Celebrating Artist Rick Burchett

Celebrating the birthday of artist Rick Burchett (March 9, 1952) with his covers to the six issue mini-series Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood...

...wherein the Huntress is framed for murder, and she has to go through her past as Helena Bertinelli and confront some of the horrible truths of her mob related family, all while avoiding the Gotham City Police, Batman and his family, and working with the Question.

Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood #1 and #2 (June and July, 2000)

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Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood #3 and #4 (August and September, 2000)

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Batman/Huntress Cry For Blood #5 and #6 (October and November, 2000)

Request For Injustice Society Collections

One of the most persistent foes of the Justice Society of America has been the Injustice Society of the World.  Premiered in All-Star Comics #37 (October-November, 1947) by writer Robert Kanigher and artists Irwin Hasen, Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, John Belfi and Alex Toth, this group of villains has unleashed havoc across the world, as well as having grown in size (here by George Perez)....

...and while the group's Golden Age appearances have been reprinted a few times, many individual members are far from having their appearances visible since their first printings.

That needs change....and, here's a way to do that in three tradepaperback volumes!

ISW Volume 1

The first volume should include:

Wizard (William Asmodeus Zard) All-Star Comics #34 (April-May 1947):  "The Wiles Of The Wizard" Brainwave (Henry King Sr) All-Star Comics #15 (February-March 1943): "The Man Who Created Images" Gambler (Steven Sharpe) Green Lantern #12 (Summer 1944):  "The Gambler" Green Lantern #20 (June-July 1946): "The Gambler Comes Back" Green Lantern #27 (August-September 1947): "The Gambler Bets His Life" Per Degaton All-Star Comics #35 (June-July 1947):  "The Day That Dropped Out Of Time"

Thinker (Clifford DeVoe)

All-Flash #12 (Fall 1943):  "Tumble Inn To Trouble" All-Flash #14 (Spring 1944):  "The Man Who Unleashed The Past" Vandal Savage Green Lantern #10 (Winter 1943): "The Man Who Wanted The World"

...and the team appearance from All-Star Comics #37, "The Injustice Society of The World", for a wonderful collection of 319 pages (with appropriate covers, with sadly, the Thinker not appearing on any, and the Gambler only making one of his cover), with many All-Star Comics issues, and a few Golden Age Flash and Green Lantern tales.


Still, this does collect all of Per Degaton and Vandal Savage's Golden Age appeaerances, and at least the first two appearances of every charter ISW member except for Brain Wave.


Leaves some Brain Wave, Thinker and Gambler stories uncollected, but....read on!

ISW Volume 2

The second volume should include:

Icicle (Joar Makent) All-American Comics #90 (October 1947): "The Icicle" All-American Comics #92 (December 1947): "The Icicle Goes South" Fiddler (Isaac Bowin) All-Flash #32 (December 1947-January 1948):  "Duet Of Danger" Flash Comics #93 (March 1948): "Violin Of Villainy" Comic Cavalcade #28 (August-September 1948): "The Flash Concerto"

Sportsmaster (Crusher Crock) All-American Comics #85 (May 1947): "The Rise And Fall Of Crusher Crock" Green Lantern #28 (October-November 1947): "The Tricks Of The Sportsmaster" All-American Comics #98 (June 1948): "The End Of Sports"

Huntress (Paula Brooks) Sensation Comics #68 (August 1947): "Wildcat -- Former Crime Fighter" Sensation Comics #69 (September 1947): "Follow The Leader" Sensation Comics #71 (November 1947): "The Count That Never Ended" Sensation Comics #73 (January 1948): "Murder Masquerade" Sensation Comics #75 (March 1948): "The Snare That Backfired" Sensation Comics #76 (April 1948): "The Wildcat Ride" DC 100-Page Super-Spectacular #6 (1971): "Crime Wore A Costume"

Harlequin (Molly Mayne) All-American Comics #89 (September 1947): "The Harlequin" All-American Comics #91 (November 1947): "The Wedding Of The Harlequin" Green Lantern #29 (December 1947 - January 1948): "The Challenge Of The Harlequin" and "The Harlequin Haunts Green Lantern"

