Keith Giffen

Kobra #3, July 1976

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Behold, the Bronze Age!

bronze-age

“Vengeance in Ultra-Violet” written by Martin Pasko, art by Keith Giffen. Editor: Gerry Conway, Inkers: Terry Austin and Dick Giordano, Colorist: Liz Berube, Letterer: Ben Oda

Cover by: Ernie Chua (Chan)

Synopsis: Kobra and Jason Burr plummet to their deaths after the cliffhanger of the previous issue. Perez throws a line to save Jason. Burr grabs the line and watches as his twin plummets to earth. He braces for death, due to the empathic symbio-link between the twins: one feels what the other feels, even, presumably the sweet kiss of death.

But … Jason lives! And is convinced that Kobra is dead!

Until Kobra breaks into Jason’s apartment and enlists his aid in defeating Solaris. Jason agrees, and while he changes into his Gemini suit, Kobra and Melissa share an emotional and mysterious moment (that Jason also feels). Apparently, Melissa and Kobra had a relationship some two years before…

Dig this beautiful Giffen art …

Giffen art Kobra 3

While invading Solaris’ stronghold, Kobra tells Jason about Natalie, his former love: they met while both were convalescing in a hospital. Kobra quit his Cult to travel with Natalie, who is shot dead by Interpol agents in Picadilly. Seems she was a murderess and jewel thief. He later says he returned to the cult to conquer them and mold them into international terrorists bent on destroying the law enforcers who killed Natalie.

Meanwhile, Kobra stops Solaris’ mechanical guard as Jason negotiates a laser trap by communicating telepathically with his twin who controls Jason’s movements through the maze (we never see the twins use this trick again in the series).

Kobra and Jason attack Solaris and his men. Jason realizes Kobra not only wants to stop Solaris, but also to snag the Heliotron for his own! In the midst of the battle between the brothers Perez blasts his way in with his fellow CIA agents. CIA? Yes, Kobra reveals that Perez is really CIA and trying to get back canisters of cobra venom (stolen by Kobra) – venom that should have been destroyed six years ago!

Burr feels betrayed, punches Perez, rips off the Gemini costume and goes home.

A nice way to conclude the magazine – the letters page says this is likely the last issue, despite the blurb describing issue four on the last panel.

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This July 1976 DC comic was not part of the “DC Salutes the Bicentennial” collection of issues in which one collected the cigar band upper covers to get a coveted Superman belt buckle. But it was in good company – issues of Flash and Wonder Woman weren’t part of the promotion either.

Look at the people involved in this issue – they should all be part of a comic book hall of fame: Giordano? Terry Austin? Keith Giffen? Martin Pasko? Yeesh! For a C-list comic this has a lot of talent! Granted all but Giordano are early in their comic book careers, but STILL …

Pasko does a fine job showing us Solaris’ insanity. He is almost child-like and we almost pity his demise at Kobra’s hands.

 

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About the author: Michael Curry is the author of the Brave & Bold: From Silent Knight to Dark Knight, The Day John F Kennedy Met the Beatles and the award-winning Abby’s Road, the Long and Winding Road to Adoption and How Facebook, Aquaman and Theodore Roosevelt Helped.  Check his website for more releases! Thanks for reading!

Claw the Unconquered #8! Bicentennial weirdness …

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DC SALUTES THE BICENTENNIAL

#18.

