ACW #633 - Blackhawk

Action Comics Weekly #633 (Blackhawk)
"Gremlins at Twelve O'Clock"
Writer - Martin Pasko
Art - Rick Burchett
Letters - Steve Haynie
Colors - Tom Ziuko
Editor - Mike Gold

It's with a fair amount of sadness that I recognize that this is the second-to-last time I can say... T.G.I.B.!  This is, say it with me, our penultimate visit with Janos and the Gang.

There will be a version of the Blackhawks in the upcoming The Crash of '88! crossover special... but, it won't be the same.

Let's enjoy it while it lasts!

--

Picking up right where we left off, Olaf has caught "Ms. Darabont" spiking the Blackhawk's brew with the L.S.D.  He inquires as to what might be going on, and gets shot in the shoulder for his troubles.  At the same time, Andre up in the cockpit starts feeling something very... ominous begin to overtake him.  They try radioing back to Olaf, and when they don't get an answer... Weng heads toward to rear to find out what's up.  He just barely misses seeing "Darabont" parachuting away.

Back up front, Andre's sinister feeling manifests itself in... the colors, maaaaaan... our poor Frenchman be trippin'!

In the back, Weng tends to Olaf.  He also admits to having drank some of the tainted java.  At the same time, Janos learns that Chuck's having a similar reaction to his cuppa.  It's becoming a pretty wild scene... and with every moment, the Blackhawk aircraft is losing altitude!

Andre lunges at Olaf... not sure what he's seeing, but he's in a rage!  Olaf punches him square in the nose, knocking him out.  Finally, we're down to two.  It's just Olaf and Janos... and they gotta land this bird.  One problem though, turns out that Jan took a few swigs himself!  Suddenly his fingers transform into snakes (why'd it have to be snakes?), and he's all outta sorts!

We shift scenes to Frau Whatsherface.  She's meeting with some Neos on the Islet of Herm in the Channel Islands between France and England.  She hands over the "mind-control serum", and tout the soon-to-be rise of Global Fascism.

We wrap up back in the Blackhawk cockpit, where Janos' trip continues.  He suddenly sees naked Nat spooning with a naked Olaf... and, with foam dripping from his mouth, Janos is bound and determined to do something about it!

--

Well, here's the scene I've been waiting for ever since the realization that L.S.D. would be playing a part in this arc... and it did not disappoint.  I'm left wondering just how they're going to wrap this all up in the next eight pages... but, I very much enjoyed this chapter for what it was.

Never having used L.S.D. (shocker, I'm sure), I wasn't sure how the trippin' Blackhawks were going to be depicted.  I didn't know if it was going to be straight "the colors, maaaan" or more creative hallucinations.  Turns out, we get both!  I appreciate the fact that Janos lets his paranoia get the better of him here... he's still clearly worried about (and sorta-kinda "hooked on") Ms. Nat, and it was cool to see that here.

If you recall, early in the previous Blackhawk arc, Jan and Olaf scrapped a time or two over the fair and beautiful Ms. Commie Nineteen-Fifty-Whatever... and it was alluded to (if not said outright) that Olaf might've been responsible for the loss of her eye.  I haven't peeked ahead into our final chapter... but, I'm wondering how much of a knock-down, drag-out this might be.  Though, I have a sneaking suspicion it'll be defused within the first page.

Overall, another fun chapter... and another reminder of how much this book will suffer once Blackhawk vacates its pages!

Tomorrow: The Wrap-Up!

ACW #633 - Phantom Stranger

Action Comics Weekly #633 (Phantom Stranger)
"Cat and Mouse, Chapter III"
Writer - Paul Kupperberg
Art - Fred Carrillo
Letters - Dan McKinnon
Colors - Petra Scotese
Editor - Renee Witterstaetter

I can always tell when fall is in the air at the Palatial Christate because as the days grow shorter, I no longer have adequate natural morning light to write these pieces by... and so, I'm writing this morning at the ol' kitchen island.

Now, if only the temperatures outside would realize the fact that Summer's over!

--

We pick up where we left off, for better or worse.  The Phantom Stranger is tangling with Tannarak's Cat-Beast at the Bronx Zoo.  Cassandra Craft and Terry Thirteen are outside the gates.  After a bit of posturing... there's a lot of posturing in this arc... 'Rak and the Stranger look like they're about to trade blows.  At this point, however, Cassie Craft has hopped the fence.  At this point, the Stranger looks a bit catatonic... not sure why, maybe he's been exposed to this horrendously dull story too!

Next, we're at the top of the Empire State Building (or thereabouts), where Tannarak looks to summon forth the Power of *yawn* Chaos.

