Forgotten Masterpiece: The Rats Capture Airboy

We’re back with a look at the second part of the classic-but-mostly-forgotten storyline in which aviator Airboy battled the threat of super-intelligent rats waging war against humanity. It was a memorable two-part encounter, one that certainly made an impact on the readers of the say. By the time it was published in late 1948, interest in super heroes and aviators was on the wane, and horror was one of the fastest-growing genres in the field. More and more, Airboy would find himself contending with menaces tinged with horror from here on out.

As with the first chapter, the author of this two-part adventure is unknown to us after so many years. But the artwork was once again contributed by Ernie Schroeder. While the opening chapter had come to what seemed like a solid ending (though leaving the door open for a sequel) this second part picks up almost exactly where the first part left off.

Professor Eisner sure seems like a nod towards Spirit artist Will Eisner on the part of the unknown writer.

Once again, the story wraps up conclusively, but with a hint towards further similarly-themed adventures. But in this case, that didn’t prove to be the case, and this was the last time that Airboy battled the rats, at least during the Golden Age of Comics. (Years later, his son would contend with the rats again in Eclipse Comics’ 1980s AIRBOY revival.)