[MarkWarner]

Last week's comic was a big hit with me, but to be honest pretty much got the Emperor's thumb down from the rest of the Reading Group!

I was thinking it was about time for a bit of glamor and excitement around the place. Happily with impeccable timing and still hot off the press I bumped across Freddyfly's scan of Undercover Girl 6 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=46931. The story we are concentrating is the first one, "The Secret of the Statue", but after a quick glance it all looks good (but hey what do I know???).

[Mazzucchelli]

I enjoyed thoroughly this week's comic. And it was a good opportunity to have a closer look on this great character that unfortunately was very short-lived.

I imagine this edition was published shortly before ME ceased to exist, so it's a shame that Starr Flagg didn't have a longer lasting series of her own. She definitely deserved it.

Concentrating only on the first story I must say that Ogden Whitney's  art inspired me with awe. It's above the standard for the time and clearly fits perfectly the writing, that has itself a fine, delicate sense of humour, which can be felt is some particular moments. The angles chosen for some panels  reveal a cinematographic quality that directly reminds me of James Bond's movies, but obviously weren't inspired by them, as the first 007 movie wouldn't appear until 1962. Much more likely that comics like Starr Flagg did influence in fact the aesthetics of the future James Bond's movies.

The story happens mainly in three different scenarios. The train (Swiss alps), Istanbul and finally across the plains of inner Turkey. This passage of time, environments (countries) and different cultures adds to the "epic" overall feel of the story. A common plot device of adventurous tales, that would be used in many 007's movies, and many others, like Indiana Jones, for example.

The main character herself is a very interesting one. She is a very attractive lady, with fondness for finer things like expensive clothes (she loves to read VOGUE magazine) or fine cuisine. But knows how to be tough when she needs to be. She is also singularly smart and quick-witted. The moment that she swiftly comes with the idea for the laughing gas, making use of "silly" technical jargon is particularly astute. Also she's absolutely tranquil even in face of life-threatening perils. And doesn't seem to lose easily her sense of humour

[Captain Audio]

Oddly enough I read this comic only hours before this thread was posted.
I only read the first story but I liked it.
It reminds me of "the Girl from U.N.C.L.E".

[SuperScrounge]

The Secret of the Statue - One annoying thing was how the letterers G's looked like C's. The story was okay, although it was more fun to misinterpret some of the lines. "The Kremlin would not forgive me if you met that girl..." (Oh, it's a romance story. ;-)

Terror from the Tomb - Okay, although I think if she had been a vampire it might have made for a more interesting story.

2nd Undercover Girl story - Okay, although I do wonder about that forest fire she set.

The Doom of Siva Dey - You'd almost expect this story to have the title of the first story. Interesting, although the sci-fi nature of the story clashed with the more realistic stories earlier.

[Philv]

I read the first story, "Secret of the Statue" and sure enjoyed it.  It reminded me of an Alfred Hitchcock movie with trains and espionage.   Starr Flagg is a cool spy with beauty, brains,  and brawn.  Her double talk was pretty funny! I'm going to read more Undercover Girl stories!

[MarkWarner]

Time is of the essence this week, so I plough (or plow as my American cousin say) straight in. Oh dear I have just read the first story "The Secret of the Statue" and I didn't like it. With no real introduction I initially thought it was a continuation, then it jumped all over the place. Also Brenda looked a bit thick set to be a glamorous spy. So this book so far is a disappointment

The advertisement from the Better Health Library Service that followed I haven't seen before, and by the looks of it most of the books they published would be illegal today. I love:

  "Women's Medical Problems - This book gives you medical information on female complaints such as pregnancy...

[narfstar]

I did not think much of Statue. The putting her on the horse did not make any sense. I agree that the G's looking like C's was annoying. Rather than saying that Starr was thick I would just say her face was very unattractive.

[crashryan]

Work has kept me bogged down so I'm late again. A comic featuring a female spy seems like a sure hit, but Undercover Girl doesn't make the grade. The problem is mostly in the stories.

Ogden Whitney, a capable artist, does a solid job, though he didn't spend much time researching his exotic backgrounds. Unfortunately, as others have noted, his sexy women aren't very attractive. Not outright ugly, like Bob Powell women, but plain-faced and chunky. Thus the cheesecake shots aren't particularly stimulating.

