Batman #235

Batman #235 (On Sale: July 22, 1971), has a  cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with "Swamp Sinister" by Denny O'Neil, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. A heavy and large package arrives for Bruce Wayne at the Wayne Foundation Penthouse. Alfred and Bruce manage to open the box and they realize that it is a coffin with a dead body inside. Bruce quickly changes into Batman and prepares to leave with the corpse to the GCPD Headquarters and start an investigation, when suddenly Ra's al Ghul appears and informs Batman that he sent the package because he needs Batman's help.

Ra's tells Batman that Striss, one of the scientists working for him, had developed a formula to alter chemical elements' properties without his permission and that during a confrontation between them, Ra's was knocked by Striss' assistant, Pollard. Ra's was thought to be dead, but with help from his other scientists, Ra's recovered and started looking for Striss. After an extensive search, all his men could find was the dead body of Pollard, the man who attacked Ra's. When they examined the body, they found traces of the formula developed by Striss and also discovered that when humans were exposed to the formula, it turned into a deadly plague, which is what killed Pollard. After telling the story to Batman, Ra's asks the Dark Knight to find and stop Striss from spreading the plague and also save Ra's daughter, Talia, as she had already begun a manhunt for the scientist, unaware of the dangers.

Batman starts his investigation in the house of a notorious chemist, who could provide Striss with the chemical elements he needed to test his formula. When Batman arrives at the place, he realizes that it is too late, as both Striss' men, as well as Talia's henchmen, have arrived before him and someone had kidnapped the chemist. Batman takes down the thugs guarding the house and when he enters the place, he interrogates the housekeeper, who informs Batman that the thugs have taken Mr. London to a "small stream."

Batman deduces that the housemaid refers to the Louisiana swamps and he prepares a flight on Ra's private jet to Louisiana. Batman descends on the marked location and starts following the traces left by Striss' formula until he finds an odd abandoned cabin in the middle of the swamp. When Batman enters the place, he finds a concealed elevator inside and he prepares to descend, unaware of the activities taking place below, where Talia had already caught up with Striss and Mr. London, and she was ready to eliminate the scientist for the murder of her father. Batman arrives in time to stop Talia from killing Striss, but when he is explaining to them about the deadly plague contained in the formula, Striss attacks them and Batman is forced to defend Talia from Striss, who grabs a machine gun and tries to shoot at them. Batman manages to hold Striss' aim away from them, but one of the bullets hits the vial with the formula, spilling the chemical over the desk. Batman punches Striss and the man falls on top of the formula, which starts affecting him immediately. Batman takes Talia and Mr. London out of the room and he seals it completely in order to avoid the plague from spreading away.

Finally, Batman, Talia and Mr. London reach the surface of the swamp, where Ra's is waiting for them and Talia is overjoyed to learn that her father is still alive. Ra's has taken a team of doctors to make sure they are not infected and they prepare to leave the place. Before leaving the swamp, Talia shows her gratitude to Batman by kissing him, but Batman is still shocked at Talia's willingness to kill, which makes him unsure about her last kiss. Reprinted in Saga of Ra's Al Ghul #2 (1988), Batman: Tales of the Demon TPB (1991), Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016), and Batman: Tales of the Demon HC (2020).

The Robin backup is "The Outcast Society" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. Continuing from Batman #234, Robin works hard to convince the communards to let him take Pat Whalon, the main suspect of the attack on a police officer, to stand trial. However, Whalon breaks away, confessing his crimes and he runs into the forest, where he causes a brushfire that may destroy the commune. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB (2008).

Our reprint of this issue is "Castle with Wall-to-Wall Danger" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Detective Comics #329 (1964). Batman and Robin receive a tip that Pragnel, a wanted criminal, is in England. They fly to England to find Pragnel and extradite him. When they arrive at the castle at which Pragnel was seen, they realize that the castle owner Albert Maunch merely looks similar to the crook. Though their mission seems to have failed, the Dynamic Duo accepts Maunch's invitation to dinner.

While in the castle, several attempts are made to kill Batman and Robin. Soon, they are attacked outright by two thugs and a man in a trenchcoat. When they capture him, the man turns out to be Pragnel, alias Vincent Maunch, Albert's cousin. Pragnel was searching his cousin's castle for hidden Nazi gold and threatened Albert's family to keep him in line. Batman returns to America with Pragnel, and Albert eventually finds the gold.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Flash #209

Flash #209 (On Sale: July 20, 1971), has a  cover by Dick Giordano.

We begin this issue with "Beyond the Speed of Life" by Cary Bates, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. The Flash receives a mental picture revealing the whereabouts of the Trickster and Boomerang. He races to the scene but is tripped up by an extended rope set up by the two villains. Flash trips at super speed and his velocity throws him into another dimension. A sentinel voice tells him that he has broken through the speed of life.

In the meantime back in the earthly dimension, Boomerang and Trickster examine Flashes lifeless body which appears to be dead. Back in the alternate dimension, Flash is informed that a being called the Devourer is threatening to eat its way to earth's own dimension and Flash prepares to do battle with it. As Flash battles the Devourer, it changes shape. It even takes the form of Flashes wife Iris. 

Flash battles the Devourer until it devours itself. Back on earth, Grodd the Super Gorilla has appeared and reveals that it was he who mentally controlled the two villains into tripping up the Flash. He subdues the two villains and scoops up Flashes lifeless body for disposal. At that point, Flash’s ghostly figure arrives from the other dimension. He is assisted by the sentinel in reentering his own body and pounds Grodd into the ground.

Next up is Kid Flash in "Coincidence Can Kill" by Steve Skeates, Dick Dillin, and Dick Giordano. Wally West witnesses a robbery as he rounds the corner. He activates his costume ring but instead of his costume appearing, he gets hit with a cloud of gas. He examines the ring and discovers that it isn’t his. He recalls that the only time he took off his ring was to wash his hands in the biology lab. He was washing next to a classmate that he refers to ad Genius George. Fearing that his identity might be compromised, Wally rushes to George’s house to recover his ring but George’s mother informs him that her son has left with an acquaintance to attend a school meeting. 

