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Tales of the Red Panda
Tales of the Red Panda: The Crime Cabal
Even the united remnants of Toronto's defeated underworld could not resist the city's masked protectors. But when they join with the murderous might of some of the masked man's deadliest foes, can even the Red Panda match the strength of... The Crime Cabal? Written in the breathless style of the classic "Hero Pulps" of the 1930s and 40s, Tales of the Red The Crime Cabal presents the masked protectors of Depression-Era Toronto in a pulse pounding conflict with gangsters, racketeers, corrupt officials and power-mad supervillains. The heroes from "The Red Panda Adventures"; a popular full-cast audio drama podcast in the style of the adventure programs of radio's golden age here make the leap into pulp prose in spectacular style. This story is a self-contained adventure; you needn't have heard a single episode of Decoder Ring Theatre's long-running audio drama series to enjoy the thrills, mystery and adventure... but fans of the series will take special delight, as the story fits neatly within the series continuity. If you love classic adventure stories, mystery men, pulp fiction and golden age superheroics, you won't want to miss Tales of the Red The Crime Cabal!
172 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
8 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 11, 2013
This was a great first venture of the Red Panda and the flying Squirrel into the world of prose. The magic of Gregg Taylor's words that make the Red Panda Adventures over at the Decoder Ring Podcast so amazing are in this book as well. In addition, as a fan of the podcast series, I had the advantage of knowing what the voices of all the characters sounded like. This book is firmly in the genre of New Pulp, it pays homage to the hero pulps of old while staying fresh for a more savvy audience. I recommend any thing coming out of the Decoder Ring Theatre stable of books, podcasts, and comic books.
December 29, 2010
The first in a series of novels spun off of the Red Panda podcast at Decoder Ring Theatre. The podcast is an effort to recreate the feel and sound of audio dramas from the Golden Age of Radio (the Shadow, Batman, the Green Hornet, etc), and it does that well, adding enough of a modern sensibility that prevents it from feeling dated.
If you haven't listened to the podcast, I would recommend starting with that, as it serves as a better introduction. If you're a fan of the show, this is a good way to enjoy it in the off-season.
If you haven't listened to the podcast, I would recommend starting with that, as it serves as a better introduction. If you're a fan of the show, this is a good way to enjoy it in the off-season.
June 4, 2022
A Red Panda story originally released as a book but recently released as an audiobook on the Decoder Ring Theatre website. The story tells of our heroes battling a cabal of the assorted criminals of Toronto - not especially memorable, but entertaining enough.
October 9, 2017
Exactly what a novel based on the Red Panda should be; my favorite of the novels.
August 3, 2022
Really Good book. Builds on the world created in the audio series and does a fantastic job of filling out the world for the characters.
October 31, 2012
*Pulp Warning* All my reading skews towards e-pulp, as do my reviews. Reader beware :) *Pulp Warning*
Overall: 4 stars (Recommended)
A really fun story with lively characters, witty banter, plenty of action and some great set scenes. This is your straight up masked pulp vigilante story with the joy turned up to 11. Its only downfall may well be the fact that it's too stereotypical and therefore has no real momentum to make it a true classic.
Pacing and Action: 5 stars.
Pacy and lively, the story has plenty of action. It also helps that the sense of humour and the witty banter between the two main characters really snaps and crackles. It's a whole lot of fun. And while there isn't a huge variety of actions scenes the many fights are nice and chaotic. Just the way the Red Panda likes it.
Pulp Concept: 3 stars.
In a funny way this is the weak point of the book. The characters are great but beyond the somewhat jokey fact that they are fighting on the 'mean streets of Toronto' and the guy looks like a red panda in his domino mask there isn't a lot unique about the character as a classic pulp hero. Personality etc are great but the whole 'rich guy in a fedora and domino mask fighting crime with weird special powers' doesn't get any new elements added to it.
And Toronto is... Toronto. It ends up being yet another 30s city in decline etc etc etc.
The saving grace is probably the bad guys who are very well done. They're suitably monstrous and Ebil and make you think what Toronto could have been like back in the 30s...
Character development: 4 stars.
The main characters are great. They have real personalities, a real and complicated relationship and, again, their witty banter is awesome. On a personal note, they do seem to be a bit arrogant and smug but then again, I've never been a one-man war against crime. Maybe that goes with the territory.
