What do you think?
Rate this book
Modesty Blaise Story Strips #5
Modesty Blaise 5: Bad Suki
The dark underworld of espionage and crime is lit up by the fatal charms of the gorgeous Modesty Blaise — high priestess of pulp crime and goddess of cult thrillers! A new adventure falls literally into the lap of Modesty and her right-hand man Willie Garvin. Aiding a young girl battling drug addiction leads Modesty into the deepest, grimmest levels of criminal purgatory as she pursues her hatred of drug dealers. But who or what is bad suki and what will be the bloody cost of finding out? Also collecting The Galley Slaves and The Red Gryphon, this new volume includes an appreciation of artist Jim Holdaway by legendary comics illustrator Walt Simonson (Thor, Elric) and masses of rare and never-before-seen artwork!
96 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2005
1 person is currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Peter O'Donnell
373 books116 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Peter O'Donnell also wrote as Madeleine Brent.
http://www.cs.umu.se/~kenth/modesty.html
is an excellent resource on this author.
To help keep the novels and the adventure strip collections separate, here's some info about the Modesty Blaise works.
In 1963, O'Donnell began his 38-year run as writer of the Modesty Blaise adventure story strip, which appeared six days a week in English and Scottish newspapers. He retired the strip in 2001.
Each strip story took 18-20 weeks to complete. Several publishers over the years have attempted to collect these stories in large softcovers. Titan Publishing is currently in the process of bringing them all out in large-format softcover, with 2-3 stories in each books. These are called "graphic novels" in the Goodreads title.
Meanwhile, during those 38 years, O'Donnell also wrote 13 books about Modesty Blaise: 11 novels and 2 short story/novella collections. These stories are not related to the strip stories; they are not novelizations of strip stories. They are entirely new, though the characters and "lives" are the same. These have been labeled "series #0".
There is a large article on Peter O'Donnell on Wikipedia, with a complete bibliography.
Peter O'Donnell also wrote as Madeleine Brent.
http://www.cs.umu.se/~kenth/modesty.html
is an excellent resource on this author.
To help keep the novels and the adventure strip collections separate, here's some info about the Modesty Blaise works.
In 1963, O'Donnell began his 38-year run as writer of the Modesty Blaise adventure story strip, which appeared six days a week in English and Scottish newspapers. He retired the strip in 2001.
Each strip story took 18-20 weeks to complete. Several publishers over the years have attempted to collect these stories in large softcovers. Titan Publishing is currently in the process of bringing them all out in large-format softcover, with 2-3 stories in each books. These are called "graphic novels" in the Goodreads title.
Meanwhile, during those 38 years, O'Donnell also wrote 13 books about Modesty Blaise: 11 novels and 2 short story/novella collections. These stories are not related to the strip stories; they are not novelizations of strip stories. They are entirely new, though the characters and "lives" are the same. These have been labeled "series #0".
There is a large article on Peter O'Donnell on Wikipedia, with a complete bibliography.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 6, 2017
Another trip to the past for me.
Modesty Blaise was one of my favorite comics as a kid. It features smart, beautiful and ass-kicking heroine Modesty Blaise and her friend, the totally cool Willie Garvin. Both were retired criminals, gang leaders who are now helping British intelligence and the FBI. Compared to all the comics I read as a child, this one was perhaps the best.
Well, my re-reading 35 or so years later confirms it, which I can't say for most novels and comics of my tween and teen years.
This graphic novel contains three comics:
Bad Suki (loved it)
The Galley Slaves
The Red Gryphon
All three are good. Realistically, it should be rated 4 (since novels are better), but as a graphic novel and for sentimental value, I give it 5 stars.
Enjoy!
Modesty Blaise was one of my favorite comics as a kid. It features smart, beautiful and ass-kicking heroine Modesty Blaise and her friend, the totally cool Willie Garvin. Both were retired criminals, gang leaders who are now helping British intelligence and the FBI. Compared to all the comics I read as a child, this one was perhaps the best.
Well, my re-reading 35 or so years later confirms it, which I can't say for most novels and comics of my tween and teen years.
This graphic novel contains three comics:
Bad Suki (loved it)
The Galley Slaves
The Red Gryphon
All three are good. Realistically, it should be rated 4 (since novels are better), but as a graphic novel and for sentimental value, I give it 5 stars.
Enjoy!
