Boy Comics 121943
1. Crimebuster - Written by Charles Biro, drawn by Norman Maurer
This story has an interesting plot, with private ranchers using incarcerated youths from a state's or county's justice (jail) system as free labour. I agree the the comments above that this plot idea deserved many more pages to flesh out the plot and characters, presenting more detail and information in the drawn panels , narratives and dialogue balloons, instead of only having room to introduce an interesting aspect but only be able to 'brush over it" and move on. This mirrors what wealthy "Caucasian-American landowners did to take advantage of incarcerated African-Americanprison and jail inmates during the post-Reconstruction days of "The Jim Crow South from 1877, all the way to World War II, and German industrial firms did to concentration camp inmates to produce goods and supplies for The German war effort during World war II. The GCD "data" on this story designates it as being in the "Superhero" genre. But, I didn't notice Crimebuster as having any "superpowers", which is why I termed these stories as "Boy Crimefighter" genre. Crimebuster's "origin story" didn't show him having any superpowers. So, I assume he had none all through his series. I guess we need to assume that Crimebuster is so dedicated to fighting crime, because a criminal killed his father, and tried to kill his mother, that he spent a lot of time training in combat and self-defence methods, and uses weight-lifting and other methods to become as strong as he can at his late teen age, as well as becoming as proficient as he can in general athletic skills and body condition, so he can hold his own in combat against fully grown and mature men in peak of their prime athletic years. I also assume he uses his intelligence to help make up the gap of their more mature and developed strength and athletic abilities. As he has already been fighting crime, and working with the police, it is somewhat believable that he could be the inmate to organise the inmates' fight against the criminal overseers, to gain their freedom.
And don't some US states, even to this day, make monetary profits from selling the products of their incarcerated prison inmates' to help pay for their upkeep?
Regarding Crimebuster being rude to The Farm's Owner's daughter, who used her situation basically to "force" him to act as her "boyfriend", I think it was only natural for him to be angry at her because her father was using the boys as slave workers, and not only beating, and torturing many of them, but also killing some. And she was basically blackmailing him into doing her bidding, or possibly being killed by her father IF he'd refuse. Who wouldn't be angry enough to insult her in that situation? I understand that, in general, insulting a girl because one doesn't like her looks enough to be attracted to her is not a good look for a story protagonist. It is true that she cannot help having the face and body she was given. But, just because her father was cruel to the boys, did not mean that she had to ADD to that cruelty. She could actually tried to help them, instead of hurting them more for her own selfish reasons. The only way to avoid that issue is to drop the "blackmail" situation from the story. However, it does add to the emotions of the character and his hatred of unfeeling criminals hurting others for their own gain, which In believe, adds more to the story with which the boy readers could identify, when imagining themselves being put into such a situation.
2. Swoop Storm - uncredited
This story has no credits listed, but the artwork looks to me like Maurer's. In suspect that it was written either by editor, Charles Biro, or his assistant, Bob Wood. What are two underage boys doing on their own in a war zone, just after the enemy has been driven out? At that time 21 years of age was the age of majority, and 18 was the age to enter the military. IF they are past their 18th birthdays, why have they not enlisted in one of The US armed services, or been drafted? And on the very first page, I see a researching error. If I had been assigned to draw such a story, I'd have looked at photographs of Tunis before drawing. In The Middle East and North Africa, wood is fairly rare, and at a very high premium. Almost all buildings are made of stone or mud brick. They have, for the most part, flat roofs, or very large public buildings, like mosques and paces may have domes. You won't find a wood-framed A-frame building in any of those countries. I worked in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and several other Arab countries for almost 20 years, and can't remember seeing even one.
It's ridiculously unbelievable that The US military would use a US Civilian underaged boy to deliver important military messages in combat zones during a war. In fact, I'm sure that doing that was illegal, and likely would involve the officer in a court marshal trial, stripping him of his rank, and probably ending with a dishonourable discharge from their US army. And if the boys were killed, he would be charged with a criminal offence (wrongful death, manslaughter?) I don't mind civilians using their children to deliver messages to other underground members during occupation of their country by foreign military. I remember a Canadian White series we had during World War II, about a brave young boy in occupied France, who was an Underground messenger, because adults in that job would be suspected and watched closely. But especially young (but very intelligent) boys would NOT be suspected and closely watched. He was very brave, but the story was believable. This story's premise is so outlandishly fantastic, it would have bothered me even at 8 years old. (I know, I was already an "old fogey" at that age). I'm not so sure that this heroic boy, who takes his life in his own hands having a hapless, worthless comedic sidekick on missions of mortal danger is a good idea. But then, I never liked mixing in comedy with drama, except when it came naturally, and was in the story to provide information on characters' character. Just adding "comedic relief" actually takes me OUT of the flow of the story, and lessens the impact of the impact of the action, buildup of suspense, dramatic mood, etc. On this military mission, this underaged civilian is flying a military plane - another breach of military regulation. IF it is NOT a military plane, we should see that clearly in the set-up of that story segment. But, only a full-book story would have room enough to include that. The hapless, comedic boy apparently is a trained gunner, who with his machine gun, downs 2 German fighter planes. A fuel line in their plane has a leak from a German bullet, which the fat sidekick blocks with an apple core allowing them to get to their destination in Occupied Europe. A local Underground officer asks the boys to help him free his arrested colleagues. This would have been a lot easier to stomach if it had been a pre-teen falling asleep at the beginning, and dreaming all this. They end up carrying a German General back to Tunis to The US Army headquarters there. What fantasy!!!!
3. Little Dynamite - Written by Bob Wood
This story looks as if it were also drawn by Maurer. It's quite a bit more palatable, in that the street-tough teenager Dynamite, is turned down by The US Army for being too young to enlist, so he and his gang organise a campaign to raise a million Dollars worth of War Bonds, to do their part in the war effort. Dynamite gets a famous female movie star to help. He has her selling kisses to get as many men to buy them, as possible. Dynamite captures a gangster that was forcing the local butcher to pay outrageous prices for black-market meat. The gang buys the last war bond to reach their bond drive goal, and gives it to the butcher's widow. Not a bad story.
4. Yankee Longago in The Land of Yesterday - Drawn by Dick Briefer (maybe written by him)
This series uses dreams to show the protagonist boy's fantasies. This story was a big surprise! Almost completely comedy, with no attempt to teach any history. The good thing about a dream is that the story doesn't need to make sense. So the reader can just enjoy the artwork, and if any of the jokes are funny, that's a bonus. The reader doesn't get the common feeling from serious historical stories that try to be educational, that he or she is being "preached to".
5. Hero of The Month - Ilya Kuzin
I like this story of a disabled young man who wanted to fight to save his country.
6. Young Robinhood and His Band - Written by K. Hubbell (Carl?) - Drawn by Norman Maurer
I was hoping this would be a period piece, about legends of Robinhood's youth. But no such luck. It's a weird fantasy about a gang of crimefighters who dress up in Middle Ages garb, and fight crime with ancient weapons and tactics. Not bloody likely! The US' most powerful Organised Crime leaders are cringing in their boots over a youthful gang of amateur crimefighters thwarting their every move. So they wear Robinhood and His Merry Men's costumes to impersonate them and get them arrested and sent to prison, so these mobsters can once again profit from their criminal activities. Having the mysterious veiled lady as a major mobster, and leading their group in this story is unexpected. That veil isn't much of a disguise. Of course, the real Robinhood gang capture the imposters, but the Veild Lady gets away to continue a life of crime.
Author
Topic: Reading Group#338-Boy Heroes-Boy Comics12, Boy Detective1 & Dickie Dare2 (Read 347 times)