The Undercover Girl scripts suffer from cramming. All three stories move at a ridiculous pace. We need set-ups to clarify why all the action is happening. It's hard to believe Gardner Fox wrote these. If anything he had a tendency to over-explain plots. These read like coming-attraction trailers.

"The Secret of the Statue" features a cliche that has derailed many a comic story, not to mention many movies. Instead of killing the hero/ine outright the villain concocts an elaborate stunt from which the victim (surprise!) escapes. "Let us shoot her, Comrade!" "No, I have a better idea! Let's drive her to a far-off ranch and tie her to a bucking bronco!" Instead of escaping, Starr ends up rescued by her would-be executioners because it occurred to them she might know useful information. Duh!

"Fallon of the FBI" suffers even worse than Undercover Girl from lack of explanation. If the woman isn't a vampire, what's this about her need for "Food! I must have food!" And how does she expect to find something to eat by climbing into the sack with her rescuer? Wait, don't answer that. Anyway we need a better explanation of why the amnesiac heiress does and says all those weird things. And how does Fallon know all about the counterfeiting operation when he never visits the crooks' hideout?

"The Kidnapping" has no plot at all, just fights. And Starr blowing her chance at an "Environmentalist of the Year" award. On the last page she refers to "her" newspaper, implying Starr works as a reporter, but that's the only time it's mentioned.

An old pulp-magazine maxim was "start the story in the middle, then back up." This one starts in the middle and never looks back. Starr's catfight with the butch Indian (who speaks weeth a comic-book Mexican accent) is remarkably un-sexy. I can't believe that the money shot, the climactic destruction of Siva Dey's army and her living statues, happens in one tiny panel just before the leave-'em-laughing playout. Gimme a break!

[bowers]

I'm checking in a little late on this one. I've previously read some Undercover Girl stories in "Manhunt" comics, so I was already familiar with the character. Those stories were also illustrated by Whitney but I don't remember who wrote them. Ogden Whitney was a good draftsman, but not a great action artist. Some of the action panels in this issue seem a bit contrived and somewhat wooden. The real problem is the writing. Some points are over-explained, such as the lion/eagle introduction. Why would she need to explain it to someone who just used it on her? Why no checking of credentials? C'mon, the guy even looks a bit like Stalin! Very sloppy spy work indeed. And, yet, this character does have her own quirky charm, looking a little like 40's actress Lizabeth Scott. The double-talk routine reminded me of Humphrey Bogart and William Demarest in the film "All Through the Night", explaining a plan to Nazi spies. A (sometimes) quick mind, good wisecracks, and who wouldn't love a gal who can whip up a batch of laughing gas? If one is willing to suspend their disbelief, then it isn't a bad little story and kind of representative of the times. The entertainment industry, including comics,  had just replaced Nazis with Commies as the go-to villains of the era and this story reflects that change.
"Fallon of the FBI" just didn't deliver the intended punch, but it was only a filler anyway.
Totally agree with Crash about "The Kidnapping"- no plot. Very poor writing and obviously written by someone who had no clue as to the destruction caused by forest fires. Even the younger readers would have been appalled, most of us on the West Coast belonging to Smokey's Junior Rangers! "Smokey's friends don't play with matches!"
"Doom of Siva Dey" might have been a much better story by simply changing a few panels and showing Siva Dey at the head of her mighty stone army, and also it's destruction. Whitney's action panels in this story were much better. A more liberal use of speed-lines and kicked-up dust to help convey motion, as well as a more flowing rendition of moving figures.
This book really wasn't a bad read, just a product of it's time.
Also, I'd like to welcome and encourage the newer members posting on this topic. Thanks for your participation. Cheers, Bowers

[Captain Audio]

"Fallon of the FBI" suffers even worse than Undercover Girl from lack of explanation. If the woman isn't a vampire, what's this about her need for "Food! I must have food!"

That much was explained. She had been buried alive for days and was actually pale and weak from starvation. This gave her a walking undead look and was intended to support the suspicion that she was a vampire.
On awakening in an unfamilar house she sought out anyone who might help her.
In her condition she was running on instinct not thinking rationally.

I liked that story better than the rest of the book. If filmed it would be easier to understand.
Not Shakespeare by a long shot, but more interesting than most comic book plots.