Police Comics #119

This September 1952 Quality Comics entry delivers exactly the kind of hard-boiled tension the title promises — cover art by Reed Crandall (inked by Chuck Cuidera) puts private eye Ken Shannon center stage, his expression taut as a glittering handful of jewels catches a flash of light, a red-haired woman at his side and a masked, gun-toting figure lurking menacingly in the doorway behind them. The featured story, "A Fast and Bloody Buck," sounds like pure noir, and the badge-shaped sidebar reminds readers that T-Man also appears inside, tangling with "The Doomed Legion." For fans of 1950s crime and suspense comics, this issue is a fine snapshot of Quality at its atmospheric best.