Guest Post - Let's Play Ball! DC Super-Stars 10

Doug: Happy Monday, friends. If you're fortunate enough to have Easter Monday off work, congratulations and enjoy! If you have your nose to the grindstone as usual, well then -- you have our pity! If you're coming by to catch the finale of Karen's and my thoughts on Marvels, we apologize. Travel, real life, the NCAA tournament... all those things conspired to push us back a week. But rest assured that you're in good hands today, as our buddy Mike W. is going to shepherd us through a very timely story. It's the beginning of baseball season here in the States, and Mike has a comic book oddity to spring upon you. So kick back for a few moments and enjoy!

DC Super-Stars #10 (December 1976)

"The Great Super-Star Game!"

Bob Rozakis-Dick Dillin/Frank McLaughlin

M.S. Wilson: Okay, this review is a little different ... not really weird, but a little off the beaten path. The comic in question is DC Super-Stars #10, written by Bob “Babe” Rozakis, with art by Dick “Duke” Dillin and Frank “Catfish” McLaughlin. As you can probably guess from those nicknames, the story is about baseball. (My apologies to any non-North Americans who find baseball either boring or incomprehensible; I’ll try to find a comic about cricket or rugby sometime, just to even things up.) I was a big baseball fan as a kid, so I’ve always had a soft spot for this story, though I lost interest in the game a long time ago. I first read this story as a reprint in DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #13 from 1981 (titled "Strange Sports Stories", and believe me, it lives up to the name), but I recently got my hands on the original comic. There’s no difference in the story, but the original has the actual boxscore and an inning-by-inning description of the game, and I’m enough of a nerd to want that extra information. I know other blogs have covered this comic, but hopefully I’ll be able to bring a fresh perspective to it. So, without further ado... Let’s play ball!

We start out in suburbia, with a typical (?) couple, Sportsmaster and Huntress. This isn’t the Helena Wayne Huntress, this is the original one, a villainess who’s married to another bad guy, the Sportsmaster. It’s a little weird to see super-villains living in the ’burbs (their house is a very modern looking A-Frame). What I find even more strange is that they’re wearing their costumes around the house; you’d think they’d be a bit more casual at home. Anyway, they’re fighting, which married people sometimes do, but this fight is about something a little surprising: Huntress is ready to drop the villain biz and become a crimefighter! Sportsmaster is opposed to this, of course, but Huntress says it’s simple logic ... villains always lose, so why not switch to the winning side? Finally, (after destroying their nicely-furnished living room) Sportsmaster proposes a contest: Huntress will gather a team of heroes, Sportsmaster a team of villains, and the two sides will play a baseball game. If the good guys win, Huntress becomes a crimefighter; if the bad guys win, she stays a villainess. She agrees, and they start putting their teams together.

They start a week later in Gotham, at a bowling tournament. (In fact, all of their “recruiting” is done at various sporting events, a detail I didn’t notice the first time I read this story.) I’m also not sure about the whole setting ... Huntress and Sportsmaster were always Earth-2 villains, as far as I know. But everything here takes place on Earth-1, and all the heroes and villains we see (except Uncle Sam) are from Earth-1; so I’m not sure if Sportsmaster and Huntress were living on Earth 1, or maybe just travelled there to have the game? Anyway, the bowling tournament is giving away $250,000 (in cash!), so of course Joker and Matter Master show up to steal the money. Matter Master gives the bowlers a taste of their own medicine when he uses his magic wand to make the pins attack people. Luckily, Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen, and Dinah Lance are on hand (Bruce put up the cash prize and Ollie did the PR), so they do a quick change and attack the villains. The good guys seem to be winning handily, when they’re spirited away by some kind of teleporter machine. It’s weird that Sportsmaster and Huntress have this kind of technology; where did they get it (especially if they’re not even on “their” Earth)? And if villains have access to such a powerful device, why aren’t they using it all the time? Seriously, they have a monitor that can apparently tune in on any location they want, and they have the technology to grab people remotely and teleport them away. It reminds me of the Tantalus Field from the Star Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror”; that kind of tech should make them almost invincible. Maybe we can assume the machine was one-of-a-kind and the superheroes destroyed it at the end of the story?

Their next grab is in Metropolis, where they net Superman (playing tennis against himself at super-speed ... show-off), along with Lex Luthor and Amazo, who’s much more articulate than I remember him. Next, we go to a United Nations soccer match, with a solid platinum trophy as the prize (Is it any wonder there’s so much crime in the DCU, when they’re giving away $250,000 cash prizes and platinum trophies all the time?). Wonder Woman is at the soccer match, and it’s a good thing because Weather Wizard and Chronos show up to steal the platinum prize. Wonder Woman seems outnumbered (although she really should be able to wipe the floor with these guys in her sleep), but Plastic Man has been masquerading as her lasso, so he helps her against the villains. I can’t help wondering how long Plas has been disguised as Diana’s lasso ... knowing him, probably at least since she got dressed that morning. Before much can happen, the heroes and villains are spirited away. Next we see a horse race between the top two horses in the country, but instead of regular jockeys the horses are being ridden by Tattooed Man and Dr. Polaris, and chased by Kid Flash and Robin (with Kid Flash acting as Robin’s “steed”). I guess Tattooed Man and Dr. Polaris are trying to steal the horses, since they’re said to be the best in the country. The horses are named “Bold Force” and “Foolish Pride”, which I assume refers to real-life horses “Bold Forbes” (1976 winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont) and “Foolish Pleasure” (who won the 1975 Kentucky Derby). Before the villains can ride their stolen horses to a clean getaway, their mounts are stolen out from under them by Felix Faust. And just to top things off, Uncle Sam shows up and the whole lot of them are zapped away by Huntress and Sportsmaster.

Sportsmaster and Huntress explain the contest to everyone (and the villains seem very confident they can win without their powers... the arrogance of evil, I guess?). The heroes are reluctant to play along, but Huntress says she’s somehow hypnotized (“I cast Mass Charm!”) 66,000 people and brought them to a baseball stadium in upstate New York, and they won’t be released until the game is played all the way through. So Huntress apparently can hypnotize huge crowds of people and turn them into virtual zombies... Between this and the teleporter machine, why isn’t she ruling the world?! Incidentally, the baseball field is called Crandall Stadium; I couldn’t find any real venue in upstate New York by that name, so I’m assuming it’s fictional. I’m wondering if it was named after artist Reed Crandall? He wasn’t doing much (if any) comics work by 1976, but he and Dick Dillin both worked on Blackhawk at various times, so maybe Rozakis named the stadium after him. Or maybe Dillin came up with the name? With the hypnotized people at stake, the heroes have no choice but to play. Since each side has ten players, they each choose an umpire. The heroes choose Uncle Sam because of his unfailing honesty (I’m wondering if that’s the  reason he was included in the first place?) and the villains choose Amazo (“... since he’s an android, he’ll have to call them as he sees them.”). Yes, Luthor, Amazo may be destructive and homicidal, but a liar... never!

