Happy Halloween 2025

A happy Halloween to all, as Flash, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern join in on this cover to Comic Cavalcade #12 (Fall, 1945), with the heroes drawn by E. E. Hibbard, Harry Peter and Martin Naydel.  

Green Lantern, Flash And Wonder Woman Help Sick Santa

Here, in Comic Cavalcade #25 (February-March, 1948, with a cover by Bob Oksner) is Flash, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, proving they've been good all year, as they have to take over for a sick Santa Claus at Christmas time

A Little Summer Fun With Green Lantern, Wonder Woman And Flash

Taking it easy with the heat as we get closer to summer, and showing this representative cover from Comic Cavalcade #3 (Summer, 1943) by Frank Harry, showing the Golden Age Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Flash having fun...while they, as well as Hop Harrigan and Sargon the Sorcerer have individual tales inside the title.

Oh, the innocent fun of the Golden Age!

Merry Christmas From Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman

A Merry Christmas to all, with this classic Golden Age cover from Comic Cavalcade #5 (Winter, 1943), by Frank Harry....


...with Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman celebrating the holiday with Santa Claus.


May yours be merry as well.

Gotham Guide: The Golden Age Of Solomon Grundy

Solomon Grundy....born on Monday, christened on Tuesday, married on Wednesday, took ill on Thursday, grew worse on Friday, died on Saturday and buried on Sunday.  That was the end of Solomon Grundy.  But, here, instead of talking of the old nursery rhyme, it will be a look at the creature that came out Slaughter Swamp on the outskirts of Gotham...who was named for the character in that rhyme in a classic Golden Age tale.

Fighters Never Quit

Solomon Grundy first emerged  in All-American Comics #61 (October, 1944) by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman, coming out of Slaughter Swamp after criminal Cyrus Gold, the man who would become Grundy had been left there for dead 50 years before.

The animated corpse leaves the swamp and heads into Gotham (getting his name of Solomon Grundy from a couple of hobos), becomes their crime boss, and leads them on an attempted take over of Gotham, until Green Lantern (Alan Scott) takes him on (and has problems with Grundy, as Grundy is made of plant material, including wood, which the Golden Age GL is powerless against).  Still, Alan and his partner, Doiby Dickles defeat the creature.

This was the only solo Solomon Grundy tale reprinted, in Wanted, the World's Most Dangerous Villains #4 (December, 1972).

And, Then There Was One

Grundy returns in Comic Cavalcade #13 (Winter, 1945) by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman for more battles with Green Lantern.


This time, Solomon Grundy is reanimated with the use of chlorophyll, by the Professor, who had killed Baron York (his own brother), in an attempt to take over Gotham's gangs.  Green Lantern (Alan Scott) is warned by his mystic Lantern, but too late, as he is overpowered by Grundy.  Solomon Grundy kills the Professor to advance his own plans and take over the gang, but has become too plant-like, allowing Green Lantern to defeat him by taking away his carbon dioxide, which Grundy needs to live, leaving Grundy petrified in a power ring bubble!

The Revenge Of Solomon Grundy

Grundy gets free from the bubble in All-Star Comics #33 (February-March, 1947) by Gardner Fox, and a host of artists, including Irwin Hasen, Joe Kubert, Stan Aschmeier, Martin Naydel, Jon Chester Koziak and Paul Reinman after a lightning bolt struck.

The JSA find their meeting room ransacked, and realize that it must have been Solomon Grundy, so they go searching for him (and the missing Green Lantern).  Each member meets Grundy (except Johnny Thunder), but it was the Golden Age Green Lantern who eventually defeats Grundy, this time, sending him to the moon!

This story was reprinted in Super-Team Family #4 (April-May, 1976) and in All-Star Comics Archives #7 of 2001.

The Case Of The Withered Flower

Solomon Grundy came back from the moon in Comic Cavalcade #24 (December-January, 1947/1948) by John Broome, Irwin Hasen and John Belfi to face Green Lantern (Alan Scott) and Doiby Dickles again.

