Looking back at 2021

Here are the comic books that I read in 2021. Some links provided although they might link to more than just the stories listed below. Use the search box on the righthand side of the screen to search this blog.

• Batman 300
• Captain America (1967) 290-296
• Green Lantern (1960) 76-80
• Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol. 8, 9, 10
• Jack Staff (2003) 1-5
• Ka-Zar, the Savage 10-12
• Lazarus (2013) 12-20
• Nathaniel Dusk (1984) 1-4
• The Old Guard (2017) 1
• Spencer and Locke (2017) 1-4
• Spider-Man's Tangled Web 11
• Tales of the Teen Titans 49-55

Superman

• Action Comics 484
• Action Comics 500
• Action Comics 583
• Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow - Part 2

X-Men

• Magik (1983) 1-4
• Uncanny X-Men 160

The Old Guard (2017) 1

The Old Guard (2017) 1

Feb 2017

The Old Guard - Part 1

by Greg Rucka, Leandro Fernández, Daniela Miwa, Jodi Wynne, Eric Trautman, Alejandro Arbona

Andy leads a team of immortal mercenaries who are contacted by the CIA. They want her and her teammates (Nicky, Joe, Booker) to rescue some schoolgirls who have been captured by militants in South Sudan. It turns out to be a setup. Their cover has been blown.

Nile Freeman, a US Marine serving in Afghanistan, is part of a team that is searching for a terrorist in a small town. They find and capture the terrorist but he slices Nile’s throat when she tries to ensure he survives the encounter. Nile miraculously survives.

Green Lantern (1960) 80

Green Lantern (1960) 80

Oct 1970

Even an Immortal Can Die!

by Denny O’Neill, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, John Costanza, Julius Schwartz

Hal, Ollie, and the Old-Timer are run off a bridge by a truck coming from the other direction. The truck crashes into the river below. Hal transforms into Green Lantern and uses his ring to prevent them from coming to harm.

They get picked up by a river boat that is transporting toxic waste. Hal could have just flown them out of there but he promised Ollie that he would use his ring as little as possible. The engine room of the boat explodes and the crew men start throwing all of the waste material overboard. Hal gets badly injured in the blast.

The Old-Timer decides to use his powers to fly Hal to safety rather than help with the boat. Hal recovers but then the Old-Timer is accused of violating the rules of the Guardians of the Universe. He is to be sent to the planet Gallo for judgement. Green Lantern and Green Arrow volunteer to go with him.

Detective Comics 500.7

Detective Comics (1937) 500

Mar 1981

What Happens When a Batman Dies?

by Cary Bates, Carmine Infantino, Bob Smith, John Costanza, Adrienne Roy, Paul Levitz

22 pages

Deadman comes to Batman’s assistance after the Dark Knight is bit by a dog with a poisonous bite. The two heroes work together to solve the case before Batman dies from the quick acting poison.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 20.3

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 10

By Motoro Mase

Episode 20: The Phantom Country

Act 3

Fujimoto is desperate. There are just 24 hours until the country is locked down. He comes up with a plan to escape Ikigami-land. His first idea doesn’t work and he gets increasingly desperate. He forces a man to help him get on a cargo ship. Fujimoto also talks Kubo into coming with him.

Nanase betrays him. She contacts Mr. Ishii and let’s him know where they are headed. The National Welfare Police show up as the ship is getting ready to leave. Kubo takes the gun that Fujimoto stole. It looks like his plan has failed but a rocket attack on the city distracts everyone so that the ship is able to depart before the NWP are able to board the ship.

Detective Comics 500.6

Detective Comics (1937) 500

Mar 1981

The Strange Death of Doctor Erdel

by Joe Kubert, Paul Levitz, Adam Kubert, Tatjana Wood, Len Wein

8 pages

Hawkman (Katar Hol) and Hawkgirl (Shayera Thal) investigate the mysterious death of Doctor Erdel. There are two suspects in the case: Fred Schneider (Erdel’s assistant) and Anna (Erdel’s niece). Their investigation leads them to the actual culprit, the computer.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 20.2

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 10

By Motoro Mase

Episode 20: The Phantom Country

Act 2

Mr. Ishii explains to Fujimoto what happened after he was arrested. The demonstrations were quelled after the country’s leader made an announcement. He said that anyone who volunteered for the support forces will be given an inoculation to remove the possibility that they will die from the one they received as a child. If they are beyond the age of 24 then they can designate someone else to receive the inoculation.

Mr. Ishii explains this in much detail to Fujimoto. He even takes him to an inoculation center to see people, who have volunteered, getting the shot. Fujimoto is enraged but he keeps it all to himself. He is no longer indecisive. He knows what he needs to do, leave the country. That isn’t an easy thing to do because in 24 hours all travel to or from other countries will be restricted and controlled by the military.