All-American Comics  #93 (January 1948):  "The Double-Crossing Decoy" All-American Comics #94 (February 1948): "Partners In Peril" All-American Comics #95 (March 1948): "The Unmasking Of The Harlequin" Green Lantern #31 (March-April 1948): "The Terror Of The Talismans" Green Lantern #32 (May-June 1948):  "The Case Of The Conscience Fund"

....and, with the Wizard's gathering of these villains from All-Star Comics #41 (June-July, 1948), this gives all the Golden Age appearances of these villains from the various Flash comics, Green Lantern comics and even Wildcat appearances (though he never made the covers of Sensation Comics).



Except for some of Harlequin's appearances, all of these characters Golden Age tales are here (about half of all of these stories hadn't been reprinted), with this being the largest volume, at 330 pages.

ISW Volume 3

The third volume should include Golden Age tales of the Bronze Age additions:

Shade (Richard Swift) Flash Comics #33 (September 1942): "The Man Who Commanded The Night" Solomon Grundy (Cyrus Gold) All-American Comics #61 (October 1944): "Fighters Never Quit" Comic Cavalcade #13 (Winter 1945): "And Then There Was One" All-Star Comics #33 (February-March 1947): "The Revenge Of Solomon Grundy" Comic Cavalcade #24 (December 1947-January 1948): "The Case Of The Withered Flower"

Missing stores of other ISW members from the Golden Age:

Brain Wave (Henry King Sr) All-Star Comics #17 (June-July 1943): "Brain Wave Goes Berserk" All-Star Comics #30 (August-September 1946)" "The Dreams Of Madness Gambler (Steven Sharpe) Green Lantern #30 (February-March 1948): "The Fatal Chance" Green Lantern #35 (November-December 1948): "Perfect Crimes For Sale"

Thinker (Clifford DeVoe) Flash Comics #65 (June-July 1945): "Adventure Of The Thinking Cap" All-Flash #27 (February-March 1947): "The Thinker Cooks With Gas" Comic Cavalcade #22 (August-September 1947): "Beware The Ice Age" Comic Cavalcade #23 (October-November 1947): "The Sleeping City" All-Flash #32 (December 1947-January 1948): "Crime, Incorporated" Flash #214 (April 1972): "The Tale Of Three Tokens"

Harlequin (Molly Mayne)

Green Lantern Vol. 1 #33/3 (July-August 1948): "The Harlequin's Leap Year"

Green Lantern Vol. 1 #34 (September-October 1948): "Harlequin's Secret Revealed"

Other villains, who joined even later or were related to the ISW:

Rag Doll (Peter Merkel) Flash Comics #36 (December 1942): "Tale Of The Treasure Hunt" The Mist (Kyle) Adventure Comics #67 (October 1941): "The Menace Of The Invisible Raiders"

The Shade joined during a JLA/JSA adventure, Solomon Grundy during the 1970s run with Star-Spangled Kid and Power Girl, Rag Doll VERY much later, in JSA All-Stars, and the Mist, because his second appearance was in the Wanted collection, and this gives more than Flash and Green Lantern (and JSA stories) with a Starman story, giving 328 pages (and hope that a collection with Hawkman's Gentleman Ghost and Monocle and a few others can materialize somewhere).

A fanciful wish from someone who knows the Flash, Green Lantern, Wildcat, Hawkman and Starman stories reprinted from the Golden Age, and would like to see more, with Wizard, Brain Wave, Per Degaton, Vandal Savage, Gambler, Thinker, Icicle, Sportsmaster, Huntress, Fiddler, Harlequinn and the rest serving as a nice conduit to a forgotten era!

Watching The Monitor: Infinity Inc., Huntress and All-Star Squadron of Earth-2

The previous adventures of the Monitor and Lyla focused on their interactions with Earth-1, but they were observing the entire DC Multiverse.


