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Modesty Blaise Story Strips #1
Modesty Blaise 1: The Gabriel Set-Up
Modesty Blaise, cult creation of best-selling author Peter O’Donnell, is back! The London Evening Standard newspaper strip adventures of this all-round bad girl and spy are now collected in this stunning new Collectors’ Edition paperback! Thrown into searing hotbeds of intrigue, and up against impossible odds, Modesty Blaise proves once and for all that the female of the species is deadlier than the male. With her trusted right-hand man, Willie Garvin, and the underworld resources of ‘The Network’ on tap, no job is too big, no threat too great! This volume features an updated design and exclusive special features, including character profiles and an all-new introduction by Peter O’Donnell.
112 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1986
3 people are currently reading
216 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 8, 2020
I’ve actually read this book a number of times over the years, but not since joining Goodreads, and I see that I never got around to rating it. Seems like as good a reason as any to reread it.
So. Modesty Blaise. The elevator pitch version is usually, “female James Bond.” That's accurate to a degree, but incorrect on many of the essentials. Modesty was created in the early 60's as a newspaper strip. The novels (and movie) came later. Her past was left somewhat vague. The short sequence at the end of this book giving her origin was created later, after the strip had been running a few years, to be run as an introductory storyline in papers that were just picking up the series.
Modesty is a retired criminal. She led The Network, an international gang that famously refused to traffic in vice or drugs. Law enforcement was never able to prove anything against her, and she and her second in command, Willie Garvin, were able to retire to England while still in their late twenties.
Enter Sir Gerald Tarrant, a man with a deliberately vague position in the British Foreign Office, who persuades them out of retirement to break up a gang of killers for hire known simply as “La Machine” …
Needless to say, by the end of the first adventure, Modesty admits that retirement is a little too sedate for her liking, and she urges Tarrant to call on them again if their talents are ever required.
So we have the 60's setting, cool gadgets and weaponry, heroes working outside the law to take down bad guys … The comparisons to Bond are certainly valid. Having read both O’Donnell and Fleming, I prefer O’Donnell. Modesty and Willie have a great chemistry together, and their adventures are just more interesting to me.
The strip is reprinted in chronological order (except for the origin sequence, as I mentioned earlier), something we take for granted now, but which was still relatively rare in 1985 when this book was published.
Modesty Blaise is one of the all-time great adventure characters, and she deserves to be more widely known. Highly recommended!
So. Modesty Blaise. The elevator pitch version is usually, “female James Bond.” That's accurate to a degree, but incorrect on many of the essentials. Modesty was created in the early 60's as a newspaper strip. The novels (and movie) came later. Her past was left somewhat vague. The short sequence at the end of this book giving her origin was created later, after the strip had been running a few years, to be run as an introductory storyline in papers that were just picking up the series.
Modesty is a retired criminal. She led The Network, an international gang that famously refused to traffic in vice or drugs. Law enforcement was never able to prove anything against her, and she and her second in command, Willie Garvin, were able to retire to England while still in their late twenties.
Enter Sir Gerald Tarrant, a man with a deliberately vague position in the British Foreign Office, who persuades them out of retirement to break up a gang of killers for hire known simply as “La Machine” …
Needless to say, by the end of the first adventure, Modesty admits that retirement is a little too sedate for her liking, and she urges Tarrant to call on them again if their talents are ever required.
So we have the 60's setting, cool gadgets and weaponry, heroes working outside the law to take down bad guys … The comparisons to Bond are certainly valid. Having read both O’Donnell and Fleming, I prefer O’Donnell. Modesty and Willie have a great chemistry together, and their adventures are just more interesting to me.
The strip is reprinted in chronological order (except for the origin sequence, as I mentioned earlier), something we take for granted now, but which was still relatively rare in 1985 when this book was published.
Modesty Blaise is one of the all-time great adventure characters, and she deserves to be more widely known. Highly recommended!
July 2, 2013
Daily strip from the early 60's featuring three Modesty Blaise adventures: La Machine, The Long Lever and The Gabriel Set-Up. Modesty Blaise rocks.
