Crossover Classics: The Marvel/DC Collection

Reprints Superman Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1, Marvel Treasury Edition #28, DC Special Series #27, Marvel and DC Present The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1

Written by Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman, Chris Claremont, Len Wein and Jim Shooter.

Penciled by Ross Andru, John Buscema, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Walter Simonson.

Inked by Dick Giordano, Terry Austin, Klaus Janson, Bob McLeod, Joe Sinnott, Al Milgrom, Steve Leialoha, Bob Layton, Brett Breeding, Joe Rubenstein, and Bob Wiacek.  

Summary:

Four stories that unite the greatest superheroes and villains of two great comic book companies!

A convention of journalists is being held in New York. Reporters from newspapers and broadcast news from all over the country are in attendance. Peter Parker is attending with his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. Clark Kent and Lois Lane, reporters from Metropolis' Daily Planet, are also in town for the convention.  

When Lois falls from a ladder, Parker catches her and they introduce themselves. Mary Jane shows up and gets a bit jealous. Lois is about to tell them that she only has eyes for Superman, when the Man Of Steel suddenly shows up. To the shock of everyone, he zaps Mary Jane and Lois, which makes them disappear. Clark is stunned, since he's the real Superman. Peter rushes off to change into Spider-Man.  

When he finds Superman, both heroes blame each other for the disappearance of Lois and Mary Jane and a battle ensues.

In reality, Lex Luthor is responsible for the disappearance of Lois and MJ. He has teamed up with Spider-Man's enemy Doctor Octopus and taken the women captive. Luthor zaps Spidey with a red-sun simulator ray, which gives him strength that's equal to Superman.  The Man of Steel gets walloped by the webslinger.  

Eventually, Spider-Man's extra strength wears off and the two heroes realize they've been tricked into fighting. They eventually learn that Mary Jane and Lois are prisoners of Doc Ock and Luthor.  

The villains are hiding out in a spaceship and have a high-intensity laser probe that can cause hurricanes and tornadoes. Luthor demands $10 billion from the United States government. If he doesn't receive the payment, he will unleash the laser probe on Earth.  

Can Superman and Spider-Man find a way to save their friends and and save the world from Luthor and Doc Ock?

Sometime after that, Doctor Doom plots in New York city. He has a diabolical plan called Project Omega, which will result in him taking over the world. Doom has set up his Omega devices all over the world that will release radiation that will make make all fossil fuels worthless. The only source of power will then come from a generator Doom has created, making the world beholden to him.  

Thankfully, Superman and Spider-Man learn of this and work together once more to save Earth. Further complicating matters is Superman's old enemy the Parasite, who has the power to absorb power from nearby energy sources.  

The heroes' personal lives also undergo changes at this time.  Fed up with Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson's penny pinching attitudes, Peter Parker decides to take photos for Metropolis' Daily Planet.  At the same time, Clark Kent visits New York and does some freelance writing for the Bugle.

Peter Parker goes to work for the Daily Planet!

Plus, Superman goes toe-to-toe with the Incredible Hulk! And Spider-Man meets Wonder Woman!

In Gotham city, Dr. Bruce Banner is working (under a false name) at a factory owned by Bruce Wayne. Suddenly everyone starts laughing uncontrollably. Banner deduces it's some sort of gas and puts on a hazmat suit. He learns it's the work of the Joker, who arrives at the factory with a gang of gun-toting thugs. They're looking for a device called the Gamma Gun, which is being built at the factory.  

When Banner tries to escape, they attack. Angered by their assault, Banner turns into the Incredible Hulk! Joker recognizes Hulk and hightails it out of the factory, taking the Gamma Gun with him.

Batman arrives and tries to subdue the Hulk. Jade Jaws doesn't comply and threatens to destroy Bruce Wayne's factory. Thankfully, Batman is able to knock Hulk out with gas. When Banner turns back to his human form, Bruce Wayne says he will help him cure himself of the Hulk.  

Joker has brought the Gamma Gun to a riverfront warehouse where it will be used by the Shaper Of Worlds. The Shaper has the power to turn the world into whatever he wants it to be. He is low on power which has affected his intellect and he's made a deal with the Joker. If the clown prince of crime helps him, he will shape the world in a way that would make Joker the king of Earth.

