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Post by Prince Hal on Sept 7, 2014 20:53:29 GMT -5
What is it with bandages outside heroes' costumes?
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 7, 2014 21:30:52 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #119 On Sale March 4, 1975 Written by Elliot S! Maggin Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Dick Giordano ROLL CALL: Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Elongated Man SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Hawkgirl Hostess Fruit Pie ad is Superman in "The Spy" by Curt Swan and now... WINNER TAKES THE EARTH!" Our five members from last issue are on the JLA satellite watching scenes of chaos from around the world when the tv signal is interrupted by the adaptoids! They have now decided to change their mission and get rid of the humans polluting and overpopulating the Earth. Superman punches his table because he doesn't want to see another species go extinct and Black Canary tells him to calm down. Their tv show is then interrupted by Elongated Man and Green Arrow rushing into the studio. As the President watches from his own screen, the JLAers land a couple of shots before they are blasted by the adaptoids. Aquaman yells at Red Tornado to hurry and beam them up. Black Canary tells him to calm down too. Aquaman's still worried he might be half fish forever, though I still think he could his job done most of the time. They get the two heroes back up to the satellite, but Elongated Man can't unstretch and Green Arrow can't even pick up his bow. They say they were warned about rushing in by Atom and Batman, just as those two make their move. Batman tosses a pellet in the room to get rid of the oxygen in the air. Superman, watching from space through the floor of the satellite exclaims, "they'll never get out alive!" Red Tornado gets the two transported up in time for Superman to explain that the adaptoids are breathing the most common gas in the atmosphere, nitrogen. This marks the last time Superman would be allowed to look smarter than Batman in DC Comics history. Superman explains to the others that Hawkman ran off to Thanagar and everyone is brought up to speed about the Equalizing Disease. The adaptoid's blasts seem to be wearing off and even Aquaman is getting his legs back. Clark Kent's substitute anchor at WGBS announces that governments are toppling all over the world due to the JLA's defeat. Superman begins to give his pep talk, when the adaptoids arrive to invade the JLA satellite! The team battles as best they can, but they are no match for the adaptoids. However, unnoticed by anyone, there is a ship arriving at the satellite at the same time. Hawkaman emerges and then he removes the helmet of his wife, Hawkgirl. The adaptoids are stunned and fall back as the JLA regains their feet. Hawkman explains, as he's whipping his wings to create wind to help the team, that he brought the Equalizing Disease to make the JLA equal to the adaptoid's strengths and give them the JLA's weaknesses. It works and the JLA trounces the adaptoids to save the day. Hawkman and Hawkgirl offer to take the adaptoids to an uninhabited planet on the route to Thanagar. Hopefully, it isn't Ceti Alpha V. Superman is concerned about the Equalizing Disease and says the team should as a competent scientist about it. The Atom chimes in with, "What do I look like, an incompetent turkey!?" At that size, he does look like Hank Pym, but I digress. He explains that the adaptoids should have developed an immunity to the disease almost immediately and passed it on to the JLA. Our heroes should be fine. Green Lantern FINALLY wanders in from his deep space mission to send a message across the globe that the adaptoids have been defeated. The End! JLA Mailroom: As we wait for the letters to catch up, one reader gives his thoughts on what the JLA membership should be. The Circulation Statement for JLA in 1975 reads 166,000 way down from the year before. STORY: B+ It is my first comic book story and one I still enjoy to this very day. ART: A- It looks a little cleaner this month. COVER: B+ The team got a better viewscreen and Flash is looking at the right answer. HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE: C+ Hawkgirl is back and we'll see her a few times during the rest of our journey. up next... my favorite JLA guest star of them all returns |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 10, 2014 16:05:11 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #120 On sale April 8, 1975 Written by Cary Bates Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Adam Strange Consultant: Jack C. Harris Cover by Ernie Chua ROLL CALL: Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary and Elongated Man SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Adam Strange Superman is still thwarting The Spy with Hostess Fruit Pies and now..." PARALLEL PERILS OF ADAM STRANGE!" Our heroes are in New Guinea after stopping a "whacko scientist's aquabomb" that would have flooded the entire Southern Hemisphere. Flash tells the team of an interesting find