The real let down is the support characters. When they're not barely there they're somewhat annoying and clueless, helping the smugness of the Red Panda sort of run unchecked. And the lead support character sort of just shows up half way through and then... doesn't really achieve much. It made me wonder if he was there just to make the last half of the story work better. It's a bit of a let down considering how well the rest of the story is written.
Production: 3.5 stars.
The editting was fine and the cover okay but what really kicked me in the teeth was the price. $5 for a pulp story is steep when you can get quality stuff for $3 a pop. Not as audacious as the $6 plus stuff out there but pushing the limits of worth-it. I'll probably get the rest at $5 anyway but I'll still smart when I push the buy button.
Series Potential: 4 stars.
Gregg Taylor can write good pulp and the Red Panda series already stands at 3 books. Which is awesome. However, whether Toronto is up to the challenge of hosting pulp stories as interesting as the Red Panda and the Flying Squirrel remains to be seen.
Special Award: My New Favourite Scene.
Book gets an award for the first paragraph of chapter 5. Fantastic scene that not only paints an incredibly vibrant picture for what is a fairly simple sequence but also serves to move the story along at the same time. Well done.
Wrap Up.
A really fun pulp reading experience that is just a little let down by the supporting elements and the feeling that there could have been more to the concept. Recommend this to anyone who wants some fun in their reading. And who doesn't want fun in their reading..?
Overall: 4 stars (Recommended)
A really fun story with lively characters, witty banter, plenty of action and some great set scenes. This is your straight up masked pulp vigilante story with the joy turned up to 11. Its only downfall may well be the fact that it's too stereotypical and therefore has no real momentum to make it a true classic.
Pacing and Action: 5 stars.
Pacy and lively, the story has plenty of action. It also helps that the sense of humour and the witty banter between the two main characters really snaps and crackles. It's a whole lot of fun. And while there isn't a huge variety of actions scenes the many fights are nice and chaotic. Just the way the Red Panda likes it.
Pulp Concept: 3 stars.
In a funny way this is the weak point of the book. The characters are great but beyond the somewhat jokey fact that they are fighting on the 'mean streets of Toronto' and the guy looks like a red panda in his domino mask there isn't a lot unique about the character as a classic pulp hero. Personality etc are great but the whole 'rich guy in a fedora and domino mask fighting crime with weird special powers' doesn't get any new elements added to it.
And Toronto is... Toronto. It ends up being yet another 30s city in decline etc etc etc.
The saving grace is probably the bad guys who are very well done. They're suitably monstrous and Ebil and make you think what Toronto could have been like back in the 30s...
Character development: 4 stars.
The main characters are great. They have real personalities, a real and complicated relationship and, again, their witty banter is awesome. On a personal note, they do seem to be a bit arrogant and smug but then again, I've never been a one-man war against crime. Maybe that goes with the territory.
The real let down is the support characters. When they're not barely there they're somewhat annoying and clueless, helping the smugness of the Red Panda sort of run unchecked. And the lead support character sort of just shows up half way through and then... doesn't really achieve much. It made me wonder if he was there just to make the last half of the story work better. It's a bit of a let down considering how well the rest of the story is written.
Production: 3.5 stars.
The editting was fine and the cover okay but what really kicked me in the teeth was the price. $5 for a pulp story is steep when you can get quality stuff for $3 a pop. Not as audacious as the $6 plus stuff out there but pushing the limits of worth-it. I'll probably get the rest at $5 anyway but I'll still smart when I push the buy button.
Series Potential: 4 stars.
Gregg Taylor can write good pulp and the Red Panda series already stands at 3 books. Which is awesome. However, whether Toronto is up to the challenge of hosting pulp stories as interesting as the Red Panda and the Flying Squirrel remains to be seen.
Special Award: My New Favourite Scene.
Book gets an award for the first paragraph of chapter 5. Fantastic scene that not only paints an incredibly vibrant picture for what is a fairly simple sequence but also serves to move the story along at the same time. Well done.
Wrap Up.
A really fun pulp reading experience that is just a little let down by the supporting elements and the feeling that there could have been more to the concept. Recommend this to anyone who wants some fun in their reading. And who doesn't want fun in their reading..?
