Raven (Ace Comics)
superhero character who first appeared in Sure-Fire Comics
The Raven is a superhero who first appeared in the Ace Comics title Sure-Fire Comics. He is based on the pulp hero "The Moon Man" published by Periodic House, the pulp publisher connected to Ace Comics.
Publication history
The Raven was inspired by the pulp hero Moon Man, created by Frederick C. Davis, published in Ten Detective Aces magazine. At least the first story was based on the first Moon Man story. His companions are Lola Lash, the daughter of the police chief, and his chauffeur Mike.
The Raven first appeared in Sure-Fire Comics #1 (June 1940), as did Lash Lightning.
According to Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, "the Raven's enemies are corrupt bankers, racketeers, the police (led by Police Chief Lash, who loathes the Raven), and the odd costumed villain such as the Eel".
In 2008, The Raven (now renamed Mr. Raven to avoid a trademark conflict with DC Comics) appeared in flashback in Project Superpowers #0; in the one-shot Project Superpowers: Chapter Two Prelude, it's stated that Mr. Raven will appear in this line as a member of a team called The Super-Mysterymen (presumably named after the Ace title Super-Mystery Comics).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Raven (Ace Comics)” is superhero character who first appeared in Sure-Fire Comics. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Raven, Comics and superhero, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “superhero character who first appeared in Sure-Fire Comics” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7296385. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1940 and 2008.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Raven (Ace Comics)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Raven (Ace Comics) primary sources, Raven (Ace Comics) archive and Raven research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Raven (Ace Comics)”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Raven (Ace Comics)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.