Welcome back to Comic Book Retro 50 where I look back at what a young Dave-El was buying off of the spinner racks a half century ago.
What pray tell did I buy in August 1976?
Picking up where we left off in June 1976, it's Freedom Fighters#5 with a cover by cover by Rich Buckler & Vince Colleta.
In the previous issue written by Marty Pasko, Wonder Woman was called on to intervene in capturing the renegade super team and winds up on the wrong end of a presumably killing blow from a big bad called King Samson.
"The Rise and Fall of King Samson" now pairs up new incoming writer Bob Rozakis along with returning artists Ramona Fradon and Vince Colletta as the Freedom Fighters need to figure out how to cure Wonder Woman of her case of death.
Bob Rozakis was a frequent go-to writer for a lot of DC Comics in the 1970's. He would continue as the writer for Freedom Fighters for the rest of it's run until it's end in 1978.
After ending with issue #43 back in November 1972, Teen Titans returned to the DC line up with issue #44 as of August 1976 with a cover by Ernie Chan & Vince Colletta.
"The Man Who Toppled the Titans" was co-written by Paul Levitz and Bob Rozakis (him again) with art by Pablo Marcos & Bob Smith.
Long time non-super hero member Mal Duncan adopts the super hero indentity of the Guardian in this issue. IMHO, I think it was a clever use of established lore from other comics. (The costume and name came from the super hero who helped the Newsboy Legion in Jack Kirby's run on Jimmy Olsen.)
Mal Duncan's time as the Guardian will regrettably come to an end in issue #44 to be replaced by a really stupid idea.
Meanwhile, back to issue #43...
Long time foe of the Justice League Dr. Light comes after the junior heroes as a stepping stone to defeating the JLA. He does not succeed and this defeat at the hands of a bunch of kids will continue to haunt the villain, saddled with reputation of "defeated by kids". Subsequent appearances in JLA and Suicide Squad will inevitably bring up Dr. Light got beat up by kids.
Until Dr. Light's rep was replaced with "rapist" in 2004 in Brad Meltzer's Identity Crisis series. So THAT is what he became known for after that.
OK, this nostalgic look back at comic books took a dark turn.
Let's look at more super team action with Justice League of America #136, part 2 of the 3 part annual Earth 1 Justice League/Earth 2 Justice Society crossover with the Fawcett Comics super heroes of Earth S tossed in as well.
Fun fact about this cover by Ernie Chan & Frank Giacoia: this is the first time the Batman of Earth 2 has been featured on a comic book cover since...
BEGIN....COMIC BOOK NERD ALERT!
While the line of demarcation for Earth 1 super heroes is clear for some characters like Barry Allen/The Flash (Showcase#4) or Hal Jordan/Green Lantern (Showcase#22), the switch from what we know to be Earth 2 to Earth 1 is less clear for heroes who remained in continuous publication from the Golden Age to the Silver Age.
What is the point where the Batman character starring in his own book and in Detective Comics became the Silver Age version?
One such dividing line was when Julius Schwartz took over as Batman's editor and slapped a yellow oval around the bat on Batman's chest in the spring of 1964.
But an oval-less Batman had already been appearing next to Silver Age compatriots in Justice League of America.
Other considerations on when Batman switched from the Golden Age version to the Earth 1 Silver Age version involve calculating what issues of Batman and Detective were on sale concurrent with Showcase#4 and maybe in even going further back to when Jack Schiff took over as editor and the titles became less dark and further removed from the character's
Golden Age roots blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
END....COMIC BOOK NERD ALERT!
Fun fact about this cover by Ernie Chan & Frank Giacoia: this is the first time the Batman of Earth 2 has been features on a comic book cover since in a very long time.
As I noted in last month's Comic Book Retro 50, Pasko was not a willing or joyful participant in these proceedings. IMHO, a lot of the dialogue and captions still read more like Bridwell's voice than Pasko's.
