Pirates Comics 1 (Hillman 1950)
The Sea Witch (Captain Sharpe) - 17th Century Caribbean Sea
The artwork is excellent, as is the colourisation. There is lots of action. This story, supposedly taken from historical annals, seems fairly realistic, but I really wonder if its details are really true to what actually happened. I do know that Governors of Island colonies were periodically subject to attacks by marauding pirates, who sometimes banded together with other Vrijbouters (Freebooters - e.g. freelancing Buccaneers (mainly English, French, and Dutch), who had originally been "licensed" by their kings to attack any Spanish Galleons and seize booty for their Crowns treasury), but had turned rogue to attack any ship or seacoast town, for their own profit). And several of those governors, for their own private gain, and/or for their own self preservation, made underhanded deals with the pirates which risked loss of their positions, and often forfeit of their lives. But, I wonder if the details of this story were totally made up in this case (as a bit of historical fiction)?
Alpha, The Slave Pirate - Mediterranean Sea in Roman Times
This story, based during the time of The Roman Empire, provides a fairly unusual bit of variety in a book about sea pirates, which usually concentrate on 17th and early 18th Century Caribbean Sea activity. Again, the artwork is excellent including the staging. Of course, just based on its times great distance in the past, it must be an author-constructed bit of historical fiction, used to emphasize the gruesome plight of galley slaves on Roman naval vessels. The protagonist, a Greek slave, is used, to show one possible source of how the documented Mediterranean Sea pirates of that time came about as a rebellion against Roman domination. I assume Cincanus was a researched, actual historical figure. But I also wonder if he actually took it upon himself to make a surprise attack on Gaul, before Julius Caesar. I assume, based on the rocky crags where the ship crashes, that the attack was planned for the southern coast of Provence, near Massalia (the former Greek Colony (Modern Marseilles), given that only other Gaullish seacoast on The Mediterranean, Septemania (near the modern Spanish border), has all flat, sandy beaches. Given that The Romans had important trade with Massalia, it makes little sense that a Roman tribune would take it upon himself to make an ad-hoc small scale attack in that general area, just to prove his military prowess and gain notoriety for his military career. This seems especially inaccurate, given that that area became a Roman province in 121 B.C.E., during the time of The Roman Republic, after The Romans had been requested by The Greeks to help keep The Gauls from harassing them, starting in 181 B.C.E.; and Cincanus' Roman soldiers' armour and uniforms are those of the Time of The Roman Empire, a few hundred years later. I also find it ironic, that, in order to provide a "feeling" of ancient speech, the author uses a few English old-fashioned words, like "Aye" (which are actually still used today in Scots), whereas, using the well-known Italian and Spanish, "si", to approximate the Latin, or the Latin "sic" would have been more effective, and made more sense. I never did understand the use of a corresponding old-fashioned speech in one's own language, to pretend that the foreigners are speaking an old-fashioned form of their own, totally unrelated language. Why not just sprinkle in a few of the most common words of the actual foreign language, that are most likely known by many of the viewers or readers? In any case, this story was a refreshing change from the usual pirate story.
Captain Roberts - Boy Pirate - 17th Century Caribbean Sea and East Indies
This story attempts to explain the beginnings of Black Bart's seagoing career. I find it difficult to believe that Roberts was already walking the plank, when he was saved by a miracle, that the pirate captain of his ship was accidentally killed just at the second before he was to be thrown into the sea (probably assumed to be shark-infested waters). This appears to be a legend made up to aggrandize the image of Bartholomew Roberts, to whitewash his unsavoury deeds as a pirate lawbreaker, and make him a folk hero. It is difficult to believe that a totally honest, and highly-principled young man would be forced to become a pirate against his will, because he had absolutely no alternative to survive. I find it interesting that he told his crew to head their ship TO "The East Indies, and immediately in the next panel, they are off the coast of Hispaniola (in The West Indies). So, the uncompromising, moralist, young man, ended up sink over 400 ships, became "the most notorious pirate of them all". I guess he felt that serving his king by stealing wealth from The Spanish Empire (mortal enemy of The English Crown) was on the morally high ground.
