Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 24, 2023 | 2 comments

Everybody loves Ralph!

By PETER BOSCH

There is no such thing as too many Carmine Infantino covers and pages to look back on. Batman, the Flash, Adam Strange — all incredible works of art. But one of my favorites was a character who was introduced in The Flash #112 (Apr.-May 1960) and who would soon move over to Detective Comics to have his own ongoing feature — the Elongated Man, aka Ralph Dibny.

With Infantino drawing the other heroes, the Flash could run superfast, Batman could sock someone out of a panel, and Adam Strange — well, with those terrific flying sequences on the Mystery in Space covers, I kept wondering how those rocket flames didn’t burn up his and Alanna’s posteriors. But with the Elongated Man, Infantino could go wild twisting him all over the page. And he did!

So, for the late Carmine Infantino’s birthday (he born 98 years ago May 24, 1925), enjoy these 13 GROOVY PAGES AND COVERS, including the origin of the Elongated Man:

The Flash #112 (Apr.-May 1960). Carmine Infantino pencils and Joe Giella inks.

The Flash #112 (Apr.-May 1960). Infantino pencils, Giella inks.

The Flash #112 (Apr.-May 1960). Infantino pencils, Giella inks.

The Flash #138 (Aug. 1963). Infantino pencils, Giella inks.

Detective Comics #327 (May 1964). Infantino pencil and inks.

Detective Comics #327 (May 1964). Not only was this the issue with the first “New Look” Batman, not only did this have the Elongated Man in his own feature for the first time, it also contained the famous sequence, “An EAR – in the fireplace!” “He must be up on the roof!” Don’t you love criminal logic like that? (Infantino pencil and inks.)

Detective Comics #331 (Sept. 1964). Infantino pencils, Giella inks.

Detective Comics #332 (Oct. 1964). Infantino pencils, Sid Greene inks.

Detective Comics #336 (Feb. 1965). Infantino pencils, Greene inks.

Detective Comics #343 (Sept. 1965). Infantino pencils, Giella inks.

Detective Comics #347 (Jan. 1966). Infantino, pencils, Greene inks

Detective Comics #348 (Feb. 1966). Infantino pencils, Greene, inks.

Detective Comics #352 (Mar. 1966). Infantino pencils and inks.

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MORE

— CARMINE INFANTINO’s 13 Greatest FLASH Covers — RANKED. Click here.

— CARMINE INFANTINO’s Greatest BATMAN Covers — RANKED. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, has just been published by TwoMorrows. He has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. Peter lives in Hollywood.