Because DC Comics never had the sense to launch DC UK and reprint, in weekly form, every scrap of material they had, few were the chances for 1970s me to delve into the company's history.
However, there were occasional opportunities.
One such was the existence of their 100-page books.
Another was their mighty publication Secret Origins.
And another was Wanted, a comic I only ever owned one issue of.
That issue was #8. It featured the Flash and Dr Fate and, way back then, I was highly fond of it.
But what of now?
Will reading it for the first time in approximately 40 years rekindle that thrill of old?
In a tale from 1960, when the Flash kiboshes Captain Cold's hope of freedom, by testifying against him at a parole board meeting, the crime-happy captain decides to break out of prison and gain revenge upon the scarlet speedster.Well, no, in fact, he doesn't.
Rather less logically, he decides to break out of prison and ask the Flash's girlfriend Iris West to marry him.
As far as I can make out, this is the first time any mention's ever been made of a potential romance between the pair. Also, she too testified against him at his parole hearing, so his hope of getting her consent seems a little presumptuous.
Iris, of course, informs him she wouldn't marry him if he was the last man on Earth, at which point he reacts in the way spurned men have always done throughout history, and instantly freezes everyone in Central City, apart from him and Iris.
I could claim it's an epic battle but the Flash has an answer to every challenge his foe flings at him. Glaciers can't stop him. Illusions can't stop him. Slippery patches can't stop him. And, thus, Captain Cold is soon unconscious and on his way back to prison.
It's not what you could call a tense adventure. The Flash seems all but unthwartable and suffers no ill-effects from either his exposure to mega-cold temperatures or even to headbutting his way through ice as hard as diamonds. He also manages to unfreeze the entire town, in an instant, with one press of a button.
Regardless of such concerns, it's a pleasant, stress-free, tale and the combination of Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson on art is clean, unfussy, and even stylish in places. Basically, it's not for the demanding but, thankfully, I'm really not that demanding. I do, after all, have the mind of an eight-year-old.
Our second tale, from 1941, involves Dr Fate, a hero I must confess to knowing almost nothing about, even though I've read a number of comics that have included him. I've basically always seen him as just being a man in a helmet.
His problem, right now, is the gang of criminal mastermind Mr Who keeps stealing precious items such as paintings and diamonds.
If the Flash tale felt tension-free, it's got nothing on this one, as writer Gardner Fox makes it clear that neither Mr Who nor Dr Fate is capable of being harmed or killed by anything that exists. Well, that's us kept us on the edge of our seats.
Anyway, having gatecrashed the villain's latest robbery, Dr Fate disposes of him by flinging him through the bottom of a boat and into the sea before declaring that's the end of him.
How he knows that's the end of him, I've no idea. There seems no reason to think it is. Frankly, it seems almost as presumptuous as Captain Cold's belief that Iris West would be willing to marry him.
It's a fairly throwaway tale and competently drawn by Howard Sherman but, despite an appealing villain who I hope returned at some point, it doesn't stand out from the norm.
So, do I now love this comic as much as I did as a kid?
No. But I do appreciate its light breeziness and refusal to perturb me. A lack of perturbance should never be underestimated in this world.
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31 comments:
Is Howard Sherman related to artist Jim Sherman?
Phillip
Dr Fate is basically a man in a helmet. Brilliant.
You see Steve, you DO have enough knowledge to write about DC.
Personally, I appreciated the absence of a DC UK - being less familiar with the continuity made their comics more mysterious, especially as the characters sometimes had an out of time quality (having been around for longer), and they had that whole Earth-1/-2/etc thing going on, alternative universes being quite a rarefied concept back in the first half of the 70s.
I vividly recall reading that JLA/JSA Crisis on Earth-X crossover, which appealed in a way the Avengers never really managed, even though I couldn't really have pointed to anything specific that was obviously "better". It was like Philip K Dick for kids.
Having said that, I never liked the Flash - running fast is a rubbish super-power - and old 40s DC reprints generally didn't do much for me.
Enjoyed the post though, thanks.
-sean
Steve! I was LMAO-ing from the first word to the last! Thanks for that write up! Fair play to you!
As per Sean, many of DC's 1940s characters were indeed mysterious, even to us in the USA! We'd only get the annual JLA-JSA crisis, maybe Brave and the Bold, and the 100pagers which started in the 70s.
And, while the Flash or Golden Age stories were indeed trite many times, and illogical, we could as well sit here and find logic gaps in Marvel's stories. (I mean... wandering in a cave and try on some bracelets to become CM is just as unlikely as discovering a formula to give you every power imaginable?)
Please keep these coming! Wunderbar!
Phillip, Wikipedia makes no mention of Jim being related to Howard. Looking at it, Howard doesn't even seem to have a Wikipedia page of his own, which seems a bit unfair, bearing in mind he co-created Doctor Fate.
Thanks Sean and Charlie. DC olden times did indeed seem mightily enigmatic.
Thanks for this enjoyable post Steve! I'm with you, a lack of perturbance is something to be grateful for. And yes, many DC tales were ....low on the perturbation scale.
