Zip Comics #27
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeZip Comics #27 (July 1942, MLJ Magazines Inc.) marks the first appearance of The Web — John Raymond, a college professor of criminology whose spider web-themed costume and intellectually driven crime-fighting approach made him one of the more distinctive heroes in MLJ's Golden Age lineup. The issue also simultaneously introduced Rose Wayne, the woman who would become Raymond's future wife and who, crucially, discovers his secret identity in that very debut outing — a romantic complication unusually foregrounded for the era. Because The Web was originally slated for Top-Notch Comics before a deliberate editorial pivot toward humor redirected that title, this issue represents a direct product of MLJ's strategic roster shuffling during wartime, making it a documentary artifact of how early 1940s publishers actively managed their superhero anthologies in real time. The character went on to be revived by Archie's own Silver Age superhero imprint in 1966, then again under DC Comics' Impact Comics banner in 1991, and once more in DC's 2009 Red Circle line — a four-decade revival record that underscores the durability of the debut concept established here.
In "The Black Dragon of Death!", a corpse discovered in a charred car points to the mysterious murder of General Mason, with the sinister Black Dragon as the prime suspect. When John Raymond dons the Web's costume to pursue the killer, his trail of clues inadvertently leads Rose Wayne straight to his secret identity—setting the stage for a tense, personal revelation. Art by John Cassone and a striking cover by Irv Novick bring this 1942 mystery to life.
In the shadowed streets of 1942, a burned car reveals the corpse of General Mason—murdered by the mysterious and deadly Black Dragon. As criminology professor John Raymond dons the mantle of The Web to unravel the crime, his pursuit leads him into a web of espionage, with Japanese spies and the ruthless gangster Nick Morro pulling strings from the dark. When his trail of clues inadvertently leads his future wife, Rose Wayne, to the truth about his secret identity, the line between justice and danger blurs.
In a tale of shadow and suspicion, the Black Seven—born under a cursed lineage as seventh son of a seventh son—rises as a master of deceit and violence. When he targets the Turkish ambassador’s secret documents, his path crosses with Black Jack, setting the stage for a clash of wits and wills.
In the tense atmosphere of 1942, Steel Sterling steps in to protect Anton, a Polish immigrant fleeing Nazi spies, after a deadly ambush targeting him and his sister. With the fate of the Polish government’s hidden gold at stake and a swastika-marked threat looming, Steel must unravel a web of deception before the enemy claims their prize.
When a storm strands Captain Price on a remote island, he finds himself facing more than just treacherous waters—he's up against the lingering wrath of Old Harry, the lighthouse keeper whose death was no accident. The Black Witch, a figure of old legends, stirs in the shadows, and the sea itself seems to whisper warnings the captain can’t ignore.
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Zip Comics was published by M.L.J. Magazines Inc. — the house founded by Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John L. Goldwater, whose initials gave the company its name — and was edited throughout its run by Harry Shorten, a prolific MLJ writer-editor who had already co-created the Shield and the Black Hood. The Web's inaugural strip in this issue was drawn by artist John Cassone, whose subsequent comic-book career was brief; the writer of the feature is unconfirmed, with Shorten himself considered the most likely candidate given his editorial role and history of uncredited MLJ scripting. Irv Novick, the regular Steel Sterling artist, handled the cover of #27, maintaining the visual continuity of the title. The issue also marks the final appearance of the long-running 'War Eagles' war-adventure feature, making it a genuine turning point in the anthology's lineup.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of The Web (John Raymond), a college professor of criminology who uses his knowledge of criminal behavior rather than superhuman strength to fight crime — artist John Cassone illustrated the strip; the writer is unidentified but possibly series editor Harry Shorten.
- First appearance of Rose Wayne, John Raymond's future wife, who learns The Web's secret identity within this very debut story — an unusually intimate plot beat for a Golden Age first issue.
- First appearance of The Black Dragon, the primary villain of the debut Web story, depicted as a Japanese spy operative — a direct reflection of World War II-era wartime storytelling concerns in mid-1942.
- First appearances of Nick Morro (gangster villain) and the Black Seven (villain in the concurrent Black Jack story), making #27 an unusually dense issue for simultaneous villain introductions.
- The issue also features the first appearance of Baron Gestapo in the Steel Sterling story, adding yet another debut villain to an already debut-heavy anthology.
- This is the final appearance of the 'War Eagles' strip, which had run since Zip Comics #1 (February 1940), marking a significant reshaping of the book's lineup.
- The Web had originally been developed for Top-Notch Comics, but an editorial decision to steer that title toward humor content redirected the character to Zip Comics instead, where it ran from #27 through #38.
- Material from Zip Comics #27 has been reprinted in Gwandanaland Comics #2006 — The Golden Age Firsts of MLJ Comics: Volume 1 (2018), Gwandanaland Comics #1068 — The Complete Black Jack (2017), and was documented in TwoMorrows Publishing's The MLJ Companion: The Complete History of the Archie Comics Super-Heroes (2016).
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Reprinted in Magnificent Superheroes of Comics Golden Age #1 (1979), Gwandanaland Comics #1068 (2017), Gwandanaland Comics #2006 (2018)
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