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Spring-Heeled Jack: Man or Fiend (Penny Dreadful Press)
Victorian England's greatest urban legend was Spring-Heeled Jack. His hair-raising adventures as a superhero were recorded in a rare 1904 penny dreadful, offered in facsimile format for the first time, including original ads and illustrations.
28 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2017
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July 3, 2020
“Follow! Follow Spring-heeled Jack if you can!”
This is the first “penny part” of one of the penny dreadfuls to feature the infamous “Spring-Heeled Jack”, the ghostly figure of menace from old-timey England. In this case he is probably the wrongfully accused Lieutenant Bertram Wraydon, who is conspired against by his half-brother Hubert Sedgefield. The whole plot has an inheritance in back of it. Like I said, it's only the very beginning of what I'm sure was a long running series, so I only have that much of the story.
The character operates much like The Shadow, menacing wrongdoers by striking fear into their hearts, all the more baffling for his ability to just to heights of 14 feet or more. He appears with a wing-like cape, exposed ribs, firey eyes, and an exaggerated mustache. Meanwhile, the villains, who are cunning enough to warp the law to their own ends, have people hunting for Wraydon and his attorney friend.
This short sampling makes it seem like a fine series, cutting away to many side characters and such, with characters turning up who just might be Spring-Heeled Jack in disguise. For me it's like a weird bridge between The Shadow and “The Mysteries of London”.
This is the first “penny part” of one of the penny dreadfuls to feature the infamous “Spring-Heeled Jack”, the ghostly figure of menace from old-timey England. In this case he is probably the wrongfully accused Lieutenant Bertram Wraydon, who is conspired against by his half-brother Hubert Sedgefield. The whole plot has an inheritance in back of it. Like I said, it's only the very beginning of what I'm sure was a long running series, so I only have that much of the story.
The character operates much like The Shadow, menacing wrongdoers by striking fear into their hearts, all the more baffling for his ability to just to heights of 14 feet or more. He appears with a wing-like cape, exposed ribs, firey eyes, and an exaggerated mustache. Meanwhile, the villains, who are cunning enough to warp the law to their own ends, have people hunting for Wraydon and his attorney friend.
This short sampling makes it seem like a fine series, cutting away to many side characters and such, with characters turning up who just might be Spring-Heeled Jack in disguise. For me it's like a weird bridge between The Shadow and “The Mysteries of London”.
Displaying 1 of 1 review