a mile away and they discover a crude drawing of Adam Strange being zapped by a zeta-beam on a large rock. Since Black Canary has never heard of him, Superman, Flash and Green Lantern give us his origin and a brief history of his exploits. Suddenly, the entire team is zeta-beamed to Rann! Ralph is psyched to visit his first alien world and the team sets off to Ranagar to find Adam Strange and find out why they are on Rann. Out of nowhere a giant raygun materializes and zaps Green Lantern. Superman hits it with a "blow that would have split a diamond planet in two," but it has no effect. Flash is having no luck either with his whirlwind attack. Adam Strange arrives and tells the team that he's encountered this before and removes the gunsight that deactivate it before. This time it doesn't work and the giant raygun is still firing. Superman covers up the barrel of the raygun with his stretchable indestructible cape and the raygun blasts itself to pieces. The team catches up with Adam and we learn that just days earlier that he and his soon to be wife, Alanna, were attacked by a giant flying lens that had struck Rann in the past. The sunbeam from the lens vaporized Alanna like an ant and flew off. Her father, Sardath, arrives to tell everyone that the JLA were transported to Rann by zeta-plus beams that work instantly. The mystery is that no one knows who transported the JLA to Rann or why. The readers learn on the next page that it was Adam's arch foe, Kanjar Ro, who brought the JLA to Rann and is behind the repeat menaces. The next menace is a giant platinum skinned bird named a kalulla. Superman takes the first shot at it, but is enbalmed in platinum when he strikes it. Green Lantern's ring has no effect either due to the spectrum altering effects of the platinum. Adam Strange arrives with some bird poison embedded in a platinum brick and drops it in the creatures mouth. Unlike last time, it has no effect ans the bird flies off. Black Canary comes up with the idea to slingshot an invulnerable Superman at the bird. Green Lantern provides the fork and Flash and Black Canary use Elongated Man as a giant rubber band to launch the "superbullet" at the bird. The bird is knocked from the sky and Superman is freed from his very expensive prison. Seconds later the team is attacked again by a giant robot named Borg. Adam Strange tries his old tactics one more time, but his attack on the robot's eye fails. Borg blast the JLAers and their bodies are vaporized. Only the costumes and Black Canary's wig survived. Kanjar Ro is pleased his plan is working and half of the JLA has been eliminated. Now Adam will lead the other half to their doom as he zeta-plus beams his way back to Earth. to be continued... JLA Mailroom: Most readers liked the Golden Eagle story from #116. Future JLA writer, 15 year old Dan Jurgens, writes in to compliment Bob Rozakis on his statement of "We can't print your letter if you don't write it!" STORY: B I missed out on this Adam Strange story as a kid. This issue does a great job of introducing the character and how he tries to win the day with his mind. ART: A- Dick Dillin draws an awesome Adam Strange. COVER: C+ Since I always knew him as Ernie Chua, that is how I will be crediting Ernie Chan. There was a typo on his birth certificate in the Philippines and it didn't get corrected until he became as US citizen in 1976. He will be the primary cover artist for JLA for over a year. Baseball has a Mendoza Line, and for me and comic book art there is an Ernie Chua Line. I've thought about renaming it the Jim Lee Line though.  HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C+ At this point, Adam's only new appearances in the DCU are as a JLA guest star. He will show up in reprints in the DC Super Stars (of Space) comic in 1976. |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 10, 2014 17:21:59 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #121 On sale May 1, 1975 Written by Cary Bates Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua ROLL CALL: Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, Elongated Man and Red Tornado SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Adam Strange CAMEOS by: Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl Hostess is on a baseball card kick this month, no comic page and now...."THE HERO WHO JINXED THE JUSTICE LEAGUE!" The team is meeting in the JLA Satellite when Adam Strange zeta-plus beams onto the meeting table. While Red Tornado accesses his database for Adam Strange's history, Adam shows the rest of the team their teammates empty costumes. He admits to being at fault for what happened to them and, while the rest of the team hold back a "ticked off about Black Canary" Green Arrow, relates the events of last issue. Batman then gets an alert of a giant storm over Long Island that has blacked out the entire tri-state area. Or, as it was known in the 1970s, Tuesday. Adam wants to come along and help, but Hawkman reminds him that, as a result of being permanently on Rann, he will die if he touches the Earth surface. Red Tornado gives Adam a little pep talk before