Evil things.
Things... of evil.
Meanwhile, what is up with the good Captain? Where is he in all this chaos?
Meanwhile the Joker (of Earth 2) and the Weeper (of Earth S) are doing... things.
Mr. Scarlet (of Earth S) stops the Joker.
So all the fandom at DC wanted to see a team up of the Captain Marvel cast with the classic DC heroes and Bridwell writes them out of this story?
By the way, props to Dillin for drawing Billy Batson in the classic C.C. Beck style.
Meanwhile the Joker (of Earth 2) and the Weeper (of Earth S) are doing... things.
Evil things.
Things... of evil.
With an Infra-Red Ray Pistol!
OK, I'll bite: How does an Infra-Red Ray Pistol work?
Very well, thank you!
Meanwhile The Shade (Earth 2) and Dr. Light (taking a break from getting his ass kicked by the Teen Titans on Earth 1) are doing... you know... things.
Evil things.
Things... of evil.
There's some fuckery being caused by satellites (of EVIL!) which Hawman (Earth 1) and Bulletman (Earth S) cause to collide in a spectacular BWAAAAADOOOOMMM!
Good show, Dillin and McLaughlin.
For even MORE Info on this insane issue, check out Alan Stewart's blog for his own 50 year look back at JLA#136.
Elsewhere on Earth 2 brings us to All Star Comics#63 with a cover by Rich Buckler & Wally Wood
With Gerry Conway back at Marvel, it's up to Paul Levitz to go solo and write the "The Death of Doctor Fate", wonderfully illustrated by Keith Giffen & Wally Wood.
The JSA is being attacked by the Injustice Gang.
So Levitz is making a boo-boo here! The super villain team on Earth 2 is the Injustice Society. "Injustice Gang" is the sobriquet of the super villain team on Earth 1.
Speaking off criss-cross multiple Earth chicanery, after being defeated on Earth 1 in Superman#301, Solomon Grundy is back on Earth 2 to get his butt kicked by Superman again, this time the Golden Age version.
Keith Giffen and Wally Wood with colorist Carl Gafford continue to evoke classic Joe Shuster in their delineation of the Golden Age Man of Steel.
Hey, the cover does not lie: Doctor Fate dies!
But at the same time the Injustice Gang Society Whatever is causing grief, Earth is beseiged by the supernatural menace called Zanadu.
Sadly, this would be Keith Giffen's last issue as penciller on All-Star Comics. Giffen would move over to Marvel for a year long stint pencilling The Defenders.
Writer Paul Levitz and artist Keith Giffen would reunite on Legion of Super Heroes in 1982.
Elsewhere and elsewhen on Earth S, we arrive at Shazam#26 under a cover by Ernie Chan & Kurt Shaffenberger.
Billy Batson (who makes a passing reference to the events of JLA#135-#137) is on his cross country tour which brings him to Washington DC and the "The Case of the Kidnapped Congress" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Kurt Schaffenberger.
The dinosaur Captain Marvel is slugging on the cover? It's Sen. Mitch McConnell.
...
...
Because Mitch is really... really old.
...
...
Cmon! That's funny!
Shazam was not the only TV show to get a comic book series.
Welcome Back, Kotter #1 is a thing that existed and a thing I shelled out 30 cents for.
Under a cover by Bob Oksner, the issue contains a story Elliot S. Maggin, Jack Sparling & Oksner
I was a big fan of the show and I used to memorize Gabe Kaplan's end of episode bad jokes.
After ALL these years, I still use the "tongue growing a mustache" line when I don't feel well.
Flash #245 comes our way with a cover by Ernie Chan. (We are coming near to the end of Chan's run as DC's go-to cover artist.)
"Who Put the Zing in the Flash?" by Cary Bates, Irv Novick & Frank McLaughlin is 10 pages of nonsense I barely remembered without doing some research first.
