Hello Internet travelers, and welcome to another edition of Into the Bronze Age! It’s time to explore some more classic, Bronze Age DC comics, and we’ve got a pretty interesting trio of titles to talk about this time. We have a significant issue of The Haunted Tank’s harrowing adventures, a cool and unusual issue of JLA, and finally another frantic feature of the Fourth World! Let’s dive right in, shall we?
- Action Comics #406
- Adventure Comics #412
- Batman #236
- Brave and the Bold #98
- Detective Comics #417
- The Flash #210
- Forever People #5
- G.I. Combat #150
- Justice League of America #94
- New Gods #5
- Superboy #179
- Superman #244
- Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane #116
- Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #143
- World’s Finest #207
Bolded entries are covered in this post, the others will be covered soon.
G.I. Combat #150
“The Death of the Haunted Tank”
Writer: Robert Kanigher
Penciler: Russ Heath
Inker: Russ Heath
Editor/Cover Artist: Joe Kubert
“The Two-Legged Mine”
Writer: Bob Haney
Penciler: Russ Heath
Inker: Russ Heath
Editor: Robert Kanigher
“Hip Shot”
Writer: Sam Glanzman
Penciler: Sam Glanzman
Inker: Sam Glanzman
Editor: Robert Kanigher
“Ice Cream Soldier”
Writer: Robert Kanigher
Penciler: Joe Kubert
Inker: Joe Kubert
Editor: Robert Kanigher
We’ve got a landmark issue of the Haunted Tank this month! For once, the cover doesn’t lie, and when it promises the “Death of the Haunted Tank,” it is being quite literal! After roughly 60 issues, the plucky little M-3 Stuart tank will meet its demise in this issue. And that cover is a pretty good one, in addition to being honest. It’s dramatic, catching a moment, not before disaster strikes, but just as it is striking, which creates a pretty dynamic effect. Of course, Kubert’s stark work adds to the drama of the moment rather nicely.
Inside, our tale begins in what has become normal fashion, with the spectral J.E.B. Stuart offering one of his habitual vague warnings that could really mean anything, as Kanigher continues to not really take advantage of his awesome premise. In this case, the General’s super helpful warning that “things aren’t what they seem” applies to a seemingly crashed German bomber that is actually a trap for the tank. Jeb and company knock it out in a nice two-page splash, but then their ghostly guardian informs them that this was the last time he could “help” them, and bids them farewell.
As Jeb ruminates on this startling turn of events, his crew continue to contemplate his apparent insanity as he seems to speak to empty air. They roll past a depot where other crews are cannibalizing knocked out tanks for parts. There are two things of note in this scene. First, the other crew actually asks how Jeb’s tiny little Stuart constantly knocks out tanks much heavier than it, joking that it must be because it is haunted. Second, we get a shot of this crew, who include Joe, Russ, and Steve, who are given very detailed faces. I feel like this has got to be a reference to particular folks. I’m guessing, and this is just a guess, that the fellow in the middle is Joe Kubert and the one on the right is Russ Heath. I would love to hear from any readers who actually know!
Anyway, possible creator cameos aside, the ghostly guys next run into trouble when they encounter a Jeep full of wounded troops fleeing a fighter. The crew manages to knock the perilous plane out of the sky (more unbelievable feats!), encouraging the team. Yet, their continued faith in the old Stuart meets a much tougher test later on, when they are sent into a hot zone to aid Dog Company.
The infantry is getting cut to pieces on the banks of a river by a tank and artillery in the woods on the other side. Jeb charges the Stuart into the teeth of the enemy guns, and they get the enemy tank. However, the AT gun tears their little tin box apart piece by piece, and in surprisingly short order, the Haunted Tank dies, though the crew manage to make a frantic escape.
When Jeb and company realize that no more backup is forthcoming, they race to the depot and assemble a new, “Jigsaw Tank” out of cannibalized parts. They take their new makeshift metal monster into combat, just in time to stop two new Nazi tanks charging across the river, and they even manage to clean up the AT gun that killed their previous ride. The story ends with General Stuart returning, and explaining that the tank didn’t matter, only the dedication of the men inside, so the grateful crew christen their new vehicle The Haunted Tank once more.
I actually expected rather more form this tale. It’s a fine, fun story, however unrealistic it is for the guys to assemble a new tank so quickly and easily. Still, I’ve been seeing this cover approaching for some time, and I just expected the death of the tank that had been through so much with the crew to be given a little more weight. Instead, Jeb and co. basically joke about it for a minute, then immediately replace the faithful old girl. Of course, there’s only so much you can do in a 14 page story, but I found myself a bit surprised that Kanigher didn’t make more of the moment. The actual adventures here could have been condensed, with more focus on the central conflict at the river and the loss of the Stuart, which I think would have been more effective.