Suddenly, the Stranger realizes the artist and writer took the time to create this story focused around him, and so... he actually does something!  He punches the Cat-Beast, and wrestles around the roof with him... until they both fall off.  The Cat comes crashing down onto the streets below.  Cassie and Tannarak exchange an oddly "knowing" glance.

Tannarak heads down to get between the Beast and the Stranger, while pointing toward the skies.  It looks like Cassandra has been caught between Chaos and New York City... crazy, but true.

Now, instead of helping his lady-love... err, lady-like... I dunno.  I've never seen this woman before.  Anyhoo, instead of helping her, the Stranger has a think on it... then proceeds to blast her with his Phantomy energies.

Ya see, the Phantom Stranger's "sanity" has returned... and he now realizes that this woman is not in fact Cassandra Craft, but instead Tala Whatsherface!

--

Hoo boy, but this is boring.

This almost had to be some sort of long-lost inventory story, right?  Like, it was probably supposed to run as an Action-Plus backup feature back in 1978, but got lost in a drawer or something?  Because this is just not up to the standards Kupperberg set with the Stranger in his earlier ACW appearances... those were interesting, this... is not.

Thankfully, this... like most of ACW's offerings... is a, say it with me, penultimate chapter.  The Stranger will join us on the other side of The Crash of '88!, but it won't be this story... and that, my friends, is a good thing.

Tomorrow: Penultimate Blackhawking!

ACW #633 - Superman

Action Comics Weekly #633 (Superman)
"Blood and Sand"
Writer - Roger Stern
Pencils - Curt Swan
Inks - Murphy Anderson
Letters - Bill Oakley
Colors - Tom Ziuko
Editor - Mike Carlin

In a week mostly comprised of penultimate chapters... there also must be Superman.  This is, well... not the second-to-last installment of this one... the "Sunday strip" will remain with us to the bitter end!

--

The Fellowship and the Consortium finally square off... and, ya know... considering the fact that only one side of this battle appears to have superpowers, I gotta wonder why it was the Fellowship that went into hiding?

Anyhoo, all Superman can do is watch... and, in so doing, he notices that the Fellowship's powers are growing exponentially.  He decides it's time to get to the bottom of the source of these powers... and so, he follows the tube-esque trail of the cosmic beam into space where he's suddenly struck by a boom!  Hmm... can't be any significance to any'a that, right?

--

Superman strip?  It's... it's not you, it's me.

I want to love you... I really do.  I want to accept you for what you are... but I can't.  I feel like you're holding out on me, and so... I can't trust you to tell a satisfying story.  And, where there is no trust... there cannot be a healthy relationship.

I... don't wanna split up or anything.  I think we should stay together... for the reader's sake.  We'll just be staying in separate rooms from here on out.  I'll compliment you when it's appropriate, and I'll try not too be too harsh in my criticisms... it's not your fault you can't be what I'm looking for.  I'm sorry.

Tomorrow: The Year of the Cat...

ACW #633 - Nightwing & Speedy

Action Comics Weekly #633 (Nightwing & Speedy)
"Rocks and Hard Places, Chapter Eight: Behind Closed Doors"
Writer - Cherie Wilkerson
Art - Tom Mandrake
Letters - John Costanza
Colors - Adrienne Roy
Editor - Barbara Kesel

Another Day... another Penultimate Chapter!  Lotsa "near-finality" headed our way!

--

We open with Dick and Roy returning to the States.  They are immediately greeted by a fella from the C.B.I. and ferried into a waiting car.  Inside. Roy is met by Mr. Sepulveda... in case you don't remember, and I wouldn't blame you in the slightest if you didn't... Sepulveda is the C.B.I. big-wig who canned Roy all those many weeks ago.  Meanwhile, our friend from the Train Turlet (Hunter), has also arrived in the U.S. of A.  He hops into a cab... only to find that Lord Danvers is waiting for him.  After a bit of "prompting" (by a pair of over-sized goons), Hunter agrees to the ride-share.

In the first car, Sepulveda assures Roy he only fired him out of concern that he was about to blow a two-year undercover operation... so, nothin' shady goin' on ova hea'.  Well, except for, ya know, all the shadiness.  While they chat, a red sports car sidles up alongside the ride, and attempts to run them off the road.

Next thing we know, Dick and Roy are in their "work clothes"... so... hmm, does that mean they changed into costume in the car, while Sepulveda and his driver watched?  That doesn't seem smart, now does it?  It's really the only realistic way these scenes can flow together, right?  Annnnnyway, Nightwing and Speedy are met by some very, very, very inexperienced (and nervous) "freedom fighters", who they handily wipe the floor with.