joining the team down on the surface. The cloud has now grown a face and arms and the JLA makes its way into Long Island Sound. Red Tornado is grabbed by the cloud creature and it emits toxic fumes that jam his signals to his robot brain. The creature also freeze Aquaman in an ice flow as the rest of the team catches up in a "borrowed" boat. The creature then develops four cloud clones of our remaining heroes and only Green Arrow escapes. Back up in the JLA Satellite, Adam remembers this menace was also on Rann and figures out who was behind it all. Then Kanjar Ro beams aboard to confirm his suspicions. His energy rod didn't have enough power to defeat the entire JLA. But, with a blundering Adam Strange helping, it can eliminate each half. Adam calculates how long it would take for a zeta-plus beam to arrive from 25 trillion miles away and signals Sardath on Rann. A minute and 25 seconds later, Adam snatches the energy rod from Kanjar Ro and beams back to Rann. They can't get the energy rod to work as it relies on Kanjar Ro's brain waves. Adam gets Kanjar's brain wave patterns from the prison he was in and is able to activate the energy rod. He orders it to take him to the JLA on Rann. He arrives in an ice cave at the north pole of Rann and finds five black spheres. He turns the spheres back into the five missing heroes and they malke their way back to the lab while Adam investigates another sphere. He arrives back in the lab with Alanna and the team gets ready to beam back to Earth. Meanwhile, Kanjar Ro is LITERALLY sittin' on the dock of the bay wastin' time as the cloud creature has defeated Green Arrow as well. The rest of the team arrives from Rann and a shocked Kanjar tells the cloud creature to destroy them. Adam is knocked from the sky, but is saved by Elongated Man before he hits the ground. The creature turns its gasses yellow, so Green Lantern decides to catch the Mets game. Superman and Flash use an updraft and a simultaneous downdraft to get rid of the cloud creature. Black Canary snacks the taste out of Kanjar Ro's mouth and the day is saved. The last panel is a picture of the wedding of Adam Strange and Alanna. The entire JLA team is there with Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl getting invitations as well. The End! JLA Mailroom: Most of the readers liked issue #117. STORY: B+ I love Adam Strange stories. I love the super science, the jetpack, the fantastic menaces and THE FIN! ART: B+ Not quite as crisp and inking job as last issue. COVER: B- The Ernie Chua art is satisfactory. We have now reached the short time with the single DC bullet on the cover and with additional logos on the tops of the covers. The main cover gets squeezed again and for most DC books this is not a good look. See Scott Harris' Superman in the Bronze Age thread for more information. Justice League of America is the one comic of the era where I like the change as the heads on top give you an idea of who the stars of the comic are. This was a good idea in an era where you got yelled at by grocery store clerks for trying to pick up a comic book, much less reading one. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: B- Adam and Alanna are married. Up next... THE GREAT IDENTITY CRISIS! |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 12, 2014 23:17:46 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #122 On sale June 10, 1975 Written by Martin Pasko Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Mike Grell ROLL CALL: Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow and Atom Our Hostess Twinkie ad this month is Captain Marvel (the real one) in "Minerva Menace" by Curt Swan and now... "THE GREAT IDENTITY CRISIS" It's a JLA Casebook story! The JLA had vowed to keep each others identities secret from one another as a safety measure against their enemies. This story, set in the undefined past, is how the JLA members changed their minds. We open with the JLA slugging it out with a giant ice monster in the Arctic. Superman and Green Lantern take care of it quickly and Green Arrow wonders why the entire team was called out for this case. No one knows who called the team there and Green Arrow now wants to know what they're going to do with this ice beast. Fortunately, Superman's Fortress of Solitude is nearby so they can take the creature there. Superman puts it in a giant cage and team heads to the computer room to get some answers and have some cocoa. Back at the cage the ice monster shrinks down to the size of a man and he slips through the bars. He grabs a chunk of amnesium from the armory and places it on his raygun. He aims it at our heroes and extracts their memories. It doesn't work on Superman and Aquaman has no secret identity according to this villain, so it scrambles the memories of the other five. At first they can't remember who they are, but then leave the fortress thinking they are different people. As Superman watches them walk away the fortress computer spits out the solution to what's going on, but no one notices. Superman and Aquaman agree to trail their friends to see what's going on. Superman flies