April 13, 2011
Life during the Depression ain’t easy, but the last toughs of Toronto’s criminal underground find themselves cornered when the boss got busted by those damn masked heroes. The terrific twosome of Toronto, the Red Panda and the Flying Squirrel, have been picking off the gangs one by one, and their survivors had enough.
“The Red Panda’s days are numbered!”
The remaining mobsters ally with supervillains and plan the greatest caper to defeat the Red Panda. While our courageous masked heroes have the powers of hypnotism, gliding membranes, and a dozen martial arts on their side–can they defend Toronto against the combined forces of the criminal underground, Kid Chaos’ explosives, and the Professor’s army of zombies? Can our heroes match the strength of… The Crime Cabal?
The Crime Cabal is a joy to read, and it reverberates with the energy of the Red Panda Adventures podcast series. The Squirrel is sassy and charming as ever, supporting characters such as Constable Parker are fleshed out, and snapshots into the lives of Toronto’s denizens provide colour to a thrilling old-school pulp adventure. The work especially shines in the fight scenes, which are fluid, fun, and fantastic–in all senses of the word.
Taylor has been writing scripts for Red Panda Adventures podcasts since 2005 in the style of 1930s and 1940s radio programs like The Shadow. The Crime Cabal is the first volume of three in the Tales of the Red Panda series. This book is well written, but Taylor’s heavy experience in writing scripts relative to writing prose shows in a few of the scenes. Some of the dialogue doesn’t quite capture that snappy, bantering rhythm that the characters should be having, and some of the emotions don’t carry through. The narration switches between points of view in the same scene, which is handled smoothly particularly with the villains, but is a distraction in others–especially in interactions between the two protagonists. I would prefer some scenes changed to third-person limited.
Considering that the Red Panda Adventures’ native medium is the radio show podcast, I recommend listening to a few episodes of the podcast first (they’re free) to get acquainted with the characters and the universe. If you find yourself listening to three, four, and more episodes… then the next step is to read this book and get deeper into the Pandaverse.
Overall, The Crime Cabal is great. It captures an effortless wit and playfulness in the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs. It’s not only a homage, but a realization of the pulp tradition–weaving together a fantastic universe of masked heroes that modern readers can immerse themselves in, both young and old alike. To my knowledge, the Red Panda series is the best in new pulp, and is at the forefront of pulp renewal. I’ll be reading the rest of the series and hope that Taylor continues to be a prolific prose writer, scriptwriter, actor, director, podcaster, et al. in the years to come… because I’ll be needin’ my Panda fix.
For more reviews of fantastic and speculative fiction, feel free to check out my blog at Frida Fantastic: indie speculative fiction reviews!
“The Red Panda’s days are numbered!”
The remaining mobsters ally with supervillains and plan the greatest caper to defeat the Red Panda. While our courageous masked heroes have the powers of hypnotism, gliding membranes, and a dozen martial arts on their side–can they defend Toronto against the combined forces of the criminal underground, Kid Chaos’ explosives, and the Professor’s army of zombies? Can our heroes match the strength of… The Crime Cabal?
The Crime Cabal is a joy to read, and it reverberates with the energy of the Red Panda Adventures podcast series. The Squirrel is sassy and charming as ever, supporting characters such as Constable Parker are fleshed out, and snapshots into the lives of Toronto’s denizens provide colour to a thrilling old-school pulp adventure. The work especially shines in the fight scenes, which are fluid, fun, and fantastic–in all senses of the word.
Taylor has been writing scripts for Red Panda Adventures podcasts since 2005 in the style of 1930s and 1940s radio programs like The Shadow. The Crime Cabal is the first volume of three in the Tales of the Red Panda series. This book is well written, but Taylor’s heavy experience in writing scripts relative to writing prose shows in a few of the scenes. Some of the dialogue doesn’t quite capture that snappy, bantering rhythm that the characters should be having, and some of the emotions don’t carry through. The narration switches between points of view in the same scene, which is handled smoothly particularly with the villains, but is a distraction in others–especially in interactions between the two protagonists. I would prefer some scenes changed to third-person limited.
Considering that the Red Panda Adventures’ native medium is the radio show podcast, I recommend listening to a few episodes of the podcast first (they’re free) to get acquainted with the characters and the universe. If you find yourself listening to three, four, and more episodes… then the next step is to read this book and get deeper into the Pandaverse.