As is, the story is really rather forgettable. Of course, Russ Heath’s art remains excellent, perfect for the title. He’s a master of both the dynamic battle scenes and even the quiet, character-centric moments. On a broader note, I continue to be disappointed by the lack of development of the premise. General Stuart leaves the crew for most of the issue, but functionally, it doesn’t actually play out any differently than 90% of the stories we’ve read, as he plays no active part in most plots after his traditional enigmatic warning anyway. Well, missed opportunities aside, I’ll give this solid armored adventure 3.5 Mintuemen. At least Jeb and crew now have a tank that might stand a ghost of a chance against German armor in real life!
Justice League of America #94
“Where Strikes Demonfang?”
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Pencilers: Neal Adams and Dick Dillin
Inkers: Neal Adams and Joe Giella
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Julius Schwartz
“The Tarantula Strikes”
Writer: Gardner Fox
Penciler: Bert Christman
Inker: Bert Christman
Editors: Vincent Sullivan and Julius Schwartz
“The Amazing Starman”
Writer: Jack Burnley
Penciler: Jack Burnley
Inkers: Jack Burnley and Ray Burnley
Colourist: Raymond Perry
Letterer: Betty Bentley
Editors: Whitney Ellsworth and Julius Schwartz
Alright! Time for another issue of my favorite comic team’s book! Despite the fact that this title has been so uneven since we’ve started, I still find myself excited about it each month, and this issue features my favorite character….sort of! Sadly, we’ve got a pretty lackluster cover, really. It’s got Deadman’s dramatic pronouncement, but the blank blue background and compressed, box-out cover-space don’t do it any favors, and all the pointless occult paraphernalia in the foreground can’t change that. Of course, the actual art is lovely, as Neal Adams contributes the image, as well as several pages inside! Yet, the biggest trouble with this cover is that it spoils a significant part of the story, which is a shame.
As for that story, it is actually a pretty darn good one. We begin with a wonderfully detailed splash page of the League of Assassins’ leader, the enigmatic Sensei, who is plotting revenge against an unknown JLA member for a previous slight. We join the trio of characters who disappeared from the last arc, Batman, Green Arrow, and the Sea King himself, Aquaman, as they prowl about the waterfront, hunting for an assassin who hunts them in turn. The Bold Bowman spots a flash from the killer’s scope, and the heroes leap into action, quickly corralling the gunman. Yet, the assassin refuses to talk, and the Leaguers are left in the dark about who is the target of the “Demon’s Fang,” the League of Assassins. That’s right, it’s League vs. League!
Back at the Demon Fang’s headquarters, the Sensei is not pleased that his man has missed his mark, and he summons one of his best, Merlyn, the archer. We get an interesting note of continuity and world-building here, as the League of Assassins are part of Ra’s Al Ghul’s set-up and have been introduced in the Batman books, so it is exciting and surprising to see them here. What’s more, the Demon’s Head, Al Ghul himself, gets name-dropped, as Merlyn mentions that their master has a special interest in their target. Nonetheless, the ancient Sensei is adamant, and the archer is sent on the attack.
Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite sleaze, Morgan Edge, makes another universe-building appearance, and sends Clark Kent out on assignment. There are hints of Intergang’s involvement, and the under-cover Kryptonian brings along a little action figure-sized ace -in-the-hole, the Atom, as the assignment brings him near the last known location of the missing Leaguers. Yet, before they can arrive, their news van is ambushed with arrows! Superman attacks, only to be taken out of the fight by special gadgets prepared by the Demonfang techs, including a gravitational arrow which increases the pull of gravity on the Man of Steel exponentially.
The Atom, after delivering a great pint-sized punch, is also put out of commission by a sonic arrow. Now, if you had told me that Merlyn was taking on a significant subset of the League on his own, I would have said that was silly, but Friedrich actually manages to write his way around the problem of a vastly under-powered villain with some reasonable gadgets. It’s nice to see Superman treated as something other than completely unstoppable, and without recourse to Kryptonite or something completely silly. Is it convenient that Merlyn has trick arrows that can take out these heroes? Yes, but I’ll buy it for the purposes of this story.
