Tom Wood is working at a busy defence plant when he gets word that his brother Jim, a police officer, has been murdered. Although they cannot prove it, police know that Big Boston, the policy numbers racker king, is responsible -- just as he was responsible for the deaths of four other policemen. Earlier, Tom had invented the "micro-mask," a crime -ighting tool that the government had rejected. The mask had photo-electronic eyes that could penetrate almost anything, an amplified microphone voice that could appear to have come from anywhere, and super-sensitive hearing attachments. Now Tom has a use for the mask; he can use it as part of his costume as Micro-Face!
The mask is actually a purple hood that covers Tom entire face and extends to a cowl over his shouolders. The rest of his costume consists of a skin-tight green outfit with purple underwear on the outside, red gloves and books, and a yellow upside-down T-shaped design over his torso, with a small red M emblazoned on his stomach. Neat, huh? Micro-Face packs a mean punch, knocking down the bad guys left and right. So, bad guys, beware! There's a new crime fighting hero in town. Justice never had it so good as Micro-Face brings a brand new terror to law-breakers! And his name -- Micro-Face -- is sometimes spelled with a hyphen, and sometimes not. But who needs consistency when you've got such a great mask?
Micro-Face, created by Al Ulmer, appeared in Hillman's Clue Comics, beginning with issue #1, dated January 1943. He appeared in that title's first seven issues, took a break for two issues, then appeared for two more issues, then made his final appearance in Volume 2, #3 of Clue Comics. As Golden Age comic book superheroes go, Micro-Face was pretty forgettable, as we shall learn.
Before we go any further, here's the link to the ten Micro-Face stories:
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=85071&comicpage=&b=i
Okay. Now, let's hop forward some 74 years to 2011.
National Public Radio (NPR) has a popular podcast called Planet Money, and reporter Kenny Malone wanted to do a segment on intellectual property in comic books, showing how the licensing of media characters worked. Malone and co-host Robert Smith came up with a really neato idea. Why not buy the rights to a character from an established comic book company and then try to license the character to movies, television and merchandising opportunies? Enter Malone's friend writer Alex Segura, a former DC comics executive currently working at Archie Comics ,to help shepherd this idea to completion. According to Segura, "any character, from A-list to D-list, is one great story away from being a billion dollar franchise." So let's see about that, shal we? In the musty halls of Golden Age comics, there are many insignificant and forgotten characters and ideas that are now in the public domain. Thus, the NPR guys hit upon Micro-Face, a guy whom few, if any, remembered.
And so was born NPR/Planet Money's comic book The Mysterious Micro-Face -- written by Segura, pencilled by Jamal Ingle, colored by Ellie Wright, and letterd by Taylot Esposito. The main cover and character redesign were by Jerry Ordway.
Did I say "redesign"? If you have a 1940s character, you really should bring him into the modern age. Keep the original history, sure. but maybe give the guy a new name, and have him face 21st century villains. Micro-Face is now Sam Salazar, a New York City radio reporter, the grandson of Tom Wood, the original Micro-Face. Al Ulmer's daughter. gave her bleesing to the update.
Hear or read how this all came about here:
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/11/975964539/nprs-planet-money-team-sets-out-to-buy-a-vintage-superhero
Yes. The Mysterious Micro-Face #1 is real and is available. Will there be any further issues? Who can tell? This could turn out to be a billion dollar franchise.
Or at least an indy sleeper...I'm holding out for a "the Heap" film/etc.
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