Grimjack in Starslayer 16

Starslayer 16

May 1984

Buried Past - Final Chapter

by John Ostrander, Timothy Truman, John Workman, Janice Cohen, Mike Gold

12 pages

Grimjack travels to Pdwyr. He lived there for a time when he was much younger. Every one he knew is gone. They were killed during the Demon Wars or at least that’s what he believed. It turns out that Gdeon, one of his old friends, is still around but is now a vampire. He’s the one who turned Cracker. 

Cracker shows up. Gdeon and Cracker transform into human-sized bats and fight, to the death. Some troops from Cadre show up. They don’t intend to step in until the fight is over. Grimjack has other ideas. He engages the men from Cadre, killing them while the two vampires fight it out.

Batman: Dark Allegiances

Batman: Dark Allegiances

1996

Dark Allegiances

by Howard Chaykin, Ken Bruzenak 

Batman, in the late 1930s, fights the Klan. Bruce Wayne romances actress Kitty Grimalkin unaware that she has been blackmailed into finding some dirt with which he can be blackmailed. They travel cross country by train. Wayne picks up a custom made car in Detroit. 

Adolf Hitler travels to the United States to meet with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Wayne and Grimalkin happen to be at the same party and also meet Hitler. Kitty turns out to also have a costumed identity, as Catwoman. Batman and Catwoman team up and disrupt the plans of some homegrown fascists.

Fantastic Four 214

Fantastic Four 214

Jan 1980

…and then there was -- One!

by Marv Wolfman, John Byrne, Joe Sinnott, John Costanza, Carl Gafford 

The Human Torch looks for a cure to save his teammates. He turns first to Tony Stark and then to Princess Adora (of Xandar). Both are too busy to provide any assistance. Johnny returns to the Baxter Building feeling pretty hopeless.

The Human Torch is drowning in self-pity when Skrull X attacks. During the fight Skrull X attempts to shoot Johnny with the same sort of ray gun that debilitated his teammates. The Human Torch overwhelms Skrull X, destroying him and in the process revealing that he wasn't a Skrull but an android created to look like a Skrull.

Grimjack in Starslayer 15

Starslayer 15

Apr 1984

Buried Past - Chapter Four

by John Ostrander, Timothy Truman, John Workman, Janice Cohen, Mike Gold

10 pages

Grimjack wakes up. Cracker is standing nearby. They talk and then Gaunt heads to Cadre headquarters. Gaunt used to work for the Cadre organization but now he suspects them of being the ones behind the vampire.

Grimjack’s hunch turns out to be fairly close to the truth. Mayfair, his old boss, tries to kill him after they talk about the vampire. Grimjack escapes by jumping out of a window. He avoids falling to his death thanks to a mini grappling hook. 

Gaunt turns to Roscoe, his old partner on the trans-dimensional police, for some help in finding the answers he needs. Roscoe points him in the direction of Pdwyr, a dimension that is currently in sync with Cynosure. 

Batman: Holy Terror

Batman: Holy Terror

1991

Holy Terror

by Alan Brennert, Norm Breyfogle, Lovern Kindzierski, Bill Oakley

Bruce Wayne grows up in Gotham Towne in the American Commonwealth. He is getting ready to enter the priesthood when Inquisitor James Gordon tells him that the murder of his parents (decades before) was not a random act of violence. Bruce goes ahead with his plan to enter the priesthood after learning more about it from Doctor Charles McNider. 

Bruce uses his connections to infiltrate one of the Church’s most secret buildings in the hopes of learning more. Dressed as the Batman, Bruce finds much more than he expected. 

Fantastic Four 213

Fantastic Four 213

Dec 1979

In Final Battle!

by Marv Wolfman, John Byrne, Joe Sinnott, John Costanza, Ben Sean

Terrax attacks the Thing, Mr. Fantastic, and the Human Torch. The Thing is knocked out of the fight. HERBIE takes him back to the Baxter building and puts him in cryogenic sleep next to the Invisible Woman. The Human Torch brings an end to the fight when he coats Terrax in liquid oxygen.

Galactus and the Sphinx continue their fight in the desert of  Egypt. Galactus ultimately prevails and reduces the Sphinx back to the level of a mortal. 

Grimjack in Starslayer 14

Starslayer 14

Mar 1984

Buried Past - Chapter Three

by John Ostrander, Timothy Truman, John Workman, Janice Cohen, Mike Gold

8 pages

Grimjack exposes Miranda Mastenbrook to her father for what she has become, a vampire. Grimjack kills her after she freaks out and turns into a human-sized bat-like creature. Grimjack, absorbed in his own thoughts as he leaves the Mastenbrook home, is clubbed from behind by another vampire.

Thoughts

Good read. It would probably make more sense to read this story in one bite but I am enjoying the slower approach. 

Terry and the Pirates (33.A)

Vol. 5: 1943-1944

By Milton Caniff

 

Corkin’s Alley

May 21 - Oct 24, 1944

This is the seventh of twelve stories in what Carl Horak, author of the Terry and the Pirates Companion, considers to be the fourth era of Caniff’s run on the strip. This era began in late Jan 1942 and ran through early Nov 1945 and is called The War Years 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 following arcs:

48 - "Jungle Monkeyshines" (5/20/44 to 7/24/44)

49 - "Honor Among Correspondents" (7/25/44 to 10/24/44)

12/19/23

May 21, 1944 - Terry and Burma and the others arrive back at the base where Terry and Flip were temporarily stationed. Terry gets new orders and Burma disappears while Terry has his back turned.

Is that it for Burma for now or forever? Not sure. 

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

1989

Gotham by Gaslight

by Brian Augustyn, Michael Mignola, P. Craig Russell, David Hornung, John Workman, Mark Waid

Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham in 1889 after traveling abroad for five years. Jack the Ripper moves from London to Gotham and starts murdering women in Gotham just as Bruce is getting settled back in at Wayne Manor. Gotham Police Commissioner Tolliver at first suspects that the Bat-Man must be the murderer. The investigation ends after a bloody knife is found at Wayne Manor.

Bruce Wayne is arrested. He is put on trial, found guilty, and sentenced to be hung. He attempts to solve the crime from his jail cell in Arkham Asylum, without success. Bruce escapes from Arkham, with some help from Alfred, and solves the mystery dressed as the Bat-Man. 

Werewolf by Night 12

Werewolf by Night 12

Dec 1973

Cry Werewolf!

by Marv Wolfman, Gil Kane, Don Perlin, Tom Orzechowski, Linda Lessmann, Roy Thomas

The Werewolf escapes from the Hangman’s noose. The Werewolf and the Hangman continue to fight until a police officer shows up. The police officer is about to open fire on them but Lissa bumps into him giving them enough time to escape. Jack returns home to his apartment where he has brief encounters with some of his neighbors.

The Hangman returns to his lair where his numerous captives are chained up or locked in jail cells.