Blue Devil # 21-31 & Annual # 1 (DC Comics, 1984) [COMICS]

Finishing off my read-through of Blue Devil, last discussed here.

Annual # 1: Styled the "Blue Devil Summer Fun Special," the first (and only) Blue Devil annual throws in the works!  Blue Devil is showing Marla some new props for the second B.D. movie when evil wizard super-villain Felix Faust shows up to steal a magical artefact from the workshop.  Blue Devil gets some help from The Demon, Phantom Stranger, Madame Xanadu, The Creeper, and (once it breaks free from Faust's control) the Man-Bat to try to get it back.  There's even an appearance from  Black Orchid as well.  It turns out that Faust stole a demon egg brought back from the shoot on the island where Nebiros first appeared, and the egg grows into a simulacrum of Nebiros for the big battle.  The ending is funny, with the seven heroes joking about a future team-up--I'd call it Justice League Weird!  There's some fun little extras as well, including a pin-up, a schematic of the B.D. suit, and even a pull-out board game.  I loved annuals and the grab-bag of stuff that went into them when I was a kid.

Issue # 21: Sharon is annoyed with Cassidy, as a planned date turns into him hanging out with his buddies.  She drives off angrily, only to have her car eaten/stolen by a monster machine named "Roadmaster."  It turns out that Wayne's uncle has been using Roadmaster to steal cars so he can repaint and sell them.  In order to take on Roadmaster, B.D. needs some souped up wheels, and Cassidy's stuntman friends (and the Trickster) put together "The Devilmobile!"  It's goofy fun.  There's a subplot about the need for B.D. to get from L.A. to the east coast, so a road trip is in order for the next couple of issues.

Issue # 22: "Las Vegas Lunacy" promises the cover, and it's the return of the silly alien duo Jorj & Leni from Issue # 6.  A bounty-hunter seems to be after them, but it's all a misunderstanding.  A very cartoony issue.

Issue # 23:  A cool cover shows Blue Devil grappling with Firestorm while a blurb promises "Five villains too!"  While Cassidy and Wayne are on their road trip east, Firestorm suddenly crashes onto the highway (following events in his own book).  Firestorm's being assaulted by Bolt, Mind Boggler, Hyena, Multiplex, and Slipknot in a super-villain beatdown.  The bad guys then turn to take on Blue Devil in a story unfortunately continued in Firestorm's own book.  My guess: sales are flagging, and team-ups/cross-overs are being uses to try to shore things up.  In a subplot, the second B.D. movie has been shut down.

Issue # 24: A good villain, the Toyman, appears in a very cliché story involving robotic Blue Devil action figures going haywire.  We do learn that Cassidy has an older sister, Frank.  The letters page says the creative team is going to be a bit more serious and try to avoid so much parody and silliness, but as the next issue shows, change takes time.

Issue # 25: You don't often see special issues for St. Patrick's Day, but this eminently skippable story is one of them.  The "Faerie Liberation Front", leprechauns, magic seeds, and Jimmy Olsen combine for a very goofy tale.

Issue # 26:  A new villain, the Green Gargoyle, appears in a story that involves baseball.  There's a couple of funny bits, but I can understand why people aren't buying the book.

Issue # 27:  Funny animals, including "Godfrey Goose", take the cover and give the lie to any promises to less silly stories.  I think the writers have trouble finding the right line between weird and downright goofy.  The story involves an old cartoon character coming to life (Roger Rabbit style).  It's a bit better than it sounds.  There's a lot of talk in the letters page about the "upcoming" Blue Devil Summer Fun # 2, but sadly it never materialised.

Issue # 28: Earlier in the series' run, there must have been a contest where readers got to win a chance to appear in the comic.  This issue has the lucky kid's appearance in a super-goofy tale about a little green alien setting balloons free because his spaceship resembles a balloon.  On the letters page, the editor announces a "new direction" for the book, with fewer silly one-shots and a more sustained narrative.  But the writing is on the wall, and time is running out.

Issue # 29: This is one of the best issues of the second half of the series, as it achieves the perfect balance between weird and funny and establishes its own style.  The story involves strange things happening in the House of Weirdness because the house itself is allergic to Blue Devil.  The letters page promises "big changes" starting in Issue # 31.  I guess cancellation is a type of change . . .

Issue # 30:  A double-sized issue featuring the Flash's rogues gallery.  It's fun seeing them in a Blue Devil story, and the story ranges from Gorilla Grodd's hidden city in Africa to an amusement park.  Alas, the letters page announces the official cancellation with next issue.

Issue # 31: Another over-sized issue, as a surprise birthday party for Blue Devil turns to Hell . . . literally!  It's a framing story for a flashback tale that, I'm guessing, was an old inventory story they wanted to use up.  The story doesn't make much sense, but there is an appearance by Madame Xanadu, and that's always a plus.

Despite some problems, I really like Blue Devil.  The character is visually interesting with a fun concept ("weirdness magnet") and exciting powers.  Dan Cassidy is given an appealing personality and a solid supporting cast, and the setting (a mix of Hollywood and the House of Weirdness) is great for all sorts of stories that are different than the Gotham/Metropolis/New York norm.  As the series shows, it's hard to get the tone of a Blue Devil story right, and it's easy for weirdness to slide into Saturday morning cartoon silliness.  But in the right hands, there's a lot that could be done with the character.  It's a pity the character has never received another chance at a solo series.