This time, Grundy appeared to be much smarter than he was before, and could also disguise himself as Dick Cashmere (the long lost son of John Cashmere, a friend of Alan Scott's).  Grundy plans to kill John, but Green Lantern defeats him, this time imprisoning Grundy at the Earth's core.

Grundy was picked up where he was left here by Per Degaton, and put in the previous trap he had been, as revealed by Roy Thomas in the earliest issues of All-Star Squadron (to explain that this story had been forgotten about!).

Solomon Grundy's first appearance of the Silver Age was in Showcase #55 (March-April, 1965), facing off against Dr. Fate and Hourman (along with the Golden Age Green Lantern), and it took until his next appearance, in Justice League of America #46 (August, 1966) for Batman to first face Solomon Grundy (though it was more Batman foe, Blockbuster (who much later joined the Suicide Squad), doing that....for that and the second issue of the JLA/JSA team-up).

In Justice League of America #91 and #92 (1971), Solomon Grundy faced the same heroes from Earth-1 and Earth-2 (with the Golden Age Batman not around, though the Earth-1 Batman was a little, plus both Earths' Robins), and Solomon Grundy got the idea there may be an Earth-1 Solomon Grundy, an idea played out in the Superman titles, with Batman later facing an inferior outgrow of Solomon Grundy in Detective Comics #523 (February, 1983), where Batman ended the menace of the Earth-1 Solomon Grundy in fire.

Wonder if it was a Sunday?

The original Solomon Grundy continued on in Infinity, Inc., Starman, Green Arrow (and more), and as a member of the Injustice Society of the World, after getting some fame in the 1970s as a part of the Legion of Doom on the Super Friends cartoon show...

...as well as getting two live action portrayals, once in two episodes of the Legends Of The Super Heroes, played by Mickey Morton, and in the two episodes of Arrow that introduced Barry Allen, (but as Cyrus Gold) played by Graham Shields, before moving to Gotham (to be played by Drew Powell).

Swing Into Summer With Green Lantern, Wonder Woman And Flash

Today is the first day of Summer, and, using Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Flash as a guide, you should be outside, enjoying the water....like they did on the cover of Comic Cavalcade #3 (Summer, 1943) by Frank Harry.

No scene like this exists in the comic....instead we are treated to separate stories of the heroes:

"The Invisible Invader" featuring Wonder Woman by William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter, "The Guy Who Liked Bananas" with The King by Gardner Fox and Jon Chester Kozlak, "Master Sgt. Meyer Levin, Bombardier And Hero" featuring real life hero Sgt. Meyer Levin by Jon L. Blummer, "A Little Savage Revenge" featuring fictional pilot Hop Harrigan, also by Jon L. Blummer, "The Man Most Likely To Succeed" with Sargon The Sorceror by John B. Wentworth and Sheldon Moldoff, "The Bushmster" featuring Green Lantern by Bill Finger and Stan Aschmeier,  and "The Laws Of Pumpkin Center" with the Flash by Gardner Fox and Lou Ferstadt (along with Mutt & Jeff one-pagers inside).

Best of all, this issue, along with Comic Cavalcade #1 and #2, were reprinted in the Comic Cavalcade Archive #1 (and only) in April, 2005.



Now, stop reading and go outside!!!

Guide To Golden Age Green Lantern Reprints

Alan Scott first picked up the green lantern that would define his life in All-American Comics #16 (July, 1940) by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell, continuing on in that title until All-American Comics #102 (October, 1948), as well as spinning off into his own 38 issues of Green Lantern from the Fall of 1941 to May-June of 1949, as well as 29 issues of Comic Cavalcade, and being a member of the Justice Society in All-Star Comics.

Let's shine a light on where to find these 1940s tales a little closer to modern times!

Green Lantern

Starting with Green Lantern's own title (but it also has that first appearance, as well as another Golden Age story...), is Green Lantern #30 (February-March, 1948) by Robert Kanigher and Alex Toth, and "The Saga of Streak" introducing a pet dog for Alan Scott, and partner to the Green Lantern!  Streak even got his own feature in Green Lantern #34 to #38, as well as Sensation Comics #91 to #93!