Claw the Unconquered #8

clawtheunconquered8

Published bi-monthly, thirty cents, August

Cover Artist: Keith Giffen

Editor: Joe Orlando

            Claw was part of DC’s Adventure Line of comics from 1975. The implication that “Adventure Line” was some sort of imprint is my own invention and I have published many a blog on that line of comics. Claw’s is here:

 https://michaelgcurry.com/2015/01/25/claw-the-unconquered-finally-a-dc-adventure-line-success-for-a-while/

            A house ad in 1975 hyped seven comics as part of DC’s new Adventure line of comics – as opposed to their superhero and horror line. Claw the Unconquered, Tor, Kong the Untamed, Warlord, Beowulf Dragon Slayer, Justice Inc. and Stalker were advertised. Of the comics, only Warlord eventually met with success – going well past a hundred issues into the 1980s. But Warlord was put on hiatus after its second issue for several months. It quickly succeeded upon its return, but during August of 1976, only Claw survived: in that respect, it was the most successful of the “Line” and at that point it lasted longer than the other six.

claw ad

            For its first seven issues, legendary artist Ernie Chua (Chan) did the excellent artwork. With this issue, a new art team debuted. And they did an excellent job, too – good thing, they had some huge shoes to fill. With the new art I noticed was Claw looked more like a Native American than a certain Cimmerian he previously resembled. The artwork certainly fit this excursion into weird worlds. In the letter column, writer Michelinie calls the Villagran/Novelle/Dominguez combination of artists contributing to this issue “the South American Crusty Bunkers” (a name given to a core of artists who occasionally helped out Neal Adams and Dick Giordano at deadline time…).

            It is a beautiful cover – Claw in all his faux-Cimmerian glory about to slice a trans-dimensional worm-man in twain, all while spouting neo-Shakespearean pomposity!  Even the issue’s villain’s name evokes Howard and Lovecraft – lots of oddly-placed consonants and apostrophes without a vowel in sight!

            This issue is Part Four of Five. This background is a recap from issue #6 near the beginning of this epic quest: N’Hglthss (geshundheit) is “unleashed upon an unwary world … N’Hglthss, whose vile passage brings naught but death and decay … yet who cannot himself be touched by death … it had taken Avistar, the Burning Man, to reveal the only weapon effective against N’Hglthss :a silver sword called Moonthorn, whose origins lie buried deep in Claw’s unknown past … a blade attainable only by uniting the three facets of an arcane talisman known as the Grimstone …”. Issues #4 introduces the menace of N’Hglthss (geshundheit), #5-7 depict Claw collecting the talismans (talismen?) in excellent stories. In #7 Claw links the three talismans together and he and his companion disappear into the void! And on to…

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“Master of the Seventh Void”, David Michelinie ( w ), Keith Griffin, Ricardo Villagran and Oscar Novelle & Luis Dominguez (Luis is mentioned in the letter column, but not in the splash-page’s credits) (a), Liz Berube (i).

            Claw and his companion, Ghilkyn – a devil-horned extra-dimensional traveler – enter the seventh void. By page two Ghilkyn is thrust back to … well, who knows where, leaving Claw on his own.

            Tell you what; let me use the author’s own synopsis from #9. I’m lazy that way: “traversing that demonic plane alone, Claw had come upon the object of his worlds-spanning search – the enchanted silver0hued blade called Moonthorn. But Moonthorn had a guardian – the malevolent politician-cum-sorcerer (snicker) Mahan K’Handa … a creature whose corrupt soul lay captive in a crystal egg about his waist … a vulnerability Claw’s twisted right have had somehow sensed and had crushed into oblivion allowing the elusive prize to fall into Claw’s grasp and allowed the Grimstone quest to at last end in success.” I will give my collection of Claw comics to the first reader who successfully diagrams that sentence. Now it is on to defeat the evil N’Hglthss (geshundheit)!

            The readers are promised Claw’s origin next issue!

 

 Of Swordsmen and Sorcerers (letter column); neither of the positive letters are about a specific issue, just praising the series in general. Paul Emrath of Milwaukee, WI and Kevin Callihan of Brea, CA contribute.

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            Claw had one more issue to go before cancellation. DC was about to launch their DC/TV line-up (Shazam, Isis, Welcome Back Kotter and Superfriends), so something had to go to make room. One of those somethings was Claw.  The yearning lust of DC fanboys to get the Bicentennial Superman belt buckle was not enough to keep the title going.

