Lily Renée and Matt Baker in Rangers Comics, Up for Auction

Rangers Comics started out very much a product of its moment in time, as both an obvious war title, and in the beginning, one that pitted costumed heroes against a war-themed supervillain.  This changed after title editor DeWitt Shank enlisted in the U.S. Army, as the first issue after his departure introduced a new team of Rangers who were U.S. Marines taking part in more traditional war stories.  While the title became perhaps best known for its covers which were a combination of war themes and damsels in distress, the interior stories came to encompass a much wider range of stories during the WWII era and beyond.  Features like Werewolf Hunter by Lily Renée, Glory Forbes by Matt Baker and Maurice Whitman, Tiger Man by John Celardo, Firehair by Bob Lubbers, and others include underappreciated gems of the Golden Age.  Today’s 2022 December 11-12 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122250 at Heritage Auctions has six issues of Rangers Comics from 1943-1947, including the Art Saaf cover of Rangers Comics #14, which stands out as one of the most iconic of the series.

Werewolf Hunter was not created by Lily Renée, but she immediately made the feature her own.  Professor Armand Broussard, the Werewolf Hunter, was an occult investigator whose adventures brought him up against a wild variety of supernatural creatures, exotic sorceresses, and artifacts of dark magic. The Werewolf Hunter saga remains memorable for its beautiful character design and inventive layouts by Lily Renée. Meanwhile, Glory Forbes was the daughter of an American warplane engineer, and like more than a few Fiction House features, her adventures were thinly veiled excuses to show off her beauty. Glory Forbes was created by the little-remembered creator Pagsilang Rey Isip, and was continued by others, including Matt Baker and Maurice Whitman.

Out of the group of Rangers Comics on offer here in the 2022 December 11-12 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122250,  it’s also worth noting that Rangers Comics #15 is a Gerber 8, designated as rare in Gerber’s Photo-Journal Guide to Comics Books.  Prospective bidders new to Heritage Auctions should check out their FAQ on the bidding process and related matters.

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