I hadn't factored in the fact that some of these books were pushed out quickly just to get the comic on the shelf to make money. I can typically put myself in the mindset of the period of a movie or a book I'm reading, but I don't think I know enough about this era in comics to do that yet. But it makes sense that some of the art would look sloppy, rushed, or amateurish, not necessarily because the artist wasn't good, but because the rush nature of the work, the fact that comics weren't where the quality artists turned to for work, and because the medium itself was still taking shape.

All great things to consider. It has me thinking more about the time and what was happening at the time, not just the art itself. Just by reading the few comments in this thread, I'm already feeling a deeper appreciation for these early works.