Showcase Presents: Aquaman

Showcase: Aquaman
Showcase: Aquaman

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1223-0

One of the greatest advantages of these big value black-&-white compendiums is the opportunity they provide whilst chronologically collecting a character’s adventures to include crossovers and guest spots from other titles. When the star is as long-lived and incredibly peripatetic as DC’s King of the Seven Seas that’s an awful lot of extra appearances for a fan to find…

One of the few superheroes to survive the collapse at the end of the Golden Age was a rather nondescript and generally bland looking chap who solved maritime crimes, rescuing fish and people from sub-sea disaster. Aquaman was created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris in the wake of Timely Comics’ Sub-Mariner, and debuted in More Fun Comics #73 (1941). Strictly a second stringer for most of his career he nevertheless continued on beyond many stronger features, illustrated by Norris, Louis Cazaneuve and Charles Paris, until young Ramona Fradon took over the art chores in 1954, by which time Aquaman had moved to a regular back-up slot in Adventure Comics. She was to draw every single adventure until 1960.

In 1956 Showcase #4 (see The Flash: Archive Edition Volume 1, ISBN: 1-56389-139-5) rekindled the public’s imagination and zest for costumed crime-fighters. As well as re-imagining Golden Age stalwarts, DC undertook to update and remake some of its hoary survivors such as Green Arrow and Aquaman. Records are incomplete, sadly, so often we don’t know who wrote what, but the initial revamp (“How Aquaman Got His Powers!”Adventure Comics #260, May 1959) was the work of Robert Bernstein who wrote the majority of the Sea King’s adventures at this time.

From that tale on the hero had a new origin – offspring of a lighthouse keeper and a refugee from the undersea city of Atlantis – and eventually all the trappings of the modern superhero followed: Themed hideout, sidekick and even super-villains! Moreover, greater attention was paid to continuity and the concept of a shared universe.

In this volume are 49 adventures that cover that early period of renewal taking him from wandering back-up bit-player to stardom and his own comicbook. Writers from those years included the aforementioned Bernstein, Jack Miller, George Kashdan, Bob Haney and perhaps other DC regulars, but the art was always by Fradon, whose captivatingly clean economical line always made the pictures something special.

The initial stories are pretty undemanding fare, ranging from simply charming to simply bewildering examples of all-ages action to rank alongside the best the company offered at the time. ‘Aquaman Duels the Animal Master’, ‘The Undersea Hospital’, ‘The Great Ocean Election’, ‘Aquaman and his Sea-Police’, and ‘The Secret of the Super Safe’ kept the hero in soggy isolation, but with an early crossover Aquaman made his full entrance into the DC universe.

DC supported the popular 1950s Adventures of Superman TV show with a number of successful spin-off titles. Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #12 (October 1959) featured ‘The Mermaid of Metropolis’ wherein the plucky news hen (and isn’t that a term that’s outlived its sell-by date?) suffers crippling injuries in a scuba-diving accident. On hand to save her is Aquaman and a surgeon who turns her into a mermaid so she can live a worthwhile life without legs beneath the waves.

I know, I know: but just accepting the adage “Simpler Times” often helps me at times like this. In all seriousness, this silly story, with no writer credited, is a key moment in the development of one-universe continuity. The fact that it’s drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger – one of the most accomplished artists ever to work in American comics – makes it even more adorable, for all its silliness – at least by our so cool modern standards.

‘Aquaman Meets Aquagirl’ (Adventure Comics #266) gave a little more information about lost Atlantis whilst testing the waters (sorry!) for a possible sidekick – after all, the Sea King spent most of his time expositorially dialoguing with an octopus! – With Adventure Comics #267 the editors tried a novel experiment.

At this time the title starred Superboy and featured two back-up features. ‘The Manhunt on Land’, saw villainous Shark Norton trade territories with Green Arrow’s foe The Wizard. In a rare crossover, both parts of which were written by Bernstein, the two heroes worked the same case with Aquaman fighting on dry land whilst the Emerald Archer pursued his enemy beneath the waves in his own strip; ‘The Underwater Archers’, illustrated by the great Lee Elias.

In the next issue ‘The Adventures of Aquaboy!’ we got a look at the early years of the Sea King, and following that a permanent sidekick, Aqualad, was introduced in ‘The Kid from Atlantis!’ In quick succession came ‘The Menace of Aqualad’, ‘The Second Deluge!’, ‘The Human Flying Fish!’, ‘Around the World in 80 Hours’, ‘Aqua-Queen’ and the intriguing mystery ‘The Interplanetary Mission’.

Originally appearing in Adventure Comics #275 – a few months after the debut of the Justice League of America in The Brave and the Bold #28 – the story concerned a plot to secure Kryptonite from the sea-floor. Although Superman did not appear, the threads of shared continuity were being gradually interwoven. Heroes would no longer work in assured solitude. It was business as usual with ‘The Aqua-thief of the Seven Seas’, ‘The Underwater Olympics’, ‘Aqualad Goes to School’, ‘Silly Sailors of the Sea’ and ‘The Lost Ocean’, a fairly mixed bag which just served to set the scene for a Big Event.

In Showcase #30 (January-February 1961) Jack Miller and Ramona Fradon expanded the origin of Aquaman in the full-length epic ‘The Creatures from Atlantis’, wherein extra-dimensional creatures conquered the sunken civilisation. From this point on the fanciful whimsy of the strip would be downplayed in favour of more character-driven drama. This was followed by the tense thriller ‘One Hour to Doom’ in Adventure Comics #282. Inked by Charles Paris, this was Ramona Fradon’s last art job for nearly a year and a half, and the second Showcase issue by Miller saw the first Aquaman job for comics veteran Nick Cardy who would visually make Aquaman his own for the next half-decade.

‘The Sea Beasts From One Million B.C.’ (Showcase #31, March-April 1961) is a wild romp of fabulous creatures, dotty scientists and evolution rays that presaged a new path for the King of the Seas. Jim Mooney drew ‘The Charge of Aquaman’s Sea Soldiers’ for Adventure #284, and the back up series then shifted to a new home, replaced by the truly unique Tales of the Bizarro World.

Before that however, there was another Showcase thriller. Miller and Cardy pulled out all the stops for ‘The Creature King of the Sea’; an action-packed duel against a monstrous villain with murder in mind. The hind end of Detective Comics #293 (July 1961) welcomed Aquaman and Aqualad who took only six pages to solve the mystery of ‘The Sensational Sea Scoops’. All this time Cardy, who had initially altered his drawing style to mirror Fradon’s had been gradually reverting to his natural, humanistic mode. By the time the fourth and final Showcase, ‘Prisoners of the Aqua-Planet’ (#33), appeared the Sea King was a rugged, burly He-Man, and his world, no matter how fantastic, had an added edge of realism to it.

Detective #294’s ‘The Fantastic Fish that Defeated Aquaman’ coincided with a guest –spot in a second Superman Family title. ‘The Monster that Loved Aqua-Jimmy’, drawn by Al Plastino, is from Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #55, another product of its time that hasn’t aged well, but the big kid in me still regards it fondly and I hope that others will do it the same courtesy. Meanwhile back at Detective Comics #295 our heroes defied ‘The Curse of the Sea Hermit’ (scripted by George Kashdan), and the next month saw ‘The Mystery of Demon Island!

To accompany the more realistic art, and perhaps in honour of their new home, the stories too, became – briefly – less fantasy oriented. ‘Aqualad, Stand-In for a Star’ is credited to Miller and Cardy, though I rather suspect that Batman stalwart Sheldon Moldoff is the actual artist here, but there’s no doubt that Cardy drew both ‘The Secret Sentry of the Sea’ (#298) and ‘Aquaman’s Secret Teacher’ (#299).

The next month saw a milestone. After two decades of continuous adventuring the Sea King finally got a comicbook of his own. Aquaman #1 (January-February 1962) was a 25 page fantasy thriller that introduced one of the most controversial supporting characters in comics lore. The pixie-like Water-Sprite Quisp was part of a strange trend for cute imps and elves that attached themselves to far too many heroes of the time, but his contributions in ‘The Invasion of the Fire-Trolls’ and succeeding issues were numerous and obviously calculated.

‘The Mystery of the Undersea Safari!’ in Detective Comics #300 was the last before he moved again, this time to World’s Finest Comics. However prior to that residency commencing his own second issue appeared. ‘Captain Sykes’ Deadly Missions’ is a lovely looking thriller with fabulous monsters and a flamboyant pirate blackmailing the Sea King into retrieving deadly mystical artefacts.

‘Aquaman’s Super-Sidekick’ by Miller and Cardy started the World’s Finest run (#125) in fine style, and Aquaman #3 provided full-length thrills and more exposure for the lost city in ‘The Aquaman from Atlantis’ a tale of traitors and time-travel. WF #126 saw the heroes foil thieves with ‘Aquaman’s Super Sea Circus’ and for better or worse Quisp returned in #4’s ‘Menace of the Alien Island’.

A more welcome returnee was Ramona Fradon who took over the World’s Finest strip with #127’s ‘Aquaman’s Finny Commandos’. The next issue saw ‘The Trial of Aquaman’ end in his favour just in time to endure ‘The Haunted Sea’ in his own fifth issue, before encountering ‘The Menace of the Alien Fish’ in WF#129.

This bumper volume concludes with Aquaman #6 and the never more true ‘Too Many Quisps’, a case of painfully mistaken identity and a sentiment it’s hard not to agree with… but still beautifully illustrated by Mr. Cardy.

DC has a long and comforting history of gentle, innocuous yarn-spinning with quality artwork. Ramona Fradon’s Aquaman is one of the most neglected runs of such accessible material, and it’s a pleasure to discover just how readable they still are. And when the opportunity arises to compare her wonderful work to the early superhero work of such a stellar talent as Nick Cardy this book becomes a fan’s must-have item. More so when all the stories are still suitable for kids of all ages, Why not treat yourself and your youngsters to a timeless dose of whimsy and adventure? You won’t regret it.

 

© 1959-1962, 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents: Hawkman

Showcase: Hawkman
Showcase: Hawkman

By Gardner Fox, Joe Kubert, Murphy Anderson & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1280-3

With the superhero revival in full swing by 1961, Julius Schwartz turned to reviving one of DC’s most visually arresting and iconic Golden Age characters. Once again eschewing mysticism for science fiction (the original Hawkman was a reincarnated Egyptian prince murdered by a villainous priest), he selected scripter Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert to build a new hero for the Space Age.

