Awesome, Amazing All Star Comics Complete Run-They deserve their own thread! 5 5

[Ghastly542454]

All Star Comics #29-Cover by Martin Naydel and the story “The Man Who Knows Too Much” by Gardner Fox. The source of this issue’s title is obviously Alfred Hitchcock’s 1934 film-The Man Who Knew Too Much!

The members in this issue are Hawkman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Johnny Thunder. Even though Wonder Woman was an honorary member who was the secretary, this was one of the few issues where she neither appeared on the cover or in the story at all. 

In this story, Johnny Thunder takes pity on a hungry derelict, who turns out to be Landor, a 25th century “throwback” who craved adventure in an era when everything was peaceful. Having seen the JSA in films, Landor journeyed back to 1946. Landor challenges the JSA to match “wits and fists” against his future science. Landor can turn common 20th century implements into deadly weapons. Eventually, Johnny Thunderbolt brings him to the JSA headquarters where the heroes overwhelm him. With a lot of effort, Green Lantern uses his ring to send him back to 2446. Upon his return, Landor is a changed man. He even hires a guy to press the button that brings him dinner!!!

As I wrote about in my coverage of All Star Comics #28, I won issues #13, #28, and #29 in one swoop in a Comic Link auction in 2018. Once I received them, I was very disappointed in the #29 due to that piece of the cover missing on the lower bottom right. I didn’t notice it at the time I bid on it and was tempted to send it back but I didn’t think Comic Link would take it back. I don’t want to start anything or throw out any wild conspiracies or accusations, but it was at this point in my comic collecting that I began to wonder if somehow some of the big auction houses get preferential treatment and books that should be graded lower actually received higher grades. I’ve always been told that the graders received books blindly and have no idea where they came from or who owned them. But after I got this book, I began to wonder if it was true.

[sagii]

The thing(s) we don't notice at first. Bummer, but happens sometimes. 

For what it's worth, i think on this particular book, my eye is not 'drawn' to the corner piece out. Solid book overall imho 

[Ghastly542454]

21 minutes ago, sagii said:

The thing(s) we don't notice at first. Bummer, but happens sometimes. 

For what it's worth, i think on this particular book, my eye is not 'drawn' to the corner piece out. Solid book overall imho 

Unfortunately my eye wasn’t drawn to the corner piece out missing when I bought it. But it sure is now that I own it.

[Ghastly542454]

All Star Comics #30-Cover by Martin Naydel and the story “The Dreams of Madness” by Gardner Fox. 

The JSA agree to let a scientist study their dreams on his Dream Recorder. But while they are asleep, “Forest Malone” reveals himself to be the Brain Wave. His machine is actually a Dream Inducer. He uses nightmares to drive the JSAers mad. As Brain Wave prepares to kill them, the heroes awaken with their madness intact. Oddly, only Johnny Thunder is sane and in fact, more intelligent than before. He has his Thunderbolt shock the JSAers to their senses and they mop up Brain Wave and his cohorts. However, a kick to the head, causes Johnny Thunder to revert to his nutty self!!!

Brain Wave whose smock is now white instead of green as it was in #15 and #17, will make his fourth and final Golden Age appearance in All Star Comics #37. He is will also be the JSA’s first opponent when All Star Comics is revived in 1977.

I can’t remember anything about how I came to have my copy of All Star Comics #30. Another beauty with white pages!!!😀

Edited June 5, 2020 by Ghastly542454

[Jayman]

@Ghastly542454 Great thread, really enjoying it along with the commentary! Did I miss you posting issue 18? I don’t see it and wondered what happened...

[Ghastly542454]

5 minutes ago, Jayman said:

@Ghastly542454 Great thread, really enjoying it along with the commentary! Did I miss you posting issue 18? I don’t see it and wondered what happened...

It should be there. I hope I didn’t miss it!

[Ghastly542454]

On 5/20/2020 at 2:55 PM, Ghastly542454 said:

All Star Comics #18-Cover by Frank Harry and no title but the cover says “Insects Turn to Crime” which was written by Gardner Fox.

