Makin’ Links # 54

When Atlas comics debuted in the mid-seventies, it promised innovative new strips. In fact, what were delivered were often note for note takes on existing strips from Marvel and DC. SAVAGE COMBAT TALES featuring SGT STRYKER’S DEATH SQUAD, for example, analogous to both DC’s SGT ROCK and Marvel’s SGT FURY but with the added benefit of being written by BLAZING COMBAT’s Archie Goodwin. Each of the three published issues had a nicely drawn back-up tale, also. Here’s Goodwin’s Aussie pilot WARHAWK with art by the great Alex Toth.
http://grantbridgestreet.blogspot.com/2009/11/warhawk-by-archie-goodwin-and-alex-toth.html
One cool thing (of so many) about sixties DC comics was that every once in awhile, they would publish a page showing the covers of comic books from foreign lands. Today, Bully takes up that mantle and shares a whole bunch of Mexican SUPERMAN covers in two seprarate pieces, often side by side with their American inspirations.
http://bullyscomics.blogspot.com/2009/11/im-on-mexican-whoa-oh-superman.html
http://bullyscomics.blogspot.com/2009/11/lose-your-load-leave-your-mind-behind.html
Pete Doree waxes nostalgic about the seventies version of BATMAN and then replays a fairly standard encounter with the Joker from one of the dollar comics of the period. Script is by Denny O’Neil who has as much claim to call the Dark Knight his own as Bob Kane ever did. At is the always reliable team of Irv Novick and Dick Giordano.
http://bronzeageofblogs.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-onell-kill-you-batman.html
In 1963, Gold Key published one single issue of FREEDOM AGENT, a bizarre sort of cold war/1950′s sci-fi James Bond drawn by workhorse artist Alberto Giolitti. The whole thing can be found here, complete with its trademark painted GK cover.
http://www.goldkeystories.com/2009/11/giant-makers.html

— booksteve

































