This fascinating flop feelis like an unsold newspaper strip, though there's no sign of cut and paste. Unfortunately Siegel paints himself into a corner from the start. Classic "great lovers" like Casanova and Don Juan spent their time getting into the pants of as many women as possible. Obviously this wouldn't work in a comic book. In fact, Siegel and Schomburg go out of their way to avoid prurience--the book could have passed the Comics Code with only minor changes. All Jon Juan can aspire to is a rhapsodic kiss or two. His attempts to woo and win a damsel might provide story interest, but JJ doesn't need to woo. Most women love him at first sight--which helps explain his monumental arrogance ("Smile, Jon, she can't tear her eyes off you!"). All that remains are artificial barriers preventing Jon from reaching his woman of choice ("Brothers! Every tempting beauty is engulfed by them!")
Interesting, too, that there are two versions of Jon Juan in this one book. In the first story (not counting the tacked-on teaser in the last panel) JJ seems permanently established in Hollywood Araby, complete with a comical sidekick. In the second story he's suddenly an immortal being who sits around reminiscing over three thousand years of hot babes. The immortality angle might offer drama and pathos--Jon Juan watches a procession of lovers and sidekicks wither and die while he remains forever young--but Siegel doesn't take that path. Rather he uses immortality as a convenient way to set stories anytime and anywhere, at the expense of Jon Juan having a defined personality.
Alex Schomburg seems to have been proud of this strip; he initialed almost every page.
Link to the book:
Jon Juan 01
