Superman #243

Superman #243 (On Sale: August 12, 1971), has a classic Superman cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with "The Starry-Eyed Siren of Space" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. A female alien intelligence creates a body for herself and is endangered by menaces of her own subconscious creation. Her mate asks Superman to help save her, and then, when she falls for Superman, builds a duplicate Superman body for himself, and attacks him. Eventually, the misunderstanding is cleared and Superman is able to return to Earth via the Timestream. Reprinted in Best of DC #12 (1981).

Next is a World of Krypton tale, "The Death-Trails of Krypton" by Cary Bates, Bob Brown, and Murphy Anderson. 2000 years ago, a Kryptonian chemo-engineer named Dol-Nd discovered that he could create flying wings for himself by using a crystalline element he named Trolium, after Trolius, the mythological lord of Krypton's red skies. However, the Trolium created permanent green death-trails in the sky after his flight, which disintegrated any object that flew into them. After defeating a criminal who tried to steal the wings, Dol-Nd destroyed his invention, but the death trails remained in the sky until Krypton's destruction. Reprinted in Best of DC #40 (1983).

Our reprint is "The Battle of the Atoms" by Don Cameron, Sam Citron, and George Roussos and reprinted from Superman #38 (1946).  Clark and Lois follow up on a tip outside of Metropolis. They discover rocks, trees, and metal bent into odd shapes as if melted. Lois is attacked by three men, but Superman fights them off. The reporters then return to the Daily Planet to file stories.

At the office, the Daily Planet building begins melting as well. Luthor is behind the attack using a newly developed molecular impulsion beam. Superman repairs the building, then stops Luthor's henchmen from robbing a bank.

Superman then pursues Luthor. Luthor's weapon temporarily knocks Superman from the sky, but he is revived by a local power plant. Superman then apprehends Luthor, who tries in vain to kill Superman using a miniature atomic bomb.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Brave & the Bold #98

Brave & the Bold #98 (On Sale: August 10, 1971), has a Batman/Phantom Stranger cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with a signpost for the future in "Mansion of the Misbegotten" featuring Batman and the Phantom Stranger by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo. This is Aparo's first Brave and Bold and though he does not draw the next issue, with #100 he becomes the defacto B&B artist. This is one of my favorite Aparo styles and I was so happy to see Jim get a prestigious book like B&B.  When Batman goes to visit his old friend Roger Birnam, who is dying, he promises to watch over Birnam's wife Clorinda, and his son Enoch. After the funeral, when a man who posed as Birnam's doctor and as a religious articles salesman turns out at the Gotham morgue, a victim of ritual murder, Batman rushes to Birnam Towers to check on Birnam's family.

Batman soon finds himself caught in a Satanic cult ritual, with the little Enoch as the leader. Batman is easily captured, but he is saved by the arrival of the Phantom Stranger. Together, Batman and Phantom Stranger try to find a way to stop the cultists, but Batman is captured and offered as a sacrifice to Enoch, the warlock leader of the cult. 

During the ritual, Lucifer appears and takes Batman away, claiming his soul as the ultimate prize. However, it was all a charade staged by the Phantom Stranger to save Batman, and once again, they start working to bring down the evil worshippers. Taking Enoch and bringing him to a psychiatric ward, Batman is shocked to find the boy has no knowledge of the occult and deduces that the Birnams had two children, not just one.

Returning to the Birnam residence, Batman is forced to battle Clorinda and the evil Enoch with the help of the Phantom Stranger. However, the appearance of Roger's ghost scares Clorinda so badly she falls over the railing of a stairwell to her death along with her evil son, Enoch. Afterward, the Phantom Stranger moves away to find the next mystery and Batman makes a promise to take care of Roger's good son, Roger, Jr. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 2 TPB (2008), Showcase Presents: Phantom Stranger Vol. 2 TPB (2008), Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Vol. 1 HC (2012), Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2017), and Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Vol. 2 TPB (2019)

Our first reprint is the Phantom Stranger in "The Killer Shadow" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Sy Barry and reprinted from Phantom Stranger #2 (1952).  Heiress Myra Hunter attends a party thrown by her uncle John. During the party which celebrates the construction of his new summer house, John performs a ritual to capture Myra's shadow. Later, Myra really believes her shadow was taken. The Phantom Stranger then appears to show Myra that it was only a series of tricks that led her to be missing a shadow. He then proves that she still has one.

