With the 4th of July quickly approaching, and the strongest presence of superhero influence on pop culture since the Golden Age upon us, in this post I look at a forgotten Golden Age title that can be viewed as a virtual anatomy lesson for the superhero genre: Banner Comics.

A persistent theme in Golden Age comics is the patriotic and pro-American messages found therein, especially those published after America’s entry in World War II in December of 1941. Many of these messages were placed front and center with heavy doses of propaganda to help cement the message and drive it home.

Banner Comics was launched as #3 and published by Ace Periodicals (there are no numbers 1 and 2, so don’t try to look for them). Ace Periodicals was founded in 1940 by Aaron A. and Rose Wyn. The Company began by publishing pulp fiction magazines but quickly transitioned into comics with the publication of Banner Comics #3. The first/third issue of Banner Comics is cover dated September 1941.

Apparently written by Otto Binder (Captain Marvel script writer and co-creator of Supergirl) and illustrated by either Art Saaf or Jim Mooney, when these comics appeared the Golden Age was in full swing. Reading them helps highlight the rise of the superhero genre like few other comics can.

In fact Banner Comics wears its influences on its red, white and blue sleeve.

To modern comic readers, used to superheroes, the themes will seem familiar and even formulaic. In 1941 they were anything but.

Captain Courageous

Banner Comics #3 starts with the story of a patriotic Superman clone: Captain Courageous. Action Comics #1 debuted in 1938 (June Cover date) and was an instant phenomenon. Superman was known to all and by 1941 he was punching Nazis and Japanese soldiers on a regular basis. The title splash page of Banner Comics #3, takes full advantage of this mood by showing ‘Captain Courageous’, in his red, white and blue tights, flying past the Statue of Liberty in pursuit of German spy planes. The blurb in the bottom left corner of the page says it all: “Mighty Warrior!!! Master of the Miraculous/Defender of Liberty/Who has invested his Giant Strength and Courage in the Defense of his Country/The United States of America”. Obviously this could be a reference to Superman. And no doubt the reader was supposed to think it was. Captain Courageous’ powers: flight, incredible strength, skin tough enough to stop bullets – are all taken from Superman.

 

The Lone Warrior

Is the second story in this classic comic and it’s even better. He’s the ‘Lone’ Warrior and yet he has a side kick, who basically, almost never leaves his side! Yes, the early 1940s were weird. The Lone Warrior is in reality Stan Carter. Volunteering for the army he wears his silk Flag patterned uniform under his army fatigues and teams up with his younger brother Dickey to fight crime.

“The dictators shadow is falling across civilization”…in case you can’t figure out who ‘the dictators shadow is’, the splash page gives you a hint by portraying a hirsute hand (it looks like a Werewolf hand to be honest) with an image of a Swastika on the back.

In the course of the comic we learn that he’s the sinister leader of America’s Fifth Column!

 

 

 

The Lone Warrior is a Captain America clone. Captain America Comics #1 was published February 1941, months earlier. Like Steve Rogers, Stan Carter gets his powers by receiving a special serum (called a ‘vaccination of power elixir’). He also enlists in the army. The serum in Stan’s case, is given to him by his father – a brilliant scientist- but just like Rogers, it endows Carter with incredible strength. His father also built him an indestructible ‘Wonder Ship’ a transformable car/airplane/tank(?), to help him fight crime.

Captain America, like Superman, must already have been a hit at the time this comic came out. If Cap inspired the Lone Warrior, then obviously Bucky Barnes was the inspiration for Dickey. The rest of the stories, highlight other genres popular during the Golden Age, including spy and adventure stories (‘Kay McKay: Air Hostess’ is memorable) and a pulp fiction detective noir -prose narrative that might have been a left-over from Ace's pulp fiction magazine days.

Banner Comics and its heroes are out of copyright, you can read issue #3 here.

After issue #5, Banner Comics became Captain Courageous Comics. A copy of Banner Comics #3 in 3.5 grade last sold on 03/28/2016 on ComicConnect for $454.00. On 06/13/2017 a 9.4 copy had sold (also on ComicConnect) for $11, 250.00.