Wally transforms into Kid Flash and tracks down George's car to a sleazy neighborhood. George is being escorted to see a crime boss who is interested in hiring George to create technical gimmicks to assist them in crimes. George secretly intends to take down the crime boss and turn him in. George deploys his ring and expects to have a gas come out but the Flashes costume comes out instead. 

Kid Flash arrives instantly and subdues the thugs. Flash then talks to George to try to explain why his costume came out of his ring but George himself theorizes that the gas must have leaked out of his ring and that Flash threw the costume out as a distraction. Kid Flash is relieved that he doesn’t have to come up with an explanation himself.

This issue's reprint is "The Elongated Man's Undersea Trap" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Flash #119 (1961). The Elongated Man, Ralph Dibny, and his new wife Sue are honeymooning in the Caribbean. While skin diving, Ralph disappears. Sue sends a message to the Flash for help. Flash arrives in the Caribbean and begins his search for Ralph. He sees some creatures riding underwater skis. Suddenly, one of the creatures shoots and captures the Flash.

When he regains consciousness, Flash is in a pool with several other missing divers. The Bredans, as the creatures are called, are fishing for the men. Flash is caught and becomes the slave of the capturing Bredan.

Flash plays along with the situation so that he can locate Ralph. He finds Ralph at a construction site, but his friend’s memory is missing. Flash helps Ralph recover his memory, then the two heroes defeat the Bredan slave masters. Flash and Ralph free the other slaves, and Ralph is returned to his honeymoon with Sue.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Weird War Tales #1

Weird War Tales #1 (On Sale: July 15, 1971), has a  cover by Joe Kubert. The ever-expanding line of horror..er I mean weird books continues at DC. This title would prove to have some pretty great legs lasting over 11 years.

"Let Me Tell You the Things I've Seen" serves as an introduction to book host, Death and is written and drawn by editor Joe Kubert. In the winter of 1944, a lone G.I. is separated from his outfit and is lost in the woods that are located in German territory. He is almost hit by a German tank shell but is left with a broken leg. The G.I. painfully drags through the icy fog to try to find and warn his outfit about the Germans until he comes upon a house in the middle of a clearing. 

He is taken inside by an old man who then helps him patch his leg and gives him time to rest. When the G.I. insists on returning to his men despite his injury, his host tells him that he is too weak and that there is time to warn his friends. To spend the passage of time, the old man tells the G.I. stories about the wars that he had seen in his life.

This first tale is a reprint, "The Secret of the Fort Which Did Not Return" by Robert Kanigher and Russ Heath and reprinted from G.I. Combat #86 (1961). A bombardier returned from a mission to be greeted by his fellow airmen. As more bombers flew into the sky for another raid, the bombardier recalled the mission when he and his squadron flew in a B-51 bomber called "Mother Hen" to Munich. When Mother Hen and the other bombers entered Nazi territory, the enemies fired at them with artillery and sent their own planes, taking down the Brooklyn Belle and Powerhouse Pete. 

The American bombers exchanged fire with the Nazis as the former of the forces attempted to reach their target. All of the bombers except for Mother Hen were destroyed and Mother Hen's tail gunner, two pilots, and waist gunners were both killed, but the bombardier managed to drop their bombs on the target; three oil tanks. The bombardier noticed that nobody was piloting the plane and that more Nazi planes were chasing him, so he jumped out of Mother Hen in a parachute. In the present, the bombardier decided that he couldn't tell the others what had happened to Mother Hen. A week later, he was in another bomber, on a mission, and saw Mother Hen flying by.

Next is "The Story Behind the Cover" by Joe Kubert. A German patrol under Lance Corporal Mueller suddenly comes across an American patrol and a fight breaks out. In the narrow confines of the ditch both sides find themselves in, a grenade is lobbed among them and explodes. By some miracle, only Mueller survives much to his astonishment. Mueller runs back to his position to warn his Lieutenant about the enemy. 

Mueller tries to explain to the Lieutenant, who then doesn't speak a word to him and acting as if Mueller wasn't there. Mueller believes that the Lieutenant doesn't like his report and that he had failed him. When he tries to explain to his comrades, they too ignored him. Mueller thinks the men are shunning him for losing his patrol. Gripped by terrible guilt, Mueller believes that the only way to wipe out his shame and regain the respect of his comrades is by facing the entire Allied army by himself.

Mueller never felt the storm of lead that lashed him and the crushing death dealt by enemy guns. But by the pain and agony will be with him forever, as a skeletal specter in the battlefield. Reprinted in Sgt. Rock #401 (1985) and Showcase Presents: Weird War Tales Vol. 1 TPB (2013).

That is followed by "The End of the Sea Wolf" by Bob Haney and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Star Spangled War Stories #71 (1958). Sometime after World War II, a German ship was sailing through the North Sea, looking for Allied ships to salvage. The captain recalled the time he had captained a U-boat called the Sea Wolf. The Sea Wolf encountered an Allied fleet. They sunk one ship before they encountered a Q-boat that opened fire on them. The Sea Wolf fired back, taking down the Q-boat's guns. The Q-boat was sailing towards the Sea Wolf, about to ram into it. In the present, the captain of the ship came upon wreckage, which happened to be both the Q-boat and the Sea Wolf, which had been sunk while sinking the Q-boat.

Next up is "Baker's Dozen" by France Herron and Irv Novick and reprinted from Star Spangled War Stories #116 (1964). In Normandy, on Friday the 13th, a thirteenth member was assigned to Baker's Company, much to the sergeant's dismay, believing it to be bad luck. The company left without him, but the captain told the soldier to join them in battle. During the battle, Baker's Company saw a black cat as the thirteenth soldier had arrived. As the thirteenth soldier petted the black cat, a German fighter swooped in and opened fire on the company. 

