“Yesterday’s” Comic> Captain Atom #85

“Yes, I’m here. Where are you?”

Captain Atom Vol. 2 #85

Charlton Comics Group (March, 1967)

Captain Atom: “Strings Of Punch And Jewlee”

WRITER: Dave Kaler

PENCILER: Ditko

INKER: Rocke Mastroerio

LETTERER: Herb Field

New Blue Beetle:

CONCEPT/ART: Steve Ditko

WRITER: Gary Friedrich

[Read along with me here]

In our main story the team of Punch and Jewlee are kidnapping scientists to steal their knowledge, selling it to the highest bidder. This unknowingly includes the supervillain Ghost in his alter ego. Captain Atom teams up with the heroine Nightshade, who can turn into a shadow form with a device on her belt. Cap is captured along with a scientist studying his new radiation protection while the tests have weakened him. Nightshade manages to track them down, and Ghost takes the opportunity to steal some of the other villains’ technology. Our heroes managed to defeat the villains they know about, but they swear revenge, as does that annoying reporter, and we’re teased that the Ghost will return.

What they got right: We’re told what we need to about Nightshade, who apparently has the same government boss as Captain Atom. Punch and Jewlee (being former puppeteers they adopted the famous puppets Punch and Judy into their designs, though Jewlee went for the pun) make for decent villains.

What they got wrong: Nobody cares about the annoying reporter. Two issues in and she has contributed nothing. Meanwhile, the convenience of just finding a floating chest with their gear is a huge flaw in Punch and Jewlee’s backstory.

Now for Blue Beetle back-up story. Ted swears he didn’t kill Dan Garrett (wait, if he’s buried under a bunch of rocks, what evidence do they have he’s dead?) and the cops have nothing to hold him on. Wondering if he should drop the Blue Beetle bit while on the hotseat, he gets an alert about a spy taking over an airliner. He manages to save the airliner, but the spy bails out to a waiting sub. Blue Beetle manages to damage the sub but is grabbed by a giant octopus, allowing the sub to escape.

This is not really a good showing for the Blue Beetle. I know he’s a rookie but he’s not even coming off as all that competent, and these back-ups are to sell the readers on this new Blue Beetle while continuing to tease about the fate of the old one. I’m not really impressed thus far.

What I think overall: I’ll be looking forward to coming back for more Captain Atom stories, but right now Fridays are in Blue Beetle mode, and Ted Kord is not really impressing me.