Sarge Steel - File 104!

Sarge Steel #4 is dated July 1965. Created by Pat Masulli and scripted by Joe Gill, this issue features artwork by Dick Giordano with Jon D'Agostino on the lettering. The cover is another choice one by Giordano.

The story "Case of the Kiss of the Cat" begins with a splash featuring Sarge facing off against a beautiful black-haired woman and her black panther. The story begins in a night club where Sarge is confronted by a thug named Moo who is a bodyguard for Lynx, but Sarge makes way with him and spends the evening dancing with the beautiful and rich thrill-seeker. The papers the next several days feature Lynx making a splash everywhere she went creating quite a distraction, which Steel thinks might be linked to certain robberies. He is employed by Harker Bliss to safeguard some jewels which are being displayed during a party which Lynx will attend. She arrives with an ocelot on a leash which Sarge charms with some scent he brought for that very situation. He spies Lynx on the balcony distracted and then he himself sees a burglar climbing down a wall which Sarge confronts and sends splashing into the pool a few stories below. But there's a big explosion and the vault was robbed while all this happened. Lynx makes her exit as Part I finishes.

"P is for Parachute" is a one-page text piece about the history of parachutes.

Part II is titled "The Strolling Statue" and begins with Lynx and her henchmen Moo and Felix planning her next heist. Steel has been engaged to supply some security advice for the World's Fair and goes to fulfill that obligation when he encounters Lynx. He checks out the statue "The Dreamer" just before it is stolen with the use of sleeping gas and some disguise work. The life-size statue is dressed and driven off the Fair grounds in one of the distinctive taxis the Fair uses. Steel recognizes the thieves, attempts to intercept them but is knocked out himself when Lynx unleashes her panther on him. He wakes up in time to see a hydrofoil disappear across the horizon.

Part III is titled "Death on Cat Cay" and begins with Sarge rising out of the water onto the beach of Cat Cay, the ideal location for Lynx's hideout he suspects. He makes his way past the guards using various hand-to-hand and judo techniques. He leaps the fence using high-tech jump-jets and then scales the wall of the central hideout taking out various guards before at long last finding location of stolen statue. He then is again confronted by Lynx and her panther, but this time he uses his Luger to dispatch the attacking animal. Lynx is furious but then abruptly seemingly succumbs to Sarge's charms calling her "Man of Steel". But he is not fooled as she reaches for his gun. Suddenly British policemen show up and arrest Lynx and her men. It seems Cat Cay is under British mandate and they take the Lynx into custody. But as Sarge relates to Bessie and Harker Bliss later when he returns the jewels, she escaped the British police boat and seemingly drowned. Bliss and Steel lament the loss of such a beautiful woman, but Bessie is less impressed. The story ends with a final panel announcing the next adventure featuring arch-villain Ivan Chung.

"Sport of Judo" is a three-page instructional piece by Frank McLaughlin featuring Sarge Steel giving tips on two judo throws, specifically Osoto Gari-Major Outer Reaping Throw and Osoto Makikomi Major Outer Winding Throw. The former was specifically used in the main Steel story this issue.

This issue has a sprawling set, but does live up to the noir private eye quality more than the previous two which had a greater spy feel. This one deals with mere thefts, though the thief is very well connected and highly organized. This is a solid issue by Giordano, who will be taking a break from the series with the next few issues.

More Sarge Steel to come.

This is a Revised Classic Charlton Post! 

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