When the Gamma Gun fails, the Shaper has a new plan. Joker will have to bring the Hulk to him so he can drain gamma energy from Hulk. It's easier said than done. But when one of Joker's henchmen wishes Joker had a monster bigger than the Hulk, a bigger monster suddenly appears and captures the Green Goliath. The Shaper heard the wish and made it happen.

Since the Joker has carried out his end of the bargain, will the Shaper Of Worlds make Joker the ruler of Earth? Can Hulk and Batman work together and save Earth from Joker and the Shaper?  

Darkseid, ruler of the planet Apokolips comes to Earth intending to remake it in his own image.

The mutant superhero team known as the X-Men are training at their mansion. Some months earlier, they had lost their teammate Jean Grey when she sacrificed herself to spare the universe. Her powers had turned her into Dark Phoenix and caused her to destroy a planet, which made her one of the greatest threats in the universe. Jean's death was hardest for Scott Summers (AKA Cyclops), who was in love with Jean and shared a psychic rapport with Phoenix.

Darkseid comes to Earth and breaks into the X-Men's mansion. He taps the memories of all the X-Men. Suddenly, Jean, in her Phoenix costume, appears in the mansion. As Cyclops runs towards her, she seems to disintegrate.

In nearby New York City, the New Teen Titans are sleeping when Raven has a nightmare. When she tells her teammate Starfire about a bird-like image from her dream, Starfire recognizes it as Phoenix. She knows Dark Phoenix committed genocide and is very worried it could happen again. Since Raven's dreams often predict the future, the Titans decide to investigate Phoenix, starting with the X-Men. Based on what they've read about them in the news, the Teen Titans believe the X-Men are criminals.  

At the same time, Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, foils a break-in at the Gotham City branch of S.T.A.R. Labs. He's shocked when he sees that the burglars appear to be of other-worldly origin. The mastermind of the break-in turns out to be Deathstroke the Terminator. After a brief fight, Terminator gets away with high-tech machinery.  

The Teen Titans arrive at the X-Men's mansion and find no one is home but their leader, Prof. Charles Xavier. He is caught off guard by Raven and rendered unconscious. They're wondering if they made a mistake about the X-Men. In the middle of this, Darkseid's agents attack and capture the Titans, believing they're the X-Men.  

The X-Men have learned of disturbances all over the globe. One thing every location has in common is that Phoenix used her powers at each place. The mutant heroes arrive in New Mexico and find a machine siphoning up trace elements of Phoenix' powers. Terminator is heading the operation. With the help of Darkseid's parademons, Deathstroke captures the X-Men and brings them to Darkseid. 

The X-Men's emotions and memories of Jean are combined with the residual Phoenix power to resurrect Dark Phoenix! With her power at his disposal, Darkseid plans to make Earth a second Apokolips, which will cause mass destruction and death to millions!  

Can the Teen Titans and X-Men find a way to defeat two of the greatest threats the universe has ever encountered?

Review:

Crossover Classics: The Marvel/DC Collection contains stories that are always fun even if they're not exactly deep. The creators were of course limited in what they could do, since these stories were not exactly "in continuity" and the characters wouldn't interact again.    

Story:

One of the best aspects of the first three crossover stories is that the writers had a history with both the DC and Marvel characters featured in the tales. Nothing seems "off" about any of the characterizations here.  

Chris Claremont, who wrote the X-Men/Teen Titans crossover had no history with any DC characters, but I think he showed lots of respect for Darkseid, Terminator, and the Titans. In the last three decades, Jean Grey and the Phoenix force have both died and returned multiple times. It's worth noting that this crossover was the first real sequel to the Dark Phoenix story.    

One of my favorite parts of the book was the way Jim Shooter had Peter Parker and Clark Kent switch newspapers. It was interesting to watch them deal with the different temperaments of J. Jonah Jameson and Perry White. Sure, it's a bit silly that no one wonders why Clark and Superman arrive in New York simultaneously, but it's still a fun story. Superman's fight with the Hulk is also a very memorable moment.  

The weakest part of Crossover Classics is the Batman/Hulk fight. Hulk has held up mountains and survived in outer space without a spacesuit. There is no way Batman should be able to defeat him (even temporarily) with sleeping gas and kick to the stomach. Len Wein should have known better, since he wrote the Hulk's series (and wrote great Hulk stories) for several years. I also think the Shaper Of Worlds is an odd choice for the Hulk villain. I believe the Leader or Abomination would've been a better partner for the Joker.  

