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.

Green Lantern #83

Green Lantern #83 (On Sale: February 23, 1971), has a Green Lantern/Green Arrow cover by Neal Adams.

This issue features Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Black Canary in "...and a Child Shall Destroy Them" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano. While walking down the street, Carol Ferris bumps into a stranger and is subsequently cursed by a young girl named Sybil, and she falls in a seizure.

A month later, Dinah Lance decides to take a job as a teacher at Meadowhill School, accompanied by her friends Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan. They are suddenly attacked by a flock of birds, requiring the men to put on their costumes to protect Dinah. When the birds are dealt with, they decide to see if her new boss knows anything about the occurrence.

They are greeted at the door by the man who Carol had bumped into earlier, who introduces himself as Grandy, the cook. He is accompanied by Sybil. The owner of the school, Jason Belmore, introduces himself, but expresses disapproval of the costumed heroes, prompting Green Arrow and Green Lantern to leave. Strangely, Mr. Belmore seems to have made them leave at Grandy's behest. Grandy directs Sybil to make the heroes sorry. 

We should probably mention that Grady bears more than a passing resemblance to disgraced Vice President Spiro Agnew.

Outside, Green Arrow and Green Lantern notice Carol hanging around their car in a wheelchair. Carol has them drive her away and explains her case. She reveals that Belmore is her fiancé, but that he seems changed. Suddenly, Green Arrow loses control of the vehicle, which crashes. If not for Green Lantern's ring they might all have died. They soon realize that they have left Dinah in danger.

After dismissing her final class early, Dinah realizes that the children are oddly quiet and inanimate. Grandy appears and chastises her, ominously promising punishment for the early dismissal. Dinah returns to her room and dons her costume as Black Canary. She easily defeats a reluctant Mr. Belmore and Grandy, but Sybil's powers cause her to collapse on the floor. She is dragged to the cellar by the children, where Grandy releases angry wasps to attack her.

Green Arrow and Green Lantern arrive to save her, but they are soon incapacitated by Sybil's powers. Green Arrow uses a trick arrow to distract her, allowing them to escape and find Dinah. Green Lantern deals with the wasps, and Dinah is alive, fortunately. Green Lantern angrily confronts Grandy, who once again calls upon Sybil to punish him. This time, though, Sybil refuses, saying she wants to be like a normal child. When Grandy angrily slaps Sybil across the face, she uses her powers again – not to punish Green Lantern, but instead to bring the wing of the building down around them. Green Lantern and Green Arrow manage to escape with Mr. Belmore, Dinah, and the children, but Grandy and Sybil are trapped inside and are presumed to have perished when the wing collapses.

Before leaving, Green Lantern reveals his identity to Carol and confesses his love for her. She is unsurprised and accepts his feelings, finally. As they walk away, Sybil appears to be seen standing over Hal's discarded domino mask. Has she somehow survived? This story has been reprinted in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #4 (1984), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection Vol. 1 TPB (1992), 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.

Superman #236

Superman #236 (On Sale: February 9, 1971), has a cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Superman in "Planet of the Angels" by Denny O'Neil, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. After teaming up with Batman to catch a gang of criminals, Superman returns to his Fortress where he begins work on a brain-wave scanner. During a test of the device, Superman suddenly finds himself surrounded by flames and attacked by devils. He easily beats them. He then meets three angels, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael. They inform him that he has crossed into the afterlife.

The angels enlist Superman to kill the devils. However, Superman suspects something is fishy. When he meets the devils again, he snaps a hypnotic suggestion and sees them as they really are, law officers from an alien world. The angels are criminals. Superman then turns on the angels. One of them tries to attack Earth, but Superman stops him too. Reprinted in Best of DC #12 (1981) and Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore HC (2009).

The back-up is a World of Krypton story, "The Doomsayer" by Denny O'Neil and Dick Giordano. Superman joins Green Arrow and Black Canary for a picnic. When Green Arrow sees a factory dumping waste into the nearby river he begins preaching about saving the environment. Black Canary is skeptical regarding Ollie's view that the planet is in danger. Superman then tells them a story about Krypton.