Myra then attends another party where it seems her shadow has been removed. The Phantom Stranger returns and exposes the tricks. Myra's uncle is responsible. He hoped to drive Myra mad or kill her in order to steal her fortune.

We end with the Challengers of the Unknown in "One Challenger Must Die" by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown and reprinted from  Challengers of the Unknown #32 (1963). The Volcano Men are appearing on an island, multiplying by splitting, growing large by merging. The Challengers can't agree on an attack. Ace wants to use LOX, Professor Haley CO2 foam. The team splits to pursue their own methods, but both sides fear "one Challenger might die". Separate attacks fail, and the boys stop Rocky from making a suicidal rush. Finally, they work together. Ace Morgan's LOX cools the Professor, who wields super-CO2. Smothered, the Volcano Man crumbles to ash. The Challengers agree to work together from now on.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Detective Comics #415

Detective Comics #415 (On Sale: July 29, 1971), has a nice Batman cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with Batman in "Challenge of the Consumer Crusader" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown, and Dick Giordano. Batman saves a consumer advocate from murder and discovers the extortionist who is shielding herself behind his front by tricking one of his criminal allies into revealing the truth. Batman uses make-up to resemble the man that was marked for murder and he pretends to be his ghost in order to force a confession out of the thug.

After listening to the plan and learning about the master criminal behind it, Batman confronts the woman and his large gang before finally capturing her. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016).

The backup is Batgirl in "Death Shares the Spotlight" by Frank Robbins and Don Heck. When taken out on a date by Jason Bard to see the play "Invitation to Murder", the couple soon finds themselves entangled in an attempted murder of Hollywood's "Royal Couple" Robbie and Tiz Marlow. Leaving Jason behind to guard the starlets, Barbara goes off to call the police.

After the crime is reported, both Jason and Barbara begin their own investigations. This leads Batgirl to Gotham Arena, which is currently putting on a western exhibition that features Big Chuck Walla, who is responsible for the attempt on the Marlows lives.

Battling Walla, Batgirl and Jason learn that Tiz was secretly going to marry Walla, but left him instead for Barlow and that it was out of jealousy that he attempted to murder the couple. After learning the truth, and that Walla's exhibition gun is loaded with blanks, Jason knocks Walla out with one punch and he and Batgirl turn Walla over to the police. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2018).

Our first reprint features Mysto, Magician Detective in "The Forbidden Trick" by William Woolfolk and Leonard Starr and reprinted from Detective Comics #211 (1954).

We end with "The Case of the Finders Keepers" drawn by John Prentice and reprinted from Gangbusters #54 (1956).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Superboy #177

Superboy #177 (On Sale: July 8, 1971), has a cover by Dick Giordano.

We begin with "Our Traitor Super-Son" by Leo Dorfman, Bob Brown, and Murphy Anderson. Lex Luthor takes on the guise of Cerebron with a mental amplifier that enables him to deduce that the Kents are the foster parents of Superboy. To get them into protective custody without revealing his connection to them, Superboy has them jailed for selling "contaminated" food. 

Then, after keeping his stash of super-weapons and robots out of Luthor's hands by moving it frequently, he finally defeats Luthor, removes his cerebral amplifier, and convinces him he was wrong about the Kents.

Our new backup is "Plague from the Past" by Leo Dorfman, Bob Brown, and Murphy Anderson. When a plague from a long-unopened pharaoh's coffin unleashes a terrible plague on Smallville, Superboy employs a statue of Anubis to send himself back in time and undo the coffin opening. Reprinted in Best of DC #7 (1980).

The reprint is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "The Revenge of the Knave from Krypton" by Jerry Siegel, John Forte, and inkers Sheldon Moldoff, George Papp, and Al Plastino and reprinted from Adventure Comics #320 (1964). After finishing his homework, Superboy travels to the 30th Century for his regular visit with the Legion of Super-Heroes. There they are alerted by the security system of an intruder and Superboy is shocked to find it is his old tormentor Dev-Em. Capturing Dev-Em, Superboy explains how Dev-Em was a juvenile delinquent on Krypton who was sentenced to suspended animation, survived Krypton's destruction, and was revived on 20th Century Earth. 

