Unearthed: 100 Page Super Spectacular's Doctor Mid-Nite

In an earlier installment of Unearthed, I described my first encounter with the DC super hero Doctor Mid-Nite, which sparked off a lifelong interest in the character. However, although I've read many of the good doctor's appearances from the 1970s onward, I've seldom read anything of his original 1940s adventures - and even then, most of the 40s stories I've read were part of his Justice Society of America adventures.

Fortunately, there are fairly inexpensive ways to examine Dr. Mid-Nite's early years. Learning that in the 1970s he appeared in the DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-20 (1973), I obtained a copy for a mere pittance. Along with a Dr. Mid-Nite adventure reprinted from All-American Comics#88 (1947), it also features reprints of Batman, Black Canary, Starman, Wildcat, Blackhawk & Spectre stories. It's a pretty great package, especially considering that the (untitled) Dr. Mid-Nite story was created by Alex Toth, who was as much a man's man as he was an artist's artist. Hit the lights and I'll guide you through the story!

we open on a criminal named Logger trying to convince a bald-headed crime boss called the Tarantula that Dr. Mid-Nite is really Charles McNider, who "writes the Dr. Mid-Nite adventures!" Wait, what exactly does that mean? McNider has been his own Dr. Watson to the media? Logger has a chart displaying images of McNider and Mid-Nite side-by-side and notes they have the same height, weight, chest and waist sizes. I don't know where Logger obtained such exact details on these two men - especially a masked super hero! - but perhaps McNider really wasn't trying too hard to conceal his identity? Anyway, the Tarantula isn't convinced by Logger because McNider, after all, is blind. Logger responds by dragging in a sack from which McNider spills out.

Logger explains he was passing by McNider's house when he saw a silhouette against the light which he thought was Dr. Mid-Nite. It turned out to be McNider in his boxers with a towel draped over his shoulders (because McNider is either an exhibitionist or likes to play super hero even when not on duty). Logger kept ogling McNider until McNider noticed him; realizing that meant McNider wasn't really blind, Logger threw his gun at McNider's head and knocked him unconscious, then dragged him away in his sack.

McNider disputes Logger's story, noting that any doctor could verify he's blind. However, the Tarantula has another idea - he'll commit a crime which would normally attract Mid-Nite's attention; if Dr. Mid-Nite doesn't appear, that will prove McNider is really Mid-Nite (or maybe Mid-Nite's out of town with the JSA?). Tarantula begins by gassing a police station so he can rescue the Ramey Gang from their holding cells, but Dr. Mid-Nite does indeed appear and easily defeats Tarantula's gang, but Tarantula himself slips away.

The Tarantula returns to his base to find Logger is still watching McNider, seeming to prove the two are different men. Tarantula orders Logger to murder McNider then exits to another hideout (a roadhouse). However, once Tarantula leaves, McNider simply stands up, his ropes being unfastened. Further, Logger is unconscious and McNider was using ventriloquism and a string attached to Logger's foot to make him seem awake (this seems like way too much effort, McNider!). When Tarantula reaches the roadhouse, Dr. Mid-Nite is already there waiting for him. They scuffle and at one point Tarantula shoots Mid-Nite (in the chest?) but apparently it was barely a scratch because he soon revives and blinds Tarantula by throwing poker chips at him. Returning to Logger, McNider ties himself up again so that when the police arrive, Logger doesn't realize he truly was Dr. Mid-Nite. It's only at this point that McNider reveals (in his thoughts) that he'd hypnotized Logger into falling asleep so that he could get away and stop the Tarantula. Wait, what? He hypnotized Logger while wearing sunglasses? I don't care if he's got excellent night vision, surely his eyes wouldn't otherwise be that powerful? Ah, regardless, we've reached the end of the tale.

THOUGHTS: At its heart, this story has much in common with many of the Silver Age Superman stories - someone thinks they've figured out the hero's identity and said hero goes to ridiculous lengths to restore the status quo. The entire story is predicated on 1) a criminal happens to see McNider wearing his towel and thinks he's Dr. Mid-Nite and 2) McNider reacts to the criminal's presence which makes the criminal think he can see. There are all sorts of good reasons why this evidence shouldn't seem conclusive, but our hero ends up having to tie himself up, repeatedly beat the villains to other locations, hypnotize a guard and employ both ventriloquism and puppeteering to maintain his secret. That's a lot of trouble for such a simple problem.