Unfortunately, our other heroes don’t have much better luck than their fellows, as our original trio finds their captive assassin killed almost as soon as they turn him over to the police. On the arrow that killed him is a note, which declares that “The price of failure in the League of Assassins is death!” It is signed by the mysterious Merlyn, and it is here that we discover that Green Arrow knows our enigmatic assassin. Merlyn was a master archer, and he was Ollie’s first great rival, who embarrassed him in a competition before disappearing, only to emerge now, as a master of a decidedly more deadly discipline.
The titanic trio set out on Merlyn’s trail, but we have an odd little moment where Batman asks Aquaman if he has enough time, and the apparently confused Sea King responds, ‘sure…uh…why not?” I saw what was coming, and I was a bit annoyed by it, and sure enough, as soon as they reach their destination, a creepy old house that is definitely not a trap, the Marine Marvel passes out. He’s been out of water too long (that darn 1 hour limit can’t go away soon enough!), and I just couldn’t believe Friedrich had put the character in the book just to have him act this stupidly. But, when the Caped Crusader finds a fountain inside and submerges the submarine superhero, things take a much more interesting turn, as the Dark Knight puts Aquaman in a headlock and demands to know….who he is! Just then, the trap springs, and Green Arrow is locked in a vacuum tube!
While the hunted heroes investigate the house, the agonized Atom manages to smash the sonic arrow and free himself, and he comes up with a novel way to free the Metropolis Marvel too. He can’t budge the gravity device, but he wraps his belt around it and enlarges the machine until it becomes unstable and explodes! That’s actually a really clever solution, and fitting for the brilliant Ray Palmer. The haggard heroes aren’t yet back at a hundred percent, however, and they must hitchhike towards their allies!
I love the hilarious banality of Superman having to listen to some schmo blather on as he hitches a ride! “Really, I have more important things on my mind, man!”
Back in the villain-haunted house, the Masked Manhunter can’t break his Emerald ally out of his glass prison, but Superman, recovering enough to take flight and escape their blabbermouth chauffeur, is able to spot the predicament with his super vision and hurl the Atom hard enough to free Ollie. It’s really a nice sequence. Yet, at the same time, Batman has become stuck on the fence that separated him from his fallen friend, a perfect target for Merlyn, who has emerged at last to kill his true target…the Dark Knight, of course! He lets fly, but the stunned Green Arrow recovers rapidly enough to string and fire an arrow just in time to deflect Merlyn’s killing shot! His nemesis salutes such a fine shot, and his carefully calculated chance gone, the magician uses a jetpack built into his quiver to escape. Merlyn himself is now a hunted man, as he reminds the heroes that “the price of failure in the League of Assassins is death!”
It is then that the “mystery” of Aquaman’s identity is solved in another pair of Adams-penned pages, as the Sea King and the Dark Detective discuss the case. It turns out that Deadman took over the Marine Marvel’s body because the being he serves, Rama Kushna, warned him of an attempt to kill a Justice Leaguer which would upset the balance of the world. He didn’t know who the target was, and the Sea Sleuth was just the first hero to hand, effectively. That’s why he ran himself out of gas (or water, as the case may be), and made various other mistakes. All of this was in revenge for Batman interfering with the Sensei’s attack on Nanda Parbat back in Brave and the Bold #86, apparently, which I must have read but have forgotten.
Of course, this would be a lot more impressive if we didn’t know Deadman was possessing Aquaman from the cover (even if I did get swept up in the story enough to forget!). Yet, the tale doesn’t end there. It ends with a return to the JLA Satellite, where something is wrong with the teleporter, something that we won’t discover until next issue! Meanwhile, the Sensei has learned his lesson, and the next time he strikes, he shall isolate and destroy his enemy!
Well, the non-reveal aside, I really enjoyed this issue, despite some trademark overwriting and generally deplorable dialog from Friedrich. It’s a lot of fun, and it is really great to see the universe-building happening in other books filter into the flagship title like this. How interesting must it have been to be reading the Bat-books and JLA, and to see these characters and concepts jump from one title to another? Of course, this makes perfect sense, but it isn’t the kind of thing that you see that much in DC from earlier eras. I imagine it will become more common as we get further into the Bronze Age.
In addition, the story is pretty solidly plotted, with events having a decent logic to them, with characters acting with clear motivations. As I was reading, several story beats seemed off to me, only to be revealed to work perfectly in Friedrich’s plot, which was a pleasant surprise. On another note, the removal of Kryptonite seems to already be paying story dividends, as it has forced Friedrich to come up with a clever way of taking the Man of Tomorrow out of the fight, rather than relying on the formerly ubiquitous mineral. One of the only real downsides to this tale is that Aquaman doesn’t actually get anything to do, which seems like a real waste when he features so prominently in the comic, especially since he isn’t actually Aquaman.
