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The Complete Jon Sable, Freelance
The Complete Jon Sable, Freelance, Vol. 2
IDW continues to bring you the entire story of Mike Grell's classic character in Jon Sable, Freelance. This second volume includes the introduction of the popular spin-off character, Maggie the Cat and more.
176 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2005
26 people want to read
About the author
Mike Grell
711 books82 followersMike Grell (born 1947) is a comic book writer and artist.
Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and took the Famous Artists School correspondence course in cartooning. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip.
In 1973 Grell moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. His first assignment at DC was on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a high-profile assignment for an artist with no prior experience illustrating a monthly comic book. Grell says he got that job because he was walking in the editor's door to ask for work, literally, as the previous artist was walking out the door, having just quit. These stories were written by Cary Bates and Jim Shooter. The Bates/Grell/Shooter run on the title is very well-regarded today by Superboy/Legion fans, who consider it one of the high-water marks in the character/team's history. Grell's work on SATLOSH is widely thought to be some of the best beefcake/cheesecake ever committed to comic book pages, and is affectionately referred to as the 'disco Legion' in retrospect by fans of the title.
A writer as well as artist, Grell cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation, The Warlord, one of the first sword and sorcery comics, and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late-1970s.
The character first appeared in 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov 1975) and was soon given his own ongoing title (The Warlord #1, Jan/Feb 1976). In this book, Air Force pilot Travis Morgan crash-lands in the prehistoric "hidden world" of Skartaris (a setting highly influenced by Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar). For years thereafter, Morgan engages in adventures dressed only in a winged helmet, wristbands, boots, and breechclout, and armed with a sword and (years before Dirty Harry handled one) a .44 Auto Mag.
At DC, Grell also worked on titles such as Aquaman, Batman, and the Phantom Stranger, and with writer Dennis O'Neil on the re-launch of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in 1976.
[edit] Tarzan
Grell wrote and drew the Tarzan comic strip from July 19, 1981 to February 27, 1983 (except for one strip, February 13, 1983, by Thomas Yeates). These strips were rerun in newspapers in 2004 - 2005.
[edit] First Comics: Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer
Cover to Jon Sable Freelance #7. Art by Mike Grell.Through the 1980s Grell developed creator-owned titles such Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer. Jon Sable Freelance was published by the now-defunct First Comics. Starslayer, a space-born science fiction series, started at Pacific Comics, but shifted to First.
The titular character of Jon Sable Freelance was a former Olympic athlete, later a African big-game hunter, who became a mercenary. First appearing with a cover date of June 1983, Jon Sable Freelance was a successful non-super-hero comic book in an era when successful non-super-hero comic books were almost unheard of, and a graphically violent comic sold in mainstream comic book stores in an era when such was as rare. Jon Sable was a precursor to what would eventually be called, by some, "the Dark Age of Comics," when even long-established super-heroes would become increasingly grim and violent.
The character was heavily influenced by Ian Fleming's James Bond novels as well as drawing on pulp fiction crime stories. Also, many of the stories of Sable's hunting exploits in Africa were influenced by Peter Hathaway Capstick's novels. At a convention in the late 1980s, Grell stated that his idea for Sable was "something like a cross between James Bond and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
Sable was adapted into a short-lived television series and the character's origin tale, "A Storm Over Eden," from the comic book, was expanded and novelized by Grell under the title Sable, which was publ
Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and took the Famous Artists School correspondence course in cartooning. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip.
In 1973 Grell moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. His first assignment at DC was on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a high-profile assignment for an artist with no prior experience illustrating a monthly comic book. Grell says he got that job because he was walking in the editor's door to ask for work, literally, as the previous artist was walking out the door, having just quit. These stories were written by Cary Bates and Jim Shooter. The Bates/Grell/Shooter run on the title is very well-regarded today by Superboy/Legion fans, who consider it one of the high-water marks in the character/team's history. Grell's work on SATLOSH is widely thought to be some of the best beefcake/cheesecake ever committed to comic book pages, and is affectionately referred to as the 'disco Legion' in retrospect by fans of the title.
