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Wednesday Comics: DC, February 1985 (week 1)
My mission: to read DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis. This week, I'm looking at the comics that were at newsstands in the week of November 1, 1984.
The "Meanwhile..." column in this month's comics eulogizes Don Newton who had died August 19.
Superman: The Secret Years #1: Nice Frank Miller cover on this one, though the interiors by Swan/Schaffenberger mark this series as part of this era's "stuck in the Silver Age" version of Superman. It's a continuation of the "In-between Years" backups that ran in Superboy. Rozakis' story, though, has some surprises. Sure, Clark is mostly acting like Superboy Clark, and Lex has just escaped reform school for the last time using bedsprings on his feet, but in-between all of that Clark is still dealing with his grief over the loss of his adopted parents, and his roommate Ducky has developed a drinking problem, culminating in a drunk driving accident that leaves him seriously injured.
It's an odd mix! One foot in the more Teen Titans-style character drama, and one foot in the old Superboy schtick. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.
Jonni Thunder #1: The Thomases and Giordano develop an idea initially conceived by Thomas and Conway. The brand-new character utilizing the name of an old one is a long-used tactic in comics (it's the root of the Silver Age, after all), but it's really going to take off post-Crisis. This Jonni Thunder is a hard-boiled P.I. in Los Angeles. She returns from her father's funeral to find a dead man in her office and then an insectoid robot out to kill her. It all seems to relate in some way to statue of a woman, apparently looted from South America, that her father had received and had had turned into a lamp. What's so important about the statue isn't clear, but it does impart the power to Jonni to generate a being of energy out of herself, which comes in handy stopping a guy trying to kill her.
Atari Force #14: The Scanner One is out in the multiverse, trying to figure out if there's some place they can return too. Dart has been convinced by a dream that she has to give Blackjack another chance, though she is being cautious about it. Pakrat discovers Taz has been beat-up by a stowaway: Kaarg. He runs for his life and escapes to an airless planetoid in a shuttle, only to be rescued by his brother Rident who has been (I guess) hidden in the landing bay all this time? I suspect Conway forgot about him, and Baron is tying up that loose end. Anyway, Rident announces his intention to take them all in to face justice while Martin tries to convince him New Earth was destroyed.
In the backup by Manak and Klaus Janson, we get a solo Babe story from before he left Egg. He wonders away from Mama briefly and gets involved in a conflict with an alien and the alien's diminutive foes intent on eating him.
DC Comics Presents #78: This is an issue my brother and I had as kids. The obscure (in real world terms) villains from last issue unite to form the Forgotten Villains, though they don't really use that name in story. Superman beats the Faceless Hunter, but Immortal Man is killed saving Dolphin. It's ok, though, because he just returns for another life in a kid's body. Kraklow and the Enchantress have a third member of their sorcerous cabal on a distant world, and the Heroes must travel their to defeat them. Space Cabbie gives them a ride, but the magical villains make them crash on an unstable world, necessitating another helping hand from Chris KL-99 and friends. Now, both of these characters are technically from the future, but Wolfman and Swan don't let that stop them.
When the Heroes arrive at their destination, they find the planet is the third sorcerer--Yggardis. Things aren't going well for the good guys, until Atom-Master and Mister Poseidon realize the Enchantress' plans don't leave much run for them, and use Ultivac to attack her, providing room for the Forgotten Heroes to save Superman and the day.
In the coda, the Monitor says he can't find Kraklow or the Enchantress, but he can't waste time on that now. There's something happening on Earth-Three that needs his attention. He informs Lyla that he's dropping his connection to the villains; he's studied them enough in the guise of helping them. The blurb promises this will be continued in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Fury of Firestorm #32: Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier step into writing duties this issue, and Alan Kupperberg is on art. The ghost of "Shoe" Shine, the gangster that tried to kill Ed Raymond, ousts Stein from Firestorm so he can live again in Stein's body. When the Phantom Stranger shows up and explains to Ronnie what's going on, Ronnie again forms Firestorm, but that allows Shine to take over their hero-form. Phantom Stranger has to take more direct action to help the young hero out. I guess this was a seasonally appropriate story, but not much to recommend it otherwise.
Justice League of America #235: Conway and Patton continue from last issue with Vixen sought by the police, and Aquaman and the new members of his team at odds about what to do about it. After a couple of panels that make it look like Aquaman somehow used his aquatic telepathy to de-escalate Steel, the young hero storms off. He meets up with Gypsy outside, and they are attacked by Fastball of the cadre. The villain disappears as quickly as he came, and the team heads off to New York where they hope to stop Vixen at the M'Changan Embassy. They show up in time to save Vixen from her uncle and his men. The cops arrive, but Maksai refuses to press charges, and Aquaman won't let the cops take Vixen in for what happened in Detroit. That move, Zatanna tells Steel, was likely the wrong one and will have consequences. On the flight back to Detroit, their transport plane is teleported to a mountain in the Arctic, where the team encounters the Overmaster and his Cadre.
