Tuesday Team-up: "Who Knows What Evil--?" by O'Neil, Novick, and Giordano

Dig it, Groove-ophiles! When DC had the rights to The Shadow, they did the smartest, coolest thing they could have possibly done: they had him meet up with The Batman. Not only did that allow for a dream of a team-up, but it allowed for DC to acknowledge The Shadow's role in inspiring the creation of The Batman! And O'Neil and company didn't cheat with time travel or any such nonsense, Lamont Cranston is alive and well (but mostly retired) in 1973! How cool is that, baby? Besides making a fanboy's dream come true, writer Denny O'Neil and artists Irv Novick and Dick Giordano put together a hum-dinger of a comic, snuggled under one of the grooviest Michael Kaluta covers of all time (and dig the original artwork for that cover, too!)! From Batman #253 (August 1973), here's "Who Knows What Evil--?"!

Oh, yeah, The Batman and The Shadow met again in Batman #259! Anyone interested in seeing The Shadow's return to Gotham? And a big-ol "ThaaAAannnnnnnnQ!" to Sphinx Magoo for giving Ol' Groove the idea for this pulsating post!

Tuesday Team-up: "A Monster Walks Among Us!" by Wolfman, Wilson, and Marcos

The Thing and Nighthawk? Who'd'a thunk it? Well, such a team-up actually happened in Marvel Two-In-One #34 (September 1977) courtesy Marv Wolfman, Ron Wilson, and Pablo Marcos. 'Tis one of those heart-string tuggers Wolfman was so good at, but what really makes this particular tale interesting is the glimpse into Kyle (Nighthawk) Richmond's private life--something we rarely saw in his regular nest, The Defenders...

Tuesday Team-up: "Thunder Over the Seas!" by Everett, Gerber, Kweskin, and Tartaglione

Okay, so today's classic, "Thunder Over the Seas!" from Sub-Mariner #59 (December 1972) isn't really a team-up. It's more like a smack-down between Prince Namor and the Mighty Thor--but is that a bad thing? The story (plotted by Subby creator Bill Everett and scripted by a newbie Steve Gerber) revolves around Namor's alien gal-pal, Tamara, being mistreated by an Atlantean barbarian, captured by fishermen who think she's a mermaid (which, I s'pose, she technically is), Somehow, she gets turned over to the United Nations who ask Thor to guard her...and the fight begins. Yeah, it's a convoluted plot, the art isn't very pretty (though I do like the attempts at an Everett-style Subby), but Gerber, as usual, turns in some very nice dialogue bits here and there...and man, isn't that Jim Starlin/Bill Everett (with Marie Severin alterations according to the GCD) cover far-freakin'-out?