American Update: The Atlas Explosion! Police Action and Police Badge #479 – Two Complete Series
*Miscellaneous 1940-1959: 1954’s Police Action took a spin on the crime genre by having the police’s perspective as the dominant viewpoint – but don’t worry, there was still enough lurid gunplay for all, especially in the first issue, with violent art by the infamous Robert Q. Sale. Colan, Lawrence and Maneely are other contributing artists to this seven-issue Pre-Code series, which like so many crime titles gave up the ghost with the threatened advent of the Comics Code Authority. Police Action #1-7, complete run, is new in this week. Post-Code, Atlas tried again with Police Badge #479 (that’s the full title, not the issue number), which launched in 1955 with issue #5, continuing from the defunct Spy Thrillers. Despite an engaging Joe Maneely cover, interiors by Maneely and Heck, and an unusual concept (the story of rookie cop Jim Hudson), the series didn’t ‘take’, and issue #5, the first, was also the final, so – buy it, and you’ve completed the set! Pictured is Police Action #1 GD £35; for details of the others, check out our online catalogue.