I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets!

(Fantagraphics, 2007)
™ and © Fantagraphics Books, Inc.

The super-heroes from the 1930s and 1940s that survived until today—Superman, Batman, Captain America—are the ones we know most about. Those characters’ creators, too, including Bob Kane and Jack Kirby, are the names celebrated by later generations. But for every character and creator who became legends, there were many others that were largely forgotten—like Fletcher Hanks. This collection changes that by reprinting an eclectic mix of Hanks’ comics from that era. Alien super-heroes (Stardust), skull-faced jungle women (Fantomah), and more unique creations get their day in the sun here.

This oversized collection presents some pretty wild concepts and ideas, some of which are more inspired than a lot of what did survive from the era. It includes a “Whatever Happened to Fletcher Hanks?” story that chronicles the editor’s meeting with Hanks’ son.

— Andy Richardson

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