I can’t help it… I’m all about the bulk buys. (This is actually part of the problem of trying to get through the to-read pile; it’s not just that there’s a lot of books, it’s also that they tend to be giant, doorstop-sized, books, because, well, I love those.)
Anyway, here’s another lightning round of capsule reviews.
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The Scarlet Pimpernel Omnibus by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.
The blurb: The Scarlet Pimpernel appears in a play and a series of novels and short stories by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. They are set at the start of the French Revolution, the Pimpernel being a master of disguise and a precursor to other heroes such as Zorro and Batman. The play and the tales brought Orczy international acclaim, being translated into sixteen languages. This omnibus edition includes the following unabridged stories: The Scarlet Pimpernel, I Will Repay, Eldorado, and Sir Percy Hits Back.
What I Thought: I’ve always been a sucker for the Scarlet Pimpernel, ever since I encountered him in a kid’s-table abridged version when I was eight. It wasn’t until the Anthony Andrews TV adaptation, though, that I discovered there were more Pimpernel adventures beyond the original novel.
For whatever reason, it’s one of those things I never quite got around to, though I did find Eldorado at the library and enjoyed it a great deal. We have most of the Pimpernel movie and TV adaptations here in the DVD library– Leslie Howard, Anthony Andrews, and Richard Grant— but somehow the books never made it here until I happened across this reprint of a 1930s omnibus collecting the first four novels. They are great fun and though the Baroness tends to suffer a little from the disease of writing basically the same book over and over– a disease that also afflicts Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert Ludlum, and Louis L’Amour, so it’s not a dealbreaker in this household– nevertheless the books are great fun and this is a nice sampler. There is a follow-up collection with the next four, The Gallant Pimpernel, but that one’s NOT cheap (the 1930s original is actually less expensive than the later reprint, and I have no idea why) so it’s going to have to wait a while.
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Marvel Masterworks: Ka-Zar Vol. 2 by Mike Friedrich, Steve Gerber, and others.
The blurb: Ka-Zar the Lord of the Hidden Jungle meets Shanna the She-Devil for the very first time in this massive Marvel Masterworks! These two heroes were from separate realms, but after both rejected the modern world and its concrete canyons it was inevitable their paths would cross deep in the jungle. Ka-Zar must first conquer a madman powered by the Super-Soldier serum, the twin villain Gemini and Ka-Zar’s brother the Plunderer, while Shanna hunts her father’s killers, explores the jungle’s mysteries and battles the Mandrill and priestess Nekra. After their paths diverge, Ka-Zar will encounter an evolved incarnation of his Savage Land nemesis in adventures with Bobbi Morse, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent known as Mockingbird. Meanwhile, Shanna completes her quest to avenge her father alongside Daredevil. COLLECTING: ASTONISHING TALES (1970) 17-20, KA-ZAR (1974) 1-5, SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL (1972) 1-5, DAREDEVIL (1964) 110-112; MATERIAL FROM DAREDEVIL (1964) 109, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) 3
What I Thought: Certainly it will come as no surprise to regular readers of this column that 1970s Marvel is my jam. I rarely bother with the Masterworks hardcovers, though, mostly because I’m cheap. The black-and-white Essentials were more than adequate for me, but the trouble is, they didn’t get to everything. Lately we’re seeing some Epic Collections that are batting cleanup for the oddball stuff like Tigra and Morbius and so on, but there are a couple series where the Masterworks hardcovers are the only game in town. Early Ka-Zar is one of those. Volume one is out of print and going for stratospheric prices from dealers, but volume two is much more reasonably priced. One of the reasons I fell for this is it’s also got all the early Shanna the She-Devil stuff folded into the collection as well.
These stories aren’t as good as what would come later from Jones and Anderson, but they’re still pretty good and I’m pleased at getting caught up with them at last. Provisionally recommended, but don’t pay full price.
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Batman: A Celebration of the Classic TV Series by Robert Garcia and Joe Desris.
The blurb: Batman: A Celebration of the Classic TV Series is the definitive book for all fans of the popular Sixties show. Presented in a lavish hardcover edition, the book features classic images, rare stills, photography and production art and serves as the ultimate tribute for fans of the series. Now at long last, collectors and Bat-fans alike can indulge in a detailed and in-depth look at the show that inspired generations.
