ALARMING TALES VOL. 1 TPB
Collects Alarming Tales #1-6 (Harvey Comics, Sep 57-Nov 58)
Where did this come from?
Well, the technical answer is "Harvey Comics," which produced Alarming Tales #1-6 (1957-58). But the first two issues are almost entirely Simon & Kirby, and even so, it's mostly Kirby! So a better question is: How have I never heard of this book before?
Doesn't matter, I suppose, as I've heard of it — and read it — now. After so many terrible '50s "suspense" stories, it's such a joy to read something good. No, it's not the best suspense work S&K has done (I'd rank some of the early Black Magic stories higher), but the worst Kirby is light years better than the best of his contemporary competition, and I savored every bite.
And, ooh, there are some Easter eggs! The first story in the first issue is about a scientist who has cracked the code of the Cadmus seeds. Now I know that all that stuff in Kirby's Jimmy Olsen wasn't the first time he'd played around with the concept.
Then there's the third story, "The Last Enemy." In this one, a scientist in 2514 invents a cube where he goes to ... I want to say another dimension? Anyway what he discovers there is a world run entirely by animals, who dress in 20th century military garb. The tigers are fighting the bears who are fighting the dogs. Eventually they all team up against the rats.
Sound familiar? Looks like Kamandi had an antecedent as well.
Marvin Stein got one story in the second issue, and in the third, the presence of S&K is spotty. There's only a smattering in the last three issues (and there's Simon but no Kirby at all in #6). Art is handled mostly by the usual late-1950s suspects: Matt Baker, Paul Reinman, Fred Kida, Doug Wildey and the like.
Those last four issues aren't bad, by any means. (It might be Reinman's best work.) In fact, they're a lot better than the concurrent competition at places like Charlton. But it's a bit of a let-down after all that Kirby.
One oddity: In this series (and many others in this particular post), the first page is a full-page ad! So you turn from the cover to ... an FPA facing an FPA. Not pretty.
THRILLS OF TOMORROW/RACE FOR THE MOON TP
Collects Thrills of Tomorrow #17-20 (Harvey, Oct 54-Apr 55), Race for the Moon #1-3 (Harvey, Mar-Nov 58)
I'm already prejudiced against this book, because it's a flipbook, and I irrationally hate that format. I can't explain it, because it's irrational.
Race for the Moon is a Harvey title which ran for three issues in 1958. I was vaguely aware of its existence, but had not seen it until now. And all three issues are included!
The first issue has some new Bob Powell work, then is rounded out by horror reprints. Don't ask me why. But the second issue is almost all Jack Kirby, with assists by Paul Reinman, Al Williamson and others. Whee! The third issue is almost all Kirby — Carl Burgos gets some work — and introduces "The Three Rocketeers," consisting of Leader Guy, Smart Guy and Strong Guy. Those weren't their names, but those are the cliche niches they fill. Strong Guy's name is actually "Beefy," which is a bit on the nose. He's essentially the same character as Rocky Davis (Challengers of the Unknown), Biff Bailey (Sea Devils), Jeff Smith (Rip Hunter ... Time Master), Bulldozer Smith ("Cave Carson"), Ben Grimm (Fantastic Four) and "Champ" Ruggles (Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub, as you'll soon see).
The Three Rocketeers is how I knew that something like Race for the Moon existed. My brother bought all three issues of Harvey's 1965 series Unearthly Spectaculars, and the last two issues featured some Three Rocketeers stories (NOT by Kirby, alas). The stories read to 7-year-old me as if they were picking up from somewhere, and of course there was no origin. So I suspected the Rocketeers had appeared earlier, somewhere.
Flip the book over, and you get all four issues of Harvey's 1954 Thrills of Tomorrow. This is largely a waste of paper if you've already read all the Simon & Kirby Stuntman stories, which I believe I have. If not, then this may be worth your time.