            The character appeared in a cameo in Star Hunters #7 (October 1978) along with fellow-David Michelinie-creation Starfire (Star Hunters was also a Michelinie creation).

            Claw was revived for three issues in early 1978 but was again cancelled at the beginning of the DC Explosion. Issues #13 & 14 were in the Cancelled Comic Cavalcade – that little-seen shelter in which hid the remains of the DC Implosion. The character had a brief stint as a back-up feature in Warlord #s 48 & 49 to wrap up the storyline from its issue #12.

claw by hembeck

            Claw has appeared in modern times: in a cross-over miniseries with Dynamite’s Red Sonja, and in his own revived title as part of DC’s Wildstorm imprint for six issues. Earlier, he appeared in Swamp Thing (with Adventure Line alum Stalker), the 2008 Wonder Woman story arc Ends of the Earth, along with Stalker and Beowulf, and in issue #1 of the series Time Masters Vanishing Point. His demonic gauntlet appeared in Justice League: Cry for Justice as that comic’s villain’s artifact.

claw

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Join me next time for DC’s Bicentennial issue #19: The Brave and the Bold #128

 

Original Material copyright 2015 Michael Curry

Images used are copyright their respective holders and reproduced here under the “Fair Use” doctrine of 17 USC 106 & 106a for the purposes of criticism and comment.

All Star Comics #61 – the Justice Society & the Bicentennial

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jsa alex

DC SALUTES THE BICENTENNIAL

#17

All Star Comics #61

All-Star-Comics-61_00

Published bi-monthly, thirty cents, August

Cover artist: Ernie Chua

Editor: Gerry Conway

JSA logo

            All Star Comics debuted in summer of 1940 as a quarterly comic book in the genre’s golden age. It was an anthology series and its first two issues featured the best strips from other comics published by All American Publications, a subsidiary-yet-separate-but-equal partner of National Comics/DC.

            It changed format with Issue #3. It also changed the history of comic books. Issue #3 was the debut of the Justice Society of America. It was still an anthology of separate stories, but the stories were framed by the first meeting of the JSA – all the heroes together swapping tales.

            With issue #4 the comic featured one story told in separate chapters – each chapter featuring an individual member of the JSA typically written and drawn by his (my choice of gender is intentional) usual team. Each issue was bookended beginning with the heroes meeting and identifying a crisis and ending with their uniting to finish off the bad guys once and for all.

            For example – the JSA learned of a fifth column spy ring. Then each chapter starred one hero defeating part of the ring. In the final chapter the heroes united to crush the leader of the ring. Later issues (because of cuts in page count), the heroes teamed up two or three to a chapter.

            It was the first time individual heroes met and fought together – as opposed to heroes who were teams at their inception. The Justice League, Suicide Squad, Avengers, Defenders, Teen Titans, The All-Winner’s Squad, The Mighty Crusaders, etc. all owe their existence to the Justice Society.

            And if for no other reason, All Star Comics would make history in issue #8 with the debut of Wonder Woman.

            The fun lasted until issue #57 February 1951 in a tale ironically called “The Mystery of the Vanishing Detectives”.  Superheroes were on the outs and thus the title of the comic was changed to All-Star Western and the JSA replaced with a western anthology. All-Star Western ran until #119 in 1961, when it was finally cancelled due to the Silver Age revival of superheroes. In a sense, the guys in capes got their revenge… The last features in the comic were superhero-y characters like Superchief.

            All-Star Comics was brought back in February 1976 with issue #59 – ignoring the numbering of its western incarnation. It starred the JSA but also introduced a new team within the group – the Super Squad. This featured the trio of the now-adult Robin, the Star Spangled Kid (who was trapped in time and rescued in Justice League of America #100-102 and was once in the golden age team Seven Soldiers of Victory or Law’s Legionnaires), and a new character Power Girl – Superman’s cousin, the Supergirl of Earth-2.