Superboy then recounts how Dev-Em managed to trap Superboy in the Phantom Zone and pose as him to cause chaos around Earth. After returning from the Phantom Zone, Superboy was unable to stop Dev-Em who escaped into the distant future. Superboy would finish his story by explaining that the only way he was able to clear his name was with the help of his friend Chief Parker who told everyone Red Kryptonite was the "reason" for Superboy's rampage.

However, it is revealed that Dev-Em has turned over a new leaf in the 30th Century and is a member of the Inter-Stellar Counter-Intelligence Corps. However, when reporting back into the I.C.C., Dev-Em has his mission to stop interplanetary criminal Molock to Superboy. Disguising himself as Dev-Em, Superboy manages to bluff Molock with fake Gold Kryptonite, which is actually Proty II in disguise. After Superboy smashes up Molock's operation and turns him over to the police, the Legion offers Dev-Em membership in the Legion, to which Dev-Em declines, preferring to work with the I.C.C.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #403

Action Comics #403 (On Sale: June 29, 1971), has a Superman cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

We begin this issue with Superman in our cover story, "Attack of the Micro-Murderer" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman's body is invaded by a Zohtt, a magical wraith-being that attempts to destroy him, and not even a blood transfusion from most of Metropolis' citizens can save him.

Our backup Superman story is "The Man with the X-Ray Mind" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman learns that a Metropolis University janitor has psychic powers, including precognition, the ability to predict the future -- and that the janitor knows that he is Clark Kent.

Our first reprint is the Vigilante in "The Impossible Legend" by Dick Wood and Bob Brown and is reprinted from Action Comics #176 (1953). Vigilante proves an old legend by capturing criminals, two while deaf, two while he could not speak, and the final two when he could not see.

We end with a Superboy reprint, "When Krypto Was Superboy's Master" drawn by George Papp and reprinted from Adventure Comics #310 (1963). Professor Lang discovers several artifacts within a lost city. When he returns to Smallville his translations of the ancient inscriptions are questioned by the faculty of his school, and they force him to prove their validity in order to get a promotion.

Lang has not had enough time to translate everything, so Superboy pretends that one of the artifacts that the professor has translated switches his mind with Krypto’s. Superboy acts like a dog for a few days in order to convince the members of Lang’s school board. When the professor has completed his work, Superboy drops the act and claims the effect has worn off.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Brave & the Bold #97

Brave & the Bold #97 (On Sale: June 15, 1971), has a Batman/Wildcat cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with Batman and Wildcat in "The Smile of Choclotan" by Bob Haney, Bob Brown, and Nick Cardy. While Bruce Wayne is vacationing in South America, as Batman, he saves a young boy named Luis Mercado from a sniper's bullet. Following the boy into town, he learns that his old friend Wildcat is also in the area, resuming his career as a boxer. Observing Wildcat's match and spotting somebody putting a chemical in his drinking water, Batman strikes and helps Wildcat and Luis escape.

He learns that Wildcat has amnesia and that Luis is being targeted by a crime boss named El Grande. He explains that Ted was friends with his father, and both were looking for the Choclotan, a priceless archeological find if it exists. Ted had learned its location and since an attack left him amnesiac, he and Luis have been a target ever since.

Working with Batman, Wildcat's memory is restored, they defeat El Grande and his men, and find the Choclotan idol for Luis, which they agree to turn over to a Mexican museum. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Brave and the Bold Batman Team-Ups Vol. 2 TPB (2008), Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2017), Batman/Wildcat TPB (2017), and Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Vol. 2 TPB (2019).

The backup is a classic, "Who Has Been Lying in My Grave?" by Arnold Drake, Carmine Infantino, and George Roussos, reprinted from Strange Adventures #205 (1967) and featuring the origin of Deadman. Boston Brand, a trapeze artist and minority owner of a circus, walks the circus grounds before his nightly performance as the aerialist Deadman. He discovers a local constable poking around the grounds and chases him away. He then discovers that Leary the barker is stealing from the box office. He also catches Heldrich the animal trainer getting drunk. He fires Heldrich, then heads to the big top.

After reaching the top of the trapeze, Boston is shot by a sniper with a hook for a right hand. He falls to his death. Then his astral form is met by Rama Kushna, a Hindu spirit goddess. Rama allows Boston to walk the Earth as a spirit until his killer is caught.

Boston, now truly a Deadman, begins the search for his killer by checking up on the circus performers. He discovers that he is invisible, but can temporarily take control of human bodies. While inhabiting the body of Tiny the strongman, Deadman discovers Heldrich and Ramsey, the constable, making a drug deal. Deadman stops the crooks, then resumes the search for the killer, Hook. This story was also reprinted in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #5 (1980), Deadman #1 (1985), Deadman Collection HC (2002), DC Comics Presents: Brightest Day #1 (2010), and Deadman Vol. 1 TPB (2011).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

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.

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.

Detective Comics #412

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Superboy #175

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

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

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

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Detective Comics #411

Detective Comics #411 (On Sale: March 30, 1971), has a Batman cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with Batman in "Into the Den of the Death-Dealers" by Denny O'Neil, Bob Brown, and Dick Giordano. Batman meets an informant atop the Statue of Liberty, who offers Batman information on Dr. Darrk in exchange for protection. That protection is short-lived as members of the League of Assassins strike and kill the man. Before dying he gives Batman the location of Dr. Darrk.

Batman travels to the orient where he finds Dr. Darrk on the Soom Express. Darrk has prepared a trap and captures Batman. The Caped Crusader is taken to a temple where he and we are introduced to Talia, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, a business associate of Darrk's. She is also a prisoner. Batman rescues Talia and captures Darrk. However, when Darrk tries to escape, Talia shoots and kills him. This story has been reprinted in Saga of Ra's Al Ghul #1 (1988), Batman: Tales of the Demon TPB (1991), Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016), and Batman: Tales of the Demon HC (2020).

The backup Batgirl story, "Cut... and Run" continues from the previous issue and is by Frank Robbins, Don Heck, and Dick Giordano. Batgirl is caught by crooks plotting to murder Mamie Acheson. She escapes the trap and follows the crooks to the Riviera where the murder is to take place. Batgirl saves Mamie who then develops a line of fashion based on Batgirl's costume. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2018).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Superboy #173

Superboy #173 (On Sale: February 16, 1971), has a cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Superboy in "The Super-Clark of Smallville" by Leo Dorfman, Bob Brown, and Dick Giordano. Clark Kent pretends that he has gained powers from ambrosia dust, the "food of the gods", which Professor Lang has discovered when Lana catches him lifting a heavy bookcase off her father with one hand. At first, Clark finds it amusing to use his powers openly as Clark Kent, but the novelty soon wears off. Lex Luthor comes to Smallville and saps Superboy's powers with a device. Superboy concocts some real ambrosia, eats it, and gains the powers of the gods, enabling him to defeat Luthor. When the ambrosia wears off, Superboy's normal powers return.

The back-up Legion of Super-Heroes story is  "Trust Me or Kill Me" by Cary Bates and George Tuska. Mordru makes a duplicate of Cosmic Boy and Superboy must determine which of the two is the real Cosmic Boy. This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 10 HC (2000) and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4 TPB (2010).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Detective Comics #409

Detective Comics #409 (On Sale: January 28, 1971), has a Batman cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Batman in "Man in the Eternal Mask" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown, and Frank Giacoia. Batman is called in to investigate after a portrait of late philanthropist Hiram Cronin is vandalized in the Gotham Museum. Batman visits the artist Rene Leclerq who is completing a portrait of the Caped Crusader. This portrait has also been vandalized.

Batman has Rene fix the painting, which they then unveil at the museum. That night, the vandal returns and Batman is waiting. However, Batman is knocked out. When he recovers, he tracks down Leclerq who is being confronted by Tracy Calhoun, a former portrait subject. 

Calhoun was disfigured in a car crash after Leclerq made him late for an appointment. The former athlete blames the artist and has been destroying his work. Batman arrives in time to save Leclerq. Calhoun is killed when his own portrait falls on top of him. Reprinted in Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams (2004), Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus (2016), and Batman by Neal Adams #2 (2019).

Continuing from the last issue, our Batgirl Backup is "Night of the Sharp Horns" by Frank Robbins, Don Heck, and Dick Giordano. On the ranch of Don Alvarado, Batgirl waits for the return of a mysterious man who killed a bull the previous night. This time she witnesses the man practice fighting a bull. She interrupts the fight and unmasks him as Paco, an aspiring bullfighter. Paco claims not to have been responsible for the death of the other bull.