May 14, 2017
I’ve read many of the Modesty Blaise novels, but never the original comic strips, so coming across this was a treat. This is the first of a series of collections reprinting the original strips. This volume includes the first three Blaise adventures from 1963, as well as an origin story that appeared in 1966. The stories are pretty much what I’d expected – international espionage/adventure tales with former international crime lord Modesty and her lieutenant Willie Garvin coaxed out of retirement by British intelligence to fight bad guys. It’s good pulp fun that defies more clichés than it employs, and the art from Jim Holdaway really brings Modesty and her world to life quite well given the limited format of a daily strip. There’s also some nice bonus material on the origin of the strip, and a fascinating, rather moving essay from Peter O’Donnell about a 12-year-old Balkan refugee he encountered in Persia while serving in World War 2 that became the inspiration for the Modesty Blaise character.
October 4, 2019
Hablando de espías y de James Bond, 007 fue el modelo a partir del cual se creo Modesty Blaise, una tira de prensa sobre una espía que duró 30 años https://amzn.to/2Vax2zN
Aunque en realidad me parece que su modelo es más el Rip Kirby de Alex Raymond. Esta primera recopilación (tres aventuras) establece el personaje y es entretenida. Ha envejecido regular, como todas estas tiras de espionaje y acción, pero sigue siendo divertida.
Es fácil enamorarse de ella.
Aunque en realidad me parece que su modelo es más el Rip Kirby de Alex Raymond. Esta primera recopilación (tres aventuras) establece el personaje y es entretenida. Ha envejecido regular, como todas estas tiras de espionaje y acción, pero sigue siendo divertida.
Es fácil enamorarse de ella.
May 30, 2015
I've always been a big Modesty Blaise fan, coming to the books first, long before I realised that the character originated from the serialised graphic strip which first appeared in The Evening Standard (one of the Beaverbrook newspapers) in 1963. This collection of four stories reprinted from the original newspaper strips features black and white artwork by the late Jim Holdaway. (Literally black and white, not greyscale.)
I've said before that I often have trouble with graphic novel because I'm not used to the style and I find some of the artwork difficult to 'read'. Whether that's my fault for poor interpretation, or the artist's fault for poor execution, I don't know, however with this simple line-drawing style I have no trouble at all. Holdaway's characters are very easily differentiated from one another and the action is crystal clear.
The stories: La Machine, The Long Leaver, The Gabriel Stt-Up and In the Beginning are typical Modesty stories. La Machine is her first introduction to the British Secret Service's favourite civil servant, Sir Gerald Tarrant and his sidekick, Fraser.
Modesty is a capable female protagonist in her own right, kick-ass but feminine, sexually independent, fiercely intelligent and with a background in organised crime but a sound moral compass. Her sidekick, the equally capable Willie Garvin has been reborn in Modesty's service. Starting out a a mean fighting machine, Modesty has given him her trust and he's picked it up and run with it, turning into her loyal right-hand man. Their non-sexual love story underpins the whole Modesty Blaise oeuvre. They are partners who trust each other totally, but they are capable of working independently and they don't own each other. There is no hint of jealousy when they take partners, long term or one-night stands. They love each other, but they are not in love, neither are they lovers. (Their adult attitude and relationship puts Bella and Edward-Sparkly-Vampire to shame. Just sayin' because I read these books at about the same age as millions of teens read Twilight.)
Three of the stories are set in Modesty and Willie's present, but In the beginning is Modesty's origin story as a refugee child walking through the Middle East in the aftermath of war, educated by life and a displaced professor whom she protects. Modesty ends up running a crime network and for six years Modestly and Willie fight and scheme and bleed together, tending each other's hurts and growing very rich. The Modesty Blaise stories are set after Modesty and Willie have retired from their life of crime and realised that settling down is difficult for a pair of adrenaline junkies.
I recommend the novels heartily and this reproduction to the early comic strips is a lovely way to revisit Modesty's adventures.
I've said before that I often have trouble with graphic novel because I'm not used to the style and I find some of the artwork difficult to 'read'. Whether that's my fault for poor interpretation, or the artist's fault for poor execution, I don't know, however with this simple line-drawing style I have no trouble at all. Holdaway's characters are very easily differentiated from one another and the action is crystal clear.
The stories: La Machine, The Long Leaver, The Gabriel Stt-Up and In the Beginning are typical Modesty stories. La Machine is her first introduction to the British Secret Service's favourite civil servant, Sir Gerald Tarrant and his sidekick, Fraser.
Modesty is a capable female protagonist in her own right, kick-ass but feminine, sexually independent, fiercely intelligent and with a background in organised crime but a sound moral compass. Her sidekick, the equally capable Willie Garvin has been reborn in Modesty's service. Starting out a a mean fighting machine, Modesty has given him her trust and he's picked it up and run with it, turning into her loyal right-hand man. Their non-sexual love story underpins the whole Modesty Blaise oeuvre. They are partners who trust each other totally, but they are capable of working independently and they don't own each other. There is no hint of jealousy when they take partners, long term or one-night stands. They love each other, but they are not in love, neither are they lovers. (Their adult attitude and relationship puts Bella and Edward-Sparkly-Vampire to shame. Just sayin' because I read these books at about the same age as millions of teens read Twilight.)
Three of the stories are set in Modesty and Willie's present, but In the beginning is Modesty's origin story as a refugee child walking through the Middle East in the aftermath of war, educated by life and a displaced professor whom she protects. Modesty ends up running a crime network and for six years Modestly and Willie fight and scheme and bleed together, tending each other's hurts and growing very rich. The Modesty Blaise stories are set after Modesty and Willie have retired from their life of crime and realised that settling down is difficult for a pair of adrenaline junkies.
I recommend the novels heartily and this reproduction to the early comic strips is a lovely way to revisit Modesty's adventures.
May 4, 2016
Comme ce recueil ne présente que les trois premières histoires du strip Modesty Blaise, il n'est pas forcément représentatif de la série au complet, qui compte près d'une centaine d'histoires de 1963 jusqu'aux années 2000. Une chose est sûre: l'héroïne, Modesty Blaise, a du chien. Pour reprendre les mots de Neil Gaiman : «She was the smartest, wisest, most beautiful and most dangerous woman I had ever encountered» (à propos de sa première lecture du strip à 12 ans). Absolument magnifique sous les séduisants coups de pinceau de Jim Holdaway, Modesty Blaise reste toujours impeccable et élégante, même entre un combat, une prise d'otage et une exfiltration d'agent hongrois. Inspirée d'une vraie petite fille réfugiée rencontrée par l'auteur pendant la deuxième guerre mondiale, son histoire d'origine convainc et donne crédibilité et profondeur au personnage. Si j'avais lu ces strips étant petite, j'aurais certainement pris des cours de karaté et serais devenue une femme fatale qui arrive toujours à ses fins. Quel incroyable personnage féminin, vraiment.
La structure des strips se fait beaucoup ressentir dans la narration; pour faire avancer l'histoire, le personnages vont par paires; l'acolyte de Modesty est un ex-voyou cockney qui lui est entièrement dévoué, et leur relation d'amitié est très intéressante.
Cependant, la forme d'un strip quotidien de trois cases (ici rassemblés en pages entières) oblige l'intrigue à rester relativement de base. Il est intéressant d'observer les stratégies déployées par O'Donnell afin de replacer le lecteur dans l'histoire et d'opérer des coupures logiques, mais la simplicité de l'action devient un peu lassante à la longue.
Cette lecture m'a beaucoup rappelé celle de Casino Royale de Fleming malgré la légère différence d'époque, pour le plaisir de retrouver le ton de l'âge d'or de la fiction d'espionnage.
La structure des strips se fait beaucoup ressentir dans la narration; pour faire avancer l'histoire, le personnages vont par paires; l'acolyte de Modesty est un ex-voyou cockney qui lui est entièrement dévoué, et leur relation d'amitié est très intéressante.
Cependant, la forme d'un strip quotidien de trois cases (ici rassemblés en pages entières) oblige l'intrigue à rester relativement de base. Il est intéressant d'observer les stratégies déployées par O'Donnell afin de replacer le lecteur dans l'histoire et d'opérer des coupures logiques, mais la simplicité de l'action devient un peu lassante à la longue.