Wonder Woman #323: Feels like after putting off the mandated inclusion of the Monitor (mentioned in the editorial column this issue), Mishkin and Heck go all in because that mysterious observer is all over this issue. Dr. Psycho calls him to get a new ectoplasmic extractor, which the Monitor asks Cheetah to steal. Silver Swan calls him wanting to find Captain Wonder, and the Monitor directs her to Dr. Psycho's hideout. Etta Candy and Howard Huckaby are caught in the middle of this villain drama, as Cheetah happens to capture them, then they are at Psycho's hideout when Silver Swan shows up and thinks Captain Wonder is cheating on her with Cheetah. Then, Angle Man is calling the Monitor wanting to power up a new Angler. These Wonder Woman villains are a needy group!
Anyway, thanks to Howard's crazy idea, they are all convinced Etta is Wonder Woman which puts the two in even more danger. Etta uses Psycho's ectoplasmic device to power herself up into an ersatz Wonder Woman. She fights the good fight, but it's the arrival of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor that sees the villains defeated. Howard proclaims his love for Etta, Steve and Wonder Woman are back together--and Griggs is interested in exploring his and Diana's connection, with drama sure to ensue.
Vigilante 14: Von Eeden is on art this issue. While Adrian Chase waits to see if he is appointed a judge and what that will do to Vigilante's career, the businessmen Hammer and Hammett, actually brothers, have been engaged in an escalated game of one-upsmanship. Hammer, with the aid of a high-tech shadow suit, is about to commit murder to win. Vigilante tries to get in the man of his plans, but the new tech gives Hammer such an advantage that Vigilante is forced to kill him. Later, Hammett reveals that he had orchestrated the situation to lead to Hammer's death by his own hand, but Vigilante proved a convenient substitute.
New Teen Titans #5: Wolfman and Perez come to the end of Trigon/Raven storyline, but as this issue opens, things look bleak for the Titans. They are all that's left of a transformed Earth and staring down a giant Trigon. They attack but are swatted like gnats and appear to be killed. Lilith is all the while making portentous but vague statements and trying to get Arella, grieving over her dead daughter, to help her with Raven's rings. As Trigon opens a portal to his home dimension, and the Titans mount a desperate delaying action, the power of Azar manifests through Raven's soul-self and grows large enough to envelope and destroy Trigon. Everything returns to the way it was, with only the Titans, Lilith, and Arella remembering what happened. This was kind of Wolfman/Perez's "Dark Phoenix" story, so it will be interesting to see what comes after.
The "Meanwhile..." column in this month's comics eulogizes Don Newton who had died August 19.
Superman: The Secret Years #1: Nice Frank Miller cover on this one, though the interiors by Swan/Schaffenberger mark this series as part of this era's "stuck in the Silver Age" version of Superman. It's a continuation of the "In-between Years" backups that ran in Superboy. Rozakis' story, though, has some surprises. Sure, Clark is mostly acting like Superboy Clark, and Lex has just escaped reform school for the last time using bedsprings on his feet, but in-between all of that Clark is still dealing with his grief over the loss of his adopted parents, and his roommate Ducky has developed a drinking problem, culminating in a drunk driving accident that leaves him seriously injured.
It's an odd mix! One foot in the more Teen Titans-style character drama, and one foot in the old Superboy schtick. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.
Jonni Thunder #1: The Thomases and Giordano develop an idea initially conceived by Thomas and Conway. The brand-new character utilizing the name of an old one is a long-used tactic in comics (it's the root of the Silver Age, after all), but it's really going to take off post-Crisis. This Jonni Thunder is a hard-boiled P.I. in Los Angeles. She returns from her father's funeral to find a dead man in her office and then an insectoid robot out to kill her. It all seems to relate in some way to statue of a woman, apparently looted from South America, that her father had received and had had turned into a lamp. What's so important about the statue isn't clear, but it does impart the power to Jonni to generate a being of energy out of herself, which comes in handy stopping a guy trying to kill her.
Atari Force #14: The Scanner One is out in the multiverse, trying to figure out if there's some place they can return too. Dart has been convinced by a dream that she has to give Blackjack another chance, though she is being cautious about it. Pakrat discovers Taz has been beat-up by a stowaway: Kaarg. He runs for his life and escapes to an airless planetoid in a shuttle, only to be rescued by his brother Rident who has been (I guess) hidden in the landing bay all this time? I suspect Conway forgot about him, and Baron is tying up that loose end. Anyway, Rident announces his intention to take them all in to face justice while Martin tries to convince him New Earth was destroyed.
