BATMAN #358

"DON'T MESS WITH KILLER CROC!"
Writer Gerry Conway | Artists: Curt Swan & Rodin Rodriguez
Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy | Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: Killer Croc busts into the Gotham Tobbaconists' Club and demands to be recognized as the new gang leader of Gotham City. Meanwhile, Batman and Commissioner Gordon observe the Squid's autopsy and Batman traces the bullet used in the mobster's assassination to a unique experimental rifle, only two of which still exist, both in Gotham. Batman visits an underworld gunsmith named Specs, who uses one of the rifles in an attempt to kill the Caped Crusader -- but Batman evades him and captures Specs, taking him to the Batcave. There, Batman and Robin interrogate Specs and get the name of the other rifle's owner: Croc.

Later, the men of the Tobbacconists' Club order Croc to steal an experimental Air Force computer from S.T.A.R. Labs in order to test his skill. Meanwhile, Batman scours the city in search of Croc. At S.T.A.R., Croc infiltrates the facility, takes out several scientists and Air Force soldiers, and absconds with the computer. Elsewhere, Batman beats up a street gang and learns that Croc lives in a section of Gotham called Hell's Point.

Croc delivers the computer to the Tobbacconists, who give their blessing for him to operate in Gotham on a "provisional basis." Later, Croc returns home to find Batman lurking in his apartment. Infuriated that Batman would invade his home, Croc blows the place up and makes his escape into a nearby river.

WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1

“AMAZONS”
Written by: George Pérez
Lettered by: Todd Klein | Colored by: Carl Gafford
Assistant Editor: Ken Young | Editor: Karen Berger

Artists: Brian Bolland & Mark Farmer, Chris Marrinan & Will Blyberg, Arthur Adams,
John Bolton, José Luis Garcia-Lopéz, Curt Swan & Bob McLeod, Ross Andru & George Pérez

The Plot: Princess Diana brings Julia and Vanessa Kapatellis to Paradise Island, where they meet the Amazons and learn of their history. Eventually, a few days later, Diana and her guests return to Man’s World.

Sub-Plots & Continuity Notes: This story is composed of a series of vignettes, each illustrated by a different art team as outlined above. First up, with the help of Arthur Adams, the Amazons demonstrate their sacred diving ceremony to the Kapatellises, and we learn of how Diana, as a young girl, got over her fear of diving.

Next, John Bolton draws Hippolyte’s tale of her younger days, explaining how the Amazons’ prior leader, Antiope, met and adopted a girl named Pythia, who eventually left with her to seek revenge on the men who had enslaved the Amazons under Heracles. (This feels like setup for an upcoming storyline, but as we only have two more issues of WONDER WOMAN to look at, I doubt we’ll see a payoff before we’re done.)

José Luis Garcia Lopéz draws Phillipus’s story of the Amazons’ first captain of the guards, Egeria, and her heroic sacrifice to seal the doorway to the realm beneath Paradise Island.

THE NEW TEEN TITANS #4 & #5

"AGAINST ALL FRIENDS!" | "TRIGON LIVES!"
Co-Creators: Marv Wolfman & George Pérez | Inker: Romeo Tanghal
Guest Penciler: Curt Swan (#5) | Letterer: Ben Oda | Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Editor: Len Wein

The Plot: The Justice League attempts to stop a trio of sorcerers from releasing something evil, but Raven appears and tries to break up the fight. The sorcerers drive the JLA back, then Raven teleports to the Temple of Azarath, her birthplace, where she fails to procure her mother's aid in saving the Earth from Trigon.

Raven returns to Titans' Tower, where she finds the Titans, released by the Fearsome Five and in the thrall of Psimon. The Titans head to the Justice League satellite to attack their elders, and Raven follows. She frees the Titans from Psimon's control by making them believe they've killed the JLA. Meanwhile, Dr. Light convinces the rest of the Fearsome Five that they should turn on Psimon.

Raven teleports the Titans to the three wizards, but the Justice League is right behind. Another fight breaks out and the sorcerers fail in their task. Trigon gains a foothold on Earth and promises that his first demonic follower, Goronn, will soon arrive. Then Zatanna reveals to the Titans that Raven is crawling with evil, but Raven protests that this is her heritage, not her personality. Nonetheless, when the Titans realize that Raven tricked them into forming a team, even going so far as to magically seduce Kid Flash, they give her the cold shoulder and depart.