As I was discovering the wonders that are pre-Code horror and science fiction titles, two things happened in succession. First, I finally read Jon Morris's amazing The League of Regrettable Superheroes, a wonderful look at some of the strange heroes of the early days of comics. Moon Girl is one of them. Second, as I was picking up a reprint collection, I noted that they had replica editions of some comics at my local comic shop. Moon Girl was one of them.
As EC's only costumed hero, I was intrigued, and the reprints from Canton Street Press are super-cool. And I've been talking about adding depth to the collection. The replica is slightly different than the reprint in that the comic in its entirety is reprinted. We don't often get this in reprint volumes. Indeed, the ads from 1948 are chilling - one invites you to purchase, through the mail, a proper .22 caliber rifle for $11.95. I know that was a lot then, but it's the mail order aspect I find bizarre.
Moon Girl's adventures are cool, and I think I might pick up a couple more of the replicas, though they are a bit more expensive than your average comic. What these editions do bring nicely to the books is the materials from which they're made, far superior to the original editions. There was definitely something a little magical in reading a comic that, aside from its newness, was exactly the same as the original, read by some forgotten fan 70 years ago. Literature forges connection.
(Edit: I totally forgot to mention that the last story is an incredible one about crooks trying to stir up racial unrest in order to buy up property and make a lot of money. Remember, 1948 - things haven't changed much in the last 70 years.)
More to come...
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