While I don't have this specific issue, I do have a couple vintage Flash books. You're right, Infantino and Anderson made a pretty good team. Carmine's 60's work is rather appealing. They did some fine covers together...
Does anyone know if Carmine Infantino was influenced by WIll Eisner and/or Jack Cole (original Plastic Man)?
Those 3 gents just had a truly remarkable way of creating humorous yet serious drawings. (The opposite of Jodie Whittaker who has a way of seriously portraying Who but not being taken seriously?)
Does anyone else come to mind with that talent? I could suggest CC Beck of the Original Captain Marvel but his drawing was not of the same.)
Geez, I loved this comic! I've got three issues, which I picked up back in the '90's when I was scooping up every cool back issue I missed as a kid.
I was not aware of this comic as a kid, but rifling through back issues of the local comic store (which I haunted like a ghost) I took one look at the covers and got sucked in immediately. I'm not made of stone, you know.
Granted, we're talking about a reprint here, but still fun to read. The covers were outtasight.
I've got this one, another one, and the issue reprinting Solomon Grundy's first appearance.
He ends up getting run over by a train, if memory serves.
This is one of those perfect comics for reading while you're sitting outside on a summer day catching some rays with the beverage of your choice.
I used to go out back with a whole stack of reprints, a lawn chair, and maybe some lemonade.
M.P.
A jazz cigarette or two wouldn't go amiss in that scenario, M.P.
-sean
...I can see how that might make for a pleasant afternoon, Sean.
But if you google this comic, aren't the covers wild?
If you've been tormented by your own burning curiosity over the origins of the likes of Signalman, Clockmaster and Vigilante's old foe the Dummy, this comic was right up your alley.
It's just a lotta fun!
M.P.
M.P. -
Charlie thinks you speak with great passion and wisdom from the frozen plains of the land of the Dakotas!
Charlie shared similar experiences with Wanted and would add the Secret Origins run of DC comics. Charlie still has SO #1 he bought off a magazine stand in a drug store.
Coincidentally SO #`1 featured the Flash whose shown above. It also featured the origin (?) of Hawkman's great nemesis The Ghost!
Crime was much harder back then. Ole Ghost had to schepp around a reel-to-reel projector to create the image of a ghost. I won't even get into how the long the extension cord was! And no, I ain't on the piss!
Time of a jazz cig!
To be honest M.P., I can't say I've ever lost any sleep wondering about the origin of Signalman, but I googled Wanted and whaddaya know - you were right (eh?) the covers do look good.
There aren't enough comics where the super-villain is the main character imo.
And even less that are actually any good. Not that I let that stop me getting Secret Society Of Super Villains or even Marvel Super-Villain Team-Up if I found them.
-sean
Who doesn't enjoy a good story featuring a rogues gallery, Sean. Remember Acts of Vengeance? The Serpent Squad in Captain America? Countless others, and of course those examples you mentioned. The "Villains United" arc is a favorite of mine.
Villain teams are always more interesting.
The intrigue...the secret alliances...hidden motives...the inevitable betrayals.
Charlie, I've got a couple issues of Secret Origins as well. That and "Wanted" are similar animals. Great covers too!
By "Ghost" you mean the Gentleman Ghost? Wasn't he like, the real deal? A no-foolin' actual ghost and not some jumped-up thief with fancy hardware?
You know which old villain gave me the willies? Ragdoll.
M.P.
M.P. - It is really bizarre you say that about Ragdoll!
I do recall vaguely, yet certainly, thinking this Ragdoll is a true psychopath. Maybe I was pre-teen or young teen at the time so around 1972-3?
The thing rattling around in my brain bucket is what did I read from DC to give me the willies about Ragdoll?
I doubt it was a JLA comic. I mean, he would not be strong enough to take on the JLA right? That'd be as absurd as a guy getting a bunch of circus carnies to take on the Avengers...
I agree that the lack of a DC UK made DC comics seem different and refreshing when I finally got around to reading some. The first DC comics I ever read were a pile of Batmans given to me around 1982. I particularly remember that one of them featured Batman & Robin in Hong Kong and Batman explains to Robin that Hong Kong is a British colony which will return to Chinese rule in 1997. This was the first time I'd ever heard about the status of Hong Kong (I was about 16 at the time so maybe I should have known but I didn't). Anyway, who says comics aren't educational??
"DC didn't care about us so f**k DC" - so said comedian Al Murray.
Thanks, Red.
Colin, comics were indeed educational. I think I learned everything I knew about Vietnam, as a child, from reading Silver and Bronze Age Marvel comics.
Charlie and MP, I am totally unfamiliar with Ragdoll.
Sean and MP, Nick Cardy's covers could persuade me to buy any comic.
Steve,
I am so sorry for you.
With Warmest Sympathy,
Charlie
I always enjoyed DC books that had reprint strips in them with characters I had (at the time) never heard of before. "Wanted" and "Secret Origins" were mostly always good with some lovely old artwork - a particular favourite was Secret Origins vol 1 issue 5 that had the Spectres origin with a really nice Nick Cardy cover (even by his high standards). Incidentally, DC just sneaked in with a 1970s UK weekly comic called "Super DC" that ran from 1969 until July 1970 (it wasn't great) and in the early/mid 1980s they had the glossy monthly "The Super Heroes" magazine (which had some nice strips).
