This was the first issue of DC SPECIAL to go all-new, and which signaled the end of reprint comics at DC for the time being. There’d still be a few stragglers, but from this point forward, virtually everything the company published in regular comic book form (and even in Treasury format) would be original material. I bought it at the 7-11 because I already liked Captain Comet from the pages of SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER VILLAINS, so i was happy to see him headlining in another book. His strange co-star, Tommy Tomorrow, I didn’t have any feeling for one way or the other.
One of the big themes throughout the 1970s in comic book publishing was that everybody was looking for the next trend, the next big hit. After the boom of the Batman TV Show-era of the 1960s, super heroes were seen as a genre that was on its last legs and might soon fade away. As a result, there was a sustained rush to find something new that would interest young audiences just as much. Barbarian comics, weird/mystery comics, newish western comics, movie adaptations and continuations, literary adaptations–all sorts of things were tried. As it turned out, super heroes still had plenty of life in them. But all of that explains why this particular issue of DC SPECIAL is devoted to Dinosaurs. Maybe this would be the new hot-button trend that would move units.
For all that, this is still a super hero comic, and it opens with a strange meteoroid tearing across the cosmos both in 1977 near the Justice League satellite and simultaneously in 2056 in deep space, where Tommy Tomorrow is returning from an assignment. The meteoroid tears a gash in the fabric of time and space, drawing Tommy’s craft into the past and also getting the attention of Hawkman and Captain Comet, who are hanging out on the JLA satellite on monitor duty. The meteoroid further makes its way back to 100,000,000 BC, and the rift it’s created allows the dinosaurs living in that era to pass into the present day of 1977.
Back in the past, the radiations from the downed meteoroid mutate one of the native dinosaurs into the advanced humanoid Tyrano Rex, who proclaims the rock from space to be his god. Recognizing that their craft has been pulled into the past, Tommy Tomorrow and the Doctor he was escorting to treat a desperate plague situation in the Vega system head out to try to locate the meteoroid and work out a way to get home. They cross paths with Tyrano Rex, who orders his dinosaur brethren to attack them. All Tommy has is a handgun, and its charge will be depleted eventually, but it’s enough to fend off their attackers.
In the present, Hawkman leaves Captain Comet to hold down the fort while he ventures forth to rescue civilians imperiled by the dinosaurs. Comet uses the JLA monitors to check in on how other heroes are doing around the globe, and sees Chronos in front of a huge time portal. Thinking him a fellow hero, Comet streaks to his aid, figuring that the portal must be where the dinosaurs are coming from. He and Chronos fight side-by-side, and Comet’s mental telepathy tells him that Chronos is no hero, and that he’s actually responsible for this whole situation. Comet goes to try to close the portal, but Chronos intercedes–he’s after the meteoroid, too,and needs the portal to remain open until he can retrieve it for himself.
Back in the past, Tommy and the Doctor run the gantlet of savage dinosaurs, making their way back to their ship. They’ve seen the portal on their side, and realize that it’s the key to getting back to their own era. They direct their ship to fly towards the portal, and scoop up the meteoroid as they pass it, to power their journey back to the present. Unfortunately, they also get Tyrano Rex, who clings to his god-rock even as it is stolen.
So it’s a dual race, as Tommy and the Doctor try to hold off Tyrano Rex until their ship can get back to the future, while the time-corridor is closing because of Captain Comet’s efforts in 1977. The end result is that the ship, the meteoroid and Tyrano Rex all wind up coming through the portal in 1977. Tyrano shouts his claim over the rock, which tees Chronos off, and as the time-thief tries to get it away from the intelligent dinosaur-man, his shots go awry and wind up pulverizing the meteor.
Unfortunately, this causes Tyrano Rex to revert to his original dinosaur state, right in the middle of the city. Tommy uses his space-gun to distract the beast so that Comet can get the drop on him, and then summoning all his power, hurl him back through the closing portal. Meanwhile, his prize now lost, Chronos attempts to sneak away, but Tommy gets the drop on him, and holds him for Captain Comet (who he recognizes from the history books.) And then, in a short epilogue set back on the JLA satellite, Superman shows up, ready to take Tommy and his ship back to 2056 in plenty of time to avert that outbreak of plague. Hawkman and Captain Comet even get in a bit of good-natured ribbing.
