A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins
Exactly how a concept can be got? By looking at the stars? By visiting the sea as well as looking at the sea interweaves? Or by reading a book A Killing In Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), By Max Allan Collins Everybody will certainly have specific characteristic to obtain the motivation. For you that are passing away of publications as well as consistently get the motivations from books, it is really wonderful to be here. We will show you hundreds collections of the book A Killing In Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), By Max Allan Collins to read. If you such as this A Killing In Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), By Max Allan Collins, you can also take it as all yours.

A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins

Ebook PDF A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins
In Manhattan of 1948, a famous former striptease artist named Maggie Starr runs her late husband's newspaper syndicate, distributing the superhero comic Wonder Guy. But when the cartoon's publisher winds up dead, Maggie hunts for the killer among a cast of cartoonists, wives and mistresses, and minions of a different sort of syndicate — a crew of suspects with motives that are far from super-heroic.Hailed by Mickey Spillane as "a terrific writer," and by Publishers Weekly as "the master of true-crime fiction," author Max Allan Collins is the creator of the bestselling graphic novel Road to Perdition. Artist Terry Beatty is the co-creator with Max Allan Collins of the long-running private-eye series, Ms. Tree. Their other collaborations include Mike Mist, Mickey Spillane's Mike Danger, and Johnny Dynamite.
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins - Amazon Sales Rank: #420020 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-21
- Released on: 2015-09-23
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.50" h x .50" w x 5.50" l, .70 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 272 pages
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins From Publishers Weekly Fans who admire Collins's superb Nate Heller series for its ingenious, innovative and well-researched solutions to historical mysteries like the Black Dahlia murder (Angel in Black) and Amelia Earhart's disappearance (Flying Blind) will find this bland, broadly sketched whodunit several notches below the author's best work. The action takes place in 1948 Manhattan, where Donny Harrison, publisher of Americana Comics, gets impaled on a huge cake knife at his 50th birthday party, and Jack Starr, troubleshooter for a newspaper syndicate, investigates the many who wished Harrison dead. The premise—setting a murder mystery among the legends who created the first iconic comic book heroes, represented here as Wonder Guy and Batwing (thinly disguised versions of Superman and Batman)—is promising, but instead of a thoughtful and insightful exploration of that idea, Collins settles for near parody. Terry Beatty (Batman) contributes tongue-in-cheek, retro comic art throughout. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author Author Max Allan Collins, hailed by Publishers Weekly as "the master of true-crime fiction," is the creator of the bestselling graphic novel Road to Perdition.Artist Terry Beatty is the co-creator with Max Allan Collins of the long-running private-eye series, Ms. Tree. Their other collaborations include Mike Mist, Mickey Spillane's Mike Danger, and Johnny Dynamite.

Where to Download A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Hardboiled Mystery and Comics History By Mel Odom Max Allan Collins's A KILLING IN COMICS is both well-researched and a labor of love that's masquerading as a mystery novel. Set in 1948, back in the days when the military was returning from World War II and the usual fiction heroes in comics and the pulps were transitioning to harder-edged fare, the novel is a fun, sort of hardboiled romp.To an accomplished comics fan, and I admit to my geek factor and claim that title, Collins's portrayal of the industry tensions going on at the time was dead on. Wonder Man is really Superman, and the problems Siegel and Schuster had over trying to claim the rights to their greatest creation is true, and sad. But, as Collins points out, that was the way business operated in those days.Batwing is, of course, Batman. And that tale offers up yet another depressing tale of a partnership where one partner took advantage of another. Amazonia is Wonder Woman.I have to admit to distraction during the novel, so I wasn't completely focused on keeping up with the clues. Most of the time I was relating my comics knowledge to the story and how Collins wove in the many details. Richard Lupoff and Don Thompson's ALL IN COLOR FOR A DIME is an excellent resource to go along with this novel. Reading it before or after Collins's book is recommended for deeper enjoyment of everything that was going on at this time.In the opening chapter of the novel, Donny Harrison, the publisher of Americana Comics, ends up dead at his own fiftieth birthday party while dressed in a colorful Wonder Man outfit. There are suspects aplenty. The two guys who invented Wonder Man are on hand and pretty upset about getting their own invention yanked away from them. Batwing's creator has a way of beating his contract and getting his contract annulled so he can get control of his character back.But the birthday party is being held at Harrison's mistress's apartment with Harrison's wife in attendance. There are two more instant suspects.The hero of the mystery is Jack Starr, a licensed private eye who works for Starr Syndicate, the company his father created. The syndicate is currently headed up by Maggie Starr, Jack's stepmother who was an ex-stripper and is also the smartest woman Jack knows.I liked the breezy way Collins unveiled the story in Jack's first-person narrative. I was immediately reminded of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries with the way Jack worked for Maggie and she refused to leave syndicate headquarter.Collins makes all the familiar moves of the hardboiled novel, including getting on the wrong side of the cops and the gangsters. While this is welcome in some respects, some it just seemed too familiar. Not hackneyed, but definitely in the old neighborhood of this kind of mystery.I read the book in a couple of sittings and had a good time. The mystery was well planned, the research well executed, and the dialogue - most of the time - crackled. The time period was a welcome treat to the read.I don't know how Collins could do any more books about Jack and Maggie Star, but I'd definitely read them if any more are forthcoming. I liked the characters, and getting to see Jack and Maggie back in action would be great.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. MAX ALLEN COLLINS' "A KILLING IN COMICS" IS A FUN RIDE FOR COMICS AND MYSTERY FANS By Charles Calabrese Max Allan Collins' "A Killing in Comics (A Jack Starr Mystery) is the first in a trilogy of novels set in post-World War II New York, in the comic book and comic strip industries. Jack Starr, a decorated war veteran, works for his late father's Starr Syndicate, now headed by the Major's ex-stripper wife, Maggie. Jack's main job is to clean up the messes created by the syndicate's "talent," using his private investigator's license and his inside knowledge of comics to go where the police can't.I searched Amazon for this book after reading "Seduction of the Innocent," the third book in the trilogy, which I enjoyed immensely. I also purchased "Strip for Murder," the second Jack Starr mystery, but I haven't read it yet.In "A Killing in Comics," Jack looks into the murder of comic book publisher Donny Harrison, motivated by the fact that two of Americana Comics' biggest sellers, Wonder Guy and Batwing, are syndicated in newspaper strip form by Starr. The suspects include the two young men from the Midwest who created Wonder Guy, and then sold the rights to Americana for a pittance, and the artist-creator of Batwing, whose lawyer father made sure he got a better deal. And then there's Donny's mistress, Honey Dailey, in whom Jack develops a more then professional interest, Donny's wife, and the unsung co-creator of Batwing, a writer who was left out of the artist's sweet deal.Anyone interested in the history of comic books will recognize the boys from the Midwest as Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, creators of Superman, and the Batwing creators as artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. The names have been changed to put them into a murder mystery scenario that closely parallels Siegel and Schuster's long fight with DC Comics for creator rights, and the Kane-Finger saga.The period details in "A Killing in Comics" are as precise as the comics history. The characters are well-drawn, with spare, smart dialogue and descriptions. The action flows fast, but never gets confusing. The mystery element plays fair with the reader. The sexual elements are handled tastefully. The whole package is framed with chapter heading illustrations by Collins' partner on the "Ms. Tree" comic book series, Terry Beatty. All in all, it's a fun ride that should appeal to both mystery and comics fans.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great storytelling: A blend of good words and comic illustrations By Armchair Interviews A Killing in Comics is an eminently readable mystery novel by Max Allan Collins. The action takes place in the world of comics circa 1948. The book is written in the style of the hard-boiled detective story. The protagonist is Jack Starr, who is a vice-president of Starr Syndication, and as a licensed private investigator, he is responsible for looking after the interests of Starr Syndication and its writers.When Donny Harrison, the publisher behind the "Wonder Guy" comic, dies at his own birthday party, Jack is asked by his boss and stepmother to investigate. Wonder Guy is one of their best comics, and the creators were at the party, and thus suspects. As Jack investigates, he finds that not everything about the comic industry is fun and games. There is no shortage of suspects, ranging from Donny's mistress to a crime boss to the creators of the comic strips, all with plenty of motive to murder Donny Harrison.The panels at the beginning of each chapter drawn by Terry Beatty are in a 1948 style, adding another element of style to the bookMax Collins writes the mystery in the classic Ellery Queen style. He even has a summary in comic strip form, thanks to Terry Beatty. All the information to solve the case is available to the reader. The question is whether the reader has picked up on all the important clues.A Killing in Comics was an enjoyable read, without unnecessary gore or violence, and it has a terrific cast of characters. I had fun comparing his fictional comic book characters to the real-life characters that were the staple of the day.The author's treatment of the comics and his characters rings true to life, he plays by the rules of the classic mystery, and has a lot of fun while he does so.Armchair Interviews says: Crime in classic Ellery Queen style. Collins is a CSI author and Road to Perdition creator with lots of books to his name (and his pen name).
See all 14 customer reviews...
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins PDF
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins iBooks
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins ePub
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins rtf
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins AZW
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins Kindle
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins
A Killing in Comics (Dover Mystery Classics), by Max Allan Collins