The JSAers are discussing how men with the proportionate strength of insects are committing crimes when suddenly Johnny Thunder walks in via the ceiling, talking with interspersed “buzzing” and confused how he got that way. Each member of the JSA will learn in their solo segment that the mastermind behind is the King Bee. He was once door-to-door exterminator Hector Pane, mocked by customers and kids, before he was able to “isolate the insect hormone” and used it to enslave men. This gave Pane insect powers and then he leased those powers to criminals. At the end, the JSA capture Pane. 

A new full-page ad for the JJSA reflects the fact that the metal badge has been replaced by a cloth emblem due to the War metal shortages. 

My nice copy of All Star Comics #18 with white pages was purchased off of eBay sometime in 2017. I think I paid around a grand for it.

 

 

[Jayman]

52 minutes ago, Ghastly542454 said:

It should be there. I hope I didn’t miss it!

Weird. I see your posts of 17 then it skips to 19, 20 and so on...but I see you posted it now, thanks! It’s one of my favorite covers from the run.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 6/5/2020 at 11:56 AM, Ghastly542454 said:

All Star Comics #30-Cover by Martin Naydel and the story “The Dreams of Madness” by Gardner Fox. 

The JSA agree to let a scientist study their dreams on his Dream Recorder. But while they are asleep, “Forest Malone” reveals himself to be the Brain Wave. His machine is actually a Dream Inducer. He uses nightmares to drive the JSAers mad. As Brain Wave prepares to kill them, the heroes awaken with their madness intact. Oddly, only Johnny Thunder is sane and in fact, more intelligent than before. He has his Thunderbolt shock the JSAers to their senses and they mop up Brain Wave and his cohorts. However, a kick to the head, causes Johnny Thunder to revert to his nutty self!!!

Brain Wave whose smock is now white instead of green as it was in #15 and #17, will make his fourth and final Golden Age appearance in All Star Comics #37. He is will also be the JSA’s first opponent when All Star Comics is revived in 1977.

I can’t remember anything about how I came to have my copy of All Star Comics #30. Another beauty with white pages!!!😀

Well what I'd wonder is how this issue can be a 6.0 if the #29 with the tear is also a 6.0. I've given up trying to understand the grading and figure that many of the differences have more to due with human variability than any great conspiracy. Ignore the number and buy the book in front of you; what's scary is how much of that variability impacts interior grading!

Also the Brain Wave was the first villain to fight the new Star Girl!!

Edited June 6, 2020 by 50YrsCollctngCmcs

[Ghastly542454]

3 minutes ago, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

Well what I'd wonder is how this issue can be a 6.0 if the #30 with the tear is also a 6.0. I've given up trying to understand the grading and figure that many of the differences have more to due with human variability than any great conspiracy. Ignore the number and buy the book in front of you; what's scary is how much of that variability impacts interior grading!

Also the Brain Wave was the first villain to fight the new Star Girl!!

You mean #29 right?

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 6/3/2020 at 8:55 AM, Ghastly542454 said:

All Star Comics #29-Cover by Martin Naydel and the story “The Man Who Knows Too Much” by Gardner Fox. The source of this issue’s title is obviously Alfred Hitchcock’s 1934 film-The Man Who Knew Too Much!

The members in this issue are Hawkman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Johnny Thunder. Even though Wonder Woman was an honorary member who was the secretary, this was one of the few issues where she neither appeared on the cover or in the story at all. 

In this story, Johnny Thunder takes pity on a hungry derelict, who turns out to be Landor, a 25th century “throwback” who craved adventure in an era when everything was peaceful. Having seen the JSA in films, Landor journeyed back to 1946. Landor challenges the JSA to match “wits and fists” against his future science. Landor can turn common 20th century implements into deadly weapons. Eventually, Johnny Thunderbolt brings him to the JSA headquarters where the heroes overwhelm him. With a lot of effort, Green Lantern uses his ring to send him back to 2446. Upon his return, Landor is a changed man. He even hires a guy to press the button that brings him dinner!!!

As I wrote about in my coverage of All Star Comics #28, I won issues #13, #28, and #29 in one swoop in a Comic Link auction in 2018. Once I received them, I was very disappointed in the #29 due to that piece of the cover missing on the lower bottom right. I didn’t notice it at the time I bid on it and was tempted to send it back but I didn’t think Comic Link would take it back. I don’t want to start anything or throw out any wild conspiracies or accusations, but it was at this point in my comic collecting that I began to wonder if somehow some of the big auction houses get preferential treatment and books that should be graded lower actually received higher grades. I’ve always been told that the graders received books blindly and have no idea where they came from or who owned them. But after I got this book, I began to wonder if it was true.

For comparison's sake. This All Flash got hammered on its grade for the removed color touch on the cover. It's a beauty none the less.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

2 minutes ago, Ghastly542454 said:

You mean #29 right?

Yes correct, fixed that.

Edited June 6, 2020 by 50YrsCollctngCmcs

[Ghastly542454]

@50YrsCollctngCmcsthat’s a really nice All Flash #25!

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

45 minutes ago, Ghastly542454 said:

@50YrsCollctngCmcsthat’s a really nice All Flash #25!

It is supposedly a Van Buren copy; an unrecognized pedigree. I bought it from someone in Canada who I assume had foolishly tried to erase the arrival date and then clumsily color touched over it. I had that removed and graded but it got hammered. The Van Buren collection was supposedly found in Manhattan outside the family residence of President Van Buren still occupied by family. They had been thrown on the street after a fire. The book did in fact smell of smoke!! It appeared unread.

[FattyDaddyComics]

Beautiful All Star Comics run!   

[1950's war comics]

On 6/3/2020 at 9:45 AM, Ghastly542454 said:

Unfortunately my eye wasn’t drawn to the corner piece out missing when I bought it.

i didn't notice the corner until it was brought up ... great book !!! looks real glossy !!

[1950's war comics]

On 6/5/2020 at 3:36 PM, Jayman said:

Weird. I see your posts of 17 then it skips to 19, 20 and so on...but I see you posted it now, thanks! It’s one of my favorite covers from the run.

Yep ! that is an awesome grasshopper cover !!

[1950's war comics]

this thread is like a good novel !

[Ghastly542454]

All Star Comics #31-Cover by Martin Naydel and the story “The Workshop of Willie Wonder” by Gardner Fox.

Willie Wonder, an old toy carver, is taken over by luminous, alien globe-being who assembles a human gang to use super-science gadgets he creates. Three other globe-beings tell the JSA they are the Duna, who have come billions of miles seeking Zor, a criminal of their race. Since their species can control human minds, Zor may conquer or destroy Earth!!! In each of their solo segments, the JSAers learn that the gang’s boss is Willie Wonder. The JSA converge on Willie Wonder’s toy shop and kayo Zor’s human hoods. The Duna drive Zor from Willie’s body and reveal they are actually Zor’s keepers and that Zor is insane. The Duna then cart Zor off. 

My copy of All Star Comics #31 was purchased raw in early 2019 from the same local collector I had purchased All Star Comics #27 raw a few months earlier in 2018. He sold me this one for $500 also and it came back even better than the #27 as a 7.0 with white pages.

[Ghastly542454]

All Star Comics #32-Cover by Martin Naydel and the story “The Return of the Psycho Pirate” by Gardner Fox. 

While Hawkman tells the JSA about “emotional robberies” by the escape Psycho Pirate, Johnny Thunder finds a wallet containing plans for six robberies by that master criminal. The JSAers think this is a challenge from the Psycho Pirate but later learn the planted wallet was actually the idea of one his underlings. Just as in All Star Comics #23 that featured the debut of Psycho Pirate, each solo chapter deals with a particular emotion. The JSAers eventually capture Psycho Pirate as it seems the wallet that Johnny Thunder found, also contained an identification card filled out by the underling with his boss’ address!!!!

This would be the last Golden Age appearance of Psycho Pirate. He would not appear again until the Silver Age in Showcase #56 in 1965 18 years later. 

I’m not sure when or where I got my All Star Comics #32 but it’s really a gorgeous copy!!!!