The first eight innings of the game are glossed over on one page, which shows a few highlights and the changing score. After eight innings, the score is even, 8-8. The crowd is just staring, like zombies; it would freak me out to play in a stadium where there’s just complete silence... I don’t know how the Cubs stand it! Ohhhh, below the belt I know, but all in fun; as I said, I haven’t paid attention to baseball for years, so I have no idea what kind of team the Cubs have nowadays ... apologies to any Cubs fans out there, I really didn’t mean anything by it. I was going to say “Washington Senators”, but I thought that might date me too much! [Doug: Well, Mr. Smarty-pants, the Cubbies are supposed to have a great team this year and next, with aspirations of breaking their 107-year drought as World Series Champions. This may be the last guest post by M.S., kids! :) ]  Sportsmaster tells the villains to cheat and use their powers; I’m surprised they actually held off for so long! Actually, I’m not sure about the whole “no powers” rule; how does someone like Superman not use his powers? Would he really be able to hold back when he hits the ball? Same goes for Wonder Woman. And what about Kid Flash? If he runs to first base slightly faster than any normal human being could, is he using his powers, or is he just a little faster than everyone else?

Anyway, as the ninth inning starts, the villains come out cheating. Tattooed Man uses a tattoo of a baseball glove (which he conveniently happens to have) to catch a short fly, but he doesn’t catch the glove, so Black Canary goes to first base. Sportsmaster then beans Superman intentionally, sending him to first and Canary to second; why the heck would you deliberately throw a beanball when there’s no outs and a runner on first? And why would you bean Superman, of all people (the ricochet almost takes Sportsmaster’s head off!)? Wonder Woman gets a hit to load the bases. Robin strikes out (Really, Robin? Remember how he used to get knocked out all the time? Robin was the Tonto of superhero comics). Kid Flash sends a ground ball to short and Black Canary is thrown out at home (the villains seem to play better when they don’t cheat), but the bases are still loaded. Batman draws a walk, which brings Superman home (Score: 9-8 for the good guys). Green Arrow slams a double, which scores Wonder Woman and Kid Flash (Score: 11-8 heroes), but Arrow is tagged out when Felix Faust uses his magic to transport the ball from the outfield into his hand.

Now it’s do or die time for the villains. Luthor rigs his bat to give off “vibrations” that keep the ball from ever crossing the plate, and he gets a walk. I’m not sure what sort of vibrations the bat could be giving off that would affect a baseball; plus, the ball’s trajectory is pretty erratic, so you’d think the heroes would’ve known something was up. Weather Wizard hits a single and whips up a blizzard to blind Wonder Woman, but she uses her lasso to redirect the storm into Luthor’s face and he’s put out before reaching second base. Joker bunts and uses his laughing gas to make Green Arrow miss fielding the ball. The first time I read this, I didn’t notice the laughing gas (the way it’s drawn, it’s kind of hard to see) so I thought GA was actually laughing at Joker’s idiotic joke. So now the villains have men on first and second. Chronos hits one to shortstop and slows down time for the heroes while speeding it up for his teammates, thereby breaking every law of physics in the cosmos and sending the multiverse into instant heat death. Seriously, when did Chronos get that kind of power? I know when he was first introduced, the “time” thing was just a gimmick, then later on he actually did gain the power to affect time; but this kind of selective control? He should be one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Anyway, Kid Flash strains his super-speed to the utmost and manages to tag Chronos out before he reaches first. It’s all very heroic, but kind of stupid too; why didn’t Kid Flash (who plays shortstop) just go for the force out at second? It’s a lot closer. For that matter, why not go for the force at first, instead of tagging Chronos? Matter Master is next up, and he gets a fly ball... literally, since he gives the ball wings. Green Arrow shoots it down, but a run scores (Score: 11-9 heroes). I guess there’s nothing in the rule book against giving a ball wings. Sportsmaster gets up and whacks a double, scoring another run (Score: 11-10 heroes). Sportsmaster’s feeling pretty good, but not for long as Plastic Man tags him out. Apparently when Sportsy rounded first, he didn’t actually step on the bag but Plastic Man’s foot (which was shaped like the bag). Sportsmaster protests, but Amazo upholds the play (there’s that honesty again!) and gives Plas quite the compliment: “He tricked you in a grandly villainous manner!” Talk about praise from Caesar.

So, the game ends with the heroes winning 11-10; the zombified people leave and the super-heroes and super-villains pop right back where they came from, leaving Sportsmaster and Huntress still bickering. The villains are all shown being defeated very perfunctorily, in three-quarters of a page. Maybe losing the game took all the fight out of them. I’m not sure what the moral of the story is, since the heroes only won by cheating. Of course, the villains cheated first, so many the moral is “It’s OK to cheat as long as the ther guys do it first”? And we never really see any follow-up on Huntress becoming a crimefighter; her next appearances (along with Sportsmaster) were in All-Star Comics #s 72 and 73, where she was still a villain as far as I know (although I haven’t actually read those comics). So maybe we can just consider this an apocryphal story, or a continuity blip.

 

As I mentioned at the start of this review, the original comic included the boxscore of the game and an inning-by-inning description of the action, which I think is pretty cool. But you might notice some of the plays are questionable, and even downright illogical ... and why so many bunts? Well, I first read this story in a Blue Ribbon Digest devoted to "Strange Sports Stories", and on the inside back cover Bob Rozakis explained how he figured out all the play-by-play stuff throughout the game. His father had taught him a simple game (which he called “Baseball with Cards”) and Rozakis actually played out the whole superhero vs. super-villain game using playing cards. I’ve tried it myself and it’s fun enough, though there seems to be an inordinate number of outs. So that explains why some of the plays don’t make sense... because they were basically random. Of course, I’m sure there was a bit of fudging in places, like when a batter hits a single and the runners advance two bases; that happens quite a bit in real baseball, but there’s no provision for it in the rules for Rozakis’s card game. So we can assume there was a certain amount of improvisation taking place... especially in the ninth inning, since we knew the heroes would win, but couldn’t be sure exactly how.

