Spider-Man battles the Prodigy, an alien villain who is promoting misinformation to trap America’s teens with unplanned pregnancies. While just a so-so as a Spider-Man story, the Planned Parenthood giveaway by Ann Robinson, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito is a telling historical relic.
READThis debut issue of Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch features some morally mixed-up tales. But the real appeal comes from the back-up text feature’s illustrations, drawn by a young John Byrne.
READMarvel characters decorate puzzles, mazes and other time-wasters. Some are easy, but others require deep geek knowledge. Canadian Comic Book Hall of Famer Owen McCarron oversees the trickery.
READSuperman and a depowered Wonder Woman are swept into the future as a mechanical being tries to save the past. A dated lead story by the creative team of Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella falls short of the gorgeous Neal Adams cover, while a pair of reprints offer little added value.
READTragg has to save a Sky God defector from her own people – and from a monstrous “devil shark.” A lack of back story makes this tale from Don Glut and Dan Spiegle a tough nut to crack.
READThe Northern Light doesn’t take kindly to Conquermind, a powerful alien overseeing a school field trip to Earth. It’s a game effort by James Waley and Jim Craig, but ultimately not ready for prime time.
READA local police chief wants the Brute dead. Wait. No. No, he doesn’t. Oh. Stop. Yes, he does. Also: supervillain. This final issue is a mess of stereotypes masquerading as a story, from the team of Gary Friedrich, Alan Weiss and Jack Abel.
READTigra recruits the Thing’s help in her battle against a “null-band”-empowered villain known as the Cougar. An utterly average, mid-Bronze-Age outing from the creative team of Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema and Don Heck.
READUlysses Solomon “U.S.” Archer sets out with his CB-radio skull replacement and souped-up eighteen-wheeler to hunt down the maniacal Highwayman. This debut issue from Al Milgrom and Herb Trimpe isn’t as full-out awful as one might expect.
READDisco singer Alison Blaire teams with superheroes, tries to find a job and wins a sing-off against the Enchantress. Not the historic stinker some recall, but this debut issue by Tom DeFalco, John Romita Jr. and Alfredo Alcala isn’t very good, either.
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