Action Comics Weekly PREVIEW (1988)

We open during a Davenport City Council meeting where a member of the Committee For Social Change has taken over the proceedings.  He is demanding Wild Dog be handed over to him for his crimes against their organization… otherwise, he’s going to start putting holes in members of the board.  The Quad-Cities Police Force already has the place surrounded.

Back inside the C.S.C. spokesman continues ranting… and gives Wild Dog thirty-minutes to appear, otherwise innocent blood is going to be on his hands.  Reporter, Susan King (who we met during the mini) is on-hand to cover the meeting… and isn’t quite sure how they’re going to get out of this one.

Well, it just so happens that at that very moment a maintenance man enters City Hall.  After bumping into a Civil Servant, he ducks away in a closet, where we learn that he is, in fact, Wild Dog!

Meanwhile the Police put their heads together over how to handle this present crisis.  Lieutenant Flint (at least I think that’s who this is) suggests maybe they just dress a dude up like Wild Dog… after all, his costume is pretty easy to replicate.  Well, he’s not wrong!

The point is, however… moot.  Wild Dog’s already locked and loaded as he approaches the Chambers… and proceeds to blow the C.S.C goons away!  It’s been a little while since I’ve read a Wild Dog story, so it’s a little shocking just how violent this fella gets!

We wrap up this chapter with Quad-Cities’ Finest rushing into the Chambers to discover the wake of Wild Dog’s latest endeavor… however, the man himself is nowhere to be found!

We open in Orsonville, where there is quite the heavy acid rainstorm going on… it’s literally melting the flesh off of the citizens!  Ya know, Acid Rain is up there with Quicksand on the list of things I was sure would impact my life in a profound way.  Anyhoo, we get a shot of the Technodyne Plant, which may or may not have anything to do with anything… but almost certainly does.  From here we shift scenes to this odd woodland mansion called “The Enchanted Forest” where Bert Convy tells all of the patrons that they’re going to be closed the following night for a private party.

After making the announcement he follows up with a couple of fellows (including original Secret Six member, Carlo di Rienzi) regarding some R.S.V.P.’s… and so, we’re about to meet some of the invitees.  Starting with Mr. King Savage… another original member of the Secret Six (they’re all going to be members of the original Secret Six, by the by).

Then, Lili de Neuve… an aged French film star.

Next, Crimson Dawn… which isn’t that red mark that Psylocke had on her face during the late 90’s, but yet another Secret Six veteran.  She is Kit Dawn-Langman, a model.

Then, Tiger Force… a beat-up old boxer, who appears to have trouble even signing his name… though, he tells a fan that he’s going to write a book one’a these days.

Off to August Durant, a former Physicist… now an old man reliant on pills to stay alive.  He quarrels with… I dunno, maybe his wife… before getting in the car.

Back at the Enchanted Castle, Bert Convy (actually a dude named Rafael) is pleased to hear that the gang’s all RSVPed… and hopefully, this will draw the mysterious Mockingbird out of the shadows as well.

We shift scenes to San Francisco, where a man is arriving for a “job interview”.  It’s ten o’clock at night, so he’s a bit suspicious.  Upon arrival, he meets five other people… including a woman in what appears to be a hockey mask.  Nobody comments that this is weird… so, whattayagonnado?

It’s quickly established that each of these folks have disabilities.  One’s blind, another’s deaf… one’s in a wheelchair, and as mentioned, one’s wearing a hockey mask.  They were all called here by a Mr. Byrd (hmm…) and none of them seem to be all that pleased.  In fact, a fight breaks out between them straight away!

They are then interrupted by a video monitor… it’s Mockingbird, who offers them each a new life they’d never dreamed possible… so long as they agree to be his new Secret Six!  We wrap up with a mention of an entire city having just been wiped out… going to assume that has something to do with the acid rain.

We open with Clark Kent stood atop the Daily Planet Building enjoying both the view and a beverage.  Among the voices he tunes into, he hears a man crying out for help.  Clark “supes up” and heads down to see what’s up.

Deadman heads into the back to check in on the Chief, and finds her wide awake.  A bit about “Guns for Drugs” for context… because the story itself is kind of light on that, and a quarter-century removed… it’s easy to get lost in.  During the 1980’s, the C.I.A. was allegedly involved with trading weapons for cocaine.  This was pretty timely when this story was written.  I hate linking to Wikipedia, but you could read more about it here.  Anyhoo, Deadman winds up face to face with the Chief, who looks like she’s checking the sight on her rifle.

The plane eventually lands on a small strip in Belize.  The Section Chief introduces herself to some locals… we learn that her name is Major Grace Kasaba.  The Central Americans are a bit disappointed Ronald Reagan himself didn’t show up, but, whattayagonnado?  Together, they head into the jungle and toward a Mayan Temple to do the thing.

Kasaba and Company run into an archaeologist who isn’t keen to the idea that they’re here.  He’s afraid they’ll wind up vandalizing the priceless ruins… and he’s probably right to feel that way.  This is, after all, kinduva war zone.  At this point, Deadman remembers that this whole thing was a trade of weapons for drugs… and decides to head back to the plane for some hocus-pocus.

Deadman takes control of the pilot of the rig, and… get this… calls into Dade International Airport in Florida to tell them to expect a plane full of cocaine!  They think it’s a gag… but he assures them he ain’t kidding around.  Deadman takes out the co-pilot, then diverts course from the clandestine airstrip in the Everglades to Miami-Dade.  Take a look at the “symbols” used to disguise the cursing here… never seen a swastika used before!

That boredom was short-lived, however… as just a year later there was some goings on in Vietnam that required their attention.  Fed up with French rule, the Viet Minh started a revolution.  Battles raged during the Winter of 1946/1947.  This brings us to “now” as we jump ahead to February, 1947…

… Where Janos Prohaska… Blackhawk is taking a bath in a Singaporean… uhh, cathouse (?) while reading the funnies in Stars and Stripes.  He’s rather displeased to learn that Milton Caniff had left Terry and the Pirates to start Steve Canyon… something Reggie and I briefly discussed during a recent Cosmic Treadmill After Dark!

Thanks for reading (if ya still are), and indulging me in checking this one out!

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