Monday, December 31, 2012

Before I proceed with the review of the issues, a note about the grading system. The 5 star system is broken down into the following triads: Flash Story - 2 star maximum. Hawkman Story - 2 star maximum. Backup Stories - 1 star maximum. Hence, if the Flash\Hawkman stories are well written and the art is good, they will receive a 2 star rating respectively. If the backup stories are entertaining enough that I actually read them and didn't find myself fidgeting to get past them, they collectively get a 1 star rating. Most issues I found entertaining through out and received 5 stars.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Entry #6



Other DC Comics with a January 1940 cover date:

Action Comics #20
Adventure Comics #46
All-American Comics #10
Detective Comics #35
Double Action Comics #2
More Fun Comics #51
Superman #3

Flash Comics #1

FIRST STORY

(Origin of the Flash) (15 pages)

Synopsis:

Jay Garrick, student at Midwestern University, is involved in a lab accident and inhales the fumes of hard water gas. The fumes cause Jay to develop tremendous speed, enabling him to move and think at super-human rates.

Jay graduates from college and moves to New York to become an assistant professor at Coleman University. There, he begins a career as the Flash, a super-hero who battles gangsters.

Jay’s college sweetheart, Joan Williams, visits Jay and enlists his help in locating her missing father. Joan’s father, Major Williams, has been kidnapped by the Faultless Four, a group of scientists working for a foreign power. Jay rescues Williams from the villains who want the secret of the Atomic Bombarder. In the process, the Four are all killed, leaving Williams safe.

THIRD STORY

(The Origin of Hawkman) (12 pages)

Synopsis:

Weapons collector Carter Hall receives an Egyptian dagger from his friend, Jim Rock. Touching the dagger causes Hall to relive his former life as Prince Khufu in ancient Egypt.

Khufu and his love, Shiera, are both killed with the dagger by Khufu’s longtime enemy, Hath-Set. At the moment of his death, Khufu promises to be reincarnated in order to avenge his own murder.

Carter awakens from the experience with knowledge of his previous unknown life. Soon after he meets Shiera for the first time fleeing a subway accident. Shiera has been plagued by dreams of her previous life as well.

Carter then fashions wings and a belt of ninth metal, an anti-gravity material with special properties. He also dons a hawk-shaped headpiece to appear as the Hawk-God Anubis. As Hawkman, he sets out to find the source of the subway disturbance.

Hawkman soon locates the laboratory of Doctor Hastor, electrician extraordinary. Hall realizes that Hastor is the reincarnation of his ancient foe, Hath-Set.

After a short battle, Hastor summons Shiera using a strange hypnosis to use against Hawkman. The winged hero throws a protective sheet of ninth metal over Shiera to protect her, then shoots Hastor with a crossbow. Hastor appears to die and the laboratory is destroyed. Finally, Hawkman returns Shiera to her home.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Flash Comics Collection #70-104


My Flash Comics Collection flipped to Helen Carroll & Satisfiers - 'Ole Buttermilk Sky' and Vaughn Monroe - 'Who Told You That Lie?' (1946)

Flash Comics Collection #40-69


My Flash Comics Collection flipped to Dick Robertson's "We Did It Before (And We Can Do It Again)" (1941)

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Flash Comics Collection #1-#39

Here is my Flash Comics Collection. Issues 1 thru 39. Flipped to Barry Wood's 'Any Bonds Today' (1941).

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Newsreel Entry #2



The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 -- two months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland -- and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty.

provided by curiosity of WirbelwindStudios youtube channel.

Music Entry: 11/39b


Do I Love You? (Porter) by Leo Reisman & His Orchestra, vocal by Lee Sullivan.
Recorded November 25, 1939.
provided by curiosity of MusicProf78 youtube channel.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Entry #5

Splash Page from Flash Comics #22

Johnny Thunder

John L. Thunder was born in the Bronx on July 7, 1917, a Saturday – the seventh day of the seventh month in a year ending in a seven, on the seventh day of the week. This coincided with the Seventh Circle of the Moon Lashseen in the calendar of the small Asian country of Badhnisia. Knowing that this would give such a child great potential, the High Priest of Aissor sent agents to kidnap a child born at that time.

Disguised by having his hair and skin darkened, Johnny was spirited away to Badhnisia. There was a ceremony in which a belt bearing the Eternal Zone of the Zodiac was placed on him and the secret words "Cei-U" (pronounced "Say You") spoken seven times. The spell thus cast would take effect on the child’s seventh birthday.

But the neighboring nation of Agolea learned of the child who would one day have the power to conquer the world and launched a war to capture him. The High Priest had Johnny taken by a nurse to a hiding place in a fishing village north of Brunei, Borneo. One day he slipped away and was playing in a small boat when the tides and winds took him out to sea. He was picked up by an American freighter that brought him to New York. There he was identified by a strawberry mark on his left shoulder and returned to his parents (who by now had two younger children).

During the week of his seventh birthday, torrential rains fell all over the world – except on the Thunder home. The High Priest knew this meant that Johnny (who still wore the Zodiac Belt), now had the power. He sent agents to abduct him, but by then Simon Thunder had moved and changed jobs. They didn’t find Johnny until 1939, when he was 22. Though he didn’t yet know it, he could command a magic Thunderbolt.

With his power, Johnny became Heavyweight Champ, but vacated the title to please his girl, Daisy Darling.

His one-day career as a rodeo rider was at Madison Square Garden, when he saved the life of a little blond orphan girl who fell in the path of a rampaging steer. Soon after, he adopted the girl, named Peachy Pet.

Johnny was present at the first meeting of the Justice Society of America and became a sort of mascot – until the Flash resigned his active membership and Johnny was chosen to replace him. During World War II, Johnny joined the U.S. Navy.

When the conflict ended, Johnny was 28 (4 x 7) – a power high. Thus the High Priest waited a year, then cast a spell that gradually reduced the hero’s power over the Thunderbolt, till he was only answering about one call in four. This caused Johnny to resign from the JSA, to be replaced by his friend the Black Canary, whom he had a crush on.

Finally, Johnny’s power vanished entirely. By this time, the King of Badhnisia was dying. The High Priest had Johnny abducted again and cast a spell that forced him to obey the priest’s commands and forbade him to use the Thunderbolt against him. Only then did he restore the power. And when the King died, Johnny was placed on the throne, and the High Priest announced his plans for world conquest.

But Johnny found an out. He sent the Thunderbolt for Superman, who, with the aid of his wife, Lois, overcame the priest. Johnny remained in Badnisia to teach the people about democracy. When their first President was elected, he returned home.

What happened to the Zodiac Belt has not been determined.

POWERS AND WEAPONS

When he speaks the words "Say You" (Cei-U), Johnny has absolute power over the genie-like Thunderbolt (who is smarter than Johnny) for one hour.