Twenty years before the destruction of the planet in the city of Surrus, Dr. Mo-De discovered that Krypton's core was unstable. He developed a plan to save the planet. However, the Surrusans were reluctant to listen to his warnings for they were enchanted with beautiful flowers that produced music.

Determined to get his point across to the people Mo-De began destroying a field of flowers. When faced with the possible loss of their music, the townspeople beat Mo-De. When he asks why they won't listen, they tell him they only want to hear beautiful things. To punish Mo-De they lock him in a room surrounded by the flowers. Eventually, Mo-De becomes enchanted with them too. The Surrusans return to their happy ways until their planet explodes twenty years later.

Inspired by the story, Black Canary leaves the picnic to talk with the factory owner about handling the waste more responsibly. Reprinted in Best of DC #40 (1983) and Superman: The World of Krypton TPB (2008).

Edited by Julius Schwartz,

Green Lantern #82

Green Lantern #82 (On Sale: December 24, 1970), has a nice cover by Neal Adams. Julius Schwartz had been unable to work out the cover copy for this issue. Dick Giordano mentions in his introduction for the graphic novel Green Lantern/Green Arrow Volume Two that having seen the cover, he turned and started to walk away, chanting "The harpies are coming, the harpies are coming" (paraphrasing a popular movie of the time, The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!). Schwartz liked this, and so THE HARPIES ARE COMING! became the cover copy – which really pleased Giordano.

We have Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Black Canary in "How Do You Fight a Nightmare?" by Denny O'Neil,  Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano, with an assist by Berni Wrightson. Green Arrow visits Black Canary, offering her a box of roses, but when the box is opened, two harpies fly out and attack. The harpies soon fly away, and Oliver sends a message to Green Lantern in hopes that his experience with the supernatural would be of use. Green Arrow and Black Canary go to the flower shop from whence the roses came, while Green Lantern follows the harpies' trail. Green Lantern is led by the Harpies to their leader, the Witch Queen, who entraps him in another reality at the behest of her unseen brother.

Green Arrow and Black Canary investigate the flower shop, but they are soon attacked by three Amazons who seem intent on killing only men. Black Canary defeats them, and they explain that a male wizard had betrayed and banished the Witch Queen and themselves to the same reality that Green Lantern has been trapped in, sparking their mission to kill all men. They promise to guide an unhurt Green Arrow and Black Canary to their leader.

The Witch Queen's ally is revealed to be Sinestro, whose Yellow Power Ring was embedded within the Witch Queen's scepter, allowing her to trap Green Lantern. Suddenly, Green Arrow bursts through the window, instantly firing an arrow and knocking the ring from Sinestro's hand. Together, he and Black Canary defeat the Witch Queen and Sinestro. Unfortunately, Green Arrow is unable to rescue the Lantern from the "Dimension of Furies", because he is a man; only one male may inhabit it at any one time. Black Canary volunteers to go in his stead.

Meanwhile, in the other dimension, Green Lantern is attacked by Medusa for being a man. Fortunately, Black Canary arrives with the Amazons and explains that Medusa is being used by Sinestro as a pawn to kill his enemy. Medusa releases him, and Black Canary and Green Lantern return to their own reality to tell Green Arrow their story. This story has been reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #16 (1981), Green Lantern/Green Arrow #4 (1984), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection HC (2001), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1 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.

Green Lantern #81

Green Lantern #81 (On Sale: October 15, 1970), has a cover by Neal Adams. For the first time, Black Canary is listed on the cover.

Continuing from last issue, we have "Death Be My Destiny" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Black Canary are brought to Oa to act as character witnesses for the old-timer, the Guardian who has been traveling with the heroes on Earth. The other Guardians of the Universe blame the old-timer for choosing to save the life of Hal Jordan rather than act in the best interest of the greater good. Despite the objection of Hal and Ollie, the old-timer is stripped of his immortality by his fellow Guardians and exiled to the world Maltus, where the Guardians originated.

