Police Comics #11
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePolice Comics #11 marks the single most significant expansion of Quality Comics' already packed anthology, because it is the issue where Will Eisner's The Spirit made his first appearance in a traditional comic book format. The Spirit had debuted two years earlier as a Sunday newspaper supplement distributed only in a handful of regional markets, so this issue gave the character his first genuinely national magazine distribution — placing Eisner's revolutionary storytelling in the hands of a new, much broader readership. That editorial coup, combined with Jack Cole's ongoing Plastic Man feature already anchoring the book as its cover star, made issue #11 a genuine crossroads: two of the most formally inventive characters in Golden Age comics were now sharing a single anthology. The issue also demonstrates the full depth of Quality's 1942 roster, assembling Plastic Man, The Spirit, the Human Bomb, Manhunter, Firebrand, Phantom Lady, and others in what amounts to a snapshot of the publisher's creative peak.
In "The Brain of Cyrus Smythe," a 1942 Quality Comics classic, a centuries-old villain’s mind survives in a jar of chemicals after his death in 1642, only to be transplanted into a soldier centuries later—setting off a bizarre and dangerous new chapter. Written and drawn by Jack Cole, this story blends pulp horror with early superhero intrigue, following the mind of Cyrus Smythe as it takes over a new host and clashes with the ever-resourceful Plastic Man. The cover, by Gill Fox, captures the eerie, gothic tone of the tale.
In "The Brain of Cyrus Smythe," a centuries-old villain’s consciousness survives in a jar, transferred into the body of a World War II soldier after a tragic mix-up. Now, as the brain of the dead villain awakens in a new host, it sets off a chain of events that brings him into deadly conflict with the ever-resourceful Plastic Man.
In "The Laughing Gas Crimes," Manhunter races to stop a wave of chaos sparked by a stolen invention—Professor Hooker’s volatile laughing gas, now in the hands of his rogue lab assistant. With the city in fits of uncontrollable laughter, Manhunter must think fast, uncovering a surprisingly simple cure: onions.
Burp the Twerp's "super crime compass" leads him straight to Killer Kane in the middle of a murderous spree, but the bumbling hero's misplaced politeness gives the criminal an unexpected opportunity to maintain his deadly reputation. This one-page romp proves that even the most dangerous killer can't compete with a super-powered sidekick's own brand of chaos.
When radio commentator Peter Miles decides to broadcast live from the Everglades to prove the legendary Swamp Monster is just a hoax, Chic Carter and his fiancée Gay Nolan find themselves caught in a deadly mystery—one that begins with a body and spirals into a dangerous pursuit through the murky waters. As the truth behind the creature's identity unravels, Chic must confront a desperate criminal and his elaborate scheme before more lives are lost.
Senator Barrow prepares to expose the dangerous criminal organization known as the White Gardenias in a public address, but the masked villains move quickly to silence him before he can speak. When Slugger Dunn learns of their plan, he's captured alongside the Senator—but the Firebrand arrives to turn the tables, freeing both men and clearing the way for Barrow to finally deliver his testimony. As the Senator reveals what he knows, another White Gardenia agent makes a desperate attempt to stop him, only to be thwarted by Joan, who proves herself more than just a bystander when she helps bring the would-be assassin to justice.
In "The Spy Ring Murder," Jo and Don stumble upon the murder of a U.S. intelligence officer linked to a sabotage plot targeting a re-fueling station. When the Phantom Lady uncovers a Nazi network operating through the office of a wealthy jeweler, she must unravel the conspiracy before more lives are lost.
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Quality Comics publisher Everett 'Busy' Arnold had an existing relationship with Will Eisner through the newspaper supplement deal that launched The Spirit in June 1940, and it was under Arnold's banner that the character's origin story was reprinted in this issue — sourced directly from The Spirit Section of June 2, 1940. By mid-1942, Eisner had entered military service, leaving the newspaper strip in the hands of associates including Jack Cole and writers like Manly Wade Wellman, which makes the timing of the Police Comics #11 debut particularly notable: the character arrived in comic books precisely as his original creative steward stepped away from day-to-day production. The cover for issue #11 was penciled and inked by Gill Fox, who had begun his Quality tenure only months earlier with a Doll Man cover, and who later recalled the collaborative atmosphere around Jack Cole's Plastic Man work with evident enthusiasm.
Trivia · 8 facts
- The Spirit (Denny Colt), created by Will Eisner, makes his first comic book appearance in this issue, reprinting the origin story originally published in The Spirit Section newspaper supplement of June 2, 1940 — the first time the character received national magazine-format distribution.
- The Spirit story introduces Commissioner Dolan, Dr. Cobra, and Ebony White to comic book readers alongside Denny Colt's origin as a crimefighter believed dead.
- Cover art is by Gill Fox; the cover prominently touts Plastic Man and features character portrait insets of The Spirit, Manhunter, Human Bomb, and 711 along the left edge — all with original art confirmed by Fox himself.
- Jack Cole wrote and drew the Plastic Man story 'The Brain of Cyrus Smythe,' in which the villain Cyrus Smythe — a scientist whose brain survived death in a chemical vat since 1642 — is introduced as a new recurring threat.
- The Human Bomb (Roy Lincoln) story, 'The Flute of Destruction,' scripted and drawn by Paul Gustavson under his pseudonym Paul Carroll, presents the character's first encounter with a costumed super-villain: a master physicist who weaponizes a destructive flute.
- The Firebrand (Rod Reilly) story 'The White Gardenias' pits the hero against a thinly veiled KKK-analog hate group — the Order of the White Gardenias — that is trying to silence a U.S. Senator; the Grand Comics Database notes this group was based on a real-life KKK branch.
- Manhunter (Dan Richards) and his dog Thor appear in 'The Laughing Gas Crimes,' drawn by Alex Kotzky; the story includes an early Manhunter costume variation noted by the GCD as showing the character without his mask, red armlets, or chest symbol.
- The Spirit's Quality Comics run beginning here would continue through Police Comics #102 (November 1950), and Busy Arnold later reprinted Spirit stories in a dedicated Spirit comic book; because Eisner retained the copyright by contractual agreement with Arnold, the character was NOT included in DC Comics' later purchase of Quality's properties.
Cast · 18 characters
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints The Spirit #6/2/1940 (1940)
Reprinted in Comics the Golden Age #2 (1984), Plastic Man Archives #1 (1999), World's Best Comics: Golden Age Sampler #[nn] (2003), The Quality Companion #[nn] (2011), Roy Thomas Presents Classic Phantom Lady Softee #1 (2013), Roy Thomas Presents Classic Phantom Lady #1 (2013), DC Finest: Plastic Man: The Origin of Plastic Man #[nn] (2025)
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