Detective Comics #412

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Adventure Comics #407

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.

Action Comics #401

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

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

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

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Young Romance #172

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Green Lantern #84

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

From Beyond the Unknown #11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

World's Finest Comics #203

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

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

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

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

Editend by Julius Schwartz.

Unexpected #125

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

New Gods #3

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

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

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

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Batman #232

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Star Spangled War Stories #157

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Joe Kubert.

Heart Throbs #132

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Superman #238

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Girls' Romances #157

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Flash #207

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Brave & the Bold #96

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #138

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

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

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

Edited by Jack Kirby.

Super DC Giant S-25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Justice League of America #90

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

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

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

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

Edited by Julius Schwartz.