Like Batman, Mart Bailey's “Face” was introduced to readers of Big Shot Comics #1 (1940) without a proper origin story. He just appeared already in action as a do-gooder, in this case going after a grafting politician. Of all the things a criminal can do, this one fed poisoned turkey to orphan children!
The Face appeared in Big Shot through issue #62 with his fright mask, then went back to his civilian identity as Tony Trent through the end of the Big Shot run, issue #104 in 1949. He even had a couple of solo issues of The Face and two of Tony Trent. Early on his success might've been a surprise for the publisher, because the feature's name doesn't appear on the cover of the first issue.
In multiple ways, the Face reminds me of later characters created by Steve Ditko.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Daniel. Ditko actually did a revival of the Face in 1986 for a comic called What is...the Face for publisher Ron Frantz.
ReplyDeleteIt's part of a longer piece about Ditko's more obscure comics here.
Well, that makes sense, now. And I agree with Daniel. As I see it, both Mr.A and The Question seem related to the Face. But, overall, Ditko seems to have preferred anonymity to horror - a mask that is a faceless face, instead of one that is scary ugly. (His studio-mate may have had an influence on him, there.)
ReplyDeleteHuh. I was going to mention the similarities of THE FACE to any number of Ditko characters. It's pretty obvious.
ReplyDeleteI did not know Ditko had rendered a revival of the title, but it's obviously a natural for him.