Not wanting to be considered bad luck, the soldier opened fire on the fighter, shooting it down, but the sergeant chewed him out, believing he had almost been killed by debris. As the sun began to set, an enemy tank had appeared and the soldier decided to take it down himself, but the sergeant chewed him out again. They arrived in a town where the soldier broke a mirror, causing the sergeant to chew him out again. The soldier believed that he may actually be bad luck. When he saw a license plate that read "13-13", he entered the vehicle and drove towards a tank, with TNT inside, getting out before the explosion. Afterward, the sergeant insisted that the soldier stayed with them and that the enemy had to worry about the number thirteen.

We end with the final part of the framing sequence, "You Must Go" by Joe Kubert.  The old man has finished telling his stories and the G.I. is fully rested as the night is almost gone. So the G.I. is ready to reach his outfit and warn them about the enemy waiting in the woods. The G.I. suggests to his host that he should leave as his house will likely be caught in the inevitable crossfire. The old man reassures him that he is in no danger for he has seen war "swirl around [his] doorstep like winter snow!" The G.I. and the old man bid farewell to each other.

The G.I. continues wandering through the woods until he sees a villager gathering firewood. The villager helps him point the way to a nearby road before asking where he had come from. The G.I. explain to her about the cottage and the old man. The villager is very surprised to hear of this because there was no one living in that house because an artillery shell had landed on it and killed its owner...on the very last morning of the Great War. All that is left are ruins.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Detective Comics #414

Detective Comics #414 (On Sale: June 29, 1971), has a stunning Batman cover by Neal Adams.

We begin this issue with Batman in "Legend of the Key Hook Lighthouse" by Denny O'Neil, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. Batman has followed a mob of gun-runners, who are providing weapons for a dictator, but one of the members of the gang decides to help Batman capture the war criminal in exchange for protection. Batman agrees and he is taken to a nearby lighthouse, where the exchange is supposed to take place. 

When General Ruizo and his men arrive, Batman takes them by surprise and finds a way to round up Ruizo's henchmen, but the General manages to escape. Batman is able to follow the General on his boat and witnesses how the army man is struck by the light coming from the lighthouse and driven mad by a supernatural presence. 

When Batman investigates the lighthouse, he is unable to find any evidence of anybody activating the light and he suspects that he has been helped by a powerful entity. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016).

The backup is Batgirl in "Invitation to Murder" by Frank Robbins and Don Heck. On the night of the anniversary of their first meeting, Jason Bard takes Barbara Gordon to go see the play "Invitation to Murder." The two are shocked to find that they are the only two people in the audience. When spotting a rifle set to shoot one of the actors, Jason stops the gunman but is knocked out. Changing into Batgirl in the darkness, Barbara tries to stop the shooter but the gunman still manages to get away. Changing back into her civilian guise, Babs checks on Jason and finds that he is all right.

Realizing that the wild shot must have hit somebody, they find that it winged Robbie Marlow who was viewing the play with his wife Tiz (both are referred to as the "Royal Couple" of Hollywood.) After questioning the couple they find out that they were given the tickets to a sold-out showing of the play by an anonymous admirer, and the only reason why Jason and Barbara happened to be there is because of a mix-up with the date they were going to see the show. Finding it all suspicious, Babs tells Jason to keep an eye on the couple while she goes to "call the police". This story continues next issue and was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 TPB (2007) and Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2018).

The reprints begin with  "The Australian Code Mystery" by David V. Reed, Alex Toth, and Sy Barry and reprinted from World's Finest Comics #66 (1953).

We end with "Private Eye of Venus" by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino and reprinted from Strange Adventures #83 (1957).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Heart Throbs #133

Heart Throbs #133 (On Sale: June 22, 1971), has a cover by Don Heck and Vince Colletta.

We began with our cover story "A Girl's First Love" drawn by Lee Elias. Bill is jealous of the other guys his fiancee Gale has dated in the past, which nearly breaks them up until Gale finds a way to turn the tables on him.

Next is "Kid Sister" drawn by Artie Saaf and Vince Colletta. Mindy gets a makeover from her older sister Doris when she's taken on a double date, which makes her friend Chuck see her in a different light.

Next up is "The Perfect Couple" drawn by Bill Draut and Tony DeZuniga. Jori lives in a commune but falls in love with the son of the real estate developer who is trying to drive the group off their farm.

Following that, we have "Ashamed of My Love" drawn by John Rosenberger and reprinted from Young Romance #152 (1968). Lita likes Tony but since he isn't particularly handsome or fun-loving she tries to deny her feelings for him

We end with "I'll Never Go Home" drawn by Irv Novick and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Falling in Love #8 (1956). Jane is determined to leave small-town life behind until a snowstorm strands her on her way to the big city and a new man makes her see what's really important.

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Star Spangled War Stories #158

Star Spangled War Stories #158 (On Sale: June 17, 1971), has an Unknown Soldier cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with the Unknown Soldier in "Totentanz" by Bob Haney and Joe Kubert. The Unknown Soldier is sent to the Totentanz concentration camp to rescue Erika Hauser, code name "Berengaria," who helped hundreds of important people and children escape from the Nazis. Furthermore, she is deeply tied to the entire network of underground fighters in Germany. Berengaria was captured by the Gestapo, but they do not yet know of her identity.

The Soldier allows himself to be capture and taken to Totentanz. After smuggling a packet containing his disguise to the camp, he then disguises himself as Obersturmführer Adolf Eichmann and tricking the camp commandant Colonel Schneider into releasing Berengaria to his custody. The ruse is eventually discovered when the real Eichmann was on his way to the camp. Fortunately, the Soldier and Berengaria successfully escape to Switzerland. Reprinted in Showcase Presents the Unknown Soldier Vol. 1 TPB (2007). 

This is the kind of book that made the "25 cents bigger and better" slogan hard to swallow. The 11-page Unknown Soldier story is the only new content in this issue.