The art is solid throughout, though evincing the standard weaknesses I’ve come to associate with Dillin’s JLA work, though the interpolated Adams pages are beautiful. They are also a bit distracting, as the clash of styles is very noticeable. Nonetheless, this is a fun, interesting issue, with some fascinating world building happening that still manages to include a solid adventure. I’ll give it 4 Minutemen.
New Gods #5
“Spawn!”
Writer: Jack Kirby
Penciler: Jack Kirby
Inker: Mike Royer
Letterer: Mike Royer
Editor: Jack Kirby
“Introducing Fastbak”
Writer: Jack Kirby
Penciler: Jack Kirby
Inker: Vince Colletta
We finally return to the centerpiece of Kirby’s Fourth World epic, and it is a definite improvement over the somewhat understated and disappointing last issue, as the operatic action that suits this book best is back in spades. Our dramatic tale lies beneath a solid, if flawed cover. It’s got a nice, dynamic image in the central brawling characters, though their poses are a bit odd. Yet, their size rather downplays the significance of the massive monster symbolically squeezed into the corner. The orange background doesn’t really help either, especially with Orion’s red costume. Kirby just isn’t producing his best covers for this run, which is a real shame, as the stories really beg for ‘kapow’ images.
This particular issue begins with Metron, who is traveling through dimensions once more. This time his wanderings take him to one of the most memorable and dramatic settings from Kirby’s Fourth World, the Promethean Galaxy, the last barrier of the Source, where float for all eternity the Promethean Giants who give the place its name. Kirby gives us an amazing, dramatic two-page splash, depicting the size and scope of this strange sight as only the King could. It’s a really striking image. We discover that these giants were beings who tried to force their way to the source, and in return for their hubris, they are bound forever in suspended animation, just short of their goal. I love this concept, wonderfully archetypal, reflecting all of the myths of giants and titans, who have traditionally been associated with the sin of pride and destroyed by the deities they opposed. What a wonderfully Kirby-cosmic treatment of the theme.
Star-sized super-beings aside, once his contemplation is finished, Metron returns to New Genesis, but our story is much more concerned with a humbler sphere, the Earth, where a detective named Terrible Turpin is interrogating Dave Lincoln after the events of the last issue. Turpin has discovered the war between gods that is brewing in his city, and he’s determined to put a stop to it, before the place is leveled in the process. When Lincoln returns to Orion’s human allies, we check in with them, but the Useless Crew continues to contribute little to the plot, other than some exposition and general fretting.
Fortunately, we don’t waste too much time with them, and we soon rejoin Orion, who was captured by the Deep Six last issue. He’s pinned by a giant clam, where he is taunted by Slig, who also demonstrates the Six’s sinister powers, the ability to mutate living beings with just a touch from his right hand, and to kill instantly with his left! Fortunately for the Dog of War, he is able to free himself with a hidden device after his captor has finished his gloating, though he discovers that the clam is more than meets the eye.
What follows is a cool sequence as Orion battles his way through various mutated menaces, who all have wonderfully cool Kirby designs (the man just constantly produced awesome creations, even for these little creatures which we’ll never see again!). Finally, the hunted hero discovers a massive, battleship sized cradle, which once held some gargantuan beast created by the Six, but now lies ominously empty.
Back in the city, Turpin continues his investigation and the Useless Crew continue their fretting, but they are all interrupted by the coming of….Kalibak! Darkseid’s scion arrives with a smash, prepared to spread fear and devastation on Earth! However, Orion is busy elsewhere, so the Cruel one will have to keep for the moment. Back in the undersea caverns, Slig finally finds his quarry amid a pile of smashed guards. Unfortunately for him, the warrior has also found something, his Astro-Harness, and he blasts his foe in the face before proceeding to pummel him pitilessly.
It’s another great sequence, and Kirby shows us the savage joy Orion takes in the terrible thrashing he administers, as well as showing us Slig’s beaten face. The King actually manages to make this malicious monster a little pitiful in that moment. Interestingly, Orion’s brutal visage is revealed by the violence of his attack, and he is forced to have Mother Box replace his fallen features, another hint about his origins. Finally, the Dog of War disposes of his fallen foe by tossing him into a pit and sets out in search of the monster the Six have unleashed. We get a glimpse of the beast in a nice splash page, but lacking anything to establish its scale, it’s not as effective as it might be.
