Romantic Adventures #4
In "The Crooked Road to Romance," Ken Bald crafts a poignant tale of love and loyalty amid hardship, as Naomi, struggling with poverty, finds unexpected allies in the unlikely form of Buzz, a reformed criminal with a secret agenda. When Buzz offers her a chance at a better life—promising to go straight if she helps him for a month—their fragile bond is tested by deception, betrayal, and a dangerous mission tied to a hidden plutonium mine. Cover by Ken Bald, this 1949 issue from American Comics Group captures a rare emotional depth in a genre often defined by escapism.
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Naomi is angry because her family is poor. Buzz sees her steal a dress but instead of turning her in, he takes her to the prom. Buzz is a criminal, but vows to go straight if Naomi helps him for a month so they can amass enough cash to marry. Naomi is caught, arrested and sent to prison for two years. When she’s released, Buzz orders her to work for Rod, who knows the secret location of a plutonium mine. Naomi and Rod fall in love, and she discovers Buzz has just been using her to get the mine's location. Naomi helps Rod defeat the crooks and they will be married.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).