The old-timer is joined on the trip to Maltus by his three human friends. Although the planet was once sparsely populated, it now is host to an overpopulation problem. By consulting the archives, the heroes learn that when Maltus passed through a strange cloud of cosmic dust, the people lost the ability to have children. A scientist calling herself Mother Juna began cloning children from the cells of her fellow Maltusans. Although the people recovered their ability to reproduced, Mother Juna has not stopped creating more clones which has led to overpopulation.

While Green Arrow distracts the angry crowd of Maltusans, Green Lantern breaks into Mother Juna's laboratory. He and the others are then confronted by Juna's minions. As the battle between the two sides commences, the Maltusans enter the laboratory and begin destroying it. Mother Juna explains that she never recovered from the effects of the cosmic cloud and cloning was the only way for her to be a mother.  With her lab destroyed, she will no longer be able to create her clones and the overpopulation problem will no longer grow worse. The old-timer accepts his fate and remains on Maltus to help its residents. The heroes of Earth return home.

Not to suggest that these stories were popular, but this one was reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #16 (1981), Green Lantern/Green Arrow #3 (1983), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection Vol. 1 TPB (1992), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection HC (2001), Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1 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.

Adventure Comics #399

Adventure Comics #399 (On Sale: September 29, 1970) has a Supergirl cover by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Supergirl in "Johnny Dee -- Hero-Bum" written and penciled by Mike Sekowsky and inked by Frank Giacoia. 

Johnny Dee, star football player for Stanhope, is threatened by gamblers. If Johnny doesn't throw a game, they will hurt his girlfriend Roxie Thompson. Johnny reluctantly complies to protect Roxie.

When Johnny sits out the next game, Supergirl questions Johnny, but he refuses to admit why he isn't playing. Finally Supergirl and Roxie convince him to tell. However, Supergirl is unable to change his mind about playing.

At the next game, the crooks station sniper's around the stadium to target Roxie if Johnny plays. Supergirl rounds up the snipers, then saves Roxie. Johnny plays and wins the game for his team, while Supergirl apprehends the crooks. However, she is given a ticket for destroying property and blocking traffic to do it.

The back-up story is a unique one. Black Canary stars in  "Television Told the Tale" by Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs. This story was written and drawn in the 1940s, but was never published until this issue. It may have been intended originally for Flash Comics #106. This story takes place before Larry Lance knew Black Canary's identity, before he married her and before he was subsequently murdered..  

Larry Lance is hired to guard Mrs. Landall and her diamonds while she displays her collection for a television program. Dinah Drake is watching the program and notices that the cameramen are not focusing on the jewels. She races to the scene as Black Canary.

She is too late to stop the cameramen from stealing the diamonds and arrives just in time to leap onto their getaway boat. Television cameras broadcasting a motor boat race catch all the action and keep the thieves from shooting her, allowing Black Canary to apprehend the crooks. Reprinted in Black Canary Archives Vol. 1 HC.

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.

Green Lantern #79

Green Lantern #79 (On Sale: July 14, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams.

The "Search for America" continues in one of the more forgettable issue of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow in "Ulysses Star is Still Alive!" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Dan Adkins. Some of lackluster feelings this issue brings forth has to be Adkins' fault. Though Dan was a fine, and sometimes exceptional, inker, he seemed pretty lost in what to do with Neal's dynamic pencils. This might be the reason this is, I think, the only time Adkins inked Adams.

This is also Dan Adkins' first artwork for DC, which makes me think Neal maybe got him the gig, as he was always trying to get new blood established at DC. Dan would only ink a few stories at DC at this time, he was very busy at Marvel, where around the time this story came out Dan was inking a little thing called Conan the Barbarian #1 over Barry Smith's pencils. It would be seven years before Dan would really start to work at DC in earnest when he would come back to ink his good friend Don Newton's DC premiere on an Aquaman story in DC Special #28.