Writer Bob Rozakis also contributed an amusing text page outlining how the story and project came about. There was also an uncredited history of Tommy Tomorrow text feature that looks to me like it could have been done either by editor Paul Levitz or, again, Rozakis. Apparently, this issue didn’t sell particularly well, as there were no further dinosaur-themed specials, nor for that matter solo stories featuring either Captain Comet or Tommy Tomorrow, not for a good while.
It was shortly before Christmas 1976 that I picked up this issue of BATMAN FAMILY, the last issue of the series that would feature reprints. After this, new Publisher Jeanette Kahn’s dislike for reprinted material in ongoing titles would change the series to being all-new–a double-edged decision as far as i was concerned, as much of the reason I bought BATMAN FAMILY was for the classic reprints. But the times were changing.
The all-new lead in this particular issue was touted as the first full-length Batgirl solo story ever done. But it wasn’t really a solo tale at all, as writer Bob Rozakis took the opportunity to reintroduce Batwoman in this story. I knew who Batwoman was, had seen her in a couple of reprinted stories over the years, but this was her first new appearance in something like 13 years, which was an eternity to me at the age of 9. I’d guessing that Rozakis was motivated to bring Kathy Kane back based on those older stories as well as a liking for the character–he’d use her and her protege, the original Bat-Girl, a number of times in the next couple of years.
The story opens with the action already underway, as Batgirl grapples with a pair of classic Batman foes: Killer Moth (her first villain) and the Cavalier. But the tables are turned on the bad guy duo when Batwoman leaps into the fray, thus evening the odds. With that, Batgirl’s thoughts turn back to how this turn of events happened: after getting a fan letter suggesting that she herself should change her nomenclature to Batwoman, Batgirl was invited to the first anniversary of the Island of 1,000 Thrills that she and Robin had saved in a previous BATMAN FAMILY adventure.
On the way, she comes across the Cavalier in the midst of an attempted theft and easily dispatches him–he’s got an aversion to fighting women. Thereafter, at Dick Grayson’s suggestion, Barbara looks up Kathy Kane, an old friend of Dick’s and Bruce Wayne’s, and who unbeknownst to her was once Batwoman. The two incognito bat-ladies stroll after lunch, coming across another robbery in progress, this one being committed by Killer Moth. Barbara breaks away from Kathy in order to become Batgirl, and our story loops back around ti its beginning.
But the Cavalier seemingly grows to giant size, and he and Killer Moth escape. Batgirl dopes out that he’s using the illusion-casting apparatus of the Isle of 1,000 Thrills to make it seem like he’s a giant, and so forewarned, is in position to foil their next heist, an attempted hijack of a vintage Ironside ship. Making excuses to one another Barbara and Kathy become their Bat-selves, accidentally revealing their true identities to one another in the process.
From there, it’s action, action, action as the two crime-fighters beat the pants off of Killer Moth and the Cavalier. And in the wrap-up, Kathy declares her intention to remain retired and passes her mantle over to Barbara. but Barbara refuses it, saying that she intends to remain as Batgirl after all. And so this inconsequential story (a term I find I’m using for a lot of these entries lately) reaches its end. Not much happens apart from a bunch of fights, but it’s fun enough anyway, especially in seeing the two Bat-ladies compare stories.
The two reprints this time out are both Robin-centric, so as to make up for his absence in the opening story. The first is a relatively early Batman story from 1943 in which the brother of Dick Grayson’s father and his new wife arrive at Wayne Manor to take Dick off of Bruce Wayne’s hands.They are, of course, criminals looking for a payout from Wayne–and when the Batman gets involved, they bring in a gangster friend to help take care of the Masked Manhunter. It’s a good story, the best bits of which show both Bruce and Dick expressing how strongly they feel about one another (in a strictly father-son way, don’t get any ideas, Dr. Wertham!)