Though having more stories focused on Hal Jordan, Green Lantern #30 is reprinted in Green Lantern: A Celebration of 75 Years of 2015, which also features Hal's first appearance, the first appearances of Sinestro, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Itty, Kyle Rayner (as Green Lantern) and the first solo meeting of Hal and Alan, which gives the origins of the Guardians (and the first appearance of Krona and "the cosmic hand", which could be the earliest recorded look at the DC Universe as well as a hint of how the scientific Green Lanterns of Earth-1 related to the magical Green Lantern of Earth-2!).

Next up is Green Lantern #37 (March-April, 1949) with "Too Many Suspects" by writer Robert Kanigher, penciller Alex Toth and inker Frank Giacoia.  This story has Green Lantern going into action to save his friend, Doiby Dickles from a crime he didn't commit (nor does he remember what he was doing at the time of the crime!).  Alan Scott finds six more people who are suffering the same fate and must save them all!

This story was first reprinted in Detective Comics #440 (April-May, 1974) under a Jim Aparo cover, with a new Batman story and new Manhunter story, as well as a Silver Age Hawkman and Golden Age Doll Man and Golden Age Manhunter reprint.  This story was also reprinted in the Green Lantern Annual #1 that looks like it came from 1963, but was really made in 1998 (and focuses more on Hal Jordan, and meetings with Star Sapphire, Sinestro and the Flash!).

Last, but not least, is the last story from Green Lantern #38 (May-June, 1949) where Alan Scott of Station WXYZ faces off against "The Impossible Mr. Paradox", a villain who fights Green Lantern using illusions based on scientific paradoxes in a story by Robert Kanigher with art by Irwin Hasen and inks by Frank Giacoia.

Ironic then that it should be reprinted in Green Lantern #89 (April-May, 1972), under a cover by Neal Adams, featuring the last of the Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Green Arrow team-ups in their own title by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams.

But, not unlike Hal and Ollie, Alan Scott has more stories to tell (and a few more solo Green Lantern tales reprinted....though way too few!).

Comic Cavalcade

From Alan's issues that he shared with the Golden Age Flash and the Golden Age Wonder Woman, Comic Cavalcade #6 (Spring, 1944) with "They Are Invincible" by writer Alfred Bester and artist Paul Reinman, featured a story about writer Al Bester, who gave Doiby and Alan hypothetical problems to solve (and saw the creation of the more modern Green Lantern Oath).



This story was reprinted in the Green Lantern: A Celebration of 75 Years in 2015.

Green Lantern's first three stories from Comic Cavalcade #1 to #3 from 1943 can be found with rest of those issues in the Comic Cavalcade Archives #1 of March, 2005, with Green Lantern's pre-JSA solo tale from All-Star Comics #2 (Fall, 1940) facing the robot men of Baron von Zorn was reprinted with all of All-Star Comics #1 and #2 in All-Star Comics Archives #0 of March, 2006, and a story of Green Lantern and Doiby where "Heroes Are Born -- Not Made" by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman from the Big All-American Comic Book of 1944 making into a collection of DC Comics Rarities Archives #1 of December, 2004 along with stories about Wildcat, Mr. Terrific, Johnny Thunder, Atom, and more!

All-American Comics

Back to the beginning, with All-American Comics #16 (July, 1940) and the origin of Green Lantern by writer Bill Finger and artist Mart Nodell, where train engineer Alan Scott survives a train wreck, holding onto a Green Lantern, that tells the story of how this mystical power came into his hands!

This story was reprinted in  The Great Comic Book Heroes of 1965, Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes of 1976, and leading off Green Lantern: A Celebration of 75 Years in 2015.  Amazing how Alan was allergic to appearing on covers of his reprints!

Next up of Golden Age Green Lantern reprints is All-American Comics #61 (October, 1944) with "Fighters Never Quit" by Alfred Bester and Paul Reinman, which introduced a menace that would go beyond Green Lantern, facing the JSA, Superman, Batman, Green Arrow and more (as well as joining the Injustice Society of the World), the reanimated swamp monster called Solomon Grundy!

