Police Action #1
Published and © by Atlas (Seaboard), February 1975
Title: “Sam Lomax N.Y.P.D.”
Synopsis: When an undercover police sergeant is murdered, Sam Lomax is called in to work the case.
Writer: Russ Jones (as Jack Younger)
Penciler: Mike Sekowsky
Inker: Al McWilliams
Review: The 1970s saw police procedurals experiencing a renaissance on television but crime fiction failed to make a comeback in comics. The debut from Atlas (Seaboard) – featuring weak scripting from Russ Jones (founding editor of Creepy magazine) and below-average work from Mike Sekowsky (of depowered Wonder Woman fame) – didn’t help. Forgettable.
•••
Title: “Requiem for a Champ”
Synopsis: When a friendly neighborhood panhandler is gunned down, ex-cop-turned-PI Luke Malone is on the case.
Writer: Mike Ploog
Penciler: Ploog
Inker: Frank Springer
Review: Mike Ploog’s noirish scripting is solid and his cartoonish pencils are quite nice, despite Frank Springer’s unsympathetic inking.
Grade (for the entire issue): B-
Second opinion: “Mike Ploog, who has made so many fine contributions to the graphic story, is clearly uninspired here.” – Ken Jones, Amazing Heroes #81, Oct. 15, 1985 … “Despite some good art, the book reads like a cop-movie parody that forgot to include the punchlines to the jokes.” – Mike Hall, Comic Effect #34, April-May 2003 … “A feeble attempt to produce a detective comic emulating the TV police series prevalent at the time.” – The Slings & Arrows Comic Guide (second edition), 2003
Cool factor: Mike Ploog often showed superstar potential early in his career.
Not-so-cool factor: The lead feature is sans cool.
Character quotable: “Don’t ask me to make an ID! I can’t even make the car model!” – Sam Lomax, master of observation
Editor’s note: This review was written Aug. 21, 2026.