In the backup by Manak and Klaus Janson, we get a solo Babe story from before he left Egg. He wonders away from Mama briefly and gets involved in a conflict with an alien and the alien's diminutive foes intent on eating him.
DC Comics Presents #78: This is an issue my brother and I had as kids. The obscure (in real world terms) villains from last issue unite to form the Forgotten Villains, though they don't really use that name in story. Superman beats the Faceless Hunter, but Immortal Man is killed saving Dolphin. It's ok, though, because he just returns for another life in a kid's body. Kraklow and the Enchantress have a third member of their sorcerous cabal on a distant world, and the Heroes must travel their to defeat them. Space Cabbie gives them a ride, but the magical villains make them crash on an unstable world, necessitating another helping hand from Chris KL-99 and friends. Now, both of these characters are technically from the future, but Wolfman and Swan don't let that stop them.
When the Heroes arrive at their destination, they find the planet is the third sorcerer--Yggardis. Things aren't going well for the good guys, until Atom-Master and Mister Poseidon realize the Enchantress' plans don't leave much run for them, and use Ultivac to attack her, providing room for the Forgotten Heroes to save Superman and the day.
In the coda, the Monitor says he can't find Kraklow or the Enchantress, but he can't waste time on that now. There's something happening on Earth-Three that needs his attention. He informs Lyla that he's dropping his connection to the villains; he's studied them enough in the guise of helping them. The blurb promises this will be continued in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Fury of Firestorm #32: Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier step into writing duties this issue, and Alan Kupperberg is on art. The ghost of "Shoe" Shine, the gangster that tried to kill Ed Raymond, ousts Stein from Firestorm so he can live again in Stein's body. When the Phantom Stranger shows up and explains to Ronnie what's going on, Ronnie again forms Firestorm, but that allows Shine to take over their hero-form. Phantom Stranger has to take more direct action to help the young hero out. I guess this was a seasonally appropriate story, but not much to recommend it otherwise.
Justice League of America #235: Conway and Patton continue from last issue with Vixen sought by the police, and Aquaman and the new members of his team at odds about what to do about it. After a couple of panels that make it look like Aquaman somehow used his aquatic telepathy to de-escalate Steel, the young hero storms off. He meets up with Gypsy outside, and they are attacked by Fastball of the cadre. The villain disappears as quickly as he came, and the team heads off to New York where they hope to stop Vixen at the M'Changan Embassy. They show up in time to save Vixen from her uncle and his men. The cops arrive, but Maksai refuses to press charges, and Aquaman won't let the cops take Vixen in for what happened in Detroit. That move, Zatanna tells Steel, was likely the wrong one and will have consequences. On the flight back to Detroit, their transport plane is teleported to a mountain in the Arctic, where the team encounters the Overmaster and his Cadre.
Wonder Woman #323: Feels like after putting off the mandated inclusion of the Monitor (mentioned in the editorial column this issue), Mishkin and Heck go all in because that mysterious observer is all over this issue. Dr. Psycho calls him to get a new ectoplasmic extractor, which the Monitor asks Cheetah to steal. Silver Swan calls him wanting to find Captain Wonder, and the Monitor directs her to Dr. Psycho's hideout. Etta Candy and Howard Huckaby are caught in the middle of this villain drama, as Cheetah happens to capture them, then they are at Psycho's hideout when Silver Swan shows up and thinks Captain Wonder is cheating on her with Cheetah. Then, Angle Man is calling the Monitor wanting to power up a new Angler. These Wonder Woman villains are a needy group!
Anyway, thanks to Howard's crazy idea, they are all convinced Etta is Wonder Woman which puts the two in even more danger. Etta uses Psycho's ectoplasmic device to power herself up into an ersatz Wonder Woman. She fights the good fight, but it's the arrival of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor that sees the villains defeated. Howard proclaims his love for Etta, Steve and Wonder Woman are back together--and Griggs is interested in exploring his and Diana's connection, with drama sure to ensue.
Vigilante 14: Von Eeden is on art this issue. While Adrian Chase waits to see if he is appointed a judge and what that will do to Vigilante's career, the businessmen Hammer and Hammett, actually brothers, have been engaged in an escalated game of one-upsmanship. Hammer, with the aid of a high-tech shadow suit, is about to commit murder to win. Vigilante tries to get in the man of his plans, but the new tech gives Hammer such an advantage that Vigilante is forced to kill him. Later, Hammett reveals that he had orchestrated the situation to lead to Hammer's death by his own hand, but Vigilante proved a convenient substitute.