This tale was reprinted in Wanted, The World's Most Dangerous Villains #4 (December, 1972) under a cover by Nick Cardy (and with a reprint of Kid Eternity facing his foe, Master Man, as well).  It was in the 1970s that Solomon Grundy became more well known to the world as a member of the Legion of Doom on the Super Friends cartoon!

For all the foes the Golden Age Green Lantern had, he could have taken up all the issues of Wanted, but the tale to focus on now is All-American Comics #89 (September, 1947) with the introduction of "The Harlequin" by Robert Kanigher and Irwin Hasen.  This was the first appearance of the Harlequin, who was Alan Scott's secretary, Molly Mayne, and he used her to hype a department store over the radio.  The things we do to keep our day jobs.

This tale was reprinted in World's Finest Comics #211 (May, 1972) under a cover by Neal Adams (and an odd Superman/Batman story at a time when Superman was teaming up with everyone BUT Batman).  Sadly, this is Harlequin's only solo GL reprint (her appearance in All-Star Comics was collected), but at least you can read about where to find her original tales here!

Another foe of Green Lantern's was the Icicle, and it is his second appearance from All-American Comics #92 (December, 1947) where "The Icicle Goes South" by Robert Kanigher and Alex Toth that is the topic now.  Green Lantern has to stop the Icicle from taking over a South American country....pretty good for a guy with an ice gun.

This story has been collected twice, once in Green Lantern #86 (October-November, 1971) under a cover by Neal Adams,  and later in the Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told of 1990 under a Jerry Ordway cover (along with tales from Black Canary, Dr. Mid-Nite, Johnny Quick, and more).  Wouldn't it be great to see the Icicle's first tale reprinted as well?

The last of the Golden Age Green Lantern stories to get a solo reprint is All-American Comics #98 (June, 1948) with "The End Of Sports" featuring the Sportsmaster being a menace to Gotham City in a story by Robert Kanigher and Alex Toth.

This story is found in Detective Comics #443 (October-November, 1974) under a cover by Jim Aparo, with Batman and the Manhunter in battle with the Council, and reprints including the first appearance of the Creeper and a Golden Age Spectre reprint.  Sportsmaster also joined the ISW, and sadly, has Golden Age appearances not reprinted as well.

Thankfully, a few more Golden Age Green Lantern appearances have been collected as well.

 

Green Lantern Archives

The Golden Age Green Lantern got two Archives.  The Green Lantern stories from All-American Comics #16 to #30 (September, 1941) as well as Green Lantern #1 (Fall, 1941) were collected in the Golden Age Green Lantern Archives #1 of 1999.  The Green Lantern stories of All-American Comics #31 (October, 1941) to #38 (May, 1942), as well as Green Lantern #2 (Winter, 1941-1942) and #3 (Spring, 1942) were all in Golden Age Green Lantern Archives #2 of January, 2002.  Great stories (especially if you are a fan of Mart Nodell) but a little lacking in signature Green Lantern villains like Vandal Savage and the Gambler....

Unpublished Golden Age Green Lantern tales

There were a few Golden Age Green Lantern stories created but not published.  One tale did end up in Green Lantern #88 (February-March, 1972) under a cover by Neal Adams.  The story featured "The Menace Of The Marching Toys" with no identified writer, and art by Carmine Infantino and Bernard Sachs, had Alan Scott facing off against the Tin Soldier, who battled Green Lantern with his mechanical toys!  Four other Golden Age Green Lantern tales were reported as well, but none of them were ever collected for print.

Odder still was Green Lantern's part in an unpublished Golden Age Flash story, featuring the Thorn, of which two pages were reprinted in an issue of Lois Lane (this had a huge impact on Alan's future, as well as the life of Jade and Obsidian of Infinity, Inc.).

At least all of the Golden Age Green Lantern's appearances with the Justice Society of America were collected when all 57 Golden Age issues of All-Star Comics were collected in the multiple volumes of the All-Star Comics Archives!  Would that we get more reprints of Golden Age Green Lantern stories to shed their light on the evil of not being reprinted....

