Welcome to our re-read of the first and greatest superhero team in comics ... and quite a bit more!
My plan is to re-read and discuss the Golden Age Justice Society of America, which ran from All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940) to All-Star Comics #57 (February-March 1951), and is currently being reprinted in DC's "DC Finest" line.
But, as ever, I am consumed by context. What events brought us to All-Star Comics #3? What characters did editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox have available from which to choose? What else was competing in the superhero space? To achieve that context, I plan to start the discussion at the publisher's beginning, when Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson launched National Allied Publications Inc. in 1935. That was the first step toward the Justice Society — and to DC Comics as we know it today.
So before we even get to the JSA, I'll re-read and open for discussion all the solo stories starring JSA members, mostly from DC's Archives and Famous First Edition series. Which is actually quite a lot! (Although not as much as I'd prefer. I want it ALL!) I'll be writing about non-JSA superheroes created by National, Detective Comics Inc. and All-American Comics Inc. too, like Crimson Avenger and Doctor Occult. I'll also be tipping my hat to some non-powered characters, principally those who managed to appear outside their parent title, like Slam Bradley and Hop Harrigan. That means no re-read for the likes of "Bart Regan, Spy" and "Speed Saunders." Sorry, fellas, but I had to draw the line somewhere — before I found myself doing a deep dive into the history of Ginger Snap.
Speaking of drawing lines, I won't be re-reading Superman and Batman. They are peripheral at best to the Golden Age JSA, and would overwhelm the discussion through sheer volume. The volume issue extends to Wonder Woman as well (Sensation Comics, Wonder Woman, Comic Cavalcade), but she was a major player in the JSA, so I haven't decided yet if I'll include her solo stories. (And I have quite a bit of time to decide, since the bulk of DC"s Golden Age Archives books consist of material published before Sensation Comics #1.) Fortunately, Jeff of Earth-J is already doing a re-read of the Golden Age Superman.
I should note that I'm comparing ship dates on books that don't have months assigned to covers, like quarterlies and specials, to ship dates on monthlies to figure out where those books should be placed. All-Star Comics #3, for example, is dated "Winter" on the cover, but the on-sale date places it with books with December 1940 cover dates, so that's where I put it..
I've tried to be comprehensive, relying on a variety of sources, from online to reprints to "companion" books. A tip of the cowl to some of Luke Blanchard's posts in what amounts to almost an outline for this discussion. But I'm sure I've left out tons, especially reprints that I don't have or can't find, which may be at hand in your collection. I hope folks will do re-reads of reprints I've left out, as well as comment on what I've written. So let's hear what I've missed Legionnaires — and what you think!
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The Sandman seems more like an adventurer than a crimefighter. Perhaps his stories were rewritten before the superhero path was chosen.
The Batman, in his first year, was definitely packing a gun when needed and he wasn't afraid to use it! Or kill someone if he had to! Instead of forgetting this or ignoring it, Roy Thomas brought it up in America Vs the Justice Society.
He feels very '30s movie mystery to me. I use the Thin Man series occasionally as a comparison, especially when Dian has a big role. Dodds is competetent, but not superhuman, and it's when he uses his wits (rather than fistfighting) that his stories are the most satisfying to me.
More than anything, this discussion is making me want to pull my Sandman Archives from the shelf and give it another look!
Then my work here is done!
Re the Adventure Comics #43 cover, I wouldn’t have checked this absent the Captain’s comment, but the issue reportedly went on sale in Sep. The war in Europe started at the start of the month, so it was perhaps intended as a WWI scene.
To be sure, Action Comics #17 has the tank cover, #18 has a WWI air combat cover, and Amazing Man Comics #6 and Keen Detective Funnies #15 (from the same month) have sub covers. Action Comics #19 has Superman tearing apart a cannon.
Batman’s feature went to 10 pages with its third instalment in Detective Comics #29. I think it’s reasonably likely the decision to take it to this length was taken before the feature had appeared. If so, DC had already spotted the feature as having star potential.
It was Gardner Fox’s recollection that the idea that the things in Batman’s belt are gas bombs was his. This first appears in #29.