So that’s my take on this story; it’s a bit weird when you really think about it, but hey, it was the Bronze Age! I love it!

The Falcon, the Frame-Up, and the Fallen Hero - Captain America 169

Captain America #169 (January 1974) (cover by Sal Buscema)
"When a Legend Dies"
Steve Englehart (p. 1-15)/Mike Friedrich (p. 16-32)-Sal Buscema/Frank McLaughlin

Doug:  When I see that cover, I think of the scene in Tim Burton's first Batman film when the kung fu guy does all this movement and posturing on his way to attacking Batman and it's one punch, LIGHTS OUT!  Somehow, I don't think the Tumbler should be any match for our star-spangled hero.  Hey, welcome to a series of reviews spanning the "Secret Empire" storyline, one of the true biggies of the Bronze Age.  This one'll take us out of February and through March, kids, so make sure you're buckled in and have packed some snacks.  It's going to be a long, but hopefully really fun, ride!

Karen: I had been reading Captain America and the Falcon since issue 138, but it was with Englehart's run that things really got interesting. The "Secret Empire" story was complicated and full of twists and turns - and unfortunately, due to the travails of the distribution system back in the 70s, I wound up missing several issues, so it took a few years before I was able to get the complete story. But it's one well worth reading, and it marked turning points for both Cap and the Falcon -and some great character development, too.

Doug:  We open on the streets of Harlem, with the Falcon mysteriously walking alone at night, right in the middle of the street.  As he thinks to himself about how great his life is, a car bears down on him.  He notices it a bit too late, and is knocked over as he attempts to leap out of the way.  Stunned, he's almost immediately set upon by five toughs brandishing brass knuckles and clubs; one guy has a gun.  Miraculously, Falc separates that hood from his piece, which evens the odds.  But without any super powers, the odds still don't look good.  These guys have come for some payback, from a boss named Morgan -- guy's upset that the Falcon won't join up.  The creeps keep piling on, but Falc fights them tooth and nail.  We pan down the street, where Steve Rogers emerges from a building, allegedly on his way to get a snack -- now that's a brave white man, going to get a bite after dark on the mean streets of Harlem.  Rogers sees the fracas, ducks back inside the building, and emerges a moment later on the roof -- dressed as Captain America!  Cap runs along the rooftop and then launches himself down onto the roof of a car.  He uses it as a springboard to take out three of the hoods.  Falc pummels one guy, when the gang decides they've had enough.  Cap wants to chase them, but Falc say to stay put.  He knows who they work for, and can deal with it later.  What he really wants to discuss is the inequality between he and his partner in the strength department, and how once Cap showed up the bad guys fled immediately.  What we have here is a bit of an inferiority complex on the part of one Sam Wilson.

Karen: And who could blame him? Paired up with one of the most famous (perhaps the most famous) super-hero in all of Marvel-Earth, a legend even, it's going to be hard to shine. Clearly the Falcon was no slouch when it came to dishing out punishment. But his enemies know he's  "just a man."

Doug:  Falc slumps down on the curb, and Cap offers to help in any way he can.  Falc reiterates his desire to be as strong as Cap.  We should mention that this was during a period when Cap's strength was really ramped up.  In my mind, though, I always thought the Super Soldier serum had given him more than just an edge -- but apparently he would have been considered in the "super strength" category during this run of stories.  Anyway, Cap offers to contact Hank Pym for a serum, or Tony Stark for some sort of mechanical advantage.  But Falcon knows what he wants -- he wants Cap to contact the Black Panther for assistance.  It's important to Falcon that the Panther help him, because it would just feel better.  Cap obliges, no questions asked -- he leaves for Avengers Mansion to make the contact.

Karen: Cap's recent (and I would say, unnecessary) acquisition of super-strength doesn't make things any easier on Sam. I like the way these two men relate to each other here. Sam is brutally frank with his frustration, not taking his anger out on Cap, but making it clear that he can't live in his shadow. He's got to have some way to keep equal footing with him -"Otherwise, I am to you what Redwing is to me: a pet!" Harsh words, but ones Cap needed to hear. And Cap is sympathetic; he wants to help his partner. It's interesting that Cap suggests Hank Pym and Tony Stark, but doesn't think of the Panther, who is every bit the scientific genius as the other two, despite his close connections with T'Challa. The Falcon  is very clear though about with whom he wants to work. I thought it was astute of Englehart to have the Falcon express this as he did.

Doug:  As much as Cap was a role model for Sam, you're right -- the Panther could give to Sam in a way that Pym or Stark simply could not.  And that's OK.

Doug:  On the way to the Mansion, Cap's eye is captured by an image of himself on a storefront television.  Slowing and then stopping, Cap listens to a "public service announcement" that portrays him as a vigilante who know one really knows, a man willing to take the law into his own hands while wrapped in the American flag.  The narrator speaks with a sensational tone of warning, attempting to drum up distrust and even suspicion in our hero.  The announcement ends with a screen showing who has paid for it:  The Committee to Regain America's Principles (go ahead -- make an acronym out of that!).  Cap is flabbergasted, and begins to mutter to himself, discounting every accusation that was made.  Suddenly he notices that a crowd has gathered.  He turns and addresses them, saying that what they'd heard was all lies and that they should believe him.  The crowd is a bit standoffish, however, and some even have a look of fear in their eyes.  Cap knows the damage has been done, and speeds away on his bike, his teeth clenched.

Karen: Yes, you gotta love that acronym! Englehart has said he based it on CREEP -Committee to Re-Elect the President (officially it was CRP but CREEP is the popular term). CREEP was a fundraising organization for President Nixon that was implicated of money laundering in the Watergate scandal. Who says the BAB is not educational? This isn't the first time Cap's seen this smear campaign -there was a newspaper ad in issue #166 too.

Doug:  The next morning, a flying saucer (literally) lands in the streets of Harlem.  Out of it steps the Black Panther, arrived to pick up a famous passenger.  Cap did get it worked out -- the Panther is in Harlem to spirit the Falcon to Wakanda.  Falc emerges from his building with his ladyfriend Leila.  Introductions are made, and the Panther says that it will not be a problem for Leila to accompany the men to Africa.  Cap arrives to see his friend off, and give off a real air of encouragement; but we know how uneasy Cap was the day before.

Karen: What did you think of the Panther's ship? It seemed a bit goofy. He sure doesn't know what trouble he's in for by taking Leila with him!

Doug:  Wakandan technology, and Wakanda in general, always leaves me guessing. On the one hand, they seem to be advanced almost to the point of the Kree.  Yet on the other hand, and we discussed this last week in our FF review that featured the Panther, they hold to these feudal ways and antiquated stereotypes in terms of dress.  Strange brew...

Doug:  Later, Cap storms into the building alleged to house the C.R.A.P. offices (heh...).  You know sometimes when people have an impression of you that you don't agree with, but then like a dope you go and act just the way you don't want to be portrayed?  You get me?  Cap didn't.  Because he's brusque with the secretary and then storms into the office of one Quentin Harderman -- the head of C.R.A.P. and the narrator of the TV spot that rankled Cap.  The men have words -- Cap talking about being defamed, Harderman telling Cap that his particular brand of justice doesn't jibe with C.R.A.P.'s.  Harderman offers Cap a concession:  If Cap can "prove himself" to Harderman, then he'll reevaluate the situation.  Cap agrees to a charity boxing match, and then storms back out.  His blood boiling, he wonders if he did the right thing in even going to see Harderman.  But he's soon distracted by a cry for help nearby.

Karen: Cap's acting pretty rashly here, that's true. But then, he's had a rough time of things lately. He had to face the deranged 1950s Cap, then he had a falling out with Nick Fury, he got evicted, and he's been agonizing over the return of Peggy Carter, his WWII girlfriend, who happens to be his current girlfriend's much older sister! So he can be excused for some erratic behavior.

Doug:  Who's under that cowl -- Steve Rogers or Peter Parker??  Cap enters the liquor store to see the clerk prone on the floor and a baddie making tracks for the back of the store.  Cap gives chase and finds that the robber is an old Silver Age enemy of his -- the Tumbler.  Cap takes it to him and the two men scrap for two pages, with Cap of course coming out on top.  In the midst of battle, the Tumbler thinks to himself that he's been hired to discredit Captain America.  Eventually, Cap is able to subdue the Tumbler, but as he turns to leave the Tumbler comes to.  Launching himself at Cap, our hero reacts by shielding himself.  The Tumbler uses the star-spangled disc as a launching pad and vaults over the alley wall and away to freedom.  Cap chastises himself, but vows to find his nemesis.

Karen: The Tumbler is another one of those early Marvel villains that just seems like a bad joke later on. I mean, really, he's just an acrobatic thief. Hardly a challenge for Cap, and Englehart pretty much acknowledges this here -the guy is a nothing, a throwaway, but Cap doesn't take him seriously either, and it costs him.

Doug:  Cap heads off to see his lady, Sharon Carter.  He's worried that she's seen the TV ads.  But when they meet, Sharon's disturbed about something else.  Her sister, Peggy, Cap's wartime love, has joined SHIELD!  Thinking it would be the best way to rekindle the love she and Cap once shared, Peggy joined up with the spy agency to hone her fighting skills.  Sharon tells Cap that a) he has to put a stop to that, and b) they have to tell Peggy about their true love for one another.  Cap leaves to go see Col. Nick Fury.  The agent at the door tells him he's not welcome, Fury's orders.  Then another voice is heard, and Cap wheels to come face-to-face with the Contessa.  She is pretty rude to our guy, and basically tells Cap that Fury was happy with the smear campaign against Cap and Cap should just get lost.  Wow...  Cap heads back to Sam Wilson's social work office and bunks in for the night.His spirits are still high, but he's obviously a bit perturbed.

Karen: It's like the bottom is slowly dropping out of his life. Englehart did a nice job in previous issues of building up the tension and you really see it getting to Cap here. Coming from 2014, it's unsettling -I tend to think of Cap as being always in control, in charge. Here he decidedly is not.

Doug:  The next day Cap heads to an exhibition hall, apparently to meet Harderman for details on the upcoming charity boxing match.  While children present are excited to see their hero, men in the crowd think to themselves that the ads could be true...  Harderman arrives, with a tough next to him.  He makes an introduction and Cap immediately recognizes the guy as the Tumbler.  Cap's incensed, as the liquor store clerk still suffers from injuries sustained during the robbery a few days earlier.  Cap lights into the Tumbler, who finds it difficult to maneuver in a suit and tie.  He really doesn't have a chance.  Cap knocks him down a couple of times, when suddenly the Tumbler recoils... and drops.  Dead.  Cap hovers over the body as a crowd gathers.  But above the fray, peeking through the ceiling panels we see a masked man -- a man who thinks to himself how perfectly his laser penetrated the Tumbler's skull and killed him.  And a man who thinks that Harderman has done well -- now the next step in the destruction of Captain America will begin.

Karen: When Cap goes after the Tumbler, who is in street clothes, he really does look like he uses excessive force. And the expression on the Tumbler's face when he is killed -yikes!

Doug:  Man, what a beginning!  I remarked last week how dense Fantastic Four #119 was; this one's no exception!  I thought the scripting between Steve Englehart and Mike Friedrich was pretty seamless -- at least I saw no evidence that Friedrich came aboard halfway through the story.  And Sal's art is just Sal's art.  He's so steady, always delivering.  I don't know that I have a comment to add on Frank McLaughlin's inks, but we may revisit his work in later issues, and Vinnie Colletta will be manning the brush and India ink in future installments.  There should be a contrast in styles, I'd guess.  But overall, hey -- what whets an appetite like a little murder mystery?  And Falc and B.P.?  Shoot -- we got some plot threads going on here!

Ain't Nothin' Like Halloween in Rutland, Vermont! Part 2012

Amazing Adventures #16 (January 1973)
"And the Juggernaut Will Get You... If You Don't Watch Out!"
Steve Englehart-Bob Brown/Marie Severin/Frank McLaughlin

Doug:  Hey, we're back to New England for our 4th annual visit to the Halloween parade that was featured in several Marvel and DC comics in the Bronze Age.  Today we're dropping in on the Bouncing Blue Beast, who Karen and I will tell you never looked better than when rendered by George Perez.  Unfortunately, Sir George isn't the penciller on this ish -- he doesn't do the honors for a couple of years and in the pages of the Avengers.  In Amazing Adventures you were dealt the usual hand of Tom Sutton; today we get a fill-in from Bob Brown.  Now I generally find Brown to be serviceable.  I have liked his work in Daredevil, the Avengers, and the Batman books.  But here...

