Random Reads: "Night Moves!" by Warner, Kraft, Slifer, Giffen, and Janson

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! One of the things I loved most about the Groovy Age of Comics was the freewheeling fun that flowed from the four colored pages of my fave mags. Take Defenders #47 (February 1977) f'rinstance. Now, this ish could have been just filler--a place-holder, and admittedly some of it is...but it's done with such panache ya just don't even notice once you crack the covers. "Night Moves!" was plotted by regular Defenders scribes David Kraft and Roger Slifer, scripted by John Warner, and illustrated by the sorta-regular art-team of Keith Giffen and Klaus Janson. How many folks does it take to make a 17 page comic? That many, baby! But when you look at all they've managed to jam into the ish--and still tell an coherent-yet-action-packed story--well, I dunno about you, but my mind boggles even 35 years later! I mean, for for three measly dimes you got: guest stars (Moon Knight and Wonder Man), a new costume for Valkyrie, downtime for Nighthawk and the Hulk, a sub-plot that ties directly to the action and main plot by the time you get to the end of the story, hero-on-hero action (in the Mighty Marvel Mixed-up Misunderstanding Manner), and some awesome art. Factor in the fact that your coming in on the second part of a multi-part epic, but you're provided with enough info that you don't feel lost, and you've got your typical Groovy Age comic. Those were indeed the days!