Fox was certainly the author of #30’s instalment, as his script has survived. Alterations were made by hand. The end was substantially rewritten. My guess is the rewriting was done by Bill Finger, acting as script editor. The revelation of the damage to Dr Death’s face, and his expression of his desire for revenge, are Finger-like.
E. Nelson Bridwell wrote in 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-14 that Finger told him the Monk two-parter was “Gardner Fox’s first Batman job.” People often speak loosely, but the order in which the stories were written need not have been the order in which they appeared.
I have a theory that #31’s instalment was originally intended for #29 and written by Fox as a 6-pager. It was supposed to be the start of a serial, and was put aside because of the decision to take the feature to 10 pages. When it was picked up for use the instalment was expanded to 10 pages, possibly by Finger, possibly in a hurry. This explains the instalment’s slipshod character.
The sequence where Batman fixes the automatic controls of his Batgyro so he can descend to the ship is paralleled by the way the heroes operate in Fox’s features “Captain X of the RAF” and “Skyman”.
The deathtrap sequence resembles a sequence from “Rusty and His Pals” in Adventure Comics #55-#56, also drawn by Kane. I’ve read Finger wrote “Rusty” but I don’t have solid information about this.
#31’s instalment speaks of werewolves rather than vampires. The love interest who becomes menacing under a mysterious spell is paralleled in the much later story “Wanda was a Werewolf!” from House of Mystery #1, which is tied to the issue’s cover. There the spells are explained by a hoax plot. The GCD doesn't know the author.
On my theory the second instalment might not be Fox’s, but I don’t have a strong opinion about this. It shows a change of direction, because the Monk is introduced in the opening caption of the first part as “A man whose powers are uncanny, whose brain is the product of years of intense study and seclusion!”, and in the second he’s explained quite differently.
Some other things:
#32’s instalment is the first one that starts with a splash panel rather than a logo panel.
#33’s is the first 12-pager and #34’s the last 10-pager, but the two stories were evidently run out of order as #34’s refers to the events of #32’s in its opening caption and has Batman still in Europe. The feature was regularly 12 pages from #35. Presumably #33’s story was run early to get the origin into print faster.
#34's story is another weird adventure. It's notable that the Sandman didn't have this type of adventure in this period. The climax might show the influence of the climax of The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), then very recent. But there might be earlier movies with carriage fights. Charles Maire's appearance recalls the Blank from Dick Tracy.
#36’s story is the first one in which Batman has scalloped gloves.
I have the 1990 Marvel Comics #1 hardcover and trying to think like a kid in 1939, I can honestly say that I would have thought that the Sub-Mariner was far superior artwise to anything DC had. Bill Everett was an incredible draftsman and illustrator. Imagine if he drew Superman?
The Angel had good artwork too and was apparently a favorite of publisher Martin Goodman. Possibly so was Ka-Zar the Great as he is Marvel's oldest character, being created for the pulps as a Tarzan ripoff in 1936.
The Human Torch looks very crude with very croweded pages, some having twelve panels! But Carl Burgos would get better.
The Masked Raider is only interesting because of his weird mask and that they tried to make him a thing a few years back!
Trying to catch up on this thread. Here are a few observations from previous posts.
Slam Bradley
Slam and Shorty sleep in the same bed. Probably normal in 1930s New York, with small apartments and a housing crunch. But it will make today's audiences snigger.
Sometimes, whole families would share the same bed in the old days. Abraham Lincoln was thought to be gay when it was learned that he shared a bed with his law partner. “A bed is mainly for sex” is a fairly modern notion.
Superman: "Superman's Tips for Better Health" is a one-pager by Siegel and Shuster (and Paul Cassidy).
Tip #1: Be born on Krypton
Tip #2: Be rocketed to Earth
Slam Bradley: Last Joe Shuster credit, but Jerry Siegel continues to write.
After getting a few bucks for the rights to Superman, Siegel and Shuster had a ten-year contract to produce Superman stories and the additional character stories. They set up a bullpen with other artists. As Shuster’s eyes further deteriorated, the other artists increasingly took over. Excerpt from the Jerry Siegel Wikipedia article:
Between 1937 and 1947 (i.e., during the span of their contract), Siegel and Shuster had together earned more than $400,000 (roughly equivalent to $7,700,000 in 2024) while working at DC Comics.