The story doesn't make much of Dr. Mid-Nite's unique selling points. While a Superman story with a similar plot would have brought in Superman's powers of speed, flight and strength into the tale, Mid-Nite's blackout bombs and infra-red vision are never a factor. At least McNider's blindness is acknowledged as a major plot point.

This was a bit early in Toth's career and comes nowhere near his best work, but he at least managed some nice character designs, notably the long nose and jutting chin on Logger. He also succeeded at telling the story with great economy, considering how much plot had to be covered within only 7 pages.

I thought that when his series began Charles McNider was a physician, but apparently post-war he became a detective mystery author who wrote about Dr. Mid-Nite's adventures. It seems to me there must be a story in why his occupations changed, but I have no idea whether its actually been told.

Oh, Murder!

Being interested in Steve Ditko's work, I learned he contributed stories to an anthology series from 1986 entitled Murder, printed in black & white by the now-defunct Renegade Press and edited by Robin Snyder, Ditko's present-day editor. Like most comics from the black & white boom & bust period it sells dirt cheap today so all three issues can be obtained for a pittance.

Now that I have Murder in hand, what is it? Well, it's... it's an anthology title. Called "Murder," for unclear reasons. An illustration which opens the first issue (drawn by a young Erik Larsen) asserts the series' full title is "Murder, Tales of Psychological Tension." That's pretty much hooey - it describes some stories but not others - some are simply short comedic tales. Several look to be inventory tales prepared for other publishers. It's a hodge-podge with no clear theme.

Thus, the stories anthologized in Murder don't really compliment each other and must stand on their own merits. Considering the contributors include Steve Ditko, Alex Toth, the aforementioned young Erik Larsen, Dan Day and a previously-published Wally Wood story; the other talents are unfamiliar names. Of course, even the masters contributed very little; there's exactly one page of Toth content in each issue: two single page illustrations and one cover (above, looking strangely evocative of Dave Sim).

Larsen's contributes what's easily the funniest of all the humour pieces in Murder#3, Jim Stenstrum wrote and Larsen "drew" the one page "Jim Stenstrum's Tales of the Siberian Snowtroopers#2." Seemingly a response to John Byrne's infamous snowstorm scene from Alpha Flight#6; the panel above is the entire joke - word balloons against a white background. It goes on for one page, which is the exact length the gag demands.

Now for the main attraction: Steve Ditko himself! Ditko's stories are "The Big Man" (issue #1), "A Deal is a Deal" (#2) "My Brother..." and "Social Justice" (both #3). These come from the period in the 80s where Ditko was finding less work at Marvel & DC, no longer had Charlton to fall back on and after his falling-out with Eclipse. Like Ditko's current output under Snyder's watch, Ditko's Murder scripts are fairly bare-boned, told in short-hand. I count Ditko as one of the greatest storytellers in the medium. but he's not very good with dialogue; take the "etc, etc, etc." above - not quite William Faulkner, eh?

The stories are pretty familiar ones with twist endings where the guilty are punished through ironic means, but they're well-told; "The Big Man" concerns a killer who eliminates his rivals by seemingly growing in size to crush them; in "A Deal is a Deal," a man tries to cheat death by bargaining away his possessions; "My Brother..." features one brother who's a criminal, the other a lawyer and how their lifelong contest comes to an end; the best is easily "Social Justice," a funny two-pager wherein a television set compels a man to commit crimes - when caught, he fingers the TV and the TV goes to jail! I'm not certain whether Ditko is accusing those who blame their crimes on media or those who try to accuse media of causing crimes. Either way, it's a pretty approachable bit of social satire.

Murder's confused lack of a mission statement renders it little more than a curiosity, but if you - like me - are curious to see Steve Ditko cutting loose - it's an interesting oddball. If you can only obtain one issue, make it #3 with the Toth cover, the great Larsen one-pager, the double dose of Ditko and the Wood reprint.