            This revival lasted until issue #74 and was cancelled as a result of the DC Implosion. By then the character Huntress was introduced. Stories slated for subsequent issues were published in the dollar-sized Adventure Comics.

            As a kid the idea of an alternate earth with alternate versions of my heroes – and some I had never heard of – enthralled me. I anxiously awaited the annual summertime JLA-JSA team-ups in Justice League of America. The first issue of the revived All-Star Comic I owned was the one after this Bicentennial issue. I thereafter followed the series through to its cancellation. It took some years to get the prior issues and their last few tales in Adventure Comics. I loved every issue! Still do. I regret that I do not have any issues of the golden age run. Perhaps someday…

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“Hellfire and Holocaust”, Gerry Conway ( w ), Keith Giffen & Wally Wood (a)

            As is usual in comics in those days (and these days, too), this is a continued story. Although this story concludes with the defeat of the main villain, it still ends on a cliffhanger and there are enough threads leading to upcoming issues to prevent this issue from being called “done in one”.

vulcan2

            Astronaut Christopher Pike was transformed into Vulcan during a trip around the sun (the Star Trek references are obvious and intentional). Vulcan, Green Lantern and Dr. Fate battle. Vulcan escapes after causing a building to explode leaving Dr. Fate’s … er … fate in the balance. Lantern digs through the rubble as best be can (lots of wood in the rubble, you know) looking for his friend. While fleeing, Vulcan briefly and mysteriously loses, and then regains, his powers when the sun comes out from behind a cloud.

            Meanwhile, archaeologist Carter (Hawkman) Hall is showing a friend his latest find – a citizen of the lost continent of Lemuria encased in amber. We see the amber casing slowly dissolving unbeknownst to our heroes…

            Cut to other JSAers Power Girl, Star Spangled Kid (hereafter SSK) Flash and Wildcat stand by as firemen put out the JSA headquarters set ablaze by Vulcan in the prior issue. Flash’s wife Joan appears and begs him to leave with her, fearing for his safety. He does. SSK calls other JSAers for help. Dr. Midnite and Hawkman respond just as Green Lantern send out an SOS. They finally find Fate in critical condition.

            Power Girl left earlier, hearing a police bulletin about a UFO landing in Gotham. She confronts the alien and learns Vulcan’s secret. The alien, Xlk-Jnn “saved” Pike when he crashed into the sun by transforming him into a creature that absorbs heat. PG and the alien confront Vulcan, already in battle against Hawkman and SSK. Vulcan destroys the alien that turned him into a monster.

            Power Girl tells the JSA of Vulcan’s weakness (told to her by the alien): sunlight! SSK feeds Vulcan enough sunlight with his cosmic rod to destroy him.

            Meanwhile, the team learns Dr. Fate is dying and only a miracle can save him now…

  

All Star Comments (letter column): comments on issue #59. The bulk of the letter column is made up of Gerry Conway’s editorial (dare I say soapbox) asking for suggestions. I remember this editorial even to this day – what do you want to see? A team-up between Kobra and Kamandi? We are reminded this is the team that brought us Superman vs Spider-Man so anything is possible. Too bad the Kobra/Kamandi thing never happened…

            Mike White of Mackinaw, IL (positive) and Scott Gibson of Evergreen, CO (positive, but is confused by the long title of the comic and asked who is on what team: “The Justice League of America in All Star Comics with the Super Squad”) contributed letters.

 

            This issue is reprinted in the trade paperbacks “Justice Society #1” (2006) and “Showcase Presents: All-Star Comics #1” (2011)

 

justice society #1 2006showcase

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Join me next time for DC’s Bicentennial issue #18: Claw the Unconquered #8

 

Original Material copyright 2015 Michael Curry

Images used are copyright their respective holders and reproduced here under the “Fair Use” doctrine of 17 USC 106 & 106a for the purposes of criticism and comment.