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Issue 2

Issue 2

Title – Rip-Jaw

Story – Bill Black

Penciller – Mark Heike

Inker – Bill Black

Colorist – Rebekah Black

Cover Artists – Mark Heike and Bill Black

Published 1985

Synopsis

* Ms. Victory, She-Cat, Nightveil in her Blue Bulleteer persona, and young adventurer Tara Fremont have journeyed to the Amazon to recover Dr. Jimenez’ Time Triangle and rescue Rita Farrar, the granddaughter of Rio Rita. Meanwhile, a villain named Rip Jaw is also seeking the Time Triangle for personal reasons and his origin is explained. The backup story is a tale from the future titled, “The Last Detective.”

Story

* In their search for the Time Triangle, Ms. Victory, She-Cat, and Nightveil (Blue Bulleteer) have been captured by a lost tribe of Giant Amazons. The “Gamazons” found the Time Triangle and have suspended it in front of their temple to worship. Dr. Jimenez is safe because he is thought to be the High Priest of the Time Triangle, but Rita has been sacrificed to the Time Triangle by being thrown into the open time portal. A criminal named Rip-Jaw is also seeking the Time Triangle. He recounts how he came to have giant steel choppers instead of teeth, hence his nickname, because his jaw was blown off when a heist he was pulling was foiled by Colt, the Weapons Mistress. Rip-Jaw wants to use the Time Triangle to go back in time and stop the cops and Colt from shooting off his jaw. While in the Gamazons’ Jungle City, Tara finds some rope which she uses to enter the Time Triangle while still being able to climb back out. On the other side of the portal, she finds a prehistoric jungle. A pterodactyl is flying off with Rita. Tara’s thrown dagger catches the dinosaur in the neck and downs it in a lake which allows Tara to rescue the Latin operative. Meanwhile, the Femforcers are about to be thrown through the portal when Rip-Jaw attacks the jungle city. Tara and Rita climb back up through the portal, bringing with them several prehistoric animals. The chaos allows the Femforce to escape, saving Rita and Dr. Jimenez while recovering the Time Triangle. Rip-Jaw, initially captured by the Gamazons during the confusion, also ultimately escapes and vows that the Time Triangle will still be his.
* I really liked -
1. The time portal
2. Tara’s journey into a prehistoric age
3. Rip-Jaw’s origin
* I didn’t like -
1. Rip-Jaw plows through the Gamazons and Dinosaurs far too easily

Art

* Cover – Ms. Victory, She-Cat, Tara, and the Blue Bulleteer with Rip-Jaw in the background. This is the cover that caught my eye and caused me to pick an unknown comic book up off the shelf of the comic book shop lo those many years ago in Bloomington, Indiana.
* Splash Page – Ms. Victory, She-Cat, and the Blue Bulleteer are menaced by spear tips and axes.
* I really liked -
1. The Cover
2. The Splash Page
3. The panels where Rita and Tara went through the time portal
4. The sweaty Jungle Girl shocked to see Rita being carried off by a pteradactyl
5. Tara diving into the water and then the underwater scene of her pulling the unconscious Rita to safety
6. The Blue Bulleteer shooting off a portion of the Amazon Queen’s headdress to show her the gun’s capabilities
* I didn’t like -
1. She-Cat and the Blue Bulleteer looked like mannequins in the jail cell
2. The coloring of Rip-Jaw’s hair bleeds off onto his forehead in the final panel