“Wait, Rang-A-Tang, that building’s on fire, too. Don’t take him there!”
Blue Ribbon Comics #2
MLJ Magazines, Inc (December, 1939)
I don’t know if it’s the anthology nature or lack of insanity, but some of these are getting hard to remember because I do so many every Friday. Then again, most of these characters are hard to remember and you begin to realize why they never stood the test of time. I looked up last issue’s review and I was kind of neutral. Hopefully this second issue does a better job. Let’s dive in and see.
Rang-A-Tang The Wonder Dog
What appears to be another victim of a rash of arsons turns to murder, child kidnapping, and I won’t spoil the ending because you’re going to need a road map to keep track of all the twists. It’s not a bad adventure and with a happier ending than you’d expect given all the early clues. I would have had a bunch of questions otherwise.
Dan Hastings
Dan takes a ship to investigate an asteroid that is made of some type of ore for the government. Too bad his co-pilot is out for revenge on the scientist that sent them out there. What follows is a redemption story that doesn’t have time to have a satisfying face turn. Dan also gets a text story later, which is different for the anthologies I’ve been reviewing.
Buck Stacey
From the future to the Old West. Buck is still trying to expose the cattle rustlers, but now the ranch owner’s daughter realises she’s in love with Buck. Okay. From there Buck has to prove he’s not a thief as a romantic rival is involved with the bad guys. Lots of stuff happen and none of it really satisfies in execution.
Scoop Cody
How many reporters actually fight crime instead of just reporting on it? Or was this a 1930s thing, where reporters were basically vigilante crimefighters? Good thing he’s not the only one, because when he tries to find a mob boss that’s gone underground, Cody has to get rescued by a guy in a mask calling himself Marvel. (Nobody tell Marvel Comics. They’ll try to make him their property.) Interesting to see a superhero/mystery man story from the perspective of someone other than the hero, but next issue we’re told we’ll see who he is. I may check it just to see how boring it turns out to be.
I question some of the “strange but true” facts between this and our next adventure.
Sugar, Honey, & Huggin
Yes, that is the name of the three bear characters in our next story. It’s only two pages, but…those names. A wolf sneaks in and eats their porridge while out for a walk. I guess bears just don’t know how to make porridge without taking an hour to be cool enough to eat. Then again, what do I know about porridge?
Another trivia page and I’m trying to decide if the “fun fact” about black people in this one is more or less racist than the first one. At least this one is only racist in how it’s written, not the fact itself. Dialog matters.
Bob Phantom
There’s a name that scares crooks. Beware of…Bob! Really, guys? “Bob Phantom”? Bob is going after his own mob boss, but he’s going to taunt and drive him crazy until he gives himself up to the police. Reminds me of some Droopy shorts. It’s odd, but admittedly fun to watch. I wonder if Walt Witney, gossip columnist, is really Bob?
Bob. Geez.
Devils Of The Deep
Despite the name, this trio of adventurers are the good guys. Sure, why not? The three find a sinking ship and going to check on survivors finds a bad guy stealing from other bad guys. It’s an okay story but I do wonder why all the dialog is in quotation marks despite being word balloons?
Secret Assignments
Jack Strand, bored rich dude, is sent by his uncle to investigate sabotage at an foreign oil site the uncle owns. What foreign power is behind the sabotage? Don’t really know and this story is too boring to care.
The Silver Fox
Why is he called The Silver Fox? First is the long streak in his hair and the second is a story that really doesn’t answer the question outside of some reporter calling him that after solving a murder when he was a private investigator. Maybe he still is, because even in the flashback they were calling him chief, and those are the only two names we’re getting, “chief” and “Silver Fox”. It holds all the clues until the end so don’t bother trying to solve along. Shame. Also, why is the dude so huge compared to everyone else?
Corporal Collins: Infantryman
War is starting between France and German. I hope that doesn’t go anywhere, but Jack Collins, an American stranded in Paris for reasons not explained, takes his ROTC training, spider-sense, and inventing skills and goes to fight for France. This is an introductory story, and I don’t know that the sixth sense that lets him dodge bullets or the bullet repelling device were really needed. I wonder if we’ll see more of him? Time and the next issue will tell.
overall
Not really an improvement, but it also didn’t get worse. It’s the same crap shoot as last time. If this is the norm the next issue might be my last one. I am curious who Marvel is and what they’ll do with Collins there. The rest I’m not that drawn to.
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