In interrupting the fight, Batgirl puts herself in the way of the bull. She flees and takes refuge in Alvarado's arena. There, another masked man directs a bull to attack her. She subdues the bull using rodeo skills. She then unmasks this man as Manolo, the mentor of bullfighter El Granados. Manolo explains that he wanted to kill the bulls to protect El Granados who is past his prime. El Granados agrees to retire from the sport. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2018).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Super DC Giant S-23

Super DC Giant S-23 (On Sale: January 26, 1971), has an Unexpected cover by Bob Brown, a cover that would not make anyone want to buy this book.

This reprint fest begins with Johnny Peril in "The Demon in the Mirror" by Robert Kanigher, Alex Toth, and Sy Barry and reprinted from Sensation Comics #109 (1952).

Our next story is "The Man Who Walked Like a Mummy" drawn by Bill Ely and reprinted from House of Mystery #48 (1956).

Following that is "The Thing from the Skies" drawn by Mort Meskin and reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #13 (1957).

Next, we have "The Face in the Clock" drawn by Nick Cardy and reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #7 (1956)

We next have "The Forbidden Game" which is also drawn by Mort Meskin and is reprinted from Tales of the Unexpected #14 (1957).

The next story is "Captives of Creature Castle" drawn by Ruben Moreira and reprinted from House of Mystery #104 (1960).

"The Secret of the Little Black Bag" is next and another tale drawn by Ruben Moreira and reprinted from House of Mystery #9 (1952)

We end this with "The Girl in the Iron Mask" drawn by Mort Meskin and George Roussos and reprinted from House of Mystery #66 (1957).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Superboy #172

Superboy #172 (On Sale: January 7, 1971), has a nice cover by Neal Adams.

Our first story features Superboy in "The World of the Super-Ape" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown, and Murphy Anderson. Superboy visits Africa to help some officials investigate the mysterious disappearance of several poachers. Superboy disguises himself as a wounded gorilla. A group of other gorillas then carry Superboy to an underground cavern. Inside he discovers the missing poachers held capture by Yango, a super-powered talking gorilla. Superboy eventually deduces that Yango is Kryptonian. Yango speaks Kryptonian and possesses the same powers as Superboy.

Superboy travels back in time to witness Yango being sent to Earth by noted Kryptonian anthropologist An-Kal, just as he himself was sent as a child. Superboy then makes peace with Yango and takes the poachers away

The back-up is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "Brotherly Hate" by E. Nelson Bridwell and George Tuska. Lightning Lad, Light Lass, and Timber Wolf track down Lightning Lord, who has robbed the Inter-Planetary Bank. This story was reprinted in DC Special Series #19 (1979), Best of DC #33 (1983), Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 10 HC (2000), and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4 TPB (2010).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Superboy #171

Superboy #171 (On Sale: November 19, 1970), has a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

"Dark Strangler of the Seas" is by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown, and Murphy Anderson and features Superboy and Aquaboy (Aquaman as a teen). Superboy helps two fishermen drag an oil-covered boy out of the ocean. Superboy removes the oil and is introduced to Aquaboy. The water breathing teenager explains that he encountered an oil tanker leaking oil into the ocean which was killing marine life. When he tried to intervene, the tanker crew covered him in oil and left him for dead.

Superboy and Aquaboy team up. They approach the head of the oil company demanding that they stop the pollution. When the company refuses, the two teens disrupt the shipment of oil. The company strikes back. They use Aquaboy's girlfriend Marita as bait to lure Aquaboy into a trap. Superboy saves his friend and puts an end to the evil company. However, the battle against pollution continues to be a struggle around the globe.

In a one-page epilogue, it is explained that Superboy's adventures have been moved forward in time to the 1950s in order to keep pace with the adult adventures of Superman who remains perpetually 29 years old. This story has been reprinted in Best of DC #7 (1980) and Superboy: The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told TPB (2010).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Detective Comics #406

Detective Comics #406 (On Sale: October 29, 1970), has a Batman cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with Batman in "Your Servant of Death -- Dr. Darrk" by Denny O'Neil, Bob Brown and Frank Giacoia. When shipping magnate Count Orsoni is attacked and almost killed, Bruce Wayne decides to visit the man, who is an old friend. Upon arriving at the Count's castle in the foreign country he resides, Bruce is welcomed by Mara Thursday, the Count's cousin and Dr. Darrk, one of Orsoni's friends. However, Bruce is not allowed to see the Count, although he is invited to stay in the place.

