Check out this terrific cover for Wonder Woman #611 (DC Comics)

I love this alternate cover for the May 2011 issue of Wonder Woman #611 by artist Alex Garner, but I don't buy books solely for the cover. That's too bad! If Garner was doing the interiors, this cover would have sold me on the book, no question.

The Red Panther in "The Pitch-Blend Idol" & "The Ant Woman" (Fiction House;1940)

The Red Panther strikes twice today in back-to-back stories from Jungle Comics #4 (Apr. 1940) and Jungle Comics #5 (May 1940); originally published by Fiction House. The stories are credited to ["Taylor Martin"] on the splash pages, but Arthur Peddy is the actual artist on both of these short adventure tales. Neither had an official title, so I've christened them appropriately enough.

Admittedly, this is pretty standard stuff from the golden age, but it's still fun in and of itself. The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for these stories. Note: The copyright for both issues, all contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or the creators and are reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

Science Fiction/Double Feature Presents: Asteroid Treasure (Ziff-Davis;1951)

This week we close out issue #4 of Amazing Adventures (Jul-Aug 1951); originally published by Ziff-Davis. Captain Bright and his old pal, Gaffy, save a damsel in distress and then jet off in search of a little "Asteroid Treasure" in a finely rendered tale at least partially illustrated by Mort Meskin (credited as inker in the GCD). The second nifty feature today is the single page filler piece "Moon Theory." Come on back next Saturday for the penultimate issue of this fun silver age series. Enjoy!

"Gal" Friday! Rachel Bilson

Today is my 49th birthday, so I selected a random cutie from the dust bin in honor of myself. The only criteria that I established was a high degree of femininity, an apparent "girlishness" factor, and preferably brunette.

Rachel Bilson is well-known for playing Summer Roberts on the drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film, The Last Kiss and then co-starred in the "so-so" 2008 science fiction film, Jumper (which is where I know her from).

With all of this years superhero movies on the cusp of hitting theaters, I would like to say that I always thought that Bilson would be a great choice to play Donna Troy/Wonder Girl, if Warner Bro's could somehow avoid any of their politically correct rebooted Teen Titans and stick with the original quintet of Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Speedy and Wonder Girl. As good as the 1980's New Teen Titans were by Wolfman & Perez, the classic grouping would be nice, and it might appeal to the right advertising age-demographic, of course one of Will Smith's kids would have to be shoehorned in these days, but that's somebody else's version. Not mine!

Before you ask, the only concession that I would willingly make would be to have Bilson in Troy's second, full-body red costume with the stars, rather than the Wonder Woman hot pants variation.

Jungleman in “The Indochina Air Raid” and “Trapped By Poachers” (Harvey;1941/1942)

Jungleman first made an appearance in the Catacombs about a year ago. Since he's been gone so long, and since these twin adventures are only four pages from start-to-finish, I'm giving you two golden age Harvey Comics stories today. He looks a bit like actor Elmo Lincoln in the first silent Tarzan film.

“The Indochina Air Raid” is from Champ Comics #14 (Jul.1941), with art by Mort Leav (as Stanley Maxwell), in which Jungleman is in far Cambodia battling against the Japanese. "Trapped By Poachers” is from Champ Comics #17 (Feb.1942), with art by Stan Zuckerberg. This is the very last appearance of Jungleman; and also this tales villains, Harve & Paul, due to their sudden violent death. Dig that awesome last page panel with the river croc!

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or the creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

Rayboy's Review: Adventure Comics #523

Former DC Comics Vice President and former Legion of Super-Heroes writer Paul Levitz kicks things up in the 31st Century for a second consecutive week in Adventure Comics #523, from DC Comics.

Joining Levitz on art duties is the "super" team of penciller Phil Jimenez and inker Andy Lanning. For $2.99 you get twenty wonderfully illustrated pages that live up to the high water mark established by past Legion artists Swan, Cockrum, Grell and some guy called Giffen. There were others of course, but the nice work by Jimenez adds a hefty push to DC's upsurge in Legion activity on this book.

The Legion Academy begins its run by introducing a new group of potential candidates for the main team. Gravity Lad, Chemical Kid, Comet Queen, Variable Lad, Dragonwing and Glorith are a mixed bag of characters. Some are truly brand new, but at least a couple of them seem to incorporate elements from Legion history, and that is not a bad thing for readers of all stripes. It is also great seeing the established supporting cast members on hand who will serve as mentors or instructors to this group of wannabes. Bouncing Boy, Night Girl, Duo Damsel and a few others will certainly help whip these youngsters into shape for the perils that lie ahead. (Hint) For longtime Legion fans, look for an early cameo by a pair of classic Legionnaires.

