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The two faces of the Crimson Avenger (Lee Travis)


The Crimson Avenger has the distinction of being the first masked hero produced by Detective Comics.  His debut came in October 1938 with Detective Comics #20.  While costume changes aren't exactly unprecedented in the superhero genre, they typically represent slight variations on a basic model. (Think, for example, of all the many costume changes the Wasp has had over the years.)

In the case of the Crimson Avenger, however, we see a pretty dramatic style change in either Detective Comics #40 (if you believe Wikipedia) or #44 (if you rely on Dave's Comic Heroes Blog). Unfortunately, as I am unable to access the innards of either of these classic tomes, I can't say definitively which is correct.

Regardless of when the change took place, I've only ever heard one explanation. It's claimed that the Avenger's altered duds were the natural response to popular taste shifting away from costumed vigilantes, and towards superheroes. And so, we went from this:

the more or less original look
to this:
the new look as of Detective Comics #40 (or #44)

While it's certainly possible that this was the rationale motivating the editorial decision, it doesn't make much sense to me.

First, marking a line between "costumed vigilantes" and "superheroes" strikes me as a distinction without a difference.  (Unless one were to define the difference as being violent vs. non-violent, or super-powered vs. non-super-powered individuals.)

Second, it seems to me there were a great many "costumed vigilantes" who remained as popular as the Crimson Avenger, without surrendering the business-attire-influenced look.  For example:

Sandman
Adventure Comics #60 MAR 1941
(though Sandman had
his own costume
change by May of the
next year)
Universal Studios poster
1941


Midnight
Smash Comics #54 AUG 1944

The Spirit
The Spirit #22 AUG 1950


So, essentially, I'm curious if anyone has ever heard an alternative explanation for the costume change; or at least a fuller fleshing out of the standard explanation to account for why it was felt Crimson Avenger had to change, when these other guys clearly didn't.
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4 comments:

  1. Crimson-Blue-GreenDecember 10, 2018 at 2:03 PM

    Overstreet says Detective Comics #44 was when The Crimson Avenger's costume changed. If this matters to you.

    Midnight looks like a ripoff of The Clock, which is why I haven't bothered to read the Midnight stories you can find on public domain sites that have old comic scans. Of course, The Spirit was inspired by The Clock, and The Clock in turn had his mask changed to one like The Spirit around the same time he gained a kid sidekick.

    Why The Crimson Avenger's costume changed I don't know. Superheroes in tights were in, I suppose.

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    Replies
    1. JustinDecember 10, 2018 at 9:06 PM

      Thanks for that, James. If Overstreet says #44, I'm more inclined to believe that's where the actual change took place.

      You're the first person I've heard make the "Midnight-is-a-ripoff-of-the-Clock" claim. Typically, people cite the Spirit to me. I've only read a little bit of the Spirit (and frankly, find the plagiarism charge a bit exaggerated in that case.)

      I've heard of the Clock, but never really read any of those stories. Am I correct in assuming you're a fan of the Clock? If so, what do you see as the key elements that were "ripped off" by Jack Cole in creating Midnight?

      (Thanks a lot for the comment, by the way.)

      Delete
  2. UnknownDecember 11, 2018 at 6:47 AM

    Just looked it up and yes it was 44 that he changed the costume. And they didn't give a reason for the change but they acknowledged the change by having him tell someone to 'get my new costume'. Which is nowm then we got for the sandman which another character that changed costumes as well as getting the kid sidekick just randomly out of the blue .

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