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Post by Action Ace on Oct 14, 2014 21:44:44 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #133 On sale May 17, 1976 Written by Gerry Conway Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua ROLL CALL: Superman, "Wonder Woman," "Flash," "Green Lantern," and "Aquaman" CAMEOS by Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, Elongated Man and somehow Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and Flash SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Supergirl Hostess ad is for baseball cards, but the Daily Planet feature begins after the letters page. Also out this month and purchased as soon as possible was Limited Collectors Edition C-46. It reprinted Justice League of America issue #24 "Decoy Missions of the Justice League" and #34 "The Deadly Dreams of Dr. Destiny." Both are still among my favorite JLA stories of all time. I love the JLA cover on the front and the JSA on the back. It also had a great centerpiece with all the members and characters sketches of the Super Friends by Alex Toth. and now... "MISSING--ONE MAN OF STEEL!" In the JLA satellite Supergirl is demanding the JLA quit wasting time and find Superman. It's been an hour and she's fed up with waiting. 400 light years away we find Superman has been whisked away be a group of aliens. Their travel beam can only take one person at a time and they need Superman to save their planet. A sleeping Superman arrives just as the aliens are attacked by Flamebirds sent by their enemy. From underground the day is saved by the arrival of Wonder woman, Flash, Green Lantern and Aquaman. They defeat the Flamebirds, but Flash is burned to death. It turns out that the aliens are using actors in the roles of each JLA member. They use gimmicks to simulate the powers, voices and appearances and are there so Superman isn't worried about his friends back on Earth. Superman wakes up and the aliens of Sirkus are contacted by their enemy, Despero! He wants their cosmic cannon or he will destroy their planet. Superman and the "JLA" fly off to stop Despero and his giant robot attack plane. Superman is hit for a loop and "Green Lantern" attacks the ship with a green laser. Despero knocks him from the sky with his third eye and "Aquaman" saves him from a lake. The aliens decide their plan isn't working and try to hit Despero with the cosmic cannon. Unfortunately, they hit Superman instead, DOH! Despero uses his third eye to take out the soldiers operating the cosmic cannon to stop that attack. "Flash" and "Wonder Woman" attack Despero in the robot and he begins to think he is not facing the real JLA. The robot crashes and "Wonder Woman" is out of action. Despero then takes out "Flash" with his third eye and escapes. The aliens berate Superman for failing to stop Despero and desperately hope he doesn't learn the truth. Superman promises the JLA will stop Despero as he attacks again from the lake on some sort of aquascooter. "Aquaman" runs into a water creature and he has no aquatic telepathy to stop it. Despero kills "Green Lantern" with his third eye abd then Aquaman as well. The aliens lament that their plan has backfired. Superman is too worried about helping his friends and now their deaths have demoralized him. Despero then knocks out Superman with his third eye and he is now free to enslave Sirkus. The aliens decide they better hurry up and call the real JLA. To be continued! JLA Mailroom: The readers liked issue #129 but many are upset Red Tornado has been killed again. STORY: D Except for Despero, everyone looks like an idiot in this issue. I hope he razed that planet into a cinder before he left. ART: B+ COVER: C- HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: B- Despero returns after twelve years. |
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Post by Action Ace on Oct 14, 2014 22:54:02 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #134 On sale June 14, 1976 Written by Gerry Conway Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua ROLL CALL: Batman, Wonder Woman, Atom, Hawkman and Elongated Man CAMEO: by Superman and some actors dressed up like JLA members SPECIAL GUEST STAR (she just won't leave): Supergirl Hostess ad is still about baseball cards and Holy Cow! I spent a lot of money on comics this month as a kid. Two aliens observe Hawkman's and Despero's ships on a collision course somewhere between Earth and the planet from last issue that I hoped Despero destroyed before he left. The aliens in a giant crystalline ship are curious and decide to bring the creatures on board to study them. Despero is brought on board in a giant bay with Batman, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Atom, Elongated Man and Supergirl. I guess the two ships don't crash as Hakwman's ship is still in one piece at the end of the issue. Despero is attacked by some "foolhardy freak" with a nose condition who thinks he knows what happened to Superman. He blasts Elongated