Thrills of Tomorrow launches with issue #17, picking up the numbering of Tomb of Terror. I'm not sure about the text pieces, but all the stories are reprints from Witches Tales #7, which PS has already reprinted. (The text pieces are probably also reprints from somewhere, but who cares about text pieces?) Issue #18 is also all reprint, this time from Tomb of Terror #1. Again, we've seen these.
The last two issues reprint stories from Stuntman #1-2, a short-lived Simon & Kirby title from 1946. I doubt all the stories from those two issues are reprinted, given diminishing page counts between 1946 and 1954, and the third and last issue of Stuntman isn't represented at all. But this gives you the origin and three sample stories, which is useful if you didn't pick up Simon & Kirby: Superheroes, where I think all three issues are reprinted.
But honestly, despite their provenance, the Stuntman stories are pretty bad. Nice art, tho!
COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB VOL 1 TPB
Collecting Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub #1-5 (ACG Jul/Aug 54-Mar/Apr 55)
I have no idea why anyone thought this was a good idea. But then, ACG published Operation: Peril, which was pretty bad.
An atomic submarine wouldn't be a hard thing to imagine in 1954, and in fact, the U.S. was already building the USS Nautilus, which launched in 1958 and was the first submarine to sail under the polar ice cap. Maybe it was thought to be future-y at the time, even though the real world was catching up fast.
And the writer — which GCD thinks is probably Richard Hughes — kept adding to the thing so that it could drill underground, crawl over the ground like a tank, fly through the air, and go to the Moon. (Yes. They strapped rockets on a submarine and went to the Moon.) It's really not terribly exciting stuff, because it's so preposterous, while pretending to be a tough, down-to-earth combat/espionage book. Although the hype at the beginning of each issue is pretty breathless.
Maybe I'm put off by the crew of the Atomic Sub (which is apparently its name), which is only four people, who are inexplicably called "Atomic Commandos" even though they're not British and it's the sub that's atomic. Initially they're comprised of Leader Guy, Smart Guy, Strong Guy and -- as a twist on the formula -- Escape Artist Guy. Strong Guy is David B. "Champ" Ruggles, who is so strong as to be superhuman (although he has to strain quite a bit!). Smart Guy is Edwin "Doc" Blake, a scientist who, as we know from other genre material, means he is an expert in all sciences and can build genius inventions on the fly. And Leader Guy is William L. "Bill" Battle, who is perhaps the most preposterous of all, as he is former Secret Service, also a USAF fighter pilot, and also a U.S. Navy submarine commander. Couldn't they work the Marines or Army in there anywhere?
Escape Artist Guy is Tony Gardello the Great, a stage magician who actually proves pretty useful, in that when the boys get captured, he can wiggle out of handcuffs and pick the lock on their cell door. But don't get attached, as he gets killed off in the fourth issue, and is replaced by genius kid stowaway Jonnie Flint, who has invented a telepathy machine out of parts from his home. At first the Commandos tell Jonnie he can't join them because, duh, he's a kid. But what the heck, when Gardello is killed off, they forget all that child-endangerment stuff they mentioned earlier and sign him up.
I'm guessing they were getting sales figures for the first issue by the fourth, and decided a little kid-identification could help.
The art, mostly be Ken Landau and people who look like Ken Landau, is pretty pedestrian. There's a childish quality to it, also, that reminds me a bit of Pete Costanza, who did a lot of work for ACG before shifting over to DC in Mort Weisinger's office, mainly on Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen.
Of note also is the first issue, which was done in ACG's short-lived TrueVision experiment, where the gutters are all black and there's a lot more Zip-A-Tone than usual. This was supposed to create a 3-D effect without 3-D separations. It did not.
Last note: Commander Battle lasted seven issues. I assume the last two will never be reprinted, although they could show up in PS' Classic Adventure Comics series.
BLUE BOLT VOL. 1 TP
Blue Bolt #108 (Feb 51), #110 (Aug 51), #112 (Feb 52); Blue Bolt Weird Terrors #116 (Dec 52), #118-119 (Apr-Jun 53)
Suddenly, PS Artbooks has produced a clutch of books reprinting Star Publications comics. Did this UK publisher just discover they existed? Did they just get a court judgment that the books are in public domain? Did high-quality copies of these books suddenly become available for reprint?
