Decent Comics: "The Lurker Below!" by Conway, Netzer, and Rubinstein

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! We're back with another Challengers of the Unknown adventure by Gerry Conway, Michael (Mike Nasser) Netzer, and Joe Rubinstein. This one starts off with a cool cover, marred only by its misleading blurb. The cover claims Swamp Thing as a guest star, while, in truth, Len Wein and Berni Wrightson's greatest creation only appears in flashback (that will change later, though). The truth is, the Challs are battling a menace from the pages of Swamp Thing #8--and it's a pretty cool and twisted little tale, complete with a tractor salesman who looks suspiciously like a certain Former-President-Who-Wasn't-a-Crook and gorgeous, energetic art. Oh, the letters page has a hoot of a biography for Mr. Netzer. Ol' Groove's included it 'cause he loves ya! From Challengers of the Unknown #82 (May 1977)...beware of..."The Lurker Below!"

Decent Comics: "Multi-Man's Master Plan!" by Conway, Netzer, and Wiacek

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! The Challengers of the Unknown got their own mag back with issue #81 in March 1977 after spending the majority of the Swingin' Seventies in limbo (discounting a few reprint issues). As we've seen here, here, and here, the Challs made their triumphant return to new episodes in Super-Team Family. Those issues sold well enough that publisher Jenette Kahn green-lit the resurrection of Challengers' own mag...and it lasted an entire year. But what a year! It kicked off with a continuation of the storyline that had begun in their last Super-Team Family outing, but with a brand new creative team. Writer Gerry Conway took the helm, losing some of the quirky-cool that former author Steve Skeates brought to the Challs, but bringing some action-packed scripts and Marvel-style soap-opera-ish subplots with him. Penciler James Sherman's other assignment, Legion of Super-Heroes, had gone monthly, so he chose to give up the Chall's strip, so the exciting Michael Netzer (known then as Mike Nasser) drew the first two issues, inked first by Bob Wiacek, then by Joe Rubinstein. After that, another young, exciting penciler, Keith Giffen took over the penciling, inked quite nicely by veteran John Celardo. But enuff wit da info! On with da comics! Here's "Multi-Man's Master Plan!"

Cover art by Michael Netzer and Neal Adams

Black and White Wednesday: DC on TV from Amazing World of DC Comics #15

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! In The Amazing World of DC Comics #15 (August 1977), Anthony Tollin wrote a nice, photo-filled article encapsulating the history of DC heroes on live-action TV. Later in that same ish, Mark Evanier gave us an excellent essay on TV's Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter! All those facts and photos came under a gorgeous Mike Nasser (now Michael Netzer) WW cover. And heeeeeere it is!

Groove's Faves: "The Cloud with the Lethal Lining!" by Bates, Netzer, and Colletta

How cool is this, Groove-ophiles! A short Flash shocker penciled by Michael Netzer (then Mike Nasser) and inked by Vinnie Colletta! Of course, this forgotten classic from Adventure Comics #466 (August, 1979) was written by regular Flash author Cary Bates and features one of Flash's top rogues, The Weather Wizard. Check out "The Cloud with the Lethal Lining!"