Post #77

Issue #65
June 1944

Rating: 4

Gardner Fox starts to experiment more with the weird science meets gangster themes for the Flash stories.
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.

Post #76

Issue #64
April 1945

Rating: 3

 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.

Post #75

Issue #63
March 1945

Rating: 4

The 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.

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:

Post #74

Issue #62

Rating: 5

With the page count reduced to 48 pages for a few issues now, this era of Flash Comics have a standard line up of the Flash, Johnny Thunder, Ghost Patrol, and Hawkman. The Hawkman continues with its crime themes. The other three titles have plenty of zany comedy and action that makes them a fast and enjoyable read.

I wonder what the editor of the splash page thought when he saw the misspelled Hawkman headline? A simple cut-n-paste can mask a multitude of errors.
Joe Kubert’s first work on Hawkman. His early style looks like a continuation of the Moldoff setups; as seen in the ‘sock’ of the fight scenes. What strikes me immediately with the new look is the attention to detail that was missing in the past. By the start of 1945 a new era of the Golden Age of Comics is starting to take form.

Post #73

Issue #61
January 1945

Rating: 5

The brilliant run of 61 issues of Sheldon Moldoff’s Hawkman art has reached its finale – along with it an end of what I consider to be the first phase of the Golden Age of Comics.

The gangsters are set aside for a fantastic story of men from Saturn preparing for their invasion of Earth. Fox’s eloquent story foreshadows much of his work to come during the Silver Age of Comics.

Joan’s great idea for Jay to become a Magician to aid sick kids leads to more trouble then they counted on. 

Full page ad for the one shot 'The Big' All-American Comic Book. I plan to review it as a supplemental entry after the 104 issue series has been completed.

Post #72

Issue #60
December 1944

Rating: 3

Regretfully, this issue has to rank as one of the worst of the series.

Not only is the Martin Naydel artwork flat (his treatment of Joan is unforgivable), the Fox Flash story reads like an Angela Lansbury 'Murder, She Wrote' vehicle – YUK!

Ghost Patrol, Johnny Thunder – painful to read. The 3 page 'Picture Stories from History', "The Story of Ferdinand Magellan" just doesn’t feel like a good fit for the series.

The Hawkman and Hawkgirl story is well done. Shelly’s art is top notch. The Humming Bird makes another appearance. If only Sheldon Mayer would have picked-up on the value of having super-villans oppose the heros earlier, it would have made for more interesting stories. It wasn't until Julie Schwartz took over before the appearance of super-villian became mandatory later in the series.

This panel is a rare acknowledgment by Hawkgirl that  the world was at war.

Post #71

Issue #59
November 1944

Rating: 4

The Flash story may hint to Gardner Fox’s boredom with writing mobster yarns and his need for a vacation. The John Chester Kozlak art in the story is ok.

Peachy Pet, along with Johnny’s help, continues to have fun in Hollywood.

"The Story of Leif Ericsson and the Norsemen by M.C. Gaines and Don Cameron. Doesn’t seem to transition well with the other stories.

Although credited as the last Minute Movie strip in Overstreet and CGC Labeling, Ed Wheelan’s Fat and Slat is actually featured as a single page.

DC begins adding the title of the series to the top of the page.