Any reader interested in graphic storytelling would do well to pick up this collection of all the daily and Sunday installments from the first year of Caniff's legendary adventure comic strip. After developing his skills as a writer and artist on Dickie Dare
and Terry and the Pirates
, which were owned and controlled by big syndicates, Caniff launched Steve Canyon
right after WWII to show what he could do solo. The eponymous strapping blond hero is a an ex–Air Force pilot who just wants to start an independent air freight company along with some fellow vets, but it seems that every business contract leads to a romantic adventure in an exotic locale. These first few episodes show Caniff finding his way as the strip's sole proprietor, with an overabundance of quirky supporting characters at the beginning before salty old Happy Easter becomes Steve's permanent sidekick. Still, even from the strip's start, Caniff was at the top of his storytelling form. The dialogue is top-grade snappy patter, the pacing gripping, and the lush brush-and-ink washes are marvelous. Caniff knew how to move the reader's eye from panel to panel, moving, for example, from long shots to close-ups (in fact, Steve Canyon
has more cinematic technique
than many movies). Alas, the publishers have had to squeeze the strips into less space than they were intended to fill, which means less fine detail. At 6" x 11.5", the dailies are almost as small as today's papers' dreadfully cramped strips. This makes the book both tantalizing and frustrating to read, but it is nevertheless an essential work. (Sept.)