Art:

This is where Crossover Classics truly shines. Ross Andru had a long career in comics and was the primary Spider-Man artist during the Bronze Age. He always penciled characters flying or swinging at interesting angles. The first Superman/Spider-Man features some of Andru's best art of the 1970s, here's a great example of work in this book:

John Buscema and Joe Sinnott serve as penciler and inker for the second story and their art is also excellent. They give us a very majestic rendition of Superman that makes you wish they did more work with DC characters.  

While the Hulk/Batman team-up isn't great, it contains some of the finest art in the book. Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez draws an excellent Joker and he gives page after page of Batman attacking from many different angles.  

Garcia-Lopez especially shines when drawing the fantasy world where Joker is king:

Walter Simonson's art in the X-Men/Teen Titans adventure is also excellent. Simonson's style changed a lot over the years.  

In this story, he provides art that looks a lot like his pencils on Thor, which came a few months after this story was published. Terry Austin, one of the finest inkers of the Bronze Age, does a great job embellishing Simonson. I've loved the images below since I first read this story in 1982:

Changeling turns into Lockheed The Dragon!

Extras:

Crossover Classics opens with an introduction from longtime Marvel editor Tom DeFalco. Conway, Wein, and Claremont wrote intros to their stories. Shooter wasn't having good relations with Marvel when this book was published, so Marv Wolfman (who provided some plot assistance on Shooter's story) introduces the second Spidey/Superman crossover tale.

How Does It Look:

Here's a page scanned from my 35 year old copy of Marvel Treasury Edition #28.

That's a beautiful page of Superman by Buscema and Sinnott. This is how it looks in Crossover Classics: The Marvel/DC Collection:

I have no idea why Superman's costume is dark gray, almost black instead of its proper blue.  There are several pages within the reprinted version where his costume is the wrong color.  I have no idea why. Thankfully, everything else in the book looks okay.  

The material reprinted in Crossover Classics: The Marvel/DC Collection isn't deep or complicated. However, it's always fun to see Marvel and DC characters featured in the same story and especially fun to see their adventures written and drawn by some of the finest talents of the Bronze Age. The weird coloring shown above and the silly Hulk/Batman fight are the only things that keep it from receiving my highest rating.  

J.A. Morris' rating:

 .5

3 and a half Sals.

Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo

Reprints Brave And The Bold #98, 100-102, 104-122
Written by Bob Haney.
Penciled by Jim Aparo and Neal Adams.
Inked by Jim Aparo and Dick Giordano.
 
Summary:
Over 500 pages of Bat-Tacular Brave, Bold Bronze Age tales, including:

Roger Birnam, a close friend of Batman has died. The caped crusader feels that he should look in on the man's widow Clarinda and son Enoch. But Batman will be shocked to learn that there is more to Enoch than meets the eye.  

There seems to be something supernatural going on at the Birnam mansion. Thankfully, the paranormal  investigator Phantom Stranger arrives to help Batman solve the mystery of Enoch Birnam.

Sometime after that, Batman is shot by a sniper and is on the brink of death, confined to a wheelchair. The bullet is lodged near his heart and the only surgeon who can save him is based in Zurich, Switzerland and won't arrive for another three days.

He might be the World's Greatest Detective, but how can he solve his own attempted murder while recovering from a gunshot wound? His former partner, Robin, steps in to help find he sniper. Batman also summons his fellow superheroes Green Arrow, Black Canary and Green Lantern to help Robin.  Batman will direct them on the telephone, providing the detective work, while they follow his orders and try to nab the shooter! 

But even if the heroes crack the case, can Batman hold on long enough for the surgeon to arrive?

Batman apprehends a criminal named Fast Frankie in Barclayville, a poor neighborhood in Gotham City.  A group of community activists known as the Young Aquarians tells Batman that they plan to use vigilante justice on Frankie. Batman says he will turn Frankie over to the police. The Young Aquarians act as the de facto police in Barclayville, because the law enforcement officials don't seem to care about the neighborhood.   

At City Hall, Gotham's City Council announces plans to tear down buildings in Barclayville as part of an Urban Renewal project. Batman tries to talk them out of it, but the mayor says it's too late. 