Overall, The Crime Cabal is great. It captures an effortless wit and playfulness in the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs. It’s not only a homage, but a realization of the pulp tradition–weaving together a fantastic universe of masked heroes that modern readers can immerse themselves in, both young and old alike. To my knowledge, the Red Panda series is the best in new pulp, and is at the forefront of pulp renewal. I’ll be reading the rest of the series and hope that Taylor continues to be a prolific prose writer, scriptwriter, actor, director, podcaster, et al. in the years to come… because I’ll be needin’ my Panda fix.
For more reviews of fantastic and speculative fiction, feel free to check out my blog at Frida Fantastic: indie speculative fiction reviews!
October 12, 2014
As a fan of Decoder Ring Theatre since I came in on season 2 of the Red Panda, this book was a delightful treat. To read a little back story about a much beloved supporting character just broadened the appeal and joy I get from the wonderful world Gregg Taylor and the Decoder Ring Theatre crew have built over the past few years. My wife and I had a blast reading through my Father's Day gift. (I could not have asked for a better one!) I can't wait to get a hold of and read the other "Tales of the Red Panda" books (and of course, "Black Jack Justice").
My suggestion: If you are a fan of the Red Panda Adventures and haven't done so yet, READ THIS BOOK. If you have never heard of this wondrous podcast reminiscent of the Golden Age of Radio, CHECK IT OUT & READ THIS BOOK.
My suggestion: If you are a fan of the Red Panda Adventures and haven't done so yet, READ THIS BOOK. If you have never heard of this wondrous podcast reminiscent of the Golden Age of Radio, CHECK IT OUT & READ THIS BOOK.
September 14, 2014
The first of Gregg Taylor's "Tales of the Red Panda" adventure novels is an impressive expansion of his Red Panda Universe. Taylor is terrific at telling these loving tributes to the heroes of Golden Age radio, pulps and comics.
In "The Crime Cabal" our heroes - the Red Panda and his sidekick the Flying Squirrel - must face the combined power of Kid Chaos and Professor Zombie as they unit the remainder of Toronto's criminal organizations.
If you enjoy the audio drama series, you will enjoy this book. If you've never heard the series, the first chapter alone will have you hooked. An excellent novel, about excellent characters, from an excellent author.
In "The Crime Cabal" our heroes - the Red Panda and his sidekick the Flying Squirrel - must face the combined power of Kid Chaos and Professor Zombie as they unit the remainder of Toronto's criminal organizations.
If you enjoy the audio drama series, you will enjoy this book. If you've never heard the series, the first chapter alone will have you hooked. An excellent novel, about excellent characters, from an excellent author.
April 10, 2021
I like the idea of these stories--a version of the 1940s detective/superhero radio programs. But I just couldn't really get into this book, which I think is because the stories are vignettes (I know, that's part of the radio show approach), which revolve around the Red Panda and Flying Squirrel fighting criminals. But the stories don't really connect. They aren't part of a unified arc, and they don't have a consistent or even recurring villain (at least the stories I read).
August 13, 2009
Solid additional adventure from the Red Panda universe. It was good to see what the author can do when he's not bound by the constraints of audio drama and has a slightly larger sandbox to play in. A fun, highly original tale for existing fans of the Red Panda as well as newcomers to this wonderful universe. My only complaint was that I wish it were longer. I want more!
May 17, 2014
Definitely one for the fans. If you aren't already familiar with the Red Panda audio drama, this book probably won't get you fired up. If you are it's an enjoyable read. It's an origin story for one of the regular characters heard on the series but otherwise, you won't miss it if you stick with the radio show.
November 21, 2012
If your first interaction with the Red Panda and Flying Squirrel are the books, you will not be disappointed. If you've been listening to the free audio series online (up to almost 90 episodes at the time of this review) then you've definitely got to read the books, they're great and last longer than a half hour!
January 3, 2011
I really liked this book, but then again I'm a big fan of the Red Panda characters from Decoder Ring Theatre. This was a fun book and good for those times you want an action based quick read.
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January 27, 2012Fan of the podcast, and enjoyed the book..bigger in scope..but the voices were right there in my head!!! I highly recommend checking out http://www.decoderringtheatre.com/
November 28, 2012
Fantastic. Gregg Taylor has created a true pulp experience.
August 9, 2015
A nice detective story. Enjoying the series!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews