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THE TITLES ARE ORGANIZED NUMERICALLY
IN CBR FORMAT IN 4 BEAUTIFUL DVD CASES
THE
ZIP COMICS
DVD ROM COLLECTION
A COMPLETE RUN OF
MLJ PUBLICATION'S
ZIP COMICS
COVER TO COVER COMPLETE!
ON DVD
INCLUDES:
ISSUES 1-47 COMPLETE
MAIN CHARACTER: Steel SterlingSteel Sterling was a Golden Age super-hero. He was definitely in the tradition of Superman. He had a super-strong and largely invulnerable body, could run fast, and could fly. He also wore a costume, like Superman, and was an all around super-powerful guy. Unlike Superman, Steel Sterling was an Earthman, an ordinary human who became transformed into a man with super-powers.
Steel Sterling appeared in Zip Comics from #1 (February 1940) to #47 (Summer 1944). He also was in Jackpot Comics, from #1 (Spring 1941) to #9 (Spring 1943). He was revived in both the Silver Age, and more recently.
Like other Golden Age heroes, Steel Sterling had comic sidekicks. Steel often helped out Officer Clancy, an honest and kind hearted but somewhat humorous cop, who did comedy relief in the tales. Both men were also friends with Alec Ben Lunar, better known as Looney. Looney eventually became a Corporal in the U.S. Army. All of these guys seemed distinctly part of the urban working class. They were the sort of ordinary guys one might meet on any big city street corner.
OriginThe Scarlet Avenger
The Scarlet Avenger was a Golden Age crime fighting hero.
OriginGang Buster (1940). Writer: Harry Shooten. Art: Irv Novick. The Scarlet Avenger and his operatives break up an insurance fraud gang. The first Scarlet Avenger tale.
This story is rich in creativeness. It is not a true origin tale - it only tells a little about how Jim Kendell actually became the Scarlet Avenger. What it concentrates on is the amazing array of scientific devices Jim has invented, to aid his career. These are fascinating. They are also well integrated with the crime plot. Each one's use advances the crime story in a logical and significant way. The crime plot is itself complicated, with an elaborate series of insurance frauds we see both after the fact, and later from the inside; detective work by The Scarlet Avenger and his operatives; a series of different crooks who interact with each other in complex ways, and a variety of locales. All this and the Scarlet Avenger's anti-crime inventions, all in six pages! The story is a model of artistic economy.
The Scarlet Avenger is a masked crime fighter without super powers, but with a secret identity and a lot of high tech inventions. In this he sounds like Batman. However, the actual feel of the character is very different from Batman, or such Batman imitators as the Green Arrow. Unlike Batman, The Scarlet Avenger is not a lone crime fighter. Instead, he is the head of a large team of operatives. These men and women take orders from him, and aid him with his war on crime. Also, his inventions tend not to be simple technological devices like the Batarang or Bat Signal. Instead, they are massively innovative scientific breakthroughs. They are clearly so futuristic that they should be considered science fictional. Also, unlike Batman, the Scarlet Avenger's world is not grotesque. The criminals he fights are typical 1940's gangsters, who run rackets that are depicted with realism. The crooks dress in suits, not costumes, and are the typical racketeers of the era.
The Scarlet Avenger is also older looking and more mature than Batman, and many comic book heroes. While he wears a cape with a mask attached, he is otherwise dressed in a normal business suit and tie of the era. Even his cloak is worn because it is bullet proof, not as a part of a super hero costume. His whole style of dress has a business like quality, as if he is a serious responsible figure, and member of society. Jim is a serious looking person, in general, both with and without his mask. Such a character is a bit unusual for the comics. The fact that he never smiles also underlines the serious nature of his mission and social position.
The Scarlet Avenger is strongly in the tradition of such pulp heroes as Doc Savage. Like Doc, he is a scientific genius who has created many crime fighting inventions. Like Doc, he has a team of loyal operatives.