Katar Hol and his wife Shayera Thal are police officers on their own planet of Thanagar. They’ve travelled to Earth from the star system Polaris in pursuit of a spree-thief named Byth who has assaulted a scientist and stolen a drug that gives the user the ability to change into anything. Thus the scene was set in ‘Creature of a Thousand Shapes’ which appeared in The Brave and the Bold #34 (cover-dated February-March 1961), a spectacular work of graphic magic, with the otherworldly nature of the premise rendered captivatingly human by the passionate, moody expressiveness of Kubert’s art. It is a minor masterpiece of comic storytelling, and still a darned good read.

The high-flying heroes returned in the next issue, stationed on Earth to study Terran police methods. In ‘Menace of the Matter Master’ they defeat a plundering scientist who has discovered a means to control elements, whilst ‘Valley of Vanishing Men’ takes them to the Himalayas to discover the secret of the Abominable Snowmen. B&B #36 saw them defeat a modern day wizard in ‘Strange Spells of the Sorcerer’ and save the world from another Ice Age whilst defeating ‘The Shadow Thief of Midway City’.

With the three-issue try-out finished the publishers sat back and waited for the fan letters and sales figures. And something odd happened: fans were vocal and enthusiastic, but the huge sales figures just weren’t there. It was inexplicable. The quality of the work was plain to see on every page but somehow not enough people had plunked down their dimes to justify starting a Hawkman series.

A year later they tried again. The Brave and the Bold #42 (cover-dated June-July 1962) featured ‘The Menace of the Dragonfly Raiders’ and found Katar and Shayera returning to Thanagar just in time to encounter a bizarre band of alien thieves. Here was superhero action in a fabulous alien locale and the next issue maintained the exoticism – at least initially – before Hawkman and Hawkgirl returned to Midway City to defeat a threat to both worlds – ‘The Masked Marauders of Earth’. One last B&B issue followed (#44, October-November 1962), with two splendid short tales, ‘Earth’s Impossible Day’ and the eerie doomsday adventure ‘The Men who Moved the World’, and then the Hawks vanished again. It certainly looked like this time the magic had faltered.

That however, is not the end of the saga. Convinced he was right Schwartz retrenched. Enjoying some success with the new Atom title, and mindful of the response when he had teamed the Flash and Green Lantern in the summer of 1962, Schwartz had writer Fox include the Winged Wonder in ‘The Case of the Cosmic Camera’ (The Atom #7, June/July 1963), an interplanetary thriller illustrated by Gil Kane and Anderson, which ranged from the depths of space to Earth’s most distant past. This new clean-limbed version clearly found fan-favour and in 1963 Hawkman returned! Again!

Mystery in Space had been the home of Adam Strange since issue #53 (see DC Archive: Adam Strange vol. 1, ISBN: 1-4012-0148-2, vol. 2, ISBN: 1-4012-0780-9) and with #87 (November 1963) Schwartz moved the Winged Wonders into the back-up slot, and even granted them occasional cover-privileges. Still written by Fox, Kubert’s moody art had been superseded by the clean, graceful line-work of Murphy Anderson. ‘The Amazing Thefts of the I.Q. Gang!’ was followed a month later by ‘Topsy-Turvy Day in Midway City!’

With the management now on board, guest appearances to maximise profile were easier to find. Hawkman returned to The Brave and the Bold with issue #51 (cover-dated December 1963-January 1964) to team with Aquaman and face the ‘Fury of the Exiled Creature!’ This quirky tale of monsters, magic and mayhem in sunken Atlantis was written by Bob Haney and illustrated by the criminally neglected Howard Purcell, and then it was back to Mystery in Space #89 and the ‘Super-Motorized Menace!’ the month after that.

These were brief, engaging action pieces but issue #90 was a full length story teaming the Hawks and Adam Strange in a legendary End-of the-World(s) epic. ‘Planets in Peril!’, illustrated by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, was the last Hawkman back-up. From the next month, and after three years of trying, Hawkman would star in his own title.

Cover-dated April-May 1964, Hawkman #1 is a gem of an issue by Fox and Anderson. Two of the most visually arresting characters in comics, the Hawks had one of the most subtle and sophisticated relationships in the business. Like Sue and Ralph Dibney (Elongated Man and wife) Katar and Shayera are equal partners, (both couples were influenced by the Nick and Nora Charles characters of the Thin Man movies) and the interplay is always rich in humour and warmth.

In ‘Rivalry of the Winged Wonders’, and whilst accommodatingly recapping their origins for newcomers, the couple decide to turn their latest case into a contest. Hawkgirl would use Thanagarian super-science to track and catch a band of thieves whilst Hawkman limited himself to Earth techniques and tools in solving the crime. This charmingly witty yarn is balanced by the action thriller ‘Master of the Sky Weapons’ as Chac, an ancient Mayan warrior, threatens the world with alien super weapons.

‘Secret of the Sizzling Sparklers!’ is a another action-packed thriller concerning trans-dimensional invaders, and issue #2 closes with ‘Wings across Time’ a mystery revolving around the discovery of the flying harness of the legendary Icarus. Another brain-teaser opened the third issue. Scientific bandits proved less of a menace than ‘The Fear that Haunted Hawkman’ and ordinary thugs and an extraordinary alien owl resulted in our heroes becoming ‘Birds in a Gilded Cage’.

Issue #4 opened with a tale that would revolutionise DC comics. ‘The Girl who Split in Two!’ introduced Zatanna, daughter of a magician who had fought crime in the 1940s only to “mysteriously disappear”.

Zatarra was a magician-hero in the Mandrake mould who had fought evil in the pages of Action Comics for over a decade beginning with the very first issue. During the Silver Age Gardner Fox had Zatarra’s young and equally gifted daughter, Zatanna, searching for the missing magician by teaming up with a selection of superheroes Fox was currently scripting (if you’re counting, these tales appeared in Hawkman #4, Atom #19, Green Lantern #42, and the Elongated Man back-up strip in Detective Comics #355 as well as a very slick piece of back writing to include the high-profile Caped Crusader via Detective #336 – ‘Batman’s Bewitched Nightmare’. The saga concluded in Justice League of America #51‘Z – As in Zatanna – and Zero Hour!’ )

This wide, long-running experiment in continuity proved to the creators – and publishers – that there was a dedicated fan-base out there with a voracious appetite for experimentation and relatively deep pockets. Most importantly it finally signalled the end of the period where DC heroes lived and battled in a world of their own.

‘The Machine that Magnetized Men!’ is another fine tale, as the winged Wonders use reason and deduction to defeat thieves who are impossible to touch. ‘Steal, Shadow– Steal!’ in number #5 is the first full-length thriller in the run, as the ruthless Shadow thief returns to seek revenge, believing that causing the next Ice Age is an acceptable consequence of his schemes. Issue #6 is another long tale, and one that turned DC’s peculiar obsession with gorillas into a classic adventure.

‘World Where Evolution Ran Wild!’ draws our heroes to fabled Illoral where a scientist’s explorations have stretched Selection to un-natural limits. Bold, brash and daft in equal proportions, this is a fabulous romp and seeing again the cover where Hawkman struggles for his life against a winged gorilla makes the adult me realise those DC chaps might have known what they were doing with all those anthropoid covers!

By issue #7 (April-May 1965) the world was gripped in secret agent fever as the likes of James Bond, the Man from U.N.C.L.E., and a host of others suaved across our TV screens, and even comics were not immune, though spies had been a staple threat there for nearly two decades. Before Hawkman joined that crowd however he had to deal with the rather mediocre threat posed by ‘The Amazing Return of the I.Q. Gang!’ They were quickly returned to prison and the Hawks moved on to face the ‘Attack of the Crocodile-Men!’, a high-octane super-science thriller that introduced C.A.W. – the Criminal Alliance of the World!

Another supremely captivating cover adorned #8 as the Hawks had to defeat an ancient Roman artificial intelligence built by the not-so mythical Vulcan himself in ‘Giant in the Golden Mask!’, and then defeat an alien Harpy who’d been buried for half a million years in ‘Battle of the Bird-Man Bandits’. Issue #9 saw The Atom guest star as an old villain returned with a seemingly perfect revenge plan in the full-length super-thriller ‘Master Trap of the Matter Master!’, whilst #10 saw a playful Gardner Fox at his best in both ‘Hawkman Clips the Claws of C.A.W!’, another espionage drama with a delicious subplot as the Winged Wonder aids a sexy CIA agent with a big secret of her own, and then solved ‘The Magic Mirror Mystery’: a fair-play tale brainteaser with lots of high-flying action to balance the smart stuff.

This first volume closes with another superb full-length epic when ‘The Shrike Strikes at Midnight!’ as the trail of a super-powered winged bandit leads all over the world and on to the star system Mizar in a gripping tale of crime, super-villainy, aliens, revolutions and even dinosaurs.

Hawkman grew to be one of the most iconic characters of the second superhero boom, not just for the superb art but also because of a brilliant, subtle writer with a huge imagination. These tales are comfortably familiar but somehow grippingly timeless. Yet comics are a funny business; circumstances, tastes and fashions often mean that wonderful works are missed and unappreciated. Don’t make the same mistake readers did in the 1960s. Whatever your age, read these astounding adventures and become a fan. It’s never too late.

© 1961-1966, 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents: JLA vol 3

Showcase Presents: JLA 3
Showcase Presents: JLA 3

By Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-342-8

The third volume of these cheap ‘n’ cheerful black and white compendiums of past Justice League classics covers a period in DC’s history that still makes many a fan shudder with dread but I’m going to ask them to reconsider their aversion to the “Camp Craze” that saw America go superhero silly in the wake of the Batman TV show (and, to a lesser extent, the Green Hornet series that introduced Bruce Lee to the world). I should also mention that comics didn’t create the craze. Many popular media outlets felt the zeitgeist of a zanier, tongue-in-cheek, mock-heroic fashion: Just check out DVDS of Lost in Space or The Man from U.N.C.L.E if you doubt me…

The third annual JLA/JSA team-up starts the fun, a largely forgotten and rather experimental tale wherein the Johnny Thunder of Earth-1 wrested control of the genie-like Thunderbolt from his Justice Society counterpart and used its magic powers to change events that led to the creation of all Earth-1’s superheroes. It’s JSA to the rescue in a gripping battle of wits in #37’s ‘Earth – Without a Justice League’ and the concluding ‘Crisis on Earth-A!’