away and Aquaman uses an underwater tunnel where he runs into a lantern fish. Naturally, it is yellow so Green Lantern's ring won't work on it. When Aquaman touches it though, it explodes! Watching all of this from the monitors in the fortress is our villain revealed, Dr. Light! He now turns his attention to the other heroes to see how his light traps will destroy them. "Ray Palmer" walks into his office at Ivy University and is trapped in a beam that bars the door and makes him incapable of getting off an arrow to stop it. In Star City "Oliver Queen" runs into his friend Andy who recognizes him as millionaire fat cat Bruce Wayne. Andy and a mob are goaded by another strange beam to beat the living daylights out of this slum lord. "Barry Allen" arrives at work to meet his father-in-law Ira West. He doesn't recognize "Barry" and tries to call the police and that activates Dr. Light's trap. "Barry" is trapped in the portable cell and his green power ring can't break him out of its yellow walls. "Hal Jordan" meets up with Arthur Curry to sell toys to his department store. "Hal" takes out a piece of clay, but it expands to cover his body. He can't reach his size controls to shrink out of the trap! Back at the fortress, Dr. Light tells us of the time the JLA defeated him when Batman and Superman switched identities. And now he's using the same trick to destroy them. His mastery of the electromagnetic spectrum allowed him to detect the amnesium and find out the frequency of the JLA's signal device. He returns to the monitors, but they've all gone blank. The JLA is on their way back here! Superman crashed through a wall, but Dr. Light traps him in rings of krpytonite-lite paralyzing him. The rest of the team arrives and Dr. Light is startled by the appearance of a very alive Aquaman. Aquaman explains that he knew the lantern fish had no business being in the Arctic and detonated the trap from a distance. He went back inside the fortress and found the computer slip that let him know Dr. Light was behind all of this. He then went to help the Atom in his guise of Arthur Curry. Atom arrived in Batman's apartment to see Superman trying to convince "Bruce" that he was actually police scientist Barry Allen. Aquaman then went to Ivy Town to save Green Arrow, Flash saved Green Lantern and Superman dragged the mob off of Batman. Dr. Light responds to his crushed plans by duplicating himself and releasing some of the zoo animals and duplicating them. If the JLA hits the imposters, they'll explode just like the lantern fish. The team finds the duplicates and gets the animals caged again. Aquaman is trying to get Superman out of the kryptonite-lite rings and comes up with an idea that involves Superman's cape. The team finds a "Dr. Light" and he duplicates the Flash and the explosive clones chase after the real one. He uses his hate light on Batman so he'll try to kill Green Lantern. The effect of that ray blast has survived two company wide reboots and exists to this very day. Aquaman covers this Dr. Light with Superman's cape and he explodes harmlessly. Green Lantern takes out Batman before he can turn yellow. Flash escapes his duplicates by vibrating through Superman's cape. The real Dr. Light is about to rob Superman of his secrets and kill him, but the rest of the team arrives in time. Atom injects him with a tranquilizer and the day is saved. Superman uses the amnesium to restore everyone's memories and mindwipe Dr. Light so he can't remember their secret identities. I think, the exact quote is that the amnesium is used to "end the JLA's Identity Crisis." Superman then destroys the amnesium so any further mindwipes are going to have to be done by Zatanna. Green Arrow states that if everyone knew each others secret identities this plan would have been stopped much earlier. So the seven members hold hands and vote that secret identities should be known by all members. The End! (before we see Superman reveal to the others that he is Clark Kent) JLA Mailroom: Readers really liked Maggin's JLA #118. When did this story take place??? Mike's Amazing World lists it coming out right before Black Canary joins in issue #75 and Ollie is sporting his Neal Adams look. That issue came out in September 1969. An editors note in this issue mentions that Superman and Flash learned each others secret identities the month before in Superman #220. STORY: C+ This one definitely needed to be a two parter. Most parts of the story are way too cramped. Art: B+ COVER: B I'm pretty sure it fooled me. Aquaman's dead??? How?  HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: B- Brad Meltzer is about four months younger than I am and I did get this comic as a five year old. However, Brad lists his first JLA comic as issue #150. Brad Meltzer would use the name Identity Crisis, Dr. Light and the concept of memory wiping in his 2004 mini series. up next... it's summer, time for a JSA crossover |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,865
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Post by shaxper on Sept 12, 2014 23:26:27 GMT -5
Wow. Another tombstone cover?