So this is a great, action-packed issue, setting up a lot of what’s to come with Terrible Turpin and Kalibak’s chaotic arrival, as well as the monster unleashed on the seas. There is a lot going on here, and Kirby handles it quite well. While the time spent with Orion’s supporting cast feels wasted, every moment with the warrior’s quest is exciting and dramatic, and the glimpses of the wider mythology with Metron are fascinating. The whole thing feels operatic and earth-shaking in the best ways, like a particularly good issue of the classic Fantastic Four, but elevated by the cosmic overtones and archetypal underpinnings of the Fourth World.
It’s also fun to see Detective Dan Turpin introduced, as he will later be recast as a tribute to Kirby himself in Superman: TAS, where his bulldog attitude and heroic perseverance make him a fitting match for his creator. On the art front, this issue looks quite good, and it is immediately noticeable that Colletta is gone from the book. Mike Royer’s inks aren’t perfect, but they seem to pick up more detail and generally drown out Kirby’s pencils less. At least so it seems to my inexpert eye. As I said, I love the creativity of the Deep Six’s monster minions. Why no-one has brought the Six back as recurring Aquaman villains, complete with a Kirby-esq monstrous menagerie of mutants is quite beyond me. Missed opportunities aside, I’ll give this exciting adventure 4.5 Minutemen.
“Introducing Fastbak”
We get another brief Young Gods backup strip in this issue, this one featuring Fastbak, a free-spirited New Genesis youth with a need for speed. Once again, there are only four pages to the strip, so there isn’t really time for Kirby to do much with the character, but we see him lead the New Genesis equivalent of cops, the Monitors (no, not those Monitors) a merry chase as he flies around Supertown at reckless speed.
The aptly named Fastbak is joined by more restless young gods, and when he finally comes to ground, he is given a quick wardrobe change by his friends just in time to sing before Highfather. It turns out that our rebellious friend has the voice of an angel when he’s not busy raising Cain. This was a fun little strip, full of exuberance, energy, and the boundless enthusiasm of youth. With Fastbak and his fellows, Kirby immediately humanizes the New Gods by showing us a fitting parallel to our own youthful foolishness even in their hallowed halls, yet this youthfulness is presented in an inimitable Fourth World fashion. Of course, the King also gives us more great designs both in characters and wild Kirby-tech. I’ve decided I’m not going to rate these backups, as they are really too brief to be judged as full stories.
Well, I will close out this post with Fastbak’s flying feats and bid you all a fond farewell until next time! I hope you enjoyed my coverage of these exciting adventures and that you will join me again soon, for another edition of Into the Bronze Age! Until then, keep the Heroic Ideal alive!
Meanwhile, on Earth Orion and his rescued human friends make plans to combat Darkseid’s terrestrial forces. The various mortals each get a little characterization, and Kirby does a good job of developing them in a small space, but they remain largely unused. As the Dog of War steps aside to put on some native clothes, he ponders his handsome visage, and we learn that Mother Box has reshaped his features to help him blend in on New Genesis and that his actual face is far more brutal and ugly than the one he shows to the world. Orion, like his readers, wonders what this means about his origins. It’s an intriguing scene. His disguises, both guise and garments, in place, he rejoins his friends.
Sadly, one of the real weaknesses of the issue is the art, which I really didn’t expect. I’m fairly certain we’re seeing the consequences of having Vinnie Colleta inking all of Kirby’s books. There is a lot of heavy inking, lost detail, and empty backgrounds. There are some muddy, ugly panels as well. Of course, the King’s pencils are not at their best here either, and the really striking moments often share space with some slightly awkward panels, like Mantis’s strange flight pattern during the fight. When the art is good, it’s great, but when it’s bad, the contrast is quite telling. Still, there are some wonderful moments throughout.
Prowling the halls, she is discovered by Belmore and Grandy, who attack her, but she easily handles them until the little girl, Sybil, uses her powers to cripple the Canary. Then, unsurprisingly, Grandy removes her wig and discovers her identity. Wow. Who could have ever seen that coming? Notably, O’Neil includes a moment where the Blonde Bombshell reflects that she’s enjoying the violence and notes that she needs to be careful about that, which is interesting, but it’s still presented in the nonsensical context of Dinah ‘hating violence.’
“In Search of a Dream!”
Meanwhile, at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent is just finishing up an interview with the heavyweight champ, who confesses to the reporter that he feels like his accomplishments are insignificant when a being like Superman is around who can do pretty much anything. He and Lex Luthor should form a support group! The dialog is a bit over the top and goofy, but the sentiment is actually an interesting one, and the theme of the Man of Steel’s presence having unintended sociological consequences has, of course, become much more common these days. Once again, Jack Kirby was ahead of his time.