Issue #39 was an Eighty-Page Giant reprinting Brave and the Bold #28 and #30 and Justice League of America #5, so this volume makes do with just a cover reproduction before continuing with issue #40 and the ‘Indestructible Creatures of Nightmare Island’ a challenging conundrum wherein an astral scientist’s machine to suppress Man’s basest instincts almost causes the end of humanity, but also an action packed psycho-thriller stuffed with super-villainous guest-stars.

Issue #41 introduced a modern version of an old Justice Society villain. The Earth-1 mastermind called The Key is a diabolical scientist who used mild-altering psycho-chemicals to control the behaviour of our heroes in ‘The Key – Master of the World!’ He was followed by a guest-appearance from DC’s newest superhero sensation. Acquitting himself splendidly against the Cosmic Force named The Unimaginable, he was naturally offered membership in the team but astonishingly, he declined in the in the controversial ‘Metamorpho says – No!’

Justice League of America #43 was cover dated March 1966 and introduced a villainous team led by an old foe. ‘The Card Crimes of the Royal Flush Gang’ is a fine “Goodies and Baddies” romp and the first issue to feature the legendary DC “Go-Go checkerboard” banner at the top of the cover. This iconic cover-feature still generates a frisson of child-like anticipation in many older fans and is often used in pastiches and homage today to instantly create an evocative mood. It also marked the end of a brilliant career, as veteran inker Bernard Sachs put down his brushes for the final time and retired from the League and the comics field.

The next issue was inked by Frank Giacoia, a tense bio-thriller entitled ‘The Plague that Struck the Justice League!’, and he was joined by Joe Giella for the witty monster-menace double-feature ‘The Super-Struggle against Shaggy Man!’ in issue #45.

A wise-cracking campy tone was fully in play with the next issue, in acknowledgement of the changing audience profile. It was the opening part of the fourth annual crossover with the Justice Society of America. This time the stakes were raised to encompass the destruction of both planets in ‘Crisis Between Earth-One and Earth-Two’ and issue #47’s ‘The Bridge Between Earths’, wherein a bold – if rash – experiment pulls the two sidereal worlds into an inexorable hyper-space collision, whilst to make matters worse an anti-matter being uses the opportunity to explore our positive matter universe.

Peppered with wisecracks and “hip” dialogue, it’s sometimes difficult to discern what a cracking yarn this actually is, but if you’re able to forgive or swallow the dated patter, this is one of the best plotted and illustrated stories in the entire JLA/JSA canon. Furthermore, the vastly talented Sid Greene signed on as regular inker with this classic adventure, adding expressive subtlety, beguiling texture and whimsical humour to the pencils of Mike Sekowsky and the increasingly light, comedic scripts of Gardner Fox.

The next issue was another Eighty-Page Giant (reprinting Brave and the Bold #29 and #30 and Justice League of America #2 and 3, represented here by its stirring Sekowsky/Murphy Anderson cover, followed by the ‘Threat of the True-or-false Sorcerer’ in which a small team of the biggest guns (Batman, Superman, Flash and Green Lantern) must ferret out a doppelganger Felix Faust before he inadvertently dissolves all creation. There’s no excessive hoopla to celebrate the fiftieth issue but ‘The Lord of Time Attacks the 20th Century’ is another brilliantly told tale of heroism, action and sacrifice that, uncharacteristically for the company and the time, references and includes the ongoing Vietnam conflict. With “Batmania” in full swing editor Julie Schwartz also deemed it wise to include Robin, The Boy Wonder with regulars Aquaman, Flash, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Snapper Carr and Batman.

Issue #51 concluded a long-running experiment in continuity with ‘Z – As in Zatanna – and Zero Hour!’ in which a comely young sorceress concluded the search for her long-missing father with the assistance of a small group of Leaguers and guest-star Ralph “Elongated Man” Dibny.

Zatarra was a magician-hero in the Mandrake mould who had fought evil in the pages of Action Comics for over a decade beginning with the very first issue. During the Silver Age Gardner Fox had Zatarra’s young and equally gifted daughter, Zatanna, go searching for him by guest-teaming with a selection of superheroes Fox was currently scripting (if you’re counting, these tales appeared in Hawkman #4, Atom #19, Green Lantern #42, and the Elongated Man back-up strip in Detective Comics #355 as well as a very slick piece of back writing to include the high-profile Caped Crusader via Detective #336 – ‘Batman’s Bewitched Nightmare’).

Experimentation was also the basis of #52’s ‘Missing in Action – 5 Justice Leaguers!’, a portmanteau tale that showed what happened to those members who didn’t show up for issue #50. Hawkman – plus wife and partner Hawkgirl – Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Superman reported their solo yet ultimately linked adventures, whilst the Atom referred them to his time-travelling escapade with Benjamin Franklin from the pages of his own comic (The Atom #27 ‘Stowaway on a Hot Air Balloon!’). Batman still managed to make an appearance through the magic of a lengthy flash-back, showing again just how ubiquitous the TV series had made him. No editor in his right mind would ignore a legitimate (or even not-so) chance to feature such a perfect guarantee of increased sales.

‘Secret Behind the Stolen Super-Weapons’ found Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and Hawkman – again with Hawkgirl guest-starring – deprived of their esoteric armaments and in desperate need of the Atom, Flash, Aquaman and Superman. Card-carrying criminals returned in ‘The History-Making Costumes of the Royal Flush Gang’, a taut mystery-thriller with plenty of action to balance the suspense. This fed perfectly into another summer-spectacular team-up with the JSA.

Boasting a radical change, the Earth-2 team now starred an adult Robin instead of Batman, but Hourman, Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Wildcat, Johnny Thunder and Mr. Terrific still needed the help of Earth-1’s Superman, Flash, Green Lantern and Green Arrow to cope with ‘The Super-Crisis that Struck Earth-Two’ and ‘The Negative-Crisis on Earths One-Two!’

This cosmic threat from a dying universe was in stark contrast to the overly-worthy but well intentioned ‘Man – Thy Name is Brother!’ in issue #57, where Flash, Green Arrow and Hawkman joined Snapper Carr in defending human rights and equality via three cases involving ethnic teenagers; a black, a native American/Apache (and if that modern phrase doesn’t indicate the necessity and efficacy of such stories in the 1960’s then what does?) and an aid-worker in India. Beautifully drawn and obviously heartfelt, I still ponder on the fact that all the characters are male… but eventually comics would confront even that last bastion of institutionalised prejudice.

There’s one last Eighty-Page Giant cover in this gloriously cost-effective monochrome compendium (issue # 58 reprinted Justice League of America #1, 6 and 8), and it was produced by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. That’s followed by the extremely odd conceptual puzzler ‘The Justice Leaguer’s Impossible Adventure’ before the volume closes with the return of an old adversary and another “hot” guest-star. Issue #60 featured ‘Winged Warriors of the Immortal Queen!’ and pitted the enslaved and transformed team against DC’s newest sensation – Batgirl.

These phonebook-like collections – each in excess of 500 pages – are an absolute gift for modern fans with a desperate need to catch up without going bankrupt. They’re also the perfect gift for youngsters needing an introduction to a fabulous world of adventure and magic. Of all the various reprint editions and formats available for classic material, these monochrome tomes are my absolute favourites.

© 1958-1964, 1967, 1969, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents: JLA volume 2

Showcase Presents: JLA 2
Showcase Presents: JLA 2

By Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky & Bernard Sachs (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1203-2

I love these cheap ‘n’ cheerful black and white compendiums of past classics! This second volume collecting the entire run of adventures of “The World’s Greatest Superheroes” comprises issues #17-36, t(he February, 1963 to June 1965 instalments) which bring the readers chronologically to the point where superhero comics would explode across the public consciousness.

‘Triumph of the Tornado Tyrant’ saw a sentient cyclone that had once battled the indomitable Adam Strange (in Mystery in Space #61- or Adam Strange Archives volume 1, ISBN: 1-4012-0148-2) set up housekeeping on an desolate world and ponder the very nature of Good and Evil, before realising that it needed the help of the Justice League to reach a survivable conclusion. Teaser Alert: As well being a cracking yarn, this story is pivotal in the development of the android hero Red Tornado…

Issue #18 saw the team summoned to a subatomic world by three planetary champions whose continued existence threatened to destroy the very world they were designed to protect. ‘Journey to the Micro-World’ found our heroes compelled to defeat opponents that were literally unbeatable. Another perplexing riddle was posed in ‘The Super-Exiles of Earth’ when unstoppable duplicates of the team go on a crime-spree and force the world’s governments to banish the heroes into space.

‘The Mystery of Spaceman X’ was an interplanetary adventure and a cunning brainteaser, with lots of action that serves to whet the appetite for the genuine pivotal classic that followed.

‘Crisis on Earth-One’ (Justice League of America #21) and ‘Crisis on Earth-Two’ (#22) combine to become one of the most important stories in DC history and arguably one of the most important tales in American comics. When ‘Flash of Two Worlds’ introduced the concept of Infinite Earths and multiple heroes to the public, pressure began almost instantly to bring back the lost heroes of the “Golden Age”. The editorial powers-that-be were hesitant, though, fearing that too many heroes would be silly and unmanageable, or worse yet put readers off. If only they knew what we know now!

The plot sees a team-up of assorted villains from each Earth plundering at will and trapping our heroes in their own HQ. Temporarily helpless the JLA contrive a desperate plan to combine forces with the champions of a bygone era! It’s impossible for me to be totally objective about this saga. I was a drooling kid in short trousers when I first read this story and the thrills haven’t diminished with this umpty-first re-reading. This is what superhero comics are all about!

Faced with the impossible task of topping that, creative team Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs rose to the challenge with the eccentric outer-space thriller ‘Drones of the Queen Bee’. As the team escaped enslavement to the alien seductress, the continuity bug was growing, and the mention of the individual cases of members would become a mainstay of most future issues.

Alien despot Kanjar Ro returned in ‘Decoy Missions of the Justice League’ a sinister world conquest plot that featured another guest-shot for off-world adventurer Adam Strange and a perplexing mystery with planet-shaking consequences temporarily baffled the team in the rousing romp ‘Outcasts of Infinity!’ Issue #26, ‘Four Worlds to Conquer’ dealt with an insidious revenge plot of the three-eyed alien Despero whilst a much more metaphysical menace assaulted the team in ‘The “I” Who Defeated the Justice League’. Although the deadly android Amazo was also on hand to add some solid threat to the proceedings.