I favor the latter explanation solely on the strength of PS' odd hit-or-miss approach to reprinting the books. I can't think of another explanation. Anyway, here we go:
Blue Bolt was an anthology whose eponymous character was a superhero who could shoot electricity from his hands, but also from his gun, because you can't have too much electricity. It ran for 101 issues, from 1940 to 1949, at Novelty/Premium/Curtis. Which is actually hard to count, because Novelty/Premium/Curtis was one of the publishers who favored volume numbers, and would periodically re-start the issue numbering once or twice a year with a new volume number. The final issue under Novelty/Premium/Curtis was Vol. 10 #2, which we non-Golden Age humans count as Blue Bolt #101.
None of these have been reprinted.
Blue Bolt continued with issue #102 in 1949, by Star Publications instead of Novelty. That's because it was right around this time that Star Publications came into existence, and Blue Bolt #102 was its first title. That's because Novelty sold its assets to the Blue Bolt cover artist, L.B. Cole, according to Toonopedia, who launched Star Publications with his new IP.
That's all I know, but I'd really like to know more! How did a cover artist amass the capital to buy all those assets? Why did he think he could make a go of it, when Novelty/Premium/Curtis was bailing out?
Anyway, Star was launching just as horror comics were getting big, and it didn't take long for them to catch up.
Star started using the blurb "Weird Fantastic Stories of the Unknown" above the Blue Bolt logo on the cover with issue #107, although nothing at all was weird or fantastic, except for the covers. With issue #111 "Blue Bolt" got small on the cover, followed by "Weird Tales of Terror," with "Weird" being really large. Then it became Blue Bolt Weird Tales on the cover with issue #113, again with "Weird" really large. It was still Blue Bolt in the indicia, though, as far as I know — the reprints I have drop the indicia in the later issues, but the statement of ownership in issue #112 still says Blue Bolt.
The GCD says the book is re-launched as Blue Bolt Weird Tales for issues #116-119, but the indicia for issue #118 just says Weird Tales. It ended with issue #119 in summer 1953.
But whatever the name, this PS Artbooks reprint only includes issues #108, #110, #112, #116, #118-119. Why?
Looking at GCD, Blue Bolt remained a superhero book from #101 through #107, and mostly reprint. Of the main features, the Blue Bolt stories were reprinted from previous issues of Blue Bolt, while Target and the Targeteers, Sub-Zero Man and Spacehawk were reprinted from Target Comics. I can understand reluctance to reprint those.
But nothing really changes with issue #108, which is included in Blue Bolt Vol. 1. It contains Spacehawk from Target Comics v3 #1, and Blue Bolt, Sub-Zero Man and Phantom Sub from, respectively, Blue Bolt Comics v2 #10, v2 #12 and v2 #11. Why include this issue, and exclude the others, when the content is virtually identical?
The content remains much the same for issues #109-110. In issue #111, things start to change. The lead is an 8-page horror story (creators unknown) and an original L.B. Cole one-page horror story. Plus an 8-page Red Rocket story from Captain Flight #11, for some reason, along with the standard Blue Bolt reprint.
Blue Bolt Weird Tales #112 is where things start cooking, the third issue reprinted by PS Artbooks. It's mostly original horror, mostly by Jay Disbrow, with only two reprints: Torpedoman and Zann (of the jungle), both from Captain Flight Comics. (So long, Blue Bolt!)
But here's more mystery: Blue Bolt Weird Tales #113-115 are virtually all-new horror (only one Spacehawk reprint), so why isn't PS reprinting them? They jump right to #116. Which, honestly, is an inferior product. It's the first issue of the "new" Weird Tales, and has one new 6-page horror story, and the rest is reprint. And not very good reprints. There's Blue Bolt again, plus two Jungle Jo stories (one text, one comics). Jungle Jo, the GCD informs me, was Fox's Jo-Jo under a different name. But Jungle Jo or Jo-Jo, it's jungle comics, and has no place here. (But welcome back, Blue Bolt!)