Our first reprint is "The Flattened Point" by Robert Kanigher and Irv Novick and reprinted from Our Fighting Forces #74 (1963).

This is followed by Enemy Ace in "Enemy Ace" by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Our Army at War #151 (1965). Hans von Hammer celebrates his 50th kill when he is grazed by the wildly fired bullet of his 51st victim. He hovers in and out of consciousness but still manages to land his plane. He broods on the fact that even in the arms of a beautiful nurse and among his fellow pilots, he still feels lonely as if they stand apart from the "killing machine". 

He finds some solace in taking a rifle into the forest and hunting for a while with another predator, a wolf, who recognizes a kindred spirit. Then, Hans takes to the skies once more to defend a zeppelin on a bombing run from three enemy fighters. He manages to shoot two down, but the third deliberately rams his damaged plane into the zeppelin.

We end this issue with "Lame Duck Glider" by France Herron and Russ Heath and reprinted from All American Men of War #57 (1958).

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Batman #234

Batman #234 (On Sale: June 10, 1971), has a wonderful cover by Neal Adams proclaiming the return of Two-Face after a 17-year hiatus.

We begin with "Half an Evil" by Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano. When a parade balloon is stolen in broad daylight, Commissioner Gordon lights up the Bat-Signal at night to contact Batman, despite the disapproval of Arthur Reeves. When Batman arrives at the GCPD Headquarters, they start investigating the mysterious robbery, but they are suddenly interrupted by an officer informing them about a crime at the Nautical Museum. Gordon and his men get going, but Batman arrives first by his own means. Once inside, he confronts a couple of masked thugs, the same that stole the parade balloon. After taking one of them down, Batman interrogates the second thug and learns that he doesn't know who is the man he is working for, but that he always keeps his face concealed while tossing a coin.

After leaving the criminals for the police, Bruce Wayne returns to his penthouse at the Wayne Foundation building and he informs Alfred that his long-time enemy, Two-Face is back on crime. After remembering how the former District Attorney, Harvey Dent became Two-Face and turned to crime, Bruce investigates some of the clues provided by the thugs he captured. Searching a book about ocean and ships, Bruce learns that Two-Face is looking to strike on a boat docked at the Marina across Gotham River and he goes to stop the master criminal.

When Batman arrives at the scene, he takes down a couple more of Two-Face henchmen and he discovers that Two-Face's plan is to steal, sink, and raise an old two-masted ship belonging to Captain Bye, seeking a cache of gold doubloons Bye had hidden in the vessel. Following the ship to a dark swamp, where Two-Face has planned that it would emerge, Batman finally confronts the criminal, unaware that while on the rising, the ship has carried a homeless man to the top of the mast. Batman is distracted trying to save the man and Two-Face takes the opportunity to attack Batman and tie him to the ship's mast. After stealing the historic doubloons, Two-Face gets ready to leave, but Batman tricks him into using his coin in order to decide to save the homeless man or not. When the good side of the coin shows up, Two-Face is compelled to save the man and Batman takes the chance to free himself and capture Two-Face while also saving the homeless man. Reprinted in Best of DC #14 (1981), Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told HC (1988), Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told TPB (1989), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3 HC (2006), Batman Vs. Two-Face TPB (2008), Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Vol. 3 TPB (2013), Batman Arkham:Two-Face TPB (2016), Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016), Batman by Neal Adams Omnibus HC (2016), Two-Face: A Celebration of 75 Years HC (2018), and Batman by Neal Adams Vol. 3 TPB (2020).

Our fist backup is Robin in "Vegeance for a Cop" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. A police officer is brutally attacked outside of the Hudson University and Robin starts investigating the crime in order to bring the attacker to justice.

In search of the assailant, Robin joins a commune and finds the shooter among a group of hippies, but he is not allowed to leave with him as they all get ready to confront the Teen Wonder. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB (2008).

Our bigger and better reprint is Batman in "Trail of the Talking Mask" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Detective Comics #335 (1965). Batman and Robin attempt to stop a jewel robbery, but the three perpetrators escape without noticing the Dynamic Duo. Batman suspects the crooks were automatons controlled via remote. He was tipped off to the robbery by private investigator Hugh Rankin. Rankin has followed the crooks himself, and in so doing, leaves a trail for Batman to follow.

Ranking arrives at the crooks' hide-out first. He is quickly apprehended by the gang's boss the Make-Up Man. When Batman arrives, a trap has been prepared to kill them. Batman escapes the trap and defeats the gang. Rankin is released, but Batman then realizes he is an imposter. The Make-Up Man is captured, and the real Rankin is found.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Flash #208

Flash #208 (On Sale: June 3, 1971), has a beautiful cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with the Flash in "A Kind of Miracle in Central City" by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick, and Murphy Anderson. The Flash rescues a teenage boy from a fall off a rooftop. Vic, the boy, claims it was an accident, but the Flash suspects otherwise. Vic was thrown off the roof by a gang leader known as the Chief. Vic had been working for the gang, but he was made expendable when his sister Anne alerted her fellow nuns to the presence of the crooks in the church.

Since Vic won't accept outside help, the Flash uses his super speed to remain invisible. He then helps Vic and protects him from the gang. Vic makes things right, and the Chief and his partners are apprehended without anyone knowing that the Flash is involved.

The new backup is the Elongated Man in "Malice in Wonderland" by Len Wein and Dick Giordano. As Ralph Dibny is passing through the town of Dodgson it is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. When he enters town Ralph is given a copy of Alice in Wonderland. While pausing to read the book, he sees a white rabbit. His curiosity is aroused and he follows, only to lose the rabbit in traffic.

The Elongated Man then meets a man dressed as the Mad Hatter. The man explains that his uncle who founded the town was a relative of Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland. The town is celebrating by dressing as characters from the book. Ralph still wants to catch up to the rabbit, who steals a rare first edition of the book on display at the town civic center. The Elongated Man tracks down the rabbit and his partners and retrieves the stolen book. He was tipped off by the fact that the criminal dressed like the movie version of the rabbit, instead of the original book version.

