Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #116

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #116 (On Sale: October 8, 1968) has a cover by Curt Swan and Mike Esposito. In my mind this is one of the last of the really silly Swan covers for JO; I don;t know if it is Carmine Infantino layouts or competition from Neal Adams, but Swan's covers are going to get a whole lot more serious in the next few months.

We begin with our cover story, "The Gorilla Reporter," a reprint from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #24 by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley. Jimmy Olsen helps Professor Thorne test a new invention which can read the thoughts of animals. The invention is a failure, but Jimmy’s signal watch causes it to malfunction, switching Jimmy’s mind with that of a gorilla.

Even with Superman’s help, Jimmy is unable to return to his own body. Superman builds a pen to keep Jimmy’s body safe, while Jimmy goes to work in the gorilla’s body. After a handful of adventures, Jimmy is able to return to his own body when Superman discovers that the signal watch is responsible for the switch.

Next we have "Brainiac... Big-Time Operator" by Otto Binder and Pete Costanza. Brainiac returns to Earth with a plan to use Jimmy Olsen as an instrument of Superman's downfall. He attacks Jimmy while the boy reporter is camping with members of his Fan Club. Despite Brainiac's efforts to stop Jimmy, the reporter is able to activate his signal watch to summon the Man of Steel. However, Brainiac uses an enlarging ray to turn a tiny pebble of Kryptonite into a boulder that takes down Superman. Jimmy steals the enlarging ray from Brainiac and saves his friend by enlarging a piece of lead to block the deadly Kryptonite radiation. While Jimmy is making the rescue, Brainiac flees.

Lastly we have "The Secret of the Smallville Seeds" by Dave Wood and Pete Costanza. Jimmy Olsen and his Fan Club visit Smallville and convince several residents to plant seeds in their fields in a particular pattern. Jimmy keeps his intentions a secret until the seeds grow into flowers 48 days later. The flowers form a giant message that Superman can read from the air. The message welcomes him back to Smallville on the anniversary of his first public appearance as the Boy of Steel.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #114

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #114 (On Sale: July 9, 1968) has a cover by Curt Swan and Jack Abel (I never much cared for Abel's inks on Swan; a real let-down after all those years of George Klein's superb inks).

"The Wrongo Superman" is by Richard Hughes and Pete Costanza. This is only one of four stories that Hughes wrote for DC. Mr. Mxyzptlk makes a bet with a friend from his home in Zrfff that he can make a fool of Superman for a week without giving himself away. He then visits Earth and hires salesman Jethro Hale to sell a line of Jimmy Olsen endorsed products. Whenever the products are used near Superman, he begins acting like a fool.

Superman suspects that Red Kryptonite is to blame for his strange behavior. However, analysis of the Olsen products detects no trace of Kryptonite.

The back-up story is "A Visit from Superman's Pal" a reprint from Superboy #55 by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Jack Burnley. This story was originally a Superboy story and has been altered to be a Jimmy Olsen story. An accident causes Jimmy Olsen to travel back in time. He lands in Smallville during Superboy's time. He meets the Boy of Steel, who agrees to send Jimmy back to his own time period. Jimmy asks to stay briefly, so that he can get a story.

Jimmy soon meets Clark Kent. When Lana Lang voices her suspicions that Clark is Superboy, Jimmy also becomes curious. Superboy reveals his secret to Jimmy and working together, they fool Lana.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Batman #198

Batman #198 (On Sale: November 14, 1967), AKA 80pg. Giant #G-43 features a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson spotlighting an All-Villain Issue.

We begin with "The Origin of the Batman" from Batman #47 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Charles Paris. Batman and Robin discover that a trucking company is smuggling wanted criminals out of state. When Batman sees a picture of the trucking company's owner, Joe Chill, he immediately recognizes the man as the killer of his parents (this was the first time the killer's name was revealed. Batman works the case alone, trying to trap Chill and get evidence against him. Chill eludes Batman's traps and continues to operate his company.

Finally Batman takes a daring risk and reveals his identity to Chill, explaining that Chill was responsible for creating him. Batman threatens to follow and harass Chill until the crook eventually slips up. Frightened, Chill runs to his gang. He tells them that he was responsible for creating Batman. Before he can tell them who the Batman really is, they gun him done for creating their nemesis. Batman is then able to finally close the case of the Wayne murder.

Next is "The Jungle Cat-Queen" from Detective #211 by Ed Hamilton, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris. After a jewel heist, Catwoman pilots her plane to a remote island where she meets her accomplices. Batman follows her to the island and is quickly captured. Catwoman allows Batman to escape, even though her partners try to kill him. Once free Batman rounds up the gang, but the Catwoman herself escapes.

This is followed by "The Web of the Spinner" from Batman #129, by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. While Batman and Robin track down a new costumed foe, the Spinner, Batwoman is investigating a swami who she believes is a phony. All the heroes finally follow their leads to an old windmill which the Spinner is using as a hideout. Although they are able to overcome the Spinner, Batman suspects more is going on. They exit the windmill just before it explodes. The swami is the real Spinner, and he setup another crook to take the fall. Batman then finds evidence in the swami’s possession and arrests him.

Next we have (Oswald Who?) reprinted from the Batman Sunday strip 2/10/1946-3/10/1946 by Alvin Schwartz, Jack Burnley and Charles Paris. This was later reprinted in Batman:The Sunday Classics, 1943-1946 TPB.

"The Crimes of Batman" from World's Finest #61 by David Reed, Lew Sayer Schwartz and Charles Paris follows.

This is followed by "The Menace of False Face" from Batman #113 drawn by Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. A new criminal and master of disguise, False Face, commits robberies around Gotham by disguising himself. Batman realizes that the real people which False Face replaces are delayed from their normal activities in advance. When someone is delayed, Batman arrives in their place and is able to locate False Face, but the crook escapes. During another encounter, Batman is apparently knocked out, but he is really able to capture False Face and his gang.

Lastly we have "The Bandit of the Bells" from Batman #55 drawn by Bob Kane and Charles Paris.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.