Comic Title: Leading Comics #2
Publisher: DC (World's Best Comics Company)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Spring 1942
On Sale Date: March 18, 1942 Newsstand Date March 18, 1942
Source: House Ad, Star Spangled Comics #8, Page 43,
Action Comics #48, Page 29,
More Fun Comics #79, Page 14,
Adventure Comics #74, Page 53

Copyright Date March 14, 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: $0.10
Page Count: 64
Editor: Fredric Whitney Ellsworth

Title: "Beware, the Black Star Shines"
Pages: 56

Feature(s):
Seven Soldiers of Victory (of Earth-2)

Writer: Mort Weisinger
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Mort Meskin
Artist: Creig Flessel
Artist: Harold Sherman
Artist: George Papp
Artist: John Lehti

Reprinted In:
Justice League of America #111 (1974)
Justice League of America #112 (1974)
Seven Soldiers of Victory Archives Vol. 1 HC (2005)

Feature Character(s)

• Seven Soldiers of Victory (last appearance in Leading Comics #1; next appearance in Leading Comics #3)
• Crimson Avenger (last appearance in Detective Comics #62; next appearance in Leading Comics #3)
• Green Arrow (last appearance in More Fun Comics #78; next appearance in More Fun Comics #79)
• Speedy (last appearance in More Fun Comics #78; next appearance in More Fun Comics #79)
• Shining Knight (last appearance in All-Star Squadron #9; next appearance in All-Star Squadron #10)
• Star-Spangled Kid (last appearance in Star Spangled Comics #8; next appearance in Leading Comics #3)
• Stripesy (last appearance in Star Spangled Comics #8; next appearance in Leading Comics #3)
• Vigilante (last appearance in Action Comics #48; next appearance in Leading Comics #3)

Villain(s)

• Black Star (Mowse; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• False Face, Captain Bigg, Hopper, the Brain, the Rattler, and their gangs (small time crooks; no further appearances)

Guest Appearance(s)

• Wing (last appearance in Detective Comics #62; next appearance in Leading Comics #3)
• Winged Victory (last appearance in All-Star Squadron #7; next appearance in All-Star Squadron #10)
• Billy Gunn (last appearance in Leading Comics #1; next appearance in Action Comics #48)
• John Pemberton (last appearance in Star Spangled Comics #7; next appearance in Star Spangled Comics #9)

Other Character(s)

• J.J. Ennis (president of the Mardi Gras Association; no further appearances)
• The mayor and police commissioner of New Orleans (no further appearances)
• Mr. Dolan (a millionaire; no further appearances)
• Coburn (an eccentric millionaire; no further appearances)
• Billy and Bobby Leeds (twin brothers; no further appearances)
• Dr. Carse (a surgeon; no further appearances)
• Mr. Bandler and his men (no further appearances)
• Wilkins (a partner in a chemical firm; no further appearances)
• Mr. Xavier, Mr. Yale, and Mr. Zinch (members of the Sixty Kiddie Club; no further appearances)

Comments:
Chap. 2: "Mystery of the Clowning Criminals"
Chap. 3: "Mystery of the Santa Claus Pirate"
Chap. 4: "Mystery of the One-Man Museum"
Chap. 5: "The Case of the Twisted Twins"
Chap. 6: "The Sixty Kiddie Club"
Chap. 7: (No Title)

Synopsis:
The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy witness five small-time hoods pull off a bank heist at the direction of a mysterious villain called Black Star. The Kid alerts the Seven Soldiers of Victory, who spilt up to track down the hoods.

The Shining Knight defeats False Face in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, while the Star-Spangled and Stripesy tackle Captain Bigg and his Santa Claus Pirate racket. Green Arrow and Speedy handle the Hopper, and Crimson Avenger and his partner Wing corral the Brain. Vigilante stops the Rattler, and learns from a man named Wilkins the true plot of Black Star.

Black Star has assembled the pieces to a device which can enlarge life forms, while his hoods distracted the Soldiers. Using the device he enlarges himself and several animals. The Soldiers attack his lair, and Black Star overexposes himself to the black light device, which enlarges him too far. As a result, he perishes, and the Soldiers are triumphant.