We learn that these geeks are members of The Sanas... or, at least, they claim to be.  They're fighting for Ireland's freedom, and I must say, they're doing one heck of a job.  A-hem.  By now, Sepulveda and his driver have split the scene... probably attempting to get Bruce Wayne on the phone this very moment with an "offer he can't refuse".  After having The Sanas arrested, our heroes decide to use their own damn two legs to carry them the rest of the way into D.C.

Meanwhile, in the other car, Hunter makes his move.  This fella is somehow able to out-muscle Lord Danvers'... well, muscle, and commandeer the ride.  Ya know, this little bit right here might be the toughest for me to suspend my disbelief and "buy into".

As luck would have it, Hunter is driving right by Nightwing and Speedy, and so he pulls over and offers to drive them the rest of the way.  Upon arrival at C.B.I. Headquarters, Speedy meets with Sepulveda and manages to convince him to hand over a manila envelope.  As the heroes go to leave, Sepulveda is informed that Lord Danvers is there to see him.  Oh, and this "Lord Danvers"?  He's got ties to the F.O.E.'s.  I'm not sure if that's been made clear to this point, but... that's his story.

Nightwing and Speedy walk right past Lord Danvers on their way out... and find themselves getting stopped at security.  The guards ask about the manila envelope... which Speedy assures them they didn't steal.  Well, get this, Sepulveda set them up!  Whaaaaaa?  This chapter ends with our heroes being arrested!

--

Okay, two things.

First... and my memory may be just plain cloudy, but... have we ever met this Lord Danvers before today?  I mean, he's pretty forgettable, but... I really feel like we (or I) should've known who this guy was?  Especially if he's going to be one of the "big bads" of the arc!  Again, maybe I'm just forgetting... I suppose I could just re-read the discussion pieces, but, ehh... 

Second, and this is a biggie... Did Roy and Dick really change into their crime-fighting costumes in the back seat of Sepulveda's car?  I mean, general discomfort with some old fella watching you change clothes aside, this is just an all-around bad idea!  I don't think Sepulveda's the sharpest bulb in the shed, but even he might be able to put two and two together, and seeing Dick change into Nightwing, play "two degrees of separation" to deduce that maybe, perhaps, Batman is really Bruce Wayne.  Just weird.  You'd think some thought would go into that.

There was a fair amount of convenience strewn through this... even moreso than usual.  Really reinforcing my (likely misguided) belief that things went a little editorially-sideways during these mid-late weeks of Action Comics Weekly.  I mean, if we were to go back to the opening chapters of this arc... they were aimless, meandering, and even a little bit dull.  We spent way too many weeks dealing with Moira and Button... and, now... it's like we're just blowing through the story at breakneck speed.  Very uneven... however, since there was so much (editorial) change in the air, I'll give the creative team the benefit of the doubt, and assume they were just rolling with the punches.

The cliffhanger ending?  Well, it was cliffhangery, I guess... though, why Speedy and Nightwing took Sepulveda (a dude who has screwed them over a number of times... including earlier the same day) at his word.  Seeing them get arrested prompted a... 

... instead of any actual, genuine surprise.  I guess we might be able to blame that on the "behind the scenes" machinations that I've already projected into this as well!  Here's hoping it all comes together in next weeks final chapter!

Tomorrow: Beam Me Up, Supey!

ACW #633 - Black Canary

Action Comics Weekly #633 (Black Canary)
"knock 'em Dead, Part 10"
Writer - Sharon Wright
Pencils - Randy DuBurke
Inks - Pablo Marcos
Letters - Steve Haynie
Colors - Gene D'Angelo
Editor - Robert Greenberger

Wow, this one's still going on, innit?  Well, not for long, because if I'm not mistaken, today's piece covers the penultimate chapter of this Black Canary tale.  Eleven parts for a story is pretty weird, but... I wanna say there was a lot of weirdness going on behind the scenes at Action Comics Weekly around this point in time.

--

We open with Ken Glazier... having something bad happen to him... I think.  Looks like he's either just had his brains blown out, or he was slapped in the face.  It's somewhere on that spectrum.  Meanwhile, Dinah is having her wounds tended to by an EMT.  She claims that Cat's stab (with a prop-dagger, no less) didn't sever any tendons, just gave her a big ol' bone bruise.  The check-up is interrupted, however, by an officer who reports they just found a body bobbin' in the sound... a body whose description matches that of The Deb.

