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[FraBig]

Thanks for the support, guys!

Don't worry, Paw, I already managed to sort the appearances in chronological order. All I had to do was to use Grand Comics Database and compare the cover dates and the on-sale dates of the 3 different series (Mystery Men Comics, Blue Beetle and Big 3) in order to understand the publishing order.

As for the Charlton appearances, I'm just counting in the pre-reboot ones (1954-1956). When Charlton bought the rights for Blue Beetle, they started publishing the character just like he was at Fox and Holyoke, without changing his backstory. This was during the 1954 "revival" of superheroes (it happened with Sub-Mariner, Human Torch and Captain America too).
10 years later, in 1964, they will rewrite the Dan Garrett character completely, by making him an archaeologist and by giving him a magical blue beetle amulet that grants him superpowers, and this is the proper pre-Ditko period I think you were referring to. In fact in 1966 Ditko will create a new Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), as the successor of this new archaeologist Dan Garrett.

I think I'll leave this other Blue Beetle (archaeologist Dan) outside of this compilation because his appearances are pretty easy to follow (he only appeared in his own series, Blue Beetle) and he's an entirely different character than the Golden Age one (policeman Dan).

[FraBig]

Hi everyone! I uploaded the first 4 parts of Blue Beetle's compilation, but I've sadly made a mistake in the description. The Big 3 series is not from 1941, but from 1940. Can the moderators or administrators change the description of files? And if so, could you rectify the error?

Instead of Big 3 (1941), there should be Big 3 (1940) in both the 2nd and the 3rd Parts. The 1st Part is not a problem because it doesn't include those issues and I corrected the error for the 4th Part myself before uploading it.

Thanks a lot!

[paw broon]

That should be it now. 
1st comp here
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85
Pres "next" for the followingb3 comps.

[FraBig]

Thanks a lot, Paw, as always!

- Blue Beetle Complete Collection Vol 1: The Fox Years (1939-1942)
Part 1: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85215
Part 2: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85216
Part 3: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85217
Part 4: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85218

Stay tuned! Next up in Volume 2 I'll collect Blue Beetle's appearances at Holyoke between 1942 and 1944!

[The Australian Panther]

Looking forward to it!

[FraBig]

Hi everyone!
I finally uploaded the second Volume of Blue Beetle's appearances. The art credits start changing, it's not just Charles Nicholas, but it's also Chas Quinlan, best known for his work in Cat-Man at Holyoke.
This Volume contains his appearances from 1942 to 1944, which is the period he was published by Holyoke. The character will then return to Fox Feature Syndicate from 1944 to 1950; and that's what the next Volume will cover.

For uploading reasons, I needed to split this one into 3 parts, I'll link them as soon as they will be available for everyone to read.

[FraBig]

Here's the second Volume:

- Blue Beetle Complete Collection Vol 2: The Holyoke Years (1942-1944)
Part 1: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85246
Part 2: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85247
Part 3: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85248

[FraBig]

Here's the fixed version of Volume 2:

- Blue Beetle Complete Collection Vol 2: The Holyoke Years (1942-1944)
Part 1: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85255
Part 2: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85256
Part 3: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85257

[FraBig]

To whoever created this new section, thank you so much, I love it!

https://comicbookplus.com/?cid=3658

From now on, I'll upload the remaining Blue Beetle Compilations here.

P.S.: I developed a new method (thanks to a program I downloaded) to number the pages of files, so from now on my compilations shouldn't cause any problem for any reader. Hope that solves it for everyone who was facing issues with the compilations.

[FraBig]

Here's a new compilation! This time it's a sci-fi character published by Fox Feature Syndicate from 1939 to 1941: Rex Dexter of Mars, Interplanetary Adventurer.

All his appearances are written and drawn by Dick Briefer, whose art fits very well for Rex Dexter's retrofuturistic design. Hope you'll like it!

https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85292

[FraBig]

I've made a picture for the Blue Beetle Definitive Archives, it's got all the 4 covers I have used and will use in the compilations. If an admin could upload it, it would be awesome!

I've also uploaded a new Blue Beetle compilation, it's Volume 4, that includes some reprints of late 1940s Fox stuff and some new original stories, with surprisingly good art. This revival of Blue Beetle by Charlton in 1954, after his publications were discontinued by Fox in 1950, it's due to superhero comics slowly regaining popularity. 1954 was a year that featured the revival of Captain America, the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner, all characters that stopped being published in 1949. It was also the year Simon & Kirby decided to publish a new patriotic hero, Fighting American.

Here it is: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85320

[FraBig]

Hi everyone!

I finished the first 2 parts of Blue Beetle Complete Collection Vol. 3, that covers his Fox publications from 1944 to 1950. I'm waiting for a better internet connection to upload them.

As for the other parts of Vol. 3, and the fact that some of the issues are missing, I think I will make some "Incomplete" Collections, as temporary placeholders for when (and if) the missing issues will ever be uploaded here. So that people in the meanwhile can still read the issues that are on the site (which are still more than 50%) in chronological order. What do you think about this solution?

Also, if it's possible, I'd ask one of the admins/moderators to upload the cover picture for Blue Beetle Definitive Archives that I sent in the previous message. Thank you!

[FraBig]

It's finally finished! I've managed to collect every appearance of Blue Beetle between 1939 and 1956 in their chronological order. Despite the fact he's been in the hands of 3 different publishers (Fox, Holyoke and Charlton), all of these stories star the original version of Dan Garrett, a rookie policeman that defeats crime as a masked vigilante called Blue Beetle. In his early appearances, he was just using some gadgets to help him in his fight, then he started using Vitamin 2-X to enhance his physical abilities. After coming back to Fox in 1944, he somehow got superpowers, and he started to fly and have super strength. He continues to have these powers up until his final appearance in Nature Boy #3 (1956).

After almost a decade, in 1964, Charlton will decide to reboot the character and make him an archaeologist. They will keep his superpowers of flight and super strength, but this time given to him by an ancient egyptian artifact. This is the character that will later inspire Ted Kord (invented by Steve Ditko) to become a superhero, as narrated in Blue Beetle (1967) #2.

I'll paste here the link to the section "Blue Beetle Definitive Archives", for anyone interested in learning more about this version of Dan Garrett: https://comicbookplus.com/?cid=3658

As for the few Blue Beetle issues that are missing (because there are no scans available on the internet), I've marked their absence in the only compilation in which they're supposed to be included. I'll make sure to upload an updated compilation as soon as (and if) these issues will emerge.

[paw broon]

A wonderful effort.  Thanks Fra.

[FraBig]

Thanks, Paw!

Nice new profile picture! I like the realism of it. Who's the artist?

[paw broon]

The late, great Don Newton.  Its from the cover of The Phantom (Charlton) #74

[FraBig]

I haven't heard of him but I'll make sure to check out some of his works!

[FraBig]

Hi everyone! I finally uploaded a new compilation. This time it's a patriotic Ace Magazines character called the Flag. The main highlight of these appearances is the gorgeous Harry Anderson art, which really stands out compared to the first artist working on the character. Anderson worked also on the Conqueror and Dr. Nemesis, and he's always been one of my favourite Golden Age artists. He always reminded me of Bill Everett, but more geometric.

Here's the link: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=86645
Enjoy!

[FraBig]

Hi everyone!

I uploaded a new compilation, this time it's an MLJ character called Black Jack. Some nice Warren King art in some of the stories, and the concept behind the character is pretty cool.

Sometime in the future I'd like to make compilations for all of these MLJ superheroes. From what I could see, the missing ones should be Red Rube, Inferno, Fox and Captain Commando. And obviously their major characters, which will be more difficult to work on because they have a lot of appearances: Wizard, Steel Sterling, Black Hood and the Shield.

Here's the link: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=86783
Enjoy!

[The Australian Panther]

Is Flyman/the Fly not PD? Or 'The Jaguar'?  Or the Comet or the Web?     

cheers.

[FraBig]

The Fly and the Jaguar are both copyrighted characters, and so are their appearances. They both debuted during the Silver Age: The Fly in The Double Life of Private Strong #1, from June 1959, and the Jaguar in Adventures of the Jaguar #1, from September 1961.

On the other hand, the Comet and the Web both already have compilations on this site:
- The Web's compilation, made by me: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=82270
- The Comet's compilation, made by Lancelott: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=62114

The Web's compilation is one of my favourites that I've worked on. You can check out my other MLJ compilations in the original post where I put the links to all my compilations: they're sorted by publisher.

[The Australian Panther]

Frabig,
Re The Fly and the Jaguar, that's what I suspected.
Re the Comet and the Web,  I've downloaded all your compilations, I just couldn't remember them all when I wrote that post.
Another one is 'Bob Phantom'. Weirdly, MLJ/Archie have just published a one-shot of an updated version of Bob Phantom.   

cheers!

[FraBig]

Yes, I know about that one shot and I'm thinking about getting it somehow. Seems like a modern retelling of the character, and they'll finally give him an origin story (he never got one in his original appearances).

I haven't made a compilation about him because Lancelott already provided us with one:
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=60796

As you may guess by my profile picture, he's my favourite among these MLJ/Archie superheroes. And he's also their first superhero character!

[FraBig]

Hi everyone! I uploaded another compilation about an MLJ hero.
This time it's their take on Captain Marvel, Red Rube. He's a kid that can transform in an adult superhero by saying "Hey, Rube!", and he's got all the talents of his ancestors while in this form. It has some good art and it's pretty fun. He's also one of the few characters that were never used by MLJ/Archie again.

Here's the link: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=86981
Enjoy!

[FraBig]

Hi everyone!
Some time ago I posted a new compilation, this time about the Holyoke/Temerson character Cat-Man. He's a pretty iconic Golden Age superhero, despite not having many appearances. The concept behind him, especially concerning his looks, was later reused by DC for their Catman, who debuted in Detective Comics #311 from 1963. Apart from an almost identical costume, the character had nothing to do with this Golden Age one: this time he was a rich powerless vigilante who was inspired by Batman.
This Cat-Man, for a first period, was a guy whose parents died when he was an infant and he grew up with tigers, gaining all of their abilities and the famous 9 lives. After a few issues, though, the gimmick of the 9 lives disappeared. In his later period, Cat-Man's origins were changed (Cat-Man Comics #27) to some more realistic ones, involving him growing up in a circus and the murder of his mother, animal trainer.
This moment also marked the change from Charles Quinlan as the main artist and writer of the stories, to Bob Fujitani: both very talented artists, and thow of my favourites from the Golden Age.

Here's the link to the 2-part compilation:
Part 1: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=87571
Part 2: https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=87572

Enjoy!