Best of Reading Room: COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB "Giants from the Depths"

Having successfully defeated one world-threatening menace...

...and completed their shake-down cruise, the aptly-named Commander Battle and his Atomic Sub are ready for action!

Tomorrow:

Giant Squid!

Giant Humanoids!

Giant Thrills!

The pseudo 3-D created by Craft-Tint tones used in the first issue was eliminated for #2 of ACG's Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub (1954), although it looks like the pages were initially-conceived to utilize the Craft-Tint effects to create depth.
Without it, the giants aren't quite as imposing as they would have been, and panels like the last one on Page 7 (Battle bailing out of the airplane) just look silly.
Script by Richard Hughes, the Stan Lee of ACG who wrote practically everything at the company during his tenure as editor/writer!

Pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Al Camy, Odgen Whitney and others.

Reading Room FORBIDDEN WORLDS "Madman--or Psychic?'

Our final (we swear) Abraham Lincoln-themed story...

...is this never-reprinted piece from ACG's Forbidden Worlds #90 (1960), probably written by editor Richard Hughes and definitely illustrated by George Klein.
OK, I got a bit carried away with this theme, but I didn't even touch the stories where superheroes (Kal-El tried it twice, both as Superman and Superboy) try to go back in time to avert the assassination...

Reading Room UNKNOWN WORLDS "Man Who Could Fortell Death!"

There are so many comic tales relating to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln...

...that our blog is overflowing with them!

This never-reprinted tale from ACG's Unknown Worlds #17 (1962) by writer "Zev Zimmer" (actually editor Richard Hughes, who wrote almost all of ACG's output) and artist Tom Hickey was one of several Lincoln-themed stories ACG published in their anthologies.

Reading Room: COMMANDER BATTLE AND HIS ATOMIC SUBMARINE...in REAL 3-D! Conclusion

When Last We Left Our 3-D Heroes...

...that really says it all, doesn't it?
BTW, wouldn't this comic make a great multi-million dollar cgi-fx movie?
(Wait a sec...they did a BattleShip flick...and, man, did it suck!)

Aquatic aliens vs the US Navy!
These guys at American Comics Group were ahead of their time...by over 50 years...and theirs was better!
On with the story...and remember; Left Lens Red/Right Lens Blue!

BTW, you can read the original "TrueVision" (non real 3-D) version of this chapter HERE!

Script by Richard Hughes, the Stan Lee of ACG who wrote practically everything during his tenure as editor/writer!

Pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Odgen Whitney and others.
As for how this 3-D adaptation came about...

You'll note that, in 1990, without the Grand Comics Database and its' contributors, the artists of Commander Battle were mis-identified.
ACG rarely ran credits before the Silver Age, so the mistake on this 1950s tale was understandable.

Reading Room: COMMANDER BATTLE AND HIS ATOMIC SUBMARINE...in REAL 3-D! Part 2

When Last We Left Our 3-D Heroes...

Now, that's a synopsis!

(For the record, the "saucer" still looks like a doughnut!)

On with the story...and get out those old red/blue glasses, kids!

Remember, red on the left and blue on the right!

I could see the editorial conference now...

"OK, guys, for our first issue we have..

3-D (sort of) effects!

An atomic sub!

Evil aliens!

A "flying saucer"!

The underwater city of Atlantis!

A giant sea monster!

Did we leave anything out?"

Find out tomorrow in the pulse-pounding conclusion!

Script by Richard Hughes, the "Stan Lee" of ACG who wrote practically everything during his tenure as editor/writer!

Pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Odgen Whitney and others.

BTW, you can read the original, pseudo 3-D version of this chapter HERE!

Reading Room: COMMANDER BATTLE AND HIS ATOMIC SUBMARINE...in REAL 3-D!

Recently, we presented this pseudo 3-D comic tale...

...and then, we discovered that the legendary Ray Zone had taken the story and coverted it to real 3-D!

So get out those old red/blue glasses, kids!

Remember, red on the left and blue on the right!

Travel back to the 1950s, when atomic power was all that stood between us and flying saucers...

Oddly enough, the "flying saucer" looks more like a flying doughnut...or the 1950s concept of a space station as seen in then-contemporary films like Conquest of Space!
Script by Richard Hughes, the "Stan Lee" of ACG who wrote practically everything during his tenure as editor/writer!

Pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Odgen Whitney and others.

Be here tomorrow for Part 2 when we'll see who's behind the "flying saucer"...

Best of Reading Room: COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

...that really says it all, doesn't it?
BTW, wouldn't this comic make a great multi-million dollar cgi-fx movie?
(Wait a sec...they're doing a BattleShip flick...)

 Aquatic aliens vs the US Navy!
These guys at American Comics Group were ahead of their time...by over 50 years...and theirs was better!
On with the story...

Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub will return...soon!
(I wanna see what happens next, too!)

Script by Richard Hughes, the Stan Lee of ACG who wrote practically everything during his tenure as editor/writer!

Pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Odgen Whitney and others.

Best of Reading Room: COMMANDER BATTLE AND THE ATOMIC SUB Part 2

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

Now, that's a synopsis!

(For the record, the "saucer" still looks like a doughnut!)

On with the story...

I could see the editorial conference now...

"OK, guys, for our first issue we have..

3-D (sort of) effects!

An atomic sub!

Evil aliens!

A "flying saucer"!

The underwater city of Atlantis!

A giant sea monster!

Did we leave anything out?"

Find out tomorrow in the pulse-pounding conclusion!

Script by Richard Hughes, the Stan Lee of ACG who wrote practically everything during his tenure as editor/writer!

Pencils by Sheldon Moldoff, inks by Odgen Whitney and others.