Notes about this comic review: As an amateur writer, cartoonist, and Sunday School teacher, I grade against the curve I know. You may ask what the Sunday School teacher grades against. I’m not trying to be the CCA. As a Sunday School teacher I use metaphors to bridge the gap in our understand of God. My Sunday School grade is based on how good of a Sunday School lesson I could pull out of the story.
June 1973
COVER GRADE: A
Penciler: Nick Cardy
When I first saw this cover I had to chuckle at the ridiculousness of a gorilla twirling Superman around by his cape whilst standing on the top of a building. I'll admit that before starting my quest to finish my uncles Bronze Age Action Comics collection, the depth of my background knowledge was limited to the major players and major events so I had never heard of Gorilla Grodd. After a little research I feel better not knowing much about him. Action Comics 424 was only his 9th appearance up to that time and it was Gorilla Grodd's first of 6 appearance in all 906 Action Comics in Volume 1. He was featured on a cover only twice before this. His last appearance was almost 2 years prior in The Flash (Volume 1) 209.
So once you factor in a basic knowledge of Gorilla Grodd sprinkled with the appropriate proportion of your suspension of disbelief, I actually really like this cover. It's relatively simple, to-the-point action where the details shine through the closer you look at it. I love how he shows Superman being twirled at high speed using a multilayered approach with excellent variations of coloring. Grodd has an elegantly simple look that's equal parts menacing and powerful. But perhaps the thing I enjoy the most is the attention to detail in the background. The buildings below give an excellent scale to the heights of our hero. And best of all is the gathering crowd at the base of the building. It's above and beyond what you need, but provides a great support of realism to a humanoid super-powered alien fighting a super-intelligent gorilla. It's just your average day in the city.
STORYTELLER'S GRADE for "Gorilla Grodd’s Grandstand Play": C-
Writer: Elliot Maggin
We're gonna try something new. Instead of mixing pictures with the story summary, I'm focusing only on a written summary. It may be less fancy, but this helps because:
(1) I'm posting my plot summary to the DC wikia webpage. It gives me further digital reach and I can just copy/paste text without pictures.
(2) The pictures I showed in the plot summary often came up in the Artist's Grade and it makes more sense to show them there.
(3) It saves me some time in the long run.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Gorilla Grodd escapes his prison in Gorilla City and destroys the force-field that hides the city from humans. Solovar, the gorilla chieftain decides to focus his efforts on the bigger problem of Gorilla City’s exposure instead of pursuing Grodd.
Later in Manhattan, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are sent to cover the breaking news of Solovar appearing before the United Nations assembly. The world's representatives are uneasy and apprehensive at the appearance of a gorilla before the UN. Solovar reports to diplomats that the Congo and the Sudan have claimed that Gorilla City is within their borders, and he request protection from the United Nations. As Solovar is speaking, Grodd materialized outside the United Nations building and begins to cause an earthquake by pounding the ground in the United Nations Plaza. Inside, the assembly evacuates. Lois rushes outside to cover the story. As soon as she walks out the door, Clark knocks over the doorjam trapping him inside. Clark uses the cover of being trapped in the building to change into Superman.
As the UN Plaza is filled with bystanders and spectators, Superman flies directly at Grodd, laying his shoulder into Grodd’s chest, but Grodd is unmoved and unfazed. A fight ensues where Grodd always appears stronger than Superman. Superman is confused as to why he feels as if some force is holding him back from fighting his best. In his confusion, Grodd overpowers Superman and hurls him to the ground in front of the onlookers.
"This is how I deal with earth's greatest hero...and how I will deal with all humans who oppose Grodd's Gorilla Empire!"
As a doctor on the scene examines the lifeless body of Superman, he finds a faint and diminishing heartbeat. As Superman's body is loaded into an ambulance in front of Lois Lane, there is little hope for his survival.
Grodd demands the surrender of all humans. An enraged Solovar rushes in to stop Grodd. "You have never withstood the mind-force power of Solovar...and you will not today, Grodd!" A frightened Grodd is easily over powered and knocked unconscious by Solovar.
The UN representatives rejoice and praise the exploits of Solovar to defend world peace. Lois is distraught by their joy as she is still overwhelmed by the mortal condition of Superman. Clark arrives from the crumbled build just in time to comfort her. "Oh Clark--thank goodness at least you are alright! I...I've always felt close to you, Clark--Hold me now...There were so many times I suspected you were Superman...because I hoped it was true...but now that he's gone--Oh, Clark!" Clark, seemingly slightly embarrassed by Lois' public display of affection, reminds Lois that they've got a job to do as reporters. Lois quickly composes herself as Solovar asks to give a message to the world through her news medium. As Solovar pledges his resources to provide a proper funeral for Superman, Superman appears and knocks out Solovar. The confused UN delegates demand an explanation for Superman's attack on the peace-minded Solovar. Superman reveals that he knew Grodd's mental powers were holding him back in the fight so he pretended to be knocked out to give him time to figure out a solution. But when Solovar stepped in and defeated Grodd with no resistance, he concluded that Grodd had taken over Solovar's body. Superman takes Grodd and Solovar, both still unconscious, back to Gorilla City to return their minds to their proper place. Once recovered, Solovar confirms Superman's theory explaining that Grodd initially overpowered Solovar while he was distracted by Gorilla City being exposed, and Grodd was still controlling Solovar even when his mind was in Grodd's body. Grodd's goal was to appear as a superhero to eventually take over the world legally.
Once the news broadcast comes to a close, Clark confronts Lois to see if she really meant all those things she said when she thought Superman was dead. Lois responds, "Look, Clark--We're friends! Just friends! There can be only one man in my life, understand?" Clark leaves the room in a silent sadness. As he closes the door and walks away he can't help himself from laughing out loud.
