Future Comics is a small series of comic books printed monthly in USA by David McKay Publications from June 1940. The series brought together a mix of original and reprinted comic strips. The Phantom featured in each edition.
The series ran for 4 comics, with each comic printed in full color, spanning over 64 pages. Each comic included a mix of comic characters which include The Lone Ranger and Rebo.
The front covers of each edition have a sci-fi look and feel to them. They feature Rebo, a Saturnian overlord who declares war against Earth, and the air force is unable to stop him (read more about Rebo below).
The story originates from a 1936 Italian comic book titled ‘Saturno contro la Terra’ (which translates to ‘Saturn against the Earth’) which were translated into English, before appearing in the 4 comic book series, Future Comics. They’re believed to be the first Italian translated stories to appear in USA.
The incomplete Phantom story which appeared in this series is ‘The League of Lost Men’.
The series didn’t sell too well, with print ending with edition number 4 in September 1940.
Internal Pages
About Rebo
The character ‘Rebo’ is conceived by Cesare Zavattini and was written by Federico Pedrocchi together with Cesare Zavattini and was designed by Giovanni Scolari. The comic strips were published in installments between 1936 and 1946 on various Mondadori newspapers.
The back story…
A meteorite that fell to planet Earth turns out to be a spaceship of inhabitants from planet Saturn. They can be identified by their characteristic crest (as seen below) and are determined to invade Earth under the guidance of Rebo.
Leading the resistance are two Italians, Professor Marcus and his young assistant Ciro. In the struggle for survival, the scientist manages to build a spaceship with which to engage in a counteroffensive and with which he meets other alien civilizations.
The Phantom 