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 12, 2014 23:37:50 GMT -5
Wow. Another tombstone cover? I think it's the last one though. |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 14, 2014 18:23:37 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #123 On sale July 1, 1975 Written by (and guest starring) Cary Bates and Elliot S! Maggin Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by (and also guest starring) Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua JLA ROLL CALL: Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkman and Black Canary JSA ROLL CALL: Wonder Woman, Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Johnny Thunder, Wildcat and Robin Hostess Twinkie ad is still Captain Marvel, but it is in the center of the comic. and now..."WHERE ON EARTH AM I?" In the offices of DC Comics on Earth Prime, DC Editor Julie "B.O. (for Be Original)" Schwartz is trying to get a story for the next issue of JLA from his two kid writers, Cary Bates and Elliot S! "Magoon" Maggin. Julie leaves the office to get some lunch and hopes they'll have a plot by the time he gets back. Elliot wants to use the Flash's Cosmic Treadmill for a story and Cary remembers that the Flash left it behind from his last adventure on Earth Prime. They find the contraption in a filing cabinet and put it together. Elliot accidentally turns it on and Cary vanishes! He finds himself in between dimensions and is struck by a strange energy beam that makes his mind do funny things. He pops up on Earth-Two to see Robin and Johnny Thunder apprehending a gang of criminals. Cary now thinks he's a super villain and magically turns the getaway car into a rocket. Back on Earth Prime, Elliot and Julie are trying to figure out where he went. Elliot gets on the treadmill and vanishes and Julie worries about the cops hauling him away and filling out missing person reports in triplicate. He disappears just before Carmine Infantino bursts in. Elliot lands in the ocean on a different world where is rescued by Earth-One's Aquaman. They both transport up to a meeting of the JLA. He explains that he is a comic book writer that writes the adventures of the JLA on Earth Prime where they are comic book characters. The team doesn't believe the story and Batman offers to let him leave without breaking his bones, if he leaves now. Elliot proves he's not crazy by naming their secret identities. Flash arrives to corroborate Elliot's story about Earth Prime. Batman apologizes (!) but Hawkman still isn't keen on Elliot's personality. Over on Earth-Two, Cary Bates has made himself a super villain costume and has summoned the JSA to a botanic garden. He attacks them in secret with the plants. One disables Johnny's speaking ability, bu the other five overcome the plants. Suddenly, they are overcome with fumes and fall to the ground. Cary Bates declares that "adventure writers are just closet felons deep inside!" Cary is happy he's gone from boring nobody to the man that will destroy the JSA. Back on Earth-One, Hakwman's using the Earth-Prime aura of Elliot Maggin to try to locate Cary Bates. It appears he is not on Earth-One, but Batman reminds us that it is summer and he could just as easily arrived on Earth-Two. Green Arrow and Elliot demand action in the same sentences and Hawkman is horrified. Elliot Maggin was Green Arrow's writer in his Action Comics strip for the last few years. Flash wants to help his comic book writer, so we're off to Earth-Two. There we briefly see the team of troublemakers behind all of this, the Injustice Society of the World. The Wizard has given Cary Bates his powers and the Icicle, Huntress, Sportsmaster, Shade and Gambler are happy to see the doom of the JSA. The JLA arrives on Earth-Two in a different spot than they left. It is mentioned that the two worlds rotate at different rates and Earth-Two is a little slower. As a result, Earth-Two is stated to be about twenty years behind Earth One. That would be 1955 as this story is written. I refer you to Kurt and his Earth-Two Thread for a full explanation as soon as he gets to it. They are on an aircraft carrier and the Injustice Society is getting out the planes to attack. The JLA easily dispatches the Injustice Society and discovers that they've really been fighting the JSA. Even worse, the JSA members are dead! Batman wonders who could be behind this monstrous scheme and the readers see it is "Mr. Plot Twist" himself, Cary Bates! to be continued!!! JLA Mailroom: The readers enjoyed Maggin's #119 as much as I did. One wants the Lone Ranger to join the JLA. STORY C Self indulgent hogwash! I have no problem with the writers being in the story, but they take up way too much room. The two "kid" writers were both in their mid twenties when they wrote this comic. ART: A- Drawing their fellow employees must have been a hoot. COVER: C+ Eight out of the ten runners have the right foot down (as seen by the viewer). As a kid, my drawings were right leg down about 98% of the time. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C+ Hijinks ensue when Earth Prime shows up. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2014 18:30:42 GMT -5
This was the first issue of JLA I ever got off the stands, and it was one that got beaten to hell an was coverless soon afterwards.