We hop over to the pier where our worst fears are confirmed... well, they're bound to be somebody's worst fears... The Deb is Ded.  The question about how or why anyone would dump her body into such a heavy-trafficked waterway lingers.

This gives Dinah a sneaking suspicion, and so she disappears around a bend.  There, she finds an opening to the sewer system, and decides to have a look around.

She is almost immediately greeted by the word "Whore" being scrawled on a wall... not sure if this was written in paint, lipstick, blood, or ketchup... but, it's red.

Dinah continues... and comes across a closed door.  Upon entering, she finds quite the scene.  It's a shrine of sorts... to a little girl.  There are empty boxes of Kentucky Fried Somethin'r'nother strewn around the joint, which makes me figure that "Whore" we just saw must've been writ in ketchup... maybe barbecue sauce.  Amid the ramshackle altar, Canary finds an urn... which she peeks into.  Suddenly all the pieces fall into place.

In a nearby chair, where it appears as though some torture had been taking place, Dinah can see some fresh blood.  At the foot of the chair, she spots a wallet... belonging to Ken Glazier!  Now that's awfully convenient.  Looks like we're finally headed into the end-game!

--

I've said it before, but as many of you know, I often take any opportunity to repeat myself here... this really feels like they're doing their damnedest to add pages to this arc.  While at the same time, it feels like we're not getting enough information!  The past several chapters could have easily been condensed into like half the pages... and included some clear, concise storytelling in regards to the final fate of The Deb.  Not that we necessarily need to see her get whacked, but none of this really needed to be so nebulous.

I think many of us figured out where this story was going about 4-5 weeks ago... so, a lot of these "revelations" are falling pretty flat.  I, personally, don't think every reveal needs to be an "A-ha!" moment, but this arc seems to think that's the way a story is told.  There would be nothing wrong with playing this straight.

Despite the clear-as-mud art, this is a mostly linear story... the twists and turns are manufactured to be twisty and turny... the story never gets the opportunity to grow and evolve "organically"... which only makes the reveals feel all the more forced, hackneyed, and cliche.

Not sure how much of this we can lay at the feet of the storytelling team... or if the editorial team did the ol' Uri Geller spoon trick on this story to make it fit better into the publication schedule... but, it's getting weaker by the week.  Still, it's leagues better than Wright and DuBurke's first try with the character!

Tomorrow: Back in the U.S.A.

ACW #633 - Green Lantern

Action Comics Weekly #633 (Green Lantern)
"Apocalypse"
Writer/Plots - James Owsley
Pencils/Plots - M.D. Bright
Inks - Romeo Tanghal
Letters - Albert DeGuzman
Colors - Anthony Tollin
Assistant Editor - Dan Raspler
Editor - Denny O'Neil

Ya know, yesterday I posted the letters page from Action Comics Weekly #632.  In it, there is a missive regarding the upcoming change in format for the title, back to it's regular monthly Superman-centric dealie.

Made me stop and realize... we're getting there!  We're really getting there!  Then, also yesterday, I decided to get a few weeks ahead on my "re-branded" covers for this project... and came to yet another realization.  Green Lantern, arguably the "main" feature of this entire endeavor... only has two weeks left before it goes away!  I actually did my first few cover-edits without having to drag 'n drop the green one in!

Time flies when you're not payin' attention!

--

We open with Lord Malvolio insisting upon Hal Jordan that he will never leave the wherever-the-hell he currently is.  Hal's more shocked that this big galoot didn't think twice before killing that poor blue-skinned scientist.  And so, Hal attempts to trap Mal in an energy bubble so they might exchange words before fists... this, unfortunately for him, proves wildly ineffective!

Malvolio even goes as far as suggesting that Hal's power levels are so piddly, that he's actually disappointed in him.  Ya see, Hal's got a Power Ring... he really ought to be so much better than this.  Hal's all "Oh yeah?" and delivers a wallop of a blast... which, uh, Malvolio basically just strolls right through.

Proving to Hal that his power is akin to bringing the proverbial knife to a gunfight, his Lordship leaps into the air, and blasts Hal with such force that it literally sends him completely through the planet and out the other end!

Lucky for Hal, his Power Ring managed to protect him from... well, whatever might happen to a person who passes through the core of a planet... and so, he decides to blow this pop-stand, and look for somewhere he might be able to catch his breath.  What he finds is a satellite/space station, made entirely of... gold?!

Inside, he ponders that the people inside might've crafted this place to be safe from Lord Malvolio... ya know, since gold and yellow are so similar.  Then, he finds something rather curious... in the middle of the station sits a giant Green Lantern Battery.  What's more, all of the inhabitants of the station appear to be... worshiping it!  Upon sight, the aliens all call to Hal... believing him to be "one of the chosen".  I guess Superman's not the only guy in Action Comics Weekly to get a little weird worship!