Karen: I don't know what's going on here; I found Bob Brown acceptable if unexciting on Avengers but this is not his best work, particularly his version of Juggernaut. 

Doug:  If I was driving in some heavily wooded area and a huge blue ape-looking fellow lumbered out into the road, I'd assume I'd just had a sasquatch sighting.  Not so in this case, as it's our hairy hero Hank McCoy who jumps across the pavement in front of a Mustang being driven by none other than our scribe Steve Englehart!  Along for the ride are Len and Glynis Wein and Gerry Conway.  You might notice Marie Severin credited as one of this book's artists -- on the splash page credits, she is listed as the "caricaturist".  Our creative crew leaps from their ride to see the Beast leap off into the brush beside the road.  Marvel's stalwarts are on their way to Rutland, Vermont to meet Tom Fagan and participate in the All Hallow's Eve goings-on.  As for the Beast?  He bounds to a spot where his civvies have been stored -- complete with his mask (OK, don't get us going on that again...).  His lady friend Vera has been left by the side of the road, waiting for her man to return (Hank, there are bears in Vermont).  He does, and tells her that there's a car just up the road in which they can hitch a ride.

Karen: OK, what the heck are Hank and Vera doing just sitting by the side of the road? There's no real explanation as to how they got there. And don't get me started on the super-life-like masks again! I'm reading this out of the Marvel Masterworks edition and Steve Englehart mentions in the foreword that this story was part of a three-way cross-over between this title, Thor, and believe it or not, Justice League (unofficially of course)! I do have Thor #207, which is the second part of this tale. But I've never seen the JLA that finishes it all off.

Doug:  Hank and Vera run up to our friends from New York, and curiously Englehart tells them that the muffler fell off the car and the heater doesn't work -- yet he's wearing a tank top!  They allow Hank and Vera to get in, and away they go.  But what's that big red circle opening in the sky in their wake?  Why it's the Juggernaut's means of dropping back to terra firma.  We get a recap of Juggy's whereabouts -- seems he's been trapped in oblivion, cast there by Eternity after having been confined in Nightmare's realm (sheesh -- Juggy's been on the wrong side of some heavy hitters!).  Now the premise for the remainder of the plot is pretty thin:  the Juggernaut's holder will drop our big baddie on Rutland, VT -- a place where Dr. Strange was a year ago and where the Beast is this day.  The Juggernaut will be able to follow the Beast's emanations and basically do to our hero what he will -- hatred and revenge are front and center.  Nice guy.

Karen: OK, you brought it up in our little editorial post last weekend: Juggy is a big fat blob! I don't know what Brown was going for here, but I'm not feeling powerful and unstoppable here. More like, where's the couch and the Fritos. He looks like a friggin' blimp, for Pete's Sake. The drawing above is actually one of the better ones. 

Doug:  Once the car arrives in Rutland, everyone piles out.  Englehart tells Hank and Vera that they are heading to Fagan's, but that it's invite-only.  Hank says no sweat and asks Vera if she wants to check out the parade.  She replies that they have to get to Canada, and cryptically tells Hank that she needs the very best scientist experienced in mutations.  We then get one of the treats found in these sorts of stories, and that's seeing all of the Marvel and DC character costumes.  By the way, if you want a little retrospective on the real goings-on at Rutland back in the Bronze Age, we'd encourage you to purchase yourself a copy of the current Back Issue.  As the parade kicks off, the Bullpen meets back up with Hank and Vera and tells them that they can go to Fagan's party after all.  But as more smalltalk commences there's a commotion just over Hank's left shoulder -- it's the Juggernaut!

Karen: I'm glad you mentioned that Back Issue article. After reading the comics about the Rutland parades for so many years, it was great to see actual photographs from the parades and parties over the years.

Doug:  The Juggernaut destroys a float while he moves toward Hank -- and the Beast's emanations.  Again, hate and revenge are the agenda of Juggernaut's day, but as he gets close the red circle in the sky opens again and abruptly removes him from the scene.  Somehow in the melee, though, Glynis Wein went missing.  As the Marvel boys fan out to search for her, Hank orders Vera to go check into the motel.  This frees him to go full-on Beast mode and search for the Juggernaut.  He doesn't have to search long, as that mysterious red circle drops Juggy right in front of ol' Hank.  Hank tries to attack by chucking a bunch of rocks, but you know how effective that is.  What follows is a 7-page slugfest where lots of trees, a few boulders, and -almost- a dam are shredded.  But Hank fortuitously falls off the dam and gets himself a breather.

Karen: Yeah, Hank knows he can't beat the Juggernaut, so he leads him away from the town, and tries to figure out what to do. That makes sense.

Doug:   Then Hank does something unexplainable.  He gets back into his civvies and heads up to Tom Fagan's party -- I don't know, drawing the Juggernaut right into the midst of a bunch of innocent bystanders??  We see that Roy and Jeannie Thomas have joined the crowd, but before Hank can find out anything about Glynis the Juggernaut bursts through the wall.  Hank runs, knowing that somehow Juggy can sense his whereabouts.  Heading up the staircase and into the attic, Hank decides to cower on the floor.  But as the Juggernaut draws closer, Hank whirls, whipping his mask off (ah, the mask again) -- and scares the bejeezus out of the Juggernaut!  This creates an opportunity for Hank to launch himself at his foe and rip the Juggernaut's helmet off.  And you know what that means -- a quick and definite decline in mystical power.

Karen: Yeah, it made absolutely no sense that Hank lead Juggernaut back to a house full of people! That was just nuts. Almost as if there had been a miscommunication between writer and artist.Also, perhaps I misunderstood the reason Juggernaut needed the helmet. I thought it protected him from a mental attack by Professor X. I didn't think he lost his might when it was removed.

Doug:  Now it's the Juggernaut who makes tracks.  He runs right out of the house and hops into Englehart's Mustang!  Needless to say it gets destroyed and Hank pours on the attack.  The Juggernaut's no match and succumbs quickly, aging rapidly and getting visibly smaller and weaker.  As the Beast finally lays a hand on him the red circle in the sky appears and whisks the Juggernaut away -- to die, he says!  Back with the Bullpen, Glynis has been discovered and when asked where she was tells that she was in a place she doesn't remember, but had a pretty good time.  Huh?  What are we to make of that?  Anyway, the Beast saunters away, to the forest where he stands in front of a full moon -- until the dawn of the next day.  Vera?

Karen: Obviously the Juggernaut recovered. I think maybe Glynis might have gone over to the DC universe in that JLA issue, but I'm not 100% sure about it. Anybody know for sure? I thought this was a pretty weak story, that was not helped at all by the art.

Doug:  "Mixed bag" would be putting it mildly on this one.  The art ended up being serviceable on all characters except the Juggernaut who just looked fat.  I didn't care for the coloring in the Masterworks, as the Beast was way too dark a shade of blue.  But Bob Brown brought to the table what I'd generally expect.  As to Englehart's script... the inclusion of himself and the Bullpen, while not unusual in these stories, seemed a distraction and a useless plot vehicle.  And Glynis Wein's disappearance?  Your guess remains as good as mine.

Marvel Firsts: She Ain't Fat, and She Ain't Singing!

Defenders #4 (February 1973)
"The New Defender!"
Steve Englehart-Sal Buscema/Frank McLaughlin

Karen: As my partner has commented before, I'm not sure we can call this the first appearance of the Valkyrie. After all, we'd first seen the character in Avengers #83, and again in Hulk #142. But this book would establish a new persona for the character, who would wind up being a Defender longer than almost anyone.

Doug: Who do you think of when you think of the Defenders? For me, I guess my mind's eye goes toward Nighthawk and our girl here, Valkyrie. Those two, for me, are the mainstays of the team in its first several years.

Karen: I would say those two and the Hulk are the names that pop into my head when I think of 'Defenders'. With Val and Nighthawk, the title was the only place they appeared, so there seemed to be more of an investment with them, just as Vision seemed to be "the Avenger" back in the 70s. Our tale starts at the end of another. Suffice it to say, The Defenders -at this time, the Hulk, Dr. Strange, and the Sub-Mariner - have defeated Strange's foe, the Nameless One, in another dimension. They've returned to Earth, Britain specifically. A human girl who was with them, Barbara Norris, has been driven insane, really nearly mindless, by the ordeal. The Hulk, who is smitten with the girl, blames Strange. I like the way Sal Buscema draws the Hulk -much more bestial than many other artists of the day. Hulk leaps off with Barbara in his arms, and a tormented Strange questions his decisions, which led to the girl's condition. Namor -who is sporting a golden earring, by the way - dismisses Strange's self-doubt, and says they must pursue the Hulk, as he could accidentally harm the girl. They follow the behemoth into a near-by castle.

Doug: I really like Sal's art here, and although I can't really comment on the inks of Frank McLaughlin from the standpoint of notoriety of characteristics, he's obviously complimentary to Our Pal Sal. You make a good point about Buscema's Hulk -- he has a fierceness about him, whereas Trimpe's tended to be a bit more matter-of-fact facially. I also enjoy the way Sal makes Hulk appear puzzled (dense, really, like he's trying to figure something out and can't cut through the fog) in some of the crowd scenes later in this story. As to the castle -- is it any wonder children so often dwell on stereotypes? Hey -- this is a castle!

Karen: The castle is well-maintained and chock-a-block full of the typical trappings such as suits of armor and shields on the wall. Strange and Namor ponder where the Hulk, usually easy to find, could have gone. They journey down a flight of stone steps to a cellar. There, a brazier full of burning coals flares up and leaves the room shrouded in an odd mist, out of which emerges the Executioner and a gaggle of armored foes.

Doug: Would you have been at all surprised if Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi lived in those digs? And how about a shout-out to the Asgardian armed forces? The word "uniform" never crossed anyone's mind. These guys always wear something different from the guy to the left and to the right!

Karen: Strange blasts their foes and Namor dives right in, fists flailing. But a magician, looking very much like a stereotypical Merlin figure, even with pointy hat and robe covered with stars, appears and casts a spell on Strange that somehow prevents him from using magic. As a normal man, he is easily captured. The Sub-Mariner battles on, but deprived of moisture he begins to weaken. The Executioner pulls a new trick and blasts Namor with energy from his hands. The defeated Defenders are tossed in a prison cell.

Doug: Wasn't this issue a great example for a couple of posts we've run recently? The whole "Merlin" thing could have tested anyone's suspension of disbelief -- not the fact that he was a wizard, but how he was dressed, and Namor's ever-present need to be exposed to water. I don't know... do frogs dry out as quickly as the Avenging Son? Sal always draws a good fight, with bodies flying everywhere. I always get a charge out of the Executioner. You know he'll get it handed to him in the end, but he's just such a big, dumb goober that he has to be a hoot to write.

Karen: In their cell they are reunited with Hulk- well, with Bruce Banner anyway. Barbara is there too, but she just sits in a corner and stares. A voice suddenly comes from a cell across the hall and they discover that the Executioner has two other prisoners -the Black Knight and the Enchantress! The Black Knight relays the story about how they came to be prisoners. It appears that after the Executioner abandoned the Enchantress for another magic-wielding babe at the end of Avengers #83, the Enchantress was really ticked off, which is one of the reasons she conspired with Ares to invade Earth (Avengers #100). She managed to escape from Zeus, and found the Knight, and cast her spell of love (lust?) over him. Her plan: get the Executioner back from the woman who stole him. But when they came to this dimension (oh yeah, apparently when the brazier exploded, they were transported to another dimension!), the queen, Casiolena, easily defeated the Enchantress. The Knight was soon overwhelmed too.

Doug: I didn 't think Englehart had Banner's voice at all. He was flip and spoke with pop culture references that co uld not have made his interaction with Namor easy at all. And Englehart crafted an almost-Claremontian tale to get his new heroine introduced, didn't he? Can I get something straight? At the beginning of this story, our heroes didn't enter Garrett Castle in search of the Hulk, did they? It was a different castle... or not?

Karen: That confused me as well. I had to look a the previous issue, which was no help. I guess it could have been Garrett Castle. Who knows! The Enchantress spots Barbara and hatches a scheme. She will re-create the Valkyrie! She says this Valkyrie will be in complete control -her human host will be wiped out. The Defenders object strenuously, but the Enchantress couldn't care less. She says her powers are at their peak in this realm, and sends a magical blast into Barbara, who transforms into the Valkyrie in a fabulous sequence by Sal. But a lot of this story doesn't make sense to me. Enchantress can cast this spell but the Queen's power keeps her from escaping her cell? It's implied that somehow, as the Enchantress and the Queen are evenly matched, Valkyrie will tip the scales, but that doesn't make much sense to me. What did I miss?

Doug: Do we know who originally designed the Valkyrie? Was it John Buscema in her first appearance, or Johnny Romita? I don't think you missed anything along the way. Although the overall story is good, there are many missteps along the way. Truly, the sum is greater than the parts. And Sal's full-body shot of Val is fantastic, isn't it? Beauty and power, all in one. By the way, I've never cared for characters whose powers are magic-based, simply for the question you asked above -- their entire schtick is a deus ex machina waiting to happen.

Karen: I'm not sure who designed the costume -I'm leaning towards Big John -but I've always thought it looked great. It's so different -it seems right. And the color scheme is perfect. The new-born Valkyrie takes her spear and shatters the wooden door to the cell, and then frees the Enchantress and Knight. Then it's on. The Defenders burst out and tackle their enemies, with Strange and the Enchantress taking out the wizard, Valkyrie wiping out the armored men, and Namor, Hulk, and Black Knight going after Executioner, and failing to beat him. But then Valkyrie gives him a solid right to the chopper, sending him right into the path of Hulk and Namor, who both punch the Asgardian. Finally, the Knight gets in a last whack "with the flat of my ebony blade"! Every sword wielding hero of the time had to use the flat of their blade, except for Conan of course!

Doug: Is Val too powerful here early on? Her intro. is certainly a grabber, but shoot -- Superman wouldn't have given more assistance than this gal!

Karen: She did seem awfully powerful here, but later on, she was at best a middleweight. With her pawns beaten, Casiolena herself shows up and prepares to unleash a super-destructive bolt, but Valkyrie grabs her and stops her, and then the Enchantress blasts her. Enchantress then retrieves the Executioner and makes to leave, but the Knight protests. "I love you!" he cries, the poor sot. The wretched woman then kisses him, turning him to stone. She transports herself and the Executioner away before the Defenders can grab her. Valkyrie thinks that since she was imbued with Enchantress's power, she might be able to reverse the spell, and kisses the statue-like Knight, but nothing happens. Dr. Strange says he will bring the Knight's stony body with him, in hopes of one day releasing him from the spell. He makes to transport them back to Earth, and Valkyrie comes too, riding the Knight's winged horse, Aragorn. When they arrive on Earth, she proclaims that she will join the defenders. This tweaks off Namor, who says the Defenders aren't a real team. Dr. Strange uncharacteristically responds, "With all due modesty, we are three of the most powerful people in the world. What could we possibly need you for?" Well!! And we are left with that, wondering why she would even want to hang around with these guys!

Doug: Yeah, as I said above, the Valkyrie is one powerful lady who just saved a lot of bacon -- sort of makes Strange's comment really, really dumb. I did think it was good on Englehart's part to establish that although Val was created from Asgardian magic she possesses none of those advantages herself.

Karen: I love the art on this issue. It totally transported me back to childhood. Now, I was using the Marvel Masterworks Defenders volume 1 to do this review (and I apologize for some burring around some of the edges), and the colors are far brighter than a real comic, but the clean lines and great story-telling by Sal were just a pleasure to look at. The story, like so many we've gone back to read from this era, seems to be a bit weak at points, but the characters (with the exception of Strange's little jab at the end) were right on. It makes me want to read the next issue, that's for sure!

Doug: I read this from volume 1 of the Essential Defenders. I know many of you don't like the B&W rendition of our four-color favorites, but as an enthusiast of original art, I don't mind them. And all of the love we've heaped on Buscema and McLaughlin is certainly well-deserved. And in regard to reading some more Defenders, I'll suggest right here and now that I peeked ahead and saw the 2-parter that introduces Nighthawk (the Defenders, the Squadron Sinister, and Nebulon? Are you kidding me??). Sounds like it could be in our next visit to Marvel Firsts.

Justice June: It's A Free For All!

Justice League of America #148 (Nov 1977)"Crisis in Triplicate!"
Script: Martin Pasko (with an assist by Paul Levitz)
Art: Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin

Karen: First things first: is that a cool cover or what? Everybody just wailing on everybody else really caught my eye back in the day -it still does! This is the conclusion to our JLA/JSA/Legion extravaganza. So grab your popcorn -and shut off your brain -this is a true summer blockbuster!

Doug: I just love covers with colors that provide great contrast -- white, yellow, and black backgrounds really make a cover pop, and this one's a great example. Rich Buckler does a really solid job here -- while I like Dick Dillin's interiors, it would have been nice to have seen Buckler on this full-length slugfest.
Karen: We get a recap from the still captive Green Arrow, who's about to suffocate inside a giant hourglass hung around Mordru's neck. The Legion shows up to put the three demons away, but they're no match for the demons' magic. So far, the Legion have made a pretty poor showing! One of the demons, Abnegazar, decides he likes the world of the the 30th century; he finds its peacefulness appealing. His fellows scoff at him though. Rath wants to enslave humanity and accumulate riches, while Ghast basically just wants to wipe out humans and devastate Earth. They turn on each other but discover that their magic cancels each others out. So of course, they decide to use the Legion, JLA, and JSA as their champions.

Doug: In regard to the Legion, didn't you think their role in this tale was reduced to their physical powers only? Mentally, strategically, whatever -- they're just not a factor. For having the smartest guy in the story on their team in Brainiac-5, they don't accomplish much in terms of driving this plot. I've been reading out of the Crisis on Multiple Earths, Volume 4 tpb. The book reprints JLA/JSA team-ups with the Fawcett heroes of Earth-S as well as this tale with the Legion. As we'd long before seen the Earth-3 super-baddies, our story here seems a link in a long chain of opportunities to spice up the annual JLA/JSA get-togethers.

Karen: There's a constant downplaying of the Legion's capabilities because of their youth, which is really annoying. So what are our teams? From the Legion, Lightning Lad, Shadow Lass, Chameleon Boy, Wildfire and Princess Projectra are chosen by Abnegazar. They agree to help him, since he wants to keep things as they are. Ghast gets JLAers Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, while Rath settles on the JSA and five heroes: Power Girl, Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Flash, and Hawkman. Ghast and Rath also have to mind control their pawns, seeing as how they want to do some nasty stuff. Suddenly it's a free-for-all!

Doug: The three different worldviews taken by the demons were interesting. I thought it was odd that Abnegazar saw progress and general goodness in the world and wanted to hold that status quo; that doesn't seem very demon-like to me! And free-for-all? I'm sorry, but I thought this story really degenerated into one big battle after another, with really nothing decided. Last week I mentioned the Avengers/Defenders War -- I thought Marvel made that a lot more interesting. Similarly, Busiek and Perez also made the JLA/Avengers mini-series interesting. This one began to drag for me -- maybe a regular-length story might have helped to tie things up quicker.
Karen: Hey, I just noticed something odd: although this is supposed to be taking place at Legion headquarters, the shots with the big windows showing the stars outside make me think it is the JLA satellite! What do you think? A mix-up on someone's part?
Doug: Yeah, space or some sort of limbo. Good catch, because it certainly doesn't evoke the Legion HQ in my eyes, either.