New Teen Titans #5: Wolfman and Perez come to the end of Trigon/Raven storyline, but as this issue opens, things look bleak for the Titans. They are all that's left of a transformed Earth and staring down a giant Trigon. They attack but are swatted like gnats and appear to be killed. Lilith is all the while making portentous but vague statements and trying to get Arella, grieving over her dead daughter, to help her with Raven's rings. As Trigon opens a portal to his home dimension, and the Titans mount a desperate delaying action, the power of Azar manifests through Raven's soul-self and grows large enough to envelope and destroy Trigon. Everything returns to the way it was, with only the Titans, Lilith, and Arella remembering what happened. This was kind of Wolfman/Perez's "Dark Phoenix" story, so it will be interesting to see what comes after.
Categories: Comic Book Blogs, Tabletop Gaming Blogs
REVIEW CORNER: Bridge Planet Nine
Bridge Planet Nine (2025) Writer/Artist: Jared Throne Rating: 8.5/10 This week, I’ll review Bridge Planet Nine, a gritty sci-fi heist story by Jared Thorne. Once a thriving outpost, Bridge Planet…
Categories: Comic Book Blogs
JUST IMAGINE! June 1961: Those Strange Doctors, Doom and Droom
Before Dr. Doom, there was Dr. Droom, a Stan Lee-Jack Kirby creation from 1961 who was really kind of a trial run for Marvel Comics’ Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange. Dr.…
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15 Highest RTP Slots in 2025: High Paying Slot Machines (97%+ RTP)
Tired of spinning the same old slots and walking away with pocket change? You’re in luck. Our team waded through hundreds of the highest RTP slots across top casinos to…
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THE BOOK CAVE: SPEED RACER #0
I’ve been a fan of Speed Racer for over 50 years, since I first saw his show. I’ve read his comics since the first comic by Now Comics. This has…
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THE BLADE OF MIRACLES, PART 1
SRCC Press announces the release of The Blade of Miracles #8, scheduled for October 29. As with the entire 12-issue run of The Blade of Miracles, the eighth issue is written,…
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It Came From The Radio: NYCC2025
Mark, Filmmaker Lee Kolinsky, and Hassan Godwin cover the news, Mark’s NYCC coverage, plus an exclusive with Reed Pop’s Kristina Rogers
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Dynamite Offers Mystery Blind Bags for Collectors from Line of Licensed Comics With Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products!
Available on Kickstarter Now! October 27, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP) announce a thrilling limited time offer for collectibles of all stripes! The…
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RICH REVIEWS: The First Guard # 1
Title: The First Guard # 1 Publisher: G-Man Comics Words & Letters: Eric N. Bennett Pencils & Inks: Fernando Damasio Colors: Teo Pinheiro Cover Art: Fernando Damasio & Teo Pinheiro…
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Dark Souls: Mother of Mourning Issue #1
An all-new grimdark tale with the legendary Dark Souls aesthetic Issue #1 on sale December 3, 2025 Titan Comics are pleased to reveal a FIRST LOOK at DARK SOULS: MOTHER OF…
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Three Oni Press Fan-Favorites Return in New Editions Summer 2026!
Wonton Soup New Edition, Love as a Foreign Language Deluxe Anniversary Edition, and Ghost Projekt New Edition Make Their Re-Debut! PORTLAND, OR (October 1st, 2025) – Oni Press, the multiple…
Categories: Comic Book Blogs
Weird Revisited: Alternate Ravenlofts
The original version of this post appeared in 2016...
Jack Shear brought to my attention an idea Kreg Mosier proposed of a Southern Gothic Ravenloft. Which is a great idea! It also got me to thinking about other settings where Ravenloft could be repurposed:
Planet of VampiresA commercial cargo-hauler spacecraft responds to a call from the Demeter from a nearby planetoid, and finds an planet shrouded in eerie mists. The Demeter's crew have undergone a frightening transformation into the undead. At the center of all this strangeness is a weirdly earth-like castle and its master. Inspirations: Planet of Vampires, Alien, and the Star Trek episode "Catspaw."
The Creepy Castle Teenagers returning from Spring Break have their car break down in an eerie fog somewhere in Appalachia. Going the the forbidding European-style castle for help seems like a good idea... Inspirations: any number of horror films including Texas Chainsaw Massacre; Scooby Doo, and for more of a tripped out euro-feel, things like Nuda per Satana and Requiem pour un Vampire.
Jack Shear brought to my attention an idea Kreg Mosier proposed of a Southern Gothic Ravenloft. Which is a great idea! It also got me to thinking about other settings where Ravenloft could be repurposed:
Planet of VampiresA commercial cargo-hauler spacecraft responds to a call from the Demeter from a nearby planetoid, and finds an planet shrouded in eerie mists. The Demeter's crew have undergone a frightening transformation into the undead. At the center of all this strangeness is a weirdly earth-like castle and its master. Inspirations: Planet of Vampires, Alien, and the Star Trek episode "Catspaw."
