Atlas (Seaboard); June 1975
Cover by Frank Thorne

Title: “…One Hot Dog With Murder, Please!”
Synopsis: Sam Lomax eats a hot dog, blows away a perp, takes down a cop killer and scores some lovin’.

Writer: Gary Friedrich
Penciler: Mike Sekowsky
Inker: Al McWilliams

Review: This lead feature is no less realistic than much of the pop culture crime fare of the swinging ’70s. Of course, that’s not an endorsement. From its opening splash – featuring Lomax capping a perp in the back while scarfing down a hot dog – this one fails to establish suspension of disbelief.

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Title: “… Rock and Robbery”
Synopsis: Another law enforcement tough guy – this time, P.I. Luke Malone – shoots a fleeing robber in the back.

Writer: Gary Friedrich
Penciler: Mike Ploog
Inker: Frank Springer

Review: Much like the lead feature, this story fails to impress. And, again, a strong penciler is overpowered by mismatched inking.

Grade (for the entire issue): C-

Second opinion: “Filled with hilariously bad cop dialogue, great struggling faces and stiff renderings of gangsters in stiffer drawn suits. 2-1/2 out of 4 quarters.” – Keenan Marshall Keller, Strangers #3 (2020). “Lomax, the lead hero here, was obviously based on the TV detective series of the time and, quite incredibly, manages to be worse than all of them.” – Frank Plowright, FantaCo’s Chronicle’s Series Annual #1 (1983)

Cool factor: Hmmm. There’s some general coolness here from the Atlas (Seaboard) brand, but this comic doesn’t add much of its own to the mix.
Not-so-cool factor: Frank Springer’s inks. Imagine those Ploog pencils with a little love on top.

Character quotable: “I’ll take love tonight and my reprimand tomorrow!” – Sam Lomax, thinkin’ about the ladies after gunning down another perp

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