What I Thought: “At long last” is right. Apart from the self-serving autobiographies by Adam West and Burt Ward, and The Official Batman Batbook, which is mostly an episode guide with some novelty sidebar bits to it, there really hasn’t been much done on this show; at least, not from major publishers. So this is definitely the one to get. It’s gorgeous just as an artifact, and it’s a detailed chronological history from pre-production through cancellation. Real scholarship, but with a light touch.
It even shows you the original comics the production team were using as reference, which is a detail many TV history books would just not bother with.
If you want to read about the 1966 Batman show, this is THE book. None of the others come close; there was a great deal that was new to ME, and frankly that’s a high bar, if I do say so myself. And not too terribly expensive, either; you can score one for about twenty bucks if you look around a little. Very much worth it. (Assuming you’re a fan, but even if you’re not it’s still a fascinating look at how TV got made back then.)
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Batman: 100 Greatest Moments: Highlights from the History of The Dark Knight by Robert Greenberger.
The blurb: The Bat. The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. The World’s Greatest Detective. Whatever you call him, Bruce “The Batman” Wayne remains one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time. And to mark Batman’s 80th anniversary, this volume encapsulates the most memorable moments that have left fans stunned, in awe, or heartbroken since his inception. Batman has had many writers, his cowl has been worn by a plethora of different actors, and while many people have a favorite Batman, there’s no doubt that he’s the fan favorite. The 100 Greatest Moments of DC Comics series collects the greatest, most memorable moments of your favorite comic book characters in gorgeous volumes that highlight both individual characters and groups. From superheroes to super-villains, each book in this collection covers some of the greatest DC comic book characters. No comic book nerd’s collection is complete without the 100 Greatest Moments of DC Comics books of their favorite characters.
What I Thought: Honestly, I’m ambivalent about the need for this ‘100 Greatest Moments’ series, especially considering how many greatest-hits collections DC is already doing with actual complete stories in them. If I hadn’t run across this in a thrift store in like-new condition I’d have probably passed on it.
That said, this is an entertaining book and though I might quibble about the ranking, I think this is a pretty solid selection of great moments. It’s broken up into sections so it’s not just a list.
And the book itself is just a lovely coffee-table art book, very well put together. I think this is something that I probably would have read to tatters when I was a kid if I came across it at the library, but as an adult comics fan it feels a little redundant. I think I’m probably not the target audience for this…but if you have a young person in your life who wants to get caught up on Batman lore, this is a great book, it’s one-stop shopping and serves as a terrific pointer for further reading. And our own John Trumbull consulted on it, so there’s that. Recommended, but with the proviso that this is something you’re more likely to want to give as a gift than keep for yourself.
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The Watchmen Companion by various.
The blurb: The Watchmen Companion collects for the first time long-out-of-print, rarely seen material based on the landmark comic book series! During the creation of Watchmen, Ray Winninger and Daniel Greenberg worked under the guidance of Alan Moore to further expand the world and history of the Watchmen universe. This Moore-sanctioned prequel came to life in the form of two game modules, Watchmen: Watching the Watchmen and Watchmen: Taking Out the Trash, along with the extensive Watchmen Sourcebook, which incorporated new mythology and adventures alongside new art from series artist Dave Gibbons. These rare, long-out-of-print books are now collected for the first time ever in one extensive, oversize hardcover collection.
What I thought: I thought Amazon should be ashamed of themselves for listing Alan Moore as the author of record. This is another blatant Watchmen-related cash grab from DC, for completists only. DO NOT PAY FULL PRICE FOR THIS, if you have any interest at all. It’s not worth it.
That said, at least the blurb is accurate…. it’s basically the Mayfair Games modules and the sourcebook, plus a couple of other oddments thrown in to pad it out to book size.
Promotional art, things like that… and, weirdly, the issue of The Question that Denny O’Neil did riffing on Rorschach. No Alan Moore content at all, though there is lots of Dave Gibbons art. All that being said, I should add that I found it to be mildly interesting since I’d read an interview with the game developers some thirty-five years ago and I was curious if my guess about the villain of the story panned out. (It did. Minor victory lap there.) But on the whole, even though I spent less than five dollars on it, I think I’d have rather have just replaced my old copy of Comics Interview that got me curious in the first place.
Certainly, that magazine works much better as an actual Watchmen Companion than this hardcover does. So would the Comics Journal devoted to it.