The Creepy Castle Teenagers returning from Spring Break have their car break down in an eerie fog somewhere in Appalachia. Going the the forbidding European-style castle for help seems like a good idea... Inspirations: any number of horror films including Texas Chainsaw Massacre; Scooby Doo, and for more of a tripped out euro-feel, things like Nuda per Satana and Requiem pour un Vampire.
Categories: Comic Book Blogs, Tabletop Gaming Blogs
JUST IMAGINE! December 1966: Not Your Garden Variety Adaptoid
Sometimes simple survival can seem the sweetest sort of victory. That was true in the classic Daredevil 7, when the Man Without Fear saved the city despite being outmatched by…
Categories: Comic Book Blogs
RICH REVIEWS: Speed Racer: Tales from the Road – Two Princes # 1
Title: Speed Racer: Tales from the Road – Two Princes # 1 Publisher: Mad Cave Studios Writers: Mark London, David Pepose Artists: Sebastian Piriz, Alessio Zonno Letter: Buddy Beaudoin Cover:…
Categories: Comic Book Blogs
TRUMPY 2.0 #30
Categories: Comic Book Blogs
RICH REVIEWS: Flash Gordon # 11
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Such a Versatile Box of RPG Minis
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Not all who chase the stars escape their shadows
ASTRO QUANTUM Coming 2026 from Mad Cave Studios In the Hunt for Monsters, the Greatest Danger Lies Within. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCT. 24, 2025 (PORTLAND, OR) — A cursed…
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MTDAA Actual Play 2 - the Need for Speed
Mary and I continued our mission last night, trying out a few new rules along the way. I really like how combat feels in this version of the game, and things flow really well. I feel a little pang of regret, because I wish that I'd crafted this system a decade ago... the rules for Army Ants: Legacy (2013) are double-edged; the core system is vaguely similar to this, but is very clunky and counter-intuitive by comparison. I've tightened and streamlined so much in the intervening years. That book is pretty to look at. I love the organization of it, the design, and all of the 'fluff'. There is very little of that I would change, but the actual mechanics of the rules themselves are worlds apart from what I'm working on now.
I'm still planning on releasing the game in 48-page books (core rules and then sourcebooks). You can see the progress of the current rules right here.
I'll discuss one thing in a little detail... I was working yesterday on vehicle rules and travel. One of the biggest challenges I've always had with the Army Ants is the conversion of scale and movement. When you look at actual proportions of how fast insects move (and especially how fast they can fly), and then scale these things to comparable 'human scale', the numbers get way crazy. Here's a for instance... a human can walk about 3 miles per hour. In conversion scale-wise to the game, this would mean an ant can walk about 12 meters per hour (a meter is roughly a quarter mile in an apples to apples comparison). However, in the real world, a black ant can travel 8 cm per second! This is 288 meters per hour... scaled to the game, this is the rough equivalent of 72 miles per hour, or 24x as fast as a human.
Ultimately, I decided that insect scale movement, rated on a scale of 1 to 10 with 3 being 'average', suggests that a typical ant (move 3) can sprint up to 3 cm in one action (1-2 seconds), or can patrol up to 3 cm in one round (6 seconds). This equates to patrolling 30 cm per minute, or 18 meters per hour. This 'feels' appropriate for insects and is pretty clean.
I'm still planning on releasing the game in 48-page books (core rules and then sourcebooks). You can see the progress of the current rules right here.
I'll discuss one thing in a little detail... I was working yesterday on vehicle rules and travel. One of the biggest challenges I've always had with the Army Ants is the conversion of scale and movement. When you look at actual proportions of how fast insects move (and especially how fast they can fly), and then scale these things to comparable 'human scale', the numbers get way crazy. Here's a for instance... a human can walk about 3 miles per hour. In conversion scale-wise to the game, this would mean an ant can walk about 12 meters per hour (a meter is roughly a quarter mile in an apples to apples comparison). However, in the real world, a black ant can travel 8 cm per second! This is 288 meters per hour... scaled to the game, this is the rough equivalent of 72 miles per hour, or 24x as fast as a human.
Ultimately, I decided that insect scale movement, rated on a scale of 1 to 10 with 3 being 'average', suggests that a typical ant (move 3) can sprint up to 3 cm in one action (1-2 seconds), or can patrol up to 3 cm in one round (6 seconds). This equates to patrolling 30 cm per minute, or 18 meters per hour. This 'feels' appropriate for insects and is pretty clean.