When the bulldozers arrive in Barclayville, the Young Aquarians lay down in front of them. The activists get some surprise help in the form of the Teen Titans! The debate is joined by Batman, Commissioner Gordon and Gotham's mayor.  

The city leaders tell the kids they have 30 days to beautify their neighborhood and save it from the wrecking ball. Batman and the Teen Titans offer to assist the Young Aquarians' clean-up project. Can Barclayville be saved?

Batman discovers a secret facility that provides plastic surgery for dangerous, wanted criminals who want to change their appearance. When Batman's attempt to go undercover doesn't work out, he seeks out the Deadman, who can take possession of any living person.

Deadman possesses a criminal named Richie Wandrus. He makes progress in breaking up the plastic surgery ring, but Deadman jeopardizes the investigation when he falls in love with Wandrus' girlfriend Lily Lang. Can Batman get Deadman to focus and prevent the plastic surgeons from giving criminals the ultimate disguise?  

Bruce Wayne is having dinner at a restaurant in the Las Pampas district of Spanish Gotham. When a shootout occurs, Batman finds himself caught in the middle of a political firefight between rival factions from the nation of San Sebastian. Thankfully, his friend Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman, is available to assist him when the San Sebastitianos try to fight their civil war in the streets of Spanish Gotham.

Batman and Commissioner Gordon find a family murdered. Each member of the family is holding a Joker playing card, which indicates it's the work of Batman's arch foe the Joker. Batman says that the Joker has gone too far and that he will hunt down and destroy the clown prince of crime. The Caped Crusader says the police better catch the Joker first, if they want him alive.  

But after a little digging, Batman's deduces that the Joker may have been framed for the murders. Believing that Joker is for once, not guilty, Batman offers his enemy a truce so that they can identify the real killer. But can Batman trust the Joker to hold up his end of the truce?

At Gotham City International Airport, Batman commands a special police detail that awaits a plane carrying a mob boss named Joe Angel. However, plans change in a hurry when Angel's plane crashes into the ocean.

Batman contacts his Justice League teammate Aquaman, knowing that the king of the sea is his best hope to recover the plane. However, Batman is shocked to learn that Aquaman himself is responsible for downing the plane! Has Aquaman turned evil? Or did he have a good reason to take down the jetliner?

Aquaman sends an Orca to save Batman!

When a teenage girl named Debbie Manton is kidnapped, Batman searches desperately for her all around Gotham City. During his quest, he receives a high voltage electrical shock. He is dumped by criminals at the police station, where the Batman is pronounced dead!

Commissioner Gordon refuses to give up hope and remembers that Batman's old friend, Dr. Roy Palmer, a physicist, just happens to be in Gotham. Palmer is also the superhero known as the Atom. He shrinks down to microscopic size and goes inside Batman's brain to stimulate blood flow.

Can Atom save Batman? Will the heroes locate Debbie Manton in time to save her?

Finally, B.B. Riggs brings his sideshow to Gotham City. Batman is shocked to see his old ally Swamp-Thing chained up on display in the sideshow. Batman confronts Riggs and says it's inhuman to abuse Swamp-Thing in this manner.

Shortly after, a poisonous substance in the local water supply causes giant vines to start sprouting up out all over the city. This creates a flood that destroys property and brings chaos to a highly populated area. The citizens of Gotham decide that it must somehow be the fault of Swamp-Thing and decide to kill him.

Batman knows that without Swamp-Thing's help, Gotam City is doomed. Can Batman save Swamp-Thing? Even if he does, can they stop the giant vines from destroying the city?

Review:
Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo is a good book, but it's mostly lighter fare and done-in-one stories. However, Jim Aparo's art is the main attraction and it still looks great four decades after these stories were originally published.

Story:
As some readers recall, "Zany" Bob Haney wrote stories in Brave And The Bold that seemed to exist in their own unique pocket universe. Haney often had little regard for continuity and didn't seem to care that Batman and others acted somewhat out of character in his stories. That's why these stories show the Batman visiting the Birnam Mansion in costume and taking a stroll through Gotham City in broad daylight, enjoying the Springtime weather!

Mixed in with the tales of common criminals are stories about witch covens and Batman selling his soul to the devil! Plus two team-ups with Sgt. Rock. While these are a bit more interesting, the Batman seems a bit out of place in such stories.

