Back in the day, from 2009-2011, I used to have a blog called The Random Longbox.  The idea, was that I would let a random number generator pick a book at random from my collection that I would then have to read and review.  I had a lot of fun, and enjoyed the pure randomness of pulling a book out of the longboxes and reading with no prior context other than my (faulty at best) memory.

The old link is long dead at www.randomlongbox.com, but the the original blogspot link is still up and active if anyone is curious to take a look.  www.randomlonbox.blogspot.com

Seeing as how my buying has been in a bit of lull lately, let's dust off the old randomizer and pull a book out to see if that spurs any conversation for this week.

And the random book is...

DC Comics Presents #54 from February 1983.

This was still two years before I started reading comic books full time, so I had to buy all of my issues after the fact.  This title is probably the first Superman title that I finished a run on when I decided to start refocusing my collection towards Superman.  I had about a dozen or so issues before I saw a listing on eBay for a complete run (minus one issue) for a hundred bucks.  At the time, I was cherry picking random back-issues from my LCS for $0.50 a book, but here was a chance to get nice copies all at once for about a buck a piece.  I jumped on it, and that is where this issue came from.  The books were in great shape, ranging from a 8.5 on up in condition.

There's nothing really special about this issue, as Superman and Green Arrow team up to battle a rogue industrialist harvesting a new type of "Z" energy.  Unfortunately, the creation of the Z energy emits a smog that covers the country from coast to coast.  Before everything is said and done, Superman has to take down a smog monster composed of "one part smog and five parts Z energy," while Green Arrow rounds up the industrialist's goons.  Pretty typical done in one for a DC book from this time period.  Story by Paul Kupperberg with art by Don Newton and Dan Adkins.  I do quite like the cover though.  And that's a great Commissioner Gordon mustache on Green Arrow!

Green Arrow also had an earlier appearance in the title in issue #20, again battling a rogue industrialist of sorts, this time in the oil business.

Nothing like typecasting old Ollie, eh?  Be careful Green Arrow, if the boiling hot geyser doesn't kill you, the fall certainly will.

Black Canary appeared in issue #54 as well, and she also had an earlier solo appearance in issue #30, facing off against the dream villainy of Doctor Destiny!  

I just reread the first year of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman last month, and it had completely slipped my mind that Doctor Destiny was a part of the first story arc!  It was good to see him here, after just recently encountering a decidedly more Vertigo take on him over there.  Man, that diner issue was brutal.