Retroactive - The 70's Part 3

As DC Comics are celebrating the creators that made an impact in the 70's, 80's and 90's, I thought I'd wander through the same decades and pull out my favourite comic of each year.

Any excuse to look at old comics, eh? 

1977

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #148 - Crisis in Triplicate!, written by Martin Pasko with art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin.

The annual crossovers between the Justice League and the Justice Society seemed to get bigger and weirder each year and more and more heroes seemed to get involved. Case in point, this particular Crisis starred not only the League and the Society but also managed to rope in the Legion of Super-Heroes by dint of a little time-travel.

If I'm honest, the story by Martin Pasko isn't brilliant but the sheer exuberance and craziness of it make up for any clumsy dialogue. This issue is the culmination of a story featuring the Demons Three who, on the brink of success, decide to start fighting each other.

If there's one thing that films, TV, books and comics have taught us, it's that bad guys can't share.

So what are the three ex-compadres going to do? Have the heroes fight as their proxies, mind-controlling them into battling each other:

It's all fairly standard stuff from there on out - the teams overcome their Demons' control and manage to defeat them but not before there's a splendid put down of Green Lantern by Saturn Girl:

Not the greatest comic ever but I'm a sucker for the JLA's Crisis stories!

1978

GREEN LANTERN #110 - Brand of Power, written by Denny O'Neil with art by Mike Grell and Vince Colletta.

Talking of crazy stories, here's one that I've actually featured before on this blog - over three years ago. Doesn't time fly, eh?

If you want a more indepth run down of the plot, try clicking that link but this is all about Hal Jordan and Green Arrow being spun into some weird alternate dimension/other universe and ending up on a wild West world were the natives talk like this:

"Mangy furriners!" No-one writes dialogue like that any more.

Which is probably best.

Would you believe me if I said GL ends up duelling a four armed alien while being dressed in a Clint Eastwood style poncho? No?

Shame on you for doubting me.

It's an utterly mad story and one which I can't help liking.

1979

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #172 - I Accuse..., written by Gerry Conway with art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin.

And to round out my trip through the 70's . . . it's another Justice League of America issue. Look, I'm sorry but it was pretty much JLA and Green Lantern in those days for me, okay?

This is the second part of the annual Justice League/Justice Society team-up where this time one of the heroes appears to have killed the original Mr. Terrific. In order to prevent the traitorous hero fleeing the JLA satellite, the two Green Lanterns (Jordan and Alan Scott) set up a barrier with help from Dr. Fate. With that in place, Superman gets the investigation under way:

Batman and Huntress work together and it's great to see Batman actually being a detective and working things out from various clues.

Despite both Huntress and Zatanna being put out of action, it's not long before the Dark Knight works out what's happened and has established the identity of the killer . . .

. . . who is revealed to be the Spirit King, hiding in the body of the Earth-2 Flash. Unfortunately he manages to escape to Earth-2 using the Transmatter Device but the rest of the Justice Society plan to follow and track him down.

As they leave the League in their satellite, Hal Jordan raises a question:

Yep, a story that featured the death of one of the Justice Society's members ends in laughter.

The 70's folks . . . what a decade.

Join me next week for the start of the 80's when I begin reading more than just the Justice League of America and Green Lantern.

Eventually.