Roy Crane's Captain Easy Soldier of Fortune - The Complete Sunday Newspaper Strips Volume 2 1935-1937 from Fantagrahics contains a somewhat less colorful and vibrant reding experience. The visual exuberance which had marked the earliest outings of the daring "Soldier of Fortune" in foreign lands among exotic flora and fauna and peoples gives way to a more familiar visual scheme. The stories are filled with plenty of derring-do and lots of danger, but somehow they come across as more humdrum, though still diverting and often funny.
Cold of the Frozen North
From December 8, 1935 until April 19, 1935 we follow Captain Easy as he makes his way North into snowy regions where he has to fend off the henchmen of the villain Nikky Eskota. There are a number of hair-raising events as Easy and a lovely young woman use all types of transportation to get important items from the North into the South and then back again.
The Hook-Nosed Bandit
April 26, 1936 through August 8, 1936 brings us the story of the bandit who it turns out is Easy himself. He is confused for a villain and taken into custody by the local authorities but an old ally named Clipper Watson discovers his plight and takes steps to help him escape from custody. The duo are in and out of prison but eventually save a damsel and return her to her father, a wealthy man named Belfry.
The Diamond Formula
August 16, 1936 until December 13, 1836 brings us the story of Belfry himself who is an inventor and who has come up with a way to manufacture diamonds. This of course makes him a target of all manner of thieves as well as diamond merchants eager to protect their market. Easy follows Belfry back to America where they come up against some tough gangsters.
Dinwiddy's Adventure
From December 20, 1936 through March 14, 1937 we follow the misadventures of a rich but timid man named Dinwiddy who is hungry for adventures and looks to Captain Easy to show him how one can be found. Easy helps him out and before long the complications and seeming dangers multiply quickly.
Lost at Sea
March 21, 1937 through May, 9 1937 gives us tales of Benjamin Barton, another utterly rich man who seeks to get away from his domineering wife and the strife of modern living. He contracts with Easy and the two fly away and are reported missing. But they are on a secluded island Barton has prepared for just such a getaway.
The King of Kleptomania
From May 16, 1937 to November 14, 1937 we meet a hobo with the impressive name of Kron Prinz Hugo Maximillian Von Hooten-Tooten, Defender Extraordinary, Light of Heaven and Heir-Apparent to the throne of Kelptomania. It turns out he really is despite early well-justified suspicion he's bogus, but Easy follows this chap all the way to Kleptomania where he attempts to help regain his throne, one he is poorly qualified for.
The Firing Squad
November 21, 1937 to May 15, 1938 brings us the last story in this collection and reunites Captain Easy with his longtime ally Washington Tubbs. The two of them are arrested a few times and end up facing a firing squad, but I can say they both pull through. Most of this adventure has the duo dodging bullets, spies, and even some tough looking gangsters.
After the blazing beginning the Captain Easy Sunday page has a steady rhythm filled with lots of adventure and increasingly a lot of humor. This collection also includes an introductory essay by artist Paul Pope as well as other nifty material from editor Rick Norwood.
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