I agree. That Secret Origins Spectre issue was great.
I must confess I was totally unaware of that Super DC comic. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. :)
I don't recall seeing the DC Superheroes monthly, but I do still have a copy of the 1984 annual which along with various reprints - the best of which was a short with Mr Mxyzptlk drawn by the mighty Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez - also featured some new artwork by Bryan Talbot and *drum roll* Alan Moore's first published Superman story (don't get too excited and start searching Ebay - its a 2pg text piece).
-sean
SECRET ORIGINS and WANTED are two sides of the same coin, and I like both quite a bit. My two favorite issues are WANTED #3 and SECRET ORIGINS #4 — each had a Golden Age Vigilante story from the 40s, drawn by Mort Meskin. They’re from a period when he was working in that exuberant Simon and Kirby mode, wildly energetic, almost cartoony, but with a slick, polished finish on top. They’re really great. DC reprinted a few other 40s era Meskin strips around the same time period, but not nearly enough.
Funny thing about Infantino. I was such a Marvel Kid when I first started collecting in the early 70s, I saw very little of his work. I never saw any of his Flash stuff, my real only frame of reference was a couple of Adam Strange reprints from the early 60s, inked by Murphy Anderson. So, when he started pencilling comics again for a living around ‘76 — STAR WARS, NOVA, various short stories in the Warren mags, etc — i almost couldn’t believe it was the same guy. The Adam Strange stories had looked so slick and quasi-‘realistic’ in that Dan Barry-ish DC House Style, and the newer stuff just looked WEIRD. Of course, now I LIKE his weird looking 70s stuff (but a little DOES go a long way).
My favorite Infantino stuff are those Batman covers and Style Guide pieces from the 60s, inked by Anderson. That’s the first Batman comic book art I ever saw — it was EVERYWHERE during the ‘66 / ‘66 Batmania period, on posters, model kits, coloring books, rack toys, etc. Looking at those images now still triggers vivid memories of that era.
b.t.
Yeah, McScOTTY, Nick Cardy was a cover artist par excellence. He stuff was pretty slick.
He did some nice interior work, like on Aquaman, but he was definitely D.C.'s go-to guy for covers.
Charlie, I used to pick up issues of James Robinson's Starman on occasion (was that the '90's or the early 2000's?) and Ragdoll showed up there and he was a full-blown psychopath.
He was first depicted as an aging decrepit cult leader, then he sold his soul to Neron (sort of a half-assed Satan) in exchange for regained youth.
Then he was a young agile psychopath again. He didn't need followers to kill people anymore, he could do it himself.
Clowns are scary. My brother works with a guy who, as a little kid, sat on John Wayne Gacy's lap when he was doing his clown act in a shopping mall for some reason.
It's absolutely true.
You know why you don't see Ronald McDonald in commercials anymore?
That's why.
M.P.
I meant "his stuff".
dammit!
M.P. -
Maybe I did see Raggy in the Starman version by Robinson!!! I just have this recall of him being a full blown psychopath. Like Joker on roids.
The artist was Matt Smith (I'd of preferred Fr*nk R*bb*ins to Smith). DC kept reeling me in, like issue 10 had Hourman, around issue 18 they had the original Starman.
Charlie and I are suckers for those DC Golden Age characters! Truly, DC's stories were much more enjoyable than Timely's in many ways back then (as were Quality's and Fawcett's LOL.)
Oddly, I have about 10 of these Starmans along with the Ray and the Condor reincarnations from roughly the same time period. If you want them, I'll mail them to you for free. Just email Steve your address.
It's the least I can do for someone living on the Dakota plains.
Yep... some Starman comics, Great White Buffalo over the stereo, a Schlitz Malt Liquor and a couple of one-hitters... sounds like a perfect winters eve!
My fav version of Great White Buffalo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMZwS0ZonEU&list=RDVMZwS0ZonEU&start_radio=1
That said, I'd a had more respect for Nugent if he'd a done an Ali and said "I ain't going to Nam" or gone to Canada instead of pooping in his pants for a week straight and being declared an imbecile.
I can't hear his music without remembering how he's such a douchebag.
M.P.
BTW, Charlie, thanks for your kind offer. Apparently you are familiar with Robinson's run on Starman and he was a big fan of D.C.'s Golden Age characters too.
He was at times a bit too "meta" or ironic or smart-ass for my taste but it was a pretty good comic!
I might take you up on that, maybe some night when the winds howl across the prairie.
...I do live in a city, y'know. I'd have to drive a ways to see a buffalo.
Less wind, more crime.
M.P.
There are cities in South Dakota?!?
-sean
Rapid ones, Sean!
Phillip
I just looked up Rapid City, Phillip.
More like Rapid Town! C'mon - in this day and age a population less than six figures doesn't really qualify as a city.
-sean
Happy Candlemas Day! This is your last chance to take down your Christmas decorations otherwise they'll transform into devils. You have been warned!
Happy Candlemas Day to you too, Colin.
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