Here are their observations of Earth-2, where they were checking out the groups there.

Atomic Dreams - Nuclear Nightmares

First up, part of the origin of Infinity, Inc., from Infinity, Inc. #8 (November, 1984) by Roy and Dann Thomas, Jerry Ordway, Mike Machlan and Tony DeZuniga.

The members of Infinity, Inc. were the sons, daughters and proteges of the Justice Society of America, and were dealing with those mentors having turned evil due to exposure to the "Stream Of Ruthlessness" (which turned heroic people evil).  As the Golden Age Atom battled Nuklon, the Monitor negotiated with the Ultra-Humanite (a foe of the Golden Age Superman).

Sadly, this story has yet to be reprinted.

The Rise And Fall Of The Phantom Empire

Next up, Lyla and the Monitor are looking even further back, all the way to World War II on Earth-2, with the All-Star Squadron, in All-Star Squadron #40 (December, 1984) by Roy Thomas, Richard Howell and Bill Collins, under a cover by Arvell Jones.


The All-Star Squadron was a gathering of all the heroes of Earth-2 during World War II, focusing more on heroes who hadn't been members of any group before, like Johnny Quick, Liberty Belle, Robotman, and new heroes, like Firebrand and Amazing-Man.  Here, they defeated the Phantom Empire in Detroit (and readers learned that their super-powered front man, the Real American, was an android, supplied to them using future technology, by the Monitor).  Events of this story led to Amazing-Man becoming a member of the All-Star Squadron.

This story has yet to be reprinted.

The Final Blackout

Last, but not least of the tales of Earth-2, is Wonder Woman #321 (November, 1984), which has the last of the back-up tales of the Huntress (Helena Wayne, Batman's daughter) by Joey Cavalieri, Rod Whigham and Rick Magyar.

After a particularly hard time on a case, Helena Wayne (who became a hero after the death of her mother, the Catwoman....who had married Bruce Wayne/Batman, as these two had careers in the 1940s on Earth-2, and ended them in the 1950s).  In Huntress' reflections, as the Monitor cataloged her, Lyla wondered about her own place in the events to come. 

This tale of the Huntress has yet to be reprinted (though the first half of Huntress' back-ups has been, twice), and the mini-series promised never happened, thanks in part to the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Shadows

To be fair, Vigilante #14 (February, 1985) by Marv Wolfman and Trevor Von Eeden, didn't contain an appearance by the Monitor or Lyla, nor did it focus on the Earth-2 Vigilante, who was a member of Seven Soldiers of Victory of Earth-2, but instead focused on Adrian Chase, who had on occasion opposed the New Teen Titans of Earth-1.

But, the super-suit which allowed Mr. Hammer to blend into the shadows likely was supplied by the Monitor (and this Vigilante had his beginnings in the first tale that Lyla appeared in).

The Monitor and Lyla also observed a team-up of the JLA/JSA and Supergirl, and they would continue to watch Earth-2, as well as other times and places from World War II, to the wild west to the far future as events progressed to the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Detective Comics Centennial 700 And Legacy

When last we met (other than a brief interlude), Batman, Robin and Nightwing were about to encounter the villain of the piece in the desert....meanwhile, captive below ground, Catwoman herself found out one of the secrets of this dig as well.

No time to wait, Bat-fans, let's just dive right into the action that starts in Detective Comics #700 (August, 1996).

Detective Comics 700

The anniversary issue, by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan and Scott Hanna, had Batman in one normal cover, then a special edition, with Batman in on an envelope...and, when you opened the envelope, you saw the cover which revealed one of the secret villains of the issue.

Have the clues from the last column pointed you to who it is yet?

Well, here is the answer.  The mystery villain is Ra's Al Ghul, with the story of the "Progeny Of The Demon" to kick off Batman: Legacy.

Ra's has a new plan to rid the world of its human population, using the wheel to get the secret to a new contagion, as well as having a new man he deems worthy to marry his daughter and take his legacy.  Batman, Robin and Nightwing plan to stop him, with Batman and Robin getting trapped down the mineshaft as Ra's prepares to destroy the wheel to prevent anyone from getting the cure. 