On his way to intercept the Forever People, the Man of Steel is spotted by Intergang, traveling the same route in a helicopter, and, on orders from Darkseid, they turn their fancy new weapons on the Kryptonian. Their ray guns hurt him, but he is Superman after all. In a nice looking sequence, the Metropolis Marvel rips up a tree and hurls it through the helicopter. Seeing this, the Forever People assume that the new arrival must be another volunteer from Supertown, but before he can explain, they declare that Mother Box has located Beautiful Dreamer nearby. The kids can’t fix her location, but Superman’s x-ray vision spots an underground entrance.
Declaring to the recovering hero that he’s an ally of the Forever People, the Infinity Man offers the vague and sinister pronouncement that Darkseid has kidnapped Beautiful Dreamer in his search for something ominously called “The Anti-Life Equation!” Dun-dun-DUN! With a name like that, it seems unlikely that this is a good thing. The strange alien champion calls out a challenge to Darkseid, demanding that he show himself, and just then the man-god himself appears, looking very 80s cartoon villain-ish in his cape. Declaring that the girl is of no use to him as her mind refuses to give him what he seeks, the Apokoliptian ruler raises her from underground but promises that sooner or later he will find what he’s looking for, and then he will us it to “snuff out all life on Earth–with a word!”
At that, the villain vanishes, and the two heroes discover that the girl is rigged to a bomb. Trusting in being faster than a speeding explosion, Superman scoops up Infinity Man and Beautiful Dreamer, and he kicks it into high gear to escape the blast. When they land, the Man of Steel’s questions are interrupted by the return of the Forever People as the Infinity Man disappears, leaving them in his place. When they ask how they can thank him for his help, Superman replies that he wants to see Supertown. The kids argue that the Kryptonian’s powers are needed there on Earth in light of the threat posed by Darkseid, but he insists that he has to investigate this place. They open a boom tube for him, but consumed by guilt, he turns back at the last moment. Superman hopes he’ll have the chance to visit Supertown someday, but realizes he can’t go yet….which is a bit silly. His obsession with the place, just because it’s called ‘Supertown,’ is goofy, as he has no other real reason to think there is anything there for him. What’s more, presumably he could have jumped through the portal, checked things out, and come back right away. There’s no immediate danger, so the guilt-trip was a bit much.
“Move the World”
“How Do You Fight a Nightmare?”
Realizing that mythical monsters are a bit out of their line, the heroes decide to reach out to one of their allies who is more experienced in such matters, so naturally, they call…Green Lantern?!? That’s right! After all, who knows more about magic and myth than the science fiction space cop? Surely you wouldn’t turn to Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or even Hawkman, all of whom have a decent amount of experience with myth and mysticism. Nope, Green Lantern, all the way. It’s at this point that we start to realize this story is moving at the speed of plot.
Well, one telegram later, and the Green Gladiator is on his way, only to encounter the harpies himself! He chases them through the sky to a discotheque where he is faced with a strange red-skinned femme fatale who calls herself “The Witch Queen.” She declares her intention to destroy him, and then with a burst of yellow energy, she pulls the hero into the jewel atop her wand. Then, the imprisoned Hal sees the woman’s shadowy ally, who he recognizes with a dramatic “YOU!”
The Amazons promise to prove their claims by bringing the heroes to the Witch Queen, and in the interim, we check in with that very femme fatale, who is going over plans with a familiar figure. Sinestro, the renegade Green Lantern, is her mysterious partner, and he is also apparently her brother, though I’m pretty sure this random sibling never appeared again. The rogue ring-slinger had somehow discovered the dimension of Amazons “by chance” and used his sister to manipulate them, planning to have them help him trap and destroy his nemesis. Being unable to locate Green Lantern, Sinestro decided that his friends were easy to find, so he planned to use them as bait. They were easy to find? Well, I suppose I would take more issue with that if Green Arrow wasn’t waltzing around Dinah’s suburban house in full costume. I suppose he wouldn’t have been too hard to find at that! To complete the trap, Sinestro gave his sister his power ring so she could pretend to have magic powers to throw Hal off-guard. It’s…an odd plan, overly complicated and very random, not exactly Sinestro’s finest work.
