Exciting Romances #1
"Dishonest Heart" in Exciting Romances #1 (1949) introduces a poignant tale of love, loss, and quiet determination, centered on Gracie, whose accidental mishaps in her fiancé Don’s lab lead to a devastating fire and the apparent destruction of his groundbreaking antiseptic formula. As Gracie painstakingly reconstructs Don’s lost notes from the wreckage, her resilience becomes a quiet act of devotion, even as their relationship fractures. With art by Pete Costanza, Chuck Winter, Bob Butts, and Chu F. Hing, this early romance story blends personal stakes with the quiet triumph of perseverance.
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Gracie and Ed work in her fiancé Don’s lab. Her carelessness and clumsiness result in accidents, including one in which Ed is badly burned and Don’s formula for a new antiseptic is apparently destroyed. Don breaks up with Gracie. Gracie finds portions of Don’s notes in the ruins and works desperately to restore them. Don’s work is awarded a research grant and Gracie hopes someday he will love her again.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).