The charmingly naff Head-Mastermind and a bunch of second-string super-villains tried to outfox the League in #28’s ‘Case of the Forbidden Super-Powers’, but not so easily defeated or forgotten are the next two tales. ‘Crisis on Earth-Three’ and ‘The Most Dangerous Earth of All!’ reprised the team-up of the Justice League and Justice Society, when the super-beings of yet another alternate Earth discovered the secret of multiversal travel. Unfortunately Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick and Power Ring are villains on a world without heroes, and see the costumed crusaders of the JLA and JSA as living practise dummies to sharpen their evil skills upon. With this cracking two-part thriller the annual summer team-up became solidly entrenched in heroic lore, giving fans endless joys for years to come and making the approaching end of school holidays less gloomy than they could have been.

(A little note: although the comic cover-date in America was the month by which unsold copies had to be returned – the off-sale date – export copies to Britain travelled as ballast in freighters. Thus they usually went on to those cool, spinning comic-racks the actual month printed on the front. You can unglaze your eyes and return to the review proper now, and thank you for your patient indulgence.)

JLA #31 saw the induction into the team of Hawkman, who would be the last successful inductee until Black Canary joined the team in #75. ‘Riddle of the Runaway Room’ found an alien wish-granting machine in the hands of second-rate thug Joe Parry, who nonetheless made life pretty tough for the team before their eventual victory. The visually impressive Hawkman must have been popular with the creators, if not the fans, as he was prominently featured in all but one of the next half-dozen adventures. ‘Attack of the Star-Bolt Warrior!’ introduced the uncanny villain Brain Storm who attacked the League to avenge his brother who had been murdered by one of their number!

The universe was again at stake in the time-travelling thriller ‘Enemy from the Timeless World’ and a persistent old foe had another go in #34’s ‘The Deadly Dreams of Doctor Destiny!’, a thriller packed with an army of guest-villains. The team were attacked by their own clothes in the supernatural adventure ‘Battle Against the Bodiless Uniforms’, a fall-back plan by the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast, which had been slowly percolating since the end of JLA #11.

This volume closes with a heart-warming and poignant fable. ‘The Case of the Disabled Justice League’ saw the team raise the morale of despondent kids with disabilities by overcoming physical handicaps to defeat the returning Brain Storm. This tale was in fact inspired by ‘A Place in the World’, a Justice Society adventure from 1945 (All Star Comics #27) produced at a time when returning servicemen disabled in combat were becoming an increasingly common sight on the streets of America.

These inexpensive compendiums are an absolute gift for modern fans desperate to catch up without going bankrupt. They’re also the perfect gift for youngsters needing an introduction to a fabulous world of adventure and magic. Of all the various reprint editions and formats available for such classic material, these monochrome tomes are my very favourite.

© 1963, 1964, 1965, 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents: Justice League of America, Vol 1

Showcase: JLA
Showcase: JLA

By Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-0761-8

After the actual invention of the comicbook superhero – for which read the launch of Superman in 1938 – the most significant event in the industry’s progress was the combination of individual sales-points into a group. Thus what seems blindingly obvious to us with the benefit of four-colour hindsight was proven – a number of popular characters could multiply readership by combining forces. Plus of course, a whole bunch of superheroes is a lot cooler than just one – or even one and a sidekick.

And so the Justice Society of America is rightly revered as a true landmark in the development of comic books, and, when Julius Schwartz revived the superhero genre in the late 1950s, the key moment would come with the inevitable teaming of the reconfigured mystery men.

That moment came with issue #28 of The Brave and the Bold, a classical adventure title that had recently become a try-out magazine like Showcase. Just before Christmas 1959 the ads began running. “Just Imagine! The mightiest heroes of our time… have banded together as the Justice League of America to stamp out the forces of evil wherever and whenever they appear!”

Released with a March 1960 cover-date, that first tale was written by the indefatigable Gardner Fox and illustrated by the quirky and understated Mike Sekowsky with inks by Bernard Sachs, Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson. ‘Starro the Conqueror’ saw Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and J’onn J’onzz, Manhunter from Mars defeat a marauding alien starfish whilst Superman and Batman stood by (in those naive days editors feared that their top characters could be “over-exposed” and consequently lose popularity). They also picked up a typical American kid as mascot. Snapper Carr would prove a focus of fan controversy for decades to come.

Confident of his material and the superhero genre’s fresh appeal Schwartz had two more thrillers ready for the following issues. B&B #29 saw the team defeat a marauder from the future in ‘The Challenge of the Weapons Master’ (inks by Sachs and Giella) and #30 saw their first mad-scientist arch-villain in the form of Professor Ivo and his super android Amazo. ‘The Case of the Stolen Super Powers’ by Fox, Sekowsky and Sachs ended their tryout run. Three months later the new bi-monthly title debuted.

Perhaps somewhat sedate by histrionic modern standards, the JLA was revolutionary in a comics marketplace where less than 10% of all sales featured costumed adventurers. Not only public imagination was struck by hero teams either. Stan Lee was given a copy of Justice League by his boss and told to do something similar for the tottering comics company he ran – and look what came of that!

‘The World of No Return’ introduced trans-dimensional tyrant Despero to bedevil the World’s Greatest Heroes, but once again the plucky Snapper Carr was the key to defeating the villain and saving the day. The second issue, ‘Secret of the Sinister Sorcerers’, presented an astounding conundrum. The villains of Magic-Land transposed the location of their dimension with Earth’s, causing the Laws of Science to be replaced with the Lore of Mysticism. The true mettle of our heroes (and by this time Superman and Batman were allowed a more active part in the proceedings) was shown when they had to use ingenuity rather than their powers to defeat their foes.

Issue #3 introduced the despicable Kanjar Ro who attempted to turn the team into his personal army in ‘The Slave Ship of Space’, and with the next episode the first of many new members joined the team. Green Arrow saved the day in the science-fiction thriller ‘Doom of the Star Diamond’, but was almost kicked out in #5 as the insidious Doctor Destiny inadvertently framed him ‘When Gravity Went Wild!’

‘The Wheel of Misfortune’ introduced the pernicious and persistent master of wild science Professor Amos Fortune, and #7 was another alien plot centred on an amusement park and more specifically ‘The Cosmic Fun-House!’. ‘For Sale – the Justice League!’ was a sharp crime caper where a cheap hood finds a mind control weapon that enslaves the team and once again simple Snapper Carr has to save the day.

Issue #9 is a well-known and oft-recounted tale, and the start of a spectacular run of nigh-perfect super-hero adventures. ‘The Origin of the Justice League’ recounts the circumstances of the team’s birth, an alien invasion saga that still resonates with today’s readership, and it’s followed by the series’ first continued story. ‘The Fantastic Fingers of Felix Faust’ finds the World’s Greatest Superheroes battling an invader from the future when they’re spellbound by sorcerer Faust. This magician has awoken three antediluvian demons and sold them the Earth in exchange for 100 years of unlimited power. Although they defeat Faust the team have no idea that the demons are loose…

In the next instalment ‘One Hour to Doomsday’ the JLA pursue and capture The Lord of Time, but are trapped a century from their home-era by the awakened and re-empowered Demons. This level of plot complexity hadn’t been seen in comics since the closure of EC Comics, and never before in a superhero tale. It was a profound acknowledgement by the creators that the readership was no longer simply little kids – if indeed it ever had been.

These cheap compendiums are a dedicated fan’s delight. As well as superb artwork presented in pristine black and white lines, there’s enough page count to add sidebar tales that affect continuity but which originally appeared outside the canonical source. The next adventure of the JLA appeared in the pages of Mystery in Space #75 (May 1962), as the team guest-starred in a full-length thriller starring Adam Strange. Strange was an Earth archaeologist who was regularly teleported to a planet circling Alpha Centauri, where his wits and ingenuity saved the citizens of Rann from all sorts of interplanetary threats.

In ‘The Planet that came to a Standstill!’ Kanjar Ro attempted to conquer Strange’s adopted home and the gallant hero had to enlist the aid of the JLA, before once again saving the day himself. This classic team-up was written by Fox, and illustrated by the wonderful Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

Arch-villain Doctor Light, attempted a pre-emptive strike on the team in #12, but ‘The Last Case of the Justice League‘ proved to be anything but, and with the next issue the heroes saved the entire universe by solving ‘The Riddle of the Robot Justice League’. ‘The Menace of the “Atom” Bomb’ in issue #14 was a clever way of introducing newest member The Atom whilst showing a new side to an old villain and issue #15’s ‘Challenge of the Untouchable Aliens’ added some fresh texture to the formulaic plot of extra-dimensional invaders out for our destruction.

This book ends with the challenging, intellectual poser ‘The Cavern of Deadly Spheres’, a change-of-pace tale with a narrative technique that just couldn’t be used on today’s oh-so-sophisticated audience, but still has the power to grip a reader.

These inexpensive collections are an absolute gift for modern fans that desperately need to catch up without going bankrupt. They are also perfect to give to youngsters as an introduction into a fabulous world of adventure and magic. Of all the various reprint editions and formats available for classic material, these monochrome tomes are my very favourite.

© 1960-1963, 2005 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents: Green Lantern, Vol 1

Showcase: Green Lantern
Showcase: Green Lantern

By John Broome, Gil Kane & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-0759-5

After the successful revival and reworking of The Flash, DC (or National Comics as they were) was keen to build on the resurgent superhero trend. Showcase #22 (September-October 1959) hit the stands at the same time as the fourth issue of the new Flash comicbook (#108) and once again the guiding lights were Editor Julie Schwartz and writer John Broome.

The Space Age reworking of the Golden-Age superhero with the magic ring replaced mysticism with super-science. Hal Jordan was a young test pilot in California when an alien policeman crashed his spaceship on Earth. Mortally wounded, Abin Sur commanded his ring, a device which could materialise thoughts, to seek out a replacement ring-bearer, honest and without fear. Scanning the planet it selected Jordan and brought him to the crash-site. The dying alien bequeathed his ring, the lantern-shaped Battery of Power and his profession to the astonished Earthman.

In six pages ‘S.O.S Green Lantern’ established the characters, scenario and narrative thrust of a series that would increasingly become the spine of DC continuity, leaving room for another two adventures in that premiere issue. ‘Secret of the Flaming Spear!’ and ‘Menace of the Runaway Missile!’ were both contemporary thrillers set against the backdrop of the aviation industry at a time when the Cold War was at its height.

Unlike the debut of The Flash, the editors were now confident of their ground. The next two issues of Showcase carried the new hero into even greater exploits. ‘Summons from Space’ sent Green Lantern to another world: Saving an emerging race from a deadly threat at the behest of the as-yet-unnamed leaders of the Green Lantern Corps, whilst ‘The Invisible Destroyer’ pitted the Emerald Gladiator against the earthbound but eerie menace of a psychic marauder that lived on atomic radiation.

