“Now I know how a hamster feels.”
Mystery Men Comics #6
Fox Publications, Inc (January, 1940)
Yes, we return to this comic. For anyone new here, the Tuesday pre-DC slot started as a Blue Beetle slot when the Jaime Reyes version got his own movie. The original Blue Beetle, rookie policeman Dan Garret, debuted in this comic series, but not wanting to do an anthology and just focus on the hero, I moved ahead to his own title…which turned out to be another anthology, just with Blue Beetle front and center. A few different publishers and incarnations followed, with Charlton reimagining Dan’s character before replacing him with Ted Kord, the version DC Comics bought. I had hoped to return to this series, and now here we are. That means hopefully back to the better Dan Garret stories, before the crazy powers, moving to military intelligence during the war, and then back to a cop before Charlton turned him into a magic hero with an extra T in his last name. Break out the Vitamin 2X because the original Dan and company are back in the Spotlight!
The Green Mask: “…And The Taj Lamah Jewels!” by Walt Frame
First we start with one of the other mystery men. A Hindu cult is trying to reclaim jewels that were part of a skull crown that supposedly granted the wearer powers. Somehow all of these jewels, stolen and scattered over the years, end up in the same city as The Green Mask and his reporter ally “News” Doakes. He has to protect the last owner on the list, which for some reason they try to trick into selling them the diamond rather than bump her off like everyone else. Maybe because she has it hidden? That’s the only reason I can figure. It’s actually a pretty good story to start off the anthology.
Rex Dexter Of Mars by Dick Briefer
The continuing adventures of the man born on Mars after his Earth parents emigrated there, and his Earthling girlfriend Cynde. Yes, it takes place in the future, a future where a passing meteor once grazed the planet and flattened a huge part of Asia…and the scientists decide it’s not a huge loss. Kind of cold there, guys. Except now the “bald spot” is getting bigger because “protoplasmen” from another world are slowly destroying the planet, having been stuck on the meteor until it gave the earth a wicked haircut. Good thing Rex knows how to defeat them. Too bad it’s very lame. Kind of like this story.
Chen Chang: “Murder In A Monsoon” by Cecelia Munson
Our favorite yellow menace is back because this man refuses to stay dead, and somehow Richard Kendall always seems to be the one facing him. This time he tries to form an army but Kendall’s army wins, with Kendall surviving a tank running him over because questionable science with mud or something. He still gets captured as Chang kills a messenger for telling him the truth about losing the battle. Then he tries drugging Kendall, which goes badly, so he plans to force him to watch him shoot a bunch of white men…and five of his own people to be their servants? What? The monsoon is pretty much an afterthought, ruining Chang’s plans and seemingly killing him. Because Kendall apparently doesn’t learn his lesson. I thought it was the bad guys who never checked for a body? It might be racist (this is not the comic to be from Asia) but it makes up for it by being a bad story. Wait, is that how that works?
Wing Turner by Floyd Kelly
Wing is asked to look into German U-Boats sinking American ships…because when you’re dealing with villains at sea of course you go the airplane pilot? Sure, he wins and even threatens the commander with his own sub’s deck gun, but it seems an odd choice. Short, but with some decent action.
Lt. Drake Of Naval Intelligence by T. Klaus
Now that’s more like it. Drake is sent to find criminals hiding on a boat, the leader disguised as an old woman. Ladies, is it true you button your jackets on the left side rather than the right, or is this some 1940 thing? Also curious how Drake can force a man to untie him by choking the villain with his legs. Otherwise, it’s an okay short adventure.
Captain Savage: Sea Rover by Francis Drake
Savage and the unnamed crew of the Danger help recover stolen ivory and the ship’s missionary passenger from Chinese pirates. (I told you this was the wrong issue to be Asian.) Then the ship’s captain decides to capture Savage for the reward and the missionary girl deals with the double-crossing jerk. Stuff happens, but it’s a short story so it doesn’t have time to do anything else.
The Blue Beetle by Charles Nicholas
Ah, here’s the hero we originally came here for. Crooked slot machine distributors want in at the local fair, and since the Fantom Of The Fair is on the road and owned by another publisher, it’s the Blue Beetle to the rescue. This story was adapted into the radio show, and they had more time to really make it work. That does cause a bit of a bias for me, but what we got wasn’t too bad for the space allotted. Also, for me it was nice to see Dr. Franz and Mike Mannigan again. I missed them in the later conversions.
Inspector Bancroft Of Scotland Yard by Noel Howard
The Nazis are bombing London, but not with planes. They have a gang setting up bombs because that’s how this comic operates. I would like to know why they kidnapped the police inspector but killed the British agent. The story’s too short to really get anything good out of it besides the plot.
Secret Agent D-13 by SR Powell
D-13 is escorting an Arab criminal through the dessert but his gang frees him. Then they go and capture the British general’s pretty daughter so of course our hero is going to have to rescue her. This makes better use of the limited panels than some of the others, but if you feel the need to use Roman numerals to track the course of proper panel flow (by the way, never do that), at least make them readable. I didn’t even notice them at first.
Denny Scott & The Bengal Lancers by Mayor
A spy helps the Indian (as in from India) baddies spy on the British forces. When she’s found out the baddie leader assumes she squealed on them and kills her. Talk about being paranoid. It was an okay story at best, but it fit into the panel count well enough.
Zanzibar The Magician: “The Murderer Of Glenwood Village” by George Tuska
Oh right, can’t end the comic without the obligatory (for Fox at the time) occult hero. I mean…I could have done without him. This one was in a rush, as Zanzibar just messes with a guy he saw kill the police chief. Pretty much how this story usually goes.
overall
A mixed bag. Most stories suffer for the small page count, there’s all the Chinese hate, and Zanzibar was here, too. When the stories do deal with the given space it ranks from okay to good. Not a bad read. Now I can review the comic properly since I’m interested in the whole thing, not just one character, so we’ll be back.
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