Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Brain Trap"

We conclude our look at Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) with...

...a tale of brains, business, and betrayal!

And so, the world had to wait, until the mind-reading side-effects were filtered out, for Rogaine...

This never-reprinted, story was illustrated by George Roussos, but the writer is, mercifully, unknown.

BTW, there's one more tale in the issue, but since it's a Cold War spy story, it'll appear in our brother RetroBlog Crime & Punishment next week!

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Lead-Lined Box!"

What lay hidden in the back of Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956)...

...something so hideous that it couldn't even be hinted at on the cover?

Wow!

I hope the SPCA or PETA never sees this tale illustrated by Chuck Miller (aka Charles F Miller)!

The writer is unknown.

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "Men in Glass"

The last cover-featured story is about a recent immigrant to our shores...

...and how his actions had consequences for the United States, and the entire Earth!

The Star Spangled Banner has always been a difficult tune to sing, but who knew it could be used as a weapon?

Illustrated by Don Heck, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) takes the "high note can shatter glass" trope to a whole new level.
OTOH, if the aliens' helmets had been made of plastic or "transparent aluminium" or some such instead of glass, we'd all be chanting "Hail Zarki!"
Though this is the last tale to have a spot on the cover, there's several more to come, so be back tomorrow for more sci-fi comics unseen for over 60 years!

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "By the Dark of the Moon"

This cover-featured tale has a gothic horror feel...

...but, in fact, it's science fiction!

Was this story's ending rewritten to conform to the Comics Code?

Scripted by Carl Wessler and ilustrated by John Giunta, this never-reprinted tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) features a last panel with a rather convoluted explanation that seems, as the saying goes "out of left field".
That's the danger of trying to cram a lot of story into only four pages.

Reading Room WORLD OF SUSPENSE "While Simon Slept"

Over the next few days, we're going to run a complete issue of never-reprinted tales...

...which, if you go by the Carl Burgos-illustrated cover, are horror stories.
But, you'd be wrong.

Let's open with a story shown on the cover as a small vignette, but still given the first spot in the book!

Why would anyone be carrying around both theirs and their brother's birth certificates?

Illustrated by Bill Everett, this tale from Atlas' World of Suspense #5 (1956) has some serious plot holes.

But, hey, what can you expect in only four pages?
BTW, the scripter is unknown, but could've been Everett himself.

Reading Room KIDNAPPED BY A SPACE SHIP "Part 8 - Race with Death"

When Last We Left Our Stranded Heroes...

...to be blunt, they were about to die, either covered in lava, or hurled into the void when the alien world they're on is hit by a wandering planet!

This never-reprinted tale by writer Frances Crandall and artist Fran Matera from Treasure Chest V14N18 (1959) winds up the the serialized storyline.

Though these characters never reappeared, Treasure Chest continued to do sci-fi/fantasy serials until the book was cancelled in 1972...after publishing over 500 issues!

Man from U.N.C.L.E. From 1965 to 2015!

The new Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie opens this Friday...

...and our "brother" RetroBlog, Secret Sanctum of Captain Video, will be doing a feature on the previous U.N.C.L.E. films.

But before that, we invite you to have a look at the premiere issue of the 1960s comic based on the TV series!

"Why?", you may ask?

Two reasons.

1) It's the closest the comic came to doing an epic tale that would've made a helluva big budget movie.

2) Oddly, enough, the renderings of Solo and Kuryakin look a lot like Henry Cavil and Armie Hammer!

Judge for yourself!