Before getting his bearings, Hal is nyoinked into an adjacent room by, of all things, another human!  He introduces himself as Wallace, a Squire to Lord Malvolio.  We learn here that Mal was never a chosen Green Lantern... ya know, where the ring seeks you out and all that jazz?  It was Lord Malvolio's father who actually wielded the ring.  That is, until Mal killed him in his sleep, and stole the ring (and it's power) for himself.  He would then travel to the far corners of the universe (finally winding up in Priest's Sector, no less!), in search of... competition... sport... adventure... friendship?  Hmm...

Hal assures Wallace that they're both safe from Malvolio aboard the station... at least Malvolio's Ring-Slinging, anyway.  Wallace scoffs at the notion, and assures our man that the Golden Space Station isn't a refuge from Malvolio... it's a shrine to him.  Ya see, color ain't no thang to the Big M.  And then, right on cue, Malvolio's giant mitt bursts through a window and grabs Hal by the mush.

We wrap up with Lord Malvolio seemingly destroying the Space Station Shrine... and, likely everyone on board!

--

Oh, this is just so good!  This is what I've been looking forward to talking about for over a half year... and, as disappointed as it makes me that it never went anywhere, it's still one heckuva read.

I don't want to go too deep into what Malvolio was intended to be, or where his story was likely supposed to go... yet.  We'll discuss that at length in a couple of weeks.  I did way too much research on that topic during our "Hal Jordan's Action Comics" series of episodes on the Cosmic Treadmill.  Dug up old USENET and random forum posts written by Christopher Priest, there's a lot of great (and maddeningly disappointing, because none of it ever panned out) information that I'll share here when we wrap up this arc.  There's also that Green Lantern: Sleepers series of novels that we'll be talking about.

While on that subject, here's a snap of the inside front fold from Sleepers, Vol. 2:

And then, Malvolio arrives.

Here though, we learn that... Big Mal is able to shake off just about anything Hal can throw at him.  Not only that, it doesn't look like he has the same aversion to yellow that the rest of the Corps did!  Also... damn, dude's powerful, ain't he?  Literally punching Hal through an entire planet?  This is how you make a bad guy look strong!

It's also revealed that Malvolio was never a "chosen" member of the Green Lantern Corps.  Indeed, it was his father who served as a Green Lantern... Malvolio just wound up killing him and swiping the ring for himself.  I didn't know Power Rings worked that way... but, I also thought they all had that Yellow Impurity as well, so what do I know?  It'll all make sense soon... sorta.

Overall... this is some great stuff.  Some seeds (that would sadly never sprout) get planted here... but, still... I'd say this is "must reading" for fans of Green Lantern lore.

Tomorrow: Outta the Cat-Pan...

Action Comics Weekly #632 (1988)

Action Comics Weekly #632 (December 27, 1988)
Green Lantern: "Beyond Phobus"
Phantom Stranger: "Cat and Mouse, Chapter II"
Black Canary: "knock 'em Dead, Part 9"
Superman: "Holy War"
Nightwing & Speedy: "Rocks and Hard Places, Chapter Seven: A Time of Changes"
Blackhawk: "Doing the Horizontal Goosestep"
Writers - James Owsley, Paul Kupperberg, Sharon Wright, Roger Stern, Cherie Wilkerson, & Martin Pasko
Pencils - M.D. Bright, Fred Carrillo, Randy DuBurke, Curt Swan, Vince Giarrano, & Rick Burchett
Inks - Romeo Tanghal, Pablo Marcos, Murphy Anderson, & Tom Mandrake
Letters - Albert DeGuzman, Steve Haynie, Bill Oakley, & John Costanza
Colors - Anthony Tollin, Petra Scotese, Gene D'Angelo, Tom Ziuko, & Adrienne Roy
Edits - Denny O'Neil, Dan Raspler, Renee Witterstaetter, Robert Greenberger, Mike Carlin, Barbara Kesel, & Mike Gold
Cover Price: $1.50

Going to open this one up with a bit of Chris Trivia... you can see above that this issue has a cover date of December 27, 1988... which would've been my eighth birthday.  Sure, the book probably hit shelves in October, but the fact that the cover-date is what it is sorta-kinda makes it so I have the same birthday as... Lord Malvolio!  I just knew there had to be some sort of "connection" there!