-M
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 14, 2014 19:11:43 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #124 On sale August 7, 1975 Written by (and guest starring) Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by (and guest starring) Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua Once again, the Hostess Twinkie ad is in the middle. There is also a center spread of the 1975 CBS Saturday morning cartoon schedule, a critical guide for those of us at the time.The vast majority of cartoons I watched on Saturdays in the 1970s were in the CBS lineups. There is also an ad for the first DC/Marvel publication "The Marvelous Wizard of Oz." JLA ROLL CALL: Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkman and Black Canary JSA ROLL CALL: Wonder Woman, Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Johnny Thunder, Wildcat and Robin SURPRISE JSA GUEST STAR! keep reading! and now..."AVENGING GHOSTS OF THE JUSTICE SOCIETY!" The JLA has buried the JSA in a mass grave and topped it with memorial crosses. If all six of those people were Christians, I'm Arnold Palmer. Elliot Maggin recalls the battle that lead to a dead JSA. Back on Earth-Prime, Julie gives us the recap on the rest of last issue. Cary Bates is running around on Earth-Two comitting crimes and having a blast as he delivers gold bars to the members of the Injustice Society. A strange mist floats nearby and vows that this injustice will not go unpunished. The JLA hasn't revealed the fate of the JSA to the world at large and are busy preventing crime on Earth-Two in their place. Meanwhile Cary has discovered Elliot's presence on Earth-Two. He flies to him and traps him in a bubble. That strange mist is back to witness this and informs us that the rest of the JSA is on a space mission. It goes to the JSA memorial and transforms into The Spectre! The Spectre goes to converse with "a higher power" of bright light and pleads with Him to bring back the six dead JSA members. The JLA has been transported by Elliot to his location. Before they can free him, they are attacked by the Injustice Society. The JLA is haunted by the memories of the dead JSA members and are on the verge of defeat. Elliot hurls insults about Cary's writing at him to mess with his powers. The ghosts before the JLA members eyes are transformed back into the live heroes and they save the JLA from defeat. Elliot manages to get his bubble near Cary and bumps into him. Cary falls to the ground and is knocked out. This results in a one page 12 on 6 beatdown of the Injustice Society. Cary is restored to normal by the Thunderbolt and everyone returns home. The Spectre watches unseen from a cloud. Back on Earth-Prime, Julie throws the two writers out of his office until they can come up with a good ending. The End! JLA Mailroom: Lots of praise for issue #120's Adam Strange story. STORY: C- Elliot S! Maggin is my second favorite comic book writer of the 1970s and Cary Bates is third, but this was not their finest hour. This is Maggin's last JLA story and Bates will return for one more story. ART: A- COVER: D+ A bit of an homage, but not a very good one. It isn't a tombstone, but I guess a memorial cross could count. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C+ The Spectre didn't show up too much in the back half of the 1970s. This is his first appearance since his Adventure Comics run came to an end and he next shows up in the JSA Untold Origin Special in 1977. Earth Prime will return later in the decade. A note at the end tells us to watch out for the JSA in a new book soon, "Super Squad." Since I missed out on this two parter as a kid, that was my first JSA story. Up next... Two Face joins the JLA! |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
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Post by shaxper on Sept 14, 2014 20:39:28 GMT -5
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #124 On sale August 7, 1975 Written by (and guest starring) Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by (and guest starring) Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua Once again, the Hostess Twinkie ad is in the middle. There is also a center spread of the 1975 CBS Saturday morning cartoon schedule, a critical guide for those of us at the time.The vast majority of cartoons I watched on Saturdays in the 1970s were in the CBS lineups. There is also an ad for the first DC/Marvel publication "The Marvelous Wizard of Oz." JLA ROLL CALL: Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkman and Black Canary JSA ROLL CALL: Wonder Woman, Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, Johnny Thunder, Wildcat and Robin SURPRISE JSA GUEST STAR! keep reading! and now..."AVENGING GHOSTS OF THE JUSTICE SOCIETY!" The JLA has buried the JSA in a mass grave and topped it with memorial crosses. If all six of those people were Christians, I'm Arnold Palmer. Elliot Maggin recalls the battle that lead to a dead JSA. Back on Earth-Prime, Julie gives us the recap on the rest of last issue. Cary Bates is running around on Earth-Two comitting crimes and having a blast as he delivers gold bars to the members of the Injustice Society. A strange mist floats nearby and vows that this injustice will not go unpunished. The JLA hasn't revealed the fate of the JSA to the world at large and are busy preventing crime on Earth-Two in their place. Meanwhile Cary has discovered Elliot's presence on Earth-Two. He flies to him and traps him in a bubble. That strange mist is back to witness this and informs us that the rest of the JSA is on a space mission. It goes to the JSA memorial and transforms into The Spectre! The Spectre goes to converse with "a higher power" of bright light and pleads with Him to bring back the six dead JSA members. The JLA has been transported by Elliot to his