Batman and the Outsiders (1983) 11

Batman and the Outsiders (1983) 11

Jun 1984

A Sword of Ancient Death!

By Mike W. Barr, Jim Aparo, Adrienne Roy

Takeo, a ninja, breaks into the penthouse where Tatsu and Gabrielle live. Katana and Halo confront him but he proves to be too skilled for them. He knocks them out and escapes with Katana’s talking sword. He returns to Japan where he presents the sword to his employer, Mr. Noguri. 

Tatsu flies to Japan in pursuit of her sword. She arrives only to discover that she is not alone. Batman and the others have followed her. 

Xenozoic Tales 12

Xenozoic Tales 12

Apr 1992

Two Cities

by Mark Schultz, Denise Prowell

Jack and Hannah’s boat drifts as Jack dreams. He dreams of being attacked by a dinosaur with the face of Scharnhorst. Jack and Hannah wake up in time to see what they think is a sea monster. It turns out to be a ship from Wassoon. 

The sailors take them to Wassoon. Hannah is still ailing from the wound she sustained in Xenozoic Tales 11. Jack gets agitated when the Wassoon start to separate them. Hannah reassures him and he lets up. Chorthis Rouge, one of the leaders, escorts him to the room where they want him to stay. He isn’t a prisoner but they do keep an armed guard outside the room. 

Terry and the Pirates (13)

Vol. 2: 1937-1938

By Milton Caniff

In the Hands of Judas

Sep 11-Dec 18, 1937

This is the fourth story (of eight) in what Carl Horak, author of the Terry and the Pirates Companion, considers to be the second era of Caniff’s run on the strip. This era begins in late Aug 1936 and runs through late Apr 1939 and is called Days of High Adventure in the companion book.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 85

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 85

Sep 1979

The Woman Who Never Was!

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Clem Robins, Ben Sean, Allen Milgrom

Black Widow dives through the broken window after Spider-Man. She saves him but then needs saving herself when the Silver Samurai cuts the line securing her to the helicarrier. Spider-Man and Black Widow make it back into the helicarrier in time to rejoin the fight before Nick Fury and Shang-Chi are overcome by Viper, Silver Samurai, and the hypnotized agents of SHIELD.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 12.3

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 6

By Motoro Mase

Episode 12: The Truth Exposed

Act 3

Dr. Kubo tried to talk Tomonori into letting Fujimoto go and surrendering himself. Fujimoto remembers as she speaks where he has seen Tomonori before. He was the man in the car with Dr. Kubo whom he saw one day by chance in 7.2.

Tomonori’s father is watching as Dr. Kubo tried to talk his son down. She suggests that he is doing this because he is disappointed in his father. Tomonori admits that there is some truth in her idea. He wants to ruin his father’s career and hopes that his actions will do just that.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 84

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 84

Aug 1979

Catch a Falling Hero

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Diana Albers, Ben Sean, Allen Milgrom

The issue opens with the reveal that Viper (who was once known as Madame Hydra) is the one pulling strings. She has captured the helicarrier and has all of its staff under her hypnotic control. The first five pages are devoted to the reveal and then a dive into her backstory.

Viper fought Captain America (during the brief period when he was known as Nomad) in Captain America 182. She was almost captured but escaped thanks to Ishiro Tagara, a cadre leader of the Japanese Red Army, an occasional ally of Hydra. The Viper and Tagara fell in love as she plotted the downfall of the United States of America.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 12.2

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 6

By Motoro Mase

Episode 12: The Truth Exposed

Act 2

Tomonori reacts badly. He goes to the Mushigawa ward office and takes Fujimoto hostage. He wants his final hours broadcast. He wants the opportunity to tell the country about the New Life Revolution Union and it’s message.

The government agrees to Tomonori's demands in part. They have all the news services set up cameras to make it look as if they are broadcasting his final hours. What he doesn’t know is that even though the cameras are there recording they are not broadcasting.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 83

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 83

Jul 1979

Slaughter on 10th Avenue!

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Joe Rosen, Ben Sean, Allen Milgrom

Spider-Man wakes up the next morning on the rooftop where he was shot by Nick Fury. He is surprised that he is still alive but takes that as an indication that Nancy Rushman must also still be alive.

Nick Fury suspects that someone is trying to destroy SHIELD from within. He received a warning from the Black Widow before she lost her memory. He talks to SHIELD Agent Jasper Sitwell about what he knows of the situation while the doctors try to revive the Black Widow.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 12.1

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 6

By Motoro Mase

Episode 12: The Truth Exposed

Act 1

Tomoniri Ichijo is preoccupied by other things when he receives an Ikigami at the end of this installment. He is busy trying to recruit a young man for something called the union. He tries to sell him on it by telling him about the women that will be there.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 82

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 82

Jun 1979

No Way to Treat a Lady

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Rick Parker, Sean Ben, Allen Milgrom

Nancy Rushman, a school teacher who looks just like the Black Widow, is walking home at night in Manhattan when she is attacked by three men. Spider-Man shows up just in time to save her. He winds up needing a little saving himself when he slips on a patch of ice. Nancy reacts like the Black Window might and delivers a karate chop to the attacker who is about to stab Spider-Man. He recognizes her as the Black Widow but she passes out when he tries questioning her.

Manhunter 1973-74: More Extras

Modern Masters Vol. 8: Walter Simonson

Jul 2006

This volume contains lots of samples of Walt Simonson’s work throughout his career or at least up to the point that it was published in 2006. The text of the book is an interview that was conducted by Michael Moorcock. There are a couple pages devoted to memories of Archie Goodwin followed by five more pages on the subject of Manhunter.

The story about the Battle of the Alamo that caught Goodwin’s eye was just three pages long and was printed in Star-Spangled War Stories 172 (Aug 1973).

Simonson designed Paul Kirk’s face as a combination of Charles Bronson and Bela Lugosi.