Happy Thanksgiving!

This cover's no turkey, though Wonder Woman, Flash (Jay Garrick) and Green Lantern (Alan Scott) are fighting to pen one, in this classic cover from Comic Cavalcade #18 (December-January, 1947) by Everett E. Hibbard!

Guide to Golden Age Flash Reprints

Jay Garrick first picked up the hat of the Flash in Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940) by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert...and that series lasted 104 issues, as well as spinning off into All-Flash comics (starting with All-Flash Quarterly #1 in Summer of 1941, which lasted 32 issues), as well as appearing in All-Star Comics with the Justice Society of America (and in Comic Cavalcade with Green Lantern and Wonder Woman), all in the Golden Age...

...so, how do you find those Golden Age tales now?

Flash Comics

Jay first appeared in Flash Comics, so that's where we'll start running...with Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940) with "The Origin of the Flash" by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert, this is where college student Jay Garrick accidentally inhales some "hard water" and wakes up out of a coma with the ability to move and think at super-speed!  Later, Jay moves to New York, being an assistant professor, and taking up the mantle of the Flash to save the life of the father of his girlfriend, Joan Williams, from Sieur Satan and his Faultless Four!

This tale has been reprinted many times, first in The Great Comic Book Heroes of 1965, then in the Famous First Edition F-8 of August-September, 1975, in the Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes of 1976 (in both hardcover and soft cover), in the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told (hardcover in 1991 and softcover in 1992), in the Millennium Edition: Flash Comics #1 of September, 2000, and in the Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years of 2015.

Flash's next solo reprint from Flash Comics is from Flash Comics #66 (August-September, 1945), with "The Flash and the Black Widow" by Robert Bloch and Everett Hibbard, with Jay, Joan and the Three Dimwits (Winky, Blinky and Noddy) facing off against Princess Helene and her transforming formula.

This tale is reprinted in the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told hardcover of 1991, and in the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told soft cover of 1992, both having covers by Carmine Infantino (who would be better known for his art with Barry Allen Flash!).

These two Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told collections also have the next Flash Comics story, that of Flash Comics #86 (August, 1947) with Jay and Joan facing dinosaurs in the "Stone Age Menace" by Robert Kanigher, Lee Elias and Joe Kubert.



This story was also reprinted in the Flash: Greatest Stories Ever Told tradepaperback of 2007, with an Alex Ross cover (though, again, the focus is on Barry Allen Flash, there are a couple of Jay stories in there!).

Flash Comics #90 (December, 1947) is the next Flash Comics issue to be reprinted, with the story of "Nine Empty Uniforms" by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, where the Flash helps a baseball team, the Bobtails, who are on a losing steak, and defeat a gambler who was betting against them (though this wasn't THE Gambler, a Green Lantern foe...).


This tale was reprinted in the 80-Page Giant #4 (October, 1964), under a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, with a collection of odd Barry Allen Flash stories!

Dig the expressions on Barry Allen's face!

Flash Comics #94 (April, 1948) is the next treat reprinted, featuring the tale of Dr. Maria Flura, who ended up waking up on death's row....with no idea how she got there, being convicted of the murder of Professor Lexon!  All this in the tale "The Images of Doom", by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, in a follow up to her appearance in All-Flash Comics #31.


This tale found itself reprinted in Flash #232 (March-April, 1974) under a Nick Cardy cover (who drew a lot of covers that reprinted Golden Age DC tales)...

...and along with a couple of Barry Allen team-up stories, featured a Golden Age Johnny Quick story!

The last of the Flash Comics stories to be found alone is the last published solo Golden Age Flash story, Flash Comics #104 (February, 1949) with "The Rival Flash" by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, with Flash facing a foe who was his rival...and had super-speed equal to the Flash's own!  Nothing worse than a villainous speedster...

This tale has been reprinted many times, starting with Flash #211 (December, 1971) under a cover by Irv Novick and Dick Giordano, in the Flash Archives #1 of 1996 (which then reprints Barry Allen's earliest appearances including all 4 of his Showcase appearances), in the Flash: The Greatest Stories Ever Told tradepaperback of 2007 and in the Flash Omnibus #1 of 2014.   

