WC: THE ATOM #8

The Atom is one of those characters whom these days you can't quite believe held a series for as long as he did. In the modern era when most super hero comic books are concerned with more direct power fantasies, in which fighting prowess is considered one of the most important factors, the Atom is … Continue reading WC: THE ATOM #8

BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #157

My subscription to JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA was still in force, and so this next issue arrived one day in my mailbox. This was an issue of some note, both because it featured the wedding of the Atom (at a time when super hero weddings was still a relatively rare occurrence) and because only a … Continue reading BHOC: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #157

Great Covers: BATMAN #383

This is a pretty striking BATMAN cover, especially for the era. It's a good use of graphic design combined with a limited palette to achieve an effect. It's subtle, but you really can't miss that white-held portrait of Batman superimposed over the night's activities.the strong red-orange backgrounds giving the whole cover a bit of punch. … Continue reading Great Covers: BATMAN #383

BHOC: BATMAN #302

This was the last issue of BATMAN picked up new by my younger brother Ken. And so, it would be another year or more before I would sample another issue. As with most of Ken's other comics, this one wound up with me after his interest in it had waned. This really wasn't a great … Continue reading BHOC: BATMAN #302

WC: ADVENTURE COMICS #271

Now, this was a noteworthy issue, and another one that I acquired as part of my big Windfall Comics purchase in 1988, when I bought a box of close to 150 Silver Age comic books for $50.00. Unfortunately, for me, it's also a book whose lead story was one that I had read many years … Continue reading WC: ADVENTURE COMICS #271

WC: ACTION COMICS #295

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think that pink is a great background color for the cover of a super hero comic book. And yet, it got used with some regularity back during the beginning of the Silver Age, most often in my memory on editor Mort Weisinger's Superman titles such as this one. … Continue reading WC: ACTION COMICS #295

BHOC: SUPERMAN #310

This issue was another comic that I picked up in a plastic bag of cover-stripped return books sold illicitly through my local drug store outlet. I was happy to get it, as it represented the beginning of Marty Pasko's stint as writer of the series. I had only begun following SUPERMAN regularly again with the … Continue reading BHOC: SUPERMAN #310

WC: WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #140

This was the oldest issue of WORLD'S FINEST COMICS that I got in among my Windfall Comics purchase of 1988. The title was another one that serious collectors didn't much bother with for the most part, so back issues were both plentiful and relatively affordable. There were a few issues of WORLD'S FINEST in the … Continue reading WC: WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #140

Lost Crossovers: Jerry Lewis Meets the Flash

As the Silver Age of Comics began to wind down, while the fortunes of the assorted super heroes whose careers had helped to define that period were similarly on the wane, it was other genres which were feeling the pinch the most. Among the titles having a bit of a rough go of it was … Continue reading Lost Crossovers: Jerry Lewis Meets the Flash

Simon & Kirby: When Fighting American Stole From Starman

FIGHTING AMERICAN is a well-remembered series produced by the Joe Simon & Jack Kirby Studio in the 1950s. It started out as a reaction to the revival of Simon & Kirby's best-selling patriotic super hero at Atlas Comics, Captain America--they figured that if the public wanted that kind of a character, they were better suited … Continue reading Simon & Kirby: When Fighting American Stole From Starman