Nightwing briefly faces Ra's as Batman and Robin struggle to get free from the now flooding mine.  Getting free forces Ra's and Talia to flee (planning on releasing their new plague on the New World), but also revealing the identity of the man Ra's intends to wed his daughter...Bane, the man who broke Batman's back!

Meanwhile, Catwoman, still trapped in her cell, prepares to deal with the water rapidly filling that room...

Catwoman 36

In a story by Chuck Dixon, Jim Balent and Bob Smith, Catwoman faces the unappealing death by drowning in a desert in "The Best Of Enemies".

Freeing herself and Brother Umberto, Selina also realizes she must free her foe, Hellhound, as it will take all three of them to escape the flooding complex.  Alfred brings a jet to pick up Batman, Robin and Nightwing, who get a chance to repair their wounds, then the team gets in touch with Oracle, who spells out where they need to go next to stop Ra's, with Robin and the injured Nightwing headed to Paris, Batman to Edinburgh.

After a battle in the desert with Hellhound, Catwoman gets revenge on the Collector for involving her in this mess.

Robin 32

"Born With Teeth" is part three, by Chuck Dixon, Staz Johnson and Ray McCarthy, with Robin and Nightwing in Paris.

Tim and Dick look for where Ra's men might deploy the newest contagion, with Tim meeting up with Shen Chi (an oriental master Robin trained with when last in Paris) as well as Henri Ducard (who had trained young Bruce Wayne as recounted in Detective Comics #598 to #600).  Nightwing, Robin and Ducard stop Ra's men at the Louvre, with Ducard dispatching them fatally, angering Robin. 

Tim and Dick take a plane back to Gotham, with Tim worrying that everyone, himself included, may be dying from the clench virus.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat 54

Batman's detour to Edinburgh shows him "The Power Of The Picts" in the Legacy chapter by Alan Grant, Dave Taylor and Stan Woch.

Bruce Wayne explores an ancient castle, finding out a little of the history of the area, before having to become Batman.

As Batman, he faces the Taskers, a family that Ra's has inspired to use the virus to destroy the people around the castle, stopping them and Ra's plan here. 

In talking with Robin and Nightwing via radio, as his time was successful, they tell him that Oracle found another destination of Ra's, which he will investigate....Calcutta.

Batman 534

Doug Moench, Jim Aparo and Bill Sienkiewicz bring the next chapter of Legacy, with "A Wound On The Heart Of Heaven".

Batman ends up working with Lady Shiva (the world's master assassin, whom Batman has crossed paths with before).

The pair must stop the agents of Ra's from releasing the virus into the water supply which the town bathes in.

Along the way, they meet one of the starving urchins of the city, which was a good thing for the world, as he ends up preventing the virus canister from releasing, but at the cost of his own life.

Mission completed, Batman leaves Calcutta and Lady Shiva behind, returning to Gotham.

Detective Comics 701

Legacy goes into high gear with "Gotham's Scourge" by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan and Scott Hanna.

With Oracle directing Nightwing, Robin and Huntress against other minions of Ra's in an effort to keep Gotham safe, Batman deals with Bane in his triumphant return to Gotham.

Bane and Batman battle under the docks, with Batman renewing his fortitude for his cause, recalling how he lost his parents, to give him the strength to beat Bane, though the currents sweep Bane away from Batman.

Hearing of Bane's defeat, Ra's cancels his engagement to Talia, with her suggesting "The Detective" (Batman) as a replacement, to which, Ra's disagrees.

Robin 33

The end of Legacy comes with "Riptide" by Chuck Dixon, Staz Johnson and Rob Leigh.