All-Flash

Flash's solo title ended up producing a few reprints.... starting with All-Flash #13 (Winter, 1943) by Gardner Fox and Everett Hibbard and the "Campaign Against The Flash", with Jay, Joan the Three Dimwits dealing with Flash being labeled a criminal, and a new hero rising, called Muscleman...all while having to deal with the mobster, Dapper Don Dolan.

This story was reprinted in the 100-Page Super-Spectacular DC-22 of November, 1973 under a cover by Nick Cardy, and also has a Golden Age Johnny Quick reprint...


...as well as a story involving the change of Kid Flash's costume and another with Captain Cold and the Elongated Man!

Next up is a great Jay Flash reprint from All-Flash #14 (Spring, 1944) with "The Rise and Fall of the Norman Empire" by Gardner Fox and Everett Hibbard.  Norman Empire is a card shark, that forces Deuces Wilde (a friend of the Flash) to play for a lady's life!  

This story was reprinted in the Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told hardcover of 1990, which featured a stunning cover by Jerry Ordway, and many Golden Age stories that were, well, just great, and featured a few other JSAers like Hawkman, Wildcat, Sandman, Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Black Canary and the Spectre as well!

Sadly, only this Flash tale has been reprinted from this issue (the other features Flash foe, the Thinker, and hasn't been reprinted).

All-Flash #22 (April-May, 1946) had two stories redone, one "Deal Me From The Bottom" by Gardner Fox and Martin Naydel, with Jay dealing with Deuces Wilde and his exploiting a boy who could pitch playing cards, and the story of "The City of Shifting Sand" by John Broome and Martin Naydel, with Flash dealing with a liar's club and telling a tall tale....

....the Deuces Wild story ended up in DC Super-Stars #5 (July, 1976, under a cover by Dick Giordano), redrawn by Rico Rival, and that sand story was kind of reprinted in Four-Star Spectacular #1 (March-April, 1976, under a cover by Ernie Chan)...as while the story was the same, it was redrawn by artist Edgar Bercasio from Broome's script.

So, do above qualify as a reprints?


No confusion with the next story, as All-Flash #30 (August-September, 1947) has one of its three stories reprinted, that of "Anything Can Happen" by John Broome and Lee Elias...

...with the Flash finding a murdered man dumped off a bridge, and this continuing to happen repeatedly with Jay arrested!


This tale found itself in Flash #216 (June, 1972) under a cover by Nick Cardy, where Barry Allen Flash faces his foe, Mr. Element!

The story of "The Secret City" by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino from All-Flash #31 (October-November, 1947) is up next and has Jay facing off (as the Flash) against the soldiers of the Secret City for the life of Dr. Maria Flura, who went searching for a reporter friend of hers lost in the jungle and how Jay dealt with all of that (and this sets up Dr. Flura's appearance in the Flash Comics story mentioned above!).

This tale was reprinted in Flash #229 (September-October, 1974), under a cover by Nick Cardy, and along with the old Golden Age Flash story, features a new team-up of the Golden Age and Silver Age Flash (vs. Golden Age villains Rag Doll and the Thinker), as well as Silver Age Green Lantern, Kid Flash and Flash reprints, and a Golden Age Johnny Quick Flash reprint as well!

"The Planet Of Sport" from All-Flash #31 (October-November, 1947) by Robert Kanigher and Everett Hibbard is also reprinted, and features Jay and Joan competing in an alien Olympic games after being taken off Earth to the alien world of Strobos along with two other athletes, which they had to compete in to return home, of course, keeping their wars there a secret, as that's what super-heroes do, even when they face a marvel such as alien competition!


This tale was reprinted in the Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years of 2015, along with Jay, Barry and Wally West's first appearances, with a few other interesting tales as well, including Jay and Barry's first meeting, and the first Superman-Flash race!    