The second reprint is a mystery story, in which a cocky young Freddy Loyd takes Robin’s place, learning Batman’s true identity in the process and forcing him to take Freddy on as a partner as a result. But this is all a game, a put-on on the part of Dick Grayson–he’s actually disguised himself as Freddy to see if he can fool Batman and Alfred. but he’s dismayed when the duo seems to prefer Freddy to his true self. Angrily unmasking in front of them, he’s surprised to learn that they had seen through his subterfuge and decided to play along and teach him a lesson. And a fine time was had by all.
I think this was probably my least-favorite issue of SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS. Gone was the overarching threat of Darkseid and his minions from Apocalypse, gone were many of the villains that I cared about and was interested in. Instead, what we got was for all intents and purposes an issue of CAPTAIN COMET. And I liked Captain Comet just fine, but this one was underwhelming. Maybe it was the inclusion of third-stringer Captain Stingaree, I don’t know.
The story opens with the launch of a space-boomerang ship. At the helm are Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, and Captain Stingaree–no idea how the first two hooked up with the last, no clue is given. But they’re on their way to take over a thinly-disguised version of Skylab way up in orbit, for reasons that are somewhat vague. But super-villains, you know, what are you gonna do? Chilling on the Justice League satellite with Hawkman, Captain Comet hears about the invasion of the nearby Space-Lab and flies to the rescue. Hawkman, of course, remains behind on “monitor duty”, that card that was often played in JLA adventures when you wanted to leave a potential guest-star on the bench.
Comet tackles the three villainous Captains, but is unable to prevent their escape, taking the commander of the Space-Lab with them. Returning to Earth, a dejected Captain Comet tries to reintegrate into civilian life in his Adam Blake identity, only to be taken for a mugger and clobbered by and old lady, and then picked up by what appears to be a streetwalker named Debbie. Debbie will be a strange character in the coming months, sometimes changing her name to Camille and clearly having a connection with Star Sapphire. But the switches in writers and the demise of the series prevented any of this from truly being explained.
The next day, the trio of Captains perform some piracy on the high seas, attacking the S.S. Sunset and making off with her Captain as their captive. These events are recounted on the evening news, where they’re viewed by a number of interested parties. First are the Wizard and Funky Flashman, who have been a running plotline these past few issues. The moment is really nothing more than reminding readers of who they are, as they play no further role in the proceedings. But at this point, Funky is both looking and sounding a bit more legitimately like Stan Lee.
The other spectators are Green Arrow and Black Canary, who are being visited by Captain Comet in Star City. When he last encountered the Captain Trio, his telepathy picked up an impression of Star City and so he figures it’s the criminals’ next target. Green Arrow is his typical abrasive self and refuses to help, but Black Canary goes all-in with Captain Comet. Good thing, too, as the three villains next attack Star Stadium, where they’re after the captain of the Star City team.
Captain Comet and Black Canary make the scene, and it becomes a free-for-all, one that also involves the players. Stingaree once again tries to use the captive football captain as a shield, but Comet isn’t having any of it and knocks him flat. But as they mop up, Comet’s telepathy picks up an impression of the other two captives of the villains, strapped to a giant metronome that lowers the temperature surrounding it with each passing tick. The two men are in dire jeopardy.
In order to save them, Comet uses his mental powers to slow down all of the machine-works in the area, giving Black Canary enough time to locate them. Which makes you wonder, if he can do such a profound thing, why doesn’t he use that ability in battle more often? But no matter. In the wrap-up, the heroes comment on the fact that the villains’ plan makes absolutely no sense, a moment of very strange self-awareness on the part of either scripter Bob Rozakis or the book’s new editor Jack C. Harris. And the issue closes out back with the Wizard and Funky watching the wrap-up, only to be interrupted by the return of Copperhead and his shadowy benefactor–who declares that he’s taking over the Secret Society! Who could he be? We’d need to wait for the next issue to find out.
