True Life Secrets #7
"Shoulds and Should Not Hints on Beauty" in True Life Secrets #7 (1952) presents a stark, emotionally charged story grounded in the social anxieties of its time. Written by Bob Forgione and inked by Al Tyler, the tale follows Madge, a high school student whose life is upended by trauma during World War II, and the complicated path toward healing and connection. The cover by Al Tyler and John Belfi captures the era’s dramatic tone, reflecting the story’s serious themes with a restrained, period-appropriate style.
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During World War II, lonely high school student Madge is raped by a soldier on leave. She gets a “loose” reputation among the male students. On a picnic with three boys and another girl, she is raped again. New student Douglas learns about this and beat up the boys. Douglas and Madge begin dating, but when he tries to kiss her and she gives in, he says the accusations about her lack of morals must have been true, and they break up. Madge runs away but is saved from turning to prostitution when Mr. Carson gives her a job in an orphanage. One day Doug finds her and they will be married.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).