Merlin the Magician

Few names carry more mystique than Merlin, and this Golden Age incarnation — conjured into existence in 1940 by the legendary Will Eisner alongside Dave Berg — made his debut in the very first issue of Quality Comics' National Comics, a collector's landmark in its own right. Emerging at the dawn of comics' golden era, he shares those storied pages with a remarkable cast including Uncle Sam himself, Wonder Boy, and Sally O'Neil, placing him squarely in the patriotic, adventure-packed spirit of the early 1940s. His appearances are few and precious — a true rarity for dedicated Golden Age hunters — with his stories preserved today through Gwandanaland Comics reprints that keep this vintage conjurer accessible to modern enthusiasts. If you love the atmospheric, anything-goes energy of comics' earliest days and the thrill of a character touched by Eisner's own hand, Merlin the Magician is a hidden gem absolutely worth seeking out.