Having previously stopped the League of Assassins from murdering another shipping magnate, Bruce decides to investigate the case as Batman and he starts prowling the castle, looking for the Count. He is distracted when Mara Thursday screams in her room and when Batman enters, she makes up a story about an attacker that left without harming her. Batman deduces that this was all a distraction and he rushes to the Count's chambers, but he finds nothing but an empty room.

Batman deduces that the Count was kidnapped recently and he starts looking in the castle, when he is suddenly attacked by another member of the League of Assassins. Batman manages to defeat the assassin and he proceeds to look on the hidden places of the castle. Batman finally reaches the cellar, where he finds the Count but falls for a trap and is forced to lay on top of an execution altar. Batman deduces the identity of the killer as Dr. Darrk and he reveals himself as the president of the League of Assassins and prepares Batman for his execution.

Batman is shackled to the altar and forced to hold a rope that keeps an axe from beheading him. Dr. Darrk leaves with the certainty that Batman's grip will surely fail and he forgets about the Count. As Batman in fact starts losing his strength, the Count recovers and, crawling aimlessly, he pushes the statue of a saint on top of the altar, which falls near Batman's head at the same time as he lets go of the rope. The axe falls on the statue, saving Batman's life and the shackles are broken by the impact.

Batman takes the Count to safety, but by the time he goes to the main rooms of the castle, he finds only the assassin he previously defeated and Mara Thursday. Darrk has left the place long ago and Batman arrests Mara and the assassin, who confess all they know about the League, which is not much. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 TPB (2012).

The backup story is Batgirl in "The Explosive Circle" by Frank Robbins, Gil Kane and Vince Colletta. When a residential building is blown up, the sole clue is a book taken out from Gotham Public Library. Finding the book is popular among young hippies/protesters, Barbara Gordon decides to investigate further as Batgirl. Tracing the address of the last person to take out the book in question, Batgirl finds that it belongs to a girl who is a member of the youth group Peaceful Protest. However, when Batgirl informs her the book was found at the site of a bombing, the girl freaks out and slams the door on Batgirl.

Tailing the young woman to a theater known as "Up Against the Wall Baby", Batgirl soon stumbles upon the groups leader Mal who has decided peaceful protesting no longer works and wants to begin using more violent methods. Finding Batgirl at their latest rally, she is knocked out during a performance and when she comes too, she finds that Mal has placed her in a room rigged to explode should she step out of the circle she is standing on. Obviously, continued next issue. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2018).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Superboy #170

Superboy #170 (On Sale: October 6, 1970) has a  cover by Curt Swan and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Superboy in "Easy Rider to Doom" by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Murphy Anderson. Bone to pick time. The scene on the cover is inside the book, but it is a dream Superboy is having. Cheap shot by editor Boltinoff. When Crusty, the son of Jonathan's cousin, comes to stay with the Kents while his father moves to Alaska, Clark works hard to protect his secret identity while Crusty is living in their house. Crusty is a bit of a delinquent, stealing money from Martha Kent and attempting to steal a car. Clark tricks Crusty into stealing the getaway car used by a gang of bank robbers. When the car is gone, the crooks are apprehended by the police and Clark and Crusty are given a reward for helping thwart the robbery.

However, the bank manager, Mr. Cullis, is none too happy, as he was the mastermind of the robbery, hoping it would hide his embezzlement of bank monies. When Cullis sees Crusty pick-pocketing money from a teller's purse, he confronts the boy, convincing him to plant a bomb under the bank. Only, Cullins plans for the bomb to kill Crusty. Superboy snatches the bomb away in time and uses it to force a confession from Cullins. When Crusty returns to the Kent's house that night, he finds a note from Superboy and decides to go straight, leaving the house that night to join his father in Alaska.

