“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Blue Beetle #18

“Looks more like a green knight to me.”

The Blue Beetle #18

Holyoke Publishing Company (January, 1943)

More anthological fun with Blue Beetle and friends. I’ve been kind of harsh on the Holyoke period…because it hasn’t been very good…but they did something right this issue. Oh, Sparkington J. Northrup is still blackmailing Dan Garret into being his partner but now he’s not going by the name Sparky, which is still only a half-step above “Bucky”. No, he finally has a name that might not be immediately attached to his real identity. Welcome the naming debut of…Spunky!

Yes, I know that’s lame as hell, but so is Sparkington in general and it was the 1940s. There’s also an ad for fellow Fox refugee Catman and his teen girl sidekick Kitten. You take the victories you can, people!

See, I wrote that before reading the first story. That victory is immediately lost. You’ll see what I mean in the review.

Read along with me as we travel the world of Blue Beetle and Spunky.

The Blue Beetle

• “The Case Of The Red Knight” by Oliver Ashford: Credit where it’s due. The opening teaser is properly dramatic. The story is better than I’ve seen thus far. Years ago a greedy count killed a knight for his jewel, won during the Crusades. Now the jewel is supposedly cursed to kill his own via the knight’s ghost. At least that’s the story Count Henry Renaud is spreading after selling the jewel. Death follows and it’s up to the Blue Beetle and Spunky to save the day…or capture the bad guy because the only person they actually save is Joan Mason, who is after the story. She’s a main character so she isn’t dying. Also, it appears that Sparkington is being called Spunky as a nickname even out of costume in this story, so either the writer didn’t know the character’s actual name (and we’re still playing the shared pen name act so that’s possible) or didn’t know what he was doing. Does that mean his real name is Spunkington now? Still, it’s some improvement.
• “The Case Of The Magic Lamp”: Another centuries old relic, only this time it’s a lamp with unknown properties. A crook finds it after somehow traveling to America from Arabia, people being killed over it because everyone wants the lamp even though they don’t know what it does. Our crook learns what it can do, or rather what it contains, and now it’s up to the Blue Beetle and Spunky to find him and save the commissioner’s job. The story is okay but the art is not. Someone was in a hurry when drawing this comic and boy does it show.
• “The Sight-Seeing Bus Mystery” by Cromwell Bates & Dudley Rutherford: I’m amused by the typo that causes Dan to call Spunky “Skunky”. At least it isn’t a nickname he uses in his civilian identity. Did everybody think the character’s real name was now Spunky instead of Sparky? Were they not trying to confuse him with Spark Stevens or something? Why change the name if you’re still screwing up? Anyway, Dan and whathisname get on a tour bus, with the story now saying they’re in New York, where they try to solve a series of murders happening to the passengers at each stop. It’s not a bad idea, and there are only a few minor issues with it. Maybe they are getting better?

The Guest Stars

• V-Man in “A Mission Of Death!” by Sol Brodsky: The only thing worse than the German accents are V-Man’s quips. “Put that on your bread”? Really? Calling one of the Nazis a “sauerkraut”. Did you miss lunch? Anyway, V-Man has to help a British spy who is trying to make contact with a German turncoat who has information vital for the good guys. It’s rare to see a German during a World War II story who is outright opposed to Hitler’s regime, not to mention someone in the actual military. Sure, it’s happened once in a blue moon, but usually the best you get is some family or other character staying out of it. Too bad the art is just as rushed as the second Blue Beetle story.
• Likkity Split: I think I found something worse than “Spark Stevens”, depending on his story this issue. Likkity, the bruiser teen from Brooklyn, has built his own tank to go after Von Shtunk, who also build his own tank. This is just dumb…and it’s going a full eight pages next issue according to the end of the comic. Still better than the wishing kid but only by a hair.
• “Spark” Stevens: As what passes for our heroes prepare to go out to fight the Japanese they come across a woman who asks a lot of questions. Still being Spark and Chuck they spill the beans to her and it’s up to the parrot to tell them they messed up. Somehow we’re merging gimmicks here. They learn she’s actually an FBI agent and helps her deal with Nazi spies who come after her. For a “Spark” Stevens story it isn’t bad. Granted it’s not saying much. At least it isn’t Likkity Split.
• Yes, we’re ignoring Papoose. It’s both insulting to Native Americans and lame. Moving on.

Overall this is an improvement. The “Spark” Stevens story wasn’t terrible, the Blue Beetle stories were better than in previous issues. No Mike Mannigan, but then that means no treating him like dirt either. Also, it’s not all Nazis as the Blue Beetle at least fights some normal baddies, with one story only using the war as a minor plot point. Now they just have to figure out that whole Sparky/Spunky thing and find some better artists and they might make a good comic out of this yet.