Cette lecture m'a beaucoup rappelé celle de Casino Royale de Fleming malgré la légère différence d'époque, pour le plaisir de retrouver le ton de l'âge d'or de la fiction d'espionnage.
April 2, 2012
I first came across Modesty Blaise back in the early 80's with the paperback re-issues of the novels. I was immediately hooked and Modesty was the bar by which all other female operatives were judged. I love Honey West, Emma Peel, Nikita and Sydney Bristow. But first and foremost is Modesty Blaise for me.
That being said, these graphic novels compiling the daily strips that ran in the London Evening Standard are excellent. If you like this type of thing, get these and read them immediately. You'll be immersed in a time and place unlike any other. This is escapism at its finest!
That being said, these graphic novels compiling the daily strips that ran in the London Evening Standard are excellent. If you like this type of thing, get these and read them immediately. You'll be immersed in a time and place unlike any other. This is escapism at its finest!
September 23, 2024
Modesty Blaise is not just a female James Bond, she's a complex, dynamic and iconic character on her own and most of all very fun to watch and read about.
I do a quick short video review over here :
https://youtu.be/Ubq5zRBHfwM
July 23, 2012
I grew up without superhero comics of the Marvel/DC sort; instead, we read Modesty Blaise, Rip Kirby, and various Sergio Bonelli editions. Having re-read Modesty after 20 years, I'm glad to find that it is indeed as smart and fun as I remember.
March 31, 2020
A reprint of the first three Modesty Blaise comic strips.
I’ve been reading Modesty Blaise since I was a teenager but I’ve never read the strips in publication order, just in the haphazard way I go them in Finnish editions. Here, most were published in the Agentti X9 comic book which had one MB comic and three others, usually Rip Kirby, Corrigan, and other secret agents. Eventually, Modesty got her own albums but even in them, the stories weren’t in chronological order. I also don’t have all of them, but I have some albums and a stack of Agentti X9 comics. Also, I still have a couple of full adventures which I cut out from Finnish newspapers.
The Titan album has the first three strips: “La Machine,” “The Long Lever”, and “Gabriel Set-Up”. It also seems to have the short “In the Beginning” strip which tells Modesty’s tragic backstory as an orphan refugee struggling to survive to adulthood and then her rise to leading the criminal organization the Network and then retiring.
Even the first comic has all the ingredients that I love: a terrible enemy who seems almost impossible to defeat, clever schemes from Modesty and Willie, and really high stakes. What is missing is the occasional whimsical humor which made some of the later comics really memorable for me. But from the start, Modesty’s moral code is clear: she hates it when people are used, she especially hates drugs and prostitution and even took down those criminal organizations when she was a crime boss. She’s fiercely loyal to her people and defends them with her life, if needs be. Willie’s her right hand man.
MB is a newspaper comic strip, which makes the form very restricted. It’s black and white, in three panels. O’Donnell, who created Modesty and wrote all her stories, was already an experienced strip writer when he came up with Modesty and it shows. The panels are clear (at least when the printing is of good quality) and no panel is wasted.
“La Machine” is an introduction to Modesty and her world. Sir Gerald Tarrant, who is the head of British intelligence, comes to Modesty asking for a favor: to take down a French-based ruthless and efficient murder ring called la Machine. Tarrant has information that he could’ve used to blackmail Modesty but instead he destroyed the evidence. Modesty always pays her debts. So, she and Willie cook up a scheme to put Willie as a target for la Machine. They stage a public fight and Modesty puts a murder contract out on Willie.
This was a very good beginning. It showcases all the things Modesty and Willie are known for: they’re extraordinary loyalty to and faith in each other, their cool heads when in danger, and their fighting skills, especially with martial arts and Willie’s extraordinary skill with knives.
In the “Long Lever” Tarrant has a job for Willie but Willie won’t take it unless Modesty agrees. When she finds out what it’s about, she wants in. Dr. Kossuth is a former Hungarian citizen who was put in a horrible refugee camp. He managed to escape and flee to US. Now, he’s been kidnapped presumably to take him back to Hungary. The CIA has a lead: he might be on a yacht owned by a millionaire who needs money. Modesty and Willie are pretending to be a shipwrecked couple and search the ship. If they find Kossuth, they’ll try to free him.
