POLICE TRAP "The Gun"

What happens when a police officer "burns out"...

...and years of dealing with the scum of society take their toll on his emotions and his rationality?

Remember, cops are people, too.

Though the scripter for this tale from Police Trap #5 (1955) is unknown, the art is by Bill Draut (pencils) and George Roussos (inks).
This fascinating title showing how the rank and file police operated lasted only 6 issues.

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SHERLOCK HOLMES "Final Curtain"

No, not "Final Problem"

We already presented an adaptation of that tale HERE.

This never-reprinted story from Sherlock Holmes #1 (1955) is totally different, as you shall see...

This short-lived series (only two issues) had a number of interesting aspects.

1) It was set present-day, not in the Victorian era, and Holmes is touring through America, though it's never specified why.

2) Dr Watson does not appear in any of the tales.

Holmes interacts with various friends and police officials instead.

3) The artist doesn't know how to draw a deerstalker hat!

The ear flaps are missing throughout the series.

BTW, both the writer and artist(s) of these tales is unknown.

None of the stories is signed, and the art style seems to be a combination of the techniques of several different illustrators.

Join us next week for another tale of mystery..

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THE BATMAN & THE SHADOW "Night of the Shadow" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Bruce Wayne is the kid on the right. Art by Nick Cardy.

25 years ago, Dr Thomas Wayne and his young son Bruce were caught in the crossfire between a gang of jewel thieves led by Willie Hank Stamper and the mysterious figure known as The Shadow.

Stamper was imprisoned.

The Shadow disappeared.

Bruce Wayne later became The Batman after another encounter with a criminal left his parents dead.

Willie Stamper served his time and was released.

Now Stamper seeks to recover his ill-gotten gains, restart his career as the "Genius of Crime" and avenge himself on those who he feels caused his imprisonment...including Bruce Wayne!

One of the basic tropes of pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Batman (except for a couple of early Golden Age tales) was that The Batman never uses firearms (grapnel, flare, and water guns notwithstanding).

While it's always been a noble concept, and The Batman is equipped with enough non-lethal weaponry to deal with almost anything, it's never really been explained, except in a general "I hate guns" way.

Denny O'Neil found a way to both explain it, and justify the fact that The Batman, while idolizing The Shadow, didn't want to follow in his "the only good crook is a dead crook" methods.
The dedication at the end to writer Bill Finger was an unofficial way to acknowledge his co-creation of The Batman as well as the fact that The Shadow (both the magazine and radio versions) heavily-influenced the way Batman finally appeared from Detective Comics #27 onward...
Art by Irv Novick and Dick Giordano.

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THE BATMAN & THE SHADOW "Night of the Shadow" Part 1

Here's another classic crossover story that will never be reprinted...

...because after it was published in Batman #259 (1974), DC lost the rights to The Shadow!

We (and Bruce Wayne / Batman) will find out next week!

This was the second (and final) crossover between The Batman and The Shadow.

Shortly after this tale, DC Comics lost the rights to The Shadow, which they had licensed from Conde Nast.

DC would regain the rights in the 1980s, along with Doc Savage (whom Marvel licensed at the same time DC licensed The Shadow and The Avenger in the 1970s), resulting in the first Shadow/Doc Savage team-up. (The two had appeared together in a Supersnipe story in the 1940s, but not as a team.)

Like the previous Batman / Shadow tale, this story has never been reprinted in any hardcover or trade paperback, nor will it.

So, unless you already have a copy, or can scrounge one up from the back issue boxes, this is the only time you'll see it.

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JOHNNY DANGER "Swing Street Caper"

The Name that Spells DOOM to the Underworld!

That's Johnny Danger, in this tale, one of three stories from his first (and only) issue!

With only three stories ever published, Johnny Danger is something of an urban legend in comic books.

Though the photo cover shows him as a young, James Dean-type, the stories portray him as a typical 30-ish gumshoe of the period with little to define him from his peers.

Published in 1954 by Toby Press, with art by Jack Sparling.
The writer is unknown.

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