| Red Raven Comics | |
|---|---|
 First and last issue of Red Raven Comics | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Timely Publications |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | August 1940 |
| No. of issues | 1 |
| Main character(s) | Red Raven |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Joe Simon, Martin A. Bursten |
| Artist(s) | Jack Kirby, Dick Briefer, Louis Cazeneuve, Robert Louis Golden |
Red Raven Comics was a title of Timely Comics (the predecessor of Marvel Comics). Only a single issue was published, cover-dated August 1940.[1] It was replaced by the title The Human Torch, which began with issue #2 (Fall 1940), continuing the numbering inherited from Red Raven Comics. According to the Grand Comics Database, Red Raven Comics issue #1 contained no advertisements for issue #2 (instead, other titles were advertised), suggesting that the decision to cancel the title may have been made before the first issue went to press.[2]
After this issue, the title character, avian superman Red Raven, did not appear in print again until 1968. The first Human Top was also introduced in this issue, as was a character named Mercury, presented as the Roman god but later retconned to be Makkari, one of the Eternals. Also introduced were Magar the Mystic, the all-seeing Eternal Brain, space adventurer Comet Pierce, and hapless policeman Officer O'Krime.[2] None of these characters were continued in the Human Torch title.[3] The Human Top had one other appearance, in 1942 in Tough Kid Squad.[4][better source needed]
Red Raven Comics #1 figured in the documentary Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, part of which follows comic-book vendor Chuck Rozanski's futile quest to sell a copy for $500,000.
- ^ Benton, Mike (1992). Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. p. 179. ISBN 0-87833-808-X. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Red Raven Comics #1". Grand Comics Database. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
- ^ Don Markstein. "The Red Raven". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
- ^ "Human Top (01 - Bravelle)". The Comic Book Database. Retrieved May 26, 2014.