When it comes to this blog, while I do enjoy talking about comics starring more famous characters, and I am a big ol' Marvel head, I also enjoy DC's books too. Also, like with Marvel, I am fond of DC's obscure and lesser-known characters. Among such characters would be members of the group known as the Outsiders.
This group has graced this blog before, in my review of Batman and the Outsiders #15 (November 1984). The group was originally formed by Batman after the Justice League of America refused to intervene in the war-torn country of Markovia. While the group has had a couple of series over the years, in fact former Teen Titans members Nightwing, Starfire, and Arsenal have been members, the original 1980s incarnation (Geo-Force, Looker, Black Lightning, Katana, Metamorpho, Halo) is arguably the most famous.
The cover is a Jim Aparo piece.
"Cha$ing the Dollar!"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Jim Aparo
Inker: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Unknown
Editor: Mike W. Barr
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano
Our story begins in the skies over the Atlantic Ocean. These skies are being crossed by three aircraft. Each of these aircraft have their own passengers, and they all have their own agenda. The first plane contains a mysterious Russian spy/assassin named Zviad Baazovi, but most of the world knows him only as the "Bad Samaritan". He debuted in the last issue. Said Bad Samaritan has stolen some printing plates used to manufacture both American Dollars and the currency of the country of Markovia.
The second plane contains members of a group of heroes known as the Force of July. They want those plates back. and following both of those planes is the third, being ridden by our titular heroes. Like the Force of July, they want those plates returned to their rightful owners, as those plates could be used by the Samaritan to create convincing counterfeit cash.
The pilot of the Bad Samaritan's plane wonders where this mysterious man is going, as so far, the plane's course is leading nowhere. But all is explained in due time.
Page 2, Panel 2
The Samaritan is rendezvousing with a Soviet submarine (Remember this comic is from the 1980s. The Cold War was still a thing). The pilot no longer being useful to him, the spymaster gets rid of him with a bullet to the brain, then parachutes down to the sub. The Outsider born Emily "Lia" Briggs, but is known in the superhero set as Looker senses the pilot's death. The Outsiders are still too far away to get a fix on the plane.
That's not a problem the Force of July has. They spot the sub, only to get shot down.
That is also not a problem for the Force of July, as they manage to escape their downed plane...by the power of AMERICA (F YEAH!). The Outsiders manage to catch up. The Force of July are having an easy time dealing with the Russians, but it turns out this sub as a little trump card: A device called the Enervator.
Page 7, Panels 1-2
The machine manages to harm the Force, but the Outsiders arrive to provide some backup. In particular: Violet Harper/Halo, Prince Brion Markov/Geo-Force, and Looker. Major Victory, the Force's leader, is none-too-happy to see the Outsiders, but that gets tabled by another trump card: A robot.
Page 8, Panel 3
"This remake of Short Circuit is weeeeird." Seriously, how did they keep that thing in a sub? Either way, the robot proves to be too powerful for the Outsiders and the weakened Force. Geo-Force calls for the Outsiders to leave.
Halo points out that the Force will be left to the Russians' mercies. Geo-Force reminds her that if they're captured by the Russians as well, they can't help the Force or get those plates back. As the Outsiders flee, the Russians go to place the Force somewhere under heavy guard. Geo-Force, Halo, and Looker return to their craft. They know the sub will head back to Russia, so they need to pursue them. However, they need to make a stop at Geo-Force's home country of Markovia.
Upon arrival in the country, the Outsiders head to Castle Markovia. It's the home of the country's royal family, which Geo-Force is a member of. They're greeted by his brother and sister-in-law: King Gregor and Queen Ilona.
Page 10, Panel 7
The two see the Outsiders as saviors, thanks to the events of Adventures of the Outsiders #35. Brion tells Gregor that they couldn't retrieve the plates, so they have to go to Russia. They're going to need some fake IDs that'll stand up to Soviet scrutiny. It'll also be faster than waiting for the diplomats to get the plates back. In the meantime, Gregor decides to have some fun with his brother by offering to show the Outsiders some of Brion's baby pictures. Brion is understandably embarrassed by this.
The next morning, Brion is visited by Lia.
Page 12, Panel 4
"Brion, you HAVE to come down here! The breakfast buffet is AWESOME!" She wants to know if Brion will escort her to a dinner the modeling agency she works for in her civilian time is holding next week. It likely will be fun. After all, there's opportunities to build business contacts, dancing, and most importantly, free food. Mmmm, free food...
