From the September 2007 CGC eNewsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Several collectors at conventions have asked me why I focus so heavily on the 1948-61 era of 10-cent comics, rather than the earlier era.

The answer is simple — the combination of quality and affordability. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve written untold thousands of words about comics in the heart of the Golden Age (1938-47). Even so, most collectors have a hard time affording these issues, especially in fine or better condition. In some sales, a half-dozen of these high-grade issues constitute the down payment on a house — or maybe even the cost of the house itself!

That has forced collectors of modest means — such as yours truly — to focus on issues from the late Golden Age, the Atom Age and the early Silver Age. Granted, none of these are 68-page gems, and many of them are, in fact, 36-pagers. But they are still highly collectible comics and in addition, the act and stories are — in my opinion — often considerably superior to Golden Age issues.

So I’m going to spend a few Nolan’s Niches highlighting the best and most collectible of DC’s post-1947 pre-Comics Code output — during an era when numerous artists with great talent joined the company — along with work from other companies. I’ve already spotlighted some of this work, so I’ll try to hit the high spots I haven’t already discussed. I’m also keeping in mind that not many collectors can afford complete runs any more. Fans can, however, focus on acquiring some of the more memorable issues of the era. The Gerber Photo-Journal can give you a hint, of course.

In my mind, I’ve always divided my collecting interests into basically three periods — 1938-47, 1948-54 and 1955-61, when the 10-cent era ended. In the next few columns, I’ll focus on the 1948-54 issues. Many of these comics are surprisingly different from those that came before and after, and many of them are surprisingly scarce.

Let’s start with Action Comics #116 (Jan. 1948) through #201 (Feb. 1955, the last pre-Code issue). Most of these can be acquired in “good” for $50 to $70, and sometimes for less. They all contain Superman, always the cover feature, and Congo Bill, a 6-page backup.

Tommy Tomorrow of the Planeteers, often a surprisingly entertaining science fiction strip, begins in #127 (Dec. 1948). The Vigilante, a costumed character of sorts but not one of DC’s better characters in my book, ends in #198 (Nov. 1954). Zatara the Magician — a fun Golden Age strip, better than most of its type — last appears in #141 (Feb. 1950), but does not appear in #133-135, 137 and 139-140.

When DC dropped its 52-page format late in 1951 except for a handful of titles, the company made some 44 pages (including covers) and the others 36. Apparently, the best-selling titles were given 44 pages, including Action from #162 (Nov. 1951)through #196 (Sept. 1954). Superman’s stories remained a full 12 pages except for a few 10-pagers.

None of these 86 issues of Action could be called iconic, in a way the post-Code introduction of Brainiac and Supergirl were milestones in the DC universe. The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide notes that Superman first flies in #123 (Aug. 1948) instead of leaping, but there seems to be no marked difference between his air travel in earlier issues of that era and #123. I don’t understand this notation, since in Michael Fleischer’s The Great Superman Book, he says that by Action #65 (Oct. 1943), “Superman has clearly acquired, without qualification, the power of flight.” Perhaps the most iconic of these issues of Action is #141 (Feb. 1950). In “Luthor’s Secret Weapon!” the word “Kryptonite” makes its second appearance, following its introduction in the comic book continuity in Superman #61 (Nov-Dec. 1949). Krytonite, of course, was actually introduced in the radio series years earlier.

Of the Superman stories in these issues, here are most of my favorites: “Superman For a Day” in #119, “Superman on Television” in #126, “The World’s Most Perfect Girl” in #133, “Luthor’s Secret Weapon!” in #141, “Superman Becomes Miss Lovelorn” in #147, “The Courtship on Krypton” in #149, “The 100 Deaths of Clark Kent” in #153, “The Girl of Steel” in #156, “The Girl of Tomorrow” in #163, “The Man Who Conquered Superman” in #165, “The Secrets of Superman” in #171, “The Super Telethon” in #180, “Superman’s New Super Powers”in #187, “The Outlaws from Krypton” in #194, “The Adventures of Mental-Man” in #196, and “Test of a Warrior” in #200. There are lots of other good stories; very few were not first-rate. They were certainly among the best in comics at the time. Most of them do not deal with continuity, which to me is a plus.

I especially love the wonderful human-interest yarn in #147 (Aug. 1950), in which Superman finds himself taking over a lovelorn column. This is a real hoot! Perhaps the best of these 86 stories, however, may well be “The Outlaws from Krypton” in #194 (July 1954), in which Mala and his brothers, Kizo and U-Ban, return to plague Superman after being captives in space since their debut in Superman #65 (July-Aug. 1950). These were the first survivors of Krypton in the Superman mythos, and I remember being fascinated by this story when I found it at a friend’s house in 1956 or 1957, in my first two years of reading comics. I spent a long time looking for their first appearance in Superman #65! The story in Action #194 is a masterpiece — and so is Superman’s solution: the use of Kryptonite.

The backup characters in Action are generally less interesting than those in Adventure and Detective, but Tommy Tomorrow is consistently fun. The Tommy Tomorrow concept predated the better-known and similar character Torn Corbett, Space Cadet, of the 1950s. Tommy Tomorrow never received any media exposure except in comics, but Tom Corbett also starred in eight hardbound series books and on television. Outside the pages of Fiction House’s Planet Comics, Tommy Tomorrow was one of the first successful continuing space opera characters created for the comics.

For those who love covers, these 86 issues of Action featured a few beauties. Check out the Gerber Photo-Journal for these: #117 (a great Christmas cover); #138 (Superman flies with Lois); #146 (an old-fashioned safe door tear-off); #147 (a mob of women overcomes Superman); #153 (Clark Kent gets machine-gunned); #155 (“The Cover Girl Mystery”); #156 (Lois Lane as Superwoman); #181 (Superman shocked); and #194, 196 and 200.

This is a guest article. The thoughts and opinions in this piece are those of their author and are not necessarily the thoughts of the Certified Collectibles Group.