Nightwing, Huntress and Robin don diving gear to sneak aboard Ra's yacht, as directed by Oracle.  The team split up, with Nightwing and Huntress facing Ra's and Talia, while Robin gets a computer model of the Wheel of Plagues to Oracle, so she can find a cure, all while Batman fights the current to stay alive (as Bane eludes his grasp). The proteges of Batman are successful, detonating Ra's yacht as well (though Ra's and Talia must have escaped the explosion), all while a new mystery surfaces as bodies wash up from Bludhaven, to be discovered by Harvey Bullock  and Renee Montoya (which will lead Nightwing to that city....and his own ongoing title by Chuck Dixon).

Detective Comics 702

Legacy gets an epilogue by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan and Scott Hanna, with "Second Chances".

In this case, Bruce Wayne saves Gotham, as Wayne Pharmaceuticals produces the cure to the clench virus, James Gordon reconciles with his estranged wife (and fellow police officer) Sarah Essen.  Bruce also sees the death toll that the virus has taken on a larger scale in the morgue, as does Robin, trying his best to save just one more life, with Alfred reminding the dynamic duo to remember their successes as well as their failures.


This tale also puts a wrap on Batman title crossovers for a time (though it tied together epics like Knightfall and Contagion), even though the next issue of Detective ties in with the DC crossover, the Final Night; all in all, an entertaining and thoughtful look at the career of the Batman for one of his anniversaries....recalling the past, while looking to the future!

Before And After

These tales, except for Detective Comics #700 are all in Batman: The Legacy Part 2, which also includes the four part mini-series that came out later, Batman: Bane Of The Demon, by Dixon, Nolan and Tom Palmer, detailing how Bane came to work for Ra's (and become a temporary beloved of Talia).  All these tales also showcase the true legacy of Batman....Nightwing, Robin, Huntress and Oracle.

Prelude To Detective Comics 700

Unlike other anniversary issues of Detective Comics, Detective Comics #700 (August, 1996) had some set up going into it (and then the issue itself kicked off a run of stories over multiple titles of the Batman family of comic books).

So, to give you a better understanding of the issue (and events after), a little bit of set up is required in this case....

...let's jump in!

Detective Comics 697 to 699

Starting off, Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan and Scott Hanna took a little time to flesh out the recently introduced Lock-Up (Lyle Bolton) in the June, Early and Late July 1996 issues of Detective Comics.  Lock-Up was a criminal hunter, who captured people he deemed criminals and, well, locked them up. 

Currently in his private prison on the outskirts of Gotham were the Allergent (Maxwell Veezey) and Charaxes (the former Killer Moth, Neron-enhanced).   

Lock-Up then took Two-Face (Harvey Dent) out of police custody into his prison.  Batman, his current Robin (Tim Drake) and former Robin (Nightwing, a.k.a Dick Grayson) were on the case, but it was Harvey Bullock and the GCPD who captured Lock-Up....but, they had to free him (with Batman, Nightwing and Robin taking on criminal identities so they could be caught by Lock-Up, find his prisoners, then bring Lock-Up and the other criminals to justice, as no one else knew where the criminals were except for Bolton). 

Robin got captured, using the identity of Alvin Draper, and due to a short in the communication system, it took Batman and Nightwing a little time to find him, capture the criminals, including Lock-Up.

Meanwhile, former Gotham Mayor, Armand Krol was found dead of a plague, and Commissioner James Gordon was notified.

Robin 31

Tim Drake took a little break from heroics, and took his girlfriend, Ariana, to a car show, where he saw old time boxing champ Ted Grant in this Chuck Dixon, Mike Wieringo and Stan Woch July, 1996 issue of Robin.  Problem is, car thieves, the Speedboyz, were there as well, so Tim had to suit up as Robin to try to stop them.  Luckily, Robin got some help, as Ted Grant wasn't just a former boxer, but was also the hero Wildcat of the Justice Society of America (and the man who taught young Bruce Wayne to box).  The two heroes stopped the villains (leaving readers wanting to see Wildcat involved with Batman and his family even more), with Robin returning to the Batcave.

Meanwhile, Batman got the call from Com. Gordon, that former Mayor Krol died of a resurgence of the Clench, a disease that recently infected many Gothamites, including a young Tim Drake.