With Sinestro captured, Green Arrow tries to get him to return Hal, but the villain claims the Lantern is trapped in the dimensional prison, which only one man can inhabit at a time. The Amazon leader, realizing they had been duped by a man, offers to lead Canary inside to rescue their friend, and despite Ollie’s protests, in she goes. The dimension is a surreal, utterly alien place, and within Hal fears that the very strangeness of his surroundings might drive him mad. He is scooped up by the harpies and is too stunned to use his ring. The Emerald Crusader is brought to face the high priestess, who is revealed to be Medusa, and her snakeish-hair snares the hero. She looks suitably frightening in Adams’ pencils, though the strange dimension she inhabits doesn’t quite get enough attention to be effective. Just before Green Lantern is crushed by her serpentine hair from hell, Black Canary arrives, and she and the Amazon manage to persuade Medusa to release him, arguing that unjustly slaying a man would stain their honor forever. With the Amazon’s aid, Hal is able to return them to the real world, where they are reunited with a still skeptical Green Arrow who has certainly never traveled to other dimensions or seen other craziness as part of the Justice League and thus has every right to scoff.
“Sand, Sun and Death”
“Hot Corner”
“Dark Strangler of the Seas!”
Superboy is aghast at this callous disregard for life, and he agrees to help the young Sea Sleuth seek justice. They fly to the offices of the tanker’s owners, Trans-East Oil Company, and they let them know that they’d better fix their fleet of tankers or face the consequences. In a further sign of the shift in values going on in comics and in the culture, the company’s owners are classic industrialist villains, much more concerned with their bottom lines than any cost to the environment. 
“The Snow-Woman Wept!”
“Every Man a Fort”
Later that night, Jeb is visited by his namesake, who tells him that he has the heart of a “Johnny Reb,” and that the ghost will be proud to be his guardian. It’s a bit lackluster, to be honest. I like that he recognizes the tank commander’s fighting spirit, but I would have preferred that their first meeting be a tad more dramatic.
“The Devil In Paradise!”
“I Am Curious (Black)!”
Well, the crisis of the story arrives when Lois meets the fiery street speaker she had encountered earlier, but the young man, named Dave Stevens, of course, doesn’t recognize her. He does recognize a gang of kids creeping into an alley to meet a pusher, however, and charges after them in order to protect his neighborhood. The thugs meeting the kids don’t take kindly to the interruption and shoot the brave fellow. Superman arrives just then and captures the criminals, then rushing the wounded man to the hospital. It’s at this point that we get one of my favorite panels in the book. Stevens needs o-negative blood for a transfusion, but the hospital is out. Lois, with a wonderfully rendered expression of realization, simply states “I–I’m o-negative! Just like him!” There’s no heavy-handed captions, no undue focus. The moment stands on its own, and it is a great moment. Lois realizes that she, a White woman, shares the same blood that is coursing through the veins of this Black man. That she is the same, inside, as he is. It’s really lovely.
“Count 200 – and Die!”
“The Iron Horseman”
“Target For Tonight!”
The two titanic teens chase this kid into the theater and have a brief battle with him in the rafters. He is, of course, no real threat to the heroes when they see him coming, which is fitting. The tale ends with a rather ambiguous note, as Robin asks Batgirl if she will tell him how she got involved in all of this, and she replies “Maybe I will! Maybe I will tell you a lot of things…” It could be a nice, flirty moment…but it needed a bit of setup earlier in the adventure, so it just seems out of place here.
“Checkpoint…Death!”
“My Kind of Loving, a Way of Death!”
His shop is attacked by the generic bikers, who do more generic biker things, like trash the place. Our heroes immediately endanger their secret identities by just stepping outside to put on their costumes, despite the fact that they were the only strangers in town. As you would expect, they utterly trounce these low-rent thugs, who pose no real threat to two Justice Leaguers. And here is our return to the perennial problem (other than the heavy-handed, tone deaf characterization) with this series. The protagonists are just a poor fit for the tale that O’Neil is telling. Green Lantern and Green Arrow beating up on these punks just seems…unnecessary. The heroes are in no peril to speak of, and there is no actual tension and nothing at stake with this little encounter.
Cover Artist: Joe Kubert
Anyway, Jeb gets a visit from…well, J.E.B., with another cryptic, totally unhelpful warning. General, if you couldn’t be more specific than this, it’s a wonder you were able to be a successful commander. They discover smoke coming from the depot, and they find it utterly destroyed, the black troops who had been consigned to quartermaster duty have been slaughtered to the last man by enemy tanks. Or so it seems. Like Lazarus rising from the grave, or perhaps more accurately like 
Cover Artist: Murphy Anderson
Inside the ship, the Lanterns discover Hawkman and Jean Loring in comas just like Hawkgirl’s. Hal accesses the ship’s log and discovers that they were attacked by a Thanagarian renegade that they stopped to assist when he sent out an S.O.S. Apparently the fellow is some sort of doomsday cultist and thinks he is preserving their souls against the coming apocalypse. This is actually a really interesting idea. It’s a concept that Babylon 5 would toy with in a few episodes; what happens when someone who has access to incredible technology believes that the world (or universe) is doomed? It’s a nice twist on the old idea of the apocalyptic cult. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s an intriguing motivation for our villain, but he’s given zero development outside of that one panel, and the idea is completely dropped after this issue. It would be really interesting if this had been followed up by the League investigating a related movement on Thangar or the like, or perhaps even a copycat movement on Earth. There’s tons of potential here, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as if it was ever realized.