Showcase #24 (January-February, 1960) featured another spy-ring in ‘The Secret of the Black Museum!’ but Hal Jordan’s complex social life took centre-stage in ‘The Creature That Couldn’t Die!’ when the threat of an unstoppable monster paled before the insufferable stress of being his own rival. Hal’s boss Carol Ferris, left in charge of the aviation company by her father (a radical concept in 1960 when most women were still considered faint-fodder fluff) won’t date an employee but is happy for him to set her up with the glamorous, mysterious Green Lantern.

Six months later Green Lantern #1 was released. All previous tales had been dynamically drawn by Gil Kane and inked by Joe Giella, in a visually arresting and exciting manner, but the lead tale here, ‘Planet of Doomed Men’ was inked by the uniquely gifted Murphy Anderson, and his fine line-work elevated the tale (more emergent humans in need of rescue from another monster) to the status of a minor classic. Giella returned for the second tale, ‘Menace of the Giant Puppet!’, in which GL fought his first – albeit rather lame – super-villain, the Puppet Master.

The next issue originated a concept that would be pivotal to the future of DC continuity. ‘The Secret of the Golden Thunderbolts!’ featured the Antimatter Universe and the diabolical Weaponers of Qward, a twisted race who worshipped Evil, and whose “criminals” (i.e. people who wouldn’t lie, cheat, steal or kill) wanted asylum on Earth. This tale was also inked by Anderson, and is an early highpoint of tragic melodrama from an era where emotionalism was actively downplayed in comics. The second story ‘Riddle of the Frozen Ghost Town!’ is a crime thriller that highlights the developing relationship between the hero and his Inuit (then “Eskimo”) mechanic Tom ‘Pieface’ Kalmaku.

The Qwardians returned in #3’s ‘The Amazing Theft of the Power Lamp!’ and Jordan’s love-life again spun out of control in ‘The Leap Year Menace!’, whilst GL#4 saw the hero trapped in the antimatter universe in ‘The Diabolical Missile from Qward!’ nicely balanced by the light-and-frothy mistaken-identity caper ‘Secret of Green Lantern’s Mask!’ (this last apparently crafted by a veritable raft of pencillers including Kane, Giella, Carmine Infantino, Mike Sekowsky and Ross Andru). Issue #5 was a full length thriller which introduced Hector Hammond, GL’s second official super-villain in ‘The Power Ring that Vanished!’ a saga of romantic intrigue, mistaken identity and evolution gone wild. This was followed by another, the pure science fiction puzzler ‘The World of Living Phantoms!’ which introduced the avian Green Lantern Tomar Re, and opened up the entire universe to avid readers.

Having shown us other GLs, Broome immediately trumped himself with the next episode. ‘The Day 100,000 People Vanished!’ brought the Guardians into the open to warn of their greatest error: a renegade Green Lantern named Sinestro who, in league with the Qwardians had become a threat to the entire universe. This tense shocker introduced one of the most charismatic villains in the DCU and the issue still had room for a dryly amusing whimsical drama that introduced Tom Kalmaku’s fiancée Terga in ‘Wings of Destiny’.

These black and white collections are to my mind a much better buy for art fans who can more clearly see the mastery of design and rendering of artists like Gil Kane. The only regret is that occasionally a special circumstance cries out for colour. In the early 1960s DC production wizard Jack Adler created a process to add enhancing tone to cover illustrations. The finished result was eye-catching and mind-blowing, but examples, such as the cover of #8, really don’t work without glossy colours and tints. Never mind, though, as the contents of that issue, ‘The Challenge from 5700AD!’ are a fantasy tour de force: The Emerald Gladiator is shanghaied through time to save the future from a invasion of mutant lizards. Sinestro returned in the next issue with his own super-weapon in ‘The Battle of the Power Rings!’ (with Murphy Anderson once more replacing Giella on inks) but the real gold is ‘Green Lantern’s Brother Act’ which introduces Hal’s two brothers and a snoopy girl reporter convinced that young Jim Jordan is the ring-slinging superhero. This wry poke at DC’s house plot-device shows just how sophisticated Schwartz and Broome believed their audiences to be.

‘Prisoner of the Power Ring’ is your run-of-the-mill subatomic exodus tale with Atomic War anxiety overtones whilst ‘The Origin of Green Lantern’s Oath’ details three of the hero’s earliest exploits which led to him constructing the piece of doggerel he uses to time his ring’s recharging period. Although neither tale is a blockbuster, the increasingly loose and expressive artwork of Kane, especially on the latter (again with Anderson on inks) are an unalloyed delight of easy grace and power.

The readers were hungry for more on the Green Lantern Corps and ‘The Strange Trial of Green Lantern’ introduced another half-dozen or so simply to court-martial Hal Jordan for dereliction of duty in a saga of cataclysmic proportions, but ‘The Trail of the Missing Power Ring!’ focuses on drama of a more human scale when a young boy finds the power ring Hal has lost. Issue #12 returned GL to 5700AD thwart an interplanetary coup in ‘Green Lantern’s Statue goes to War.’ A balance between cosmic and personal stories was developing in the issues with two stories, and ‘Zero Hour in the Silent City!’ highlights Tom Kalmaku’s close friendship with Hal against the backdrop of bank robbers with a super scientific gimmick.

Green Lantern #13 was a true landmark as an interdimensional invasion led to a team-up and lifelong friendship between our hero and the Flash. Controversial for the time, ‘The Duel of the Super-Heroes!’, saw them share each other secret identities, a rarity then even among the close comrades of the Justice League of America. This full-length thriller was followed in #14 by the introduction of Balkan ultra-nationalist villain Sonar in ‘The Man Who Conquered Sound!’ a traditional fist-fest complemented by the return of Jim Jordan and that snoopy girl reporter Sue Williams. In the frothy romp ‘My Brother, Green Lantern!’ it’s revealed that she’s now romantically involved with the youngest Jordan sibling and, due to a slight mishap with the boy’s fraternity rings more certain than ever that her intended is the Emerald Gladiator.

Sinestro once more escaped the justice of the Guardians to return in #15’s ‘Peril of the Yellow World!’ a cosmic duel that tested GL’s bravery as much as the Space Race thriller ‘Zero Hour at Rocket City!’ tested his wits. The next issue took the Hal Jordan/Green Lantern/Carol Ferris romantic triangle to a new level. ‘The Secret Life of Star Sapphire!’ introduced the alien women of Zamaron. Readers of contemporary comics will be aware of their awesome heritage but for the sake of this review and new readers let’s keep that to ourselves. They select Carol as their new queen and give her a gem as versatile as a power ring, and a brainwash make-over too. Programmed to destroy the man she loves, Star Sapphire would become another recurring foe, but one with a telling advantage. The second story solved a puzzle that had baffled readers since the very first appearance of the Emerald Crusader.

Gardner Fox contributes his first tale in ‘Earth’s First Green Lantern’ Hal finally learns why his predecessor Abin Sur crashed to Earth in a spaceship when all GL’s could fly through space on ring power alone. A stirring tale of triumph and tragedy this short yarn is one of Broome and Kane’s very best.

This volume ends with a full-length espionage thriller from #17, also written by Fox. ‘The Spy-Eye that Doomed Green Lantern!’ again revolved around test pilot Jordan’s personal involvement in the US/Soviet race to the stars and is a fine example of a lost type of tale. In those long ago days costumed villains were always third choice in a writers armoury: clever bad-guys and aliens always seemed more believable to the creators back then. If you were doing something naughty would you want to call attention to yourself? Nowadays the visual impact of buff men in tights dictates the type of foe more than the crimes committed, which is why these glorious adventures of simpler yet somehow better days are such an unalloyed delight.

These costumed drama romps are in themselves a great read for most ages, but when also considered as the building blocks of all DC continuity they become vital fare for any fan keen to make sense of the modern superhero experience.

© 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 2005 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown

Showcase: Challengers
Showcase: Challengers

By Jack Kirby & various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1087-8

The Challengers of the Unknown were a bridging concept. As superheroes were being revived in 1956 here was a super-team – the first of the Silver Age – with no powers, the most basic and utilitarian of costumes and the most dubious of motives – Suicide by Mystery. Yet they were a huge hit and struck a chord that lasted for more than a decade before they finally died… only to rise again and yet again. The idea of them was stirring enough, but their initial execution made their success all but inevitable.

Jack Kirby was – and still is – the most important single influence in the history of American comic books. There are quite rightly millions of words written about what the man has done and meant, and you should read those if you are at all interested in our medium. I’m going to add a few words to that superabundance in this review of one of his best projects, which like so many others, he perfectly constructed before moving on, leaving highly competent but never as inspired talents to build upon.

When the comic industry suffered a collapse in the mid 1950’s, Kirby returned briefly to DC Comics where he worked on mystery tales and the Green Arrow back-up strip whilst creating the newspaper strip Sky Masters of the Space Force. He also re-packaged for Showcase (a try-out title that launched the careers of many DC mainstays) an original super-team concept that had been kicking around in his head since he and long-time collaborator Joe Simon had closed the innovative but unfortunate Mainline Comics.

After years of working for others Simon and Kirby had finally established their own publishing company, producing comics with a much more sophisticated audience in mind, only to find themselves in a sales downturn and awash in public hysteria generated by the anti-comic book pogrom of US Senator Estes Kefauver and the psychologist Dr Frederic Wertham. Simon quit the business for advertising, but Kirby soldiered on, taking his skills and ideas to a number of safer, if less experimental, companies.

The Challengers of the Unknown were four ordinary mortals; heroic adventurers and explorers who walked away unscathed from a terrible plane crash. Already obviously what we now call “adrenaline junkies”, they decided that since they were all living on borrowed time, they would dedicate what remained of their lives to testing themselves and fate. They would risk their lives for Knowledge and naturally, Justice.

The series launched with ‘The Secrets of the Sorcerer’s Box!’ (Showcase #6, dated January/February 1957 – which meant it came out in time for Christmas 1956). Kirby and scripter Dave Wood, plus inkers Marvin Stein and Jack’s wife Roz, crafted a spectacular epic as the doom-chasers were hired by the duplicitous magician Morelian to open an ancient container holding otherworldly secrets and powers.

This initial story roars along with all the tension and wonder of the B-movie thrillers it emulates and Kirby’s awesome drawing resonates with power and dynamism, which continues for the sequel, a science fiction drama caused when an alliance of Nazi technologies and American criminality unleashes a terrible robotic monster. ‘Ultivac is Loose!’ (Showcase #7, dated March/April 1957) introduced the beautiful and capable boffin Dr June Robbins, who became the fifth Challenger at a time when most comic females had returned to a subsidiary status in that so-conservative era.

