The Result of the Most Famous Battle in Comic Magazines
Featuring: Human Torch and Sub-Mariner
Release: June 15, 1940
Cover: August 1940
10 cents
Credits: Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, and John Compton
1 page
No credits appear on the page. The art reminds me most of Burgos’ style. I borrowed the credits from the previous issue; the GCD agrees.
The finale of the epic is a single page. A single page.
Betty Dean finally gets her way and convinces Torch and Namor to call a truce. It makes sense for the fight to end in a draw, to disappoint neither set of fans. But letting Namor go is entirely unsatisfying. He crashed a train, flooded a tunnel. Who knows how many people died on his rampage?
It’s a very disappointing conclusion, especially as it’s only a page long!
The issue’s Human Torch story in this issue makes only brief mention of the battle before telling its own unrelated story.
The Sub-Mariner story has some epilogue. The consequence of his failure is disgrace and suspension from the Sub-Mariner forces. Then the story moves on.
The issue’s cover suggests Sub-Mariner will battle Nazis in this issue. But that doesn’t happen. He battles Americans. The cover of #11 will pitch the Torch against Nazis, which also won’t happen. The comic covers are going to war before the comics do, and it’s still over a year before America enters the war.
Rating: ★½, 17/100
Characters:
- Prince Namor/Sub-Mariner
- Jim Hammond/Human Torch
- Police Commissioner
- Betty Dean
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