The reprint backup is the Kid Flash in "The Flash's Sensational Risk" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino, and Joe Giella and reprinted from Flash #149 (1964). A large explosion near Blue Valley draws the attention of Wally West aka Kid Flash. Kid Flash examines a crater created by the explosion and is transported to the other-dimensional world of Ikora. Kid Flash then discovers explosives used by Ikoran criminals are responsible for the damage on Earth. Kid Flash attempts to apprehend the criminals, but he is struck by one of their weapons.

Kid Flash returns to Earth to gain the aid of the Flash. After relating his story, Kid Flash loses his memory as a delayed side-effect of the ray weapon. Flash fails to restore Wally's memory until he devises a way to unmask on TV at super-speed. Wally's memory is shocked back to normal by the surprise.

Flash and his protégé return to Ikora and defeat the K-10 Gang. After turning them into Ikoran authorities, the speedsters return to Earth. Flash explains that because he unmasked at super-speed, only Wally's super-speed vision could identify his real face.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Flash #207

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

G.I. Combat #148

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Batman #231

Batman #231 (On Sale: March 11, 1971), has a nice cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with "Blind Rage of the Ten-Eyed Man" by Frank Robbins Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. Seeking his revenge upon Batman, the Ten-Eyed Man takes a job as an air marshal. He then hijacks a plane and takes it to Vietnam. He issues demands to have Batman meet him there. The Caped Crusader complies and arrives in Vietnam.

The Ten-Eyed Man releases the hostages, then retreats into the jungle. He is familiar with the jungle from his days in the special forces which give him an advantage over Batman. Batman dodges traps set by his foe and despite the terrain favoring Reardon, Batman prevails. He captures the Ten-Eyed Man and brings him home in custody. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016).

The back-up strip this issue is Robin in "Wiped Out" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. Dick Grayson considers that his role as Robin has not been received well on the campus of Hudson University. His thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of Terri Bergstrom. The couple head to Terri's room which has been ransacked. When they return to Dick's room, they find it has also been broken into.

Dick leaves Terri and investigates the crimes as Robin. He finds the thieves who are connected to Mark Brunner. Robin tracks down Brunner who along with two others had previously assaulted him. Robin stops Brunner and puts an end to the robbery ring before resuming his date with Terri. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB (2008).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Flash #206

Flash #206 (On Sale: March 4, 1971), has a nice cover by Neal Adams. 

This issue begins with the Flash in  "24 Hours of Immortality" by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick, and Murphy Anderson. A plane carrying Susan Logan and her son crashes into a car driven by William Kandel. Susan's son and William's wife are killed. Susan and William's prayers to save their loved ones are answered by two aliens. A bargain is struck. Timmy and Sylvia are restored to life, but Susan and William will die the following day. During that day, both will be immortal.

Kandel next finds himself caught in the crossfire caused by some escaped convicts. He is shot while Flash rounds up the crooks. Flash is amazed that Kandel survived. He then hears the story. He decides to help Kandel complete an important surgery on a patient before the doctor's day is up.

Flash then seeks out Susan, who has entered a daredevil competition. The competition is threatened by a nearby forest fire, but the Flash quenches the blaze. Susan then wins the competition by falling to Earth without opening her parachute.

When their time is up William and Susan meet the aliens again. Flash intervenes on their behalf, hoping to spare their lives. The aliens try to kill the Flash, but his powers keep him alive. The aliens are impressed, so they decide to leave. William and Susan are given a second chance at life.

Our back-up feature is the Elongated Man in "Showdown in Elongated Town" by Cary Bates and Dick Giordano. The Elongated Man finds himself in a western ghost town with no idea how he got there. The town appears to be elongated too. Suddenly a man appears who attempts to shoot Ralph with a ray gun. Ralph escapes and he eventually realizes he is wearing contact lenses which distort his vision. Once the lenses are removed, the town returns to normal. He then deduces the true identity of his foe, the Mirror Master. Elongated Man then captures the rogue and jails him until the proper authorities arrive.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

DC Special #12

DC Special #12 (On Sale: March 2, 1971), has a Viking Prince cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with Viking Prince in "Battle for the Dragon Ship" by  Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #1 (1955). This reprints the first appearance of the Viking Prince. In the year 964 AD, Norwegian fisherman Captain Olaf comes upon a young lad floating on a log at sea. He brings him aboard his vessel, but the youth has no memory of his true name or identity. Olaf and his men bring the youth to shore, where a man named Sardluk the spy watches them from afar. 

Sardluk recognizes the blond-haired lad and reports back to his master Baron Thorvald. Thorvald is animated when he hears the news and orders his men to kill the boy. Sardluk's soldiers raid Captain Olaf's home, but the man fights back, ensnaring the soldiers with Olaf's fishing nets. He then picks up a stray sword and injures Sardluk. The boy has no idea why he is so proficient with a blade. Sardluk and his men run away, but promise to return to finish the job. 

Captain Olaf's daughter Gunnda is so impressed with the boy's bravery that she names him Jon the Viking Prince, after a famed Viking hero. A few days later, Baron Thorvald learns that Olaf's men have put to sea, and orders his dragon ship to give chase. As the dragon ship overtakes Olaf's fishing vessel, Jon has the Captain load him onto a spring-loaded harpoon and fire him across to the other ship. Once onboard, Jon swings across the mast then tears through one of the sails with his sword. He fights valiantly against the Viking warriors, forcing Baron Thorvald to flee by diving off his own ship. Jon is concerned that the Baron had information concerning his true identity and fears that he will never learn the truth about his own mysterious past.

