| |
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 627 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter one: Travels; chapter two: Distractions
|
| Date |
November
22, 1988 |
| Writer(s) |
Marv
Wolfman, Cherie Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Tom
Mandrake |
| storyline |
Roy
Harper and Dick Grayson made way for Ireland. Roy
planned on taking a six month retreat to get his life
back in order. When he went below (they were taking
a ferry), Dick spotted a young woman who was following
some men. He investigated. He saw the men she was
following check their cargo, while the woman unchained
a vehicle. She jumped in and drove the van into the
sea. Nightwing jumped in after them. He saw one of
the men was dead, the other was latched onto a coffin.
As Nightwing tried to also board the coffin, the man
punched him. Speedy and a rescue boat converged on
them. Another boat appeared, and the man with the
coffin appeared to be planting drugs on the dead body
inside.
Speedy
plucked Nightwing out of the frigid waters; the other
boat picked up the man and the coffin. The woman (who
drove the van off the boat) was killed. Back on board
the ferry, Roy told Dick about how he was fired from
the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigations): he'd linked
the organization to drug trafficking in Ireland. After
making land, the three (Roy was there to find his
roots with his daughter) were spotted. Dick got them
into an ally in time to save them from a car which
attempted to run them down. Nightwing captured one
of the men and began to interrogate him, but he was
shot dead by a helicopter.
Dick headed back to the States to check into the CBI.
Also contains stories featuring Superman, Secret Six,
Green Lantern, and Black Canary.
|
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 628 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter three: Arrival |
| Date |
November
29, 1988 |
| Writer(s) |
Marv
Wolfman, Cherie Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Tom
Mandrake |
| storyline |
Roy
and Lian were taking a train to the town from where
their ancestors came. He spotted a man following him
and was able to wrestle the man's gun away. The man
mentioned the "Friends of the Empire" knew
who Harper was. He then jumped from the train. As they
got off the train, Lian was abducted. Roy quickly got
into costume. He neared Lian, but a gunman stood in
his way. The gunman was struck and killed by a car.
A strange man handed Lian over to her father saying
a woman had left the child on a bench.
They made it to the house Roy had leased.
Also contains stories featuring Blackhawk, Green Lantern,
Black Canary, Secret Six, and Superman |
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 629 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter four: New Friends, Old Enemies |
| Date |
December
6, 1988 |
| Writer(s) |
Cherie
Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Tom
Mandrake |
| storyline |
As
Roy and Lian entered their new home, they were attacked
by a kid. It appeared there were two living there alone.
The doorbell rang and the strays scampered away. A neighbor,
Sean McMullen, welcomed Roy to the neighborhood. After
he left, the children told Roy McMullen had killed their
father.
The next night, Roy visited a local pub and asked about
"Sanas," which is what the girls called McMullen.
Several men attacked Roy; Sanas appeared to be a group
at odds with the Friends of the Empire. The man who'd
helped him on the train ("Hunter") helped
him again.
Roy went home and got into costume. The kids (Moira
and Button) told Roy about their father, who'd been
beaten and set on fire by the Sanas. They later found
their mother hanged. Roy's house was bombed.
Also contains stories featuring Blackhawk, Secret Six,
Superman, Black Canary, and Green Lantern. |
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 630 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter five: Attacks |
| Date |
December
13, 1988 |
| Writer(s) |
Marv
Wolfman, Cherie Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Tom
Mandrake |
| storyline |
Hunter
went in to help Speedy and the children out of the burning
house; police abducted Buttons (the youngest), who'd
overheard them saying they should have also bombed Hunter's
home.
Hunter insisted that Button was safe with the police,
but Speedy was suspicious of the man. Later, Roy got
a call that the FOE had Button. Speedy followed the
tip and watched the child being loaded onto a train
in the middle of a gun battle. He jumped atop the moving
locomotive.
Also contains stories featuring Superman, Secret Six,
Black Canary, Green Lantern, and Blackhawk. |
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 631 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter six: Old Friends, New Enemies |
| Date |
December
20, 1988 |
| Writer(s) |
Cherie
Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Vince
Giarrano, Tom Mandrake |
| storyline |
Speedy
was able to save the child from the run-away train.
Hunter, a secret agent, knew police were behind the
bombing and abduction of the child.
Dick returned and joined Roy. On their way home, Roy
noticed a car following them. It opened fire. Dick grabbed
Roy's bow and ran the other car off the road with an
arrow.
The Orange Day Parade took place. Moira was injured
trying to save the group from a bomb; a police patrol
car was attacked by Sanas.
Also contains stories featuring Green Lantern, Phantom
Stranger, Blackhawk, Superman, and Black Canary |
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 632 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter seven: A Time of Changes |
| Date |
December
27, 1988 |
| Writer(s) |
Cherie
Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Vince
Giarrano, Tom Mandrake |
| storyline |
A
gun battle broke loose and Dick got into costume. Not
knowing which side they were on, Nightwing and Speedy
tried to stay clear of the battle. They were saved by
Hunter.
Roy left the two orphans with a friend. As he and Dick
left the hospital from their visit with Moira, a Sanas
woman was hit with a grenade.
Also contains stories featuring Black Canary, Superman,
Green Lantern, Blackhawk, and Phantom Stranger |
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 633 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter eight: Behind Closed Doors |
| Date |
January
3, 1989 |
| Writer(s) |
Marv
Wolfman, Cherie Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Tom
Mandrake |
| storyline |
Roy
and Dick arrived in Washington, DC, and were approached
by the CBI. Sepulveda, the man who'd fired Harper, picked
them up. Agent Hunter was there and watched them land.
He was surprised to see Lord Danvers in a taxi. Danvers'
men grabbed him.
The CBI car was crashed into, and armed men ordered
everyone out. Nightwing and Speedy took them down without
incident. The gunmen claimed to be Sanas. Hunter took
control of the car and picked up Speedy and Nightwing.
Sepulveda set up the heroes by planting secure documents
on them.
Also contains stories featuring Blackhawk, Green Lantern,
Superman, Black Canary, and Phantom Stranger |
|
|
|
| Issue |
Action
Comics 634 |
| Subtitle |
Rocks
and Hard Places chapter nine: The Circle Closes |
| Date |
January
10, 1989 |
| Writer(s) |
Marv
Wolfman, Cherie Wilkerson |
| Artist(s) |
Tom
Mandrake |
| storyline |
After
taking down their would-be captors, Speedy and Nightwing
were approached by a woman who began telling them of
the corruption within the agency. They told her Danvers
was behind Sepulveda. Hunter confirmed it. The FOE was
an Irish terrorist group.
Sepulveda and Danvers were arrested. Sepulveda got 30
years; no evidence was found on Danvers.
Some time later, Roy got a letter from Moira and Buttons.
Hunter wrote a book on the situation, and Danvers was
later caught in a tax evasion / sex scandal. He hung
himself.
Also contains stories featuring Green Lantern, Phantom
Stranger, Black Canary, Superman, and Blackhawk |
|
| Notes,
references to time, and chronology: |
|
Note:
issue 627 the first two chapters of this nine part serial. |
|
"I
know my roots - back for many generations. Circus performers,
acrobats, clowns. The Graysons go all the way back to eighteenth
century England." (Dick, issue 627) |
|
|
|
