Justice Machine Annual (Texas Comics)

Wrap around cover by Mike Golden and Mike Gustovich. "An Echo of Thunder." 43 pages. Story by Bill Loebs. Pencils by Bill Reinhold. Inks by Jeff Dee and Bill Anderson. How about that, an annual where the title group doesn't even appear on the cover. Fortunately they are inside, where they team up with the Thunder Agents as they endeavor to stop the Nazi Von Geist from using his army of super soldiers to take over the United Nations. This story continues plot elements from the Noble comics Justice Machine series. Sub plots were to be continued in Texas Comics Justice Machine #1. This issue was never published, but the material was eventually published in 1990 as the Justice Machine Summer Spectacular by Innovation. "The shape of things to come." 20 pages. Story and pencils by Bill Willingham. Inks by Bill Anderson. 1st appearance of The Elementals. Shapeshifter is tasked by her employer to find out everything she can about the new group The Elementals. And what better way to determine their abilities than to attack them! 64 pages. Full color.

The Justice Machine Annual was intended to be the last publication for "Noble Comics". A relaunch under the name "Texas Comics Incorporated" with an all new bi-monthly publication of alternating titles was announced on the issue. One month would feature Justice Machine and the next month feature the Elementals. Yet things didn't quite work out, as both titles ended up in their own respective series under the publisher Comico not too long afterwards. Nevertheless, it makes for an interesting issue in the history of these two comics titles and marks the 1st Appearance of Bill Willingham's Elementals in comics.