Next is another Viking Prince tale, "The Ice Dragon" by Bill Finger and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #5 (1956). With winter setting in, the men of Olaf's tribe are forced to fish day and night to ensure there will be enough food to last. When a sea serpent attacks their fishing boats, the men are too scared to return to the water. Olaf's daughter Gunnda goes out by herself to show the men bravery.

Jon follows her and encounters the serpent. When he gets close, he discovers that the serpent is really a disguised iceberg, moved by one of Thorvald's boats. Jon and Gunnda are captured by Thorvald, but he escapes. When Thorvald's men pursue him, he harpoons a whale. The whale becomes enraged and overturns Thorvald's boats, allowing Jon and Gunnda to get away safely.

Our final Viking Prince story is "The Viking and the Mermaid" by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #16 (1958). Jon, the Viking Prince, attempts to claim his throne by completing Thor's twelve tasks. Torgunn, the Claw, who sits on the throne as regent, seeks to thwart Jon. After the Viking Prince defeats Sven the Giant in combat to complete the first task, Torgunn's wife drugs Jon and causes him to temporarily lose his memory.

Accompanied only by a mute bard, Jon is sent to retrieve an ice demon's helm full of fire. The heat of a lava field clears Jon's head and restores his memory. He then battles the ice demons, saves a maiden, and fills one of the demon's helmet with fire.

Jon attempts to take the maiden, Ylla, back to her father, King Harold of Skane. Torgunn then attacks Jon at sea. The maiden falls into the ocean. Jon dives to the bottom of the sea to save her. However, the dive causes Jon to lose his memory yet again. Ylla is returned to her father, while Jon and the bard sail away with the Viking Prince once again seeking his true past.

Next is the origin of the Silent Knight in "Duel in Forest Perilous" by Robert Kanigher and Irv Novick and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #1 (1955). In the 6th century England, a jousting tournament was taking place between two rulers, Sir Oswald Bane and Sir Edwin Kent. When Kent's Lance strikes against Bane's armor, the lance shatters as if made of rotted wood. When he and Bane then duel with swords, Kent's weapon becomes slack, and he is dealt a fatal blow.

Brian Kent, Edwin's son, rushes to his father's side. With his dying breath, Edwin tells him that he will soon come of age that he can rule alongside Sir Oswald, as a just and merciful ruler. Oswald offers his sympathy to young Brian, lamenting that such an accident had to happen. Brian is not sure it was an accident, however. 

He soon becomes apprenticed to the knights and is trained by his father's friend, Sir Grot. Though Brian seems to be excelling in his training, Grot, strangely, keeps informing Bane that he is talent-less and a waste of time. One day, while Grot starts Brian on Hawkery training, Sir Bane's favorite hawk, Slasher, escapes out of the exit, and Brian gives chase. Slasher leads Brian into the Perilous Forest, so named because of the dangers that await within. When he catches up to Slasher, Brian finds him perched on a branch where a marvelous shining suit of armor, sword, and shield hung as if waiting for him. 

Suited in the armor, Brian follows the path back where he sees a young woman and her father being harassed by Oswald's men. Staying silent, so as not to give his identity away, Brian comes to the travelers' aide, fighting off the other knights' attacks, with Slasher assisting with his talons. His refusal to speak earns him the title of Silent Knight by Bane's men. Soon, Brian has warded off all the others and they retreat into the woods. He escorts the girl and her father back to the castle where they will be safe, then Brian returns to the forest, hiding his armor where he found it until he needs it again.

Back at the training camp, Sir Grot complains that while Brian was out cavorting with hawks, the word arrived of a mysterious Silent Knight that has been seen around the kingdom. Brian just shrugs and returns to his duties.

Following that tale is the origin of the  Golden Gladiator, "The Thunder of the Chariots" by France Herron and Russ Heath and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #1 (1955). In ancient Rome, a shepherd named Marcus stares into a fountain. From behind him, a centurion named Cinna ambushes Marcus and brings him before the Praetor Clodius Crassus. He accuses Marcus of trying to assassinate Crassus, even though it was actually Cinna and his men who tried to murder him. Marcus however, proves to be an apt patsy to cover up for Cinna's crimes. 

Praetor Clodius orders Marcus thrown into the slave galley. Aboard the galley, a Nubian lion escapes from his cage and begins attacking the crew. Marcus wrenches his slave chains from their moorings and uses them as a weapon against the lion. The ship's overseer is so impressed with Marcus' fighting prowess that he recommends him for gladiatorial combat. 

Marcus is brought back to Rome where he is forced to fight in the arena. His opponent Caius ensnares Marcus with a net then charges at him with his trident. Marcus is injured but manages to catch the spear and turn it back upon his foe. The Praetor rules to spare Caius' life so that he can "burn with rage" against Marcus. Cinna makes Marcus fight a second time – this time against a charging bull. Cinna deliberately arms him with a faulty spear, hoping that the bull will kill him. The bull indeed breaks Marcus' spear, but the former shepherd still succeeds in conquering the beast. Marcus' next challenge is a chariot race. He races against a fellow gladiator named Cotta and manages to unseat him with a hearty toss from his shield. Marcus manages to win the race and is granted his freedom.

Lastly, we have Robin Hood in "Three Arrows Against Doom" by Bob Haney and Russ Heath and reprinted from Brave and the Bold #9 (1956). Robin Hood, disguised as an old trader, tells the story of three different arrows that saved him from trouble.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Star Spangled War Stories #156

Star Spangled War Stories #156 (On Sale: February 23, 1971), has a terrific Unknown Soldier cover by Joe Kubert

We begin this issue with the Unknown Soldier in "Assassination" by Bob Haney and Joe Kubert. The Unknown Soldier meets a British agent who tells him of a meeting on July 20th which Adolf Hitler will attend. Disguised as a German lieutenant, the Unknown Soldier infiltrates the Wolf's Lair and plants a bomb intending to kill Hitler. 

