Image © Conde Nast.

The concept of Doc Savage, the super-smart, super-strong, super-rich adventurer and his gang of odd but equally smart and talented sidekicks never worked for me in the comics versions I’ve read from Marvel and DC. I hasten to admit I haven’t sampled the original pulp adventures that spawned him either. In this effort, writer Chris Roberson gradually brought me around so that, by the end of the issue, I was involved and enjoying the main character. The plot involves some sort of invisible effect causing people in specific areas to act belligerent and crazy for a time, then all come to their senses at once, clearly under the influence of some outside force. Doc and his gang do a fine job of homing in on the problem and its source, but it takes courage to bring the perpetrator to justice. The art by Bilquis Evely did not impress me much, it has the uneven quality of an artist still finding his way with depictions of the human figure in the many different angles and situations required for comics. There are nice panels and pages, but others that pulled me out of the moment with dodgy anatomy or composition. In all, I enjoyed the issue and might read more in a collection, though I should add this issue is a complete story, a rarity in today’s comics.

Recommended.