PS reprints two of the next three issues, which are all pretty much the same: roughly half is new horror, text pieces are reprints (nothing new there) and then Jungle Jo reprints to round out the issue.
I can only guess that PS skipped the issues for which there were no high-quality books to reprint from. I can't think of any other answer.
STARTLING TERROR TALES VOL. 1 TP
Collects Startling Terror Tales #10 (May 52), #12-13 (Oct-Dec 52), #4-5 (April 1953)
Here we go again.
Star Publications' Startling Terror appears to have started with issue #10 -- at least, the GCD doesn't list a predecessor. Weirdly, the numbering continues with Confessions of Love #11, but also Startling Terror Tales #11-14 ... which somehow count as the first three issues of another Startling Terror Tales, numbered #4-11. So there are no issues of Startling Terror Tales #1-3, there two issues each of #10 and #11, and issues #4-9 follow the first issues numbered #10-11.
They really don't make it easy, do they?
The first Startling Terror Tales #10 is reprinted, which is itself a reprint of Fox's A Star Presentation #3. That's good, because two other issues of A Star Presentation have been reprinted, but not this one. It includes a Wally Wood short from that issue.
The first Startling Terror Tales #11 is skipped, and it's easy to see why: It reprints "Ghost Spider of Death!" from A Star Presentation #5, which has previously been reprinted in Classic Horror Stories. I'm glad they skipped it!
PS comes back with Startling Terror Tales #12-13, but skips #14. It's hard to say why the last one is skipped, given that all three have similar content. That would be one original lead horror story, backed up by "true crime" reprints and (sigh) Jo-Jo the Jungle Boob reprints from various Fox comics.
That lineup continues with Startling Terror Tales #15-16. Sorry! Sorry! I mean Startling Terror Tales #4-5, which rounds out this book. It's more of the same, but the horror stories by Jay Disbrow and George Peltz aren't bad. And the "true crime" reprints haven't been reprinted anywhere else, so they're "new." And, if there's a volume 2 with issues #6-11, then it will be close to complete. Poor ol' #14 will still be lost in the wilderness.
But I could do without the Jo-Jo stories. Or as everyone in the strip says repeatedly and nonsensically, "Wah!"
SHOCKING MYSTERY CASES VOL. 1
Collects Shocking Mystery Cases #51-53 (Nov 52-Mar 53), 55-56 (Jul-Oct 53), 60 (Oct 54)
Star Publications picked up the title Four-Most Boys (4Most Boys on the cover) from Novelty with issue #37, which became Thrilling Crime Comics with issue #41, which became Shocking Mystery Cases with issue #50. The only mystery here to me was why, out of all those options, PS reprinted only issues #51-53, 55-56 and 60.
According to GCD, the entire run of Shocking Mystery Cases was reprint crime comics (mostly from Fox titles) with a smattering of new stories, sometimes straight crime, sometimes crime with a supernatural slant. There doesn't seem to be an awful lot of difference in content between the reprinted issues and the not-reprinted issues.
And I found most of it pretty boring. I trudged through the book with gritted teeth, and can't think of a single story that was very interesting or entertaining. Maybe I've just read too many mediocre '50s stories to distinguish between them any more.
P.S. The first story of issue #52 is missing, which GCD suggests might have been the inside-front cover of the Fox book from which it was reprinted. And the final story of issue #60 is missing its final page. And you know what? I don't care.
Replies
I don't buy the "softees" but I'm begining to think I may have erred.
I don't buy the "softees" but I'm begining to think I may have erred.
You've got me to read them for you! Or, at least, guide you to the ones that are potentially interesting to you.
I may have erred.
Speaking of PS Artbooks that are Softee-only, I've been sitting on some information that I didn't know where to post. This is as good a place as any, I reckon.