One of Hitler's own advisers, Colonel Von Stauffenberg also carries a bomb to the meeting. He leaves it in the meeting room concealed in a briefcase. However, a soldier returns the briefcase to the colonel outside the room just as it is about to go off. The explosion does not succeed in killing Hitler. The bunker is sealed and the Unknown Soldier's bomb is uncovered. Fortunately, he was able to get outside before the doors were shut. The Soldier, disguised as an old woman, escapes to Switzerland. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents the Unknown Soldier Vol. 1 TPB (2007).

The backup is "A Dream Came True" by Hank Chapman and Irv Novick and is reprinted from Our Army at War #154 (1965). A one-panel cameo of Enemy Ace has been added to introduce this story, with art by Joe Kubert. During World War I, an American pilot named Mike Mason is humiliated because he never shoots down any enemy planes. One day, he lies to his commanding officer and says he shot down five Germans. However, he knows his lie will be exposed when the intelligence officers are unable to confirm the kills. The next day, Mason is sent on a solo mission, and he manages to shoot down two zeppelins and three planes. His dreamed-up tale has become a reality.

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Flash #204

Flash #204 (On Sale: January 21, 1971), has a nice cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with the Flash in "The Great Secret Identity Expose" by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick, and Murphy Anderson. Continuing from the last issue, after returning to the 20th Century, Iris Allen suddenly possesses the ability to see through disguises. She correctly identifies an imposter who has kidnapped a business tycoon and fingers two bank robbers. Though Iris clearly blurts out their identities, Iris has no memory of doing so.

When Flash is called to testify in court beside his comrades in the Justice League, Iris nearly exposes their secret identities. Flash intercedes to protect his friends. Fearing Iris will cause more trouble, he takes her back into the timestream. During the trip, the locket she received from her birth father glows. The Flash deduces that it is the cause of Iris's outbursts. Removing the locket cures Iris of the condition.

The backup Kid Flash story is "The Mind-Trap" by Steve Skeates, Dick Dillin, and Murphy Anderson. Wally West is touring the exhibit of Rama-Skeet, an Egyptian pharaoh at the Blue Valley Museum when a car crashes outside the museum, and a man is pronounced dead. A few moments later, the dead man rises. He has been inhabited by the spirit of Rama-Skeet.

Wally switches to Kid Flash and races to the scenes. The spirit then takes over Kid Flash's body. Wally blacks out during the time he is possessed, but he revives fifteen minutes later. The spirit has moved to another body.

Kid Flash deduces that the conscious mind of the host must fight the spirit leading it to find another host. He ensures that the new host is not near any other people when the time limit expires. The spirit is ejected from the host and appears to be destroyed permanently.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Batman #230

Batman #230 (On Sale: January 21, 1971), has a nice cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin this issue with Batman in "Take-Over of Paradise" by Frank Robbins, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. After disrupting violent protests, Batman organizes the young people on the streets and tries to put them on the right path. It seems to work at first, but when a new housing project is announced, they strike with violence again and occupy the place, setting explosives on the perimeter of the new building. Seeing how futile his efforts were, Batman decides to leave the situation to the Gotham City Police Department and not involve himself in any of it.

Unfortunately, Commissioner Gordon is unable to negotiate with the gang and all they request is to talk with Batman or that Gotham meets their demands. Without any option, Gordon contacts Batman to help the police negotiate with the gang. In the meantime, the leaders of the gang have an argument and things get heated in their private room. When Batman arrives, everything seems to indicate that one of the leaders killed the other, and following the clues and trail of the detonator, Batman finds the sole leader of the gang about to detonate the explosives. 

Batman prevents the young man from exploding everything and he deduces that the evidence had been altered to frame the man. At that moment, the real killer appears and Batman stops the rebel lady from eliminating the second leader of the gang. She confesses that she tried to take the leadership of the gang by murdering the two male leaders and after her plot is uncovered by Batman, the rest of the gang decide to drop their violent act and be punished by the law. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016).

We end with Robin in "Danger Comes A-Looking" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano. This story continues from World's Finest #200. After returning to Hudson University from his adventure with Superman, Robin starts investigating the bombing of the ROTC building on campus. However, Robin is beaten up by orange-shoe-wearing students and finds himself in a conflict between radicals and anti-radicals. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB (2008).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Flash #203

Flash #203 (On Sale: December 3, 1970), has a wonderful cover by Neal Adams and Jack Adler. Jack provided the photograph and the colors, Neal did the rest.

"The Flash's Wife Is a Two-Timer" is by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick, and Murphy Anderson.  While rummaging in her father's basement, Iris West discovers a locket with the engraved name Iris Russell. Her touch triggers an audio message which reveals that Iris came from the 30th Century. Her parents, Eric and Fran Russell, feared for the safety of their newborn daughter Iris due to an impending nuclear holocaust. To save their child, they sent her back in time to the 20th Century. Iris was taken in by Ira West and his wife who had recently lost their own infant during childbirth. When confronted by Iris, Professor West confirms the story.

Before telling her husband the story, Iris is drawn forward in time. She is able to leave a short note behind to give Barry a clue to her whereabouts. In the 30th Century, Iris is reunited with her lost parents. However, she comes to the attention of Sirik, the supreme leader of Earth-East. Sirik demands that Iris become his mate, or he will destroy everyone.

Meanwhile, in the 20th Century, Barry Allen finds his wife's note. He uses the cosmic treadmill to travel into the future. He finds his wife and is brought up to speed on her predicament. The Flash then challenges and defeats Sirik. Iris bids farewell to her newfound birth parents and returns home with her husband.

The Flash later shares this story with Superman who has a similar origin to Iris. Hard to believe this story has not been reprinted.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Batman #229

Batman #229 (On Sale: December 3, 1970), has a cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Not one of my favorites covers. It might be the inks or it might be the colors or it might be both.

