The Complete Terry and the Pirates, Volume 2: 1937-1938[ THE COMPLETE TERRY AND THE PIRATES, VOLUME 2: 1937-1938 ] by Caniff, Milton (Author) Jan-01-08[ Hardcover ]

The Complete Terry and the Pirates #2

by Milton Caniff

Pat Ryan goes on trial for his life, Terry Lee needs all his resourcefulness to escape the twin menaces of Klang the Warlord and the master schemer, Hunter Yurk, while for the first and only time, Burma and the Dragon Lady share an adventure. IDW Publishing proudly presents The Library of American Comics reprinting of the greatest adventure strip of all time, Terry and the Pirates. This volume features more than 725 comic strips, including full-color Sundays that highlight the breathtaking work of Milton Caniff, The Rembrandt of the Comics. The second in a six-volume series edited by Dean Mullaney.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Adventure, Comic Strips

Hardcover

First published January 29, 2008

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a blast. I understand that, having grown up on Indiana Jones and Star Wars, movies that basically took everything they knew about pacing from these strips, I'm probably inclined to appreciate these adventure-driven, fast-moving flights of fancy, but I'm still really amazed by how good this strip really is. If you can overlook some of the blatant racism that seems to be omnipresent in comics from the early half of the 20th century (and quite a few after that), there's really nothing to not love about Terry and the Pirates.

Caniff's an excellent storyteller, capable of capturing tons of detail in a small space, and able to tell you a lot about his characters based on their posture and body language. The panels are laid out clearly, telling the story at hand. The dialogue, except for that of some of the Chinese characters, is solid, and the adventures have great twists, relentless cliffhangers, and huge dramatic revelations. Seriously, Terry and the Pirates is easily one of my favorite adventure comics of all time. I was debating if I wanted to pay for the whole six-volume set, but after this, I can't wait to read them all.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best graphic layouts possible in comic form -- masterpieces! I remember reading these as a child in the newspaper along with Pogo and I didn't always "get" the plot, but I did like the pictures - the line, the shadow, the perfect arch of an eyebrow was not lost on a child. The dragonlady fascinated me, but without words to describe how I felt, she was just exotica for a child. As I grew older, the artistry of Caniff's cinema approach to a rectangular cartoon linearity still beguiled me and influenced how I used my own line as I explored art. This is an excellent volume for quiet perusal - a necessary delight for those who remember his art and an introduction to his earlier work for those born too late.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the unevenness of volume 1 left you wondering how Milt Caniff earned his exalted reputation, volume 2 (1937 to 1938) removes any doubts. The characters have become more layered and the narratives more intricate. This is an artist and writer reaching full mastery of his medium. The Sandhurst plot and the introduction of Big Stoop and Judas are highlights, but it's the long section with Burma (including close to a year of strips without Pat Ryan) where this strip really sends off sparks. It's one of the best runs on any adventure strip ever. This is Caniff--"the Rembrandt of the comic strip"--firing on all cylinders.

[Matthew J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho, boy. That's racist.
Like the first volume, the adventure stuff is great. There's some thrilling heroics and great action. Terry really gets a chance to shine in this volume, spending a good deal of the time really in the front & center while Pat is out of the picture. The stuff where the gang is rolling around the wilderness in a super-tank thing is great. Made me think of some of the serials like The Undersea Kingdom.
Unfortunately the racist stereotypes are an elephant in the room you just can't ignore.
I've reached the end of what I owned and I won't be seeking out further volumes. Instead, maybe I'll pen my own retro-adventure story one of these days. I'll just leave out the rampant racism.

[Pturingan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm gonna deduct a star because of the super racist way that the Chinese characters, particularly Connie are portrayed but this is otherwise an excellent, fast-paced, picaresque adventure strip that exceeds the limitations of the daily strip format and has gorgeous art on top of all that.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic adventure strip that moves at a breakneck clip. Stuff happens in this strip. Lots of stuff. And gorgeous art. Caniff was an amazing artist. I've heard about this strip for ages. Now that I've finally had a chance to read it, I see that it deserves its reputation. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because of the way non-white characters are portrayed. It is a product of its time; unfortunately, that was a time when racism was more prevalent than now.