Smash Comics #45

This August 1943 issue of Smash Comics leads with a striking cover by Alex Kotzky — Midnight's masked, blue-hatted face fills a giant clock face, the hands pointing to the witching hour while a spider's web and a small bat lurk in the corners, setting an atmosphere of cool, nocturnal menace. The composition is wonderfully bold for its era, turning the hero's visage into its own timepiece and making it impossible to look away. Inside, Klaus Nordling handles writing, art, and inks for "The Great Swamp," with Doc Wackey and Gabby also along for the ride.