I actually don't mind receiving the slightly reduced page count, if that's what it takes to get the reduced cover price in DC's "Drawing the Line" campaign, but shoehorning in four pages of "Road to Flashpoint" previews somewhat defeats the purpose of shortening the main story sequence in my estimation. That is four pages wasted on something I have no interest in, at the expense of more Jimenez Legion artwork. I mean somebody gets paid for drawing those Flash pages, and this is a Legion book after all, so come on DC. Cut this kind of bullshit out! Take the example of last weeks Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 as a better way to utilize the remaining page count. Use those four pages for guest pin-ups or features related to this series. You've already hawked Flashpoint all over the map as it is.

End of rant!

This is an excellent jumping on point for Adventure Comics, and while Jimenez is around, the 31st Century will definitely be worth visiting. Recommended!

Samar in "The Valley of Giants" (Quality;1940)

Samar, Lord of the Jungle made his Catacombs debut in three back-to-back tales last November. He returns today in "The Valley of Giants" from Feature Comics #39 (Dec.1940); originally published by Quality Comics.

Female photographer Pat West and her driver, Buck are in search of said valley, when Samar literally drops in and prevents the clueless pair from driving into an impending pit. After failing to talk the feisty lass out of her foray into the hidden valley of the title (and its many terrors), Samar conveniently joins up as her guide. This classic tale offers a surprising twist on the giant ape genre, so enjoy artist Maurice Gutwirth's fun-filled golden age adventure and thanks for stopping by.

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Science Fiction/Double Feature Presents: Death's Double (Ziff-Davis;1951)

It seems like it was only last Saturday that we were....oh, never mind (bad joke). The golden age run of Amazing Adventures #4 (Jul-Aug 1951); originally published by Ziff-Davis continues today with "Death's Double" illustrated by Paul Parker.

This one may appear slightly like a refugee from a 1950's romance comic melodrama, but it still squeeks (barely) onto the sci-fi bill, alongside our second single-page, bonus feature, Amazing Prophecies.

See you on the next pass & enjoy!

"Gal" Friday! Tina Wallman

I often come across (um, pun intended) a chick that is so smoking hot that even her chosen field of endeavor doesn't rattle me. I don't play cards, but odds suggest you too will appreciate this weeks "Gal" Friday pick.

Tina Wallman was born January 28th, 1981 in Melbourne, Australia and is known as the "Queen of Hearts" and she is also the spokes model for Carbon Poker. Tina is finally becoming known in North America appearing in many magazines and websites. She was raised in Sydney.

Aussie accent. Check! Sultry & sensuous brunette. Check! Tight curves & saucy rack. Check! (I am so there!)

Just for shits & giggles, I recently wandered into the largest local redneck bar, bought a round for the house, and maliciously started a rumor that the lovely Tina much preferred traditional Southern men. I further added that everyone attached to her within the world of Poker, was trying to break her of this highly prized and desired personal predilection. I then dared ever woolly man present to defend this poor lass and bring her home to me at the first opportunity, for a crisp $100,000 bill (replica; who's to know).

Only time will tell.....

Rayboy's Review: Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 (DC Comics)

Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 is a tour de force standalone issue that reunites two legendary Legion creators, writer Paul Levitz and co-plotter/artist Keith Giffen, for an oversized story that effectively showcases what an “annual” really ought to look like. Folks this is also what an annual event is supposed to be like. Highly recommended!

Another innocent victim becomes possessed by the Eye of Ekron and is transformed into the new Emerald Empress on the planet of Orando in “Here Eye Am”. After assuming control of Sensor Girls home world, the first order of business for this Empress is to snatch a passing Legion cruiser out of space. Not the best of luck for vacationing lovers, Lightning Lass and Shrinking Violet, who are hard pressed to stop this powerful villain from wreaking more havoc on the planet and its population. Of course, the Eye itself isn’t satisfied toying with a single pair of Legionnaires, and the alien device allows a signal to leak out in order to entice more members to head for Orando. No surprise, that Sensor Girl is among the group to respond.

Rather than spoil major elements of this newly released special issue, I will just encourage fans of the Legion to pick this up and to easily suggest that any fan of superheroes would probably enjoy this book too. Giffen’s art style has returned to its original (1970’s) Jack Kirby-inspired roots and that is a welcome thing – at least to me – and for my money ($4.99) this is the first true indicator that writer Levitz has ably returned to his Legion roots in fine form. I’m sorry, but the ongoing Legion title that Levitz writes is badly marred by having an inferior artist work on the book, I gave it a try for a couple of issues, but to keep me coming back regularly, a series has to have both a high quality writer & artist. This annual is much more akin to what I would be amenable to buying as a lifelong fan of the Legion of Super-Heroes. It’s too bad that Giffen is moving on to another DC series, but there are hints at the conclusion of this annual that could be picked up on down the road, so perhaps these two classic creators will join forces on the LSH once more.