Now, some Action Comics Weekly Trivia... that cover-date?  December 27?  That's actually falls in the only week of the year that ACW does not ship an issue!  In fairness, DC didn't ship any books the week between Christmas and New Years Day... so, it's not as though our Weekly missed shipment.  This is a practice that we (sorta) saw the return of this past Christmas (2018).  Diamond took that week off, and so... no books!

Want more Action Comics Weekly Trivia?  Check out the letters page I included way down below.  It features a missive from a reader lamenting the fact that ACW would be winding down and returning to a monthly Superman-led title.  I don't wanna say this letter is suspicious or anything... so, I won't.  Maybe we'll just call it "convenient" as it facilitates the perfect amount of explanation from Editor, Mike Gold.

Oh!  I almost neglected to mention the cover... it's by primary Nightwing & Speedy artist, Tom Mandrake, and... uh, it's not my favorite.  I'll just leave it at that.

Let's hit the polls!

I'd say that looks just about right.  It will be interesting in just a few weeks when we're going to be looking at mostly all-new features!  Hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a "race to the bottom"!

Here's this week:

Best Story in Action Comics Weekly #632?

Green Lantern Phantom Stranger Black Canary

Superman Nightwing/Speedy Blackhawk

Shareable Poll Link: https://linkto.run/p/KN35F8BT

--

We open with Hal Jordan in hot pursuit of the Bethel Traveler's wooden shrine... so, there's a little bit of continuity between this and the prior arc.  While Hal soliloquizes about concepts like hatred, the Traveler opens up a space warp... and flies on through.  Hal gives chase, and once he finds himself on the other side, he is positively surrounded by darkness!

After calibrating his Power Ring, Hal is able to guide himself to the most Earth-like planet in this Space Sector... and lands on a cliffside covered in weird satellite dishes.  There, he meets a blue-skinned alien, not unlike the ones he met at that intergalactic peace summit some time ago.  This alien refers to Hal as one of "The Chosen", and seems to want to serve him.  Hal ain't got time for that, he just wants to get home.  Looks like he's given up the chase for the Bethel Traveler... and, ya know, that sits just fine with me!

The alien suggests Hal consult with his master for directions.  Our man hasn't the foggiest idea what this fella's talking about, however, can't help but to notice that there's a very familiar emblem carved into a nearby mountainside.

Atop that mountain, sits a palace.

... and inside that palace, sits a man.  A man wearing a Green Lantern Power Ring?!

This, my friends... looking not unlike a jacked-up Alan Scott, is Lord Malvolio.  Mal doesn't appear to recognize Hal, but that doesn't stop him from pontificating in his direction for a number of minutes.  Once the blibbuh-blabbah is done, and Hal can get a word in edgewise, he asks how he might get back to Earth.  Malvolio suggests that his answers lie... beyond Phobus!

That don't mean nothin' to our Lantern, but he decides to leave the palace all the same.  He thinks to himself (actually, says aloud) that Malvolio must've survived the "Great Disaster" on Oa by being designated to such a far-out Space Sector at the time.  Yeah, that's as good a theory as any, innit?  We'll learn more about how Malvolio still wears a ring as we continue.  Remember, there weren't supposed to be many of this rings left in circulation around this time.

Hal heads back to the satellite station to check in with his blue-skinned friend.  He asks what a "Phobus" is... however, before he gets an answer, Lord Malvolio arrives to strike the friendly alien dead!  We close out with the revelation that Malvolio brought Hal here... and he's going to see to it that he never leave.

--

Well, there he is!  The man we've all I've been waiting for this entire project!  Thing of it is... there's so much I wanna say about the character... buuuuuut, it's just not the time yet.  So much of what makes this character special (to me) is the vast amounts of unrealized potential in him.  Not to put the cart before the horse... but, outside of a series of Green Lantern prose novels from around the turn of the century (which I don't "count" as canon anyway), this arc is the only time Lord Malvolio will show up!  Ever!

I mean, until Tom King discovers the character and decides he wants to engage in some Malvolio-flavored PSY101 in repetitive and dull super-deep nine-panel grids.  Is that pithy?  Yeah, probably.  Sorry about that.

What we get here though?  It's unspectacular (relative to my build up), but it's still some really good superhero storytelling.  We're introduced to a familiar-but-not baddie... who is somehow able to wield a Green Lantern Power Ring... despite the drought of them in the greater DC Universe at the time.  Hal is in an alien (in every conceivable way) world, without a single clue how he'll ever get home.  It's good stuff!  The first time in a long while where I'm actively looking forward to our next Green Lantern chapter!

