Captain Battle Jr Saves His Dad in Captain Battle Jr #1, at Auction

Captain Battle debuted in Lev Gleason Publications’ Silver Streak Comics #10, the creation of Carl Formes and Jack Binder.  He was the youngest combatant in World War I and misplaced his left eye preventing in that struggle.  He subsequently gave his life over to “the scientific perfection of inventions which he uses to overcome evil and aggressive influences.”  The character had a wierd historical past in comics, ultimately resulting in the introduction of his son, Captain Battle Jr, in 1943.  Part of a saga with a weird historical past, there is a copy of Captain Battle Jr. #1 (Lev Gleason, 1943) CGC VG/FN 5.0 Off-white to white pages up for public sale in the 2023 May 18 The War Comics Showcase Auction #40223 at Heritage Auctions.

After these preliminary Silver Streak Comics appearances by Formes and Binder, Captain Battle Comics #1 was created by Funnies Inc comedian manufacturing studio members together with Frank Borth, George Mandel, and probably Kermit Jaediker. Issues #2 returned to the Binder store, principally Jack Binder and Otto Binder.  The first two problems with Captain Battle Comics had been revealed by identified Lev Gleason publishing firm New Friday (little doubt named after the left-wing tabloid journal Friday that Gleason was related to).  Issue #3 accommodates reprints of Silver Streak materials however for unknown causes, carries the road Harry “A” Chesler Jr. Features Syndicate, N.Y. on the quilt.  There is not any situation #4.  Issue #5 was revealed by Picture Scoop, Inc. which was additionally the writer of Gleason magazines Reader’s Scope and Picture Scoop.  Captain Battle Jr. was then revealed by the acquainted Comic House, Inc. publishing firm usually utilized by Gleason.  It’s additionally extensively assumed that Boy Comics, which began with situation #3, was a continuation of the unique Captain Battle Comics numbering, regardless of the sporadic continuation of that title.

Captain Battle Jr. appears to have been meant as a reboot, maybe even explaining the “changing of the guard” between father and son.  The character was the unique’s son, a WWII fighter pilot who additionally labored for Army Intelligence.  In situation #1, he was ordered by army intelligence to seize German Field Marshall von Teufel.  During the prolonged saga, Captain Battle Jr ultimately found that his father was a prisoner of von Teufel’s, although he initially needed to go away him behind.  By the tip of the saga, Captain Battle Jr had fulfilled his mission and freed his father, the unique Captain Battle, in the method.

The story right here was drawn by Don Rico, with the script credited to Lev Gleason and Joe Greene in the problem itself. Greene is greatest remembered because the creator of Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, a science fiction novel, radio, cartoon, and comedian ebook franchise that additionally ran on tv 1950-1955, and is one in all a handful of sequence to seem on all 4 networks of that period (CBS, ABC, NBC and Dumont).  There’s a backup characteristic by Bob Wood that has supervillain The Claw shaving Adolph Hitler’s mustache and shaving him bald.

While Captain Battle had the stylings of a typical patriotic superhero of the period, curiously, his son merely appeared like a soldier.  Although the sequence solely lasted two points, it is the fruits of an fascinating idea from one of the crucial fascinating publishers of the Golden Age, and there is a copy of Captain Battle Jr. #1 (Lev Gleason, 1943) CGC VG/FN 5.0 Off-white to white pages up for public sale in the 2023 May 18 The War Comics Showcase Auction #40223 at Heritage Auctions. If you have by no means bid at Heritage Auctions earlier than, you will get additional data, you may take a look at their FAQ on the bidding course of and associated issues.

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