It gets even crazier for air travel; in reality, a dragonfly can travel 35 miles per hour. This would be over 50 km (we'll round down to 50 km for convenience). This is 50,000 meters. Again, using a meter as 1/4 mile conversion to the game world, this means that a dragonfly (in game terms) can fly the equivalent of 12,500 miles per hour, or 16x the speed of sound. Ultimately, I created a hybrid of truth and fiction as I did for 'walking', setting a vehicle's speed rating of 1 as the baseline for 'slow vehicle', and scaling up to about 10 for most vehicles. Vehicle speed represents meters per round (6 seconds), which 'feels' like a reasonable speed to travel, even though it is not how fast things actually travel. A rating of 1 is still very, very fast in a direct scale conversion (being the equivalent of 150 mph). This becomes a speed that I can live with (and is much faster than ants walk). An ant can sprint 3 cm with one action, or can patrol 3 meters in ten minutes (so 18 meters per hour). I decided that for flying insects, I would keep things at insect scale rather than moving them to vehicle scale; in effect, a jeep or tank is still going to be faster than most flying insects. An insect with fly Move 6 (6 meters ) is slower than a jeep, with its Speed 1 (traveling 1 meter per round of 6 seconds, or 10 meters per minute). Land vehicles are going to have Speed ratings of 1-3, while flying vehicles are going to have Speed ratings of 4+ (capped out at about 10 for a fast jet).
Conversion: Vehicle Speed ratings in km per hour
.5 = .3 km/h (300 meters per hour); equivalent of 75 mph
1 = .6 km/h (600 meters per hour); equivalent of 150 mph
2 = 1.2 km/h; equivalent of 300 mph
3 = 1.8 km/h; equivalent of 450 mph
4 = 2.4 km/h; equivalent of 600 mph
5 = 3 km/h; equivalent of 750 mph (MACH I)
6 = 3.6 km/h; equivalent of 900 mph
7 = 4.2 km/h; equivalent of 1,050 mph
8 = 4.8 km/h; equivalent of 1,200 mph
9 = 5.4 km/h; equivalent of 1,350 mph
10 = 6 km/h; equivalent of 1,500 mph (MACH II)
12 = 7.2 km/h; equivalent of 1,800 mph
15 = 9 km/h; equivalent of 2,250 mph (MACH III)
20 = 12 km/h; equivalent of 3,000 mph (MACH IV)
Categories: Comic Book Blogs, Tabletop Gaming Blogs
Wednesday Comics: DC, January 1985 (week 4)
I'm reading DC Comics' output from January 1980 (cover date) to Crisis! This week, I read the comics on sale on October 25, 1984.
America vs. the Justice Society #1: This feels like the title Thomas was born to write: It combines the Golden Age characters he loves with extensive continuity patches and retcons. There are even notes about where things are drawn from. He's joined by his wife in plotting, and by multiple artists (Kayanan, Buckler, and Ordway) and inkers (Alcala and Collins). In the story, the discovery (and subsequent publication by Clark Kent's Daily Star) of a diary written in Batman's own hand naming the Justice Society as conspirators with Adolf Hitler causes Congress to summon the team for a hearing, and Robin and the Huntress find themselves working as legal counsel on opposing sides. While of course they aren't going to turn out to be guilty, it isn't immediately apparent where the story might be going, so that's kind of interesting.
ma
Arion Lord of Atlantis #26: The demon god Kr'Rth is marauding through the city, and Arion is in the thrall of his high priestess who plans to make the mage her consort. Arion is just faking though. As soon as he can, he slips out to borrow magic from his deceased dad to send Kr'Rth back into darkness. Even though he probably saved Mara's life, she is in no way greatful, still holding a grudge for what happened in his absence.
Kupperberg and Duursema give us a Chian solo story. After being nearly hit by an arrow while riding through a forest, she meets a girl named Lyla who has run away from her responsibility to fulfill her people's obligation by being placed in a temple. Lyla's story reminds Chian bitterly of her own childhood. Soon, Lyla's father and other hunters catch up, and both Chian and the girl are taken prisoner.
All-Star Squadron #41: Firebrand, Green Lantern and Hawkman save an unconscious Starman from falling to his death, giving Thomas/Kupperberg and Jones/Collins the excuse they need to tell his origin, courtesy of Tarantula's book on super-heroes. After giving Batman and Robin a bit of help at a robbery and acquiring the nonfunctional gravity rod designed by Professor Davis from his cousin Sandra, Ted Knight powers Davis's rod with "unknown cosmic rays", makes a costume, and offers his services to the FBI as Starman.
Detective Comics #546: Moench and Colan/Smith are still plugging along. Anton Knight is still recovering with the blind woman. Jason is settling in to living with Natalia, though he doesn't buy for a minute she just wants to be his mom. After Batman's last issue, Hill retaliates by framing him for a crime, suspending Gordon, and sending Gotham PD after Batman. Gordon tells Batman to look out for Gordon, who needs looking out for, because another assassin takes a shot at him. Fed up, Bullock heads over to Hill's mansion to confront his former boss. After Bullock delivers his threat, Hill pulls out a gun and shoots him, claiming self-defense.
Spanner's Galaxy #2: Cuti and Mandrake have Spanner castling (teleporting) onto a ship that's just been overrun by pirates. He helps the crew retake the ship, then agrees to help a young woman he calls "Icy Rivers" get to her fiancé at port. Apparently, they are both specially engineered perfect specimens of their race on their way to a new planet called Paradise. Spanner helps the couple and meets a diminutive alien with a knack for engineering. After various trials, including saving the girl from a premature autopsy and escaping the hunters pursuing him, Spanner castles off-world, one step ahead of the law.
Sun Devils #7: Conway and Jurgens/Mitchell continue this space opera saga with the revelation that the scientist the team recently liberated from the Sauroids has know-how to build a super-weapon that could end the war. The weapon, by disrupting a sun, would kill millions, and that sits uneasily with some of the team, including Anomie. Rik feels like obtaining this weapon for Earth and her allies is the only way. The team flies off to harvest the necessary neutronium from a nebula, but command intercepts a message and realizes there's a traitor among them. The Sun Devils run into an ambush, and Rik and Anomie must escape their destroyed ship by donning spacesuits. They run right into Drakon, the elite sauroid warrior leading the assault.
Tales of the Legion #319: Levitz and Shoemaker/Kesel follow up on last issue with group of Legionnaires dealing with a frenzied Mon-El dealing with the memories of Phantom Zone confinement. Meanwhile, Shadow Lass is forced to fight for her life against Lady Memory. She wins that battle, then the cavalry arrives to defeat the Persuader and Lady Memory's rebel army. The solution to Mon-El's mental state proved to be snapping him out of it by recalling his greatest trauma, so Superboy brought out the Phantom Zone Projector for that purpose.
World's Finest Comics #311: Nice cover by Cullins and Janson. Cavalieri and Woch have the Monitor (this guy again!) testing Superman's and Batman's abilities, by giving a teenage computer hacker (previously attempting to hack into Phil Foxman's computer and read as yet unpublished New Teen Tyros stories) access to the Fortress of Solitude, where he unleashes monsters from Superman's zoo and giant combat robots carrying kryptonite. Working together Batman and Superman manage to contain the emergency as Superman deals with the monsters and robots and Batman finds the source of the problem and presumably gives the kid a stern talking to. The Monitor, not satisfied with the results, contacts a group of villains called The Network (who got teased in the DC Sampler) for a go against the heroes.
Action Comics #563: This issue is a bit of a departure from the norm, having 3 humorous short stories. The first brings back Ambush Bug and unites the team of Fleming and Giffen that will be responsible for his limited series. It's really the first appearance of the character as he'll appear there: fourth wall breaking, referencing of comic book events (in this case, Secret Wars and Spider-Man's symbiote suit) and very silly. He plays a short of Daffy Duck character, though that would make Superman his Porky Pig straight man. Thankfully, the story doesn't overstay its welcome by going on too long.
The second story features Mr. Mxyzptlk and is by Bridwell and Saviuk/Jensen. Mxy demands Morgan Edge make him a media star, and foils plans to send him home by making it impossible for people to write or say any name backwards. Superman eventually figures out a way to send the imp home and it's a bit of a cheat, referencing for no real reason Bizarro Kltpzyxm, but it works.
The last story by Boldman and Bender/Marcos harkens back to those classic Silver Age Jimmy Olsen yarns. Needing to rescue a young girl, Jimmy drinks his Elasti-Lad formula but becomes a blob instead of merely stretchy. Unable to communicate, most people think he's a monster, but Superman comes to his rescue (eventually).
America vs. the Justice Society #1: This feels like the title Thomas was born to write: It combines the Golden Age characters he loves with extensive continuity patches and retcons. There are even notes about where things are drawn from. He's joined by his wife in plotting, and by multiple artists (Kayanan, Buckler, and Ordway) and inkers (Alcala and Collins). In the story, the discovery (and subsequent publication by Clark Kent's Daily Star) of a diary written in Batman's own hand naming the Justice Society as conspirators with Adolf Hitler causes Congress to summon the team for a hearing, and Robin and the Huntress find themselves working as legal counsel on opposing sides. While of course they aren't going to turn out to be guilty, it isn't immediately apparent where the story might be going, so that's kind of interesting.
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Arion Lord of Atlantis #26: The demon god Kr'Rth is marauding through the city, and Arion is in the thrall of his high priestess who plans to make the mage her consort. Arion is just faking though. As soon as he can, he slips out to borrow magic from his deceased dad to send Kr'Rth back into darkness. Even though he probably saved Mara's life, she is in no way greatful, still holding a grudge for what happened in his absence.
Kupperberg and Duursema give us a Chian solo story. After being nearly hit by an arrow while riding through a forest, she meets a girl named Lyla who has run away from her responsibility to fulfill her people's obligation by being placed in a temple. Lyla's story reminds Chian bitterly of her own childhood. Soon, Lyla's father and other hunters catch up, and both Chian and the girl are taken prisoner.