The team didn’t reappear until Showcase #11 (November/December 1957) as The Flash and Lois Lane got their Shots at the big time. When the Challs returned it was in an alien invasion adventure ‘The Day the Earth Blew Up’, with the unique realist Bruno Premiani inking a taut doomsday chiller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats even today, and by the time of their last Showcase issue (#12, January /February 1958) they had won their own title. ‘The Menace of the Ancient Vials’ was defused by the usual blend of daredevil heroics and ingenuity (with the wonderful inking of George Klein adding subtle clarity to the tale of an international criminal who steals an ancient weapons cache that threatens the entire world if misused), but the biggest buzz would come two months later with the first issue of their own magazine.

Issue #1, written and drawn by Kirby, with Stein on inks, presented two complete stories plus an iconic introductory page that would become almost a signature logo for the team. ‘The Man Who Tampered with Infinity’ pitted the heroes against a renegade scientist whose cavalier dabbling loosed dreadful monsters from the beyond onto our defenceless planet, before the team were actually abducted by aliens in ‘The Human Pets’.

The same creators were responsible for the two stories in the second issue. ‘The Traitorous Challenger’ is a monster mystery, with June returning to sabotage a mission in the Australian Outback, whilst ‘The Monster Maker’ finds the team seemingly helpless against a super-criminal who can conjure and animate solid objects out of his thoughts.

The third issue features ‘Secret of the Sorcerer’s Mirror’ with Roz Kirby and Marvin Stein again inking the mesmerising pencils, as the boys pursue a band of criminals whose magic looking glass can locate deadly ancient weapons, but the most intriguing tale for fans and historians is undoubtedly ‘The Menace of the Invincible Challenger’ wherein team strongman Rocky Davis is rocketed into space only to crash back to Earth with strange, uncanny powers.

For years the obvious similarities of this group – and especially this adventure – to the origin of Marvel’s Fantastic Four (FF #1 was out in November 1961) have fuelled speculation. In all honesty I simply don’t care. They’re both similar and different but equally enjoyable so read both. In fact, read them all.

With #4 the series became artistically perfect as the sheer brilliance of Wally Wood’s inking elevated the art to unparalleled heights. The scintillant sheen and limpid depth of Wood’s brushwork fostered an abiding authenticity in even the most outrageous of Kirby’s designs and the result is – even now – breathtaking. ‘The Wizard of Time’ is a full length masterpiece as a series of bizarre robberies lead the team to a scientist with a time-machine. By visiting oracles of the past he found a path to the far future. When he got there he intended robbing it blind, but the Challengers found a way to follow…

‘The Riddle of the Star-Stone’ (#5) is a contemporary full-length thriller, wherein an archaeologist’s assistant uncovers an alien tablet which bestows various super-powers when different gems are inserted into it. The exotic locales and non-stop spectacular action are intoxicating, but Kirby’s solid characterisation and ingenious writing are what make this such a compelling read.

Scripter Dave Wood returned for #6’s first story. ‘Captives of the Space Circus’ has the boys kidnapped from Earth to perform in a interplanetary show, but the evil ringmaster is promptly outfoxed and the team returns for Ed Herron’s mystic saga ‘The Sorceress of Forbidden Valley’, as June Robbins becomes an amnesiac puppet in a power struggle between a fugitive gangster and a ruthless feudal potentate.

There are also two stories in #7. Herron scripted both the relatively straightforward alien-safari tale ‘The Beasts From Planet 9’ and the much more intriguing ‘Isle of No Return’ where the team must defeat a scientific bandit before his shrinking ray leaves them permanently mouse-sized.

Issue #8 is a magnificent finale to a superb run as Kirby and Wally Wood go out in style in two gripping spectaculars (both of which introduced menaces who would return to bedevil the team in future tales). ‘The Man Who Stole the Future’ by Dave Wood, Kirby and the unrelated Wally Wood, introduces Drabny – a mastermind who steals mystic artefacts and conquers a small nation before the team defeats him. This is a tale of spectacular battles and uncharacteristic, if welcome, comedy, but the real gem is the science fiction tour-de-force ‘Prisoners of the Robot Planet’, with art by the Kirby and Wood, and probably written by Kirby and Herron. Petitioned by a desperate alien, the Challs travel to his distant world to liberate the population from bondage to their own robotic servants, who have risen in revolt under the command of the fearsome automaton, Kra.

These are classic adventures, told in a classical manner. Kirby developed a brilliantly feasible concept with which to work and heroically archetypical characters in cool pilot Ace Morgan, indomitable strongman Rocky Davis, intellectual aquanaut Prof. Haley and daredevil acrobat Red Ryan. He then manipulated an astounding blend of genres to display their talents and courage in unforgettable exploits that informed every team comic that followed and certainly influenced his successive and landmark triumphs with Stan Lee. But then he left.

The Challengers would follow the Kirby model until cancellation in 1970, but due to a dispute with Editor Jack Schiff the writer/artist resigned at the height of his powers. The Kirby magic was impossible to match, but as with all The King’s creations, every element was in place for the successors to run with. Challengers of the Unknown #9 (September 1959) saw an increase in the fantasy elements favoured by Schiff, and perhaps an easing of the subtle tension that marked previous issues (Comics Historians take note: the Challs were bickering and snarling at each other years before Marvel’s Cosmic Quartet ever boarded that fateful rocket-ship). A number of writers, many sadly lost to posterity stepped in, including Bill Finger, Ed Herron and possibly Jack Miller, Bob Haney and Arnold Drake, but one man took over the illustrator’s role: Bob Brown.

To our shame very little is known about this wonderfully capable artist. I can’t even confirm his date of birth, although he died in 1977 following a long illness. He co-created the long-running Space Ranger, drew Tomahawk, Vigilante, Batman, Superboy, Doom Patrol, World’s Finest Comics and a host of other features and genre shorts for DC before moving to Marvel in the 1970s where he drew Warlock, Daredevil and the Avengers among others. He was a consummate professional and drew every issue of the Challs from #9 – 63, almost a decade of high-adventure that ranged from ravaging aliens, cute-and-fuzzy space beats to supernatural horrors.

‘The Men who Lost their Memories’ found the team fighting crooks with a thought stealing machine, but ‘The Plot to Destroy Earth!’ was a full-on end-of-humanity thriller with monsters sent to carve our world into chunks for their resource-hungry alien masters, and only the guts and ingenuity of our heroes could save the day. A destructive giant with a deadly secret was the premise of ‘The Cave-Man Beast’ and #10’s cover featured second tale was another time-travel conundrum as the boys found their own likenesses on a submerged monolith in the Sci-Fi thriller ‘The Four Faces of Doom’.

Issue #11 was a full-length action-packed interdimensional romp subdivided into ‘The Creatures from the Forbidden World’, ‘Land beyond the Light’ and ‘The Achilles Heel’, but the two-story format returned in the next issue, which contained ‘The Challenger from Outer Space’ with an alien superhero joining the team and ‘Three Clues to Sorcery’ with the four adventurers once again forced to endure exotic locales and extreme perils to acquire mystic artefacts for a criminal mastermind, this time there’s a deadly twist in this oft told tale.

‘The Prisoner of the Tiny Space Ball’ finds the team rescuing the ruler of another world whilst Rocky is possessed by the legendary Golden Fleece making him a puppet of ‘The Creatures from the Past’. Issue #14 opens with one of the few adventures with a credited scripter. Ed “France” Herron was thirty year comics veteran and ‘The Man who Conquered the Challengers’ is one of his best tales, with crooked archaeologist Eric Pramble stealing an ancient formula for “liquid light” which makes him immortal. Moreover, every time he’s killed he reanimates with a different super-power! As Multi-Man, he became the closest thing to an arch-villain the series ever had, and even graduated to becoming a regular foe across the DCU. Once again wits and nerve found a way to victory that sheer firepower never could.

In the other yarn ‘Captives of the Alien Beasts’ all five Challs are teleported to another world by animals that have invaded a scientist’s laboratory, a relatively innocuous tale, compared to #15’s all-out fight-fest ‘The Return of Multi-Man’ and the bizarre ‘The Lady Giant and the Beast’ wherein June is transformed into a fifty foot leviathan just as a scaly monster cuts a swathe of destruction through the locality. Issue #16’s ‘Incredible Metal Creature’ sees an Earth thug join forces with an escaped alien criminal, no real Challenge there but the second story finds the team in Arabia as ‘Prisoners of the Mirage World’ and the knights who have been trapped there since the time of the Crusades. This thrill-stuffed tome concludes with the #17’s supernatural crime whimsy ‘The Genie who Feared June’, and the interplanetary mission of mercy ‘The Secret of the Space Capsules’, both solid pieces of adventure fiction that if not displaying the unique Kirby magic are redolent with its flavours.

Challengers of the Unknown is sheer escapist wonderment, and no fan of the medium should miss the graphic exploits of these perfect adventurers in the ideal setting of not so long ago in a simpler better world than ours.

© 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents The Flash vol 1

Flash Showcase 1

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1327-5

No matter which way you look at it, the Silver Age of the American comic book began with The Flash. It’s an unjust but true fact that being first is not enough; it also helps to be best and people have to notice. The Shield beat Captain America to the news-stands by over a year yet the former is all but forgotten today.

The industry had never really stopped trying to revive the superhero genre when Showcase #4 was released in late summer of 1956, with such precursors as The Avenger (February-September 1955), Captain Flash (November 1954-July 1955), Marvel’s Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and the aforementioned Sentinel of Liberty (December 1953 – October 1955) and even DC’s own Captain Comet (December 1953 – October 1955) and Manhunter from Mars (November 1955 until the end of the 1960’s and almost the end of superheroes again!) still turning up in second-hand-stores and “Five-and-Dime” half-price bins. What made the new Fastest Man Alive stand out and stick was … well, everything!

Once the DC powers-that-be decided to try superheroes once more, they moved pretty fast themselves. Editor Julie Schwartz asked office partner and Golden-Age Flash scripter Robert Kanigher to recreate a speedster for the Space Age, aided and abetted by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert, who had also worked on the previous incarnation. The new Flash was Barry Allen, a forensic scientist simultaneously struck by lightning and bathed in the exploding chemicals of his lab. Supercharged by the accident, Barry took his superhero identity from a comic book featuring his predecessor (a scientist named Jay Garrick who was exposed to the mutagenic fumes of “Hard Water”). Designing a sleek, streamlined bodysuit (courtesy of Infantino – a major talent who was approaching his artistic and creative pinnacle) Barry Allen became the point man for the spectacular revival of a genre and an entire industry.

