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Thrilling Detective Heroes
Butcher, Jim
#1 Storm Front
Cameron, Bill
Lost Dog
Carr, Caleb
The Italian Secretary
Ellroy, James
The Black Dahlia
Grant, Maxwell
Kings of Crime
The Silent Seven
Hammett, Dashiell
Red Harvest
Hillerman, Tony
Listening Woman
Leonard, Elmore
Mr. Paradise
Tishomingo Blues
Lescroart, John
The Hunt Club
Main, "Grim" Jim
Dark Corridor #1
Zine of Bronze #2
Zine of Bronze #3
Zine of Bronze #4
Margolin, Philip
Lost Lake
Martini, Steve
Critical Mass
Robinson, Peter
A Dedicated Man
Close to Home
Stockbridge, Grant
Red Death Rain
Wallace, Robert
High Adventure #91
Zine of Bronze #4
edited by Jim Main
Editor Jim Main has produced another great issue of this small press zine for fans of Doc Savage. This issue provides a short introduction and letters page to get things started. Then the main features begin with Julián Puga V.'s article that compares similarities between the lost Arabian city of Ubar and Lester Dent's Phantom City featured in the tenth issue of the Doc Savage pulp magazine. Puga lays out strong evidence to support his case that the fabled Ubar served as inspiration for Dent's hidden city. It's fascinating to read Puga's account of what was eventually fact versus the fictitious city Dent crafted from what little was known about Ubar in 1933. The article features an excellent full page illustration by Christian Diaz.
Serving as a short break between longer pieces is a new feature: Cover to Cover. Proposed by artist and ZOB reader Mike Tuz, it presents same-story covers from the original pulp magazine and the Bantam paperback reprints. This issue compares the covers for The Purple Dragon. The page also includes results of a poll to vote for your favorite Doc Savage Aide conducted by Rob Smalley.
Arthur Sippo's original story 'Long Tom' Robber is the issue's longest feature. Fans of the original pulp fiction mags should love this story. Sippo has done a wonderful job capturing the tone of the era and created an action-packed war story set in WWI that is a pleasure to read. He's even added some extra surprises just for pulp fiction fans. His story includes several nice spot illustrations by Tim Faurote.
Jay Ryan's report on Doc Con X provides a intimate view of the tenth gathering of the dedicated fans of bronze hosted by Rob Smalley in Chandler, Arizona. Ryan's report and photo coverage almost makes it feel like you were there.
Dennis Kininger's review section called Super Amalgamations wraps up another fine issue of ZOB. Kininger covers the DC Comics Doc Savage mini-series that came out in 1987-88 by Dennis O'Neil and Adam & Andy Kubert; The Incredible Radio Exploits of Doc Savage from 1982; and the Bantam reprints of The Phantom City, Fear Cay, and Quest of Qui. As a longtime fan of bronze, Kininger's reviews provide a basic plot synopsis and thoughtful observations drawn from his knowledge of Doc Savage history.
In addition to those already mentioned, other fine illustrations for this issue were drawn by John Lambert and Kevin Duncan. Production and layout was provided by Richard Sullivan.
Zine of Bronze #4 is 28 b&w pages, plus a full color cover by Christian Diaz. It's available for $4.50 (postage paid) from Main Enterprises.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
The Harry Dresden series may be the closest thing to a pulp magazine on the newsstands today. It combines all of the heroic, fantasy, and criminal elements common in the heydays of characters like the Spider and the Phantom Detective, and updates them to a modern day setting.
I first heard about the character from watching the TV series, The Dresden Files. Another short-lived—rare, but genuine hit—that aired on the Sci Fi channel. Paul Blackthorne was brilliant playing the scruffy freelance wizard-for-hire. Unfortunately, the show wasn't renewed for a second season.
While browsing the newsstand, I discovered the novels and was pleased to learn they weren't based on the show, but rather the TV series was drawn from them. That was enough incentive to give the first one a try.
There's no doubt the show influenced my enjoyment of Storm Front. I already knew the characters and could picture the well-cast TV personas as I read the book. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery with a spellbinding twist. I also really enjoyed the backstory of the character's lives and histories that connects the novels beyond the excitement of the current edition.
I always enjoyed Ditko's Dr. Strange and although Harry Dresden the man, is nothing like the good doctor; as a wizard he recalls the magic and excitement of those wondrous realms of good and evil. If you're a fan of the old pulp magazine heroes, The Dresden Files offers you a glimpse of what it may have been like to pick up the latest title back then and lose yourself in its pages.
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