Man, but then is surprised to be confronted by Wonder Woman. He thinks that the real one is on his ship, but this Wonder Woman manages to knock him down. The team is about to capture him when he suddenly disappears. Supergirl thinks he's escaped and that they'll never find her cousin. Distraught, she sobs in Wonder Woman's arms. The aliens are moved by this and decide to examine the reasons why. We then get a recap of last issue and the events one alien describes as "bizarre and most confusing." You said it brother! The aliens are really intrigued by the concept of fighting though and hope to get the JLA and Despero to do it again. Depsero arrives in an armory and Batman and Hawkman are teleported to his location. He picks up a weapon that solidifies the air and takes down the two heroes. The Batfans drown the DC offices in complaint letters. Despero is about to destroy them when he is teleported way. The aliens decide he is a little too powerful to be using their weapons. So it's a more fair fight when he encounters Wonder Woman and Atom. They each land a punch on Despero and the aliens are getting excited. Atom is wondering who is behind all of this when he is caught in a sandstorm whipped up by Wonder Woman. Despero has taken control of her with his third eye and now will use her to destroy the JLA! When he teleports again, Wonder Woman is missing and he is now confronted by Supergirl and Elongated Man. They tackle him and are then teleported to some far off world with glass trees that shatter as the three land. At first Despero is tired of fighting, but then he gets that gleam in his eye and tries choking Supergirl. Elongated Man punches him with no effect and Despero slaps him down. Supergirl hits Dsepero and he keeps coming back for more. She then spies the two aliens and learns that they are behind all of this for the thrill of watching them fight. They've got Despero under their control and he won't stop attacking. Supergirl tells the two aliens to increase the thrill by picking which person will win the fight. She throws Despero into orbit and hits him really hard to end the fight. The alien that picked Supergirl is quite happy that Supergirl won until the sore loser alien hits him. The JLA returns home with Despero in tow. Supergirl feels a little guilty about introducing violence to an ancient race. The End! JLA Mailroom: The readers loved issue #130. One of them notes that, as of issue #130, Dick Dillin has now passed Mike Sekowsky in number of issues of JLA drawn. STORY: B- A good showcase for Supergirl and I enjoyed these aliens getting what they deserved. ART: A- COVER: B Now this one I like, maybe it's the giant hand. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: C+ Despero will return in four years and Supergirl will return to the pages of JLA in issue #157. Up next: Earth One meets Earth Two meets Earth S! |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 15, 2014 6:07:30 GMT -5
I didn't realize Topps (I assume it's topps, there weren't really any other cards in 1976) had hostess ads.. that's kinda cool!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2014 13:41:20 GMT -5
I didn't realize Topps (I assume it's topps, there weren't really any other cards in 1976) had hostess ads.. that's kinda cool! Hostess/Wonder Bread produced their own baseball cards. One was in every loaf of Wonder Bread, there were three on the bootom of a box of Hostess snacks that you had to cut out. They weren't Topps cards. -M Edit to add pic of ad...  |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 16, 2014 7:23:06 GMT -5
Ahhh... I remember those! That was a bit before my time, but I used to love scooping up little sets like that at card shows when I was a kid. THe dealers would generally pretty near give them away, so it was good bang for one's paper route buck  |
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Post by Action Ace on Oct 17, 2014 21:10:49 GMT -5
 Justice League of America #135 On sale June 14, 1976 Plotted by E. Nelson Bridwell Scripted by Martin Pasko Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua EARTH ONE (JLA) ROLL CALL: Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Black Canary and Hawkgirl EARTH TWO (JSA) ROLL CALL: Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Flash, Green Lantern and Johnny Thunder EARTH S ROLL CALL: Spy Smasher, Ibis the Invincible, Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Mr. Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Mercury (the God, not the planet) Our hostess ad is Aquaman in "Twinkies and Kelp" and is in the center of the comic. and now the 14th Annual JLA/ JSA Team up "CRISIS IN ETERNITY!" We begin with a spaceship leaving Earth piloted by a beast man that once ruled as a king when mankind was in its infancy. He's out for revenge of his fallen race and it' not Vandal Savage. It's King Kull, Lord of the Beast Men! His ship appears just outside the Rock of Eternity and he uses his torpor-beam to paralyze the gods inside. Fortuantely, Mercury saw the ship in time and makes a quick escape. One of the trapped gods, Shazam, mentally contacts him with a plan to stop Kull. Kull is taking over the place and will destroy humans on three worlds from there. Green Arrow and Black Canary are fighting a bunch of thugs and making terrible quips when Mercury steals Green Arrow out of the battle and takes him to meet up with the other five JLA members he's gathered. On Earth-Two, Batman is coming out of retirement for the evening because Robin is getting an award. Suddenly, four other JSA members appear in the back seat. Mercury runs along side the Batmobile and makes it capable of traveling to Earth One and they join the JLA. On Earth S, Ibis is moving into his new headquarters when Mercury contacts him and brings the rest of Shazam's Squadron of Justice to Earth One. Mercury also explains that the Marvel Family are powerless since the gods granting their powers are immobilized. Bummer. Everyone meets up in the Crime Champions hideout on Earth One and introductions are made. Three teams are made to save three earths with only Johnny Thunder being left behind for his own mission. And we're off! Superman, Wonder Woman, Spy Smasher and Green Arrow approach the Earth Two version of Atlantis where Queen Clea, Penguin, IBAC and Blockbuster are waiting for them. Blockbuster is under Clea's command since he's wearing the Venus Girdle. Superman thinks Blockbuster is supposed to be docile and flies toward him before getting punched. Blockbuster has hurt his hand and Superman says "let's hear it for the over confident hero in the bright red cape." He hits Blockbuster, but Clea sneaks up from behind and puts a Venus Girdle on him as well. She orders both of them to attack her archenemy Wonder Woman who is landing her invisible plane. Superman resists for a while as Wonder Woman gets Blockbuster in her magic lasso and orders him to take the girdle off of Superman. Superman isn't having any of that and knocks Blockbuster out. He's finally about to attack Wonder Woman but she yells for him to stop. With him frozen, Wonder Woman knocks out Clea. Clea failed to realize that anyone can command a person wearing the Venus Girdle and they wonder if this is saving Earth Two. Meanwhile, Green Arrow and Spy Smasher have caught up to the other two villains who are releasing a cloud out of a machine they've built. Spy Smasher hits IBAC with his best shot, but it has no effect on the strongman. Green Arrow and Penguin discuss their tv contracts before Green Arrow uses a fan arrow to turn Penguin's finely filtered penguin gas back on him. Spy Smasher ducks and uses a judo throw to toss IBAC into the cloud making machine. Thinking quickly on information Captain Marvel once told him, he tells IBAC to "back down." Since IBAC is about as sharp as a wet bag of mice, he says "I back down to no one!" Saying his name transforms him back into an ordinary street cleaner. It seems Earth-Two is saved from Kull. Green Arrow tells the rest about a freaky cloud that was released by the now destroyed machine. Superman finds it floating over a nearby island and it sinks into the sea! The cloud will float over all the landmasses increase their density and sink them. Green Arrow exclaims that according to physics that's impossible. Ollie, of everything in this comic, this violation might not make the medal stand in impossible physics. Anyway Superman flies up and freezes the cloud with his super breath and throws the chunk of ice into a nearby comet. Earth-Two is saved, but Kull vows the other two worlds will suffer even more now. To be continued! JLA Mailroom: Mixed reaction to #131 STORY: B+ Thankfully, this one is going to get room to breathe. Great set up and I really wanted to see more of the Earth S characters by the end. ART: B+ COVER: B- Call Ernie Chua butter because he's on a roll! Sadly, this will be the last regularly scheduled issue with the heads at the top. (and sides in this case) They will return sporadically in the next few decades. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: B- This is the first appearance in decades for these Earth S heroes. This was also my first JLA/ JSA team up. |
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Post by Action Ace on Oct 18, 2014 21:30:41 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #136 On Sale August 2, 1976 Plotted by E Nelson Bridwell Scripted by Martin Pasko Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua ROLL CALL: Earth Two Batman and Robin, Mr. Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid, Bulletman and Bulletgirl, Hawkgirl and the only official member of the JLA to appear in this issue, Hawkman our hostess ad is Green Lantern in "Fruit Pie Scene" and now... "CRISIS ON EARTH S!" In the Rocky Mountain range of Earth S Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Hawkman and Hawkgirl encounter erupting volcanoes. Even worse, the volcanic ash is turning the people into volcanic rock. While they shout at the citizens below to flee the volcano, Hawkman's shoulder starts turning into rock. People wonder why Captain Marvel isn't there to save the day while a powerless Billy Batson brings us up to date on various bizarre natural phenomena that are plaguing this earth. People are getting turned into ice and stone and iron. (are the Appellaxians back?) One side of Earth S is in darkness due to a large satellite while the other is kept in constant daylight. They're also out of coffee. Batman, Robin, Mr. Scarlet and Pinky are investigating the iron situation. Batman's jaw has been turned to iron so he's mumbling. The people turned to iron also have smiles on their faces a telltale sign of the supposedly retired Joker. He is nearby with his new teammate the Weeper. The Joker enters a nearby jewelry store and starts gassing the customers. As the Joker gas kills the people Weeper sheds crocodile tears, which seems to be annoying the Joker a little bit. By the time our heroes arrive, the people have been transformed into diamonds and the villains have left with the jewels. The jewels leave scratch marks in the ground so the caped crusaders are able to track down the crooks. The heroes dispatch the flunkies and Mr. Scarlet uses his infra red ray pistol to drop the Joker. The Weeper tries to escape using his tear gas, but Robin is prepared with contact lenses and a nose filter. He takes down the Weeper and they recover a button from him that was used to change people into different things. They take it to a police lab where Jim (Bulletman) Barr tells them the button and Joker toxin were normal and couldn't be turning people into different things, including Pinky's hair into a diamond. Robin correctly supposes that Kull is behind all of this. The others arrive with word that the light and dark agents sent by Kull are none other than The Shade and Dr. Light. Teams are chosen and we're off! ad for the 1976-77 CBS Saturday morning lineup I watched it all after the Super Friends reruns were over on ABC: Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Show, Tarzan, Shazam!/ Isis Hour, Ark II, Clue Club and Fat Albert. The Marvel Family gathers together to talk about being powerless. Billy tells the other two about the strange events around the world and how their heroes were being helped by super heroes nobody had heard of before. Meanwhile in Paris, Hakwman and Bulletman have run into the Shade. He has changed paintings into people and they are used to attack our heroes. Hawkman blows them away with a strong breeze from his wings. The Shade flies into the sky on black light to escape but Bulletman tracks him down and knocks him from the sky. He admits that he is behind the satellite keeping that hemisphere in darkness and controlling it with his cane. However, the cane is useless in controlling the satellite to his surprise. Hawkgirl and Bulletgirl are in Yellowstone Park where they are attacked by geysers and Dr. Light and his copies. Hawkgirl gets caught in a geyser and Bulletgirl saves her. They find the real Dr. Light has been turned into wood and his raygun seems to have no effect on the satellite on this side of the earth either. The heroes gather together to throw the villains in jail. They can move the satellites, but nothing else. Robin comes up with the idea to move them together. When Hawkman and Bulletman move them they collide and Earth S is saved. Kull is really ticked off now. Elsewhere on Earth S, Johnny Thunder arrives to meet the Marvel Family. To be continued! JLA Mailroom: The readers were happy with seeing Supergirl in issue #132. One reader is already fed up with Conway's writing and the editor assures him that "it may be a long time before Gerry does another JLA story." STORY: C+ I wasn't as enamored with this part as much as the bookend chapters. ART: B+ COVER: C- I like the Batman vs Joker part, the rest of the floating people bring it down. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: B- The next time we see the Earth Two Joker he will be going against The Huntress. This will be the last present day story where Earth Two Batman is in costume until the story where he dies. |
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Post by Dr. Poison on Oct 19, 2014 7:12:19 GMT -5
I loved the Crisis On Earth S storyline. We saw some heroes and villains we hadn't seen in a while like the Earth 2 Batman, Bulletman & Bulletgirl, Ibis, Queen Clea, Ibac, Weeper, and King Kull.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 19, 2014 9:32:41 GMT -5
Crisis on Earth-S was also my first JSA/JLA team-up.
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 19, 2014 11:14:00 GMT -5
JLA #136 was the only issue I bought of JLA until after #200. I probably bought it because of the Joker being so prominent on the cover.
It was the first place I ever heard of most of the Fawcett characters. I remember I felt sorry for Pinky because a) his hair turned to glass and b) his name was Pinky.