Catwoman 33 to 35

Selina Kyle had left Gotham to avoid the Contagion known as the Clench, taking on a job in Rheelasia (in the Indonesian Islands) that she really didn't enjoy (starting off these three issues by Chuck Dixon, Jim Balent and Bob Smith, running May to July, 1996). 

Catwoman was then captured by her foe, Hellhound, who was recruiting her for the Collector, who paired her with Brother Umberto, a former member of the Order of San Dumas (the cult Azrael, Jean-Paul Valley, had battled and been trained by).

It took a bit of convincing to get Catwoman to take on this new job (but Selina's attempts to escape almost got her killed, which also made her a little more willing to take the job).

The Collector had a buyer who wanted a treasure in a tomb in the middle of the African desert, and thought of recruiting Catwoman for her exceptional thieving skills, with Umberto there to help because of his knowledge of the Order of San Dumas.  With a bit of work, the two cleared the traps to get to the Great Wheel, but were betrayed by Hellhound, who had Catwoman imprisoned, where she recognized one of the men who employed the Collector.....

Batman: Shadow of the Bat 53

Helena Bertinelli, known as the Huntress, was still active in Gotham (recently running afoul of Batman and working with Robin) in the August, 1996 issue by Alan Grant, Dave Taylor and Stan Woch.

Bruce notified Dick of the fact that his Clench virus might come back to kill him.  Gordon, Penguin and other Gotham residents reacted to the news that the Clench may return.  Oracle (Barbara Gordon) used her information to contact Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley), who gave her a little information about the origins of the Clench, and hints at a possible cure to be found in the African desert from a time when the Order of San Dumas faced "the immortal". 

Batman told Gordon that he and his usual crew were leaving Gotham for a bit, while Robin informed Huntress that Batman had entrusted her with the safety of Gotham while Batman, Nightwing and he were gone (heading to Africa to look for the cure).

 

Batman 533 

The August, 1996 issue of Batman was the last of the prelude issues (by Doug Moench, Jim Aparo and Bill Sienkiewicz, with Batman, Nightwing and Robin winging their way to the Sudanese desert to look for the "Wheel Of Plagues".  Back in Gotham, Penguin tries to figure out how to release information that the Clench is back to cause panic, as Gordon and the Huntress work to prevent a quarantine of the city (and the panic that knowing that plague is returning).  Batman and his two helpers end up in the desert, finding out that this "immortal" had tried to use the Clench as a weapon against mankind before...and, after learning this, met up with armed forces controlled by the mystery men in charge of this menace.....

....whose identities would be revealed in Detective Comics #700.

Now, this gives you plenty of time to find and read all these issues to deduce the identity of the villain (or, just track down Batman: The Legacy Part 1, which reprints all these issues plus Detective Comics #700).  Or, just come back here next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel, and read my review of the issues of Batman: Legacy!

JLA JSA Super Spectacular

Probably one of the greatest covers of its time, Neal Adams drew the combined Justice League of America and Justice Society of America (as well as Robin, Vigilante and Johnny Quick) on the cover of DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #6 (1971)....and what an issue it was.

This issue reprinted some interesting stories, and here they are....featuring quite a few people on that cover.

Justice League of America #21 

First up is the "Crisis On Earth-One" from Justice League of America #21 (August, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, and historic cover by Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson.  Important for so many reasons....the first meeting of the JLA (charter members Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter, plus Green Arrow and Atom) with the JSA (a representative team of Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Fate, Hourman, Hawkman, Atom and Black Canary....a slightly different line-up from when Barry Allen Flash saved them from Vandal Savage).  It also featured the Crime Champions, villains from two worlds, from Earth-1: Felix Faust, Chronos and Dr. Alchemy, and the Wizard, the Fiddler and the Icicle from Earth-2).  This issue also was where the names of Earth-1 and Earth-2 came from...but so much happening, that it had to continue in the next issue...