Cover Artist: Mike Sekowsky
Wonder Woman runs interference against Willi’s minions who try to ambush Batman’s car along the track, while Bruce pits his skill against Widowmaker’s dirty tricks. It’s a really nice, exciting, quick-moving tale, shifting back and forth between the different perils the heroes face with much the same energy as an actual race. The pacing is very good, and the series of challenges the heroes face is interesting. I’m particularly fond of the ending, which involves Willi being hoisted on his own petard as his henchman springs one of his own traps on his boss. Seconds later, Batman’s beaten, battered racer limps across the finish line. It’s a little bit of poetic justice, and it is a good payoff for the tension of the race.
Cover Artist: Nick Cardy
scientist (in this instance with a super awesome old-timey mustache and chops, plus a sweet cape) stumble upon a plot by spore aliens (because of course) who want to conquer the earth. They defeated the chief alien and his hillbilly cultists (nope, not kidding), and this
issue opens with them stumbling into a small town, which the escaping spore alien has taken over (with the aid of a witch!). The townspeople are forced to serve spore-y, and the Challengers, battered by their previous day’s adventures and on their last legs, are 
defeated and captured, only to be freed by Red’s little brother (and apparently a singing sensation?), Tino. Apparently a bit has changed between the original issues I read and this point in the series.
the door was open to bring him back. The new addition, Corinna seems fine, though she doesn’t have much personality. She’s also disturbingly okay with the murder of her father. ‘He’s evil, oh well’ seems to be about the extent of her mourning. I’d keep an eye on her, Challengers. Chances are, she’s a sociopath.
When I got a bit older, I discovered the best of all Bat-worlds, 
That’s the team behind this tale, which is indicative of the good quality of the story and its spooky, mysterious tone. This yarn begins with a nice, moody establishing shot of Batman brooding over two empty graves. He’s in central Mexico, attending an extravagant party of a wealthy and mysterious couple who have a macabre fixation on death, even hosting this party in their own family graveyard. The plot centers around the couple trying to covertly kill an agent of the Mexican government who is investigating them, all while Batman works to save him.
That’s where the tale takes a turn for the strange, as there is a final confrontation in a ruined building where Batman discovers a secret field of flowers, which are apparently madness inducing…and also endow people with immortality. That’s a twist worthy of ‘ol Zany Haney. Still, despite the rapid-fire delivery of the exposition and the strangeness of the concept, it sort of works. The couple, supposedly over a hundred years old, wither and die in moments, falling fittingly into their own, empty graves. Their passing leaves behind a number of unanswered questions, but given the horror flavor of the story, it isn’t as big of a problem as it might seem. This tale evokes the mystical, mysterious feel of the old horror books, where certain questions are left unanswered as part of there overall effect.
This particular tale involves Robin attempting to break up a communist plot (!) involving creating student unrest with fake accounts of police brutality in order to shutdown Hudson University (!). It’s a very 60s style story, and not a terribly interesting one. You have to think that the vague, unspecified commies would have better things to do with their time and money. Nonetheless, Dick manages to break the case open, despite taking a beating and being captured for the second time in two issues. He does manage a fairly nice escape, taking out two guards, all while handcuffed. Still, it isn’t his most impressive showing. I like the idea of having stories with him away in college, but I don’t think all the stories necessarily have to be set ON campus or deal with university matters. It just limits the character way too much.
In a scene ripped from the pages of Around the World in 80 Days, the ever culturally sensitive comic delivers us a tribe of Bedouins who are preparing to burn Akmed’s wife, Princes Azeela, on his pyre in the archaic Indian practice of 
He saves her from the pyre, but then what is a good man to do? He agrees to marry her to save her from further retribution at the hands of her people, and we’re given a tender little scene with Jeb comforting Azeela whose husband, let’s remember JUST DIED. The concern on his face, the tenderness of that embrace, is pretty effective at conveying a good deal more than the dialog. Taken all together, that little panel aptly demonstrates the strength of comics as a medium of storytelling. There’s a great efficiency of narrative in that one little combination of image and word.
Writers: Edmond Hamilton and various
The Greylands 