We end with "Superboy's Biggest Blunder" also by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Murphy Anderson.  When a tornado throws Superboy back in time, he finds himself in Mongolia near the great wall of China. A young leader named Temujin sees Superboy and seeks an alliance. Superboy refuses to help the young warlord, who demonstrates great cunning of his own. Superboy saves Temujin from two assassins and returns to his own time wondering if he had done the right thing. Later that say in school, Clark learns that Temujin would grow to become known as Genghis Khan.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Detective Comics #405

Detective Comics #405 (On Sale: September 29, 1970) has another moody Batman cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with Batman in "The First of the Assassins!" by Denny O'Neil, Bob Brown and Frank Giacoia. Answering the Bat-Signal, Batman is informed by Commissioner Gordon that a number of murders that have taken place in Europe and, according to information by the Interpol, the next target is a shipping magnate, K.C. Agonistes, whose boat is currently in Gotham Harbor. Since the man has refused police protection, Gordon is tied and can't do anything officially and hopes that Batman can act unofficially on his behalf.

That night, Batman infiltrates the ship, but is immediately detected by extra security measures incorporated into the ship. The magnate, his fiancée, and his employees greet Batman with pleasure and they welcome him to be part of their journey. After taking a closer look at other security measures on the ship, Batman starts patrolling the deck at night. When Batman notices a disturbance in the waters, he tells the crew to evacuate the ship in the lifeboats. Batman then being shooting at at a pod of dolphins, but he is unable to prevent the destruction of the ship as one of the animals carrying a plastic explosive gets past his onslaught..

Batman reaches the only lifeboat that made it free in time where he joins a sailor, Agonistes and his fiancée. They sail to a nearby island, which seems abandoned at first sight, but they swoon realize is littered with boobytraps. After saving the three people from lethal traps, Batman goes into the island to find the killer. Shortly after, Batman realizes that he has been lured away from his companions and he rushes back, but falls for a trap in the midst of the jungle. From the shadows comes a nimble man, the same responsible for trying to kill the magnate. The man tells Batman that he has a mission to accomplish and that after he's finished, he will come back to kill him as well.

Batman breaks free from the trap and he heads to the camping site where Agonistes and the others are waiting for his return. He arrives in time to prevent the assassin from killing them and a fight ensues. The assassin reveals that he is part of a larger faction known as the League of Assassins, which cannot be bribed or stopped. The killer gets the upper hand in the fight and he gets ready to eliminate Batman, when he is suddenly blinded by some flares that explode on Batman's cape, which was burning in the fire. Batman takes the chance to defeat the assassin, but he knows that he is just a pawn in a larger scheme, orchestrated by a master criminal mind. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 TPB.

Next is Batgirl in "The Living Statue" by Frank Robbins, Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia. Continuing from last issue, Batgirl has been investigating the murder of X-rated film director Billy Warlock, whom her friend, Jason Bard, has been framed for. Her search brought her to Warlock's studio where she was captured by one of Warlock's actresses Veda who masterminded the whole scheme and is now preparing to trap Batgirl in plaster.

As she slowly covers Batgirl in the plaster, she destroys the evidence that would clear Bard's name while boasting to Batgirl that she got away with murder. To added rich irony she screams this at a giant lit up face of Warlock that was set in the studio. As the fire from the burning evidence spreads, Veda prepares to apply the last of the plaster that will cover Batgirl's head when another of Warlock's actresses: Infra-Red charges in the room to stop Veda.

While the two girls fight, Batgirl gets free and eventually has to save them from the flames. After when the fire department shows up, Veda boasts how they'll never be able to prove that she murdered Billy Warlock, but then Infra-Red informs her that in the giant portrait of Billy's face was a camera that filmed her whole confession. With it turned over as evidence, --as Barbara Gordon -- Batgirl gets to witness Bard being cleared of all charges and set free. This story has been reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC.

We end with a filler reprint, "The Sleuth in the Iron Mask" drawn by Bob Brown and reprinted from Gangbusters #62 (1958).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Superboy #169

Superboy #169 (On Sale: August 20, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. There is a new circular Superboy logo in the upper left corner. 

The cover story is "No Escape for Superboy!" This 22-page tale is by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown and Murphy Anderson. Bob Brown is not one of my favorite pencilers, but he had some great inkers on Superboy, mainly Anderson and Wally Wood. Lana Lang takes Superboy to a mysterious gypsy for a fortune-telling session. The fortune-teller’s predictions all seem to come true...including one prophesying the “death” of Clark Kent...because Lex Luthor’s hand guides them to fruition.

The back-up feature is "Hi! A lot of you have asked about my super-costume..." a two-pager by E. Nelson Bridwell, Bob Brown and Mike Esposito.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.