All-American Comics #88 is an issue of the series All-American Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1947.
Synopsis for Green Lantern: "Canvas of Crime"
Alan Scott's invited to an exhibition of the latest works of eccentric artist Jason Wrenn, but he and the other benefactors are horrified when Wrenn's works show them all being murdered; one by hanging, one by drowning in his swimming pool, and the last being killed by a hit-and-run driver. No-one's more horrified than Wrenn himself, who insists this isn't what he meant to show them, especially the one showing his own death by stabbing. Wrenn expires exactly as the picture showed then, indicating this is more than just a grim jest. The other attendees note Alan Scott was the only one seated apart from them, and he had no picture showing his death, making them suspicious. He tries to get away to clear his name, but is captured and thrown in a closet to await the arrival of the police. Fortunately Doiby feeds him the magic lantern down on a fishing line so he can power up his ring and easily escape as Green Lantern.
While Doiby drives the three attendees home, Green Lantern has no trouble convincing the police to let him check Wrenn's studio for clues, and he finds something suspicious about the light fixture. In the middle of his check, gangsters suddenly break in. Green Lantern easily defeats them, but a policeman on the scene was shot and the hero has to leave them there to get him to a hospital. Things get even worse for GL's alter ego when someone claiming to be Alan Scott and matching his voice exactly calls the police and threatens the lives of the other men. GL saves the one who's about to be run over as in the picture of his demise, then follows the car to the house of the third attendee, Mr. Sands, who's the one really behind the threats of murder.
Moonlight casts the eavesdropping hero's silhouette on the wall and the gangsters attack him, eventually knocking him unconscious with a wooden chair over the head. They tie Green Lantern to the hood of a car, and set it running down the last man's driveway to kill the hero and show how powerless anyone is to resist them. GL escapes and clobbers the men (Sands ending up with his head stuck through a billboard of a film called "The Noose", ironically suffering a non-lethal version of his fate from the art). As for how it seemed like Alan Scott was the one delivering the ominous phone messages, it turns out to be the audio equivalent of a ransom note made from newspaper clippings; Sands took words spoken on Scott's radio broadcasts and strung them together into the sequence he needed.
Appearing in Green Lantern: "Canvas of Crime"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mr. Sands
- Petty criminals
Other Characters:
- Jason Wrenn (artist)(Single appearance; dies)
- Dale (Single appearance; dies)
- Foster
- Police Officers
Locations:
- Gotham City
- WXYZ Radio
- Jason Wrenn's studio
- Dale estate
- Foster estate
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Mutt & Jeff"
(newspaper strip reprints)
Appearing in "Mutt & Jeff"
Featured Characters:
- Mutt
- Jeff
Synopsis for Dr. Mid-Nite: "Tarantula Unmasks Dr. Mid-Nite"
Logger, an underling to the crime boss called the Tarantula, has methodically worked out the facts that Dr. Charles McNider and Dr. Mid-Nite are the same size, weight, and body-type. Tarantula is skeptical, but to prove his point, Logger has kidnapped McNider, and brought him to the hide-out, in a sack. McNider is conscious now, and tied to a chair. Tarantula proposes to test Logger's theory by pulling a big crime; if Mid-Nite shows up and disrupts it then Logger is wrong, but if he doesn't, then McNider is a goner and Tarantula will be the biggest guy in the rackets!
Tarantula cuts in on all commercial radio broadcasting to announce his intention of freeing the Ramey Gang from the Paul Street Police Station, and stealing their loot from the evidence safe. The cops are forewarned, but Tarantula gets knock-out gas into their ventilation system and his gang soon has the run of the station. While they're opening the evidence safe, Doctor Mid-Nite charges into the room, avoids all their gunfire, and punches most of them out. Cops wake up; Tarantula flees; Mid-Nite disappears.
Tarantula gets back to his hide-out, and McNider is still there, so Logger is wrong, but McNider still knows too much, so it's time to knock him off. Tarantula believes that Mid-Nite is on his trail, so departs to hide out at the Rex Roadhouse. He leaves without noticing that McNider is not really tied up, and that Logger is hypnotized; McNider has been speaking for both of them.
Tarantula holes up at the abandoned Rex Roadhouse, but Dr. Mid-Nite has gotten there ahead of him, again they fight at close quarters. Tarantula shoots twice and misses, then Mid-Nite lays him out with a haymaker.
Half an hour later, at Tarantula's HQ, Logger wakes up from a nap; Dr. McNider is still there and looks tied up, but the cops are at the door, having been tipped off by Dr. Mid-Nite. As he departs in handcuffs, Logger now believes that McNider and Mid-Nite are two separate guys.
Appearing in Dr. Mid-Nite: "Tarantula Unmasks Dr. Mid-Nite"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Tarantula (Single appearance)
- Logger
- at least two more hoods
- Ramey Gang (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- New York City
- McNider's Apartment
- Tarantula Gang's Hide-out
- Paul Street Station
- Rex Roadhouse
Items:
- Mid-Nite's Infra-red Goggles
Synopsis for Black Pirate: "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right"
Appearing in Black Pirate: "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Don Stiletto
Other Characters:
- Governor
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Hop Harrigan: "El Gringo Dingo or Go 'way, Bossie"
Appearing in Hop Harrigan: "El Gringo Dingo or Go 'way, Bossie"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- El Gringo Dingo
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Published monthly by National Comics Publications, Inc.
Trivia
- This is the second Green Lantern story involving a criminal using the trick of rearranging Alan Scott's words into an audio recording to destroy his reputation. The first was "On the Air" from Green Lantern #20.
- Dr. Mid-Nite measures: height 6 ft, weight 180 pounds, chest 42 in., waist 30 in.
See Also
Links and References