location. Before they can free him, they are attacked by the Injustice Society. The JLA is haunted by the memories of the dead JSA members and are on the verge of defeat. Elliot hurls insults about Cary's writing at him to mess with his powers. The ghosts before the JLA members eyes are transformed back into the live heroes and they save the JLA from defeat. Elliot manages to get his bubble near Cary and bumps into him. Cary falls to the ground and is knocked out. This results in a one page 12 on 6 beatdown of the Injustice Society. Cary is restored to normal by the Thunderbolt and everyone returns home. The Spectre watches unseen from a cloud. Back on Earth-Prime, Julie throws the two writers out of his office until they can come up with a good ending. The End! JLA Mailroom: Lots of praise for issue #120's Adam Strange story. STORY: C- Elliot S! Maggin is my second favorite comic book writer of the 1970s and Cary Bates is third, but this was not their finest hour. This is Maggin's last JLA story and Bates will return for one more story. ART: A- COVER: D+ A bit of an homage, but not a very good one. It isn't a tombstone, but I guess a memorial cross could count. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C+ The Spectre didn't show up too much in the back half of the 1970s. This is his first appearance since his Adventure Comics run came to an end and he next shows up in the JSA Untold Origin Special in 1977. Earth Prime will return later in the decade. A note at the end tells us to watch out for the JSA in a new book soon, "Super Squad." Since I missed out on this two parter as a kid, that was my first JSA story. Up next... Two Face joins the JLA! I remember being so excited by this issue's cover when I found it in a back issue bin one day. I found the story highly disappointing in contrast. D |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 15, 2014 21:56:25 GMT -5
I remember being so excited by this issue's cover when I found it in a back issue bin one day. I found the story highly disappointing in contrast. D It is in the scrum for worst JLA/ JSA crossover of all time. The title of most disappointing JLA/ JSA crossover is still to come in this thread. |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 15, 2014 21:59:08 GMT -5
This was the first issue of JLA I ever got off the stands, and it was one that got beaten to hell an was coverless soon afterwards. -M I've been really good about taking care of books and comics since I was a little kid. I often had to help my younger brother get his comics taped up and re-stapled. |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 19, 2014 20:43:42 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #125 On Sale September 2, 1975 Written by Gerry Conway Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua ROLL CALL: Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Hawkman SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Two-Face Hostess Fruit Pie ad is Batman in "The Captive Commissioner" by Curt Swan Also shipping this month is Limited Collector's Edition C-41, better known as the Super Friends Treasury sized comic. It reprints JLA #36 and #61 as well as a six page Alex Toth story on Wendy and Marvin meeting the Super Friends. and now...."THE MEN WHO SOLD DESTRUCTION!" We open with Green Lantern chasing down criminal flunkies. He cages them when one suddenly shoots a massive energy charge at the hero knocking him out. And it wasn't even yellow, it looked light pink. Green Lantern wakes up some time later and sets off for answers. Meanwhile, in Central City, Flash is looking into a report of a fake statue in a local museum. It is a forgery and made of an unknown material. When Flash tries to vibrate into it, the statue explodes. Fortunately, the Flash is called to a JLA meeting before having to deal with the arriving French ambassador. Flash arrives at the satellite and finds his teammates and Two-Face. Flash assumes everyone is under his control or he never would have made it to the satellite. He dodges Superman's attempt to grab him and Hawkman's mace before Green Lantern snares him in a bubble. Two-Face is enjoying the heroes fight amongst themselves, but he's here to stop the destruction of the world. Batman's on a case in another country, so Two-Face has turned to the JLA for help. It's probably for the best that Batman isn't here. Two-Face recounts the story of Arnold Weskit, a seemingly normal man that energy blasted another person to nothing on a street full of people. He was found not guilty as they found none of the witness accounts credible. Two-Face states that there have been other cases like this around the world too. Recently, he was broken out of Arkham Asylum by three aliens posing as statues of Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Benjamin Franklin. They offered him a charge of pure force for a one time use as he wished for the bargain price of $100,000. He asked for time to consult with Monty Hall and spied on the aliens that night. The aliens explain that their home dimension will be destroyed unless excess energy is drained from it. That excess energy is being given to criminals to commit crimes. Unfortunately for them, the process has been a bit slow. Unfortunately for Two-Face, his dimension will be destroyed if the aliens succeed. Two-Face flipped his coin and it came up clean, so he's off to save the world. The team confirms the missing statues and it seems Two-Face's story is true. Suddenly, the emergency alarm goes off! Aquaman is at the scene of a jail break at Oceanside Prison and he needs help. Aquaman and his fish friends arrive first, but he is hit by an energy blast. Superman and Green Lantern are also taken down by energy blasts moments later. Aquaman wakes up and calls on the whales to send a wave of water into the prison and it