As an added treat for fans, the annual offers a few special back-up features that – again – mimic the kinds of extras that used to be common in such specials. Brian Douglas Ahern provides humorous artwork for a fun four-page strip called "Legion History: The Board Game" which gives a brief overview of past Legion storylines. There is also a two-page "Legion A to Z" featurette and a nice double page teaser ad for an upcoming (March) one-shot focusing on the classic Legion of Super-Villains lineup.

Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 is an awesome throwback to when annuals had big storylines that couldn't fit into the main series, but still had relevance. This may be the most fun book that DC has published in quite a while.

From the Dust Bin: Legion of 3 Worlds

Following a career of unsuccessful attempts to erase Superman from history, the villainous Time Trapper plucks Superboy-Prime from the time stream and drops him in 31st Century Smallville. Enraged to discover his minimal impact on history, Superboy-Prime breaks all of the Legion's villains out of Takron-Galtos and leads them as a massive new Legion of Super-Villains in a bid to destroy everything that Superman has inspired, including the Legion of Super-Heroes and the United Planets. The villains quickly travel to Sorcerer's World to recruit Mordru before continuing on to Earth, killing current Green Lantern Rond Vidar in the process. The Time Trapper also witnesses the assassination of original Legion financier, RJ Brande.

The Legion of Super-Heroes, who are devastated by Brande's death, summon Superman from the past to assist them. Superman leads the Legion into battle against the escapees from Takron-Galtos. Brainiac 5, having been forewarned of Superboy-Prime's invasion by Dream Girl's premonition, sets in motion a contingency plan that involves recruiting three of Superboy-Prime's biggest foes.

Mon-El and Shadow Lass return Rond Vidar's body to Oa, and they recruit Superboy-Prime's nemesis, the immortal Sodam Yat (the last remaining Guardian of the Universe), into the war. Three Legionnaires are sent back to 20th century Smallville to retrieve a strand of hair from a young Lex Luthor and former member, Starman recovers a body from a grave in the 21st Century. Brainiac 5 visits the Justice League's old headquarters and uses their "Multiverse nexus crystal ball" to summon the Legions from two parallel universes, most of whom join the main battle against the Legion of Super-Villains.

Brainiac 5, with the help of his own counterparts, uses a lightning rod, plus XS running on a Cosmic Treadmill (powered by the various incarnations of the Ranzz twins) to resurrect Bart Allen aka Kid Flash from the Speed Force. The team of Legionnaires recently sent back in time had used the lightning rod to "bottle up" Bart's essence before his death at the hands of the Flash Rogues Gallery.

As Kid Flash joins the battle against Superboy-Prime, Brainiac 5 and his team travel to Superman's Fortress of Solitude to enact the final phase of his plan. Using a Kryptonian healing chrysalis buried under the ice 1000 years earlier by Starman in the 21st Century, they place Lex Luthor's hair into the chrysalis and the device resurrects Conner Kent, (a.k.a Superboy) who attacks his murderer, Superboy-Prime.

Meanwhile, Superman and the three Legion founders (Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy) are forcefully removed from the battle and taken to the end of time by the Time Trapper, who is now revealed as an aged Superboy-Prime. He states that he became an anomaly that could not be killed after being shunted into the Multiverse by the Guardians of the Universe, and thus became the sole survivor of all creation. The founding Legionnaires use the Time Trapper's own time portals to summon multiple versions of the Legion from across the Multiverse, who manage to knockout the Trapper.

The three Legionnaires and Superman return to the 31st century with a recovering Time Trapper, who faces his younger self. Refusing to accept the older version as his future self, Superboy-Prime punches his future self, causing both of them to vanish. The three Brainiac 5’s reveal that the Time Trapper that the Legion knew no longer exists as the future was reset when Superboy-Prime punched his elder self.

After the battle is over, the Legion, whose universe was lost in the Infinite Crisis, decide to travel the Multiverse seeking other lost survivors, with team member Ferro renaming this group as the new Wanderers. XS and Gates stay behind and join the original Legion of Super-heroes. Brainiac 5 reveals to the "third" Legion that they were from Earth-Prime (Superboy-Prime's homeworld). The two Legions depart, even as Superman returns to the 21st Century with Conner Kent and Kid Flash.

The epilogue reveals an apparently powerless Superboy-Prime awakening on a reborn Earth-Prime. Reunited with his parents and his girlfriend Lori, who are horrified by what he's become, having just read all the comic books he had appeared in since "Crisis on Infinite Earths".

This 2008 "Final Crisis" tie-in mini-series was written by Geoff Johns, and illustrated by George "everything plus the kitchen sink" Perez and Scott Koblish.