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Post by Action Ace on Oct 19, 2014 18:44:08 GMT -5
 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #137 On sale August 30, 1976 Plotted by E Nelson Bridwell Scripted by Martin Pasko Penciled by Dick Dillin Inked by Frank McLaughlin Edited by Julius Schwartz Cover by Ernie Chua EARTH ONE ROLL CALL: Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Hawkman and Hawkgirl EARTH TWO ROLL CALL: Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and Johnny Thunder EARTH S ROLL CALL: Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Ibis the Invincible, Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Mr. Scarlet, Pinky the Whiz Kid and Spy Smasher SPECIAL GUEST STAR: Mercury our Hostess ad is the Joker in "The Cornered Clown" and now.... "CRISIS IN TOMORROW!" On Earth One stands the experimental city named Tomorrow, a self sufficient city covered in a dome where the citizens live with the technology of the future. Breaking through that dome is the giant robot named Mr. Atom. The city's private police force (good call there!) tries to stop him, but to no effect. Two Flashes, two Green Lanterns, Mercury and Ibis arrive and do little better and they bounce off Mr. Atom's protective aura. Our heroes try to duplicate the aura and note that a trail of it leads out into space. The Flashes and Mercury run about the city saving lives from Mr. Atom while Ibis and the Lanterns fly up into the sky. There they see dozens of people floating up into the sky. Hal wonders if this is the work of Dr. Destiny again. Alan and Ibis peel off to help the people and Hal continues on. Hal recognizes the ship causing this and as he goes inside his fears are confirmed, it's Brainiac! When he enters the ship though, he's turned into a living skeleton. Ibis arrives and turns Brainiacs weapon against him and returns Hal to normal. Hal blows up the ship and uses his ring to learn Brainiac's plan. Mr. Atom is using the speed of the other three heroes to speed up the planet's rotation. The Lanterns stop by the machine causing this energy transfer and destroy it. Ibis arrives in Tomorrow, but he is knocked out by Mr. Atom. The robot picks up the Ibistick and commands it to send its owner into a nearby star. Instead, the Ibistick transports Mr. Atom into a nearby star. A failsafe of the device, Ibis explains to the rest of us. Earth One is now saved. All of the heroes now gather together to launch an attack at the Rock of Eternity. Superman is the first to find Kull, but he has a chunk of red kryptonite on hand that sends Superman into a murderous rage. Meanwhile in Fawcett City, Johnny can't remember what he's supposed do with the Marvel family. He blunders into calling on his thunderbolt who changes the three kids into the mightiest mortals. The thunderbolt then transports everyone to the Rock to help save the day. Captain Marvel takes down Kull, Mary Marvel frees the gods and Captain Marvel Jr. destroys Kull's machines. Shazam tells Captain Marvel the threat isn't over as they watch the Lanterns' green kryptonite have no effect on Superman. Captain Marvel calls out Superman and the Action Ace charges at him. Right before colliding, Captain Marvel calls down his magical lightning. The lightning ends the red kryptonite effect on Superman and he saves Billy Batson from falling to his death. The big Superman vs. Captain Marvel main event will have to wait another eighteen months. The three worlds' greatest super heroes return home. The End! JLA Mailroom: Another reader complains about Conway's writing and the editor tells us that a certain writer is "waiting in the wings." We're also told that Dick Dillin and the JLA will be a part of the Strange Sports Stories Special next month. STORY: B+ DC strings us along with not giving us "the big fight." What we got, was quite enjoyable though. ART: B+ COVER: B This is Ernie Chua's last cover on JLA and he goes out on a high note. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: B Superman and Captain Marvel meet for the first time. Up next...Adam Strange returns, but he's not very friendly |
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Post by Action Ace on Oct 19, 2014 18:55:12 GMT -5
One week before JLA #137 hit the stands, this came out.  So now we'll be getting more JLA action each year. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 20, 2014 17:20:31 GMT -5
The Penguin, the Cheetah, Poison Ivy ... AND the Human Flying Fish?!?!?!?!?
The humanity! The humanity!
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Post by Action Ace on Oct 20, 2014 19:42:29 GMT -5
The Penguin, the Cheetah, Poison Ivy ... AND the Human Flying Fish?!?!?!?!? The humanity! The humanity! And their junior sidekicks!  |
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Post by Dr. Poison on Oct 20, 2014 20:40:22 GMT -5
Cheetah rocks. She was the gem of that group of villains. I can't say the same for her sidekick, Kitten.
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