Comic Book Archaeology

In June 1939, Adventure Comics #40 published the first Sandman story (after the appearance in New York’s World Fair Comics). What I love about this story is the panels without dialog or captions. It really helps to establish the mood and the characterization of Wesley Dodds.

Among the stories included with New York World’s Fair Comics (April 1939) was the first Sandman story. The Sandman was Wesley Dodds, an inventor and millionaire playboy (beating Tony Stark to the superhero game by at least twenty years). He ran around in a gas mask and used a gas gun to put criminals to […]