shorts out the criminal's charges. Superman and Green Lantern get the prisoners and rebuild the jail in record time. Flash and Hawkman are accompaning Two-Face to the mansion where the aliens were. Hawkman drops Two-Face to take down two guards and Flash takes out the rest. They find the three aliens who abandon their statue "hosts" just as Flash, Hawkman and Two-Face defeat them. Two-Face figures the aliens have to much at stake, they will be back. Meanwhile, back in their home dimension, the Dronndarians ask for help. And the Weaponers of Qward agree. To be continued.... JLA Mailroom: Mostly positive reviews of JLA #121. STORY: C+ This is the first JLA story from Gerry Conway who wrote virtually every DC super hero comic at some point in the 1970s it seems. A pretty basic effort for his first time out. Two-Face had returned to Batman comics in the 1970s and quickly became a major villain. His new found popularity is probably the only reason he's used in this story. It could have been many others. ART: B+ COVER: D+ While the cover does make me want to pick up the issue to find out why Two-Face is in the JLA, the art is just terrible. People talk about Liefeld not drawing feet, but Ernie Chua sometimes left out entire legs. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: B- Gerry Conway's first JLA story. It's also his first DC superhero story. |
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Post by Action Ace on Sept 19, 2014 21:46:23 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #126 On Sale October 7, 1975 Written by Gerry Conway Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julies Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua ROLL CALL: Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Atom and Hawkman SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Two-Face Same Hostess ad as last month, but it as well as the JLA Mailroom are in the center of the comic. This is also the month All-Star Comics returned with issue #58, also written by Gerry Conway. and now..." THE EVIL CONNECTION!" Two-Face is in prison relating these events to someone. Two-Face and the JLA are fresh off their defeat of the aliens and Green Lantern is taking Two-Face back to his cell in Arkham Asylum. Two-Face spots a figure approaching, but his coin tells him to be silent. A Weaponer of Qward hits Green Lantern with a bolt, picks up Two-Face and takes him to the other Weaponers at Niagara Falls. The Weaponers tell him that they are helping the Drondarrians in destroying Earth and that the mission would much simpler if they had Two-Face as an "inside man." The coin again comes up scarred and Two-Face joins them. In return, Two-Face gets to be a rich man on Qward when the Earth is destroyed. A Weaponer sends bolts into the falls and they vanish. Superman and Aquman arrive to help and find Two-Face there. Superman wonders how he got there with Green Lantern supposedly taking him back to Arkham, but there are lives to be saved. Before the heroes spring into action though, Two-Face plants a small device on each of their costumes. Superman fixes his part of the falls and Aquman and friends are helping out until he sees a Weaponer. He strikes him and knocks him out. Aquaman figures he didn't hit him THAT hard. Superman gets the information about the Weaponer's plans without taking anyone into orbit and Hawkman, Atom and Flash arrive to help. Two-Face places devices on each of their outfits as well. Naturally, they'll need to go to three locations around the world to stop the Weaponers. They split into teams and we're off! Old friends Atom and Hawkman are finally back together in Toronto. Hawkman uses the old Atom Arrow trick with his crossbow and the Tiny Titan smacks into a Weaponer. Hawkman takes out his Weaponer with nothing more than a strong kick. They both get the feeling that it was too easy. Flash and Two-Face arrive in Bonn, West Germany. I haven't had to refer to Bonn or West Germany in a long time. Flash encounters the Weaponers and drops them into the water filled sewer below, but their powers are not shorted out. He's hit by a blast and is almost knocked out. Two-Face picks up a groggy Flash and swings his arm into a Weaponer and he is flung back into a car. Flash also knocks out the other one and Two-Face congratulates him on his victory. Superman and Aquaman are on their way to Sydney, Austrailia, when they are intercepted by the Atom. He made his way there quickly with the assist of a phone line, the US ambassador and a starter pistol. Atom explains to the other two that the heroes are somehow draining off the energy from the alternate dimension by attacking the Weaponers. If they continues to defeat them, the Earth will be destroyed. They devise a plan where they will get hit by the Weaponers and keep taking the punishment. The Weaponers stupidly keep hitting them until the devices Two-Face planted on the JLA shorted out. They defeat the last of the Weaponers and send them home. Back at the JLA Satellite, the team watches the final fate of the Drondarrians. As the energy overloads the dimension their city disappears and the aliens evolve into a higher form of life. Superman states that they were never in any real danger at all. Two-Face completes his story and says it isn't very funny. He's been telling the tale to the Joker, who does find it funny as he'd be dead if Two-Face had won. The End! JLA Mailroom: Readers doubted Martin Pasko could deliver a good full length story and were pleasantly surprised by "The Identity Crisis" in JLA #123. STORY: C+ Odd route to victory, but this story was a bit of a disappointment. ART: B+ COVER: C+ A bit better this month HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C up next... Superman puts the smackdown on Green Lantern |
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