Anyway, as you probably know, PS is expanding into superheroes -- Fox's Blue Beetle, Quality's Black Condor and The Ray, and Fawcett's Ibis the Invincible and Bulletman. But here's the exciting part: PS just announced they're going to collect America's Greatest Comics. That was a Fawcett book, that like All-American's Comic Cavalcade and Fox's Big 3 Comics, was a quarterly book that offered stories of the publisher's most popular characters. For Comic Cavalcade that meant Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman, and for Big 3 it meant Blue Beetle, Samson and The Flame.
For Fawcett, it meant Spy Smasher, Mr. Scarlet & Pinky, Minute-Man, Bulletman and ... Captain Marvel!
This is, I think, the first Marvel Family reprint at PS Artbooks. I had assumed that they were all off limits, that DC had copyright. But maybe not in England. Cross your fingers that Whiz, Master, Marvel Family, Captain Marvel Adventures and Captain Marvel Jr. aren't far behind.
Here are some of PS Artbooks' most recent solicits, all Softees...
AMAZING MAN: I pre-ordered v1 and I thought it was a HC, but the v2 solicitation is for a softee. If I pre-ordered a Softee of Bill Everett material, I'm not going to kick too much [except some of that material I already have in the Bill Everett Archives series (from Fantagraphics, I think)].
BLUE BEETLE: I have several volume of GA BB from Gwandanaland, but i would have held off if I knew these were coming. Gwandanaland give you a lot of bang for your buck, but PS Artbooks has better (re-)production values.
THUN'DA: This is a HC but I've already got a more inclusive volume from Dark Horse from years ago. Heads up, though, if you missed that one.
TALES OF THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER: I have a volume of of this from years decades ago, but I'm not sure how complete it is.
This is, I think, the first Marvel Family reprint at PS Artbooks.
It is, unless you include facsimile editions. New solicitations include Whiz Comics #2, 16 & 24. These are nice, but pricey (16 bucks a pop).
AMAZING MAN: I pre-ordered v1 and I thought it was a HC, but the v2 solicitation is for a softee.
Everywhere I see Amazing-Man Vol 1 listed, it's an HC. It's not expected until May, according to Bud Plant.
BLUE BEETLE: I have several volume of GA BB from Gwandanaland, but i would have held off if I knew these were coming. Gwandanaland give you a lot of bang for your buck, but PS Artbooks has better (re-)production values.
I didn't buy much from Gwandanaland, so I'll be starting Blue Beetle from scratch.
THUN'DA: This is a HC but I've already got a more inclusive volume from Dark Horse from years ago. Heads up, though, if you missed that one.
I do have that earlier Thun'Da somewhere. I'll have to dig it out and compare.
TALES OF THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER: I have a volume of of this from years decades ago, but I'm not sure how complete it is.
Eclipse put out a collection in 1990, with a random assortment of stories. PS put out three volumes collecting the original 13-issue series. Charlton put two reprint issues in 1985 that continued the numbering. Ditko and Robin Snyder put out six more issues in 2015-2022 that was a hodge-podge of new stuff and reprints from random titles.
"This is, I think, the first Marvel Family reprint at PS Artbooks." It is, unless you include facsimile editions. New solicitations include Whiz Comics #2, 16 & 24. These are nice, but pricey (16 bucks a pop).
Whereas you don't buy the Softees, I don't buy the facsimilies. I'd rather put that $16 toward a collection of 5-6 books, but that's just me. But your point is valid: PS Artbooks has alread nibbled at the Marvel Family canon. Maybe that was a test to see if they'd get sued! Anyway, I'd be very happy for whatever they can get away with reprinting, since DC doesn't seem inclined to do it. In fact, the best of all worlds would be if DC went into partnership with PS to reprint the books, just as Marvel has gone into partnership with Fantagraphics to reprint their Atlas books.
Eclipse put out a collection in 1990, with a random assortment of stories.
That's the one I have. Thanks for the rundown of the other reprints and whatnot. In return, Dark Horse's Thun'da collection comprises...
I've already recycled the solicitation, but I did a comparison before I decided not to order the PS Artbooks edition.
Whereas you don't buy the Softees, I don't buy the facsimilies.
Oh, I don't buy the facsimilies, either, for the same reason as you.