All-Star Squadron #41: Firebrand, Green Lantern and Hawkman save an unconscious Starman from falling to his death, giving Thomas/Kupperberg and Jones/Collins the excuse they need to tell his origin, courtesy of Tarantula's book on super-heroes. After giving Batman and Robin a bit of help at a robbery and acquiring the nonfunctional gravity rod designed by Professor Davis from his cousin Sandra, Ted Knight powers Davis's rod with "unknown cosmic rays", makes a costume, and offers his services to the FBI as Starman.
Detective Comics #546: Moench and Colan/Smith are still plugging along. Anton Knight is still recovering with the blind woman. Jason is settling in to living with Natalia, though he doesn't buy for a minute she just wants to be his mom. After Batman's last issue, Hill retaliates by framing him for a crime, suspending Gordon, and sending Gotham PD after Batman. Gordon tells Batman to look out for Gordon, who needs looking out for, because another assassin takes a shot at him. Fed up, Bullock heads over to Hill's mansion to confront his former boss. After Bullock delivers his threat, Hill pulls out a gun and shoots him, claiming self-defense.
Spanner's Galaxy #2: Cuti and Mandrake have Spanner castling (teleporting) onto a ship that's just been overrun by pirates. He helps the crew retake the ship, then agrees to help a young woman he calls "Icy Rivers" get to her fiancé at port. Apparently, they are both specially engineered perfect specimens of their race on their way to a new planet called Paradise. Spanner helps the couple and meets a diminutive alien with a knack for engineering. After various trials, including saving the girl from a premature autopsy and escaping the hunters pursuing him, Spanner castles off-world, one step ahead of the law.
Sun Devils #7: Conway and Jurgens/Mitchell continue this space opera saga with the revelation that the scientist the team recently liberated from the Sauroids has know-how to build a super-weapon that could end the war. The weapon, by disrupting a sun, would kill millions, and that sits uneasily with some of the team, including Anomie. Rik feels like obtaining this weapon for Earth and her allies is the only way. The team flies off to harvest the necessary neutronium from a nebula, but command intercepts a message and realizes there's a traitor among them. The Sun Devils run into an ambush, and Rik and Anomie must escape their destroyed ship by donning spacesuits. They run right into Drakon, the elite sauroid warrior leading the assault.
Tales of the Legion #319: Levitz and Shoemaker/Kesel follow up on last issue with group of Legionnaires dealing with a frenzied Mon-El dealing with the memories of Phantom Zone confinement. Meanwhile, Shadow Lass is forced to fight for her life against Lady Memory. She wins that battle, then the cavalry arrives to defeat the Persuader and Lady Memory's rebel army. The solution to Mon-El's mental state proved to be snapping him out of it by recalling his greatest trauma, so Superboy brought out the Phantom Zone Projector for that purpose.
World's Finest Comics #311: Nice cover by Cullins and Janson. Cavalieri and Woch have the Monitor (this guy again!) testing Superman's and Batman's abilities, by giving a teenage computer hacker (previously attempting to hack into Phil Foxman's computer and read as yet unpublished New Teen Tyros stories) access to the Fortress of Solitude, where he unleashes monsters from Superman's zoo and giant combat robots carrying kryptonite. Working together Batman and Superman manage to contain the emergency as Superman deals with the monsters and robots and Batman finds the source of the problem and presumably gives the kid a stern talking to. The Monitor, not satisfied with the results, contacts a group of villains called The Network (who got teased in the DC Sampler) for a go against the heroes.
Action Comics #563: This issue is a bit of a departure from the norm, having 3 humorous short stories. The first brings back Ambush Bug and unites the team of Fleming and Giffen that will be responsible for his limited series. It's really the first appearance of the character as he'll appear there: fourth wall breaking, referencing of comic book events (in this case, Secret Wars and Spider-Man's symbiote suit) and very silly. He plays a short of Daffy Duck character, though that would make Superman his Porky Pig straight man. Thankfully, the story doesn't overstay its welcome by going on too long.
The second story features Mr. Mxyzptlk and is by Bridwell and Saviuk/Jensen. Mxy demands Morgan Edge make him a media star, and foils plans to send him home by making it impossible for people to write or say any name backwards. Superman eventually figures out a way to send the imp home and it's a bit of a cheat, referencing for no real reason Bizarro Kltpzyxm, but it works.
The last story by Boldman and Bender/Marcos harkens back to those classic Silver Age Jimmy Olsen yarns. Needing to rescue a young girl, Jimmy drinks his Elasti-Lad formula but becomes a blob instead of merely stretchy. Unable to communicate, most people think he's a monster, but Superman comes to his rescue (eventually).
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