Whereas most readers enjoy origins stories for superheroes, it is rare for a teenager to have superhero adventures. Turning back the clock--or taking a ‘flash’ back--to when Wally West was fifteen years old is what makes this story so special. Teenager Wally is having many of the same problems which most teenagers encounter.  He has not yet reached the age where he can obtain his driver's license, and he feels overly dependent upon his parents and friends for travel.  Through Wally’s discussions with Gorilla Montague as they travel together to Africa, however, Wally learns some things about himself. He realizes that every teen desires some independence from their friends and parents and can achieve limited independence in various ways.

A second storyline is about mentors and sharing our knowledge about different people and cultures. Kif Flah discovers that just because he can’t distinguish the differences in ways gorillas look different, Gorilla City’s gorillas don’t want to be stereotyped as evil people (unlike the well known Gorilla Grodd) and don’t want to be bullied because of ignorance about their different outward appearance, lifestyle, or culture. Montague also causes Wally to learn that each person has special knowledge and abilities--character traits--which make them distinguishable in addition to their outward appearance.  To a great degree, Montague is a mentor, perhaps like a Big Brother or Big Sister.  Hopefully, those of us with different cultural backgrounds will be more willing to share their culture as a Big Brotherr or Big Sister mentor.

This issue presents four different stories which originally appeared in four different issues of Adventure Comics. The reprinted Adventure Comics issues are 431 (“Wrath of the Spectre” February 1974), 432 (“Anguish of the Spectre” April 1974), 433 (The Swami and the Spectre” June 1974), 426 (“Adventurer’s Club” 1973).

The main character in the series is New York Police Detective Lieutenant Jim Corrigan is a ghost called the Spectre. Murdered by gangsters, Corrigan has returned from beyond the grave to hunt down criminals. And when the Spectre locates people involved in murders, their immediate death is nearly guaranteed.  Often, a criminal will have his own death served in a way that is relevant somehow to the criminal's life.

Within the second and third stories is a developing relationship between Gwen Sterling, the daughter of wealthy businessman Adrian Sterling, whose death Corrigan had investigated.  Gwen expresses a desire for more than a friendship with Jim. Her desire for an affectionate love relationship with Jim causes Corrigan to express regret that he can not share a normal life with Gwen while he is charged with hunting down murderers and accomplices who are involved in murder plots.

The writers were very creative in their stories and keep readers turning the pages rapidly.  The art is well defined and pleasingly colorful.

If readers hope that a criminal will pay the ultimate penalty for their deadly crimes, then this is a mini-series you will want to read. 

With the introduction of the second series of Wonder Woman in 1987, George Perez began writing storylines, which retained character names primarily and Wonder Woman’s powers, but steered away from the stories printed in the original series. Perez’s modern storylines were very different from the original series, and many loyal fans who faithfully read the original series wondered what might remain the same and what might be different over the long haul. As each new issue appeared in the second series, it became apparent that the World War II storylines were no longer part of Princess Diana’s mission. She was instead an ambassador to modern Man’s World.

Two very important new documented character elements come out of issue seven. The Greek Gods and the Amazons have unique healing arts. And archaelogist Barbara Minerva has access to a potion which can transform her into the Cheetah.

The Greek Gods act in many ways like judges. They have the power to preserve anyone whose life is waning, but rarely invoke the use of that power. It is important to distinguish this power from the first issue where several of the gods granted reincarnation, a new body and a new life to any worthy female spirit who was separated long ago from her body. In this issue, the gods convince Zeus that Diana’s life was worthy of preserving even though the wounds to her body and spirit appeared to be beyond the Amazons’ highly advanced knowledge of medical treatment. Poseidon takes charge of Diana and while under water summons the Neriedes, salt water sprites who have a unique power to touch and heal anyone. Diana’s body and spirit are both healed, and she rockets upward and out from the water back to her Amazonian friends and family. This aspect of healing causes one to ponder: Are the Greek gods all-powerful in the medical arts?

An Amazonian healing art also is noteworthy in this issue. With Diana’s application of a salve to Vanessa Kapatelis’ very aged body, Diana restores Vanessa’s physical youth. The Amazons, therefore, have demonstrated a unique medical knowledge. The Amazons not only know how to preventing aging in the way Ponce De Leon sought the fountain of eternal youth; they also are able to restore a human body’s physical youth, which is normally lost through aging.

Another new character introduced is archaelogist Barbara Minerva. Through her servant, Chuma, Barbara has access to a potion which can produce temporarily Cheetah-like abilities. The potion’s negative tradeoff is increasing insanity.

It will be interesting to learn how Chuma’s potion affects Barbara in the upcoming issues of Wonder Woman.