Amph 1001 Comic Books You Must Read: 280. "Superboy" #49

21. All-American Comics #20

[image=http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/all-american-comics/20-1.jpg]

Writer(s): Sheldon Mayer

Artist(s): Sheldon Mayer

DC 1940 (November, 1940 c. 1940 All-American Publishing)

"Tucked between the adventures of the Green Lantern and the Atom, the adventures of the cartoonist Scribbly Jibbit were the most personal work of legendary cartoonihs/editor Sheldon Mayer. In this story, Scribbly's landlady dons a cooking pot and red longjohns to become The Red Tornado."

 

22. Prize Comics #7

[image=http://www.tcj.com/guttergeek/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Prize-Comics-7.jpg]

Writer(s): Dick Briefer, Ken Crossen

Artist(s): Dick Briefer, Mac Raboy

Prize 1940 (December, 1940 c. 1940 Feature Publications)

"Two blockbuster debuts: A classic monster is transplanted to modern-day New York in Briefer's "The New Adventures of Frankenstein", while the mystically powered Green Lama moves from the pulps to the comics. Other features include The Black Owl, Power Nelson, and The Great Voodini."

Dick Briefer *must* be an alias...

 

23. All-Star Comics #3

[image=http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/all-star-comics/3-1.jpg]

Writer(s): Gardner F. Fox

Artist(s): Everett E. Hibbard, Sheldon Moldoff

DC 1940 (Winter 1940-41 c. 1940 All-American Comics)

"The First Meeting of the Justice Society of America" launches the first ongoing super-hero team. It features the Flash, Hawkman, the Spectre, Hourman, Sandman, Doctor Fate, Atom, and Green Lantern with a comical cameo appearance of the Red Tornado."

 

Hey, Sheldon Moldoff! He's a nice guy - short, but nice.

Of course, I'm most familiar with his work on Batman, but like Jerry Robinson, it's fun to see where his work pops up.

 

24. Silver Streak Comics #7

[image=http://www.esquirecomics.com/resources/collection_images/Silverstreak7.jpg]

Writer(s): Jack Cole

Artist(s): Jack Cole

Lev Gleason (January 41 c. 1940 Your Guide Publications)

"The Claw was one of the great comic-book villains. His origin unknown, he could grow to Godzilla-like proportions, and mercilessly wield his long, razor-sharp nails. His first epic battle with the heroic Daredevil begins here and runs for five issues."

 

Yeah, it's an interesting combo that's for sure. I don't know who had the stranger origin.

The Golden Age Daredevil (no relation to the modern hero, except for the name) willed himself mute when he saw his father murdered by criminals. He was then hit with a red hot branding iron, and left for dead. Except of course, he didn't die, but choose to become a Batman-esque vigilante. The silly part is that the original Daredevil chose to devote his life to becoming an expert with the boomerang. I suppose because boomerangs strike fear in the hearts of the evil, or somesuch... I'm not sure.

The Claw was the 1940's leader of a Polynesian gang of pirates. He did have razor sharp claws and teeth, and could grow taller than a mountain. but his powers were tied to the phases of the moon, and IIRC, he couldn't exactly control them. I suppose that meant he could only be bad a couple of times a month.

 

25. Captain America Comics #1

[image=http://asset-server.libsyn.com/item/k-b76d66fa2c63508e/assets/ca1.jpg]

Writer(s): Joe Simon, Jack Kirby

Artist(s): Jack Kirby, Joe Simon

Marvel (March 41 c. 1940 Timely Publications)

"Rejected for military service, frail Steve Rogers is given an experimental super-soldier serum and becomes the greatest patriotic super-hero of them all. His four adventures in this issue explode with action so bold they practically leap off the page."

 

I'm waiting for the point when this stops being just a list of character introductions.

 

At least Captain America stands out as a character introduction issue, because he may be the only Marvel character who is the same in both Golden Age and modern incarnations, thanks to the fact that he fell into ice and remained frozen until the 1960's, when he was discovered and thawed by the Avengers.

DC has Superman, Batman, and Captain Marvel who remained the same since their origin, while others like Green Latern, Flash, etc.. did not. I guess the Sub Mariner is the same as well, but all the other Marvel characters like the Human Torch, simply share a name. They're different characters all together.

 

You know, this is the first time I've ever gotten a good look at the CAC #1 cover. Good lord, is that thing hideous.

Powerful? Sure. Important? No doubt. But hideous.

 

Dude. Captain America is punching Hitler in the face. What could be more beautiful?

 

Captain America punching Hitler in the face while they both have faces that look human?

 

The funny thing is that's Jack Kirby, who is regarded as one of the most influential and iconic comic artists ever. (unless, of course, he only did the interior art and the cover was drawn by someone else. I don't know how comics worked back in the 1940s.)

 

Actually, it's both Joe Simon and Jack Kirby on pencils, and Mr. Simon alone on inks. Based on what I've seen of both of their work, it's probably more Simon than Kirby.

So Joe, you are officially on notice.

 

My trivia is a bit hazy, but I believe Captain America was the first superhero to debut in his own self-titled comic.

 

26. Batman #5

[image=http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/batman/5-1.jpg]

Writer(s): Bill Finger

Artist(s): Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson

DC(Spring 41 c. 1941 Detective Comics, Inc.)

"The Case of the Honest Crook" is the Batman story of the decade, as the hero helps a young convict make a new life. Robin is nearly beaten to death, and Batman takes three bullets to the chest. They don't stop him."

 

In Batman 5, they really start branching out and creating side characters that are recognizeably human and are given real arcs. This is a great story; the moment when Batman thinks Robin is dead is just amazing. Allow me to quote from a not yet posted review for my Batman thread:

*So, Batman sends Robin to investigate Matty?s apartment to find clues linking him to Smiley. As Robin enters, however, he is unaware that two of Smiley?s goons are already in the apartment.

*Batman traverses the emotional spectrum: ?It?s late . . . he should have been back hours ago . . . something?s happened to him ? I feel it! The strangest feeling just came over me. I ? I seem to dream opening this door ? Robin! His head . . . all bloody . . .he?s been clubbed . . . clubbed to death! Robin?s dead!?

*Let me allow the narrator to express just how badass this story is: ?The Batman, man who has faced a thousand dangers, man of strength and will-power, now bends his head and weeps. Anguished sobs are torn from him! Slowly, his great frame straightens. Small veins stand out on his features. Muscles cord in his throat. His eyes become fires, his mouth a knife-edged line - - for the first time, the Batman knows rage, bleak, grim rage. Woe to all criminals for now, the Batman has become a terrible figure of Vengeance!?

*In other words, you will probably have to put this book down and hyperventilate a couple of times on this page.

*Of course, as Batman places Robin in the Batmobile, he rouses. Batman rushes him to a doctor?s house.

*Batman, upholder of law and justice: ?Listen ? if this boy dies because you refused to operate ? I?ll come back and kill you with my bare hands.?

*So, Batman bulls into Smiley?s headquarters on a rampage. He gets shot repeatedly, but he won?t stop, chopping through Smiley?s forces like a buzzsaw.

*So, he beats everyone up, forces Smiley to write a confession about the framing of Joe Sands, drags Smiley and his confession to the police station and then returns to the doctor?s house where he receives the news that Robin will live. Then, at last, Batman collapses; the doctor returns to the operating theater to remove three bullets from Batman?s body.

*Batman and Robin awake and the doctor says that he was tempted to look at their faces while they were unconscious, but he resisted. Then Joe Sands shows up; Ann is better and the store owner he robbed at the beginning has given him a job. The end.

*Obviously, we have another sort of leap forward in terms of character based story telling. I mean, there?s no desire here to actually go so far as to kill Robin off, but by putting him in a very dangerous position and putting him near death, the story has the opportunity to let Batman just be a complete badass.

*The story of Joe Sands, which is supposedly the whole point, gets entirely sidelined by the whole thing about Batman becoming Vengeance. When he confronts Smiley at the climax, bullet riddled and filled with rage, Batman himself says that he almost forgot what started the whole thing. The Sands story is forgettable and The Case of the Honest Crook is a pretty awful title. Batman Becomes Vengeance would be better. Or something like that.

*So, again, we have here a story published in the same issue as The Riddle of the Missing Card, a complicated, emotionally and psychologically layered story and Book of Enchantment, a story where Batman and Robin fly around on a magic carpet and fight the Black Witch. And, in this story, we delve somewhat deeply into Batman and Robin?s relationship and the absolute grief and rage that Batman experiences when he thinks Robin has been killed. Again, how these all go together in one book, I have not one clue!

