“That’s not how I want to cool down!”
Police Comics #11
Comic Magazines, Inc (September, 1942)
While the Spirit was never owned by DC Comics, they did license the character for a while. That’s not enough to count as “pre-DC character” though. Of course I’m interested in one of the still well known but smaller comic heroes. The only pre-DC characters in this comic are Plastic Man, the Human Bomb, Firebrand, and Phantom Lady. Still, it’s the origin of Wil Eisner’s classic character and the first nationwide appearance, so this is a significant moment. We have to get there first, so let’s start reviewing.
Plastic Man by Jack Cole
A man invents a potion to allow him to turn into a giant and he wants revenge on the world. When a mobster tries to win him over, Plastic Man teams with the man’s fiance to stop him. That would have been a cool story if Cole stopped there. Unfortunately the story starts in the 17th century when a scientist is murdered…somehow…but his brain manages to live within the dead body until on the battlefield in the 1940s a man’s brains are blown out and the explosion uncovers the scientist’s brain, which has now gone insane and wants to destroy humanity. If you can’t guess what happens next, I envy you. This was an unnecessary addition and just really stupid. Was Cole just trying to see how dumb an idea the editor would allow? Sadly, Father Time shows up to tell us he’ll be back. I hope he’s wrong.
711 by George E. Brenner
A little guy called The Runt (let’s assume it’s a nickname) wants to shut up the two guys who can finger him for his crimes so he let’s himself get taken into prison. I don’t think that’s how that works, but I’m no 1940s prison system expert. I didn’t think you went to prison until after you were convicted, so what’s the point of offing witnesses then? Plus putting him in the same prison as two guys squealing on him? Not realizing he could easily squeeze through the prison bars? And he somehow hides a sleeping gas capsule or two on him…I don’t want to know where. This would have been bad enough but when 711, who’s doing a lot of his crimefighting IN the prison lately, tries to use his prison tunnels to stop The Runt from killing the second guy (he already got the first), the light exposes his identity. Does he not wear a mask? Trusting the shadow from his hat just proved to be a bad idea. If the baddie didn’t die from his own clumsiness this would be a different ending. Please tell me that everyone didn’t have a bad month to not overshadow the Spirit or something.
The Human Bomb by Paul Carrol
A villain that would have been better suited in Plastic Man’s story (complete with fourth wall breaking and character design versus Roy and his poor fiance–why is she in this comic again?) uses his sonic flute to destroy a building and the Human Bomb goes after him. He manages to trap our hero in a room with rubber cement but he also dropped a book of matches and our hero just burns it off. Then it gets dumb because he was only testing the flute to use on the Japanese, using Washington DC as his testing ground because he’s a Republican? What is with this issue?
Steele Kerrigan by Al Bryant
Steele can’t take a trip on a yacht without violating parole, but when he learns the owner is part of a tire stealing ring to get rubber for the Nazis he might not have much choice. It’s rather short but manages to keep you guessing why the rich guy is stealing tires. A little longer might have been better but given the previous stories it’s an improvement.
Manhunter by Alex S. Kotzky
Crooks steal a laugh inducing gas after killing both the creator and their inside man. Then they go on a crime spree until Manhunter learns of the antidote. At least the stories are getting better, but Dan…you can find a better girlfriend that this fickle chick. You know, someone who will stand by you when you get in trouble with the chief rather than switching loyalties when it looks like your stock is falling.
The Spirit by Will Eisner
Denny Colt died, but thanks to a chemical created by the mad scientist the detective was trying to bring in he got better. Actually, it temporarily put him into suspended animation. So as The Spirit he brings the villain in with the help of police commissioner Dolan, the only man outside of the scientist and his goons (I’m assuming we’ll forget that part unless there’s a story in it) who know Colt is alive. This was a good origin, though why he has a mask in the opening splash but not the story itself is strange.
Chic Carter “and the Monster Of The Swamps” by Vernon Henkel
Chic and his fiance Gay (still an odd name for a woman) are on vacation and hear a radio broadcaster discuss a rumored swamp monster. When the broadcaster is seemingly killed by the monster, Chic investigates and gets caught up in a plot to steal money from a bank heist from the guy who did it. Or did the “monster” frame the guy? One piece of dialog brings that into question, but if you ignore that it isn’t a bad story for how short it is.
The Firebrand by Lee J. Ames
If you saw a story about a bunch of guys in white hoods you’d think it was the KKK or some stand-in. We don’t know what the White Gardenias (yeah, that’s a name that will strike fear in someone with terrible allergies but not many others) do but when a senator wants to expose them, another senator who leads the group wants to silence him. With Firebrand, Slugger, and even Joan getting in the act, that’s not happening. Nice to see the comic is getting its act together.
The Mouthpiece by Fred Guardineer
Holy crap, this story ends with a killer being electrocuted! I guess he’s not the good American our flutist is because he’s stealing plane designs for the Nazis. (A lot of plane design stealing in the Golden Age.) The Mouthpiece will stop them. It’s another good story, and given how we started that’s nice to see.
The Phantom Lady by Arthur Peddy
Our final story for the issue. Sandra and Don find the body of an intelligence agent, leading the Phantom Lady to tackle Nazi agents for the information he was carrying. Sandra might not be stronger than the baddies but she’s smarter even though she gets caught at one point. We also get to see her in the bath. You’re welcome, fellas. We’ve had enough shirtless dudes in these comics, even if the bath bubbles are covering her.
overall
I don’t know what happened in the early stories but it turned around quick enough and became a good enough comic. The Spirit’s origin story is fine. It was a good read.
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