Modesty Blaise: Mister Sun – Peter O’Donnell and Jim Holdaway
2007 Reading Challenge: Book 66
Modesty Blaise: Mister Sun – Peter O’Donnell and Jim Holdaway
Three more stories in this second Titan volume of reprints of the original Evening Standard strips.
Mister Sun is the story that provides us with the background and history of Modesty’s houseboy Weng. We already knew from the novels and earlier strips that she had been responsible for funding his education and bringing him to England in hopes that he would learn a profession, but that he seemed perfectly happy working for her. This is the author’s chance to fill in his background and to show the reasons for his loyalty.
The Mind of Mrs Drake is a fascinating tale because, like I, Lucifer, it takes as its premise the notion that psychic powers are a definite and quantifiable part of the story universe. It also exposes some of the harsher aspects of Sir Gerald Tarrant’s job. It also explores a theme that crops up in A Taste For Death – the extraordinary powers that people that have lost their sight may develop to compensate.
The Killing Ground is a curiosity – as story-within-a-story that was created to fill a gap in a Scottish paper syndicating the strips while a strike prevented their publication in the London Evening Standard. Modesty and Willie are kidnapped by someone with a grudge and made to fight for their lives against three formidable opponents.
Both the longer-form stories are complex and involved pieces of work, handling multiple storylines and expertly building tension with assurance. Everything in this volume is a great addition to the world of the stories, fleshing it out and adding more detail and, as such, I would say they are definitely recommended reading.