Superfluous dialogue balloon.

This particular offender is the textual equivalent of those parachutes that popped open every time G.I. Joe shot down a Cobra Rattler.

Bonus feature: do you ever despair that humanity is getting dumber after reading a YouTube comment thread? As Will Shakespeare would say, 'twas ever thus.

(Panel is from Showcase #24, February 1960, letter is from Green Lantern vol. 2 #1, August 1960.)

Dan