Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: Blue Ribbon Comics, golden age, MLJ

Mr. Justice Debuts as MLJ's Spectre in Blue Ribbon Comics, at Auction

The spirit of Prince James, heir to the throne of 18th century England, Mr. Justice was unleashed into the modern world in Blue Ribbon Comics

Published Wed, 26 Apr 2023 13:28:10 -0500

by Mark Seifert

Last updated Mon, 16 Sep 2024 19:42:24 -0500

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Article Summary

Mr. Justice debuts in Blue Ribbon Comics #9 (1941), created by Joe Blair and Sam Cooper.
Inspired by DC's the Spectre, Mr. Justice is a spirit enacting justice in the modern world.
Mr. Justice's origin ties to the 18th century and WWII, with nods to the Hanoverian succession.
Blue Ribbon Comics features striking Mr. Justice covers, echoing the distinctiveness of the Spectre.

Mr. Justice is a superhero from Blue Ribbon Comics who first appeared in issue #9, cover-dated February 1941. The character may not be the best known of the pre-Archie MLJ Magazines superheroes, but he is definitely one of the most fascinating. Created by writer Joe Blair and artist Sam Cooper, Mr. Justice was very obviously MLJ's answer to DC Comics' the Spectre. He is essentially a spirit who hauntingly enacts justice on those who have wronged others. He has the ability to assume mortal human form at will and often does so in order to fight corruption and oppression in the modern world. An underappreciated Golden Age character in the mold of the Spectre, there are several issues of Blue Ribbon Comics, including a CGC VG+ 4.5 copy of his first appearance in Blue Ribbon Comics #9 (MLJ, 1941) up for auction in the 2024 September 26 – 27 Heroes of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40265 at Heritage Auctions.

Blue Ribbon Comics #9 featuring Mr. Justice (MLJ, 1941)

In reality, Mr. Justice was Prince James, heir to the throne of England in the 18th century. Via a conspiracy against the Crown, he was murdered in the castle of Solway Firth in Scotland in 1740. At the onset of WWII, the castle was dismantled and sent to America for safekeeping, but the ship carrying it was sunk by a German submarine, setting the spirit of Prince James free in the process. Able to assume human form at will, Prince James decides to fight corruption and oppression in the modern world as Mr. Justice.

It's possible that this origin is generally inspired by the historical events surrounding the Hanoverian succession in England and the renaming of the royal house to Windsor. The political intrigue in the story, involving a conspiracy against the Crown and the murder of "Prince James," may draw inspiration from the complex maneuvering that led to the Hanoverians taking the English throne in 1714 and the subsequent Jacobite rebellions in Scotland (which seem to be alluded to in the story) aimed at keeping the lineage of King James in power. Further, after the turn of the 19th century, there were dozens of instances of American robber barons moving European and other castles and buildings to the United States.

Due to the unusual supernatural aspect of DC Comics' the Spectre, More Fun Comics included a number of stand-out covers featuring the character. MLJ's Blue Ribbon Comics had some outstanding Mr. Justice covers for a similar reason, and there are several issues of Blue Ribbon Comics, including a CGC VG+ 4.5 copy of his first appearance in Blue Ribbon Comics #9 (MLJ, 1941) up for auction in the 2024 September 26 – 27 Heroes of the Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40265 at Heritage Auctions.