of her racy clothes and makeup. Barbara takes Jonah's criticism to heart as she knows she is just a dancer at heart. She feels that Jonah so disapproves of her that she hides from Cliff during the day and asks him to meet her in the barn one night to explain her feelings, but Jonah catches them, and accusations fly. 

Barbara decides to leave Cliff as Jonah requests and writes Jonah a note saying how she knows he is right about her, but when she goes to put it in one of his drawers she sees something that changes her mind. She runs to Cliff and demands that they be married today. When Jonah reacts she tells him she knows all about him. Jonah does not say a word, just walks off and Barbara's memories reveal that Jonah had one of her garters in his drawer.

Next is "Moonlight Madness!" by persons unknown and reprinted from Falling in Love #1 (1955). Linda is bored with her life and a boyfriend she doesn't love until she meets Paul late at night on the beach. She immediately falls in love with him but as time passes and he never contacts her again she fears that that night didn't mean anything to him. Days go by but one day Paul shows up and tells her that when they met he was in a relationship, but that ended after meeting her.

We end with "Puppy Love!" drawn by John Celardo and Nick Cardy. Sheila and her roommates are all interested in Quentin Reardon, but he only seems interested in his dog. Sheila buys herself a dog so that she can "accidentally" run into him while walking the dog, and her plan works perfectly.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Wonder Woman #195

Wonder Woman #195 (On Sale: May 4, 1971), has a nice cover by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano.

This issue features "The House That Wasn't" written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky and inked by Wally Wood. The combination of the two artists is just magical, with many pages giving off an Alex Toth vibe. Diana Prince and I-Ching, traveling by car through a snowstorm when they pick up two motorists having car trouble. They soon discover their new passengers are escaped convicts who hold them at gunpoint. Soon, Diana's car stalls as well, and all four of them have to take refuge at the Inn of the White Horse.

Four others are there, including the female innkeeper, her son Lemuel, a writer names James Arnett, and a little man with a briefcase. One of the convicts eventually stabs the little man, mistakenly thinking he has stolen money in his briefcase and he is, in turn, killed falling down the stairs while in flight from an unseen attacker. 

When the other convict is killed in the dark, Diana notices that the innkeeper has no reflection and stops the others from drinking what turns out to be a poisoned ale. Lemuel tries to strangle Diana, but I-Ching knocks him away with his cane. Lemuel and his mother hold Diana and the other two at gunpoint, explaining that they are ghosts and can only appear during storms like these, in which they have the chance to "take...enough souls" to enable them to appear and disappear at will. Diana kicks Lemuel's guns away, and she, Arnett, and I-Ching escape setting the Inn ablaze and burning it to the ground. Reprinted in Diana Prince: Wonder Woman Vol. 3 TPB (2009) and Wonder Woman Diana Prince: Celebrating the '60s Omnibus HC (2019).

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.

Our Army at War #234

Our Army at War #234 (On Sale: May 4, 1971), has a nice Sgt. Rock cover by Joe Kubert.

We start this issue with Sgt. Rock in "Summer in Salerno" by Joe Kubert and Russ Heath. Sgt. Rock leads Easy Company into Italy during the Summer of 1943. In the town of Salerno, Easy enters a farmhouse and discovers an elderly couple living inside. When the men are pinned down by three enemy tanks, the couple leads Easy into the cellar for protection. Rock takes on the tanks himself. He destroys two, but the third has him pinned down. The old man comes out of the cellar and firebombs the Nazi tank. His tactic is successful, and Easy finishes liberating the town.

Next up is a Battle Album featuring Grenade Launcher! by Sam Glanzman. Information about different Grenade Launchers, including a 1685 Naval Brass Launcher, 1940 M1 30 Caliber rifle with M17 Launcher, 1965 40 MM Grenade Launcher, and 1969 M16 with 40 MM launcher. Also includes a cross-section of a typical WWII grenade.

We end with a tale by Ric Estrada; "Mercy Brigade" is a fictionalized retelling of the lives of three men destined to be great writers, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Dos Passos, during WWI.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

DC Special #13

DC Special #13 (On Sale: May 4, 1971), has a Strangest Sports Stories Ever Told! cover by Murphy Anderson. OK, I was never a fan of this strange genre of story, but Julie Schwartz sure seemed to love them.

We begin with "Warrior of the Weightless World" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #49 (1963). Spaceball was a new sport of the future, combining zero-gravity with basketball. Cray Duncan was a great player, but he didn't really like the game. When war broke out between Earth and the Creon Empire, Cray enlisted himself to fight. Little did he know that his knowledge and expert abilities in Spaceball would help the army win the war.

Next up is "Super-Athlete from Earth" by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Strange Adventures #125 (1961).

That is followed by "The Fishermen of Space" by Joe Millard, Carmine Infantino, and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Strange Adventures #94 (1958). 

Joe Millard was a comic book writer during the 1940s and 1950s, mainly at Quality where he wrote Blackhawk, The Barker, Plastic-Man, and Doll Man, and at DC, where he wrote 13 Sierra Smith stories in the late 40s and seven science fiction stories in the late 50s. In the 60’s Millard left comics and began to write paperback originals the most well regarded of which was a science fiction novel, The Gods Hate Kansas, (filmed as They Came From Beyond Space), and a series of novels based on Clint Eastwood’s character The Man With No Name, first doing novelizations for The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly and For A Few Dollars More, then following that with four more novels unrelated to any films in which he gave "Blondie," abilities that seemed to come straight out of the comics.    

Next, is "The Martian Horse" by Manny Rubin and Howard Sherman and reprinted from Mystery in Space #9 (1952). Manny Rubin wrote 18 stories for DC between 1951 and 1953 before leaving the business for film. He wrote "The Best of Everything", "Brainstorm" (the 1965 film starring Jeffrey Hunter, not the Christopher Walken film), "Warning Shot", "The First Deadly Sin, and "The Human Shield".  For TV he wrote for many shows including Studio One in Hollywood, Tales of Tomorrow, Dynasty, The F.B.I., The Feather and Father Gang, The Fugitive, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, Perry Mason, Quincy, M.E., The Rockford Files, The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky & Hutch, and Dragnet. He died in 2013.

We next have another tale written by Manny Rubin. "The World Where Dreams Come True" is drawn by Alex Toth and Sy Barry and reprinted from Mystery in Space #7 (1952).

We end with "Saga of the Secret Sportsmen" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #47 (1963). The world of the 30th Century has embraced a laid-back lifestyle, thanks largely to an invention called the Sportscaster, which lets the user play virtual sports games from the comfort of their own home. Real sports, in fact, have been outlawed altogether for the danger of being too physical. But beings from Uranus have begun an invasion of Earth, and only a secret organization of real sports-lovers have the will to stop them.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.