Sandman #1 (Winter, 1974)
"The Sandman"
Penciller & Editor - Jack Kirby
Script - Joe Simon
Inker & Letterer - Mike Royer
Cover Price: $0.20
Engaging in a little bit of review-synergy today as we discuss Simon and Kirby's Sandman #1. Over at Weird Science DC Comics, my pod-ner and pal Reggie is reviewing Sandman OVERsize Special #1, as part of DC's celebration of The King's 100th Birthday.
So, after you read about Garrett Sanford... er, Sandman's first outing, you should definitely check out Reggie's review of his most recent... ish, um, if it's in continuity that is. Eh, we'll just say it is.
Now let's hop back to the mid-70's.
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We open with a young boy named Jed in the midst of a terrible nightmare. A shipwrecked man is bobbing in the angry sea while holding a doll that looks like a mix between Annihilus and a Skrull. The boy's struggling is overheard by his grandfather, Ezra who runs in to check on him. Jed is positive that his dream was real, and despite his doubts, Ezra accompanies him outside... where they find the same man from the dream! How can that be? Wellllll, there might just be a garishly dressed man behind all of this.
Jed and Ezra pull the man out of the drink, just in time for him to die. His last words are in reference to his Annihilus-Skrull doll... he pleads with them not to let it fall into "their" hands. He also calls it a Werblink. Jed thinks the little stuffed beast is pretty cool, while Ezra appears more than a little skeeved out by the thing.
Jed returns to bed with his new doll beside him... and he does what he does best... has terrifying dreams! In this one, an over-sized Werblink is chasing his grandfather across a strange barren planet. Jed tries to catch up, but falls into a crater. We flip to Sandman-vision, where our hero just received a "Nightmare Alert". He knows should Jed hit bottom, he'd... I dunno, probably die in real life. Sandman's nightmare buddies (?) Brute and Glob are all "screw it, let'm fall", but he ignores them and fetches the lad anyway.
As Sandman flies Jed out of the danger zone, he instructs him to wake up. This must've been another loud nightmare, because Ezra has come to check on him again. Jed explains the dream... and so Ezra dishes out some Dolphin Island justice on the little toy... smashing it repeatedly against a table.
Realizing that what he'd just done was flat-out batty, Ezra does what anybody would do in that situation... grabs a shovel and buries the evidence. After shoveling the final scoop of dirt over the little beastie, he says that he hopes that their lives will be "peaceable" again. Dude, the doll like... just got there... like 15 minutes ago, what are you talking about?
Now for something completely different... the introduction of General Electric! We shift over to Japan where a pair of neurosurgeons discuss the impressive developments in "Japanese brain surgery". Doctor Masugi informs Doctor Kaufman that this is due to their ability to "observe" the brain. B-b-but how? Ya see, there was this fella who led the Kamikazes during World War II who somehow survived a crash despite his head being basically destroyed. And so, they rebuilt his head... out of electric devices, and covered the whole thing with a glass dome!
The pair of Em-Dees then visit with the General, who is busy building... uh-oh... dolls! Dr. Kaufman goes to reach for one of the dolls, at which time General Electric becomes rather violent.
A gaggle of guards bust in the door to see what the hub-bub's about. Masugi tells them that GE's gone mad... though, before he can be restrained he throws himself through a window to escape. The guards raise their guns, but Masugi stops them from firing... because, between all dem circuits and know-how, there's a ton of Yen invested in that man's noggin.
We hop back to Dolphin Island, and one week has passed. We join a curious dog... who approaches a curious clump of (ticking!) Earth. After digging a bit, the doggy finds quite the... er, curious creature.
That night, Sandman's Nightmare Alert once again goes off... however, this time it's a Four-Alarm Nightmare Alert! It would seem all of the children in the area of Dolphin Island are not only having a nightmare... they're having the same nightmare! Brute and Glob ask to be released from their glass encasements (via Sandman's "hypnosonic" whistle) to attend to the crisis. Sandman refuses, claiming they'd just bungle everything. He slides down his Ejector Tube, which looks like a lot of fun, and arrives in the mortal world... where an Earthquake is causing all sorts of damage! He immediately lends the first responders a hand.
Turns out his assistance isn't all that welcome. He's approached by an officer who begins reading him the riot act. When Sandman begins pouring some mystical sand over an injured man, the officer raises his gun. This leaves our man no other option than to start tossing sand every which way to put his pursuers to sleep for a bit. I guess we'll forget that there's an Earthquake occurring, and how the officers may have been of assistance to those affected.
