Max Allan Collins, A Killing In Comics

A Killing In Comics

Max Allan Collins

Berkley, May 2007, $14.00, 272 pp.

ISBN 042521365X

Harry Spiegel was the writer with a dream and he shared that with Moe Shulman; together they created a hit comic series Wonder Guy and sold it to Donny of American Comics. However, they were two innocents who signed away all rights, including fees for merchandise based on the comic. Their contract is coming up and they might not sign up with American Comics. Stark Syndication, the outlet that distributes their work to newspapers across the country would be fairer to them.

They have an idea for a comic book and they want to sell that to Stark Syndication. At Donny's birthday party, he keels over and dies. A toxicology report reveals he was poisoned and Jack Stark, V.P. and troubleshooter for Stark syndication starts an investigation. His interest is purely financial as he doesn't want a long, protracted investigation involving three players in their stable. By finding the killer, (he is a licensed P.I.) the company will know what business decisions to make but he soon realizes he has his work cut out for him. Donny was a man who many people had a motive to want him dead.

A KILLING IN COMICS takes place in 1948 Manhattan and has a noirish gothic feel to it as well using some comic book Golden Age history. It is a trip down memory lane when people believe that comics are destroying the minds of children who read them. The well-executed plot and the Phillip Marlow type protagonist makes this an excellent historical mystery. The illustrations by Terry Beatty are fantastic and visualize key plot points.

Harriet Klausner