Danger Street Signs - Lady Cop!

In anticipation of a review of Danger Street by Tom King, Jorge Fornes and assorted cover artists I am representing my thirteen reviews of DC's 1970's Showcase-style comic 1st Issue Special. The books by King and company make use of ALL of the sundry heroes and heroines who appeared in these pages. So, let's continue. 

I have enormous respect for the work of Robert Kanigher who likely wrote more comic book war stories than anyone ever, a difficult and perhaps sometimes grim task. But his story for Lady Cop in 1st Issue #4 is misfire. Despite some dandy pencils by John Rosenberger and adequate inks by Vince Colletta, this story never rises above the trite. The "Lady Cop" in question is Liza Warner who becomes a dedicated cop after suffering through seeing her two roommates murdered and finding herself unable to help. She knows a few key details about the murderer and I guess if this had become a series we'd have learned more ourselves about the identity of the killer. 

But in this debut we get to see Liza graduate and spend two days on her rather hectic beat. In the course of her short tenure she saves a young girl from sexual assault from two ruffians, lifts the spirits of a kid by buying ice cream, stops a robber who cuts her shoulder and then gives mouth-to-mouth to the victim saving his life, continues her shift despite the knife wound, bicker with her boyfriend about her dangerous job, give advice to the young girl she'd saved earlier about STD's and reconciles her with her dad, and battles a chain-wielding thug then saves his life when they fall into the river. It's a hefty schedule and you can figure why she didn't have time to hunt down the murderer. Alas to my knowledge she never does. 

This comic actually reads like a quasi-romance story which just happens to feature a woman who became a cop. Given the sexism of the 70's, especially in areas like policework it's actually a fairly forward looking feature, but it hasn't aged well at all over the decades. Liza never returns to comics apparently until early this century when she became police chief in Ivy Town in some Atom comics. She apparently also appeared in some episodes of Arrow.

In the next issue the "King" returns and so does a fellow called Manhunter. 

Rip Off

First Issue Special - Lady Cop!

I have enormous respect for the work of Robert Kanigher who likely wrote more comic book war stories than anyone ever, a difficult and perhaps sometimes grim task. But his story for Lady Cop in 1st Issue #4 is misfire. Despite some dandy pencils by John Rosenberger and adequate inks by Vince Colletta, this story never rises above the trite. The "Lady Cop" in question is Liza Warner who becomes a dedicated cop after suffering through seeing her two roommates murdered and finding herself unable to help. She knows a few key details about the murderer and I guess if this had become a series we'd have learned more ourselves about the identity of the killer. 

But in this debut we get to see Liza graduate and spend two days on her rather hectic beat. In the course of her short tenure she saves a young girl from sexual assault from two ruffians, lifts the spirits of a kid by buying ice cream, stops a robber who cuts her shoulder and then gives mouth-to-mouth to the victim saving his life, continues her shift despite the knife wound, bicker with her boyfriend about her dangerous job, give advice to the young girl she'd saved earlier about STD's and reconciles her with her dad, and battles a chain-wielding thug then saves his life when they fall into the river. It's a hefty schedule and you can figure why she didn't have time to hunt down the murderer. Alas to my knowledge she never does. 

This comic actually reads like a quasi-romance story which just happens to feature a woman who became a cop. Given the sexism of the 70's, especially in areas like policework it's actually a fairly forward looking feature, but it hasn't aged well at all over the decades. Liza never returns to comics apparently until early this century when she became police chief in Ivy Town in some Atom comics. She apparently also appeared in some episodes of Arrow.

In the next issue the "King" returns and so does a fellow called Manhunter. 

Rip Off

The Twelve Labors Of Diana!

When Diana Prince decided that she wanted to once again become a "super-heroine" and leave the life of an adventurer-in-white, she was invited back into the Justice League of America, a grand team that she had in fact helped found. But for whatever reason, she felt that she did not qualify for membership. It was weird, but after an era when her unshakable confidence in herself was her only power we find an Amazon who seems to think she must prove to herself and consequently to her peers that she rates becoming a Leaguer all over again. To that end the heroes of the League agree to observe and report on Twelve of Diana's adventures and after she has demonstrated she can cut the mustard, then they will happily invite her back in.

The adventures are rather zany to say the least. Written by Cary Bates, Elliot S. Maggin, and Marty Pasko we get vintage Julie Schwartz "Be Original" classics which offer up bizarre premises and sometimes bewildering twists. Wonder stops an alien robot which makes the world too peaceful for its own good, she harnesses and corrals twin nuclear explosions, and battles old enemies like Mars the God of War and the Duke of Deception. There are rich guys who just want to see what happens when a man sets foot on Paradise Island and Chronos the Time Thief  does just that when he steals time or at least mankind's ability to perceive it. Things get really wild when a duplicate Wonder Woman appears to confuse everyone, even the Leaguers who attempt to dutifully report on WW's doings.

The artwork is top notch with talents like Curt Swan, John Rosenberger, Kurt Schaffenberger, Dick Giordano, and Jose Delbo on tap to do professional jobs all the way through. We have covers by Nick Cardy, Mike Grell, and Ernie Chua among others. Here are those covers by the way.












These "Twelve Labors" are fun DC stories of the era, missing the relevance many comics attempted to get at the time, but offering up some good old fashioned entertainment. Of course Wonder Woman passes the tests and returns to the League, but we knew that all along.

Wonder Woman is opening in theaters today. It looks good and I have plans to see it on my birthday next week. Looking forward to it.

Rip Off

Super-Heroine Number One!

Following her time as the "New Wonder Woman", Diana Prince returned to her Amazonian roots and her bathing suit all-American costume to fight super-villainy across the globe. A few issues after her return to classic form, she proposes an unusual challenge for herself. Having no memory of her time before her transformation, she is unaware that the Justice League have shifted operations to a satellite above the Earth. Rocked by this she suggests she needs to prove herself to the team by performing twelve labors which they will observe and grade to see if she deserves readmission to the ranks. That's the thematic thread which ties together the stories in Wonder Woman - The Twelve Labors.

The Leaguers are reluctant but agree and so we are presented with a few years of truly offbeat adventures in which the comics reads almost like a Justice League team-up book as each League member in turn reports, and sometimes takes a greater role in the story. These are wild stories, some vivid and lively and some just plain confusing. I've read that the stories were revisions of Golden Age tales which might account for the oddball nature of some of the plotting, but whatever the case this is an uneven batch.

To make things even more curious a gang of creators step in to make the series happen. Writers Cary Bates, Elliot S Maggin, Len Wein, and Marty Pasko shape the stories. Artists Curt Swan, Dick Giordano, John Rosenberger, Irv Novick, Dick Dillin, Jose Delbo, and others supply the visuals. This change of the guard so often adds to the team up nature of the stories which become increasing complicated as the series unravels.

She battles old foes Mars God of War, the Duke of Deception, as well as modern foes Felix Faust and Chronos. She saves the world several times from alien robots and ruthless magnates, and even takes on her old foe Doctor Cyber from her "Diana Prince" days as well as a carbon copy of herself. 

Needless to say, Wonder Woman does indeed win back her position in the Justice League of America. It's weird, and perhaps somewhat demeaning that this was the path chosen by the creators to get her back on board, but it did created a frame in which some entertaining stories were told.

Rip Off