New Comics #5
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeNew Comics #5 (June 1936) is a noteworthy entry in DC's earliest anthology lineup, notable chiefly as the debut issue of 'Steve Conrad, Adventurer,' a two-page science-fiction and action feature created entirely by Creig Flessel — one of the first Golden Age artists to both write and draw his own strip for what would become DC Comics. The issue also continued the run of 'Federal Men,' the G-man serial by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster that represented their most sustained pre-Superman work, giving Siegel and Shuster a regular full-color platform years before Action Comics #1. As part of the New Comics series — itself the direct ancestor of the long-running Adventure Comics — every issue in the run is a structural building block of DC's publishing history, documenting how the anthology format evolved from humor tabloid to the serialized adventure vehicle that would eventually house major Golden Age characters.
In "The Train Robbery, Part 4," Bob and Captain Jim push forward on the trail of the outlaws, only to split up when the fugitives scatter. Bob rides toward the mountain pass, unaware that the path ahead hides a deadly ambush—his route suddenly blocked, leaving him trapped with no clear way forward.
In "Episode 4" from New Comics #5 (1936), Larry and Dougal race to save Sally, only to find the cabin empty. With no time to waste, they press on to Blackface’s cave, where the outlaw awaits at the entrance, gun drawn—just as Dougal makes a daring leap from above.
In this lighthearted 1936 tale from *New Comics #5*, Oz heads to the butcher for beef, only to nap on a park bench and wake up to find his purchase gone. When he rushes home, fearing his maw’s wrath, he’s surprised to learn Bosko the dog had already retrieved the meat and dinner is waiting.
In the wilds of the jungle, Sandor—raised by a pack of wild dogs and now their leader—races to save one of his pack from a deadly tiger. His victory is short-lived, as he’s confronted by the men of the Rajah, a foe he’s long evaded.
In this 1936 tale from New Comics #5, Geraint faces off against the elusive Sparrow Hawk in a duel that begins on horseback with lances and ends on foot with broadswords, testing both skill and strength. As the dust settles, Geraint returns to Camelot to be united with the fair Enid in marriage.
Jo and the others race to Dolorosa Isle in Conrad’s lightning-fast Cyanogen Cruiser, with Myra Rutherford secretly aboard—her presence adding tension to the already urgent expedition. The island looms ahead, its mysteries waiting just beyond the shore.
In the rugged halls of ancient Norse tradition, Ivar steps into leadership after his father’s passing—only to face a fierce trial from Haal the Strong. Their clash of wills and strength tests not just skill, but the very nature of rightful rule. When Ivar spares Haal’s life, the challenger’s oath of loyalty becomes a bond forged in honor.
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New Comics was launched by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in December 1935 as the second continuing title from his National Allied Publications, the company that eventually became DC Comics. Wheeler-Nicholson personally commissioned 'Federal Men' from Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in an October 1935 letter, describing the concept as a fast-moving G-man strip — a concept drawn from his own pulp-fiction sensibilities. Creig Flessel, a pulp and advertising illustrator who had answered a Wheeler-Nicholson classified ad in The New York Times, entered the DC ecosystem around the time of issue #5, bringing 'Steve Conrad, Adventurer' to the book as one of his earliest comic book assignments. By mid-1936 the title was being published by what Wheeler-Nicholson had reorganized as Nicholson Publishing, reflecting the financial and editorial pressures that would soon push the Major out of his own company.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: June 1936; on-sale date: May 1, 1936 (New Comics Vol. 1 #5).
- First appearance of Steve Conrad, Adventurer — a two-page science-fiction/action feature written and drawn by Creig Flessel, introducing the character and his futuristic vessel, the Cyanogen Cruiser.
- Steve Conrad's debut story involves an expedition to Dolorosa Island aboard the Cyanogen Cruiser, with Myra Rutherford stowing away — establishing the series' globe-trotting, pulp-adventure tone.
- The Federal Men feature starring FBI agent Steve Carson — created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster — continued its run in this issue, part of a serial that ran from New Comics #2 through Adventure Comics #57.
- First issue of 'Famous Poems Illustrated,' a new feature; this installment adapted 'King Robert of Sicily' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Henry Kiefer.
- First appearance of the Sandor strip by Homer Fleming, and of 'Rattlesnake Pete' and 'Rock-Age Roy,' two new features by cartoonist Boody Rogers.
- Last issue to carry 'Sir Loin of Beef' under that title — the strip was retitled 'Don Coyote' the following issue; likewise, 'Sagebrush and Cactus' ended its run under that name here.
- New Comics was the direct predecessor of New Adventure Comics (from issue #12) and then Adventure Comics (from issue #32), making every issue in the series part of one of DC's longest-running publication lineages.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Mirim #12 (1937), Mirim #16 (1937), Atomic Comics #1 (1946)
Key issues in New Comics
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