The last issue of All-Flash was All-Flash #32 (December-January, 1947/1948), and it has two tales reprinted...first, "The Amazing Star Sapphire" by Robert Kanigher and Lee Elias, with Jay and Dr. Flura being found dead....and having to fight the alien empress, the Star Sapphire in their dreams to save Earth from alien invasion!

This tale was reprinted in the first Flash Annual from Summer, 1963, with a cover by Carmine Infantino, and it also reprints the first appearances of Katmos, Mr. Element, Elongated Man, Gorilla Grodd and Kid Flash....and is so incredible, that DC reprinted the reprint in the Flash Annual Replica Edition in 2001!

The second story from All-Flash #32 (December-January, 1947/1948) to be reprinted is the first appearance of Flash foe, the Fiddler, entitled "Duet Of Danger", wherein Flash battles his musical foe for the first time (but the Fiddler will return again and again, including during the first meeting of Jay and Barry).


The Fiddler story is reprinted in Flash #160 (April, 1966) under a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, and is also known as 80 Page Giant #G-21, with a few other quick reprints as well.  Sadly, the third All-Flash #32 story, featuring the Thinker, has not been reprinted as of yet.

Comic Cavalcade

Flash had one story from Comic Cavalcade reprinted separately, that of Comic Cavalcade #24 (December-January, 1947-1948), with "The Slow-Motion Crimes" by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, and has Jay facing his foe, the Turtle, again, and gets help from Joan and a junior JSA member!

This tale is reprinted in the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told hardcover of 1991, and in the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told soft cover of 1992, both having covers by Carmine Infantino (who would be better known for his art with Barry Allen Flash...

...and this turtle isn't really related to the Turtle Barry Allen faced in his first appearance!).

Flash also found his first 3 Comic Cavalcade stories reprinted in the Comic Cavalcade Archives #1 of 2005, which also Golden Age stories of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Wildcat, Sargon and more!  Flash also found his solo tales from All-Star Comics #1 and #2 reprinted in the All-Star Archives #0 of 2006, and his story from the Big All-American Comic Book reprinted in the DC Comics Rarities Archive #1 of 2005.  Would that we could get more Archives from DC!

Flash Archives

With this talk of Archives, Flash did have two volumes all to himself!

The first Golden Age Flash Archive from 1999 featured the first 17 Flash Comics stories, covering Jay's first appearance until Flash Comics #17 (May, 1941), and the second Golden Age Flash Archive from 2006 covered Flash's stories from Flash Comics #18 to #24 from 1941, and All-Flash Quarterly #1 and #2 (Fall, 1941)!

Unpublished Golden Age Flash Tales

Flash had three tales from the Golden Age that went unpublished....

The first is called "Journey Into Danger" by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, and was printed in Flash #205 (April-May, 1971, under a Dick Giordano cover) where Flash deals with other things that were suddenly sped up, and the man who wanted to take advantage of that!


There's also some Barry Allen, Wally West and Johnny Quick reprints in the issue as well...but the oldest story in the book was also the only one previous unseen!

The second is titled "A Tale of Three Tokens" and is also by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, and deals with a battle between the Flash and the Thinker, and the Thinker's plot to take a time machine, and this story ended up in Flash #214 (April, 1972) under a Nick Cardy wrap-around cover featuring many members of Flash' family, foes and a few extra!

The third is an even odder case, as it features Rose and the Thorn (the original version, who faced Jay in multiple issues...and would have again, had this story been printed).  The splash page and first two pages can be found in Alter Ego #4 (with a Joe Kubert cover), and the last two pages of this 10 page story were published by DC Comics in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #113 (September-October, 1971, under a Dick Giordano cover), (with Flash handing over the defeated Thorn to Green Lantern (Alan Scott) to be taken to Transformation Island (the place where Wonder Woman reformed her criminals).  This story was later expanded upon by Roy Thomas during his Infinity, Inc. series, especially in the first Infinity, Inc. Annual (and it also involved another Robert Kanigher creation, that of the original Harlequin, with more on those women here!).

So, it might take the skills of a police scientist...

...but you can go back and find Golden Age Flash adventures!