We begin with Batman in "Asylum of the Futurians" by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick, and Frank Giacoia. At night, on a dark road on the outskirts of Gotham City, Batman finds a young woman, who is desperately looking for help. She has been trying to find someone to save her husband, who has been abducted by a group of strange people. Batman agrees to help her and she takes him to an ancient house where he witnesses the strange behavior of the group of people holding the man hostage. Batman assumes that they are all mentally unstable, but when he breaks into the place to save the man, he learns that the gathering of people calls themselves "Futurians". They claim to be a cabal of ESPers who intend to rule the Earth and who believe that Batman may be a potential leader according to some prophecy.

Batman decides to play along and he is crowned as the new ruler of the Futurians, but the crown makes Batman lose his consciousness and when he recovers, he realizes that he has been locked inside a coffin and dumped into a lake, as part of the final test for the Futurians' leadership. As the Futurians have removed his Utility Belt, Batman uses the crown to open the coffin and escape. The Futurians are glad that Batman survived the test, proving his worthiness for the leadership, but Batman takes advantage of the situation and captures the entire gang including their leader, a young woman called Michelle, and debunks their society as phonies and megalomaniacs, who seek power through deception.

Finally, Batman returns to the couple he rescued and the man tells him that he had been mentally calling for Batman's help and the Dark Knight realizes that maybe that's the reason why he changed his nightly patrol routine, but he is not certain of that, nor of the truth behind the Futurians' claims. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 TPB (2016).

Our back-up story features Robin in "Temperature Boiling... and Rising" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick, and Frank Giacoia. Continuing from Batman #227, when a photograph surfaces showing congressional candidate Professor Stuart taking a payoff, his campaign is derailed. Dick Grayson realizes that the photo is fake. As Robin, he checks out the newspaper which published the photo to locate the source. It leads to Dick's friend Phil Real. 

When Robin checks on Phil, Bill Perkins, Phil's roommate attacks him. Perkins and another boy were the arsonists that burned Stuart's campaign office. They doctored Phil's photos to frame the professor. Robin exposes the fake, clearing Stuart just before the election. This story was reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB (2008).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Flash #202

Flash #202 (On Sale: October 20, 1970), has a cover by Dick Giordano. 

We begin with the Flash in "The Satan Circle" by Robert Kanigher, Irv Novick and Murphy Anderson. Iris is sent to Hollywood to write a series of articles about missing persons and cults. Shortly after she arrives, Barry Allen gets a phone call alerting him that Iris is in trouble. The Flash runs to Hollywood where he encounters members of a satanic cult. They have captured Iris and dose the Flash with hallucinogenic drugs. The Flash is able to overcome the effects of the drugs, rescue Iris, and defeat the cult and its leader, Lucifer.

Our backup story is Kid Flash in "The Accusation" by Steve Skeates,

Dick Dillin and Murphy Anderson. Carson has a recurring nightmare in which Kid Flash accuses him of killing Walter Savin. Carson has no memory of killing anyone, but he recognizes the name from a news report. Savin was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Plagued by feelings he doesn't understand, Carson gets into his car and begins remembering hitting the boy. He tries to leave town. On the road he passes Kid Flash, who has just rounded up a gang of street thieves. The sight of Kid Flash causes Carson to swerve. He crashes his car and is killed upon impact.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Batman #227

Batman #227 (On Sale: October 20, 1970), has a cover by Neal Adams. in a bit of the gothic genre that DC was trying out at the time. The looming wash figure of Batman in the background is an homage to the cover of Detective Comics #31 by Bob Kane.

We start with Batman in  "The Demon of Gothos Mansion" by Denny O'Neil, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano. Alfred receives a letter from his niece Daphne, saying she is teaching the children of Gothos Mansion but thinks there is something strange. Batman decides to investigate and once he arrives, he is attacked by some men, but easily defeats them. In Daphne's room, she tells him she has discovered the children were Dwarves and she is forced to wear ancient clothes. On the wall there is a portrait of a girl who looks exactly like Daphne. When Batman steps outside the room into a hallway, he falls through a trapdoor into a net.

The Elder Heathrow and his men bind Batman's hands and he is placed on a stone with a noose round his neck. In about a quarter of an hour it will drop into the cellar and Batman will be hanged. He tells Batman that as Daphne was born at precisely midnight on October 31st he will sacrifice her to summon the demon Ballk, which his family has waited six generations to do. He claims an ancestor of his did so also and the spirit of the sacrifice walks these halls. When he is left to die, Batman escapes using a torch to burn through the rope. Once outside, he sees a girl he mistakes for Daphne but she says she is not her. She leads him to the coven in an old chapel and he finds himself loving her.

Inside the chapel, Daphne is bound and gagged, standing on the altar while the coven chants. She is forced down and the Elder prepares to slay her with a pitchfork. However Batman enters and puts an end to the sacrificial ceremony. As the coven attacks, he throws the Elder to them and they run out. The Elder dies and Batman deduces that his heart couldn't take it. Batman unties Daphne, telling her to go to the mansion as he goes out to meet the girl that guided him, but she says in besting the coven he has freed her and disappears into the night. Finally, Batman finds the image of the girl similar to Daphe fixed to a tree. Reprinted in Batman from the 30s to the 70s HC (1972), Limited Collectors' Edition C-59 (1978) and Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 TPB (2012).

We end with Robin in  "Help Me --- I Think I'm Dead" by Mike Friedrich, Irv Novick and Mike Esposito. While working a college help line, Dick Grayson receives an emergency call from photographer Phil Real. Dick rushes to the nearby riverside where he saves Phil's life as Robin. However, he finds that the river is badly polluted. Dick joins the campaign of Professor Stuart who is running for Congress on a platform of cleaning up the environment including the river.

The ICM Corporation is angry that Stuart is receiving backing from Hudson University students. They hire arsonists to torch the professor's office. Robin tries to stop them, but he is too late. Then a photograph surfaces showing Stuart taking a payoff. This story is continued next issue. Reprinted in Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 TPB (2008) and Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 TPB (2012).

Edited by Julius Schwartz.