Karen:In the middle of the fight, Ghast realizes he only has three warriors while his pals each have five -sharp guy, that Ghast. He then sends Green Lantern to recover Arrow and Canary, who are still stuck in that hourglass around Mordru's neck. The demons had caused another group of Legionnaires to take Mordru's 'spirit-self' back to his body. But when GL frees his two team-mates, the Legion attacks him. But once again, they are quickly thwarted by the JLA. Boy, this still gets me steamed! The same goes for the next scene, which features Superman easily taking out Wildfire. The Legion was just treated like crap in this story.

Doug: In this scene Green Arrow utters the phrase "Freakin'-A". Man, that took me back to those junior high days of the late '70's!! That was a great example of contemporary lingo in comic book dialogue! And as a Legion fan who was very passionate at the time this story was published, I felt like they were dismissed as the Teen Titans would have been. It seemed that age automatically equaled value, and the Legion had nothing to contribute. Don't trust anyone over 30, they probably said to themselves...

Karen: With the Legion out of the way, two of the demons send some of the JLA and JSA off to some generator, and there's a lab deep in the Earth's core...whatever! The important thing is we got more heroes fighting heroes! It also seems that Power Girl is not under the influence of the demons, and the JLA members are also more resistant to their control. Power Girl and the Hal Jordan theorize that this is due to them being younger and having more stamina. Ouch! I guess the Legion aren't the only ones who get mistreated in this tale. Anyway, our two unbrainwashed heroes make it look like they are fighting, but it's all an act. Legionnaires Wildfire and Projectra arrive, and they manage to take down everyone, preventing the generator from being destroyed.

Doug: I cracked up at the cross-section diagram of the Earth with that tunnel running through it. Not too accessible to scientists around the world when there's only one entrance and one exit on the whole planet! Guess if you don't live near the equator, you don't go in there! RE: the younger/more stamina argument: what the heck was Marty Pasko trying to say? Is it obvious that DC was still writing for the average 12-year old (I was 11 when this was published, so they definitely hit a home run with me!), and college-aged kids might have seen this as a bit silly?

Karen: Next up, Superman, Batman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow, who have overheard the conversation between Green Lantern and Power Girl, discuss throwing a fight with the Legion. Of course Green Arrow remarks, "Where's the heroism of lettin' a bunch of punk kids beat up on us?" That's right, the Legion don't get no respect! Canary comes up with an idea that seems utterly ridiculous -basically that if the JSA and Legion were stalemated, the demons would have to fight each other. Now, considering they took champions before, couldn't they just do it again? But let's not think about that, because there's more fighting to do!

Doug: As we went through this, the depowering of the Legion was troublesome. Like I've been saying, Batman was allowed to be the genius we think he is, but Brainiac-5 was not. Did you notice, too, that the combination of Legionnaires lent itself to their defeat? Seriously -- Shadow Lass and Princess Projectra make up 40% of their team. Once Ultra Boy was pulled out, and with no Mon-el, this Legion group was not all that formidable. I should have mentioned Imra, too -- she could have been a player, but only had one "star moment". Funny that Paul Levitz got an "assist" on the writing credits -- he might have spoken up louder for his "boys (and girls)". I guess I understand that the title of the book is Justice League of America and they're going to come out smelling like roses in the end, but they just seemed like gods in comparison to the other two teams. As to the JSA, the creative team was also dissing the company's founders.
Karen: Ghast orders the JLA to destroy an ice city, which will melt the polar ice cap and cause a new ice age. But the Legionnaires show up and the JLAers pretty much play possum. Then the JSA arrives and, as Black Canary predicted, they are equally matched. This causes Rath and Abnegazar to go after each other. The heroes charge after them, there's an explosion, apparently wiping out the two demons, and Dr. Fate is imbued with tremendous magical energy. We get another shot of all the heroes attacking Ghast, and then Dr. Fate weaves a spell that gathers metal fragments from across the cosmos, which hurl towards Ghast. It turns out they are pieces of -the JLA satellite, which we were earlier told had blown up some time after the 20th century. The satellite comes together and imprisons Ghast.

Doug: How about that clairvoyance on the part of Superman and Batman, 2000 years in the future, to know that the satellite, of which they had no knowledge of how or when it was destroyed, was floating around out there somewhere in the cosmos? Light bulb went on for both of them at the same time. Again, the Legion is so based on the history of the 20th Century heroes that you don't think Invisible Kid or Brainiac-5 -- or shoot, Superboy himself -- would have ever looked into this issue? It's pretty contrived. I'm not saying it's not a good solution to the story, but just the way it came about was sort of dumb. Here was a chance for the youngsters to shine, and the writers whiffed.

Karen: All of our super-teams then get together and fences are mended, before everyone goes back to their proper time and place. You know, I did enjoy this, even though it was a very weak story. Actually, it was just one continuous slug fest. I guess I'm a Marvel snob but I just found this thing to be a huge mess. Too many things happen that conveniently move the story along. But really, who cares, it's got about 15 super-heroes in it! It was a nice little trip back to a time when I was much more easily satisfied with my comics!

Doug: Yeah, I'm with you on all counts, and I need to apologize for my curmudgeonliness. It was a nostalgic read, and all of the heroes made for a colorful adventure. But I thought the first chapter had far more pay-off then did the conclusion. I know writing these crossovers can be a pain-in-the-butt, because you just know all of the fans (like us) are going to be looking for "their guy's" moment in the sun. Tough to please everyone. I think, too, that this story fits into the heritage of DC's Silver Age -- we remarked last week about the look of the demons, all of the magic, etc. Not staples of Marvel's Bronze Age, to be sure -- but it does feel like a DC story, and that's OK for what it is. I'd even go on record here to recommend the fine "Crisis" series of reprint tpbs, of which there are seven or eight volumes. One cannot appreciate the continuity and wonder of the DC multiverse without visiting (or revisiting) these once-a-year gems. Good superhero fun, even if it is a bit silly at times. But then, grown adults running around in colorful spandex is a bit silly in itself, isn't it?