Brion points out that Lia is still married, even if she thinks it's only on paper. Brion tells her he still can't because he is the leader of the Outsiders, and he must maintain a sort of distance from his teammates to do the job. Yeah, Brion and Lia would go on to have a brief affair while on the team together, but they broke it off for the sake of their significant others at the time. The group arrive in Russia, where a contact of Brion's alerts him to where the Force of July is being held.
Page 15, Panel 1
This military base outside of Leningrad is known as "Lenin's Office". Because nobody could come up with a better one. Our heroes fight their way into the base and manage to rescue the Force of July. Despite this, the Force are still not happy to see them there. The two teams reluctantly join forces, sniping at each other the whole time. The battle is ended by someone making it rain. As in, rain money.
So, what's the big idea. Well, it was done to get the heroes' attention.
Page 19, Panel 6
Yes, ol' Mikhail Gorbachev himself. Remember, this was the 1980s. Major Victory wants to kill him as he's the then-Soviet premier and Major Victory is way too "rah-rah U-S-A", but Brion just tells him it would cause a war and that he should also shut his big talk hole.
Gorbachev happily hands the plates back to the American heroes, which understandably confuses them. Gorby points out that as much that the Soviet Union would love to see America's economy collapse, it could end up taking the rest of the world with it, which may cause even bigger problems. A funny statement in hindsight considering the fate of the Soviet Union only a few short years later in real life.
The Bad Samaritan is not happy with this, being all like, "Hey! I worked hard to make off with those plates!" Gorby assures him that it was a test, and he passed it with flying colors. 👍 He allows the heroes to leave. As they do so, Gorby proposes the idea of a team of Soviet super-agents. After all, they did get plenty of data from their examinations of the Force of July, and America has a boatload of superheroes. Why can't the Soviets?
We also get a backup story focused on Metamorpho!
"The Gold Standard"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Joe Staton
Inker: Joe Staton
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Mike W. Barr
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano
This story begins with Simon Stagg showing his daughter Sapphire and son-in-law Rex "Metamorpho" Mason around the newest Stagg Enterprises plant. Sapphire sneezes, and Rex takes her temperature with a thermometer.
Page 1, Panel 4
Keep that thermometer in your brain, folks. It'll come into play later.
Lurking nearby is Java, Simon Stagg's caveman servant. Yes, an actual Neanderthal servant.
Java's in love with Sapphire, and laments that she is not only aware of his feelings, but she loves Rex. Stagg takes Rex and Sapphire to a lab that is being attended by Dr. Bensen Berner (get it?).
Page 2, Panel 5
Berner, in his stereotypical "German scientist" accent, announces the matter transmitter he's been working on is ready for a test run. Berner puts a bar of lead and a bar of gold in the machine. The machine seemingly duplicates the properties of the gold bar and alters said properties of the lead bar. Basically, it turned lead into gold.
The two janitors, Hugo and Bruno Thugg (Yeah, that's not an obvious bad guy surname 😒) overhear this and get an idea.
They figure if they can nab to newly-created gold bar, they can get rich, and live the sweet life forever. Unfortunately, the two wannabe-criminals didn't hear the part where Berner points out that the transformation is temporary. The gold bar eventually changes back into lead. Still, it's a step forward.
That night, Rex takes Sapphire home when he hears an alarm. He goes to check it out, and finds the Thugg brothers looking for the gold bar. Metamorpho fights the brothers, and Hugo starts a fire to distract him. This allows him to blast the Element Man with the transmutation ray, turning him into gold.
Page 6, Panels 4-5
Sapphire pulls the thermometer (remember that) from her purse and tosses it on the gold bar that was used to turn Rex into gold. The mercury in the thermometer helps free Rex, and he takes down the Thuggs with a dose of nitrous oxide, aka laughing gas. The backup tale ends with our hero taking Sapphire home so she can rest and get plenty of TLC.
What I especially liked about this issue is the nice character touches, like Looker and Geo-Force's attraction to each other of the glare Katana shoots at Looker when she approves of Halo wearing the stereotypical spy trenchcoat and hat (Katana was Halo's legal guardian at the time, and was a rather strict one compared to the more free-spirited Looker).
The backup tale is an enjoyable, silly, and fun little short story. It feels like it came straight out of the Silver Age, with Joe Staton provide some great cartoony art.
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