May 11, 2020
A reprint of the Modesty Blaise comic strips 13, 14B, and 15,
The title story, Bad Suki, unfortunately shows its age: it’s about hippies who use drugs. Modesty, of course, is against all drugs (except tobacco and alcohol which they both use a lot). Willie saves a teenaged girl from diving to her death. She’s dirty and high. He takes her to Modesty’s place. Modesty bathes her and washes her clothing which the girl, Amanda, doesn’t like. However, Modesty knows that she can’t help her or anyone else who doesn’t want help. So, when Amanda briefly lectures to Modesty and Willie about their too safe lives, Modesty doesn’t say anything. Amanda leaves. But Modesty wants to know more about London’s illegal drug trade. So, she and Willie put on hippie clothes and infiltrate the scene.
The Galley Slaves: Modesty and Willie are on a cruise on a ship which is owned by Modesty’s friend. However, the owner’s friends are terrible snobs and they put down Willie at every opportunity. Ten days later, Modesty can’t stand them any longer. She and Willie simply swim away from the ship to a small island near Tahiti. They have minimal supplies but manage just fine. Willie is building a raft when they suddenly see a Rome style trireme sailing to the island.
The Red Gryphon is set in Venice. Modesty has made a new conquest, a young architect Max who is renovating an old estate for a millionaire. Modesty spots a ragged, eleven or twelve year old boy who who is running from the police. She helps him and gives a meal to him and his best friend. Meanwhile, Max starts to behave in a secretive way, saying that he found something he’s sure Modesty will love but he won’t yet talk about. But that morning, he’s found dead. Modesty must get to the bottom of it.
This story is perhaps the most “usual” of Modesty stories. But the inclusion of the two runaways who live on the streets, stealing and scamming, makes this more personal.
All the stories have great character moments. We already know that Modesty hates drugs and in Bad Suki O’Donnell really digs deep to this side of her. Galley Slaves shows the duo’s unique ethics, concerning the people they used to work with. The duo used to be criminals but even then they were only after money and didn’t hurt people unless they had to. They didn’t and still don’t respect violent criminals or people who exploit or abuse others. In the last story, the two street urchins remind Modesty (and us readers) about her childhood. On the other hand, Modesty and Willie are ruthless to their enemies in this collection.
The title story, Bad Suki, unfortunately shows its age: it’s about hippies who use drugs. Modesty, of course, is against all drugs (except tobacco and alcohol which they both use a lot). Willie saves a teenaged girl from diving to her death. She’s dirty and high. He takes her to Modesty’s place. Modesty bathes her and washes her clothing which the girl, Amanda, doesn’t like. However, Modesty knows that she can’t help her or anyone else who doesn’t want help. So, when Amanda briefly lectures to Modesty and Willie about their too safe lives, Modesty doesn’t say anything. Amanda leaves. But Modesty wants to know more about London’s illegal drug trade. So, she and Willie put on hippie clothes and infiltrate the scene.
The Galley Slaves: Modesty and Willie are on a cruise on a ship which is owned by Modesty’s friend. However, the owner’s friends are terrible snobs and they put down Willie at every opportunity. Ten days later, Modesty can’t stand them any longer. She and Willie simply swim away from the ship to a small island near Tahiti. They have minimal supplies but manage just fine. Willie is building a raft when they suddenly see a Rome style trireme sailing to the island.
The Red Gryphon is set in Venice. Modesty has made a new conquest, a young architect Max who is renovating an old estate for a millionaire. Modesty spots a ragged, eleven or twelve year old boy who who is running from the police. She helps him and gives a meal to him and his best friend. Meanwhile, Max starts to behave in a secretive way, saying that he found something he’s sure Modesty will love but he won’t yet talk about. But that morning, he’s found dead. Modesty must get to the bottom of it.
This story is perhaps the most “usual” of Modesty stories. But the inclusion of the two runaways who live on the streets, stealing and scamming, makes this more personal.
All the stories have great character moments. We already know that Modesty hates drugs and in Bad Suki O’Donnell really digs deep to this side of her. Galley Slaves shows the duo’s unique ethics, concerning the people they used to work with. The duo used to be criminals but even then they were only after money and didn’t hurt people unless they had to. They didn’t and still don’t respect violent criminals or people who exploit or abuse others. In the last story, the two street urchins remind Modesty (and us readers) about her childhood. On the other hand, Modesty and Willie are ruthless to their enemies in this collection.
August 21, 2017
The three stories in this collection present Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin as the efficient killers that they can be when it is necessary. In most of their adventures, they go out of their way to avoid killing their adversaries, even when they have earned their deaths. Not so in this case, they are often quick to dispatch their enemies.
The first story is “Bad Suki” and opens with Willie saving a young woman on drugs from diving to her death from a tree. He then takes the woman to Modesty’s residence in an attempt to save her from further damage. This leads to Modesty and Willie being involved in trying to break up a drug ring. Both of them have only contempt for drug dealers, so they respond ruthlessly to the challenges. When the two of them are placed in a sealed box and dumped in the sea, Modesty demonstrates once again the complete trust she has in Willie to find a way out. That is one of the strongest features of the Modesty Blaise stories, how when one tells the other something in a crisis situation, there is no argument. Yet, it is clear that the final decision will always be made by Modesty.
