Comic Title: World's Finest Comics #8
Publisher: DC (World's Best Comics Company)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Winter 1942
On Sale Date: October 30, 1942 Newsstand Date October 30, 1942
Source: House Ad, Batman #14, Page 15,
Detective Comics #70, Page 14

Copyright Date October 27, 1942
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1942
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Quarterly
Cover Price: $0.15
Page Count: 96
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "The Magic Lantern"
Pages: 9

Feature(s):
Zatara (of Earth-2)

Writer: Gardner F. Fox
Artist: Joseph Sulman

Reprinted In:
Flashback #38 (1976)

Feature Character(s)

• Zatara (last appearance in Action Comics #55; next appearance in Action Comics #56)

Villain(s)

• Grubs and two of his partners (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Jack (a magician's supply dealer; no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Zatara performs his stage act using a magic lantern as a prop. The lantern has no real power, but two crooks steal it anyway. One of the crooks accidentally stumbles upon magic words that activate real magic from the lamp. Using this magic he begins a series of crimes.

Zatara learns of the crimes and investigates. When he confronts the crooks, he finds that the lamp's magic is as powerful as his own. To defeat the crooks, Zatara switches the magic lamp with a phony. He then destroys the magic lamp to prevent anyone from using it again.