Now, to go back to my first time experiencing this story... I couldn't tell ya when it was... probably late 90's-early 00's... I completely bought into the idea that Malvolio had something to do with Alan Scott.  Take into account that what brought Hal to this Sector was following a shrine made out of (looks left, looks right, looks at the camera) wooooood... the weakness of the Golden Age Green Lantern... it all made too much sense to me.  We'll put a pin in that for the moment... and revisit over the next few weeks.

Overall... this is the start of the Green Lantern arc you'll wanna check out from this run.
--
--

We pick up right where we left off... Tannarak has crashed the party, and is not ominously pointing at our hero.  We learn that, last time these two met (whenever that was), the Stranger was able to destroy ol' 'Rak... however, the Lords of Chaos were able to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.  Doctor Thirteen stands by, being all incredulous... like, annoyingly so.  Thankfully, Cassandra suggests he kindly shut uppa his face.

The Stranger chases Tannarak out of the apartment, and advises Terry and Cassie against following them.  Yeah, like that's gonna work!  Our hero tries to get Tannarak to fight him fairly, however, the baddie reminds him that he is indeed... a baddie, and proclaims that he'd rather fight dirty.  Oh boy.  As this chase continues, Cassandra dupes a cabbie into "following those glowing men in the sky".

Turns out the chase made it all the way from the East Side of Manhattan to the Bronx Zoo.  Now, Tannarak is surrounded by the entirety of their large cats exhibit.  After some cliche pleasantries are exchanged, he begins casting a spell.

Doctor Thirteen and Cassandra Craft hop the fence, and arrive just in time to see... well, Tannarak transform all of the Zoo Critters into a fairly generic-looking feline demon beast thing.

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Well...

I never thought I'd be saying this, but... I think I found a story that might be best told in the two-page "Sunday Strip" format!  This is... just painfully dull.  A throwback, without any of the charm.

A shame, really... considering our last few ACW "visits" with the Phantom Stranger have been quite strong!  This feels like something that had been lining an editor's drawer for... probably over a decade?  I'm not saying that's what happened... but, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that it had!  It makes Action Comics Weekly look and feel like a sort of "clearing house"... which, heck, for all I know, is exactly what they were using it for this late in the game!

Whatta we got here?  Tannarak acts like the most generic of villains... and summons his "son" the Cat Beast to destroy the Phantom Stranger?  All the while, Dr. Thirteen won't shut his gob about the impossibility of everything going on?  Dude... you live in the DC Universe, get over it.

Anyhoo... story could've probably been told (better) in eight-panels rather than eight-pages... but, whattayagonnado?
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We open... in that sewer, where we found out The Deb was being held a couple weeks back.  She is being held captive by Cat... and, now has bleach blonde hair?  She pleads with her captor that she didn't kill anybody... to which Cat is all, "Yeah, I know... I did."  Meanwhile, Dinah and Company are at the Contempo-Theatre devising a plan if Cat were to show her face.  Remember, she's supposed to be playing the lead role of Peter Pan in... uh, Peter Pan.  Shock of shocks, she shows up!

Her fight scene with Captain Hook... who, actually kinda looks like V from V For Vendetta, goes a bit off-script.  The action gets a bit too close to the crowd, which prompts Dinah to spring into action... and the art... oh boy, it gets weird... er.  A woman in the audience might've been stabbed in the neck by an errant blade?  It isn't clear... I mean, it really isn't clear.  It's like Sienkiewicz on mushrooms.  Whatever the case, Cat manages to swipe at Canary before giving her the slip.  Oh boy, am I just now noticing the "Cat and Canary" aspect of this story?

Dinah realizes that Cat likely escaped through the men's room... because, well, the door is still swinging.  While she confers with the officers... rather than, ya know, giving chase... we wrap up with the revelation that Cat is actually hiding in the back seat of Ken Glazier's car!  She holds him up, and instructs him to drive...

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Now, this is more like it... and by "more like it", I mean... more like that first Black Canary arc.  This ain't great, folks.

It's a shame... up to this point, I've genuinely enjoyed this!  Here though?  Everything kinda falls apart.  The art has been my primary complaint for this arc, and again, it's not as though it's bad... it's just not very good at telling a story.  Up until this point, the written story has been what has holding this one together... this week, however, the seams are beginning to show.  Add to the fatigue that we're now nine weeks into this story... and, it's just a recipe for disinterest.

Here's hoping this one's able to pull it all together in its final weeks!
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The Fellowship realizes that their guest has gone missing... and so, they decide to head up to the surface and have a look around.

Their guest, now in his "work clothes", is laid out before one of those Consortium tanks.  It doesn't take him too long to shake it off, however... and proceeds to engage with his can-opener impression.