Justice League of America #22

...that being Justice League of America #22 (September, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, with a cover by Murphy Anderson, and the second half of the story, with the "Crisis On Earth-Two".  To be fair, the reprint took out the summary first page, annoying, but as the two issues are together.  The teams of heroes had to work together to get out of their interdimensional prison where their foes put them, but, the heroes pulled it together, and even had time to make a joke about how they'll have to sum all this up for missing honorary JLAer, Snapper Carr!

These two team-ups were so popular, that the JLA/JSA team-ups became a regular thing for the next 19 summers, with an ever rotating cast of JSAers!

More Fun Comics #55

The two team-ups weren't the only issues reprinted in this Super Spectacular.  A tale where "The Spectre Meets Zor" from More Fun Comics #55 (May, 1940) by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily (with a Spectre cover by Bernard Baily) was next, where the ghostly guardian had to defend his girlfriend, Clarice Winston, from the supernatural menace of Zor!


The Spectre had many of his Golden Age tales reprinted, but this was one soon after his origin, so his full powers as a deadman had not been revealed as of yet, but readers were starting to realize how much power Jim Corrigan's alter ego had.

Adventure Comics #190

Next up is a fun tale of Johnny Quick, an at-the-time unaffiliated speeder from Adventure Comics #190 (July, 1953) where he had to be a "Stand-In For 100 Convicts", with the story by Don Cameron and Hy Mankin (though Superboy, not Johnny, was the cover star).  Johnny had to save 99 convicts who were thought to have escaped, but didn't.

Johnny Quick was all over More Fun Comics and Adventure Comics, with many reprints, and later, had been a member of the All-Star Squadron, thanks to some retroactive continuity from Roy Thomas in the 1980s.

Action Comics #146

Next up was a story of the Vigilante and his young sidekick, Stuff, where they faced the Fiddler (not the Crime Champion/Injustice Society member) from the story of "The Galleon In The Desert" from Action Comics #146 (July, 1950) by Joe Samachson and Dan Barry (with a non-Vigilante cover from the issue).  Vigilante and Stuff had to stop this villain from plundering a ship lost in the desert....

The Vigilante (a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory) also had a few of his Golden Age solo tales reprinted, as did the members of his team.

Wildcat Story

The Wildcat story in this issue was something odd.  It was an unpublished Golden Age story, found by the industrious interns at DC Comics at the time, saved from destruction, and published as a treat to all fans of the Golden Age. 

This tale, where "Crime Wore A Costume" featured Wildcat facing off against his foe, the Golden Age Huntress, who had faced Wildcat many times in Sensation Comics, as well as joining the Injustice Society of the World.


If you are looking for tales of the Wildcat and where they were reprinted from the Golden Age, look here!

Brave and the Bold #36

Last, but not least, a story from the JLA member who wasn't on the team when the JLA and JSA first met, Hawkman, and the tale of the "Strange Spells Of The Sorcerer" from Brave and the Bold #36 (June-July, 1961) by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert (who also did the cover of the issue, which featured the other story of the issue, Hawkman's first battle with the Shadow-Thief).

In this tale, Hawkman and Hawkgirl faced Konrad Kaslak, an amateur sorcerer who was quite capable enough to cause some mystical menaces for the Thanagarian Hawkman and Hawkgirl to face with their scientific prowess, all the while with the pair having to deal with Mavis Trent, and her intentions of breaking up the married super-hero couple, or at least their Earth identities of Carter and Shiera Hall, who worked at the Midway City Museum.

Along with a back cover that supplied a key to the heroes on the cover (but readers here know them all, right?), it provided a checklist of character debuts, all the heroes who had their own features from Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin and the Teen Titans, the Doom Patrol, Deadman, Eclipso, Metamorpho and the Metal Men, even Forgotten Heroes like Animal Man and Dolphin, to the most modern characters of Orion, Mr. Miracle and the Thorn!

Best of all, this whole issue was reprinted as the DC 100-Page Super Spectacular No. 6 Replica Edition in May, 2004...

...so you, too, can thrill to these exciting stories without having to break the bank!