A writer as well as artist, Grell cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation, The Warlord, one of the first sword and sorcery comics, and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late-1970s.
The character first appeared in 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov 1975) and was soon given his own ongoing title (The Warlord #1, Jan/Feb 1976). In this book, Air Force pilot Travis Morgan crash-lands in the prehistoric "hidden world" of Skartaris (a setting highly influenced by Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar). For years thereafter, Morgan engages in adventures dressed only in a winged helmet, wristbands, boots, and breechclout, and armed with a sword and (years before Dirty Harry handled one) a .44 Auto Mag.
At DC, Grell also worked on titles such as Aquaman, Batman, and the Phantom Stranger, and with writer Dennis O'Neil on the re-launch of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in 1976.
[edit] Tarzan
Grell wrote and drew the Tarzan comic strip from July 19, 1981 to February 27, 1983 (except for one strip, February 13, 1983, by Thomas Yeates). These strips were rerun in newspapers in 2004 - 2005.
[edit] First Comics: Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer
Cover to Jon Sable Freelance #7. Art by Mike Grell.Through the 1980s Grell developed creator-owned titles such Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer. Jon Sable Freelance was published by the now-defunct First Comics. Starslayer, a space-born science fiction series, started at Pacific Comics, but shifted to First.
The titular character of Jon Sable Freelance was a former Olympic athlete, later a African big-game hunter, who became a mercenary. First appearing with a cover date of June 1983, Jon Sable Freelance was a successful non-super-hero comic book in an era when successful non-super-hero comic books were almost unheard of, and a graphically violent comic sold in mainstream comic book stores in an era when such was as rare. Jon Sable was a precursor to what would eventually be called, by some, "the Dark Age of Comics," when even long-established super-heroes would become increasingly grim and violent.
The character was heavily influenced by Ian Fleming's James Bond novels as well as drawing on pulp fiction crime stories. Also, many of the stories of Sable's hunting exploits in Africa were influenced by Peter Hathaway Capstick's novels. At a convention in the late 1980s, Grell stated that his idea for Sable was "something like a cross between James Bond and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer."
Sable was adapted into a short-lived television series and the character's origin tale, "A Storm Over Eden," from the comic book, was expanded and novelized by Grell under the title Sable, which was publ
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 15, 2015
Jon Sable is an ex merc, a bodyguard for hire, an adventurer, and a children's book writer. Mike Grell writes and draws a complex, very entertaining and realistic character. This hero has the human flaws we all experience as we travel through life. Excellent series by a fantastic writer. Highly recommended
March 17, 2018
The continued slam bang brooding action stories of Jon Sable, Freelance. This book collects issues 7 through 12 of the creator owned independent series. It further illustrates the adrenaline junkie nature of the main character. Whenever he is not risking his life or shooting people, he is a brooding wreck, questioning everything about himself. It is only when he is in the field does he truly come alive.
The first story is “The Target”, a claustrophobic tale of Sable protecting a witness to a murder, the killer is naturally trying to shut this damsel in distress up. Granted the plot is one that we’ve seen over and over again, but it has some good action and an excellent ending. It also presents the reoccurring character of Jason Pratt. A former stuntman for Errol Flynn, Sable first met him while training for the Olympics fencing team. He is an interesting character, outwardly flamboyant, but very lonely in reality. He has no other friends and his family refuses to see him. Looking for a last hurrah, he constantly hounds Sable to include him in missions, with little success.
“Murder is the Last Resort” is a mystery, where Sable is hired to find a thief and clear another damsel in distress of the crime. The story comes across as ho-hum, until the very end where we are smacked in the face by an amazing twist that immediately had me flipping pages to see what happens next.
Building on the previous story, “Cliffhanger” has our hero accidently become involved in terrorist threats, back stabbings, and nuclear devices. I ripped through this one quickly, being enthralled in the tale. It certainly has the highest body count of any Jon Sable issue that I’ve read- if that interests you.
