Scott and Dan hit up the comics racks from 71 years ago… This week for RETRO HOT PICKS, Scott and I are selecting comics that came out the week of June 3, 1955. Last time for RETRO HOT PICKS, it was the week of May 27, 1979. Click here to check it out. (Keep in mind that comics came out on multiple days, so these are the issues that went on sale between May 31 and June 6.) So, let’s set the scene: A year before, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka that segregated schools were unconstitutional, that the mere notion of “separate but equal” was inherently unequal. It was a stunning, landmark decision and an enormous victory for the Civil Rights Movement — and predictably engendered hostility from racist whites, particularly across the South. The justices, however, did not spell out just how desegregation should be accomplished, and followed up with arguments on the matter. On May 31, the Court ruled that district courts be given the task of accomplishing desegregation, and that it occur “with all deliberate speed.” The problem with the ruling, known as Brown II, is that “all deliberate speed” is an incredibly vague term and it opened the door for school districts opposed to desegregation to delay, delay, delay. This led to years of continued, fractious debate and legal battles. IN OTHER NEWS — Cold War anxieties were intensified by the recent signing of the Warsaw Pact in mid-May. The move codified the military relationship between the Soviet Union and its satellite nations, and was a direct response to NATO’s admission of West Germany into its alliance, allowing for the nation to re-arm itself. — On June 1, Marilyn Monroe, on her 29th birthday attended the premiere of The Seven Year Itch in New York, escorted by her ex-husband, retired Yankees great Joe DiMaggio. Monroe’s famous subway grate scene in the movie was a factor in the couple’s split the previous fall. — On June 5, DiMaggio’s successor as the Yankees’ center fielder, Mickey Mantle, walloped an estimated 550-foot home run off White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce, clearing the left field upper deck at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The Yanks won in 10 innings, 5-4. Strategic Air Command, a war drama starring James Stewart and June Allyson,...