Back Issue Bonus: Action Comics Weekly 623 (1988)

Cover - Brent Anderson

Initial Reactions

On first glance through the book, this is a Halloween-inspired issue.  In addition to some of our classic heroes like Green Lantern, Shazam!, and Superman, we also get Deadman and Phantom Stranger stories to add some great supernatural action in the issue.  Even though these stories are only 8 pages each, they tackle quite a few interesting topics that we can examine.  I will only be picking out the highlights, not every story will be referenced.

Highlights

Green Lantern:  Priest

Script, Plot, and Pencils - James Owsley & M.D. Bright, Inks - Jose Marzan, Colors - Tony Tollin, Letters - Albert De Guzman, Assistant Editor - Dan Raspler, Editor - Denny O'Neil

We open to see Hal running out of charge on his Lantern Ring.  He is picked up by an unknown alien that drags him to his planet.  Hal is dropped in the middle of a war between these another planet and their robots.  Hal is not of much use at this time, but in an effort to shield the inhabitants from a blast, he sees that a child has died.  This hits him hard, and even though he is not entirely sure why the conflict exists, he agrees to join in the fight.

What struck me the most about this story is how Hal deals with casualties.  He is not willing to accept the death of a child as merely collateral damage.  Hal surely has seen death as his time with the Lanterns to this point, but the death of a child is always difficult.  I think a key takeaway for us is to remember that all life is precious in God's eyes.  It does not matter what they look like, what they wear, or anything else, their life is special.

Shazam!:  My Week in Valhalla Chapter One

Writers - Roy and Dann Thomas, Penciller - Rick Stasi, Inker - Rick Magyar, Letterer - Jean Simek, Colorist - Nansi Hoolahan, Editor - Mike Gold

In this issue, Billy is really forced into a difficult situation because of one of the rescues made by his superhero alter-ego Captain Marvel.  He is able to thwart a very public murder attempt of a black guard by a group of neo-nazis called The Sons of Valhalla.  Captain Marvel was able to stop the bullet with his hand, but that caused the gun to backfire, killing the shooter. Billy decides to use his day job at WHIZ-TV to talk with the shooter's daughter and see if there is anything he can do to help.  She appreciates Billy's visit, and they try to brainstorm ways to stop this group before her brother joins up with them.  Our story ends with the daughter seeing a report about the incident, and becomes angry that Captain Marvel did not die along with her dad.

It is clear Billy feels awful for what happened.  He is struggling with the fact that he took a life, even though the person he killed had a horrific worldview.  I believe we can draw parallels to our own life through Billy's pain.  We have all done something that we regret, and we have to live with the consequences of our actions throughout our earthly life.  We do have a source of relief though, and that is in God.  If we come to Him with our sins and regrets, he WILL forgive us!  Does that mean our life all of a sudden get's better?  Not necessarily.  But our hope is in eternal life, something far greater than what we can even imagine.

Superman:  Revelations

Writer - Roger Stern, Penciller - Curt Swan, Inker - Murphy Anderson, Letterer - Bill Oakley, Colorist - Tom Ziuko, Editor - Mike Carlin

This is the shortest story in the entire book, but it has some clear religious parallels.  Our story consists of a meeting of "The Consortium", a group of business leaders who pooled together their resources to bring about a new golden age of man.  They have one obstacle, Superman.  It is here that their leader, who is referred to as Hodges, calls Superman a Beast of the Apocalypse.  He tells us that Superman has gathered a following, some have turned to consider him a God worth worshiping.  Another gentleman in the Consortium calls him the Anti-Christ prophesied long ago.  These men consider it their sacred duty to rid the world of Superman.

It would be very easy to see someone so morally just, strong, and courageous as Superman and consider him a deity.  I would venture to say Superman is either not aware of the cultists who worship at his statue, or he has tried to stop them before.  Just like anyone outside of our Creator, His Son, and the Holy Spirit, there are no other gods.  Superman would be the first person to tell you that he is just a mortal, who came from a different planet.  He is certainly not the Anti-Christ, though he will surely be a formidable foe for these men down the line.

The Phantom Stranger:  The Devil Was a Baby

Writer- Paul Kupperberg, Artist - Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Letterer - Dan McKinnon, Colorist - Petra Scotese, Editor - renee Witterstaetter

This is really the issue for me that hits home the Halloween vibe.  It is also the last story of the book.  A priest and a nun bring in a baby who was on their church's doorstep.  What they did not realize until it was too late, was that this baby was actually Satan.  Once this reveal happens, the entire town is possessed, and the baby goes on a rampage.  The Phantom Stranger tries to help the priest exorcise Satan, but is quickly overrun by the possessed.  On the last page, we see that the priest has overcome his fear, and strikes down the devil with the crucifix from the altar.

This is an interesting story that teaches us about faith.  I think Kupperberg is as clear as he can be in a secular book, that it was the priest's faith in God that helped him overcome his fear and strike down the devil.  He gives a great statement on the last page as he is about to slam the crucifix on the devil child, "You can kill us Satan, but you can't have us!"  This reminds me of the Old Testament book of Job.  God allowed Satan to test Job, taking everything from him but his life.  Throughout his life, Job stayed faithful to God in the midst of his pain and suffering.  While this story is quite a bit more macabre, I submit that it has a similar message.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this issue.  Due to its anthology format, we get a bunch of different stories with interesting glimpses into our lives through these magnificent characters.  Have you read this issue?  How do you feel about these messages laid out?  Should Hal join a war he did not start, or should Billy dwell on the death of the neo-nazi?  Let's continue the discussion, comment below and share this post with a friend!