GRADE:
This story has all the elements of a summer movie blockbuster: action, suspense, a little romance, and gorillas taking over New York City. You're reasonable satisfied when you finish the story, but like many summer blockbusters, the more you think about the actual plot the less you like it. It's never really explained how Superman overcame the mental powers of Grodd/Solovar the second time? Did he just catch him/them by surprise? I dunno. Maybe. But how was Grodd's plan really supposed to play out anyway? Would he keep pretending to be Solovar forever? If so why bother bringing in fake Grodd anyway? Yeah it makes the UN like Solovar more quickly, but wouldn't that happen eventually anyway? Plus Solovar has to have a buddy that would notice he's acting funny and catch on to a problem brewing. I'm left with many unanswered questions, but no real desire to think about it anymore. So on the positive side you have gorillas fighting Superman, but you're not really sure why or for what purpose. I enjoy the fun and surprises of a bad guy crossover such as Gorilla Grodd taking time away from fighting the Flash to show up in Action Comics, but in the end it missed the mark.
The reason this story doesn't get a D grade is because I really enjoyed the dialog between Lois and Clark. Ending with Superman's LOL hits that high note as you leave the theater and helps you forget the poor planing of Gorilla Grodd.
ARTIST GRADE for Superman: C+
Penciler: Curt Swan, Inker: Murphy Anderson
Like I said earlier, this story has all the elements of a summer movie blockbuster:
Action
Suspense
Romance
And gorillas taking over New York City.
Exciting but forgettable. I will say I was impressed by the use of tiny pictures to squeeze in all the action. It's like the old school special effects using miniatures.
I was disappointed in Lois' tears which look fake. Is that bad art or is she just faking it cuz she knows Clark is Superman?
As I said I love the ending and the pacing is perfect.
But most of all, I've learned that gorilla noses are really hard to draw! In real life, a gorilla nose looks kinda like if you took a human nose and flattened it or chopped it off.
That looks fine here...
(Image from Wikipedia)
But it looks creepy scary here!
So now you know, kids: don't draw gorilla noses!
STORYTELLER GRADE for "The Cand Kitchen Caper": D
Writer: Elliot Maggin
After failing to stop two jewel thieves, Green Arrow changes into his Oliver Queen identity, goes by Ye Olde Candy House on an impulse, tries some of confectioner Evelyn Woodhouse’s fudge, and is quite pleased. On the spot, he tells Woodhouse that he will get her great publicity, and more customers, within a week...and he does, using all his P.R. skills. Unbeknownst to either Ollie or Evelyn, the two jewel thieves are using the shop as a front for their diamond-stealing operation, and are encasing the gems in fudge and smuggling them out. When the gem fence demands of Ollie that his picture not be taken, the suspicious Queen changes into Green Arrow and nabs the fence and the two jewel thieves. The candy shop is closed, but Green Arrow tells Evelyn she can start her own shop, and gives her the reward money from the captured thieves to do it.
GRADE:
My biggest problem with the story was that it was just a series of accidents happening. Green Arrow doesn't catch the jewel thieves in the beginning because a security guard accidentally hits him with a door when he's rushing to see what's going on. Then Ollie accidentally runs into them again because he just happens to stop by a fudge shop they're using as a front. There's no real plot. Things just sorta happen. The panel by panel writing is good, but the story as a whole is non existent. It also doesn't help that I'm just not a fan of the Green Arrow's humor.
ARTIST GRADE for Green Arrow: B
Penciler: Dick Dillin, Inker: Dick Giordano
Again the backup features art is rock solid. There's even a scene where I'm confused why it's being narrated because the art speaks for itself.
He skimps a little on the background sometimes, but it doesn't matter much since we're not really looking at it anyway.
My favorite is this scene where the Green Arrow takes note of his quick change in a similar fashion to the man of steel.
The spiritual truths I could pull from these two stories are few and far between. The biggest one is in relation to Evelyn Woodhouse and Romans 8:28. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (NLT) Evelyn was just doing her thing, churning out fudge, while everything was going crazy around her. First some crazy PR guy shows up and essentially forces her to hire him. Surprisingly the PR move creates a boom in business. But then it turns out her shop is a front for diamond thieves and the whole place is closed by the police. And yet some masked vigilante gives her the reward money from catching the diamond thieves so Evelyn is back in business. It's a roller coaster ride with a happy ending for the honest, hardworking lady.
CLARK KENT’S MONTHLY GOOF:
Poor Clark gets flustered when Solovar walks by.
But is that really a goof? It's not like you've ever seen a giant taking ape chieftain before. You'd probably goof too.
In an interesting twist, even Superman makes a goof this issue by getting overpowered by Grodd. In exchange Grodd says what many comic fans may agree with.
EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE:
Superman didn't show off any crazy, unexpected powers this issue, but in another bit of a goof he may have used too much power. He had just realized that his fight with Grodd was about to capsize a few ships in the bay, but immediately decides to fight Grodd by making a whirlpool. This could not have been a good day for the shipping industry at NYC.
It was interesting to see that two fans are making similar observations to myself.
"It would appear the old image of Kent-the-jellyfish is rapidly being replaced by Kent-the-Klutz."
~Karl Merris, San Diego, Calif.
Robert Kent, Boston, Mass. asked my same question about Superman's second battle. "Why wasn't Grodd still using his mental powers to hold back Superman?"
E.N.B.'s response? "Because he had no time to bring his mental powers into play. Superman took him by surprise, and Grodd was too confused to focus his mental energy properly." As I suspected.