In “The Human War Machine!”, a story in Detective Comics #202 (Oct 1953), the Golden Age Robotman (Robert Crane) makes his final appearance. In it, he shows off some of his powers one last time. Including being bullet-proof: As well as having stretchable arms? DC will later revive the name and the concept with the […]
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Sensation Comics #107 (November 1951) makes the abrupt transition from a superhero comic featuring Wonder Woman to becoming a supernatural/horror type comic. Sensation only lasts for about another year or so before being cancelled, leaving Wonder Woman’s only regular appearance in her own mag. This is in stark contrast to Superman (appearing in four different […]
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In Sensation Comics #103 (March 1951), Wonder Woman goes up against a foe which requires her to time travel to 2051. Once in New York, she discovers that no one remembers Wonder Woman, yet the rest of the Trinity, Superman and Batman, are fondly remembered. It turns out the villain had deliberately wiped out every […]
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Despite the clear indication that the comic book industry has moved on to western, horror, and romance books, Fox tries to resurrect the Blue Beetle in Blue Beetle #58 (February 1950). The book picks up where the original left off two years back in 1948, with Dan Garrett returning to the police force and to […]
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The very very last vestige of Timely (Marvel) Comics’ superheroes occurs with Captain America’s Weird Tales #75 (November 1949). The cover mentions Captain America, but the book is very clearly EC Comics-inspired (down to the left-hand vertical title bar) with anthological horror tales. The magazine probably needed to include “Captain America” in the title so […]
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By April 1949, the only DC superheroes left with their own books are the Trinity, but there is one exception: All-Star Comics. Amidst all the superhero comic book cancellations in the late 1940s in both Timely (Marvel) and DC Comics, the Justice Society of America continues to escape replacement by a horror or western comic! […]
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The final issue of Sub-Mariner Comics #23 also came out in March 1949. Like the Human Torch’s last issue, it features an origin story for the Sub-Mariner that goes much deeper into Namor’s birth, early life, than has ever been seen before. I don’t know if this was just a backup story they had lying […]
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March 1949 ends another Timely (Marvel) superhero solo book with Captain America #73 (March 1949). With its next issue, it becomes “Captain America’s Weird Tales”, a horror comic, which maybe was fore-shadowed by the truly macabre ads for toys in this issue. Pictured above is Rita, a babygirl doll with long vivacious red hair that […]
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In Superboy #2 (March 1949), it is finally established, for the first time, that the young Clark Kent lives in a town named Smallville. As recently discussed, amidst many other superhero books getting cancelled and characters disappearing into the Golden Age, Superboy is the only superhero to get his own book. I think this is […]
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In Marvel Mystery #92 (February 1949), the Human Torch‘s origin story is re-told, with a framing story of his creator, Professor Horton, passing away. This is also the last appearance for years of the original Human Torch. After this issue, Marvel Mystery Comics is renamed to Marvel Tales and becomes a horror / supernatural anthology […]
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