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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 21, 2016 0:55:40 GMT -5
 'The Satanic Schemes of S.K.U.L' Perry White is off the the Senate, and Van Nelson is taking over as editor. He seems nice at first, and (naturally, because what else would you do at a new job) asks Lois out within minutes of starting his new job. It turns out he's a real popular guy with the ladies... Lois seems impressed and annoyed at the same time. When he leaves his glasses behind, she finds out he might be part of an anti-Superman cult, so she investigates. She actually does so pretty good investigating, after trying to get Superman's attention by jumping off a building. (he engages in some Super-dickery and saves her by having her land in a tomato truck instead of showing up). Finally, she goes to Lana,who helps her change the Planet's headline to get Superman's attention. He shows up, and yells at them for messing up his undercover operation... revealing his secret identity of... Van Nelson! To be continued! Notes: -- Perry is hilarious in his top hat and tails going off to Washington... of course Superman carries him there, since it's too foggy to fly. -- I loved the candles of Superman and friends that the cult was melting in their ceremony.. very cool. Interestingly Superman's 'friends' include Lois, Jimmy, Lana. Supergirl, Perry, Batman, and Clark. So the cult doesn't know his secret id. -- I love that Jimmy just has a stash of alien superweapons lying around he can loan out. -- The Letters page seemed kinda generic, but there was one funny one where the writer says they got a good grade in Social Studies because of a Lois Lane in ancient Egypt story, and says his mom now 'sticks up' for comics. -- there's a one page gag strip in the back... did they do that often? -- Lois had at least 10 outfits in this issue.. nice art overall to make it work, even if her ,magicians outfit was just like Zatannas  |
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 21, 2016 23:10:19 GMT -5
'The Satanic Schemes of S.K.U.L' -- there's a one page gag strip in the back... did they do that often? Check out these; many are full-pagers, IIRC. Mike's Amazing Comics is on the Mt. Rushmore of the greatest sites for comics lovers. |
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Post by chadwilliam on Jan 22, 2016 0:03:09 GMT -5
I bought this one about a year ago and while it is a good story, I was tremendously disappointed that nothing even remotely resembling the event depicted on the cover transpires within the story. Perhaps the most deceptive cover of the Silver Age.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 22, 2016 10:14:21 GMT -5
I bought this one about a year ago and while it is a good story, I was tremendously disappointed that nothing even remotely resembling the event depicted on the cover transpires within the story. Perhaps the most deceptive cover of the Silver Age.
High praise! Like saying that someone is the most idiotic Republican running for President. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Jan 22, 2016 11:53:09 GMT -5
I bought this one about a year ago and while it is a good story, I was tremendously disappointed that nothing even remotely resembling the event depicted on the cover transpires within the story. Perhaps the most deceptive cover of the Silver Age.
High praise! Like saying that someone is the most idiotic Republican running for President. I deleted my first response to this because I thought the thread was getting too political and I was also worried about being politically correct because I didn't want to offend Dr. Carson's voter. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 22, 2016 15:31:00 GMT -5
LOL! Actually, something like the cover happens on the last page, but it's a reveal that Van Nelson is Superman, not Clark Kent. I agree the cover in no way gives any sort of hint of the story within.
The next issue's cover also certainly doesn't seem like the conclusion of the story... but we'll see when I get to read it (perhaps tonight)
re: Boltinoff strips: I had no idea they were still doing this in the late silver age. I really don't have many comics of the time (just collections), so I'd never seen one before. Clearly, there's alot of them (since Mike's list give several per month, but doesn't include this one I saw)... very interesting.