Detective Comics 500.5

Detective Comics (1937) 500

Mar 1981

The Batman Encounters Gray Face

by Walter Gibson, Tom Yeates

8 pages

Batman rescues a man who is near death. He confers with Commissioner Gordon and then goes looking for the villain.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 20.1

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 10

By Motoro Mase

Episode 20: The Phantom Country

Act 1

Fujimoto is released from the Thought Reform Program after 6 months of reconditioning. His parents no longer want to have anything to do with him. He meets with Mr. Ishii only to discover that Mr. Ishii is an undercover National Welfare Police officer. He now wants Fujimoto to spy on on someone for him. Fujimoto doesn’t feel as though he has a choice so he agrees to spy for Mr. Ishii on Nanase Kubo, the doctor whom he reported on Episode 12 (The Truth Exposed).

Fujimoto stops by the flower shop where Nanase works. She agrees to have lunch with him. After he leaves she picks up the phone and makes a call. She tells the person on the other end of the phone that she would be happy to help.

Terry and the Pirates (21.A)

Vol. 3: 1939-1940

By Milton Caniff

Temple Rock Rescue

Jun 9 - Nov 30, 1940

This is the fourth story (of nine) in what Carl Horak, author of the Terry and the Pirates Companion, considers to be the third era of Caniff’s run on the strip. This era begins in late Apr 1939 and ran through late Jan 1942 and is called Between Spear Points in the companion book.

The Wikipedia article on Terry and the Pirates breaks the entire series down into 60 arcs. It breaks this arc down into the two following arcs:

29 - (06/08/40 - 09/01/40) "Prison Break"

30 - (09/02/40 - 11/24/40) "Ransom"

11/06/21

Jun 9, 1940 - Pat learns that Raven is an heiress when the press shows up to greet the ship. Terry spots the story in the paper the next day.

Detective Comics 500.4

Detective Comics (1937) 500

Mar 1981

The Final Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe!

by Mike W. Barr, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, John Costanza, Tatjana Wood, Paul Levitz

8 pages

Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man, and his wife Susie investigate an assault of an Edgar Allan Poe enthusiast named Edwin Allman Pohe.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 19.3

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 10

By Motoro Mase

Episode 19: Entrusted Words

Act 3

Naoko Sasamura tries to talk Mamoru Nakagami into going to see his mother before he dies. His first response is to attack her physically and choke her. He lets up before he does serious harm to her. They argue about why he should or shouldn’t go see his mother. He asks her about the picture of her with her daughter.

Mamoru ultimately decides to go do his job rather than go see his mother. Naoko goes to see his mother but doesn’t get to her until after Mamoru has died.

The war between Ikigami-land and the Federation gets more serious.

Fujimoto is arrested and sent to a thought reform program, just like Dr. Kubo was. The chapter ends with him emerging from the program as he returns to civilian life.

Detective Comics 500.3

Detective Comics (1937) 500

Mar 1981

Once Upon a Time…

by Len Wein, Walter Simonson

2 pages

Batman breaks up a crime in progress. There is no dialogue in this brief story, just captions. The captions are all lifted from Peanuts cartoons from 1969, when Snoopy was writing a novel.

I’m not sure what to make of this story. It feels like an inside joke. I had to search the internet to find an explanation of what it was. I recognize the first line now that the connection to Peanuts has been pointed out but the other captions I did not recognize.

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit 19.2

Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit Vol 10

By Motoro Mase

Episode 19: Entrusted Words

Act 2

War breaks out. Ikigami-land is now at war with the Federation. The government of Ikigami-land’s ally asks for volunteers to serve in combat support positions. Fujimoto and Mr. Ishii are stunned by the news.

Mamoru Nakagami doesn’t go out for several hours. He stays in his apartment. He doesn’t know how to respond to his death sentence. Naoko Sasamura comes over to see him. She encourages him to contact his mother, whom he has not seen since he got into an argument with her.

Mamoru turns on his phone. It rings before he has a chance to call his mother. It is his boss. There are anti-war protests in the streets. He wants Mamoru to report in right away. Mamoru doesn’t get a chance to tell him that he has received an Ikigami. He gets off the phone ready to follow orders but Naoko is still there. She insists that he go see his mother.

Detective Comics 500.2

Detective Comics (1937) 500

Mar 1981

The “Too Many Cooks…” Caper!

by Len Wein, Jim Aparo, Tatjana Wood, Paul Levitt

13 pages

Seven private detectives are present when Archie Evergreen is murdered. Evergreen was a former police officer and private detective. He was about to retire. The murder happens at a gathering held in Evergreen’s honor. All seven detectives knew him and looked up to him.

The seven detectives team up to solve the mystery of Archie’s murder which initially looks impossible.