A time machine would have been an advantage when they were signing the contract, but (like the early non-Superman Action Comics covers testify) no one on either side could predict the value of the character. They would have been much better off if they had a piece of the character’s earnings, but they did way better than the average American.
NOVEMBER 1939
'ADVENTURE COMICS' #44
Sandman
Cover: Creig Flessel depicts the Grainy Gladiator in indulging one of his favorite pastimes: cracking a safe.
Story: "The Sandman Meets The Face" by Gardner Fox and Creig Flessel (10 pages)
Where I read it: Golden Age Sandman Archives Vol. 1
The Sandman strip expands to 10 pages this issue, which almost feels padded after the tightly plotted six-pagers we've had.
In this one, Dodds is surprised by a burglar who turns out to be an old friend and they have a chat. That is one odd turn of events. But it gets worse when a policeman arrives and shoots them both! Dodds is next seen in the hospital, where it'll be "at least a week" before he's back in action. I appreciate that in this strip nobody shrugs off a bullet.
The cop was a phony, of course. It was "The Face," and I guess impersonation is his gig? I don't know, because the rest of the story is about the investigation and pursuit: Sandman sneaking into various places, Dodds pretending to be drunk in public to give himself an alibi, Sandman literally chasing The Face on foot, car and rail ... so they can face off, face to Face! The ending shows a more merciless side to Sandman than we've seen before.
Of note is a scene where Sandman gasses someone and leaves sand, saying "This will keep the blame for this in the right place." It's not the last time he'll do something like that.
Sartorial watch: Green suit, purple cape, yellow gloves, orange hat.
'MORE FUN COMICS' #49
Biff Bronson has a story in More Fun Comics #49.
'DETECTIVE COMICS' #33
Cover: Batman jumping off a bridge into a car full of crooks, by Bob Kane. He is wearing a gun.
Batman: "The Batman Wars Against the Dirigible of Doom" is by Bill Finger, Gardner Fox, Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff (12 pages). Batman's origin is told for the first time, introducing Thomas (killed), Martha Wayne (killed) and Joe Chill (unnamed). Then Batman becomes concerned about crimninal dirigibles.
Slam Bradley has a story in Detective Comics #33.
'ACTION COMICS' #18
Cover: Fred Guardineer gives us a bi-plane dogfight.
Superman: Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy tell a tale of Superman stopping a "yellow journalist" who is blackmailing officials (13 pages). There are stories here and there in the Golden Age about wicked journalists, but by and large they are treated like heroes themselves.
Tex Thomson and Zatara also have stories in Action Comics #18.
'ALL-AMERICAN COMICS' #8
Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man
Created by: Jon Blummer
Debut story: Untitled by Blummer (8 pages)
Where I read it: I didn't.
Significance: Appears outside his parent title
GCD says this story has never been reprinted, and I have never read it. The GCD description is, "Gary Concord's father spent years in suspended animation to awake in the far future of 2239 AD." Gary only makes 10 appearances in total, one of them in All-Star Comics #1.
Fun fact: GCD says it's never been reprinted.
Hop Harrigan, Scribbly and Red, White and Blue all have stories in All-American Comics #8.
THE COMPETITION
Rex, King of the Deep, debuts in Centaur's The Funnies #37.
Magician from Mars debuts in Centaur's Amazing-Man Comics #7.
John Steele, Fiery Mask and Monako, Prince of Magic, debut in Marvel's Daring Mystery Comics #1. Daring Mystery Comics #1-8 have been reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Daring Mystery Vols. 1-2.
Archie (as MLJ) enters the field with Blue Ribbon Comics #1. The star is Rang-A-Tang, a wonder dog.
I first read the two-page Batman origin in Secret Origins #1 (Ma'73) which I may have gotten as a stocking stuffer Christmas '72. Because of that and the one-page Superman origin, they had to include a Golden Age Hawkman story which wasn't an origin of anything!
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