The context for the second story is unusual, yet plausible. It is “The Galley Slaves” and most of the action takes place on a Roman galley slave ship where the rowers are indeed chained to their oars. There is no cheap resort to time travel, there is a sound justification for the scenario, which makes it all the more exciting. Modesty and Willie are free-lancing in an attempt to get a top-secret guidance system back from a criminal that they have dealt with in the past. When they worked with him, he was a much more honorable villain, but they learn quickly that he has changed for the worst.
The final story is “The Red Gryphon” and is set in Venice. In the opening, Modesty saves a male street child from being captured by the police. She learns that he is very loyal to his female companion and that they will not go to a home because that would mean that they would be split up. An architect that is also Modesty’s lover is supervising the remodeling of a building and there is a statue of a gryphon on the grounds.
When the owner learns that there is a fortune in jewels hidden in the statue, he turns greedy and ruthless, trying to kill all that know about the hidden prize. Of course, Modesty and Willie are two of the intended victims and he learns that even being shot does not deter the two of them from fighting back with efficient precision. Especially when they are defending children and each other.
Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin are one of the most efficient and interesting hero teams ever created. Modesty was one of the first female action heroes and she remains the best of all time. All of her stories should be made into movies with plots beyond the simple beat-em-up and destroy scenarios of the current super hero movies being made.
The first story is “Bad Suki” and opens with Willie saving a young woman on drugs from diving to her death from a tree. He then takes the woman to Modesty’s residence in an attempt to save her from further damage. This leads to Modesty and Willie being involved in trying to break up a drug ring. Both of them have only contempt for drug dealers, so they respond ruthlessly to the challenges. When the two of them are placed in a sealed box and dumped in the sea, Modesty demonstrates once again the complete trust she has in Willie to find a way out. That is one of the strongest features of the Modesty Blaise stories, how when one tells the other something in a crisis situation, there is no argument. Yet, it is clear that the final decision will always be made by Modesty.
The context for the second story is unusual, yet plausible. It is “The Galley Slaves” and most of the action takes place on a Roman galley slave ship where the rowers are indeed chained to their oars. There is no cheap resort to time travel, there is a sound justification for the scenario, which makes it all the more exciting. Modesty and Willie are free-lancing in an attempt to get a top-secret guidance system back from a criminal that they have dealt with in the past. When they worked with him, he was a much more honorable villain, but they learn quickly that he has changed for the worst.
The final story is “The Red Gryphon” and is set in Venice. In the opening, Modesty saves a male street child from being captured by the police. She learns that he is very loyal to his female companion and that they will not go to a home because that would mean that they would be split up. An architect that is also Modesty’s lover is supervising the remodeling of a building and there is a statue of a gryphon on the grounds.
When the owner learns that there is a fortune in jewels hidden in the statue, he turns greedy and ruthless, trying to kill all that know about the hidden prize. Of course, Modesty and Willie are two of the intended victims and he learns that even being shot does not deter the two of them from fighting back with efficient precision. Especially when they are defending children and each other.
Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin are one of the most efficient and interesting hero teams ever created. Modesty was one of the first female action heroes and she remains the best of all time. All of her stories should be made into movies with plots beyond the simple beat-em-up and destroy scenarios of the current super hero movies being made.
October 6, 2019
This Modesty Blaise collection contains strips originally published in 1968-1969. There are three complete stories.
In "Bad Suki," Modesty and Willie go after a narcotics gang. This is a fun tale that is unfortunately also quite dated now - and sometimes in hilarious ways. In one scene, for example, our heroes go undercover among "the hippies" and wear appropriate clothing to blend in. Willie sports a jacket that reads "Love is the Most" and holds a sign reading, "Beatles for Prime Minister!" Meanwhile, Modesty explains over and over that she hates drugs, but nicotine is apparently an exception, as she and Willie are both shown smoking cigarettes during the course of the story.
In "The Galley Slaves," Modesty and Willie, on holiday (as the English say), ditch a cruise and run into a film crew making a movie set in the Roman empire. The film crew makes use of a Roman-style trireme, or "slave galley ship." To say more would invite unwanted spoilers, so suffice to say that this is probably my favorite story of this volume. The "Modesty and Willie on holiday" bit alone was worth the price of admission, and there's also an interesting examination of the duo's particular code of ethics.