We begin with Green Lantern, Green Arrow and the Guardian resting by their campfire when they hear a noise. Rushing to investigate they discover two men ready to execute a native American. The two heroes disarm the men and asses the situation. They learn that the two would be assassins, Theodore Pudd and Pierre O'Rourke, claim to own the local land and trees. However, the native American states that his tribe's ancient chief brokered a deal with the government for exclusive rights to the lumber a hundred years prior. But, the government and local records all conveniently disappeared.

Feeling that there is not much case with out the contract, the two heroes learn that one more copy is reputed to exist and it resides with a man no one has seen for twenty years, Abraham Star. Green Arrow decides that they must stay and fight. Green Lantern disagrees and decides to help by trying to find Abraham Star. Hal heads to Evergreen City, where he used to work as an insurance investigator, and searches records until he finds a lead to Abraham's location. Hal arrives on the scene to find the building burning. He rushes in to save Abe and the two escape just in time.

Abe, a victim of smoke-inhalation, is taken off to the hospital, but not before he reveals to Green Lantern that all the legal records he had were just destroyed by the fire. Hal won't give up and flies off, trying to think of another way to help the tribe and deciding to go to Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, Green Arrow has headed back to the nearby native American town where he finds Black Canary trying to help the local townspeople. Black Canary tells Ollie that she has noticed the townspeople are very dejected. A few hours later, a couple of white-men try to steal some food from the reservation. They are scared off by the spirit of Ulysses Star! The two men rush to a nearby lumberjack bar and report their story. No one belives it until the spirit shows up in person, with arrows flying! Theodore Pudd convinces the lumberjacks that it is just a hoax though, and the men agree to continue cutting down trees.

Ulysses then appears to the tribes-people and convinces them that they must fight to protect what is theirs. A few hours later, dawn breaks and the lumberjacks arrive. The tribes-men stand ready to fight though, alongside Black Canary.

A fight breaks out, and the spirit of Ulysses joins in as well, but it is quickly ended when Green Lantern arrives with U.S. Representative Sullivan. Sullivan has promised to look into the matter, so Lantern suggests that everyone goes home until then. The spirit of Ulysses takes offense to this suggestion of inaction and calls-out Green Lantern.

Ulysses, now clearly Green Arrow in costume (with a facemask straight out of Deadman), points out that his costume is yellow and that they should duke it out without ring or bow. The two duke it out until an errant log hits them and knocks them both out cold.

Later, at the reservation cafe, they discuss their opposing tactics, as do the locals, who have lost hope. Luckily, Sullivan arrives just in time to break the news that a man has confessed to the arson in Evergreen City and has implicated Pudd and O'Rourke.

Later, at a campfire, the two reflect on their dispute and its lack of a resolution. The Guardian points out that although it was not resolved, they at least learned that hitting and killing leads to bloodshed and humanity must stop doing this before it is too late.

I don't know if it is the lack of a resolution, or the over-the-top heavy-handedness of this issue that makes it so forgettable. Or, like I first suggested, maybe it is Adkin's inks. Still, 15 cents for 22 pages of Neal Adams is worth the money every time.

This story was reprinted in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #2, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection Vol. 1 TPB, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection HC, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1 TPB, Showcase Presents:Green Lantern Vol. 5 TPB and Green Lantern/Green Arrow TPB (2012).

Edited by Julius Swartz.

Green Lantern #79

Green Lantern #79 (On Sale: July 14, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams.

This issue features the book-length  "Ulysses Star Is Still Alive" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams and Dan Adkins. This is the first word Adkins did for DC. Green Lantern and Green Arrow are resting by their campfire when they hear a noise. They rush to investigate and discover two men ready to execute a native American. The two heroes disarm the men and asses the situation. They learn that the two would be assassins, Theodore Pudd and Pierre O'Rourke, claim to own the local land and trees. However, the native American states that his tribe's ancient chief brokered a deal with the government for exclusive rights to the lumber a hundred years prior. But, the government and local records all conveniently disappeared. 

Feeling that there is not much case with out the contract, the two heroes learn that one more copy is reputed to exist and it resides with a man no one has seen for twenty years: Abraham Star.

Green Arrow decides that they must stay and fight, but Green Lantern does not feel that breaking the law is the right thing, so he decides to help by trying to find Abraham Star. Hal heads to Evergreen City, where he used to work as an insurance investigator, and searches records until he finds a lead to Abraham's location. Hal arrives on the scene to find the building burning. He rushes in to save Abe and the two escape just in time. Abe, a victim of smoke-inhalation, is taken off to the hospital, but not before he reveals to Green Lantern that all the legal records he had just went up in flames. Hal does not give up and flies off, trying to think of another way to help the tribe and decides to go to Washington D.C. 

Meanwhile, Green Arrow has headed back to the nearby native American town where he finds Black Canary trying to help the local townspeople. Black Canary tells Ollie that she has noticed the townspeople are very dejected. A few hours later, a couple of white-men try to steal some food from the reservation. They are scared off by the spirit of Ulysses Star, a yellow figure with a bow. The two men rush to a nearby lumberjack bar and report their story. No one believes it until the spirit shows up in person, with arrows flying!

Theodore Pudd convinces the lumberjacks that it is just a hoax though, and the men agree to continue cutting down trees. Back in town, Ulysses appears to the tribes-people and convinces them that they must fight to protect what is theirs.

A few hours later, dawn breaks and the lumberjacks arrive. The tribes-men stand ready to fight though, alongside Black Canary. A fight breaks out, and the spirit of Ulysses joins in as well, but it is quickly ended when Green Lantern arrives with U.S. Representative Sullivan. Sullivan has promised to look into the matter, so Lantern suggests that everyone goes home until then.

The spirit of Ulysses takes offense to this suggestion of inaction and calls-out Green Lantern. Ulysses, now clearly Green Arrow, points out that his costume is yellow and that they should duke it out without ring or bow. The two fight until an errant log hits them and knocks them both out cold. Later, at the reservation café, they discuss their opposing tactics, as do the locals, who have lost hope. Luckily, Sullivan arrives just in time to break the news that a man has confessed to the arson in Evergreen City and has implicated Pudd and O'Rourke.

Later, at a campfire, the two reflect on their dispute and its lack of a resolution. The guardian points out that although it was not resolved, they at least learned that hitting and killing leads to bloodshed and humanity must stop doing this before it is too late. This story was reprinted in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #2, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection Vol. 1 TPB, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection HC, Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1 TPB, Showcase Presents: Green Lantern Vol. 5 TPB, Green Lantern/Green Arrow TPB and Absolute Green Lantern/Green Arrow HC.

In 1964, West Virginian born Dan Adkins joined the Wally Wood Studio as Wood's assistant. Wood and Adkins collaborated on a series of stories for Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy and Eerie. Adkins was among the original artists of Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, for Tower Comics, drawing many Dynamo stories during his 16 months in the Wood Studio.

Adkins recalled in Alter Ego how his work on his fanzine turned into a career in comics:

"I met him (Wally Wood) through Bill Pearson. I saw a letter of Pearson's in Amazing Stories [sf magazine]. His address was Phoenix, Arizona, and I was stationed at Luke Field outside Phoenix, so I thought he might know some girls there! I was nineteen at the time. He didn't really want to meet anybody; he was sort of a shy guy. But I went out and talked to him that night, and showed him my collection of fanzines.

Later, up in New York, I was doing art for the science-fiction magazines, but I couldn't make enough money at it, so I worked in advertising while I was also drawing for Amazing and Fantastic and Infinity and Science-Fiction Adventures. Half of these were put out by Larry Shaw, who also published one of the first monster magazines, Monster Parade, 'way before Famous Monsters of Filmland. Part of Monster Parade was stories, for which we did illustrations. While I was doing all this, Pearson had moved to New York, too, and I guess he wanted to get into writing. He had this big apartment in the '70s over near the river, and he got to meet Wally through (Roy) Krenkel or somebody.

I went up to Wally's with Pearson to get a full-page drawing from Wally for my fanzine Outlet. But Wally was too busy to do a drawing for me, unless-[laughs] Well, he offered me work to help him out! I had drawn nine pages of a war story, but I didn't show him my science-fiction illustrations. Later on, I showed him my sf drawings, and he said that if I'd shown him those, he wouldn't have hired me, because they weren't as good as the war story, which was my latest work! [laughs] So anyway, I started working as Wally's assistant, helping him on the first "Iron Maiden" story in the first issue of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. That was around June or July of 1965."

He joined Marvel Comics in 1967. working primarily as an inker but also penciling several stories for Doctor Strange and other titles. Adkins additionally worked for a variety of comics publishers, including Charlton Comics, DC Comics (Aquaman, Batman), Dell Comics/Western Publishing, Eclipse Comics, Harvey Comics, Marvel, and Pacific Comics.

In addition to penciling and inking, Adkins also did cover paintings, including for Amazing Stories, Eerie (issue 12) and Famous Monsters of Filmland (issues 42, 44). His magazine illustrations were published in Argosy (with Wood), Amazing Stories, Fantastic, Galaxy Science Fiction, Infinity, Monster Parade, Science-Fiction Adventures, Spectrum, Worlds of If and other magazines.

In the 2000s, he illustrated Parker Brothers products, and his artwork for Xero was reprinted in the hardback The Best of Xero. Dan died on May 3, 2013 at the age of 76.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Brave and the Bold #91

Brave and the Bold #91 (On Sale: June 23, 1970) has a wonderful Batman/Black Canary cover by Nick Cardy. 

"A Cold Corpse for the Collector" featuring Batman and the Black Canary is by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy. Nick takes over the drawing reigns on B&B this issue, and my god, is this beautiful stuff.  This is my favorite time of Cardy's career. He was simply on fire on this book, his first two issues especially. His Black Canary just drips with sensuality. 

When crime boss Rhymer double-crosses the syndicate, pushing Waxie Till of a Gotham bridge, they hire an unseen assassin known as the Collector to enact its revenge. While fishing the body of of the river, Commissioner Gordon and Batman find a stowaway on the police tug: private eye Larry Lance. If that name sounds familiar it is because the Earth-2 Larry Lance was married to Black Canary (Diana Lance) and his death prompted Diana to move from Earth-2 to Earth-1. Larry says he was watching Waxie for a client he will not name.

Batman and Larry have different opinions on who the Collector might be and decide to team up to track him down. When Larry returns to his office he finds a client waiting for him, Diana under an assumed name asking Larry to find her missing husband. It is really a ploy to see if this world's Larry will love her too. 

Later, the Collector murders Rhymer's top lieutenant Turk O'Hare. Batman tries to stop him, but fails, running instead into Larry who was also after the Collector. They find a discarded disguise near by and clues that po9int to Larry being correct on the ID of the Collector. Larry then introduces Batman to the reason he was late getting to the murder: Diana, who Batman recognizes as Black Canary.

When Larry leaves to meet another client, Diana and Batman talk, Batman warning her that this earth's Larry Lance is a harder man than the one she married. After Diana leaves Batman is almost killed by a bomb but is saved by the sonic whammy of Black Canary.

The next day Batman receives a call at Gordon's office saying that Danton, the man he suspects is the Collector, will be at  the museum's sculpture garden to make a "collection." Batman arrives to the closed museum and is suddenly attacked. As he closes in on the gunman, he is shot by Larry. As they leave Batman begins to wonder if Larry's mysterious client might be the Collector.

When Danton turns up dead and for a while, Batman realizes that all the clues they found must have been planted, perhaps by Larry. When Batman goes to warn Diana, she accuses him of jealousy and as he leaves, Larry enter the room having heard them talking and knowing that she is Black Canary. Larry asks her to team up wit him to catch the Collector.

Later the Collector meets with the syndicate and promises to "collect" the death of Batman. A few hours later Batman gets another call from Larry saying the Collector will be at the track at dawn. When Batman gets to the track, he is saved from getting trampled by Black Canary. When Larry exposes himself he is aiming for Batman. All pretenses are gone; Larry is the Collector.

When Canary intervenes Larry tells her to move or die with Batman. Batman shoves her out of the way as Larry shoots. Larry then escapes on a horse and Batman and Canary follow on her cycle. They catch up to Larry and Batman tacks him into a creek. Larry has a knife, but when the fight is over, Larry is dead, killed by his own knife.

With Larry dead, Diana wonders if she will ever find a real life on this earth. This was reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 2 TPB, Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC and Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Vol. 1 TPB. 

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Green Lantern #78

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

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

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

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

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

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

Justice League of America #75

Justice League of America #75 (On Sale: September 11, 1969) has a cover by Murphy Anderson.

Inside we have "In Each Man There is a Demon" by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella. The story is told by both Green Arrow and Black Canary and continues the changes started last issue and in Brave and the Bold #85. Green Arrow relates how his finances were ruined through the use of forged documents and while wondering the streets as Oliver Queen he finds a man in need and as Green Arrow saves the day. But as in the Brave and the Bold issue, he is plagued by indecision and wonders if Green Arrow is needed.

Black Canary then relates how after the death of her husband, Larry Lance, she accepted Superman's offer to move to Earth 1, where Superman wanted to immediately make her a member of the Justice League. Hawkman however, argued that given that she was just a judo expert, that that was not enough of a power to allow her in the JLA. Canary becomes upset at the JSA'ers for talking about her like she wasn't in the room and as she speaks up to voice her complaint she emits a sonic shock-wave that knocks the JLA members on their respective behinds!

Meanwhile, Green Arrow goes to see another psychiatrist (he and Batman both saw one in Brave and the Bold #85) for his identity issues, a Dr. Oyal, who has invented a machine called the ID-Actualizer which can dig down into a person's subconscious and reveal who they really wish to be. Ollie tries out the machine but once it is turned on a ghostly green version of Green Arrow emerges from his body, saying that he is "the Real Green Arrow-- the warrior who live within Oliver Queen's body," and attacks the Dr.

Back at JLA headquarters Superman and the Atom have determined that Black Canary is an "instant mutant," that one of Aquarius's spells altered the structure of Black Canary's nervous system giving her the ability to emit ultra-sonic waves. This will eventually become known as her "Canary Cry." Just then the ghostly green Green Arrow burst into the headquarters and as he touches the members of the JLA green ghostly versions of themselves erupt from their bodies, all except Superman, and calling themselves the "evil that lives within you" they begin to rip apart the JLA HQ. Superman tries to stop them, but as they are being of magical power (most likely created by another of Aquarius's spells), he is powerless against them.

The JLA become despondent over the thought of having to fight their evil selves when suddenly a ghostly green Superman appears and dares Superman to face his own evil self. Superman says he is up to the challenge and eventually defeats his evil doppelganger. The others take courage from Superman's action and head off the face their own evil twins. After they leave Superman reveals that his "evil ghost" was actually a Superman robot, that he was not affected by Aquarius's spell, but that he knew he needed to do something to snap the group out of their funk.

One by one the JLA track down their evil twins and defeat them. However, when Green Arrow finds his twin, the story is different. He catches his twin robbing a jewelery store. His twin says that he is not Queen's evil side, he is his true side, "...underneath, you were always Oliver Queen -- much, much more interested in wealth than heroism! Can you deny it?" Queen says he can't and throws down his bow and arrows and walks away, but the owner's of the jewelery store confront him and plead with him to help. "We're poor, plain fold...we don't count for much! Still, we always figured you were different! We figured you...cared! And heaven knows people like us need somebody to care!"

Oliver faces his twin, saying that there is a better part to him and that he cannot let that part die. They face off with arrows and Green Arrow is shot in the leg, while his twin shrinks back into Oliver's body just as the other twins return to their original hosts. The JLA is once again contaminated with evil, just like the rest of mankind. Green Arrow and Black Canary are left still at crossroads, their old lives are over and their new lives are on the horizon. This is the beginning of a couple that has stood the test of time.

Reprinted in Best of DC #31, Justice League of America Archives Vol. 9 HC, Justice League of America Hereby Elects… TPB, Green Arrow/Black Canary:For Better or For Worse TPB and Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 4 TPB.

One final note: In the letters page is a letter by Alan Brennert, who went on to be one of my favorite writers at DC though he only wrote nine stories. I still remember them to this day. Last year my wife read Brennert's novel Moloka'i in her book club.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

DC Special #3

DC Special #3 (On Sale: February 13, 1969), the "All-girl Issue," has a cover that the Grand Comics Database says is penciled by Neal Adams and inked by Nick Cardy, but I have to disagree with that. The Art of Nick Cardy says that Nick penciled and inked the cover, which I would agree with. However, the Supergirl figure has been reinked if not also redrawn by Neal Adams.

We begin with a previously unpublished Golden Age Wonder Woman story, "The Cheetah's Thought Prisoners" drawn by H. G. Peters.

Next is "The Maid of Menace" as Supergirl story reprinted from Action Comics #304. by Leo Dorfman and Jim Mooney. A female super villain with all the powers of Supergirl begins attacking Earth. Supergirl responds to the emergency and learns the villain is called the Black Flame. The villainous claims she is from the future and a descendant of Supergirl herself. Supergirl researches the claim and cannot find evidence to disprove it.

Supergirl then decides to remove her own powers using Gold Kryptonite to prevent her descendant from receiving them. After exposure, Black Flame reveals that she is really a Kandorian named Zora, enlarged by a Red Kryptonite cloud. After the Red K wears off, she shrinks to normal size and Supergirl uses tiny grains of Gold K to remove Zora’s powers. She herself never used real Gold K, so Supergirl is able to retain her own powers. Zora is then sent back to Kandor for incarceration.

Next is Black Canary in another unpublished Golden Age story "Special Delivery Death," written by Robert Kanigher and drawn by Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs. Reprinted in Black Canary Archives Vol. 1 HC.

This is followed by "Girl in the Golden Flower" a reprint from Strange Adventures #18 by Gardner Fox, Alex Toth and Sy Barry.

Lastly is a reprint from Green Lantern #16, "The Secret Life of Star Sapphire" by John Broome, Gil Kane and Joe Giella. Having learned how to fly a plane from Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris is piloting her private aircraft for fun. Suddenly, her plane is yanked from the sky by an unknown force. She is brought down by the Zamorans, a race of immortal women from a distant planet. They are ruled by a mortal queen, which has just died. Carol is a replica of the dead ruler, so the Zamorans crown Carol, Queen Star Sapphire. However Carol reveals she is in love with Green Lantern, whom the Zamorans believe is inferior because he is a man. In order to prove the superiority of women to Carol, they give her a royal gem which gives her super-powers.

At the Ferris Company, Hal Jordan is worried about Carol, who hasn’t returned from her flight. He sets out as Green Lantern to find her. He spots Star Sapphire flying over the city. The female challenges GL and dares him to stop her from committing a robbery. She takes an ancient hand mirror from a museum exhibit and flys off with it. (The mirror was actually placed there by the Zamorans.) When Green Lantern tries to stop her, he is blasted by a repelling ray, enabling her to escape.

Still not convinced of her own superiority, Carol, as Star Sapphire, convinces the Zamorans to give Green Lantern another chance. The Zamorans inform Green Lantern that Star Sapphire is committing another robbery, so GL flys after her. The two battle each other to a stalemate until Green Lantern discovers incoming radiation being sent to her. He cuts off the radiation which weakens Star Sapphire, and enables him to capture her. The Zamorans teleport her back to their ship and remove her powers and memory, disappointed in her defeat. Green Lantern later finds Carol near her plane, and he locates a star sapphire gem near her as well.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.