Long Ben Avery - Text Story - Late 16th or 17th Century Indian Ocean
A good tale. I wonder how much of it is true and how much is guessed?
The Viking Terror - The North Sea during The Middle Ages
A Viking underling (Rholf) murders his ship's captain, takes command, and immediately attacks a Saxon treasure ship. He continues raiding the East Coast of England, until its king, Alfred, places a bounty on his head, and sends his royal fleet after him. Rholf, to this point, shown with only his single longship, seems to defeat King Alfred's entire navy, still seemingly with his one ship, with Alfred stating "The future of England lies at stake this day." After The Saxons send out fire ships to burn Rholfs now-visible fleet of longships, Rholf directs his fleet to head for the north shores of Gaul (Which would have been called Frankland at that time). So, we are to be witnessing The Normans' first landing on the shores of Normandy. And why should one of Rholf's men complain that they are "men of the sea", and shouldn't SETTLE in that foreign land, when their leader only mentioned they should rest there while repairing their ships? Methinks the author is trying to connect this, particular chosen scenario with too many known historical events. And the English old-fashioned "Aye" is again used, when almost all English speakers know that "yes" in any of the Scandinavian tongues is the word "ja". Clearly, this is a ridiculously simplified version of the general history of The Norsemen (mostly Norwegians) first making marauding attacks on the coast of what is now Normandy, and eventually mostly Danes gaining a foothold on tat land, and starting to colonize it. And many years later, The West Frankish king dubbing the Dane, Rolf (Rollo) Duke of Normandy (the major area of Danish settlement), as a fiefdom of his kingdom, condensing the events of a few hundred years into, perhaps, what seems to be a few months, and what was achieved by some thousands of sailors and soldiers, as well as many more thousands of settlers (farmers, tradesmen, etc) over that long period. And the author even connected that to The Normans conquering England a few hundred years later, by Rolf making his son take an oath for his family to eventually take over suzerainty of England. Gadzooks!
All-Time Super Teams - Sports One-Pager
Ha! Ha! Talk about non-sequiturs! This short feature seems terribly out of place sitting in this book. I DO, however, love the hockey reference to The Cleveland Barons of The AHL. Almost NONE of the Americans reading this book would have even known there was a hockey team in Cleveland, let alone a long-time league champion. What also isn't known, is that The Cleveland Barons, were, at that time, the number one farm team of The Montreal Canadiens, before Les Habitants turned The former semi-pro (amateur Senior mens league) Quebec Aces into their number one farm team.
Philip Ashton - Boy Pirate Fighter of The Old World - Mediterranean Barbary Coast of North Africa
It was reasonably innovative to add a Barbary Coast Pirate tale to the geographical mix of stories in this book, and they did show their penchant for kidnapping wealthy Europeans and demanding heavy ransoms for their release, But, somehow, I was disappointed by the seeming lack of action in this story. There is too much explanation in narrative and dialogue, as a proportion of its pages and panels, at the expense of the potential amount of action.
Overall Book Assessment
Despite my points of criticism, this book was an enjoyable and entertaining read, with well-above average artwork, staging and colourisation, and lots of entertaining action. And it had an extra plus for history fans, like myself, in that, at least, the settings were basically and broadly based on actual historical circumstances and events. Still and all, I contend that such short page counts make it difficult for authors to develop the settings and introduce, define, and develop the characters and their relationships to each other, and develop the story plot, and do all that with normally desired (e.g. proper) pacing. If I were to have my druthers, there would have been one story per 52-page book, for each of the featured pirate's life and career.
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Topic: Reading Group #274 - Pirates Comics 1 and Dell Famous Stories 1 (Read 2570 times)
