Star Spangled Comics #42

This March 1945 DC publication puts the Guardian front and center in a genuinely tense arena scene, shield in hand as he shields the young Newsboy Legion kids from a snarling lion bearing down on them — while a crowd of alarmed onlookers leans over a balcony railing above. Cover pencils by Jack Kirby with inks by Steve Brodie give the scene real kinetic urgency, capturing the split-second drama of a hero standing between danger and the kids he protects. Rounding out the package are interior stories including "The Power of the Press!" with art by Arturo Cazeneuve, inked by Steve Brodie and lettered by Ira Schnapp — a fine ten-cent read from the heart of the Golden Age.