history of the comic book: Golden Age part 2, Batman and beyond

The Hero from Krypton blazes the path for the new Archetype, the costumed crime fighter!

In the wake of the new found “super” hero comic book publishers rushed to capture the love of america’s new myths.

heroes appeared from around the globe and sometimes under the ocean.

Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis) pre-dates batman as their first masked crime fighter. Lee Walter Travis is the alter ego of the first Crimson Avenger. The original Crimson Avenger premiered in Detective Comics #20, dated October 1938 (predating the appearance of that title’s most famous character, Batman, who debuted in #27). He was a wealthy newsman named Lee Walter Travis residing on Earth-Two who took up the identity of the Crimson Avenger to battle crime.

Doll Man “The World’s Mightiest Mite,”was created by comics legend Will Eisner and first appeared in a four-page story entitled “Meet the Doll Man” in Feature Comics #27, the December, 1939. research chemist Darrell Dane, who invents a formula that enables him to shrink to the height of six inches while retaining the full strength of his normal size.

The Invisible Hood, first appeared in Smash Comics #1 in 1939, as published by Quality Comics in a story titled “Hooded Justice”.Kent Thurston’s origins or the origins of the cloak and chemical he used.

The Sandman (Wesley Dodds,Attired in a green business suit, fedora, and gas mask,he used a gun emitting a sleeping gas to sedate criminals. later on he became more of a traditional hero acquiring sidekick Sandy, and joining the Justice Society of America.

none of these heroes matched the selling power of Superman. that is until a shadow fell over the comics industry in the form of a Bat

Batman: referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman.

First appeared in detective comics #27 1939, Batman’s secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child leads him to train himself to physical and intellectual perfection and don a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime.

Batman operates in the fictional Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his sidekick Robin and his butler Alfred Pennyworth, and fights an assortment of villains influenced by the characters’ roots in film and pulp magazines. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, and intimidation in his war on crime.

created by

Bob Kane

and written by

Bill Finger

although only Kane receives official credit. The Batman was created based on a silent movie called the Bat Whispers and Da Vinci’s flying machine

and combined with the popular crime fighters of the time

Doc Savage, the Shadow and the detective skills of Sherlock Holmes.The first Batman story, “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate,” was published in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939).

Finger said, “Batman was originally written in the style of the pulps” and this influence was evident with Batman showing little remorse over killing or maiming criminals and was not above using firearms.

With the debut of The Batman, DC comics had two gang buster hits and open the flood gates for the Golden Age of comics.

Timely comics this same year released its first anti-hero Namor the sub mariner

Namor the Sub-Mariner first appeared in April 1939 in the prototype for a planned giveaway comic titled Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, produced by the comic book packager Funnies, Inc.

When the giveaway idea fell through, creator Everett used the character for Marvel Comics #1, the first comic book by Funnies, Inc. client Timely Comics, predecessor of Marvel.

next part of the history of comics: Golden Age heads to war!

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