PROJECT SUPERPOWERS FRACTURED STATES #1 DYNAMITE
An energetic start but missing the usually huge cast of heroes we’ve grown accustom to seeing from the Project Superpowers series. We do get the death of the Flag but after that we get directly into the story. With Ron Marz and Andy Lanning’s dystopian future of 2052, our mystery man seems to make all the wrong moves. (Shame he had to open that door too quickly and not investigate his immediate surroundings!) We do know two things though. He was obviously a hero at some point and he knows the Black Terror. Aside from that, your guess is as good as his. Who is he, how did he get there, and how did he do … that? Not what I was expecting from a comic series that is usually overflowing with Golden Age greatness but what appears to be a solid story with good art by Emilio Utrera. I give it a 7 out of 10 Grahams.
ANOTHER BACK ISSUE BONANZA!
COULDN’T HELP BUT FLIP THROUGH A FEW BACK ISSUE BOXES AND STUMBLED ACROSS THE GEM FROM 50 YEARS AGO! WHILE TODAY’S COMICS ARE FINE, IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME TO PICK UP AN OCCASIONAL BACK ISSUE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO FIND!
PHANTOM STRANGER #20 (1969 series) DC COMICS
By the 1970’s, the Phantom Stranger had become a well rounded character with enough of a back story which kept him mysterous but was able to add a cast of secondary characters to expand the storylines. This issue, however, has the Stranger on his own delivering his sermons to the evil. As a Tibetian mont with connections to evil wizardry soon hear. Trying to place an imposter as the new High Lama for his own ends, our villain is met by the Phantom Stranger and a young man named Song. Bob Kangher’s story is translated by Len Wein and then turned over to the magnificent art stylings of Jim Aparo. And within 20 pages, the Phanton Stranger is fading away to his next assignment. This story exibits the eerie feel to the Phantom Stranger stories. With cryptic dialog and unique settings, this one really is on top of it’s game. Throw in a sort Dr. 13 hosted Twilight Zone-ish story and a few pages of a story from John Albano and art by Jack Sparling and you’ve got some old school creepy from DC. While this is filled with stndard plot points, it never-the-less does a good job and earns an 8 out of 10 Grahams. 