Elsewhere on the island, young Jed is digging up his doll. As soon as he nyoinks the Werblink from the ground, a uniformed man demands he hand it over. Sandman rushes in to save the lad, and gets in a few good shots... before being clobbered by a Jeep.
We shift to the backroom of a doll repair shop on the mainland. It's adorable... it's got beds and everything. We learn that the man behind the mischief is... shocker (pun!) General Electric. The uniformed men hand over not only the Werblink, but Sandman and Jed as well. General Electric states he's been working on exacting his revenge on the United States since World War II.
His plan includes... dolls. Well, to be fair... they're computerized dolls. When he links both Werblinks together, electric charges will blow Washington D.C. clear off the map. Sandman wishes he'd have let Brute and Glob out of their pods... and as luck would have it, just then one of the baddies discovers the odd whistle he's carrying in his glove. For whatever reason, he gives it a toot.
This frees Brute and Glob... who fetch their sacks of snips, snails, and lizard tails with which they can torment the bad guys. They arrive in the mortal world and dump out their bags... terrifying the uniformed guards. General Electric hasn't the foggiest idea what could've gotten into them.
Brute and Glob are invisible to General Electric, and are able to quickly untie Sandman without a hitch (pun! I think). Glob gives the whistle a high-frequency toot, which... shatters poor G.E.'s fishbowl beanie... which is immediately followed by the entire doll shop going boom!
We wrap up with Sandman bidding Jed farewell, and saying he will forget all about this misadventure... just as though it were a dream. The issue ends with a note asking for a letter campaign should the fans want to see more of these characters. Wow, it's like 1st Issue Special up in here!
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Hey, now that was pretty weird! Dug the heck out of it, though. Definitely gave me 1st Issue Special vibes. I'm sure if this had come out a year later, it would've been an issue of 1st Issue! It's strange to consider that the next issue of this series wouldn't hit until several months later... and feature a completely different creative team! You'd (or I'd) figure the main draw to an oddball book like this would be the Simon and Kirby collaboration... not sure anybody's really chomping at seeing what Michael Fleisher and Ernie Chua have in store for these characters.
Now my history with this character comes from Neil Gaiman's Sandman and a bit from the JSA, where he's a bit batty... actually, he's a different dude altogether. Here, he's more of a straightforward heroic type... who just so happens to be able to cross from the dreamworld into the mortal realm. Though, I do suppose it's worth mentioning that this fella was originally intended to be the actual Sandman or myth... and not a costumed vigilante, per say.
Now the story itself... is really quite out there. It's crazy to me that two of the elder statesmen of the comics (and the craft of comics) are responsible for so many daring and outlandish 1970's concepts (several of which were introduced in 1st Issue Special). I'd reckon that had I read this as a child... it might just have disturbed me a bit. There's an odd loneliness to it... an isolation. Even when we hear that "all children" are being affected by nightmares... we still only see Jed. The Earthquake victims... just a mere handful of firefighters and officers. Not sure if Jack just didn't feel like flooding panels with humanity, or if the cast was left sparse on purpose.
General Electric is a strange villain, and his punny name makes me think of Prez for some reason. I could totally see him fitting in there, standing beside Boss Smiley or something. Man, these were some wild times... I feel like I really missed out.
Overall, this is one I'd definitely recommend... based on weirdness alone. The fact that the story is a lot of fun (and nice to look at) is just gravy! This has been reprinted a couple of times... in The Jack Kirby Omnibus, Volume Two (2011) and The Sandman by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (2009). Oddly enough, it doesn't seem to be available digitally. That's actually a bit of a surprise.
Anyhoo, before we wrap up... now that you're more familiar with this Sandman, I want to again recommend checking out Reggie's review of Sandman OVERsize Special #1 (released today! er, August 16, 2017 for time-travelers) over at Weird Science DC Comics.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Action Comics #207 (August, 1955)
"The Four Superman Medals!"
"Mystery of the Space Mutiny!"
"Man Against the Sea"
"Janu, the Human Chimp"
Writers - Otto Binder, Joe Malloy & Jack Miller
Pencillers - Wayne Boring, Jim Mooney & Edwin Smalle
Inkers - Stan Kaye & Wayne Boring
Editor - Whitney Ellsworth
Cover Price: $0.10
1955. That's like the very start of the days of the Comics Code Authority... and, hot-cross buns wouldja look at the size of that CCA stamp!
Let's get to it... I have a feeling this is gonna be a long one.
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Our first story opens with Superman... and he's in quite the pickle. Ya see, over the past four years he's presented Superman Medals to people deemed to be heroes at the annual Policemen's Dinner... and you'll never guess who's supposed to be the awardee this time around! Okay, that's a lie... you know it's Clark Kent, I know it's Clark Kent... we all know it's Clark Kent. Well, how can Clark Kent be there to get "pinned" by Superman... if he and Superman are one in the same? In fact, Clark pretended to have to work late to excuse his absence in the first place... Before the ceremony can conclude, Lois runs back to the office to pick up her pal.
