Case of the Crooked Contractor (Nickel Comics #5)

As so often happens in these early tales, Jim is toiling away in his lab as part of the "police research bureau" of his unnamed city, accompanied by his top fan Susan Kent and number one detractor Sergeant Kent. At the beginning, it is noted that Sarge's sentiments as to Jim being a useless weakling is a view shared with most of the force. 

Be that as it may, Susan becomes witness to a hit and run just outside the police station. Tim Strange is run down by an unknown assailant while walking towards the station, and Jim notices some concrete that tips him off to go to the victims work. There, he is almost clocked by a falling girder, impelling Barr to change his attire and ferret out who is behind these "strange" goings on as Bulletman.

After leaving several of contractor Durgan's employees hanging on another girder after their attacks on our hero fail, this catches the attention of Sgt. Kent and Susan who stop to confront Durgan himself. This leads to their capture, on board a ship that Bulletman damages in order to save the pair and confront the crooked contractor.  Remarkably, after bringing the Kents back to shore, they are speaking to him face to face. Unmasked face, that is!

However, Durgan is at the newly minted city hall, which is made of the same shoddy materials that Tim Strange saw on the construction site. Rocketing off to the new structure which is being inaugurated before a crowd in front of it, Bulletman decides to push on beams in order to demolish it before any innocents enter the faulty facade. Exposing Durgan for his money hording practices, he jets off.

Bullet Buddies: It was said previously that Bulletman has "telescopic vision", thanks to his miracle serum. The Sarge and Susan could use some of it themselves, as they can't recognize that the helmeted hero they are speaking to is the same man in the lab coat they see every day! However, Sergeant Kent acknowledges for the first time that Jim Barr's observation of the concrete was correct, which indicates that he is at least becoming aware that the lab tech is m ore than meets the eye.

Rocketing Romance: Susan now has a new man in her life, and one she appears to be interested in. Or at least someone she can fawn over as leverage over Jim to get him to finally notice her.

Bedeviling Bulletman: Durgan is by far the least imaginative of the featured foes thus far. *Yawn*

Powerful Projectile:  Wrenching a propeller with his bare hands! Tearing down the new city hall, like a modern day Samson! Is there a cap to his strength, or is the "sky the limit"!

Fawcett Facts: The format of Nickel Comics, being produced less often with a greater page count for half the price, is not a sustainable one. We are entering into the final days of this title.