What is more significance is the Green Lantern back up, "Perilous Plan of the Plant-Master" by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin & Terry Austin.
While Green Lantern's own title had been revived a few months back, he was sharing that space with Green Arrow and there were still some solo tales that needed to be burned off in The Flash. (The next issue will mark the end of GL's run as a back up in this title.)
The bad guy in this story is Jason Woodrue, the Plant Master, a old enemy of the Atom. In this tale, Woodrue would mutate into the Floronic Man, a monstrous form he would maintain from here on out.
Alan Moore would make clever use of Woodue's Floronic Man in Swamp Thing.
Ernie Chan provides the cover to Superman#305 which marked the return of the OG Toyman by Martin Pasko, Curt Swan and Bob Oksner.
From Superman to Superboy, it's the Legion of Super Heroes in Superboy#221 with a cover by Mike Grell
"The Trillion-Dollar Trophies" by Jim Shooter, Mike Grell & Bob Wiacek introduces the Legion to the twin threats of Charma...
Charma seduces men and Grimbor chains them up. Their home planet is a leather bar.
Ostensibly, Grimbor is out to capture the Legion so their super rich benefactor R.J. Brande will pay a hefty ransom. But Grimbor is so proud of his handiwork, he wants to keep the chained up Legionnaires as trophies instead of taking the money.
More Legion solo action with Karate Kid #5 with Mike Grell's inks salvaging an Ernie Chan cover.
"The Tomorrow Thief" by Barry Jameson, Ric Estrada
& Joe Staton is about something.
I know I bought it but I can't remember a thing about it and this post has gone on too long for me to care enough to research it.
Batman's in action with Detective Comics #465 with a cover by Ernie Chan.
"The Best-Kept Secret in Gotham City" by David V. Reed, Ernie Chan & Frank Giacoia is a clever tale about an emergency plan Batman has if anyone gets the big idea to kidnap Commisioner Gordon to learn Batman's secret identity.
Bruce is maintaining an office with a secretary for an imaginary man. Bruce knows that if someone actually comes calling for Mr. Merrick, he knows Gordon is in danger. Merrick is the name Batman told Gordon to give if ever threatened to give up Batman's secret I.D.
The Calculator strikes again, this time against Elongated Man
"The Elongated Plague" is by Bob Rozakis, Ernie Chan & Terry Austin, following up on the 2 previous issues where Calculator took on the Atom and Black Canary.
With a cover by Ernie Chan, Batman Family#8 runs into another daughter of a Bat-villain, this time Catgirl, the alleged offspring of Catwoman.
In "The Copycatgirl Capers", Bob Rozakis, Irv Novick & Vince Colletta expose that this "Catgirl" is not ANOTHER duplicitous daughter but the same one as before.
Yep, it's the Joker's Daughter who had bedeviled the Teen Wonder back in Batman Family#6.
Seriously, who is this clown?
Give us a couple of months. The answer is forthcoming in Batman Family#9.
The issue is rounded out by a reprint from Batman #129 in 1960.
And just before Barbara Gordon leaves Gotham City to serve in Congress, we also got a reprint from 1972, Detective Comics #424, "Batgirl's Last Case".
Not quite her last case. After a couple of guest appearances in Superman, Batgirl regains a regular berth in Batman Family.
August 1976 Books I Did NOT Buy
Batman#281
Action Comics#465
Despite the enticement of a Steve Lombard back up
Although I was buying other TV tie ins like Shazam, Isis and Welcome Back Kotter, I did not pick Super Friends#1.
By August 1976, the DC banner was gone except for one hold out: Our Army At War#298.
So that was my world in comics books in August 1976. September is coming and it's time for Li'l Dave-El to go back to school.
But I still found time for comic books and we'll find out what I bought in next month's Comic Book Retro 50: September 1976.
Next week: I recently purchased a facsimile edition of a classic comic from 1963.
From Batman#156, "Robin Dies At Dawn!"
________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment