306 – Ma and Pa Kent

In February 1946, Superboy finally moves to Adventure Comics in Issue #108. This story establishes that Clark is ten years old and shows a rare glimpse of his parents, Ma and Pa Kent who are unnamed and whose appearance vary a bit from panel to panel (in one panel, Pa Kent is bald).

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304 – More Funny

In January 1946, More Fun Comics #108 jettisons all four of its superheroes (Aquaman, Superboy, Johnny Quick, and Green Arrow) and replaces them with other humor strips like Genius Jones. Don’t worry – all of those superheroes make there way over to Adventure Comics next month (February 1946), but it doesn’t bode well for other […]

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303 – Batman is a Swinger

Twenty-five years before the Batusi and forty years before the Batdance, there was Batman #33 (December 1945). Bruce Wayne infiltrates a criminal organization by frequenting a swinging “jive joint” and trying to fit in with all the hep cats.

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301 – Black Adam!

Marvel Family Comics #1 debuts in November 1945, bringing Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Mary Marvel and Uncle Marvel together for the first time, In addition to telling the origin story of each character, it also introduces the Marvel Family’s greatest enemy: Black Adam. 5000 years ago in Egypt, Shazam created the world’s first champion, […]

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300 – The Atomic Age!

USA dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 with Japan announcing surrender in a matter of days. Nonetheless, it took until October 1945 for stories mentioning “atomic” science to make their way into the public’s hands. The stories had been held back thanks to wartime censorship. I actually found it pretty […]

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299 – Time Travel Hypnotist

Bruce and Dick pay Professor Carter Nichols another visit in Batman #32 (October 1945). Prof. Nichols was introduced the previous year. He has the astounding ability to use hypnosis to send our two heroes into the past. This time they visit France in the 1600s and get involved with the Three Musketeers. I always disliked […]

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298 – Robin, Year One

For the first time in five years, the origin story of Robin the Boy Wonder, is re-told in Batman #32 (October 1945). The story recounts how his parents were murdered and the criminals brought to justice, but it also focuses on how Dick Grayson worked hard to transform himself from circus acrobat into detective sidekick.

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297 – Wayne’s Wealth Woes

In Detective Comics #105 (September 1945), we get a little more information about Bruce Wayne’s business dealings, when the treasurer of his new motor company absconds with $3M, causing Bruce to have to sell everything he owns to pay back investors. Of course by the end of the story, the treasurer has been found and […]

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296 – Amazons in Shorts

In Comic Cavalcade #12 (September 1945), Dalma the Amazon gets jealous of Wonder Woman’s adventures and decides to remove her bracelets and leave Paradise Island. In a wacky mix-up, she mugs a girl, steals her clothing and then fails to put it on properly, resulting in a scandal where she walks down the street in […]

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294 – Electronic Strength

Since the transistor was invented in 1947, I was surprised to see “electronics” mentioned in Sensation Comics #46 (August 1945) until I remembered that vacuum tubes had been around for a few decades by then. Even so, it’s called “the new science of electronics” on the splash page. It’s pretty odd timing since the atomic […]

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