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Post by MDG on Jan 22, 2016 22:15:57 GMT -5
The Boltinoff strips probably ended the same time as half-page house ads. Maybe that should be the marker for the end of the silver age.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 27, 2016 21:39:18 GMT -5
 Lois Lane #64 'The Lawless Lois Lane' Instead of finish last issues we get this 'Imaginary Novel'... which I guess is Go-Go Chex era for Elseworlds? Whatever you call it, it's awesome. This version of Lois likes the bad boys, and writes her articles a bit slanted for the arch criminal Lexo. She decided to get to the bottom of things, and discovers that Lexo donates all his criminal proceeds to worthy causes... she's in love. Back at Lexo's hideout, his henchmen are sad, since they have green glowing hands.. and it's all Superman's fault. They're not bad guys, but they do want revenge, so they steal stuff to make Superman look bad. While Clark Kent works on the Lexo story, Perry White and Lois go to a concert by the 'Incomparable Luthor'... Metropolis' foremost pianist and entertainer. Lois is enthralled, and goes back stage to meet him.. they even exchange autographs. Apparently, Luthor uses his concerts as a front to copy people's keys from afar (because all his other gadgets can't open doors, apparently), to help Lexo's activities. Apparently he had invited Perry White to copy his key to the Daily Planet's safe so he could steal evidence agaist Lexo Clark Kent had. Meanwhile, Clark has figured out what Lois did, that Lexo is a modern-day Robin Hood. They also figure out his next target. Lexo appears and paralyzes Perry and Clark (though Clark, of course, is faking to maintain his secret identity) and steals the safe. He doesn't paralyze Lois, because he knows she's a fan. She lets him go after some angst. However, he drops something.. an autographed picture of Lois... thus she figures out Lexo is really Luthor! The next day, Clark off to tell Superman what he figured out, so he can catch Lexo. Lois, who has decided she's in love, decides she must help. She buys a Lexo costume at a store and leads Superman off. (because Superman is apparently not only unable to recognize the love of his life if she wears a mask, but can't even tell she's a woman). It works, but she gets hurt, when the real Lexo finds her and takes her to his lair. They vow their eternal love and get married.. but Lois gets zapped by something in his HQ. She quits the Planet, and decides to become Lexo's sidekick, Lola... but only if he stops giving away the money. To be continued! AMAZING story. One of the better elseworlds I've read... super fun. I hope there a better ending that the S.K.U.L story, which does in fact get 8 pages... After Van Nelson shows off his makeup skills (apparently the artist wanted to drop some famous actors), Lois gets sent undercover with Jimmy's Signal watch. It totally fails and she gets caught, but it all works out anyway... lousy ending to a good start. The 'Imaginary Novel' though... awesome! |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 3, 2016 23:28:02 GMT -5
 Lois Lane #65 'The Musical Murder of Superman' This picks up right where #64 left off after a one page recap..with evil brainwashed Lois married to Lex and the two stealing everything that's not nailed down. Lois gets more evil as time passes... even berating Lex for donating some of their ill gotten gains to orphans. He makes it up to her by using a bunch of hobos 'with the build of Superman' (that cracked me up) to carry fake Kryptonite into the Superman day party. Lexo stole all the presents, while Lola tossed real Kryptonite to the real SUperman, who everyone ignored since the hobos in Superman outfits were pretend to be dying as well. By the time it got figured out, our daring crime couple was gone. Of course, it call falls apart when Lana shows up to do a story on Luthor.. Lois gets jealous.. even more so when Lex locks himself in a sound proof room to focus on composing. Lois amuses herself by doing more capers (she steals the Mona Lisa and puts her Lola mask on it, for instance)  She eventually gets caught by Superman, who lets her go so she can break the news to Lex.. which she promises to do right after his big debut of 'the Superman Sonata'. Turns out he wasn't mooning after Lana after all. Lois joins the Incomparable Luthor on stage, playing a Kryptonian Xylophone, and the combo of the two somehow puts Superman into suspended animation. Finally completely victorious, Luthor feels guilty, and, worse, Lois becomes un-hypnotized and feels bad too! She locks herself in a room by herself with a Superman doll she made herself, while Luthor tries to fix things. Eventually, they fix Superman, and Lois goes to jail. Lex moons over her a bit, then tries to break her out, but ends up getting killed. Superman tries to move in on Lois, but she still rejects him... too sad over the loss of her true love. The end! Some really wonky parts in this one, but it still had some awesome bits...totally worth reading. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 19, 2016 23:48:39 GMT -5
Detective Comics #238
'Earth Detective for a Day'
Great bad guy, 'Booby Trap' Bagley, wasted on a terrible story. John makes sure he's the guy to go after Bagley, so he can use his powers to avoid the traps. Half way through, he realizes that the Earth-Mars comet is making it's annual pass, and he has no powers! (For some reason, that makes him a regular human, not a regular martian). Bagley manuvers him to be dangling over a flaming pool of gasoline, but, surprise!... he's human, so he's not afraid (apparently the fire weakness isn't psychological this story), so he breaks out his oylmpic gymnast moves, then uses his great pistol marksmanship to trap Bagley. The illogic of the whoe comet thing almost made me forget the cops literally tossed a car at a circus without check it was empty, just in case there was a booby trap (there was, and the car blew up).
