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Deus novus ex machina - Justice League of America #185

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Darkseid Rising Justice League of America #185 Cover Date:  December 1980 Released:  11th September 1980 We start with both a full and two-page splash of Metron summing up the last issue, the Boom Tube apparently allowing them to see current events going on throughout Apokolips. We then get Darkseid himself shows up in the Fortress that Batman, Huntress and Mr Miracle were learning his plans. Apparently being stranded in the astral plane has hardened Darkseid to weakness in life, though not family as he locks the Injustice League in the dread Chamber 13 for harming his son Orion. Though he doesn't care enough to thaw him out, Icicle having frozen them in a giant block of ice. Firestar flame being out in the block of ice is a nice touch as well. We then get the three active heroes attacking the guards dragging the ice block away before we cut to the next scene.  We then get Dr Fate, Hal Lantern, High Father and Oberon in a brief fight with Parademons. Mostly its for High F...

Ride of the (mini) Valkyries - Justice League of America #184

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Apokolips Now Justice League of America #184 Cover Date:  November 1980 Released:  14th August 1980 A very pop art opening splash page reminds us that we're on Apokolips where Darkseid is being raised from his trapping in the Source Wall. We then get another splash page of Darkseid before we're right into the action with Power Girl, Firestorm and Orion attacking the Injustice Society. For once the fight goes pretty well for our heroes, with most of the bad guys getting taken down pretty quickly. And for once Kara gets some great moments, including to frame of both her and Orion attacking Icicle from different angels as he says "Oh no!" at both, only for them both to go "Oh yes!". We also get a frame of her flirting? or just bantering with Firestorm that's he's being "cute". Alas, the Fiddler plays a tune and the heroes see their worst fears, which for Power Girl is being tickled by lasers of something. Meanwhile, Superman, Wonder Woman and ...

Apokolips Rising! - Justice League of America #183

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Where Have All the New Gods Gone? Justice League of America #183 Cover Date:  October 1980 Released:  10th July 1980 Welcome to the 80s! It's been almost a year since the last time Power Girl appeared, it won't be the longest gap between appearances (by a long shot) but it is the first break that happened. Though to be fair, both All-Star Comics and Adventure was both bi-monthly so it wasn't a constant thing month to month. Still, Kara will now have an almost constant run right the way through the eighties. After our one page summary of Earth-1 and Earth-2, we get a glorious two-page splash of the two teams arriving on what happens to be New Genesis. We then get this weird page where Supes explains to Power Girl how he feels a misfit on Earth, but here on New Genesis, he feels among equals. The bit I do get is that he stays on Earth because it's his responsibility to help protect humanity. Obviously feeling left out, Wonder Woman goes on a mini-rant about the only god s...

Keep politics out of my comics! - Adventure Comics #466

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The Defeat of the Justice Society Adventure Comics #466 Cover Dated: November / December 1979 Released: 23rd August 1979 If there's any need to how well Kara and Helena work well this is the last appearance of the JSA, apart from crossovers, they're the only members of the modern JSA to appear in this issue. Even then it's only a few pages to connect the flashback story of the 1950s JSA. The issue starts with Kara bemusing that the full team only seems to come together for funerals and Helena comments how alien Power Girl is by pointing out how the JSA is basically a found family, though obviously, the actual term wasn't in common use yet. She then challenges Kara to a race down the stair who accepts even though she expects to win with superspeed, she even runs down at half speed she's so confident. But Helena is a Wayne and hence already has a plan, jumping down the stairway and allowing gravity to speed her to victory! At the bottom of the stair, where for the tw...

J'Accuse - Justice League of America #172

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  I Accuse... Justice League of America #172 Cover Dated: November 1979 Released: 9th August 1979 We start with an amazing splash page that basically sums up the murder mystery aspects, someone on the JSA or JLA murdered Mister Terrific! A few pages later we get a fuller summary of the last issue, but Huntress no less, hammering home the tragedy of the whole thing. Helena is definitely showing she inherited her dad's detective chops here. Fate and the Lanterns lock the station down with magic and we're away with the mystery part of the story. Supes is obviously ahead of me as he puts Bruce and Helena on the case of working out who did the murder. And we get a real investigation here with the fact that Mr Terrific last words about someone being a traitor being fully examined, then an examination of the scene and evidence being recovered. I'm not sure you could work it all out from the clues but it's nice that they spend time going over the whole procedure of things. Hunt...

Satellite Meet Cute - Justice League of America #171

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The Murderer Among Us: Crisis Above Earth-One Justice League of America #171 Cover Dated: October 1979 Released: 5th July 1979   From the very splash page, we know what we're getting, a murder mystery in space! (I mean also the cover but you know what I mean). We then get to the classic one-page sum up of Earth-1 and Earth-2, with the two apparently having some kind of yearly meeting alongside saving the universe. It would explain how each other Earths knows about the other villains but they must be pretty tedious things. Luckily we miss the meeting and cut to the after-party and we have to talk about Zatana's outfit. When she joined ten issues ago in #161 she when from her classic suit to a catsuit and Dracula cape, along with her hair tied way up. It's one of those costumes that if I didn't know who it was I'd be perfectly fine, and to be honest I didn't recognize her until she was identified by Power Girl of all people. Oh, and it's not the costume of Ide...

5 - Adventure Comics #465

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Countdown to Disaster Adventure Comics #465 Cover Dated:  September / October 1979 Released:  21st June 1979 A capsule containing a deadly poison has been stolen from Gotham Hospital, at 5pm the gas will release killing thousands if not millions. At noon the JSA begin to look for the missing capsule, this story happens in real-time... 12:00 pm Flash, Green Lantern and Hawkman search the city to no avail. 2:30pm They learn from Police Commissioner O'Hara that a ransom for three million will be paid, though they swear to continue their search for the deadly capsule. 3:00pm Green Lantern, Flash and Hawkman track down and subdue Gotham thugs looking for a clue as to the identity of the blackmailers. So far there enquiries are fruitless. 3:14pm At the hospital Huntress, with the assistance of Power Girl (yay!) search the records room for clues. Showing the skill inherited from her father, the World Greatest detective, determines a possible suspect. A cleaner from the hospital that ...