El Halcon Negro Issue No. 18

"El Halcón Negro" Nº18. Published in Mexico by Editora de Periódicos "La Prensa" (issue bound, with inner cover page missing, so I cannnot give the date), with the "Lion at Rest" as logotype, it's the Spanish version of "Blackhawk" (this one still made by Quality Comics Group in USA by then). With the talents of Reed Crandall, Chuck Cuidera, Al Bryant and other first-class artists to illustrate, and superbly scripted by William Woolfolk and a staff of competent writers, this title was among the best stuff produced in the '50s. Later on, with the comic crisis and the advent of the infamous Comic Code, Quality would regretfully fold, and the characters would be continued under the DC banner, losing much of the former charm and introducing important changes in the basic premises of the themes. The "Blackhawk" group would fight against criminals, not totalitarism, as before. Also, the lovable little Chinese, Chop-Chop, would change appearance and even name. The Spanish version would not be made by "La Prensa" any more, but by "Novaro", which published all the Spanish translations of the DC characters, such as "Superman", "Batman" or "Mystery in Space". The title would change to "El Halcón de Oro" ("The Golden Hawk"), while, curiously, "La Prensa" would retain the other denomination, and make spurious adventures, drawn and written by Mexican professionals. But at the time of this Nº18 none of those changes had occurred, and the cover story, "El Rey Cobra Ataca" ("King Cobra Attacks") is a masterful example of the best Reed Crandall's art corporizing an entertaining, suspenseful script, with an ingenious twist at the end. Other stories in this issue: "La Araña de Delanza" ("The Spider of Delanza"), "Isla del Suicidio" ("Suicide Island"); and, of course, the then infallible "Chop-Chop" four-pager, a dear item that the change of direction would eventually delete.

Editor's Note: compare to Blackhawk No. 58.

Thanks to Carlos M. Federici for providing this issue.


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