Chapter 13 July 1948Planet Comics #55

Chapter 13 of the Futura Saga from Planet

Comics #55 (July 1948) gives the reader a

rapid-fire succession of action and new ideas.

Nearly too much at times for the space allotted.

The Venusians are still seeking freedom, the

Space Patrol shows up and the menace of the

Space Tyrant so readily beat down by Futura in

the previous chapter is replaced by the

introduction of a new character, that of Yrina the

Corsair Queen.Planet Comics #55 (July 1948)

Planet Comics #55 (July 1948)

When Yrina is first revealed her pose is identical

to that of one made by Futura from Chapter 12.

That Futura and Yrina appear alike when

introduced is more than an example of that

economical, deadline-induced style that Fiction

House demonstrated so often. While some

could dismiss the panel layouts as derivative of

previous artwork what is clear is that Yrina is a

crafty pirate and the artist drew a similarity

between the two women that was, perhaps

unconsciously, for a reason. Chapter 13 of the

Futura Saga may be a lesson for the title

character: That the protagonist and antagonist

may differ only by the choices they made and

the paths taken.

Planet Comics

was a science fiction comic-book title

produced by Fiction House and issued

from Jan. 1940 (issue 1) to Winter 1953

(issue 73). Like many of Fiction House's

early comics titles, Planet Comics was a

spinoff of a pulp magazine, in this case

Planet Stories, which featured space

operatic tales of muscular, heroic space

adventurers who were quick with their 'ray

pistols' and always running into gorgeous

females who needed rescue from bug-

eyed space aliens or fiendish interstellar

bad guys.

Planet Comics #1 (January 1940)

Planet Comics was considered by noted fan Raymond Miller to be "perhaps the best of the

Fiction House group," as well as "most collected and most valued." In Miller's opinion, it

"wasn't really featuring good art or stories... in the first dozen or so issues," not gaining most

of "its better known characters" until "about the 10th issue." "Only 3 of its long running strips

started with the first issue... Flint Baker, Auro - Lord of Jupiter, and the Red Comet."