“Triptych” the fourth story is different from the others collected here. Not a blood soaked adventure tale, it is an introspective look at Jon Sable when he puts his guns down. It demonstrates his addiction to action, as he deliberately picks a fight with a gang in Central park for no other reason that he wanted to battle someone. This issue introduces the reoccurring character (this collection is rife introductions) of Gray Adler, possibly the first openly gay character in comics. Part of the tale revolves around the protagonist’s uncomfortability in dealing with a homosexual, whom he otherwise likes.
In the final tale, we meet yet another reoccurring character Maggie the Cat, international jewel thief and the obligatory Catwoman to Sable’s Batman. They cross paths in Monaco where Sable is hired to protect a purloined Cuban diamond (don’t ask). The story is well paced and interesting, demonstrating Sable’s attempts to thwart multiple theft attempts and ultimately failing – oops gave away the end. Spoilers, I guess.
This collection is important in the Jon Sable series as it cements the thrust and pacing of the issues to come and also adds a much needed group of interesting secondary characters, which brightens up the protagonist’s gloomy outlook. The action for these adventure thrillers is first rate. What always astounds me is how the author never repeats himself in this series. Not just in plot, but in the combat scenes he never uses the same gimmick or perspective twice.
The first story is “The Target”, a claustrophobic tale of Sable protecting a witness to a murder, the killer is naturally trying to shut this damsel in distress up. Granted the plot is one that we’ve seen over and over again, but it has some good action and an excellent ending. It also presents the reoccurring character of Jason Pratt. A former stuntman for Errol Flynn, Sable first met him while training for the Olympics fencing team. He is an interesting character, outwardly flamboyant, but very lonely in reality. He has no other friends and his family refuses to see him. Looking for a last hurrah, he constantly hounds Sable to include him in missions, with little success.
“Murder is the Last Resort” is a mystery, where Sable is hired to find a thief and clear another damsel in distress of the crime. The story comes across as ho-hum, until the very end where we are smacked in the face by an amazing twist that immediately had me flipping pages to see what happens next.
Building on the previous story, “Cliffhanger” has our hero accidently become involved in terrorist threats, back stabbings, and nuclear devices. I ripped through this one quickly, being enthralled in the tale. It certainly has the highest body count of any Jon Sable issue that I’ve read- if that interests you.
“Triptych” the fourth story is different from the others collected here. Not a blood soaked adventure tale, it is an introspective look at Jon Sable when he puts his guns down. It demonstrates his addiction to action, as he deliberately picks a fight with a gang in Central park for no other reason that he wanted to battle someone. This issue introduces the reoccurring character (this collection is rife introductions) of Gray Adler, possibly the first openly gay character in comics. Part of the tale revolves around the protagonist’s uncomfortability in dealing with a homosexual, whom he otherwise likes.
In the final tale, we meet yet another reoccurring character Maggie the Cat, international jewel thief and the obligatory Catwoman to Sable’s Batman. They cross paths in Monaco where Sable is hired to protect a purloined Cuban diamond (don’t ask). The story is well paced and interesting, demonstrating Sable’s attempts to thwart multiple theft attempts and ultimately failing – oops gave away the end. Spoilers, I guess.
This collection is important in the Jon Sable series as it cements the thrust and pacing of the issues to come and also adds a much needed group of interesting secondary characters, which brightens up the protagonist’s gloomy outlook. The action for these adventure thrillers is first rate. What always astounds me is how the author never repeats himself in this series. Not just in plot, but in the combat scenes he never uses the same gimmick or perspective twice.
October 11, 2023
With the origin story out of the way the series kicks into gear, with action, humor, sex appeal, nuances of the 1980's setting, and a real look at the toll Jon's life take on his body and psyche. There's a real hope that this is being written with an endgame in sight.
January 22, 2021
Clean Art, Plot and Characters on a main lined from the 80s independent Comics surge.
September 28, 2014
Una aproximación más arriesgada y compleja es la que propone Grell en este segundo volumen, desplazando su personaje al escenario de elegantes casinos y tramas a la Ian Fleming. Se agradece además la inclusión de lo más cotidiano, donde el autor logra dar fuertes visos de humanidad a su elenco.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews