Reading Room: BLUE BEETLE "His First Case" Part 1

Several months after debuting in Mystery Men Comics, the Blue Beetle got his own book...

...and, finally, the story (at least some of it) behind his first appearance!

Who wounded Dan's father?

Will he get away with it?

How does this event cause the birth of the Blue Beetle?

For the answers to these and numerous other questions...

...be here tomorrow!

Same Beetle time!

Same Beetle blog!

You'll note we don't call this untitled story an origin.
That's because, you learn some aspects of how Dan Garret became the Blue Beetle, but you won't learn all of them (including the most important one)!
This tale from Fox's Blue Beetle #1 (1939) was written and laid-out by Will Eisner (yes, that Will Eisner) and illustrated by Charles Nicholas Wojtkoski, who later used the name "Charles Nicholas" for his comic work until he retired.

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Reading Room: WOLFF "World of the Witches"

Return to the post-apocalyptic future Earth of Wolff the Barbarian...

...where technology and magic are both considered "dark arts" by the majority of inhabitants of this barbaric future!

Is it just me, or does the Sorceress of the Red Mist remind you of sexy space heroine Agar-Agar, who was also published in the Dracula anthology magazine (and was also written by Wolff co-scripter Luis Gasca under the pen-name "Sadko")?

Or was that eye-makeup thing just a fashion trend in the early 1970s?

This tale from Dracula #2 (1971) was superbly-illustrated and co-written by Esteban Maroto.

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Reading Room: AMERICAN EAGLE "Whirlwind of Battling Justice"

Besides Captain America, there were a number of chemically-enhanced super-patriots...

...including this multi-powered hero who debuted in Nedor's America's Best Comics #2 (1942)!

Script for the origin tale by Richard Hughes, art by Kin Platt.
America's Best Comics featured already-existing characters from other titles.
American Eagle is one of only five characters to debut there during its' 31-issue run.
The American Eagle and Eaglet (Bud Pierce's eventual costumed identity) became semi-regular features in both America's Best Comics and Exciting Comics (where American Eagle rotated cover appearances with other strips) and made their final Golden Age appearance in Fighting Yank #18 (1946).

Both Alan Moore's America's Best Comics (no relation to the Golden Age comic book) and Dynamite Entertainment's Project SuperPowers have recently-revived the character in startlingly-different plotlines.

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Reading Room: HELL-RIDER "How...Why...Hell-Rider"

Australian edition cover

Now that you've read the first tale of the hard-ridin' biker known as Hell-Rider, here's a behind-the-scenes feature on who he is and how he came to be...

As mentioned in the editorial, the second issue featured all three strips in non-related tales.

Because this issue filled up the entire week, we'll be presenting the individual stories for Hell-Rider and the Wild Bunch over the next month.

(The ButterFly tale from #2 was already presented HERE and HERE.)

The never-published Hell-Rider #3 would've returned to the concept of a running plotline thru all the stories...

It's a pity we'll never see it.

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Reading Room: HELL-RIDER "Final Chapter"

Our Hero has been trapped, powerless, in a dungeon...

...but now, all hell is about to break loose in the cataclysmic conclusion!

A couple of notes:
1) Marion (ButterFly) Michaels says in a thought balloon that she met Hell-Rider "..while I was making like The ButterFly!"
Not in the book as printed.
Perhaps there were a couple of pages cut for space, but that's not what happened in any of the connected stories in #1.
2) Marion doesn't have time to don her ButterFly costume and join in the fight.
Just as well since she didn't have time to refuel or recharge the costume!
3) Deke of the Wild Bunch says he recognizes the unmasked Claw...except Deke never saw the Claw unmasked!

The concluding chapter of the multi-part story from Skywald's Hell-Rider #1 (1971) was written by Gary Friedrich and illustrated by Ross Andru (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks) and Bill Everett (greytones).

Tomorrow:

Behind-the-Scenes Stuff!

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