Book of Enchantment is awful, but I do have to give props to The Riddle of the Missing Card which is, I think, the first truly great Joker story. The final story in this book introduces Linda Page and is also more character driven. But, yes, the standout here is The Case of the Honest Crook.

 

27. Daredevil Comics #1

[image=http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/daredevil-comics/1-5.jpg]

Writer(s): Charles Biro

Artist(s): Charles Biro, Jack Cole

Lev Gleason(July 1941 c. 1941 Your Guide Publications)

"Daredevil battles Hitler with the help of Silver Steak, Lance Hale, Dickie Dean, Cloud Curtis, and The Priate Prince. Even the monstrous Claw grabs a slice of this 51-page epic, dobule-crossing the already outnumbered Fuhrer."

 

28. Pep Comics #17

[image=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100923000652/marvel_dc/images/thumb/c/ca/Pep-Comics-17.jpg/300px-Pep-Comics-17.jpg]

Writer(s): Joe Blair

Artist(s): George Storm

MLJ(July 1941 c. 1941 MLJ Magazines)

"The Comet (scientist John Dickering) dies saving his brother from gangster "Big Boy" Malone. Bob Dickering takes up the family trade as The Hangman, who visits swift, final judgement on criminals unlucky enough to catch his attention."

 

I was going to ask what Captain America is doing there, then I realised that it's probably The Shield.

Having the other characters stating how cool The Hangman is on the cover is so hilariously lame.

 

If I'm not mistaken, isn't Pep somehow connected to Archie comics? Like they turned into Archie comics, or Archie bought Pep, or Pep bought Archie, or something? Because I remember seeing all these characters in ads in old Double Digests.

 

Yeah, they were owned by the same publisher, John Goldwater and partners-MLJ, Inc. I believe Archie started off in Pep comics, but then branched off into his own book. Pep and Archie then existed together, before Archie ended up taking over everything. John Goldwater only died within the last 10 years or so.

But in the issue, I'm surprised to see that the Hangman is the brother of the Comet, who supposedly died in the issue. The Comet was one of Archie/Pep's most famous heroes, probably second only to the Shield. Of course, having not read this issue, but in standard comic fashion, the Comet couldn't have really died, unless he ended up being brought back and then went on to become more popular.

The third triumvirate of Archie's heroes- along with the Shield and the Comet- is the Fly. (also datedly called the Fly-man in the beginning) The Fly was also created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, so it will be interesting to see which position the Fly makes it on this list.

EDIT:
Having the other characters stating how cool The Hangman is on the cover is so hilariously lame.

BTW, the younger hero in the lower corner who is saying "wow, he's a great guy!" is Dusty, the Shield's sidekick. Dusty was one half of the Boy Buddies, and didn't have any superpowers, except for the fact that he could ride a motorcycle pretty well.

 

29. Doc Savage Comics #5

Can't find a cover jpg, can someone help?

Writer(s): Uncredited

Artist(s): Uncredited

Street & Smith(August 1941 c. 1941 Street & Smith Publications)

"Besides appearing in "Shadow Comics", The Man of Broaze starred in his own series. Crashing in Tibet, he found a mystical ruby woven into a hood and became a traditional super-hero. He would remain so until his departure from comics in 1948."

 

30. Military Comics #1

[image=http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9116/1207948-militarycomics1_large.jpg]

Writer(s): Will Eisner, Jack Cole

Artist(s): Chuck Cuidera, Jack Cole

Quality Comics(August 1941 c. 1941 Comic Magazines)

"Ace pilots from several countries come together as The Blackhawks, one of the most popular teams in comics history. Also in this issue: The Death Patrol, who lost a member in every one of their adventures."

 

31. Police Comics #1

[image=http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/police-comics/1-1.jpg]

Writer(s): S. M. Iger, Jack Cole

Artist(s): Reed Crandall, Jack Cole

Quality Comics(August 1941 c. 1941 Comic Magazines)

"Firebrand gets the cover of this first issue, but it was Cole's Plastic Man who quickly became the title's star. Crook Eel O'Brien reforms aftr he falls into a vat of acid, gaining wild and wacky stretching and shape-changing powers in the process."