#Golden Age Sandman

[waveblazer]

These are the kind of shenanigans that I hope to see in the new Sandman mini series. More of Wes being unhinged pls.

From Adventure Comics #46

[chernobog13]

I’m sorry, Sandman, but there’s no place in the Justice Society of America for scelerophobes!

[doesithavetobeaspider]

Sandman Mystery Theatre #57 by Steven T. Seagle/Matt Wagner and Michael Lark

[jewishcissiekj]

DC Comics JewShowdown round 1A part 6

Wesley was raised Jewish-Catholic btw, thought it was interesting

[kekwcomics]

JACK'S GOLDEN AGE "GRABBERS"

Can't remember which comic this back-up intro is from -- one of the Fourth World 52 page giants when Marvel and DC briefly up-sized -- gonna have to check my Fourth World comics to find it...

[mahoganyrust]

“Dreams of the Empire”

My boyyyyyyy. My sonnnnnnnn.

(Comms open btw <3)

[fourcorpsmen]

Don't mistake pacifism for fear.

[dcdreamblog]

@terriwriting That's actually a great question. I assume you're thinking of "The Phantom of the Fair" Very mysterious that one. Though he's known as "The First Supervillain" in many respects his actual story is unclear even to this day. I can share what I know though.

This is probably the clearest photo ever taken of the man, from very early on the morning of April 30th, 1939 taken by a photographer from the New York Globe-Leader. The photographer assumed it was some kind of statue only "it" vanished when he went to take a second picture. No one was prepared for what would occur during the opening ceremony conducted by then mayor Fiorello La Guardia

Another photo, this time from the Planet capturing the moment where the Phantom dropped in on La Guardia, causing a panic in the crowd and taking the microphone The Phantom spoke the now famous works "Men and women of New York City—this World's Fair is now declared officially haunted by the Phantom of the Fair!" before vanishing back into the rooftops despite the best efforts of the NYPD

Now you would THINK that he would instantly be marked for arrest but World's Fairs aren't cheap so Mayor La Guardia, in his infinite wisdom, treated the guy like a publicity stunt for the next several days.

A photo of the Phantom taken on the evening of May 3rd, 1939 as a spotlight is pointed up at the building. No attempt is made to apprehend the Phantom It wasn't until the visit of the UK's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth that the Phantom made a move. Somehow "reprogramming" the mechanical marvel Elektro in the other room and sending it to attack the royal couple.

The police escort was caught totally flat footed and the royal couple was nearly smashed beneath the robot's heavy iron boot until...

The appearance of two strange men. One in an inhuman gas mask and the other in a blood red cloak. Courtesy of the Gazette Up until that point "The Sandman" and "The Crimson Avenger" were considered myths, legend, yellow journalism crafted by a New York in the midst of the Great Depression and an organized crime spike. A modern day Spring Heeled Jack. But there they were. Their fight with the rampaging Elektro and the Phantom lasted for upwards of two hours across the interiors and rooftops of the Fair's central buildings. In the end the broken robot was left sprawled across the dance floor of the central hall and the Phantom was nowhere to be found.

Now this one, taken after the defeat of the Phantom by a photographer from the Planet is one of my favorite shots in history. Beneath this picture, a reporter would coin the term "Mystery Man" and it is at that very moment that the age of the superhero is born. The Sandman and The Crimson Avenger had made themselves known as not just specters in the dark but honest to god crime fighters known the world over. This is the photograph that christened an era. Within the next year we would move from "Yellow Journalism" to the foundation of the Justice Society. As for the Phantom, no one really knows what happened to him. but there are two popular theories. The historically attested theory and the one that was unquestioned for the longest time is that The Phantom was a Nazi saboteur attempting to assassinate King George VI on American soul to alienate the two nations and remove a powerful symbol against fascism (possibly attempting to secure the throne for Edward VIII who was more sympathetic to the German cause) In the early 90s however historian Matt Wagner put forward a theory connecting the Phantom to a man named Gerald Zimmerman as the suspect in a series of anti-queer hate crimes that occurred near the fairgrounds in the days leading up to the Fair itself. The crimes, as one can expect of anti-gay killings investigated in the 1930s, were never conclusively solved but circumstantial evidence and modern psychological analysis of the Phantom and Zimmerman gives the theory some legs. As a historian myself, I can't make conclusive proof one way or another. Rest assured the Fairground has LONG since been scoured for every single scrap of proof that might grant us insight one way or the other Perhaps the Phantom was one last Penny Dreadful style unsolved mystery to open the door to a newer age. When these "Mystery Men" would, for once and always, step out of the shadows as the world sat balanced on a knife's edge.

[onlylonelylatino]

Blue Beetle and the All-Star Squadron & Freedom Fighters by Jerry Ordway

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

Crime's Nightmare, The Sandman

[cgbcomics]

[waveblazer]

LET’S FUCKING GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“ Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Rob Venditti (Superman ‘78) with art from Riley Rossmo (Harley Quinn) shows the titular character as a pacifist. He has given up on the hope of a peaceful world, but he hasn’t stopped believing that people can be better to each other, if they’re only given the right tools. Possessing a scientist’s optimism and romanticism, he is convinced that humanity can invent cures for its own ills. Having learned about the battlefield horrors of World War I from his father, he sought to create a sleep gas that would allow for “humane” warfare. During his research, he recorded all of his attempts in his science journal - even those with horribly deadly consequences - swearing to never show them to the world. Now his journal has been stolen, and he must find the culprit and stop them before his deadly mis-inventions fall into the arsenals of the belligerent nations threatening to pull the United States into the next world war. “

bit.ly/3LV2HRM

[chernobog13]

Sandman and Sandy meet up with the Crime Carnival!

From Adventure Comics (vol. 1) #84 (March 1943), by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

[evilhorse]

Wesley Dodds The Sandman #3

[inhousearchive]

House-ad for The New Golden Age initiative appearing in DC Comics titles throughout September 2023.

[thesleeplessdream]

Headcanon: How I imagine the people of the golden Age's eyes generally looked :D