Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jun 3, 2026 | 1 comment

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.

Mantle’s 1955 Bowman baseball card

Strategic Air Command, a war drama starring James Stewart and June Allyson, was tops at the box office, with other hits including James Dean’s East of Eden; the terrific Marty, starring Ernest Borgnine; and Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, which edited together the first three episodes of Disney’s TV miniseries.

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking Blackboard Jungle, starring Glenn Ford with a notable supporting performance by Sidney Poitier, was also getting a lot of attention. Controversial for its depiction of violence and juvenile delinquency in inner-city schools, it also was the first major Hollywood movie that featured rock and roll, with its prominent use of Rock Around the Clock, by Bill Haley & His Comets. It’s credited with bringing rock to mainstream audiences.

I Love Lucy was by far the most popular show on TV, though this week The George Gobel Show led the Nielsens. The Jackie Gleason Show was in third. This was the Lucy season that centered on the Ricardos and the Mertzes’ star-studded trip to California; Richard Widmark guest-starred on May 30’s fourth-season finale.

Radio was continuing its slide amid the inexorable rise of television: The Jack Benny Program ended its radio series in May to focus solely on TV. (Radio reruns would continue to 1958.)

Rock and roll was turning the nation on its head. In addition to its prominence in Blackboard Jungle, the first riot at an Elvis concert was May 13 in Jacksonville, Fla., and a show by Fats Domino — whose recently released Ain’t That a Shame (originally Ain’t It a Shame) was a smash — was cancelled May 22 in Bridgeport, Conn., for fears of similar upheaval. Meanwhile, the world at large was unaware, but a brown-eyed handsome man named Chuck Berry on May 21 was at Chess Records in Chicago, recording his first single, Maybellene.

Ain’t that a shame, my tears fell like rain…

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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension

The Brave and the Bold #1, DC. OK, I’m playing a little fast and loose here, because B&B #1 came out either June 5 or June 7, a day after our time frame. No matter. I’m willing to wager that DC was running house ads touting their new title that promised “blazing adventures” with the Golden Gladiator, the Viking Prince and the Silent Knight. So either way, it was in the DC zeitgeist.

Anyway, from its fairly humble beginnings as an anthology series, The Brave and the Bold would evolve into a tryout book, then a team-up title — ultimately starring Batman and becoming a beloved mainstay well into the 1980s. It inspired a wonderful TV series and is set to provide the subtitle of the Batman movie in James Gunn’s cinematic universe. The mere term “Brave and the Bold” remains a go-to DC catchphrase.

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Patsy and Her Pals #15, Atlas. Oh, come on, Buzz. You never had it so good.

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Action Adventure Comics #3 (Key), Action Comics #206 (DC) and Adventure Comics #214 (DC). So, OK, we got Action Adventure, Action and Adventure. By the way, Superman doesn’t marry Lois in this issue. Says Mike’s Amazing World of Comics: “After Superman rescues Lois from a fire, she kisses him. That night Lois dreams that the kiss made Superman fall in love with her. He proposes to her, and they get married. However, a criminal has planted a bomb in the wedding cake. When Superman stops the bomb, Lois wakes up and realizes it was all a dream.” Poor, Lois.

Scott adds: Bad dog.

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True Brides’ Experiences #13, Harvey. This isn’t a romance comic. It’s a warning.

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Scott Tipton, contributor-at-large, 13th Dimension

Detective Comics #221, DC. If we’re being honest, ropes barely even feel like a challenge for Batman.

Dan adds: It’s true. Because of the Batman ’66 show and the post-Dark Knight Returns operatic Masked Manhunter, we tend to think that everything Bruce Wayne faces is some elaborate, impossible-odds challenge or a convoluted conspiracy that leads back to his great-great-great-grandfather. Actually, he used to just get tied up a lot by average thugs who were able to sneak up on him.

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Avenger #3 (aka A-1 #133), Magazine Enterprises. Sure, I’ve never heard of the Avenger either, but I think the real star here is the Robot Robber.

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Piracy #6, EC Comics. That is a beautiful Bernie Krigstein cover.

Dan adds: Gorgeous! Big, big credit to Marie Severin, one of the greatest colorists of all time.

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MORE

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of May 27 — in 1979! Click here.

— RETRO HOT PICKS! On Sale The Week of May 20 — in 1951! Click here.

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Comics sources: Mike’s Amazing World of Comics and the Grand Comics Database.