As so began the adventures of Black X: Space Ranger.
Smash Comics #6
E.M. Arnold (January, 1940)
One problem, and I may have mentioned it before, with all these anthologies is remembering which ones I actually liked enough to continue. I have to consult the last review to see if I decided to continue or not. A bunch of these come out each month and I’m reading the public domain archives once a week. A few characters are memorable enough, but barely, and I can see why so many failed to pass on to the periods we remember these characters from. The Silver Age has this as an advantage, giving us comics where the title character has more presence and allows us to remember them, if not all of their stories, so far onward. I could rewrite the first Superman story from Action Comics #1 with the same characters (the only ones still around today being Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane) it might still feel like a new story to the uninitiated…but you’d still know the characters. Sometimes I only remember characters when I see them again. There’s so many that nobody really stands out, so hopefully there are at least some good stories this issue. According to reviews, I’ve enjoyed it so far.
Espionage, Starring The Black X by Erwin
The dictator of Germany Govania is involved in a world war that has drained the country’s finances at a time of famine. Learning of a gold strike in pre-state Alaska (still US owned at that point, I believe), they turn to claim jumping and have agents even in the telegraph office. Black X goes undercover as a boxer, distracting people so Batu can get the information they need to take the spy/claim jumper ring down. Batu gets to show off a bit more of his skills instead of just being the Hindu sidekick, which was nice. Also, we get a gag about Black X’s monocle making him look like a sissy, which was amusing. Overall a good story.
Clip Chance At Cliffside by Scott Sheridan
Clip needs to study in order to be part of the big basketball game but he finds his professor the victim of a mugging. With the help of a cop, Clip finds one of the muggers thanks to a missing button–so I guess nobody else in town lost a button to their coat–and just makes it back in time for the final seconds of the game since he just passed his make-up exam. There are some good ideas but with the page count available it’s all rushed and parts become hard to believe. Not a great showing.
Chic Carter: Ace Reporter
There must be small battles between all the fictional smaller and lesser known European countries, according to this comic. Now Chic is in yet another one, where he’s forced to become a fighter himself to help protect a good nation’s king, queen, and himself. For the available space this fares much better than Clip’s adventure.
Flash Fulton: The Ace Of Cameramen by Paul Gustavson
Too bad none of these stories share continuity. Imagine a Chic/Flash team-up. Flash is such a big name that he’s allowed to film a fire in Texas all suited up. However, the two guys who set the oil gusher on fire want to make sure he and sound man Andy don’t end up filming something that proves it wasn’t an accident. I wonder if they would have had any trouble if they just let our heroes be. It’s not a bad story, though Flash torturing a guy to confess to everything might not hold up in court.
Hugh Hazzard And His Iron Man by Wayne Reid
Crooks are after an emerald headed for the World’s Fair, and Hugh and Bozo have to help protect it. Remember, this isn’t Marvel’s Iron Man. That’s a suit of armor. This is a robot that Hugh climbs inside this issue. Amusing in hindsight, but outside of going a bit fast it manages to get all the beats in. That’s another problem with the anthologies: too many stories, not even panels, and we’re talking over 60 pages, a lot more than we get in today’s periodical sized comics.
Captain Cook Of Scotland Yard
Want to see the bad guys defeat themselves in an entertaining way instead of the “either our hero got lucky or the crooks are that stupid” we usually get? Then you’ll like this tale as bad guys try to sabotage a dirigible by costing it helium and making it crash and burn. At first I thought the writer didn’t know the difference between hydrogen and helium, and then came the twist. Sure, our hero gets beat up, but he makes sure they pay for their attempt. It’s a good story.
Abdul The Arab
Abdul is framed for the murder and raid of scripture hunters (I don’t know what that’s all about), and it’s up to his loyal friend Hassan to clear his name. This is a good issue for the sidekicks, and while a longer story might have made for a more interesting investigation and tension of Abdul’s fate, the panel limits don’t ruin the story that much.
John Law: Scientective: “The Sound Of Death”
With all the recurring villains in a period not known for recurring villains I don’t remember if “The Avenger” has ever shown up before. Apparently Law has foiled three of his attempts to kill or ruin a select group of rich people, and we’re on number 4. This time it’s a drug manufacturer whose drug has killed a bunch of users…but only in one area. John uses his amazing powers of questionable science to uncover the Avenger’s plan. I have mixed feelings on this one. It does end a bit abruptly, but it’s a definite ending. The part with the cyclotron messing with clocks and the record player still playing so they can get one of the needed clues is forced. The rest isn’t too bad.
Invisible Justice by Art Gordon
It’s also a good comic to be helium, because it’s very popular this issue. Crooks are stealing the government’s helium and The Invisible Hood is going to uncover the whole operation. Not really much to say about it. It’s okay.
Wings Wendall Of The Military Intelligence by Vernon Henkel
Our final story for the issue. It has NOT been a good issue for minor European nations, since they all seem to be at war. However, since the Pearl Harbor attack hasn’t happened yet and Germany doesn’t seem to exist in this comic, the United States wants to stay out of it, and has Wings and Agent Whocares Gonnadie insure nobody ships their weapons to Europe on any side. We also get some shirtless Wings action for the ladies. A good ending to the comic.
overall
If you’re reading the linked to scan, don’t miss the ad about a kid convinced his parents to buy him a bicycle (wonder if he did get that newspaper job?). Even the comedy shorts aren’t as bad as I usually expect. Not great, mind you. Still, this was another good issue. I just hope I remember it when we finally get to February, 1940’s issue.
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