Lou Fine's "The Ray": From the Pages of Smash Comics - the Complete Collection

Any collection of Lou Fine's artwork is a must-have for serious fans. Back in the 1940s when inexperienced teen-aged artists were drafted into the comic industry as the originators often signed up for military service to fight for their country, few true professionals stayed the course. One exception was the remarkable Mr. Fine, whose childhood affliction kept him stateside. A study of his work shows how he gently and skillfully "told" the reader where to look next, keeping the pace moving at super-speed with the kind of skill we all too often take for granted in today's comic world. Lou Fine was a giant in the nascent world of comic publishing. This is why his "The Black Condor" ended up in DC's collection of "The Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told," even though it wasn't a DC or All-American Comics title. No survey with such a title would be credible without his work. With it, the golden age lives up to its name. This collection from Calumet History & Hobby is no exception, and I was delighted to find it available through Amazon. If you haven't experienced the Fine art of this overlooked artist, hie thee hence!

Some of the scans were a little dark, a few pages a little light. While I would have appreciated some simple adjustments to fix those, for a consistent look, the scans are faithful to the original printed copies. As I stated, a nice package for the price.

It's great to see these old comic strips again, Lou Fine is one of my favorite artists, I would like to see reprints of his other strips.