{"id":30356,"date":"2024-08-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=30356"},"modified":"2024-08-15T16:50:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T16:50:53","slug":"showcase-presents-martian-manhunter-volume-1-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2024\/08\/16\/showcase-presents-martian-manhunter-volume-1-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Showcase Presents Martian Manhunter volume 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Jack Miller<\/strong>, Joe Samachson<\/strong>, Dave Wood<\/strong>, Edmund Hamilton<\/strong>, Bob Kane<\/strong>, Joe Certa<\/strong>, Lew Sayre Schwartz<\/strong> & various (DC Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-4012-1368-8 (TPB)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced during less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Stress-alleviating Fun is in pretty short supply everywhere these days, but if you\u2019re a comics fan susceptible to charming nostalgia, this item – readily available in paperback, but tragically still not formally full-colour archived or even compiled in any digital format yet – might just appeal to the starry-eyed wonderer in you.<\/em><\/p>\n

As the 1950\u2019s opened, comic book superheroes were in inescapable decline, giving way to a steady stream of genre-locked he-men and \u201cOrdinary Joes\u201d dramatically caught up in weird or extraordinary circumstances. By the time the \u201cRed-baiting\u201d, witch-hunting Senate hearings and media investigations into causes of juvenile delinquency fizzled out mid-decade, the industry was further depleted by the excision of any sort of mature content or themes.<\/p>\n

The self-imposed Comics Code Authority took all the hard edges out of the industry, banning horror and crime comics whilst leaving ghostly, sanitised anodyne shades to inhabit the remaining adventure, western, war, humour and fantasy titles that remained. American comics – for which read a misperceived readership comprising only children and cretins – could have bowdlerised concepts of evil and felonious conduct, but not the simplest note of repercussion: a world where mad scientists plotted to conquer humanity without killing anybody and cowboys severed gun-belts or shot guns out of opponents\u2019 hands with a well-aimed bullet without ever drawing blood. Moreover, no civil or government official or public servant could be depicted as anything other than a saint…<\/p>\n

With corruption, venality and menace excised from the equation, comics were forced to supply punch and tension to proceedings via mystery and imagination – but only as long as it all had a rational, non-supernatural explanation…<\/p>\n

Beating by a year the new Flash<\/strong> (who launched in Showcase<\/strong> #4 cover-dated October 1956) and now officially the first superhero of the Silver Age, the series depicting the clandestine cases of stranded alien scientist J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz<\/em> was initially entitled John Jones<\/strong>, Manhunter from Mars<\/strong>: an honourable, decent being unwillingly trapped on Earth who chose to confront injustice and fight crime secretly using incredible powers, knowledge and advanced technical abilities with no human even aware of his existence.<\/p>\n

In truth, even before that low-key debut, Batman<\/strong> #78 trialled the concept in \u2018The Manhunter From Mars!\u2019<\/em> (August\/September 1953) wherein Edmund Hamilton, Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz & Charlie Paris told the tale of Roh Kar<\/em>: lawman of the Fourth Planet who assisted the Dynamic Duo in capturing a Martian bandit plundering Gotham City. That stirring titbit opens this first magnificent monochrome compendium before doling out a main course of the eccentric, frequently formulaic but never disappointing back-up series from Detective Comics<\/strong> #225 to 304, cumulatively spanning November 1955 to June 1962.<\/p>\n

In one of the longest creative tenures in DC comics\u2019 history, all the art for the series was by veteran illustrator Joe Certa (1919-1986), who had previously worked for the Funnies Incorporated comics \u201cShop\u201d. His credits included work on Captain Marvel Junior<\/strong> and assorted genre titles for Magazine Enterprises (Dan\u2019l Boone<\/strong>, Durango Kid<\/strong>), Lev Gleason\u2019s crime comics and Harvey romance titles. For DC he drew nautical sleuth Captain Compass<\/strong> and many tales for such anthological titles as Gang Busters<\/strong> and House of Mystery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Certa also drew the newspaper strips Straight Arrow<\/strong> and Tarzan<\/strong>, and ghosted long-lived boxing strip Joe Palooka<\/strong>. In the 1970s he moved to Gold Key, working on TV adaptations, mystery tales and all-ages horror stories, before ending his career at DC on Challengers of the Unknown<\/strong> and Legion of Super-Heroes<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

At the height of global Flying Saucer fever\u00a0John Jones<\/strong>, Manhunter from Mars<\/strong> debuted in Detective Comics<\/strong> #225 (cover-dated November 1955). Written by Joe Samachson, \u2018The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel\u2019<\/em> describes how a reclusive genius builds a robot-brain able to access Time, Space and the Fourth Dimension, and accidentally plucks an alien scientist from his home on Mars. After a brief conversation with his unfortunate guest, Erdel succumbs to a heart attack whilst attempting to return the incredible J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz to his point of origin.<\/p>\n

