Ka-Zar the Savage 17 (August 1982)

This issue is a nice done-in-one, with Ka-Zar tripping on bad mushrooms and thinking he’s Sam Spade after a double-crossing dame (Shanna).

Unfortunately, Frenz is still on the art–I suppose his noir scenes are a little better than his jungle scenes, but not much. It’s a script tailor made for the departed Brent Anderson.

But what’s interesting about it is how Jones approaches the whole event. It’s clear he identifies more with Shanna. She choses the Savage Land lifestyle, which makes her more interesting than Ka-Zar, who’s bound to it. Half the issue follows her around and Jones does a fine job.

The Mayerik illustrated backup is this lovely story of Ka-Zar’s sabertooth tiger (when Ka-Zar was a kid). It’s all silent, just great, emotive imagery. Disney really ought to be mining this series for movies… but not as much as Marvel should be collecting it.

Batman (1940) #339

Br339

It’s a strange issue in a couple ways. Primarily because the Robin backup is some kind of life-affirming emotional origin of the character. It’s well-produced–Conway and Novick really make the reader pay attention to all the time shifts–and it’s trite and well-meaning. In other words, solid eighties mainstream work.

Unfortunately, Novick’s art is better on the backup than it is on the Batman feature.

The feature’s got some awesome stuff–the idea of a hypnotized Batman walking through Gotham nightlife is just fantastic. That scene alone not totally flopping makes the issue. But then Conway gives it an unresolved cliffhanger and comes up with one for both Bruce and Batman–Poison Ivy takes over the Wayne Foundation.

Some of the writing is somewhat loose, but Conway’s got a nice mix of Batman and Bruce Wayne here. And Novick’s not bad, just better on the backup.

Batman 339 (September 1981)

Unfortunately, Novick’s art is better on the backup than it is on the Batman feature.

Some of the writing is somewhat loose, but Conway’s got a nice mix of Batman and Bruce Wayne here. And Novick’s not bad, just better on the backup.

CREDITS

A Sweet Kiss of Poison…; inker, Steve Mitchell; letterer, Ben Oda. Yesterday’s Heroes!; inker, Bruce D. Patterson; letterer, John Costanza. Writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Irv Novick; colorist, Adrienne Roy; editors, Dave Manak and Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #507

Dc507

Conway doesn’t do much with Gotham City this issue, instead it’s just Batman in pursuit of the villainous Manikin. Except, of course, it’s not clear how villainous the reader is supposed to find her. She’s a tragic villain–Conway doesn’t give her any resolution past surviving, but I suppose there might be an insanity defense in her future.

Unfortunately, when it does come back to the prologue to the previous issue–Batman saved the Manikin (I assume the spelling is so DC could trademark the name) from a car bombing–there’s no real reaction from Batman. It’s all in a day’s work; Conway taking the time to make the Manikin and Batman have some history is pointless.

Still, it’s competent and nears being touching. Or at least implies nearing it.

The backup stories work. Barr’s regular people of Gotham is fanciful real life. Rozakis’s four page mystery is decent filler.

Detective Comics 507 (October 1981)

Still, it’s competent and nears being touching. Or at least implies nearing it.

The backup stories work. Barr’s regular people of Gotham is fanciful real life. Rozakis’s four page mystery is decent filler.

CREDITS

Dressed to Die!; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Dan Adkins; colorist, Adrienne Roy. The Pursuit of Joy; writer, Mike W. Barr; artist, Dan Spiegle; colorist, Tatjana Wood. Diamonds Aren’t Forever!; writer, Bob Rozakis; penciller, Trevor von Eeden; inker, Steve Mitchell; colorist, Roy. Letterer, Ben Oda; editors, Dave Manak and Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Detective Comics (1937) #506

Dc506

I know kids actually read comic books back in the eighties so Conway had to keep them in mind, but he’s got a story about a golden mannequin lady killing people… he didn’t need to open with a really obvious prologue setting up the character. He could have just revealed it all when he will get around to it next issue.

Still, there’s some cool stuff here–Conway’s Bruce Wayne pages are good, really good. There aren’t enough of them. He has Bruce and Alfred discussing Gotham City politics and Bruce at the Studio 54 stand-in. Both those scenes are excellent. There’s a real effort here to make Gotham seem real, which I don’t tend to get out of modern comics–they’re terrified of exposition for setting, apparently.

The Batgirl backup’s fine. Delbo’s better than usual and the lack of a surprise ending is an interesting choice from Burkett.

Detective Comics 506 (September 1981)

The Batgirl backup’s fine. Delbo’s better than usual and the lack of a surprise ending is an interesting choice from Burkett.

CREDITS

Who Dies for the Manikin?; writer, Gerry Conway; penciller, Don Newton; inker, Steve Mitchell; colorist, Adrienne Roy; letterer, Ben Oda. Farewell, My Lovely; writer, Cary Burkett; penciller, Jose Delbo; inker, Joe Giella; colorist, Tom Ziuko; letterer, Milt Snapinn. Editors, Dave Manak and Dick Giordano; publisher, DC Comics.

Batman (1940) #337

Batman337

Okay, so the Batman story is about Batman fighting the bastard, half-human offspring of a yeti and the Robin backup is about Robin trying to clear his friend of murder. The Batman story is probably better, but maybe not. I mean, it’s kind of dumber–Gerry Conway overwrites the narration and the dialogue is all exposition (no worries about “jumping on” here–Conway makes sure the whole thing plays to the layperson)–but it does have the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez art, which is fantastic.

Still, the backup has Don Newton and he’s got a nice way of making Robin look not too old. Except the Robin story’s even more idiotic. Dick Grayson goes to a circus in the middle of nowhere to be an aerialist; there’s a murder and he tries to solve it as Robin. No one’s going to put two and two together?

It’s a fast read, very comfortable.