But those particular back issues are going for considerably more than five bucks these days, and I don’t feel that strongly about it. C’est la vie. Put those two magazines between hard covers and call THAT a Watchmen Companion, though, then you’d really have something. Including lots of genuine Alan Moore content.
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A Treasury of Swashbuckling Adventures by various.
The blurb: There isn’t one, really, but the back cover should catch you up.
What I thought: Well, really, I thought for $1.99, I can’t pass up this big hardcover when it’s just pristine. It’s a pretty good selection of the usual suspects, and it’s remaindered all over the place so you can get it for about the same price I did. But there’s a lot of overlap with this one that I bought a couple of years ago.
That one is a paperback, not a hardcover, but you can get it for about the same price and it’s the better book, if I had to pick one. But either one is a good time.
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And there you have it. Back next week with something cool from the pile.
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*heavy sigh* The swashbuckling books reminded me that I have an omnibus containing three of Sabatini’s novels, under the title In the Shadow of the Guillotine, sitting on my shelf of shame – been there for about 7 years. (It was a great thrift shop find during a trip to the US – bought it with four other books for a dollar.)
I love the best Sabatini (Sea Hawk, Captain Blood) but a lot of his work leaves me cold.
My first encounter with the Scarlet Pimpernel was the Inferior Five parody, the Crimson Chrysanthemum, who makes the mistake of kidnapping Sidney Carton of Tale of Two Cities right before his execution (“No, are you crazy? I was gonna die a hero! Let me go back!”).
Orczy is great, though I have mostly read the first novel, though the edition I had, I believe, included some of the other stuff. One of the brilliant things about the series is that it isn’t just Sir Percy as the hero, Lady Margaritte is his close ally, once she discovers her husband is the Scarlet Pimpernel. One of the early power couples of literature. Moore immediately glommed onto that with the past incarnation of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
I had the Watchman Sourcebook and the Comics Interview issue, from back when you could pick them up cheaply, before the internet drove everyone crazy. Some interesting stuff in there. There was a period, while I was in the Navy, where I picked up a few role playing sourcebooks, even though I didn’t game. A local store, The Green Dragon, carried comics and role playing materials (plus New Age stuff, martial arts gear, sci-fi & fantasy and other esoteric stuff) and they had a ton of sourcebooks for GURPS and some others. I grabbed the Justice Machine Sourcebook, from Palladium, their superhero game book, with Steranko cover art, a sourcebook to the Horseclans fantasy book series, a Man From UNCLE tech guide, a Prisoner sourcebook, an Illuminati one, the Watchmen stuff, Star Wars (where illustrations laughably gave functions to the screws that mounted the scope on Han’s blaster) and a couple of others. Good references for their subjects, before everyone had websites.
That swashbuckling book looks like a B&N bargain title, judging by the bar code. Usually pretty good collections (public domain, of course).
Marguerite being an ally is one of my favorite things about the Anthony Andrews version, it’s a mashup of the first book and Eldorado.
When I worked at Waldenbooks, someone tried to return an omnibus bargain book along the same lines, but wanted full price for it. When we informed her it was a bargain volume, she exploded and assured us her dad would NEVER have bought her a cheap present like that!
In fairness, I’ve heard worse arguments by scamsters trying to get a refund they weren’t entitled to.
Pffft. I love those big discount anthologies. There’s one from a decade ago or so called TOUGH GUYS AND DANGEROUS DAMES that has all kinds of great stuff in it. That’s actually where I found out about the Moon Man, which led to me eventually doing a story about him myself for one of the A27 collections.
After 20 years there, I had several (still have some, let others go in moves). I had a nice adventure one that included King Solomon’s Mines, Kipling’s The Man Who Would Be King, a PC Wren (Beau Geste) Legion story, Conan Doyle, Talbot Mundy, Sax Rohmer, Poe Conrad, Hodgson, O Henry (Caballero’s Way), McCulley’s Curse of Capistrano, a Burroughs Tarzan, Edgar Wallace, Stevenson, London, Ambrose Bierce. I have another that has Kipling’s supernatural and sci-fi stories and another with the Jungle Book and some of his other short stories.
My wife bought me (at my request) an anthology of the first four Jennings schoolboy novels for Christmas. I haven’t read them since I was a teen but they hold up well. And the schoolboy slang gives me the itch to denounce someone as a “worthless, prehistoric ruin!” sometime soon.