This leaves Superman and the Police Chief with the need to vamp for a bit... and so, Superman shares the story of his first Superman Medal presentation... when he awarded it to a coward! Ya see, there was this jail break (featuring the Taylor Boys)... where one prisoner was too scared to flee. This scaredy-cat was "Daredevil" Conners former high-diver... who landed kinda wonky this one time, causing him to completely lose his nerve... and turn to vagrancy!
Well, eventually Conners was released... and here's where it gets confusing. He gets a letter from the Taylor Boys to meet them at the docks... but the letter was really from Superman... who knew the Taylors would be at the docks... but couldn't just round 'em up for... whatever reason? I dunno. Either way, at the docks Superman falls prey to a chunk of (gray) Kryptonite, and passes out.
The baddies tie Superman to the rock... and dump him into the drink. As luck would have it, "Daredevil" Conners has seen the whole thing and decides he might just have one more dive in him! We see Conners being awarded his Superman Medal, and during the ceremony he vows to "never be scared again".
One story down, and still... Lois has not returned with Clark. More vamping! Superman Medal numero dos went to a man who refused it! Here we meet Officer Wilson... a man who hoped to one day work alongside Superman. He took part in many daring rescues and heroic acts hoping to attract his hero's attention... but it seems like each time, Superman is busy elsewhere on the planet.
During the second annual Superman Medal presentation, Officer Wilson is presented with the award... but turns it down because he never actually worked with Superman, he was just doing his job! Superman informs him that he had been watching him via his telescopic vision, and knows he's gone above and beyond to make the world safer.
Well, Superman's only got one story left to tell... so let's get right to it. The third Superman Medal was awarded to... a criminal! Ya see, sometimes heroes get their intel from shady sources... like say, a man in a lead mask. This man tipped Superman off to some bad dudes... smugglers and counterfeiters and whatnot.
Turns out that the man in the lead mask had, gasp, an ulterior motive... he was just trying to wipe out some of his criminal competition so his gang could have full control over the underworld! Plus, that snazzy Superman Medal might afford him deeper access into things like... armored car companies (for some reason).
Superman is Johnny on the Spot for Leadmask's first outing... because the Superman Medal he's wearing is actually a dupe! It has a tiny wireless setup inside it which allowed Superman to listen in on all his nefarious plans!
Okay, all three stories have been told... but there's still no sign of Clark Kent. Oh boy... at this point, Superman heads out "for some air", but really goes to rifle through the police department's Missing Persons files... where he finds a fella who looks exactly like Clark Kent... which, I dunno, doesn't that also mean he looks exactly like Superman? I dunno... either way, Superman tracks down the look-alike, and finds him to be (conveniently) amnesiac "like most disappearance cases".
The story wraps with Superman actually being able to "pin" Clark Kent with a Medal. Following the ceremony, the man asks why Superman had him pretend to be Clark Kent... to which, Superman grabs him and throws him into the Sun... er, takes him for a speed-flight. Ya see, the faux-Clark used to be a test pilot... and the g-force of Superman's flight helped jog his memory. Never mind that the story actually ends with the pair in space...
Our second story features... Tommy Tomorrow. We open with he and his aide Captain Brent Wood on patrol. They receive a distress call from a Captain Cryle, who between gasps is reporting that he's in danger and people are breaking down his door. Tommy suggests Cryle was the victim of a mutiny and casually mentions that he didn't hear a door being broken down... which, well... that's going to be important... annnnd dumb. Two weeks later, Tommy and Brent finally arrive to answer the call and meet with the Mutineers.
Tommy confronts the Mutineer's physician, Dr. Blair. He admits that there was a mutiny, yet still pleads innocent of any wrongdoing. Tommy believes him, however, they're gonna need to 'splain. He leaves them to do some deeper investigation.
From here we get some silly science having to do with outrunning the speed of light via wormholes or something... which makes me wonder why they didn't just take a wormhole here to begin with... I mean, that beats the hell out of a two-week trek, right? Anyhoo... he states if they can beat the light to where it would be in one week's time... they can film the entire mutiny and play it back. Ay yai yai.