Marooned on Earth, the Martian realises his new home is riddled with the primitive cancer of Crime and resolves to use his natural abilities (which include telepathy, mind-over-matter psychokinesis, shape-shifting, invisibility, intangibility, super strength and speed, flight, assorted super vision powers, invulnerability and many more) to eradicate the blight; working clandestinely disguised as a human policeman. His only concern is the commonplace chemical reaction of fire which saps all Martians of their mighty powers…<\/p>\n

With his name Americanised to John Jones<\/em> he enlists as a Police Detective and with #226\u2019s \u2018The Case of the Magic Baseball\u2019<\/em> began a long, peril-fraught career tackling a variety of Earthly thugs, mobsters and monsters, starting with the sordid case of Big Bob Michaels<\/em> – a reformed ex-con and baseball player blackmailed into throwing games by a gang of crooked gamblers. He continues in \u2018The Man with 20 Lives\u2019<\/em> as the mind-reading cop impersonates a ghost to force a confession from a hard-bitten killer.<\/p>\n

The tantalising prospect of a return to Mars confronts Jones in the Dave Wood scripted \u2018Escape to the Stars\u2019<\/em> (Detective<\/strong> #228) wherein criminal scientist Alex Dunster<\/em> cracks the secret of Erdel\u2019s Robot Brain. However, duty overrules selfish desire and the mastermind destroys his stolen super-machine when Jones arrests him…<\/p>\n

With #229 Jack Miller took over scripting, leading off with \u2018The Phantom Bodyguard\u2019<\/em> as the Hidden Hero signs on to protect a businessman from his murderous partner, only to discover a far more complex plot unfolding, before #230\u2019s \u2018The Sleuth Without a Clue\u2019<\/em> sees the covert cop battling a deadline to get the goods on a vicious gang, just as a wandering comet causes his powers to malfunction…<\/p>\n

Detective Comics<\/strong> #231 heralds a shift towards sci fi roots in \u2018The Thief Who Had Super Powers!\u2019<\/em>, as an impossible bandit proves to be simply another refugee from the Red Planet, after which \u2018The Dog with a Martian Master\u2019<\/em> is revealed to be just another delightful if fanciful animal champion. Jones returns to straight crimebusting and clandestine cops-&-robbers capers by becoming \u2018The Ghost from Outer Space\u2019<\/em> in #233 before going undercover in a prison to thwart a smart operator in #234\u2019s \u2018The Martian Convict\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Jones infiltrates a circus as \u2018The World\u2019s Greatest Magician\u2019<\/em> to catch a Phantom Thief<\/em> and finally re-establishes contact with his extraterrestrial family to solve \u2018The Great Earth-Mars Mystery\u2019<\/em> in #236, all before seeing out 1956 as \u2018The Sleuth Who went to Jail\u2019<\/em> (this time one operated by crooks) and loses his powers to work as an \u2018Earth Detective for a Day\u2019<\/em> in #238.<\/p>\n

For Detective <\/strong>#239 (January 1957) \u2018Ordeal By Fire!\u2019<\/em> finds the Anonymous Avenger transferred to the Fire Department to track down an arson ring, whilst in \u2018The Hero Maker\u2019<\/em> Jones surreptitiously uses his gifts to help a retiring cop go out on a high, prior to yet another firebug targeting historical treasures sparking \u2018The Impossible Manhunt!\u2019<\/em> in #241.<\/p>\n

Jones thought he\u2019d be safe as a underwater officer in \u2018The Thirty Fathom Sleuth\u2019<\/em> but even there flames find a way to threaten him, after which he battles legendary Martian robot Tor<\/em> in #243\u2019s \u2018The Criminal from Outer Space\u2019, <\/em>latterly doubling for an endangered actor in \u2018The Four Stunts of Doom!\u2019<\/em> and busting up a clever racket utilising \u2018The Phantom Fire Alarms!\u2019<\/em> in #245.<\/p>\n

As a back-up feature, expectations were never particularly high but occasionally all those formula elements gelled to produce exemplary adventure tales such as #246\u2019s \u2018John Jones\u2019 Female Nemesis\u2019<\/em>, introducing pert, perky and pestiferous trainee policewoman Diane Meade<\/em>. Being a 1950\u2019s woman, naturally she had romance most in mind, but was absent for the next equally engaging thriller wherein our indomitable alien cop puzzled over \u2018The Impossible Messages\u2019<\/em> of scurrilous smugglers and #248\u2019s marvellous tale of \u2018The Martian Without a Memory\u2019<\/em>. Struck by lightning, Jones must utilise earthly deductive skills to discern his lost identity, and almost exposes his own extraterrestrial secret in the process…<\/p>\n

In Detective<\/strong> #249\u2019s \u2018Target for a Day\u2019<\/em> the Martian disguises himself as the State Governor marked for death by a brutal gang whilst as \u2018The Stymied Sleuth!\u2019<\/em> he is forced to stay in hospital to protect his alien identity as radium thieves run amok in town, after which he seemingly becomes a brilliant crook himself… \u2018Alias Mr. Zero\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For #252 Jones confronts a scientific super-criminal in \u2018The Menace of the Super-Weapons\u2019<\/em> before infiltrating a highly suspicious newspaper as \u2018The Super Reporter!\u2019<\/em> and invisibly battle rogue soldiers as \u2018The One-Man Army\u2019<\/em> in #254. The Hidden Hero attempts to foil an audacious murder-plot encompassing the four corners of Earth in a \u2018World-Wide Manhunt!\u2019<\/em>, after which #256\u2019s \u2018The Carnival of Doom\u2019<\/em> pits him against crafty crooks whilst babysitting a VIP kid whilst #257 sees the Starborn Sleuth perpetrating spectacular crimes to trap the \u2018King of the Underworld!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

In Detective<\/strong> #258 Jones takes an unexpectedly dangerous vacation cruise on \u2018The Jinxed Ship\u2019 <\/em>and return to tackle another criminal genius in \u2018The Getaway King!\u2019 <\/em>before helping a failing fellow cop in the heartwarming tale of \u2018John Jones\u2019 Super-Secret\u2019<\/em>, after which ab-normality resumes in #261 as a shrink ray reduces him to \u2018The Midget Manhunter!\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It was an era of ubiquitous evil masterminds and another one used beasts for banditry in \u2018The Animal Crime Kingdom\u2019<\/em>, whilst a sinister stage magician tested Manhunter\u2019s mettle and wits in #263\u2019s \u2018The Crime Conjurer!\u2019<\/em> before the hero\u2019s hidden powers are almost exposed after cheap hoods find a crashed capsule and unleash \u2018The Menace of the Martian Weapons!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Masked and costumed villains were still a rarity when J\u2019onzz tackled \u2018The Fantastic Human Falcon\u2019<\/em> in #265 whilst \u2018The Challenge of the Masked Avenger!\u2019<\/em> was the only case for a new – and inept – wannabe hero, after which the Martian\u2019s sense of duty and justice force him to forego a chance to return home in #267\u2019s \u2018John Jones\u2019 Farewell to Earth!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

A menacing fallen meteor results in \u2018The Mixed-Up Martian Powers\u2019<\/em> and a blackmailing reporter almost becoming \u2018The Man who Exposed John Jones\u2019<\/em>, before a trip escorting an extradited felon from Africa results in J\u2019onzz becoming \u2018The Hunted Martian\u2019. <\/em>The Manhunter\u2019s origin was revisited in #271 when Erdel\u2019s robot-brain accidentally froze the Martian\u2019s powers in \u2018The Lost Identity\u2019<\/em> whilst death threats compelled Jones\u2019 boss to appoint a well-meaning hindrance in the form of \u2018The Super-Sleuth\u2019s Bodyguard\u2019<\/em>…<\/p>\n

By the time Detective Comics<\/strong> #273 was released (autumn 1959 and cover-dated November) the Silver Age superhero revival was in full swing and, with a plethora of new costumed characters catching the public imagination, old survivors and hardy perennials like Green Arrow<\/strong>, Aquaman<\/strong> and others were given a thorough makeover. Perhaps the boldest was the new direction taken by the Manhunter from Mars as his undercover existence on Earth was revealed to all mankind when he very publicly battled and defeated a criminal from his home world in \u2018The Unmasking of J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz\u2019<\/em>. As part of the revamp, J\u2019onzz lost the ability to use his powers whilst invisible and became a very high-profile superhero. At least that vulnerability to common flame was still a closely guarded secret…<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, this tale was followed by the debut of incendiary villain \u2018The Human Flame\u2019<\/em> in #274 and the introduction of a secret-identity-hunting romantic interest as policewoman Diane Meade returned in #275 recast as \u2018John Jones\u2019 Pesky Partner\u2019<\/em>…<\/p>\n

\u2018The Crimes of John Jones\u2019<\/em> finds the new superhero an amnesiac pawn of bank robbers before another fantastic foe premiered in #277 with \u2018The Menace of Mr. Moth\u2019<\/em>. Invading Venusians almost cause \u2018The Defeat of J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz\u2019<\/em> next, and a hapless millionaire inventor nearly wrecks the city by accident with \u2018The Impossible Inventions\u2019<\/em>…<\/p>\n

Advance word of an underworld plot compels the Manhunter to be \u2018Bodyguard to a Bandit\u2019<\/em> and keep a crook out of jail, whilst #281\u2019s \u2018<\/em>The Menace of Marsville\u2019<\/em> inadvertently grants criminals powers to equal his after which another fallen meteorite temporarily makes Diane \u2018The Girl with the Martian Powers\u2019<\/em> – or does it?<\/p>\n

To help out an imperilled ship captain, J\u2019onzz becomes \u2018The Amazing One-Man Crew\u2019<\/em> whilst in #284 Diane – unaware of his extraterrestrial origins – seeks to seduce her partner in \u2018The Courtship of J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz!\u2019<\/em> after which monster apes tear up the city in \u2018The Menace of the Martian Mandrills!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

Detective<\/strong> #286 found \u2018His Majesty, John Jones\u2019<\/em> standing in for an endangered Prince in a take on The Prisoner of Zenda<\/strong> before \u2018J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz\u2019s Kid Brother!\u2019 T\u2019omm<\/em> is briefly stranded on Earth. Only one of the siblings could return…<\/p>\n

\u2018The Case of the Honest Swindler\u2019<\/em> in #288 sees a well-meaning man accidentally endanger the populace with magical artefacts after which a quick trip to Asia pits the Martian against a cunning jungle conman in \u2018J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz – Witch Doctor\u2019<\/em>. Then when a movie is repeatedly sabotaged, Diane assumes the job of lead stunt-girl with some assistance from the Manhunter in \u2018Lights, Camera – and Doom!\u2019<\/em> and a lovesick suitor masquerades as \u2018The Second Martian Manhunter\u2019<\/em> to win his bride in #291. \u2018The Ex-Convicts Club\u2019<\/em> almost founders before it begins after someone impersonates reformed criminals to pull new jobs. Luckily J\u2019onzz is more trusting than most…<\/p>\n

Diane finds herself with a rival in policewoman Sally Winters<\/em> and their enmity can apparently only be resolved with \u2018The Girl-Hero Contest!\u2019, <\/em>after which the Manhunter pursues crooks into another dimension and becomes \u2018The Martian Weakling\u2019<\/em> (DC<\/strong> #294), and thereafter \u2018The Martian Show-Off!\u2019<\/em> to inexplicably deprive a fellow cop of his 1000th<\/sup> arrest! When that mystery is solved, he acts as \u2018The Alien Bodyguard\u2019<\/em> for Diane who is blithely unaware she has been marked for death…<\/p>\n

Detective<\/strong> #297\u2019s \u2018J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz vs. the Vigilantes\u2019<\/em> has the Green Guardian expose the secret agenda of a committee of wealthy \u201cconcerned citizens\u201d before going to the aid of a stage performer who is \u2018The Man Who Impersonated J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz!\u2019<\/em> He then almost fails as a \u2018Bodyguard for a Spy\u2019<\/em> because Diane is jealous of the beautiful Princess in his charge…<\/p>\n

Detective Comics <\/strong>#300 unveiled \u2018The J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz Museum\u2019<\/em> – a canny ploy by a master criminal who believes he has uncovered the Martian\u2019s secret weakness, whilst \u2018The Mystery of the Martian Marauders!\u2019<\/em> has our hero battling impossible odds when an army of his fellows invaded Earth…<\/p>\n

\u2018The Crime King of Mount Olympus\u2019<\/em> matches the Manhunter against a pantheon of Hellenic super-criminals to save Diane\u2019s life after which more plebeian thugs attempt to expose his secret identity in \u2018The Great J\u2019onn J\u2019onzz Hunt!\u2019<\/em> This first beguiling compendium then concludes with #304\u2019s rousing tale of an academy of scientific lawbreakers as John Jones infiltrates \u2018The Crime College!\u2019<\/em>…<\/p>\n

Although certainly dated, these complex yet uncomplicated adventures are drenched in charm and still sparkle with innocent wit and wonder. Perhaps not to everyone\u2019s taste nowadays, such vintage exploits of the Manhunter from Mars are still an all-ages buffet of fun, thrills and action no fan should miss.
\n\u00a9 1953, 1955-1962, 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jack Miller, Joe Samachson, Dave Wood, Edmund Hamilton, Bob Kane, Joe Certa, Lew Sayre Schwartz & various (DC Comics) ISBN: 978-1-4012-1368-8 (TPB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced during less enlightened times. Stress-alleviating Fun is in pretty short supply everywhere these days, but if you\u2019re a comics fan susceptible to charming nostalgia, this item … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Showcase Presents Martian Manhunter volume 1”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,351,10,75,76,241,225,127,107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-apes-monkeys","category-batman","category-crime-comics","category-dc-superhero","category-martian-manhunter","category-mystery","category-nostalgia","category-science-fiction"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-7TC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30356"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30359,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30356\/revisions\/30359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}