Happy New Year's Eve, Groove-ophiles! We're continuing our tradition of sending the old year off with the finale of a comic we've been sharing during the waning year! This time we're going with our unfinished look at Black Orchid. We had three tales to go featuring our mysterious femme fatale, so here they come! Let it be known that these tiny yet titanic tales are Ol' Groove's "Happy New Year" to ya all! Written by Michael Fleisher (with script continuity by Russell Carley) with art by Fred Carillo, here's the wrap-up to the Groovy Age Black Orchid, with all the cool art and story twists and turns you'd expect! From Phanton Stranger #39 (July 1975) here's "The Legion of the Black Orchid!"
Followed by "The Black Orchid Conspiracy!" from Phantom Stranger #40 (September 1975)…
And here's the actual finale from Phantom Stranger #41 (November 1975)…
Happy 2019, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove'll be back with more surprises by and by and now and then. Until next time, make every day great!
Followed by "The Black Orchid Conspiracy!" from Phantom Stranger #40 (September 1975)…
And here's the actual finale from Phantom Stranger #41 (November 1975)…
Happy 2019, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove'll be back with more surprises by and by and now and then. Until next time, make every day great!
Robert Kanigher was the better scripted on this feature. Fleisher is surprisingly childish in this 3 parter. Perhaps the editors perceived that a younger audience was reading this title (even though the femmes all have 'painted on' costumes which leave little to the imagination).
ReplyDeleteAn interesting premise, but in the end just another tease. The reader does not get one iota closer to learning anything new about the main character.
>yawn<
Regards,
Chris A.
Correction: scripter (not scripted)
Deletewho cares about the writing, with that yummy Fred Carillo art!
ReplyDeleteThis whole storyline was recycled from a Dick Sprang era Batman adventure.Which was a shame as it rendered the Orchid as just another 'costumed crime fighter',in her earlier stories she had more mystery.
ReplyDeleteIt was the end of the line until the 1988 reboot, so I guess it didn't much matter.
ReplyDelete- Neil
Super-Friends did a sequel to this in #31 "How to Trap an Orchid." A good story that established Black Orchid is not a Kryptonian.
ReplyDeleteYou can see some of this 1980 story here:
ReplyDeletehttp://babblingsaboutdccomics.blogspot.com/2017/10/super-friends-31-black-orchid-meets.html?m=1
I really have appreciated this blog over the past year or two, apologies for lurking. I read the Gaiman / McKean reboot, but this has it's own charm that I really appreciate, and I would not have seen it otherwise. Thank you!
ReplyDeletei'm a lurker missing your posts, Groove. hope you're well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that 39. 40, and 41 were a letdown after the tease in 38, but I'd like to think Ronnie got her chance to be the Black Orchid some day.
ReplyDeleteWhat Dick Sprang story was recycled here?
Thanks!
The closest story I could find was "Collector of Millionaires" in Batman #19 from 1943. Not sure if this is the one our anonymous friend had in mind:
Deletehttps://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman_Vol_1_19
Regards,
Chris A.
This was the only series I recall having a "script continuity" credit. Is there a story behind this case?
ReplyDeleteCarley was an artist friend of Fleisher's who helped plot, not only the Black Orchid stories, but most of the Spectre stories and many of Fleisher's short stories in DC's anthology titles. According to Fleisher, Carley "was a fine artists..." and "...had a better visual sense..." of story, since Fleisher had only written prose up to that point he wasn't quite sure how to write the visual descriptions for his stories. He and Carley would plot the story together, then Carley would break the story down into panels, then Fleisher would write the script.
DeleteThat Fleisher/Carley credit also appeared in his House of Mystery scripts circa 1973-4.
DeleteRegards,
Chris A.
Not sure of the circumstances, but understand you are taking a VERY WELL DESERVED break. Until new post come along, I'm keeping busy mining the riches of past post and reading stories i've missed. Currently reading the complete Starfire. What a treasure trove you have provided for us over the years! Thank you from a longtime viewer and very infrequent commenter. Wishing you the best and hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark. Like the song says, "I'm alive and doin' fine!" Making comics of my own right now (you can check the Blue Moon Comics and Writer of Comics links at the top of the page to see how that's going, if you're interested). Here's the full explanation of why the Diversions is on auto-pilot... http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2018/11/approaching-3000.html
DeleteNice Work
ReplyDeleteAny upcoming blog entries? I miss your posts, & have been camping out over at Pete Doree's Bronze Age of Blogs for consolation.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Chris A.
Had no idea there were this many Orchid stories after the initial 3 in Adventure. Those 3 broke the mold as they featured the lush, sensuous art of the late Tony DeZuniga. But the followups were adequate. Have these disparete tales ever been bound into an anthology (such as a Showcase Presents).
ReplyDelete