Smash Comics #12

In the shadow of a world at war, *Smash Comics #12* (1940) delivers a gripping wartime thriller with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," a story written, drawn, and inked by Erwin. As U.S. Ambassador Blank journeys to Europe for a crucial peace conference, secret agent Black X and his ally Batu stand guard against unseen threats, including the elusive Madam Doom. The cover, by Gill Fox, captures the tension with a dramatic, stylized image that perfectly sets the mood for the issue’s cloak-and-dagger intrigue.