The main problem I had with these isn't their "Haney-ness." It's that most of the stories feature Batman and the guest heroes teaming up to fight generic gangsters, drug dealers and street hoodlums. Maybe these were more enjoyable when they were bought off the racks 40 years ago. But reading one story after another featuring Batman vs. generic criminals without superpowers gets old fast.

The only DC super-villains that appear in Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo are the Joker and Two-Face, and Joker shows up in two different stories. Not surprisingly, the Joker stories are the best in the book. Haney writes a very entertaining, crazy, cunning Joker.

Haney also doesn't seem to have a lot of use for DC's superheroines. For instance, Black Canary seems more concerned about drying her hair than saving Batman's life. Wonder Woman doesn't get to do much in her guest appearance. I should mention that this story was published during a period when Wonder Woman had lost her superpowers and was fighting criminals using martial arts.    

The stories aren't all silly. In fact, some of them even resemble the "grim and gritty" Batman tales that have become the norm since the 1980s. There are quite a few murders and accidental deaths in these stories. Batman himself takes a bullet to the heart in one story, which puts him at death's door.  

While the Young Aquarians/Barclayville story was slight, it was interesting to see Batman and the Teen Titans interact with the "counter culture" kids of the early 70s. And it made sense that the Teen Titans, being younger than the Caped Crusader, joined the Aquarians' civil disobedience against the demolition of Barclayville. It's not the best story ever, but at least Haney was trying to write something relevant, even if some of the slang used by the Aquarians is a bit dated (it was probably even dated when the story was first published). In any event, it's better than another "Batman and guest hero vs. gangsters" tale.

Art:
In this blogger's opinion, Jim Aparo was the definitive Batman artist of the Bronze Age. Some will say it's Neal Adams or Marshall Rogers. I give the nod to Aparo because he drew quite a few more Batman stories than anyone else during that time. Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo gives us 500+ pages of Aparo's pencils and every page looks excellent.

Since Brave And The Bold was a team-up title, we get to see Aparo draw tons of DC characters. I particularly enjoyed his depiction of the Demon, seen below.

Another high point is Atom's trip through Batman's internal organs.

Great stuff from Aparo.

I also love the way Aparo drew the Joker in these stories. The super-thin chin is a great touch.

Aparo serves as penciler and inker for all but eight pages in the book. Neal Adams, inked by Dick Giordano, penciled the 2nd half of the Barclayville story. They use a similar style to Aparo, so the change of artists shouldn't distract readers or ruin the story.

How Does It Look?:
Here's a page scanned from Brave And The Bold #100, borrowed from one of my favorite blogs, Diversions Of The Groovy Kind:

Here's a scan of the reprinted version found in this hardcover reprint:

The stories featured in Legends Of The Dark Knight: Jim Aparo aren't classic and some of them haven't aged well. But every fan of Aparo's fantastic art will enjoy this book.

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 Sals.

Adventures of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

Reprints Superman #294, 301-302, 307-309 and 347 DC Comics Presents #1-4, 17, 20, 24, 31, and All-New Collector's Edition C-54 
Written by Martin Pasko, Gerry Conway, Elliot S. Maggin, David Michelinie and Len Wein.

Penciled by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.

Inked by Dick Giordano, Steve Mitchell, Dan Adkins, Joe Giella, Frank Springer and Bob Oskner.

Over 350 pages of Superman action, featuring art from one of the finest pencilers of the Bronze Age!  Highlights include:

    

Solomon Grundy, the super-stong zombie from Earth II has arrived in Metropolis. In addition to generally trashing the city, he's turning the urban sprawl into a swamp. Clark Kent is in the middle of delivering a newscast on WGBS TV when he learns of Grundy's assault. If he wants to change into Superman so he can stop Grundy, he'll have to be in two places at once.

Something strange is happening to Superman. After a night of sleep, he wakes up and has grown a foot taller! When the Man of Steel apprehends smugglers in Metropolis Harbor, his new height and weight nearly causes a tidal wave. Superman is now nine feet tall!

We learn it's the work of his arch foe Lex Luthor. He zapped Superman with a ray that "super-activated" his pituitary gland. Luthor believes this will cause Superman to grow more clumsy and destructive.

