ACW #632 – Blackhawk

Action Comics Weekly #632 (Blackhawk)
“Doing the Horizontal Goosestep”
Writer – Martin Pasko
Art – Rick Burchett
Letters – Steve Haynie
Colors – Tom Ziuko
Editor – Mike Gold


T.G.I.B.!  It’s Blackhawk Day!


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We open in occupied Berlin, where the Blackhawks have already nabbed the LSD.  Our man Jan notices that Ms. Darabont appears to have a stick up her butt and offers to, well, loosen it up?  She ain’t quite feelin’ it and the rest of the team is tickled by the whole scene.  Elsewhere, Frau Koblenz… looking a lot like Ms. Darabont at the moment, is snuck through a checkpoint into the city.

Back in the American sector, the ‘Hawks and Connie are checking into their lodgings for the evening.  Darabont hands her bags over to a porter so she might take in a bit of the evening air.  Andre offers to accompany her, but she’s fine on her own… though, mentions if the Major offered, she might take him up on it.  Well, he did offer back at the airport, remember?  Olaf suggests that Berlin might not be the best place to sight-see… but, she’s steadfast that she go.

Outside, a “soldier” asks to see her papers… while she rattles through her purse, she gets jumped!  This is actually Koblenz and her man… and they’re ready to pull the big switcheroo.  They’re playin’ for keeps, though… poor Ms. Darabont winds up with “two behind the ear”!

Later, back at the hotel, Olaf visits Connie to deliver a bag that accidentally made its way to his room… and can’t help but to notice that she’s acting a bit “off”.  She assures him that the night air just made her a bit “stuffy” in the head… he doesn’t seem to completely buy her story.  Our man Jan passes him in the hallway, and Olaf almost makes his suspicions known… but doesn’t.

Jan gives Connie a ring-a-ling to fill her in on the sit-rep.  None of that was intended as a euphemism… buuuuuut, well… 

The next day, the ‘hawks are airborne.  Olaf wakes up from a nap, and is handed a cup of coffee.  After learning that the coffee had been prepared by “Ms. Darabont”, he gets all “ruh-roh” and beelines it to the back of the plane.  There, he observes her sprinkling something into the drink!  When confronted, she pulls a gun!

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Still loving this one!


I’m glad that the two stories we’ve been following have intersected here… I was afraid this might result in a “slower burn”, especially considering how so many of our ACW features feel almost painfully drawn out these past few weeks.


Sometimes in reading Blackhawk, I’m almost shocked that such mature themes were actually in a book with “Action Comics” on the cover.  I feel like these days we might take for granted just how different this sort of story is/was… especially as one that would appear in what many might view as DC’s “flagship” title.  Having a woman get beaten and shot (presumably) to death… and a whole lotta Blackhawk-bangin’?  This ain’t yer daddy’s Action Comics… well, I suppose in 2019, maybe it was!


Really not much more to crow about… really enjoying the story, and look forward to seeing where it goes!


Tomorrow: Compilation Day