This gloriously economical, vast black and white tome superbly compliments Infantino’s talents, collecting not only all four Showcase tryout issues and the first full fifteen issues of his own title, but also kicks off with the very last Golden Age adventure from Flash Comics #104 (February 1949). In ‘The Rival Flash’ Kanigher, Infantino and inker Frank Giacoia re-examine the first Flash’s origin when an evil scientist recreates the secret of his speed. Exuberant, avuncular and hugely entertaining in its own right, it’s nonetheless a dated, clunky tale in comparison to what follows.

In sharp counter-point ‘Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt’ (scripted by Kanigher) and ‘The Man Who Broke the Time Barrier’ (written by the superb John Broome) are polished, coolly sophisticated short stories that introduce the comfortingly suburban new superhero and firmly establish the broad parameters of his universe. Whether defeating bizarre criminal masterminds such as The Turtle or returning the criminal exile Mazdan to his own century the new Flash was a protagonist of keen insight and sharp wits as well as overwhelming power.

Showcase #8 (June 1957) led with another Kanigher tale. ‘The Secret of the Empty Box’, a perplexing but pedestrian mystery, saw Frank Giacoia return as inker, but the real landmark is the Broome thriller ‘The Coldest Man on Earth’. With this yarn the author confirmed and consolidated the new phenomenon by introducing the first of a Rogues Gallery of outlandish super-villains. Unlike the Golden Age the new super-heroes would face predominantly costumed foes rather than thugs and spies. Bad guys would henceforth be as memorable as the champions of justice. Captain Cold would return time and again. Broome would go on to create every single member of Flash’s pantheon of super-foes.

Joe Giella inked the two adventures in Showcase #13 (April 1958) ‘Around the World in 80 Minutes’, written by Kanigher and Broome’s ‘Master of the Elements’ which introduced the outlandish Mr. Element, who returned in Showcase#14 (June 1958) with a new M.O. and identity – Doctor Alchemy. ‘The Man who Changed the Earth!’ is a great crime-caper, but Kanigher’s eerie ‘Giants of the Time-World!’ is a masterful fantasy thriller and a worthy effort to bow out on. When the Scarlet Speedster graduated to his own title John Broome was the lead writer, supplemented eventually by Gardner Fox. Kanigher would return briefly in the mid-1960s and would later write a number of tales during DC’sRelevancy’ period.

The Flash #105 launched with a February-March 1959 cover-date (so it was out for Christmas 1958) and featured Broome, Infantino and Giella’s sci-fi chiller ‘Conqueror From 8 Million B.C.!’ and introduced yet another super-villain in ‘The Master of Mirrors!’. ‘The Pied Piper of Peril!’ in #106 introduced another criminal menace, whilst the second story introduced one of the most charismatic and memorable baddies in comics history. Gorilla Grodd and his hidden race of super-simians debuted in ‘Menace of the Super-Gorilla!’, promptly returning for the next two issues,

Presumably this early confidence was fuelled by DC’s inexplicable but commercially sound pro-Gorilla editorial stance (for some reason any comic with a big monkey in it markedly outsold those that didn’t in those far-ago days) but these tales are also packed with tension, action and engagingly challenging fantasy concepts.

Issue #107 lead with the ‘Return of the Super-Gorilla!’ by the regular team of Broome Infantino and Giella, a multi-layered fantasy thriller that took our hero from the African (invisible) city of the Super-Gorillas to the subterranean citadel of antediluvian Ornitho-Men, and ‘The Amazing Race Against Time’ featured an amnesiac who could outrun the Fastest Man Alive in a desperate race against time to save creation. With every issue the stakes got higher and the quality and narrative ingenuity got better!

Frank Giacoia inked #108’s high-tech death-trap thriller ‘The Speed of Doom!’ featuring trans-dimensional raiders but Giella was back for ‘The Super-Gorilla’s Secret Identity!’ wherein Grodd devises a scheme to outwit evolution itself. The next issue brought ‘The Return of the Mirror-Master’ with the first in a series of bizarre physical transformations that would increasingly become a signature device for Flash stories, whilst the Space Race provided a evocative maguffin for a fantastic undersea adventure in the ‘Secret of the Sunken Satellite’.

The Flash #110 was a huge landmark, not so much for the debut of another worthy candidate to the burgeoning Rogues Gallery in ‘The Challenge of the Weather Wizard’ (inked by Schwartz’s artistic top-gun Murphy Anderson) but rather for the introduction of Wally West, who in a bizarre and suspicious replay of the lightning strike that created the Scarlet Speedster became a junior version of the Fastest Man Alive. Inked by Giella, ‘Meet Kid Flash!’ introduced the first sidekick of the Silver Age (cover dated December 1959-January 1960 and just pipping Aqualad who premiered in Adventure Comics #269 which had a February off-sale date).

Not only would Kid Flash begin his own series of back-up tales from the very next issue (a sure sign of the confidence the creators had in the character) but he would eventually inherit the mantle of the Flash himself – one of the few occasions in comics where the torch-passing actually stuck.

Anderson also inked ‘The Invasion of the Cloud Creatures’ in # 111, which successfully overcomes its frankly daft premise to produce a tense sci-fi thriller and nicely counterpoints the first solo outing for Kid Flash in ‘The Challenge of the Crimson Crows!’ This folksy parable has small-town kid Wally West use his new powers to rescue a bunch of kids on the slippery slope to juvenile delinquency. Perhaps a tad paternalistic and heavy-handed by today’s standards, in the opening months of 1960 this was a strip about a little boy heroically dealing with a kid’s real dilemmas, and the strip would remain concerned with human scaled problems, leaving super-menaces and world saving for team-ups with his mentor.

In #112 ‘The Mystery of the Elongated Man’ introduced that super stretchable character to the DC universe in an intriguing puzzler whilst Kid Flash tackled juvenile Go-Carters and corrupt school-contractors in the surprisingly gripping ‘Danger on Wheels!’ The Trickster launched his crime career in #113’s lead tale ‘Danger in the Air!’ and the Kid took a break so that his senior partner could defeat ‘The Man Who Claimed the Earth!’ a full-on cosmic epic wherein the alien Po-Siden attempts to bring the lost colony of our world back into the Empire of Zus.

Captain Cold and Murphy Anderson returned for ‘The Big Freeze’, where the smitten villain turns Central City into a glacier just to impress Flash’s girlfriend Iris West. Meanwhile her nephew Wally saved a boy unjustly accused of cheating from a life of crime when he falls under the influence of the ‘King of the Beatniks!’ The Flash #115 featured another bizarre transformation, courtesy of Gorilla Grodd in ‘The Day Flash Weighed 1000 Pounds!’, and when aliens attempted to conquer the Earth he needed ‘The Elongated Man’s Secret Weapon’ as well as the guest-star himself to save the day. Once again Murphy Anderson’s inking gave the over-taxed Joe Giella a breather whilst taking art-lovers’ breath away in this beautiful, pacy thriller.

‘The Man Who Stole Central City’ had a seemingly fool-proof way of killing the Flash in #116, which took some outwitting, and Kid Flash returned in ‘The Race to Thunder Hill’, a father-son tale of rally driving, but with car-stealing bandits and a young love interest for Wally to complicate the proceedings. ‘Here Comes Captain Boomerang’ by Broome, Infantino and Anderson introduced the Australian super-criminal in what is still one of the most original origin tales ever concocted, whilst ‘The Madcap Inventors of Central City’ saw Gardner Fox (creator of the Golden Age Flash) join the writing team with an ill-considered attempt to reintroduce the comedy relief trio of Winky, Blinky and Noddy to the modern Flash Fans. The fact that you’ve never heard of them should indicate how well that went, although the yarn, illustrated by Infantino and Giella is a fast, witty and enjoyably silly change of pace.

Issue #118 highlighted the period’s (and DC’s) fascination with Hollywood in ‘The Doomed Scarecrow!’ (inked by Anderson), a sharp thriller featuring a villain with a unique reason to get rid of our hero whilst Wally and a friend had to spend the night in a “haunted house” in the Kid Flash chiller ‘The Midnight Peril!’

This wonderful first volume ends with The Flash #119, in which Broome, Infantino and Anderson relate the adventure of ‘The Mirror-Master’s Magic Bullet’, which our hero narrowly evades only to join an old friend in ‘The Elongated Man’s Undersea Trap’ which introduced the vivacious Sue Dibny (as a newly wed “Mrs Elongated Man”) in a mysterious and stirring tale of sub-sea slavers.

These earliest tales were historically vital to the development of our industry, but, quite frankly, so what? The first exploits The Flash should be judged solely on their merit, and on those terms they are punchy, awe-inspiring, beautifully illustrated and captivating thrillers that amuse, amaze and enthral both new readers and old devotees. This lovely collection is a must-read item for anybody in love with our art-form

© 1949, 1956-1961, 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents Batman

Showcase Presents Batman
Showcase: Batman

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-4012-1086-1

I’m assuming that all of us here love comics (otherwise why are you here? Did you think I was talking about stand-up comedians?) and that we’ve all had the same unpleasant experience of trying to justify that passion to somebody. Excluding your partner (who is actually right – the living room floor is not the place to leave your D*&$£! funny-books) most people have an entrenched and erroneous view of strip art, meaning that at some time you have tried to dissuade them from that opinion.

If so this collection might be the book you want to use the next time that confrontation occurs. Collected here in pristine black-and-white are tales that redesigned the Dynamic Duo and set them up for global Stardom – and fearful castigation from fans – as the template for the Batman TV show of the 1960s. It should be noted however that the producers and researchers did get their initial glimmerings from the comics stories of the era preceding the “New Look Batman” as well as the original movie serial of the 1940s.

So what have we here? At the end of 1963, Julius Schwartz had revived much of DC’s line -and the entire industry – with his modernization of the Superhero, and was asked to work his magic with the Caped Crusader. Bringing his usual team of creators with him, he stripped down the core-concept, bringing a modern take to the capture of criminals, downplaying all the Aliens, outlandish villains and daft transformation tales, even overseeing a streamlining/rationalisation of the art style itself.

