“Yesterday’s” Comic> Amazing Mystery Funnies V2 #11

It’s amazing how dangerous this fair seems to be.

Amazing Mystery Funnies #15 (v2 #11)

Centaur Publishing (November, 1939)

I still don’t know why “Funnies” is in the name when these are pretty much serious stories. Odd? Well, this month we have a fairground based superhero battling a robot, strange worlds, a centaur crimefighter, and evil psychics, but this isn’t called “Amazing Mystery Oddities”. With new tales and ongoing chapters awaiting us, let’s dive in.

[Read along with me here]

The Fantom Of The Fair by Paul Gustavson

We join mid-adventure, as a robot is rampaging in the fair. Why? We’ll never know because when the Fantom finally confronts the guy responsible he has to knock him out to beat him. According to this site the robot was inspired by a similar robot from the cover of the science fiction prose magazine Amazing Stories, which inspired the 1980s TV series co-created by Steven Spielberg. Also, it looks like next month our hero will be leaving the fairground. Is that temporary and will we learn why all these villains are attacking and killing people on this one fairground? Time will tell.

Daredevil Barry Finn by Tarpe Mills

Barry takes a backseat when a bit of jealousy forms between Joan and Dorian…but they work it out while dealing with a mutual foe in Dacia Zarlov. Speaking of backseats, now you know why cops put their prisoners there instead of the front seat…and the cops have handcuffs. An interesting tale in the continuing battles between Barry and Joan & The Zarlovs.

The Inner Circle by L Field

Hardliners are making their move to take over England, but two Inner Circle agents are there to stop them. Not much else to say. It might have been more interesting as a longer adventure, but what end up with isn’t terrible.

Don Dixon & The Hidden Empire by Bob Moore & Carl Pfeufer

Knockoff underground Flash Gordon’s friends…come to think of it there is a story where Flash visited an underground world…race to save him and beat the witch in the process. Honestly, I don’t remember what happened last time, but good wins, evil fails, but evil tries to raise an army so that there’s a story next issue. Not the worst serial I’ve read in these Golden Age comics but it’s not exactly memorable. I didn’t even remember Wanda’s name, nor remember who Gregoff is.

John Linton: Flyer, Scientist, Adventurer by Harry Francis Campbell

It’s the faroff year of 2009. I had barely started this site by the time this takes place. Of course he’s building a spaceship with an old scientist and a beautiful woman, Jon’s old teacher Doctor Kane and Kane’s daughter Lisa. Got to do your Flash Gordon knockoffs right, especially if you aren’t the only one in the comic. Jon wants to build a ship, but the doomsday cult led by Satan Rex is promising to destroy it. You know, I’ve never been evil and God willing I never will, but maybe putting evidence on your underlings head that the action scientist you’re trying to stop can easily figure out your game is not your best plan. We’ll see where this one goes. If he can be more memorable than Donnie up there that will be a step up.

Speed Centaur by Malcom Kildale

Our last story of the issue seems to be cut short. Is the Comic Book Plus scan I used at the time of writing missing pages? The remaining gangs in the city decide to team up to wipe out Speed and Reel, and Speed uses this to lure them into a trap. The ending has Speed beating them all up, but with how abrupt it ends I wonder if there’s a page missing. Fun story until then, but I’m curious if Speed has a future if he just cleaned up this one hor…centaur town.

OVERALL

A pretty good series of adventures. This one of the more enjoyable comic anthologies of the period.