Whattayaknow, it works... Tommy returns to the Mutineers' planet with the footage... and learns that there was in fact a mutiny, just as Blair said... but also, the Mutineers (really, the "mutineers"?, oof) are completely innocent! Ya see, Captain Cryle saw a meteor swarm approaching and planned to outrun it. Seems fine... however, we now learn that Cappy had a bum ticker, and any increased velocity would likely cause him a fatal heart attack... and that's when the mutiny began. The crew didn't want to lose their Captain. Spoiler alert... he dies anyway.
But, what then of the distress call? I'm glad you asked... well, that was just the Captain talking in his sleep while having a nightmare. Toldja it was dumb. Anyhoo, the Mutineers are cleared and everything's hunky dory.
Next up is a text piece, which is special because it's the first text piece I've ever read! I usually skip these things... and after reading this one, I see how right I was to do so! It's the story of a man heading from Ecuador to Fiji in order to take a job. He travels via raft, and it's a heckuva trip. Next!
Our final story is... oh, c'mon... Congo Bill? Alright... we open with the thrilling scene of Bill, putting on his boots. Suddenly a lion sticks it head into the tent-flap. Bill, not having his rifle nearby (too bad, that) decides to try his luck taking the beast on in "bare-handed battle". It turns out it's actually his... I dunno, primal pal (?) Janu playing a practical joke using a prop lion-head from a visiting acting company's trunk. Wouldn't a master... whatever he is, like Congo Bill know the difference between a real lion and a prop?
Anyhoo, it looks like Congo Bill's current gig is escorting an actor named Tony across the jungle to a port town. Their chat is interrupted by a geek named Lester, who claims to have caught a tiny animal in his snare. Well, it turns out that "tiny animal" is actually a hippo... that's about to charge! Congo Bill, friend to nature, punches it in the nose.
The practical jokes keep coming as Janu finds a (very lifelike) chimp costume... and puts it on, because he's a dumb kid. At the same time, Congo Bill notes that a nearby volcano looks like it's getting ready to blow.
Lester sees Janu-as-chimp and decides to capture him as a pet... that costume is pretty convincing... even if Lester is a bit of a dope. Janu-chimp is tossed into a cage, where he begins to plead his case. Wha---? A talking-chimp!
Lester runs over to the grown-ups to show off his fantastic find. Mark Trail Congo Bill knows it's really his little pal Janu, but decides to play along to teach the kid a lesson. While Lester and Tony consider taking the chimp to Hollywood, the volcano "blows it's top" sending a large rock into the tree they are standing under... causing a branch to come down and crush pin Bill down. Oh yeah, and the animals begin to stampede.
Janu thinks fast and uses the momentum of one of the stampeders to break out of the cage. From there he hops around the perimeter setting leaves on fire, knowing the animals won't cross.
Not only does Janu set the leaves on fire... his chimp-suit also goes up in flames! The story ends with Janu being regaled for his heroic act, while Lester tries to get Janu's pet chimp Chota to speak. Wonk wonk.
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Welp, can't say kids didn't get their dimes' worth back in the mid-50's. But, whew... a lot of this was pretty boring.
I'm pretty sure I read the most boring story ever written today... but I'm not sure if it starred Tommy Tomorrow or an unemployed fella who rafted from Ecuador to Fiji.
Let's get Tommy out of the way. This was almost aggressively dull, and I swear it took me multiple tries to get through the six-pages it spanned. The thing of it is, though... it's not a completely terrible story. There's some neat science fiction here, and the idea of beating the speed of light somewhere is interesting and fun in a tin-can robot sort of way. That said, the story put me to sleep. Though to be fair, I'm sure a child in the 50's would get more out of this than I did.
The Congo Bill story was... I wanna say, also pretty dull... while at the same time, decently fun. It reminded me a lot of syndicated strip Mark Trail aesthetically, and it's light tone was appreciated after the slog that was Tommy Tomorrow and the text-piece.
The lead-off story was... eh. It was a Superman story... but one I don't think I'd ever need to read again. This is pretty much what I thought Superman stories were when I was a kid... just him trying to keep his secret identity a... secret. Low-stakes storytelling with "creative" ways to keep his "C.K." under wraps.
The stories of the Medals were... I dunno, a way to fill pages, I suppose... and were decent enough "asides". The bit with Superman digging through the missing persons files though... woof, that's some wacky and convenient stuff. I know stories of this era really don't lend themselves to analysis... and it's probably a bit unfair for me to look at them like I would a (more) contemporary book... but, we're already here.
Overall... I think you could probably get through life just fine without reading this comic book. Sure there's some fun here... if you're a fan of some sillier pre-Silver Age stories, there is a lot to dig. If you're a fan of vintage ads... even more! To my knowledge, this issue has never been collected (nor has it been made available digitally)... and I wouldn't recommend paying more than a few bucks for it should you come across it "in the wild".
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