“The Gabriel Set-up” introduces a bit more eccentric villain although not as over the top as some of the later ones: Gabriel whom even his own men fear. Gabriel has been working of a long time and has a large organization. This time, his minions have set up a health spa. However, Gabriel’s doctors use hypnosis to uncover secrets from their customers which include British government officials and very rich individuals. Even Tarrant is hesitant to engage Gabriel but Modesty goes to the spa to investigate. It’s near US border in Canada. Gabriel’s scheme isn’t easy to find out and he’s a formidable enemy.
Meanwhile, Willie has been working as a lumber jack nearby and is dating the daughter of the timber lord. Marjorie is an explosive blonde who has grown quite of Willie. When Modesty appears, Marjorie is jealous but Modesty quickly explains to her that Modesty isn’t a competitor and that Willie’s not the sort to stay with one girl. This is the first comic where we see that both Modesty and Willie have other partners and aren’t going to stay with just one person. Neither of them makes any secret of it to anyone they’re dating.
Several of the strips use characters who have ESP-type powers. Here the enemy uses hypnosis and only when the victim has been put into a receptive state.
These were all enjoyable reads even if none of them are my very favorites. They’re full of action, very James Bond type adventure except that I like Modesty and Willie (and many of the side characters) far more.
I’ve been reading Modesty Blaise since I was a teenager but I’ve never read the strips in publication order, just in the haphazard way I go them in Finnish editions. Here, most were published in the Agentti X9 comic book which had one MB comic and three others, usually Rip Kirby, Corrigan, and other secret agents. Eventually, Modesty got her own albums but even in them, the stories weren’t in chronological order. I also don’t have all of them, but I have some albums and a stack of Agentti X9 comics. Also, I still have a couple of full adventures which I cut out from Finnish newspapers.
The Titan album has the first three strips: “La Machine,” “The Long Lever”, and “Gabriel Set-Up”. It also seems to have the short “In the Beginning” strip which tells Modesty’s tragic backstory as an orphan refugee struggling to survive to adulthood and then her rise to leading the criminal organization the Network and then retiring.
Even the first comic has all the ingredients that I love: a terrible enemy who seems almost impossible to defeat, clever schemes from Modesty and Willie, and really high stakes. What is missing is the occasional whimsical humor which made some of the later comics really memorable for me. But from the start, Modesty’s moral code is clear: she hates it when people are used, she especially hates drugs and prostitution and even took down those criminal organizations when she was a crime boss. She’s fiercely loyal to her people and defends them with her life, if needs be. Willie’s her right hand man.
MB is a newspaper comic strip, which makes the form very restricted. It’s black and white, in three panels. O’Donnell, who created Modesty and wrote all her stories, was already an experienced strip writer when he came up with Modesty and it shows. The panels are clear (at least when the printing is of good quality) and no panel is wasted.
“La Machine” is an introduction to Modesty and her world. Sir Gerald Tarrant, who is the head of British intelligence, comes to Modesty asking for a favor: to take down a French-based ruthless and efficient murder ring called la Machine. Tarrant has information that he could’ve used to blackmail Modesty but instead he destroyed the evidence. Modesty always pays her debts. So, she and Willie cook up a scheme to put Willie as a target for la Machine. They stage a public fight and Modesty puts a murder contract out on Willie.
This was a very good beginning. It showcases all the things Modesty and Willie are known for: they’re extraordinary loyalty to and faith in each other, their cool heads when in danger, and their fighting skills, especially with martial arts and Willie’s extraordinary skill with knives.
In the “Long Lever” Tarrant has a job for Willie but Willie won’t take it unless Modesty agrees. When she finds out what it’s about, she wants in. Dr. Kossuth is a former Hungarian citizen who was put in a horrible refugee camp. He managed to escape and flee to US. Now, he’s been kidnapped presumably to take him back to Hungary. The CIA has a lead: he might be on a yacht owned by a millionaire who needs money. Modesty and Willie are pretending to be a shipwrecked couple and search the ship. If they find Kossuth, they’ll try to free him.
“The Gabriel Set-up” introduces a bit more eccentric villain although not as over the top as some of the later ones: Gabriel whom even his own men fear. Gabriel has been working of a long time and has a large organization. This time, his minions have set up a health spa. However, Gabriel’s doctors use hypnosis to uncover secrets from their customers which include British government officials and very rich individuals. Even Tarrant is hesitant to engage Gabriel but Modesty goes to the spa to investigate. It’s near US border in Canada. Gabriel’s scheme isn’t easy to find out and he’s a formidable enemy.
Meanwhile, Willie has been working as a lumber jack nearby and is dating the daughter of the timber lord. Marjorie is an explosive blonde who has grown quite of Willie. When Modesty appears, Marjorie is jealous but Modesty quickly explains to her that Modesty isn’t a competitor and that Willie’s not the sort to stay with one girl. This is the first comic where we see that both Modesty and Willie have other partners and aren’t going to stay with just one person. Neither of them makes any secret of it to anyone they’re dating.
Several of the strips use characters who have ESP-type powers. Here the enemy uses hypnosis and only when the victim has been put into a receptive state.
These were all enjoyable reads even if none of them are my very favorites. They’re full of action, very James Bond type adventure except that I like Modesty and Willie (and many of the side characters) far more.
April 24, 2019
This is the first of the graphic novels that compiles the Modesty Blaise newspaper serials from the 60s. This book contains complete stories from the first three serials that appeared in 1963 and 1964: La Machine (in which Sir Gerald Tarrant recruits Modesty and her loyal sidekick Willie Garvin to bring down a ruthless criminal network), The Long Lever (in which Modesty and Garvin pose as husband and wife to try to rescue a brilliant Hungarian scientist from the grip of Cold War opportunists), and The Gabriel Set-Up (in which Modesty and Willie uncover a scheme that uses hypnosis to gain industrial and personal secrets from rich patrons of a health spa). There is also a short story called 'In the Beginning' which gives Modesty's and Willie's backstories for newspapers that picked up the series in the middle. As this is the first in the graphic novel volumes, there's also extra information about how the writer created the character and her backstory.
I've read one of the other books in the series, but it was good to go back to the beginning and see how it all started. The stories are well-developed and have lots of action. Some parts aren't as politically correct as we'd like today (e.g. Willie's 'love-em-and-leave-em' attitude to his girlfriends) and the body count keeps rising, with no repercussions for the 'good guys'. However, they're a product of their times and fit well within the Cold War era. Modesty is part James Bond, part Emma Peel, but with lots of unique qualities of her own.
My local library has tons of these in storage and I think they're going to become my guilty pleasure :)
I've read one of the other books in the series, but it was good to go back to the beginning and see how it all started. The stories are well-developed and have lots of action. Some parts aren't as politically correct as we'd like today (e.g. Willie's 'love-em-and-leave-em' attitude to his girlfriends) and the body count keeps rising, with no repercussions for the 'good guys'. However, they're a product of their times and fit well within the Cold War era. Modesty is part James Bond, part Emma Peel, but with lots of unique qualities of her own.
My local library has tons of these in storage and I think they're going to become my guilty pleasure :)
December 29, 2019
Surprisingly enjoyable for a newspaper strip. The author manages to pack in a reasonable amount of depth - both in plot and character development, given the medium of a three panel comic strip. Another pleasant surprise - it reads like a coherent flowing story. The three panel structure doesn’t get in the way.
August 1, 2018
Modesty Blaise is amazing!
May 26, 2020
3.5⭐️
I enjoy Modesty and Willie but the cases were at times quite boring. I also dislike the lack of an overarching plot.
I enjoy Modesty and Willie but the cases were at times quite boring. I also dislike the lack of an overarching plot.
May 2, 2022
Had never read any of the Modesty Blaise comic strips before, but found this quite good & an enjoyable read
April 25, 2023
Modesty and Willie fight with a crime lord.
June 3, 2023
Set of 3 pretty good action thrillers. I don't care to read any further but I can see the appeal that kept this running for so long.
October 26, 2025
Adventure strips are rarely better than this.
November 1, 2010
This is a graphic novel of sorts. It was originally published as a weekly three panel strip in the Evening Standard. I can't imagine what it must have been like, to sip a sip of this once a week, rather than voraciously reading an entire plot thread in one sitting. It's great stuff.
Basically, Modesty Blaise and her partner Willie Garvin are this super-smooth spy-like duo. They used to be criminals, but earned so much money they retired young and are now bored. So they start working on the side of good (sort of) with their insider knowledge of the criminal world. And it's set in the sixties, so it's kind of like the old James Bonds, but with a female protagonist and fewer rules.
Why yes, it *is* full of clichés. But for some reason it doesn't matter, and is a great read.
I must give my friend Iain credit for this one. He recommended Modesty as a character I might like a few months back when I wrote a Top Ten Protagonists I Enjoy meme over at LiveJournal. I'd never heard of her, said I'd look into it, and then when he came to visit last month he brought one of the books with him.
I am sad to have finished it, because now I don't have any more Modesty!
But I have a couple more volumes on the way.
Basically, Modesty Blaise and her partner Willie Garvin are this super-smooth spy-like duo. They used to be criminals, but earned so much money they retired young and are now bored. So they start working on the side of good (sort of) with their insider knowledge of the criminal world. And it's set in the sixties, so it's kind of like the old James Bonds, but with a female protagonist and fewer rules.
Why yes, it *is* full of clichés. But for some reason it doesn't matter, and is a great read.
I must give my friend Iain credit for this one. He recommended Modesty as a character I might like a few months back when I wrote a Top Ten Protagonists I Enjoy meme over at LiveJournal. I'd never heard of her, said I'd look into it, and then when he came to visit last month he brought one of the books with him.
I am sad to have finished it, because now I don't have any more Modesty!
But I have a couple more volumes on the way.
May 2, 2016
This is the first volume of Titan's chronological collection of the Modesty Blaise strips, and it includes the story arcs "La Machine", "The Long Lever", "The Gabriel Set-Up" and the short prequel piece "In the Beginning" as well as introductions to the pieces by Peter O'Donnell and some other extra material too boot. O'Donnell has written all of the stories and Jim Holdaway is responsible for the art thus far on the strip.
I had certainly read Modesty Blaise before. Even though I did not follow the Swedish b/w anthology comic Agent X9, in which the series ran over here, I certainly bought a few issues now and again, and was consequently familiar with the basic set-up of the it. However, reading this chronologically from the beginning (and in English) has helped me gain a new-found admiration for a strip that did not catch my younger eye with nearly the same intensity.
For fans of Bond and the like, this strip is a must, and the fact that it is a strong female lead certainly does not weaken my appreciation for it.
Warmly recommended!
I had certainly read Modesty Blaise before. Even though I did not follow the Swedish b/w anthology comic Agent X9, in which the series ran over here, I certainly bought a few issues now and again, and was consequently familiar with the basic set-up of the it. However, reading this chronologically from the beginning (and in English) has helped me gain a new-found admiration for a strip that did not catch my younger eye with nearly the same intensity.
For fans of Bond and the like, this strip is a must, and the fact that it is a strong female lead certainly does not weaken my appreciation for it.
Warmly recommended!
March 22, 2011
I just became aware of Modesty Blaise as a fluke. Looking for the books of Italo Calvino at the Borders look up station, I came across the collection of Modesty Blaise penciled by Neville Colvin by mistake. Serendipitously I looked into them and am very glad I did.
Modesty Blaise offers all the wit, charm, humor, danger, and elegence of the James Bond novels of Fleming from a female perspective with a strong, sexy woman of enigmatic origins who was the head of a world wide criminal cabal known as the Network, based out of Tangiers, retired in here 30's and then was roped into working for British Intelligence under the supervision of Lord Gerald Terrant.
The stories of her exploits are incredibly well crafted and realistic in their execution, but have a great veneer of romance coming from the exotic locales of Tangiers and so forth, and making life long contacts in the fighting pits of 1950's Saigon, or POW camps of WWII Persia, etc.
If you are a fan of espionage and suspense, look no further than Modesty Blaise.
Modesty Blaise offers all the wit, charm, humor, danger, and elegence of the James Bond novels of Fleming from a female perspective with a strong, sexy woman of enigmatic origins who was the head of a world wide criminal cabal known as the Network, based out of Tangiers, retired in here 30's and then was roped into working for British Intelligence under the supervision of Lord Gerald Terrant.
The stories of her exploits are incredibly well crafted and realistic in their execution, but have a great veneer of romance coming from the exotic locales of Tangiers and so forth, and making life long contacts in the fighting pits of 1950's Saigon, or POW camps of WWII Persia, etc.
If you are a fan of espionage and suspense, look no further than Modesty Blaise.
February 23, 2014
This is the first is a long series of comic strip reprints, each containing 3 story arcs from the Modesty Blaise English newspaper comics. I had read the novels many years ago and enjoyed them. When I started these reprints I was a little skeptical, not being a reader of graphic novels. I was won over by the first one and am now gradually working my way through the set. Modesty and her side kick Willie Garvin are improbably skilled in a wide variety of martial arts and weaponry in the tradition of 007. They travel around the world, often at the behest of the British Secret Service, right wrongs in ways that are forbidden to the law abiding world. The adventures are fun and the art work is excellent.
December 25, 2014
Modesty Blaise es de las tiras que de niño recuerdo salían en el periódico, pero nunca leía porque no les entendía, pero me llamaban mucho la atención. La falta de comprensión se debía a que es una historia en entregas, cada semana avanzaban con una de las múltiples historias, que tuvo muchas. En este tiempo que he estado siguiendo novelas gráficas pude localizar la primera de Modesty Blaise que contiene 3 historias entre 1963 y 1964, una historia gráfica de introducción para nuevos periódicos que publicaban las historias, y lo que mas me gusto de esta novela gráfica fue el prólogo del propio O'Donnell donde habla de donde saco la idea para el personaje. Un gusto encontrar estas historias que gente como Neil Gaiman y Chris Claremont consideran como únicas.
February 9, 2009
Modesty Blaise, where have you been all my life? If this first collection of the newspaper strips is any indication, I'm in love. O'Donnell seems to be capable of doing Fleming-style adventure thrillers better than anyone other than Fleming, and Holdaway's artwork is lively and luminescent even in these muddy reproductions. Watching these creators spin an adventure yarn via three-panel daily strips is like seeing a sonnet master in action: it works gloriously not only in spite of, but because of, the constraints of the format. I may have a new favorite comic strip, and I am only hoping succeeding volumes are as good.
March 22, 2009
Modesty Blaise is my new hero. She is a multi-dimensional character, kick-ass yet sensitive (but only the reader and Willie know this aspect of her personality). She has a conscience, but uses opportunities to her advantage - she ran her own crime ring before the age of 21!
Love, love, love this collection, and I'm already eagerly anticipating the next two volumes to arrive in my mailbox anyday. There are 13 volumes, so I can continue to enjoy the adventures of Modesty and Willie for quite some time!
Love, love, love this collection, and I'm already eagerly anticipating the next two volumes to arrive in my mailbox anyday. There are 13 volumes, so I can continue to enjoy the adventures of Modesty and Willie for quite some time!
October 28, 2015
More iconic than Lichtenstein's paintings, Modesty Blaise is the ultimate criminal gone good, sticking to the ideals and the code of honor no matter what. With a loyal sidekick following her through thick and thin in the character of Willie Garvin there is the romantic angle, too. However, that romance is never consummated just like their adventures stay firmly rooted in the higher moral ground regardless of the world already deep in ambiguities. Sometimes too naive yet all the time fantastic and quite unforgettable!
November 27, 2013
Although the novels are popular and not to be missed, the true core of MODESTY BLAISE is in the comic strips, here reprinted in glorious format. They're old -- get a look at those fashions and hair styles! but they're classic. Modesty was a liberated woman long before it was fashionable, and she's one of the great action heroines of all time. Jim Holloway, the artist in this volume, is the one that originated her look, and he is a master.
January 11, 2008
The first set of Modesty strips. Excellent. And they only get better.
July 27, 2011
Bond in highheels - what's not to love ...
And the 60s' aesthetics are just phenomenal !!
And the 60s' aesthetics are just phenomenal !!
August 11, 2013
Modesty Blaise....
My favorite heroine ever.
Modesty has nothing to do with her.
My favorite heroine ever.
Modesty has nothing to do with her.
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