Number 2127: The mad killer

Walter Graves (an appropriate surname) is a psychiatric casualty of World War II. Shortly after the war he has trouble holding a job because of anger and violence issues. Walter has headaches. His doctor says there is no organic cause he can find, but Walter should get mental health treatment. Walter refuses, and as he leaves the doctor thinks, “He is a latent paranoid — a potential killer!” Is there such a thing as a latent paranoid? I was raised by a paranoid. Despite there being levels of paranoia I observed over the years (sometimes not so paranoid, sometimes very paranoid), the condition was always there. And being paranoid doesn’t necessarily make one a potential killer. So, folks, I am cautioning you, do not get your information on mental illness from comic books.

Since this is just a five-page story, in short order Walter takes care of his career as “the Destroyer,” murdering four people he blames for his problems. At the end of the story Walter’s doctor says, “This could have been prevented if there were laws covering potential killers . . . to keep them from walking the streets . . . we never know when some madman like Graves will strike! We never know — who’s next?” Unfortunately, not so easy, as we in the real world are often reminded. So-called “madness” is not always a reason for multiple murders.

Who is Next? #5 (1952) is the name of the one-issue only crime comic book from Standard. The writer of the story is unknown, but the art is by Eisner Award winner Nick Cardy, a longtime comic book pro who did some brilliant work for DC Comics later in his career.

I showed another story of a killer from Who is Next? in 2013. Just click on the cover (which also features the Jeepers Girl, a particular obsession of this blog and Pappy.

Number 1402: Don’t let me kill again!

This story from the Standard Comics 1953 issue of Who Is Next #5 (actually #1 — and only issue) is inspired by a real-life case. In 1946 Chicago a message was left behind at a crime scene:

Click on the picture for a short article on Heirens, which includes a two-page Life magazine article from 1946 about the case.

The so-called Lipstick Killer was caught and identified as William Heirens. Heirens died in prison at age 83, after serving the longest term of any inmate in the U.S.

In this story, drawn by Mike Sekowsky and an unknown inker, ugliness is the motive. A poor homely schmuck from a dysfunctional home kills beautiful girls because they are repelled by his looks. I’ve always found plots like that kind of cheap. If that was a motive for murder there wouldn’t be anyone left.