The DC Lucky Bag - April 1976.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

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It's here!

As seen on TV! mentioned on this site, mere weeks ago, the launch of a brand new feature in which I take a look at a random selection of DC comics which boasted this month as their cover date.

What magical treats await us from the company that Marvel could never quite kill?

You've thrilled to his adventures with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Now thrill to his adventures without them, as the man so good they named a totally unrelated movie franchise after him abandons the two elements that gave him a reason to exist - the Legion of Super-Heroes and the future - and trails Nemesis Kid to the 20th Century before deciding to stay there.

How long can it be before he's bumping into Shang-Chi, Iron Fist and the Sons of the Tiger?

Quite a long while, I suspect, but I could be wrong.

The magnificently unpredictable 1st Issue Special brings us the Return of the New Gods in which Orion fights Kalibak, and the New Gods are attacked by Parademons on New Genesis.

Meanwhile, Orion visits Earth, in search of Darkseid - but finds just Kalibak and Granny Goodness!

It's not the most memorable cover for a man who's had plenty of memorable covers.

And, in truth, I know little of this one's insides, beyond them being labelled The Solomon Plague and being the handiwork of both David Michelinie and Nestor Redondo.

This month, Marvel brought us the distinctly retro Liberty Legion and, clearly not to be outdone, DC offers us The Freedom Fighters who move from Earth-X to Earth-1, in order to fight crime.

It would appear the Silver Ghost turns Doll Man, Black Condor and Phantom Lady into statues - and Phantom Lady begins to turn into a real phantom!

And yet another new mag enters our lives.

This time, being one devoted to reprints.

Within it, two Xelthunians secretly replace Ma and Pa Kent, to carry out a secret mission, without knowing the duo are Superboy's foster parents.

Then, Wonder Woman takes someone called Bobby to a zoo where they discover one of the lions can speak, which takes our heroine and Steve Trevor to Cairo for an entanglement with spies.

Speaking of the ancient land of Kemet, when Hawkgirl's teleported out of a museum, Hawkman traces the radiation to the Egyptian lair of the Criminal Alliance of the World!

And, at the annual meeting of The Liar's Club, Jay Garrick relates the unlikely tale of the Flash and his battle with sand!

And what's this?

Another reprint mag makes its debut when DC Super-Stars brings us Monster Bait and Skis of Death! Both reprinted from the 1960s.

But that's not all.

We're also treated to a brand new feature. One known as Introducing the Teen Titans.

Drama smashes us in the eyeballs when we have to survive a thriller titled The Real Batman Dies Next!

As far as I can recall, someone's killed while dressed as Batman, leading our hero to try and find the killer.

I think tattoos may be involved.

As if that wasn't enough, we also encounter Man-Bat in Peal of the Devil-Bell!