The most apparent change to us kids was a yellow circle around the Bat-symbol, but more importantly the stories themselves changed. A subtle menace had re-entered the comfortable and abstract world of Gotham City. The revolution began with Detective Comics #327 (cover-dated May 1964) and was formalised in the first tale in Batman #164 (June 1964). ‘The Mystery of the Menacing Mask!’ was written by John Broome and pencilled by Carmine Infantino; a baffling “Howdunnit?” that was long on action and peril, which underlined the renewed intention to emphasise the “Detective” part of the title for the foreseeable future. To ram the point home a new back-up feature was introduced, “The Stretchable Sleuth” Elongated Man. This comic was to be a brain-teaser from now on.

In Batman, action and adventure were paramount. ‘Two-Way Gem Caper!’ pitted Batman and Robin against a slick criminal named Dabblo, but the villain wasn’t the star of this tale. Almost as an aside, a new Batcave and Wayne Manor were introduced plus a sleek, new compact Batmobile, more sports car than super-tank. This story was written by Ed “France” Herron and drawn by Bob Kane with Joe Giella inking the contents of both Batman and Detective in a bid to generate a recognisable uniformity to the stories. A new semi-regular feature also debuted that issue. The Mystery Analysts of Gotham City was a club of Detectives and Crime-writers who met to talk about their cases. Somehow it always resulted in an adventure such as ‘Batman’s Great Face-Saving Feat!’ (also the work of Herron, Kane and Giella).

‘Gotham Gang Line-Up!’ completed the transformation of Batman. Written by Bill Finger and pencilled by Bob Kane, the mediocre crime-caper from Detective #328 is remarkable for the plot-twist wherein faithful butler Alfred sacrifices his life to save the heroes, and Dick Grayson’s aunt Harriet moves into the mansion. From this point the adventures fall into a pattern of top-of-the-line comic tales punctuated by utterly exceptional tales of drama, mystery and action. These would continue until the TV show’s success became so great that it actually began to inform the kind of story in the comics themselves.

This cheap’n’cheerful Showcase Presents… compendium collects all the Batman and Robin yarns from Detective Comics #327-342 and Batman 164-174 (38 stories in all) written by Broome, Herron, Finger and Gardner Fox, with pencil art by Bob Kane, Infantino and Sheldon Moldoff. The inks are by Joe Giella, Sid Greene and Murphy Anderson.

Other story highpoints include ‘Castle with Wall-To-Wall Danger!’ (Detective #329), the eerie ‘Man Who Quit the Human Race!’ (Batman #165), ‘Museum of Mixed-Up Men’ (Detective #331 and guest-starring the Elongated Man), ‘Zero Hour for Earth!’ (Batman #167) and the captivating sci-fi chiller ‘Deep-Freeze Menace!’ (from Detective #337). If you’re a fan of costumed villains The Riddler, Penguin and Joker all make appearances, and it was during this time that the miniseries-within-a-series concept was pioneered as the mysterious Outsider struck at Batman again and again through a succession of subordinates.

No matter how much we might squeal and foam about it, to a huge portion of the world Batman is always going to be the “Zap! Pow!” caped buffoon of the 1960s television show. It really was that popular. But if you can make a potential convert sit-down, shut up and actually read these wonderful adventures for all (reasonable) ages, you might find that the old adage “Quality will out” still holds true. And if you’re actually a fan who hasn’t read this classic stuff, you have an absolute treat in store…

© 1964, 1965, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Showcase Presents Supergirl

Showcase Presents Supergirl
Showcase Presents Supergirl

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-810-2

Superhero comics don’t do sweet or charming anymore. The modern narrative focus concentrates on turmoil, angst and spectacle and although there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with that sometimes the palate just craves a different flavour.

Such was not always the case as this splendid black and white compendium of the early career of Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El of Argo City joyously proves. Also included and kicking off proceedings is the try-out story ‘The Three Magic Wishes’ written by Otto Binder and illustrated by Dick Sprang and Stan Kaye which originally appeared in Superman #123, August 1958. In this tale a mystic totem conjures up a young girl with super powers as one of three wishes Jimmy Olsen makes. Such was the reaction to the plucky heroine that within a year a new version was introduced to the Superman Family.

Action Comics #252 (May 1959) introduced Superman’s cousin Kara, who had been born on a city-sized fragment of Krypton, hurled intact into space when the planet exploded. Eventually Argo City turned to Kryptonite like the rest of the giant world’s debris, and her dying parents, observing Earth through their scopes sent their daughter to safety as they perished. Landing on Earth, she met Superman who created the identity of Linda Lee and hid her in an orphanage in small town Midvale whilst she learned of her new world and powers in secret and safety. This groundbreaking tale was also written by Binder and drawn by hugely under-rated Al Plastino.

Once the formula was established Supergirl became a regular feature in Action Comics (starting with #253 ‘The Secret of the Super-Orphan!’), a residency that lasted until 1969 when she graduated to the lead spot in Adventure Comics. At the orphanage she met a boy named Dick Wilson (eventually Malverne) who would become her Lois Lane, a recurring romantic entanglement who suspected that she had a secret. As a young girl, romance featured heavily in her thoughts and she met other potential boyfriends including alien heroes and even a Mer-boy from Atlantis.

Many of the early tales involved keeping her presence concealed, even when performing super-feats. Jim Mooney was selected as regular artist and Binder remained as chief scripter for most of the early run.

This gloriously economical chronological collection continues with Action #254’s ‘Supergirl’s Foster-Parents!’, an unscrupulous couple of con-artists easily foiled, after which she meets a mystery DC hero when ‘Supergirl Visits the 21st Century!’ (#255). Her secret is almost uncovered (‘The Great Supergirl Mirage!’) before she has her first guest-shot in ‘Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl’s Pal!’, written by Binder, and captivatingly illustrated by Curt Swan and George Klein (from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40, October 1959). In her Action appearance that month she granted ‘The Three Magic Wishes!’

Superman often came off rather poorly when dealing with women in those less enlightened days, always under the guise of “teaching a much needed lesson” or “testing” someone. When she plays with Krypto, ignoring his secrecy decree, the Man of Steel banishes the lonely young heroine to an asteroid in ‘Supergirl’s Farewell to Earth!’ but of course there’s method in the madness. ‘The Cave-Girl of Steel!’ sees her travel to the ancient past before her second guest appearance (in Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #14, January 1960) ‘Lois Lane’s Secret Romance!’ Drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger, this is the first of many attempts by Supergirl to play cupid. Action #260 saw her join Superman in the lead feature ‘Mighty Maid!’ (by Binder and Al Plastino) as well as her own strip ‘The Girl Superbaby!’

The next issue introduced Streaky the Super-Cat in ‘Supergirl’s Super Pet!’ whilst ‘Supergirl’s Greatest Victory!’ delivered a salutary lesson in humility to the Girl of Steel. Swan and Klein got another shot at drawing the kid when ‘Superboy Meets Supergirl!’ (Superboy #80) whilst Action #263 presented ‘Supergirl’s Darkest Day!’, after which Jerry Siegel took over as ‘Supergirl Gets Adopted!’ a sad tale which ends with the lass back at the orphanage.

I’ve restrained myself so please do the same when I say that the next adventure isn’t what you think. ‘When Supergirl Revealed Herself!’ (Siegel and Mooney, Action #265) is another story about nearly finding a family, followed by ‘Jimmy Olsen, Orphan!’ (by Siegel, Swan and Klein, from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #46), after which Streaky returns in ‘The World’s Mightiest Cat!’ (Action #266 by Siegel and Mooney). Binder, Swan and Klein produced ‘The Untold Story of Red Kryptonite!’ for Superman #139 and Supergirl met the Legion of Super Heroes in Action #267’s ‘The Three Super-Heroes!

In the next issue she meets ‘The Mystery Supergirl!’ before starring in a full length epic in Superman #140. Written by Binder and drawn by the great Wayne Boring ‘The Son of Bizarro!’, ‘The Orphan Bizarro!’ and ‘The Supergirl Bizarro!’ blends comedy and tragedy in another tale about broken families, a major theme in all these early stories of the Girl of Steel.

Action #269, by Siegel and Mooney, introduces Jerro the Mer-boy in ‘Supergirl’s First Romance!’ and the next issue once again finds her in Superman’s and her own feature. ‘The Old Man of Metropolis!’ (Binder, Swan and John Forte) is followed by ‘Supergirl’s Busiest Day!’ (Siegel and Mooney) with cameos from Batman and Robin, and Adventure Comics #278 by Siegel and Plastino, sees her revisit Superboy in ‘Supergirl in Smallville!

Streaky came back for ‘Supergirl’s Fortress of Solitude!’, scripted by Siegel, but Otto Binder wrote the next adventure starring ‘The Second Supergirl!’, an alternate world tale that was too big for one issue. A sequel, ‘The Supergirl of Two Worlds!’ appeared in Action #273 as did a novel piece of market research. ‘Pick a New Hairstyle for Linda (Supergirl) Lee!’ involved readers in the actual appearance of their heroine and gave the editors some valuable input into who was reading the series.

‘The Girl with Green Hair!’ was another girl-plays-cupid tale (from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #51, by Binder, Swan and Klein) and in ‘Supergirl’s Three Time Trips!’ Siegel and Mooney demonstrate that history cannot be changed. Superman #144 featured ‘The Orphans of Space’ by the same author and Al Plastino, and then ‘Ma and Pa Kent Adopt Supergirl!’ in Action #275, by that man Siegel and Mr Mooney.

Veteran scripter Robert Bernstein joins Wayne Boring for the lead story in Action #276. ‘The War Between Supergirl and the Superman Emergency Squad!’ is followed by a return visit to the Legion of Super Heroes in ‘Supergirl’s Three Super Girl-Friends!’ and the next issue featured an animal epic in ‘The Battle of the Super-Pets!’

The last five tales in this volume form an extended saga that took the Girl of Steel in totally new directions. On the eve of Superman announcing her existence to the world Supergirl lost her powers and resigned to a normal life was adopted by the childless Mr and Mrs. Danvers. But it was all a deadly plot by Lesla-Lar, an identical double from the Bottle City of Kandor who planned to replace Supergirl and conquer the Earth. This mini-epic (‘The Unknown Supergirl!’, ‘Supergirl’s Secret Enemy!’, ‘Trapped in Kandor!’, ‘The Secret of the Time Barrier!’ and ‘The Supergirl of Tomorrow!’) which ran in Action #278-282 repositioned the character for a more positive and effective role in the DC universe and hinted of a more dramatic and less paternalistic, parochial and even sexist future for the most powerful girl in the world.

But that’s a volume for another time…

© 1958-1964, 1967, 1969, 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.