Sunday, November 30, 2014

Post #78


Issue #66
Aug.-Sept. 1945
Rating: 4
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No Ghost Patrol. Hop Harrigan takes their spot along with three gag strips. The editors must have realized by this time that the cops and robbers genre was running out of gas. The covers start to reflect more humor, along with the strips that occupy the pages.

 photo flash66004.jpg photo flash66003.jpg photo flash66005.jpgBy the summer of 1945 (due to paper scarcity?), The AA line-up is all bi-monthlies (except for Sensation Comics).

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Post #77


Issue #65
June 1944
Rating: 4
 photo flash65001.jpg
Gardner Fox starts to experiment more with the weird science meets gangster themes for the Flash stories.  photo flash65003.jpg
The Hawman story demonstrates how Joe Kubert was being more creative from the straight gangland capers.

I’ve reprinted the Hawman vs. Simple Simon story here. Reading the start of the story of how Simple Simon escaped from prison reminded me of a similar escape achieved twenty years later by I. Q. Quimbly in Hawkman #7.

The title moves to a bi-monthy for a brief time.  photo flash65004.jpg  photo flash65005.jpg  photo flash65006.jpg  photo flash65007.jpg  photo flash65008.jpg  photo flash65009.jpg  photo flash65010.jpg  photo flash65011.jpg  photo flash65012.jpg  photo flash66013.jpg  photo flash66014.jpg

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Post #76


Issue #64
April 1945
Rating: 3
 photo flash10012_zps367ac6d5.jpg
 Of all the artist to draw the Flash, Martin Naydel's cartoon style doesn't transfer well to the superhero genre. Furthermore, he commits the unforgivably insult of drawing the vivacious Joan in a manner fitting for a spinster school teacher (panel withheld out of respect for Ms. Williams). The art and stories are formula phoned in service of no importance to be memorialized. The only redeeming story in this issue is the Hawkman, presented here in its entirety.  photo flash10013_zps8034f122.jpg  photo flash10014_zpsf89b9a59.jpg  photo flash10015_zps42150f11.jpg  photo flash10017_zps991ba33f.jpg  photo flash10018_zpsac8ec9ca.jpg  photo flash10019_zps833bf902.jpg  photo flash10020_zps9851ab2c.jpg  photo flash10021_zpsd2e7f705.jpg

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Post #75


Issue #63
March 1945
Rating: 4
 photo flash63001.jpg
 photo flash63003.jpgThe splash page to the Flash story hints to something spooky. However, it turns out to be a tame formula tale more fitting for the now cancelled ‘Minute Movie’ strip. 

Johnny Thunder story foreshadows the returning GI’s and need for new housing.

 photo flash63004.jpg

This Volto ad is strikingly similar to the Joe Kubert work on Volton in Cat-Man Comics.



Link courtesy of fourcolorshadows.blogspot.com

A dawning of a new era in comic book layouts:  photo flash63005.jpg