It can be difficult for a comic strip character to catch on with readers, but when the right character does connect with the public, the opportunity for pop-culture legacy is almost guaranteed. Modesty Blaise, the strong, beautiful, and resourceful heroine of her own British comic strip is a prime example. While the character may have been created by writer Peter O’Donnell and artist Jim Holdaway in 1963, just last month Titan Books released their 23rd Modesty Blaise collected volume, Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask. After 38 years in the papers, Modesty Blaise is still going strong in Titan Books’ beautiful reprints, and Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask is sure to thrill those who have a special place in their hearts for this talented British dame!
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
While many American comic book and comic strip readers may be unfamiliar with Modesty Blaise, as I mentioned, the strip was extremely popular and ran for 38 years. Featuring the female lead of Modesty and, often, her loyal (and platonic) male companion, Willie Garvin, the strip has the feel of a classic spy adventure with just the right amount of crime/adventure serial mixed in. Modesty is an exceptionally independent, capable, and skilled female lead, especially for the time that the strip was running, and it’s easy to see why the Modesty Blaise fandom has endured the test of time.
Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask features reprints the classic stories ‘Fiona,’ ‘Walkabout,’ and ‘The Girl in the Iron Mask,‘ and sees Modesty taking on drug pushers, the Australian mafia, and the dreaded iron mask mentioned in the title. Peter O’Donnell weaves several intriguing and thrilling adventures for his heroine and artist Enric Badia Romero’s talented hands provide the beautiful women, intense action sequences, and exotic landscapes. O’Donnell and Romero are a great creative duo, and Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask is a pop-culture accomplishment of theirs that fans will not want to miss!
For more information about Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask, be sure to check out the official Titan Books website.
That’s all for now, comic book sniffers! Until next time, just stay away from the iron mask, okay?
Bryant the Comic Book Slayer
@ComicBookSlayer