Then... the Fellowship arrives, and Superman realizes he's not only gotta fight off the tanks, but now he's also gotta protect these geeks too!

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Alrighty... you know I don't care for this, and I know I don't care for this... so, I'll spare ya my usual complaints.  At least Superman gets to do something adjacent to "super" this week!

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We pick up right at the bomb-blast... and despite it looking as though our Moira was running away from the planted suitcase last time out, here it looks more as though she was running towards it!  Roy runs over to her and calls for an ambulance... and by "calls for an ambulance", I mean he screams "we need an ambulance".  At this point the entire Orange Day parade has gone a bit ca-ca, and Nightwing is already busting heads.  Just then, an officer begins emptying his piece in Nightwing's direction... which tells him that maybe they're not on the same side.

Then, a Kesel Meats truck (featuring a rather well-endowed, or perhaps five-legged, bull on the side) bee-lines it directly at the cop.  Turns out the driver is... well, hell, it's Speedy.  Dude can change clothes and steal a truck in less time than it takes for me to complete a thought!

They drive until they reach a roadblock surrounded by armed men.  They are the Sanas!  We learn that the F.O.E.s are their foes (yeah, they really say that), but here's the thing... they invite the heroes behind the barricade for safety!  Before they can get too comfortable, however, a helicopter swoops in... guns ablazing!

The Sanas are shot dead!  Speedy manages to fire off an arrow-line into the rear rotor of the chopper, and sends it smashing into the side of a nearby building.  We can see that this is one of those helicopters we used to joke about as kids... because the pilot appears to have escaped via ejector seat!  A F.O.E. in the foreground takes aim on the distracted heroes, however, finds himself feeling the cold steel of the Man from the Train Turlet's pistol!

Jumping ahead to Moira's hospital bed, she's recovering just fine.  Just a broken arm and a few bruises... which, certainly beats the alternative.  We learn that a woman (who we may or may not have already met... Roy meets a lot of middle-aged women... I mean, who else is he going to hand Lian to?) is going to take Moira and Button in... and that Roy is going to be heading back to the States.

Outside, Dick n' Roy meet a woman named Sinnead who tries to set them straight on the Sanas.  She suggests that they are a reactionary effort... not fighting to kill, but instead fighting to survive.  She claims that she'll be laying down her weapons now, however, since children are getting hurt.  Just then, an old dude runs up... with a frickin' grenade!  I reckon he's lookin' to lob it at the hospital... but Sinnead meets him head-on.  Unfortunately for her, it looks like the codger already pulled the pin!

We wrap up with some, if I'm being honest, boring "intrigue".  Dude sells weapons and information... gets himself poisoned with something that mimics a heart attack (must have been extra Chloro-floro-whatever left over from the Black Canary feature!).  Meanwhile Train Turlet has booked himself a trip to the States.

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Say it with me... another strong chapter.

But, I gotta say, fatigue is beginning to set in.  Now, I'm not overly familiar with Ms. Wilkerson's writing style, so for all I know, she has a very deliberate and slow-paced method.  I have a sneaking suspicion there might be a hair of dreaded decompression at play though... not so much to "fill a trade", but more to get us to the upcoming Action Comics Weekly "crossover" and deck-clearing (coming up in ACW #635).

I appreciate how, while we're probably supposed to sympathize with The Sanas at this point, they're still not depicted as overly "good".  They're still, basically urban terrorists... very means to an end, crack as many eggs as ya need, insert whatever metaphor about goal-oriented ruthlessness you can here.

That said, the F.O.E.'s are definitely the "big bads".  I didn't mention it during the synopsis, but we learn at the end that Train Turlet used to be part of something... perhaps the police force (?), but he had to resign.  Maybe we'll learn more about that next week... then again, maybe we won't!  I dunno if it's enough to maintain interest... it really feels like we could've ended the story here.  Moira and Button have a caretaker, Roy's heading home... an F.O.E. has been caught... seems like a done deal to me!  Oh well, guess we'll find out next time.

We have a fill-in artist (well, penciller... Mandrake still provides ink) in Vince Giarrano... and, this probably isn't his best work.  Perhaps more evidence that this story might've been puffed out a chapter or two... maybe there was a time crunch, maybe it was Mandrake's inks not jiving with his pencils... maybe I'm talking out my ass.  Now, if you've seen some of Vincent's non-comics work, you'll know what a brilliant artist he is.  It's truly wonderful stuff.

Overall... solid, but long in the tooth.  Perhaps this would read better all in one "go"!
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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!
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