The new height also causes Superman's brain to become overtaxed. His brain remains the same size as his body grows taller. It also complicates Clark Kent's life, since he can't show up to work as a giant. If he wants to solve his growing problem, Superman will need help from physicist Ray Palmer, better known as the superhero called the Atom.

Subsequently, Superman attacks a vinyl chloride plant outside Metropolis. The plant is a major source of pollution and Superman decides to destroy it. It's a move that surprises everyone, since Superman normally operates within the law.  

While he's wrecking the plant, Superman is confronted by a superpowered mutant who calls himself the Protector. He has the ability to change his molecular structure at will. At one point, he turns himself into a diamond to defend himself from Superman's attack. Protector disappears and Superman departs to a mountain where he does some serious thinking about the state of the world.

We learn that the Man of Steel is deeply worried about the state of Earth. He thinks of how his home planet Krypton was destroyed and worries that pollution will destroy Earth in a similar manner. He decides that he will continue attacking sources of pollution on his adopted planet. Suddenly, his cousin Supergirl shows up and points out that he's breaking the laws he's sworn to uphold. She has some surprising news that will shake Superman to his core.

Decades earlier, during World War II in the Pacific theater, Superman interrupts an attack by a Japanese submarine. When he questions the sub's captain, Superman learns that the purpose of the sub attack was part of a plan to disrupt the United States' top secret Manhattan Project. Navy Admiral Nimitz orders Superman to report to the Secretary of War, who explains the Manhattan Project to Superman.

At the same time, Superman's Justice Society teammate Wonder Woman learns about the Manhattan Project. She investigates the Project in the guise of her alter ego, Army Intelligence Officer Yeoman Diana Prince. The Amazon discovers it's a top secret program dedicated to building an atomic bomb. Wonder Woman is very disturbed by this prospect.  

She returns home to Paradise Island to seek counsel from her mother Hippolyta. She fears that the U.S. will build an atomic bomb and use it. Wonder Woman believes such a weapon would "unleash demons more terrible than those freed by Pandora!" Hippolyta says that after they discuss the issue, Diana's course of action should be clear.

On an island in the Pacific, a Nazi supersoldier named Baron Blitzkrieg meets with a Japanese samurai warrior called Sumo. The samurai has been brought in to interrogate an American scientist about the Manhattan Project. Sumo simply looks into the man's eyes and forces him to divulge information.

He tells Sumo and Blitzkrieg where they will find components to build an atomic bomb. The two axis villains then plan to attack the United States.

Back in the states, Wonder Woman learns that the Manhattan Project is being conducted at the University Of Chicago. She attacks the university and goes on a rampage. Her activities attract the attention of Superman. She explains that she must prevent the bomb from being built for the sake of the world. The Man Of Steel intervenes and a battle of titans begins.  

Can the two heroes find some common ground in time to unite and stop Baron Blitzkrieg and Sumo? Or will Nazi Germany steal the plans for the Manhattan Project and build an atomic bomb?

Back in the "present' day (1978), members of two alien races beam Superman and the Flash up into space. The aliens' planets have been battling each other for so long that the cause of the conflict is "lost to history." They ask Flash and Superman to run and fly through time to prevent the conflict from ever starting.  

However, their journey through time will not be easy, since forces who want to continue the war have planted booby traps along the heroes' path. Plus, when Flash reaches the 25th century, he encounters his greatest foe: Professor Zoom, the Reverse-Flash!  

At the New York branch of S.T.A.R. Labs, Superman is assisting scientists in un-freezing the ice-based criminal known as Killer Frost. She is believed to be deceased, but when the Man of Steel hits her "corpse" with heat vision, she returns to life! Killer Frost uses her freezing powers to freeze Superman's brain, turning him into her servant.  

The only person who can free Superman and stop Killer Frost is her arch nemesis, Firestorm, the nuclear man!  

Lastly, the Sterling Circus sets up its tent in Gotham City. Dick Grayson, better known as Batman's partner Robin, recognizes his old friend Waldo the clown working at the circus. When Dick approaches Waldo, the clown doesn't respond or acknowledge him.

Grayson gets suspicious and changes into Robin to investigate the circus. He's hit with a mental attack and collapses. Robin discovers that Waldo and the other circus performers are under mind control. But it gets worse when Grayson discovers that Sterling Circus' strongman is none other than Superman! How can Robin defeat the mind-controller if he has Superman on his side?

Review:

The stories are a mixed bag, but the focus of this hardcover (as its title suggests) is one of the best artists of the Bronze Age.  

Story:

This is mostly a collection of one-part stories penned by six different writers

I enjoyed Gerry Conway's stories the most. The highlight of the book is the battle between Wonder Woman and Superman. It feels a lot like an episode of the Wonder Woman TV show (a hit show when the story was published), and that's a good thing.  

Most "hero vs. hero" fights of the Bronze Age (and Silver Age, for that matter) were usually based on a misunderstanding. In this case, Superman and Wonder Woman are friends and teammates who have very different opinions on the atomic bomb and decide to settle their arguments with a brawl. It's a very refreshing change of pace.  

It should also be noted that when it comes to slugging it out, Wonder Woman is shown to be a worthy opponent for the Man Of Tomorrow. 

Baron Blitzkrieg is also a great antagonist for a story that takes place during WWII. 

Conway also writes historical figures like Albert Einstein, Adm. Chester Nimitz, and Secretary of War Henry Stinson into the story. I have a degree in history, so I appreciated their inclusion.

Conway also wrote the story that features Superman's fight with Protector and the Superman/Firestorm team-up. The latter tale marked the return of Firestorm to comics, which is fitting, since Conway co-created the character.  

Martin Pasko wrote a good two-part time-travel team-up tale where Superman teams with Flash. I'm a big fan of good time-travel stories and Pasko added a short fight between the heroes and Professor Zoom, who is one of my favorite Bronze Age villains.

That story also features a brief meeting between Superman and his younger self when he fought crime as Superboy in the 30th century. They shouldn't exist in the same world at the same time, so they crash into each other, which sends them back to their rightful times.

I don't think the other stories featured in this book are bad, but they can be a bit silly at times. For instance, Solomon Grundy attacks Metropolis during Clark Kent's evening newscast. So Superman hypnotizes Steve Lombard and disguises Lombard as Clark Kent, so that "Clark" can be in two places at once. It's harmless, but it also seems silly and feels like something that belongs in the Silver Age.

About half the stories reprinted here originally ran in DC Comics Presents. This was a B-level team-up series (sort of DC's version of Marvel Team-Up) that usually featured tales that were done in one issue. It was a fun enough series (I occasionally bought issues), but don't expect to read anything too groundbreaking.   

Art:

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez was one of the greatest pencilers of the 1970s and 80s. For years, he drew images of DC characters used in licensed products like t-shirts or lunch boxes. His art in this book always looks good in these stories and occasionally looks fantastic. 

As good as Garcia-Lopez was, sometimes I feel like his art is watered down by inkers. In the early stories reprinted in this book, I get the impression Vince Colletta, Bob Oksner, Frank Springer and Dan Adkins are trying to make Garcia-Lopez' art conform to the "traditional" look of Superman. 

But even with inkers who weren't the best fit, Garcia-Lopez' talents still shine through. He does some great stuff with layouts and unusual angles, such as this two-page spread from the Wonder Woman/Superman fight:

The only downside to that story is that it was originally published in the tabloid-sized All-New Collector's Edition #C-54. In this hardcover, it's reprinted in the size of standard Bronze Age comics.  It still looks great, but loses a little something in the process. 

In some of the later stories, Garcia-Lopez inks his own work and it's a major improvement. Here are some pages that he inked, that were originally published in DC Comics Presents #24:

Garcia-Lopez also served as both inker and penciler on the scan below:

The last story reprinted in the book features inks from Dick Giordano. He was one of the best inkers of his era and he does a nice job enhancing Garcia-Lopez' pencils without overpowering them. The story features Robin teaming with Superman. Here's a scan that features Garcia-Lopez embellished by Giordano:  

Excellent art from two great Bronze Age talents.  

How Does It Look?:

Here's a scan I found on the net, taken from All-New Collector's Edition #C-54:

This is how the same pages appear in Adventures Of Superman:Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez:

Remember, this story was originally printed on tabloid-sized newsprint, so the original version shows some wear and tear.  But I don't see any weird recoloring in the reprint version.

Adventures Of Superman: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez contains some fun stories that feature one of the greatest superheroes of all time with some great art. But the criticisms I mentioned prevent me from giving it a higher rating. Fans of Garcia-Lopez should definitely seek out this book. 

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 Sals.