“Yesterday’s” Comic> Special War Series #4

“Beat my ‘Judo Signal’, Batman!”

Special War Series #4–Judomaster FINAL ISSUE

Charlton Comics (November, 1965)

“Introducing Rip Jagger…Judomaster”

WRITER: Joe Gill

ARTIST/CREATOR: Frank McLaughlin

McLaughlin also writes and draws the judo lesson section at the end, which is oddly hosted not by Rip but by Sarge Steel. I haven’t paid attention to these in the Sarge Steel reads, so maybe they just reused one of those backups.

[Read along with me here]

World War II. The Japanese have taken over an island to use as a fueling depot for their ships. A group of American soldiers is attacked by Japanese forces, with one of the trigger happy Americans shooting someone as they approached. The only survivor is Rip Jagger, who saved the live of a sensei’s daughter. The natives of the island learned judo, and teaches it to Rip so he can help clear the Japanese off of their island. Given a bulletproof costume, Rip takes on the identity Judomaster, and manages to take down the Japanese general, Major Yoku.

What they got right: If we’re going back to WWII, having someone other than the Japanese training an American is the way to do. Judomaster’s outfit is decent enough, a reverse of Japan’s Rising Sun. There’s some good action in this story.

What they got wrong: That said, there is a lot centered on the training, making the actual fight against the Japanese feel rushed. It almost feels like they’re trying to promote judo the same way Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers used to push martial arts in its first season, but a bit more heavy-handed. Had I read these comics years ago I might have asked McLaughlin if he was interested in judo in the interview I did with him or the other time I was fortunate enough to meet him before his passing. The daughter shows up as a rescue, but unless she was the one Rip’s triggerhappy partner shot at I don’t know when he found time to rescue her and she won’t show up again at any point in the story.

What I think overall: While I’m not the type of guy who gets up set at Caucasian martial arts heroes, this did seem like a good time to use a Japanese-American as the superhero, which would have been harder given Judomaster’s backstory unless he fought Nazis instead of Japanese. (It’s also weird to see “nips” used in a 1960s comic by the narrator to describe Japanese soldiers.) Otherwise it’s a good origin. While this is the last issue of Special War Series, and maybe we’ll get to the other three in the future, Judomaster will be taking over another comic’s numbering because that nonsense was still going on, so this is the last of his pre-DC appearances. We’ll read those alongside Sarge Steel and the other DC purchases we haven’t gone through yet.