Had an interesting situation come up: I didn't have access to Pep Comics #17, so I used the image at comics.org as I often do because this was the first appearance of the Hangman character and I wanted to at least see what the issue looked like.
Well, imagine my surprise when I open up Pep #19 and learn that I had missed the final fate of the Comet!
I begged and cashed in some favors to get some images. Sorry they're in black and white, but think of them as being all tragic and Sin City-esque.
Why is it that I all the holes in my collection are when something huge like that happens? Am I right? Am I right?
Anyway, we segue right into the origin of the Hangman:
Criminals are a suspicious, cowardly lot... I mean, criminals are all cowards! I am not a Batman rip-off in any way, shape or form!
All kinds of scary... except the "gallows" are those that come about by the legal system after he catches them. He doesn't actually throw a noose over a tree limb and save the taxpayers a lengthy trial and appeals process.
Two issues later, readers got a direct response for the change:
Of course, the Comet killed the officer while he was under the hypnotic control of Doc Zader so he really didn't have any retribution coming to him, neither legally nor morally, but the Shield isn't exactly Matt Murdock in any sense of the word. Basically, the Comet is dead, kids. Get over it.
Until the character was revived 25 years later, and then again in the Impact comic line back in the 1990s.
So... dare we say that the Comet is only visible about every 20 years?
Get it? A little Astronomy humor there. No extra charge.
See you tomorrow!
Posts
9 comments:
Well, the Comet did murder criminals, right? So he could be considered guilty--by pinko bleeding hearts who want to coddle punks by actually giving them trials.
Adam, there is a digital copy of PEP #17 at the Digital Comics Museum site, where you can see the Comet going down in full color:
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=8033
Thanks for your great blog, it's my first stop every morning!
Belasco
Greatings from Brazil
Adam, there is a digital copy of PEP #17 at the Digital Comics Museum site, where you can see the Comet going down in full color:
http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=8033
Thanks for your great blog, it's my first stop every morning!
Belasco
Greatings from Brazil
Clevio, you're absolutely right! I'll have to check it out when I'm missing some issues! Thanks so much!
The part of the editor's letter that floored me was the promise that, if he didn't answer your letter in print, the editor would answer you personally! Hope he didn't have too many readers...or that he did have plenty of secretaries.
I wondered about that, Smurfswacker! That sounds like a big expense. I wonder if he followed through...
The way I read what the editor wrote it means that he would "write you all directly" meaning the "few" "outstanding members" that are "listed below" Not every person who wrote in. Also, yeah I agree. The Comet killed people right and left. Criminals deserve a fair trial, not to be killed on the spot unless that is the only way to stop them from taking another life. I never did like "heroes" who killed. That is why I really like Spider-Man. Spider-Man would run back into a burning, collapsing building to rescue the villain who was about to destroy the city and kill Spider-Man.
Fair point, Marv.... and I totally agree with you in real life, but there's the "equal administration of justice" question. Heck, we've seen that even Superham wasn't above throwing a guy to his death, so why single out the Comet? Golden Age heroes picked people off right and left. And the Shield's argument wasn't for the killing of the suspects (they aren't criminals until it's found to be the case in a court of law, of course), but the killing of the policeman while the Comet was involuntarily hypnotized. So, if you want to say the Comet should have been up on charges, I agree... but they should have argued that it was for the killing of the suspects, not the police officer.
Isn't a murder an intentional killing by definition? You can unintentionally kill someone, but it isn't murder.
Post a Comment