Finally, in "The Red Gryphon," Modesty's beau-of-the-moment works as an architect for a millionaire in Venice. The beau's client is renovating an old estate - an estate that may hold a secret. Once again, I withhold spoilers. "The Red Gryphon" is perhaps the most conventional of this volume's three tales. It's no less enjoyable than the others, however, and the Venice setting is well utilized. We also get a nice look at Modesty's compassionate side, as she aids two Italian orphans.
American comics artist Walter Simonson provides an essay on original Modesty artist Jim Holdaway. Simonson is a Holdaway fan, and you can see Holdaway's influence in his work. Simonson asserts that Holdaway became an increasingly better artist as the strip continued. Comparing this volume to earlier ones, I would agree with that. Sadly, Holdaway met an untimely death in 1970, at the age of 42, and this is the penultimate volume of his MODESTY BLAISE run.
Like Holdaway, writer Peter O'Donnell seems to be firing on all cylinders here. I can't imagine that it's easy to provide many character moments in a daily comic strip, but O'Donnell manages some nice ones - including, as noted above, explorations of Modesty Blaise's hatred of drugs, her and Willie's ethics as former criminals and how the two like to enjoy time on holiday. There's no question that he puts thought into the characters and their motivations. While there's a formula to the stories, O'Donnell consistently manages to incorporate enough novelties and surprises to keep the proceedings fresh.
I enjoy all of the Modesty Blaise collections, but I think that I enjoyed this one a little more than most. The series was arguably at its hey day at this point, and its two creators seem at the peak of their creative powers.
In "Bad Suki," Modesty and Willie go after a narcotics gang. This is a fun tale that is unfortunately also quite dated now - and sometimes in hilarious ways. In one scene, for example, our heroes go undercover among "the hippies" and wear appropriate clothing to blend in. Willie sports a jacket that reads "Love is the Most" and holds a sign reading, "Beatles for Prime Minister!" Meanwhile, Modesty explains over and over that she hates drugs, but nicotine is apparently an exception, as she and Willie are both shown smoking cigarettes during the course of the story.
In "The Galley Slaves," Modesty and Willie, on holiday (as the English say), ditch a cruise and run into a film crew making a movie set in the Roman empire. The film crew makes use of a Roman-style trireme, or "slave galley ship." To say more would invite unwanted spoilers, so suffice to say that this is probably my favorite story of this volume. The "Modesty and Willie on holiday" bit alone was worth the price of admission, and there's also an interesting examination of the duo's particular code of ethics.
Finally, in "The Red Gryphon," Modesty's beau-of-the-moment works as an architect for a millionaire in Venice. The beau's client is renovating an old estate - an estate that may hold a secret. Once again, I withhold spoilers. "The Red Gryphon" is perhaps the most conventional of this volume's three tales. It's no less enjoyable than the others, however, and the Venice setting is well utilized. We also get a nice look at Modesty's compassionate side, as she aids two Italian orphans.
American comics artist Walter Simonson provides an essay on original Modesty artist Jim Holdaway. Simonson is a Holdaway fan, and you can see Holdaway's influence in his work. Simonson asserts that Holdaway became an increasingly better artist as the strip continued. Comparing this volume to earlier ones, I would agree with that. Sadly, Holdaway met an untimely death in 1970, at the age of 42, and this is the penultimate volume of his MODESTY BLAISE run.
Like Holdaway, writer Peter O'Donnell seems to be firing on all cylinders here. I can't imagine that it's easy to provide many character moments in a daily comic strip, but O'Donnell manages some nice ones - including, as noted above, explorations of Modesty Blaise's hatred of drugs, her and Willie's ethics as former criminals and how the two like to enjoy time on holiday. There's no question that he puts thought into the characters and their motivations. While there's a formula to the stories, O'Donnell consistently manages to incorporate enough novelties and surprises to keep the proceedings fresh.
I enjoy all of the Modesty Blaise collections, but I think that I enjoyed this one a little more than most. The series was arguably at its hey day at this point, and its two creators seem at the peak of their creative powers.
April 24, 2022
Bad Suki is my least favority story of all MB stories
October 19, 2015
I’m not anywhere NEAR as big a fan of Holdaway’s drawings as I am of Romero’s. But the stories are still thrilling and fast and fun. This time we’ve got a highjack of a Hollywood galley slave ship in the Pacific, Borgia like betrayal and murder in Venice, and (the most dated MB strip I’ve read) drug dealing among hippies in 60s London.
9/10
9/10
June 21, 2009
Probably the weakest of the O'Donnell-Holdaway collections so far: the title tale's "war on drugs" doesn't date well, and "The Galley Slaves" seemed a bit clunky, but the final tale in the collection, "The Red Gryphon," has Modesty and Willie firing on all cylinders in Venice.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews