The Atlas Comics Library No. 12: Complete Mystery (The Fantagraphics Atlas Comics Library) Hardcover – November 24, 2026

The tense, urban tales of Complete Mystery collected in this Atlas Library volume were among the first shots fired in what would become a veritable Timely/Atlas crime wave. The year 1948 saw the debut of a long-form, film-noir-influenced “crime novella” comics format titled Complete Mystery featuring Marvel's top artists: Gene Colan, Syd Shores, and Carl Burgos (with three stories written by editor Stan Lee). In “Seven Dead Men!” greedy mobsters and a beautiful girl lust after a quarter of a million dollars. “Fate’s Fearful Jigsaw!” weaves a tale of murder and mystery, likely instigated by the contemporary accounts of the deaths of the famed NYC recluses, the Collyer brothers. “Fear in the Night!” has murder manifest under the big top, and a squealer causes gangland terror in “Squealers Die Fast!”Changing to a multi-story structure, True Complete Mystery became a showcase for the earliest work by future Marvel Comics star John Buscema, who penciled four stories and a cover in the remaining four issues: “Rico Mancini – The Deadly Dude!” “Murder Will Out!” “The Frame-Up that Failed!” and the frantic “Triangle of Terror!” The final three issues sported crime-themed photo covers, a popular novelty across numerous Timely crime, romance and western titles of the period. With an historical introduction by Atlas expert Dr. Michael J. Vassallo. Full color illustrations throughout Read more