“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Peacemaker #3

I want to make a joke but I just heard about what happens at the start of season 2, and I don’t do that kind of gag.

The Peacemaker #3

Charlton Comics Group (July, 1967)

WRITER: Joe Gill

“Our Future World”

ARTIST: Patrick Boyette

EDITOR: Dick Giordano

The Fighting Five: “Special Prisoner”

PENCILER: B. Montes

INKER: E. Bache

LETTERING: A Machine

[Read along with me here]

It’s one of those nuts, the ones who are so convinced everyone except him and a select few are evil that’s he going to save the select few and blow up the world by tricking the US and Russia into starting a nuclear war. One of his targets is a scientist Christopher is working with, so the Peacemaker ends up getting involved, fighting the crazy man’s fish men army, and destroying the base while rescuing the girl.

I wish I had a “got right” for you guys but it takes more than barely competent art. (Seriously, these poses are on my level, and that’s sad.) The dialog is a clunky mess, the story pacing is rather lame, and that helmet apparently does a terrible job of hiding his identity. It’s not even the most revealing one in Charlton’s library.

As for the Fighting Five, Granite just happens to resemble a man the enemy (whoever they are, but they love yelling “enemies of the state!” a lot) wants to kidnap to get plane plans. (Charlton really loves stories about new secret planes like they’re in the Golden Age.) They also need to rescue another scientist. We have have more terrible dialog, including the man being kidnapped so up in the ranks of the defense department he gets called the assistant president, because that’s totally how that works, more bickering about the “girl” who used to work with the Ruskies, and just a boring story to read.

I can see why this comic only lasts six issues. What I can’t see is why DC bought the character unless they had no choice, buying a package deal of Charlton heroes. If the next issue didn’t boast the origin of the man who hates war but fights a lot I’d probably stop reading. I’m curious to see the reasoning they give, though given the past few issues that might be it no matter how many issues are left.