Detective Comics #239
'Ordeal by Fire'
John's worst fear comes true as he gets assigned to the Arson squad! He actually puts out the fire on the first scene, using a Robot suit prop that was made of lead for some reason (must have been a hek of a strong actor!). He gets by with two similar co-incidences and is the hero of the day. They even make him an honorary fire chief.
Some place notes: John looks at some pictures of big fires in the past at the fire house, and one shows Oil fields (implying mid-west/south-west, not east coast). There's also a movie theatre, FWIW.(Mostly, I think because the artist wanted some unique backgrounds)
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Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 4, 2016 22:28:54 GMT -5
 Bat Lash #3 Honestly, this would have been a good comic just with the first 4 pages. A quartet of truly dastardly looking villains (mustache ready to twirl and all) are looking for Bat, who comes out of the saloon with his arms bandaged. They're mad he sold them farm land under a lake. Bat, of course, was faking, and guns all four down before they know what hit'em, gets on his horse with his cash, and, of course, leaves a pretty girl behind. It only gets better. The main story has a judge who thinks he's Nero (complete with marble pillars and roman dress) a pretty lady deputy, a crazy dude with a whip, a jury with Abbott and Costello on it. Craziness. Wonderful, absurd Craziness. Totally a must read!  |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 17, 2016 22:18:40 GMT -5
 Batlash #1 No origin story here, just starts right in with the action... Batlash having a girl set a fire and break him out of jail... he leaves her with a kiss, as becomes usual The main story involves the secret treasure of Don Sergio Aragones (yes, he's in this one too), some monks, and their sexy spanish niece. Being the first issue(or perhaps just because Aragones wrote it), alot of the stuff is more exaggerated than the later issues, but it's still a fun story that does a very good job establishing the character. |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Mar 18, 2016 0:36:45 GMT -5
Just in case you were not aware, Bat Lash debuted in one try out issue of Showcase by DC, #76
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Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 18, 2016 7:10:15 GMT -5
I was aware... though I haven't found that one for a price I like yet (not that it's particularly expensive, I'm just cheap). I'm sure I'll pick it up eventually.
I'm sure that's why it felt less 1st-issuey. Though, OTOH, the character does change and evolve rather quickly... for instance while they do stick with the 'I'm a lover, not a fighter' theme.... it was mentioned like 10 times in this issue, while later it's a more minor thing. He also seemed a little more evil, or, perhaps, worked harder and stretched more to justify his actions.
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Post by Prince Hal on Mar 18, 2016 9:43:50 GMT -5
Bat Lash was another of those wonderful out-of-the-box DC titles from 1968 when DC, in a kind of mini-Renaissance, was throwing different ideas against the wall in the face of Marvel's domination.
Great ideas, great talents: Howie Post on Anthro; Ditko on Hawk and the Dove and Beware the Creeper; Cardy and Aragones on Bat Lash; Oksner and Wally Wood on Angel and the Ape, etc., etc.
Old titles were being rejuvenated; new approaches were being tried. Even an old warhorse like Tomahawk was suddenly relevant, years before O'Neil and Adams tried it with GL, Robert Kanigher and Frank Thorne were way out in front on race relations, imperialism and what constitutes a just war.
You could see, even as a kid, that they were flailing at times, treading water in some cases (Mort was still around), but the influx of new talent, like Adams, Giordano, Aparo, Skeates, O'Neil and the usual excellent work of the old reliables like Kubert, Kane and Cardy made a trip to the newsstand a thrill.
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