DC Comics 1973
Written by Joe Simon
Illustrated by Jack Kirby
“The Sphinx Speaks” is the third BC story, from DETECTIVE #66 (1942), and opens with a framing sequence set in the future (just as the second BC story has a framing sequence in the past). A thousand years in the future, a reporter is sent to do a story on a recently unearthed mummy. The mummy comes to life, talking like a New Yorker from the 1940s, which means he must have met Brooklyn, and indeed he did. The Commandos were in Egypt, disguised as part of a trading caravan and invading a Nazi-held town.
One of the things that struck me about this book is the fact that it’s a reprint of which I really wasn’t aware of until I started reading it and discovered that it had been previously published in Detective Comics. That however really didn’t turn me off because I had never owned or read a boy Commandos book. One of the things that struck me however as odd is how different today’s world is from back then. The thought of having five children running around fighting Nazis at that age has nothing I mean that’s what people did during wartime. In this day and age people would see Madden freak out and start writing angry letters and posts on Facebook exclaiming child abuse and all that stuff. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that Comics were written to express not only the times but to engage readers and specifically a younger audience of reader to distract them from what was going on around them.
I think the writing here is absolutely spectacular. The way we see the story and plot development unfold will have the sequence of events occur and how the reader learns information is presented impeccably. This makes so much sense to read and in the order in which I told build suspense builds tension and create this atmosphere where you think one thing is going to happen or that the kids are definitely in danger and then you are surprised and thrilled by the actions that follow. I’m a huge fan of the character development here as we see the the characters thrust into situations and circumstances where their personalities get to grow and flourish and their attributes shine bright. All of this works together with the pacing which is extraordinary to really create the books ebb and flow while highlighting how it’s structured.
The Interiors here are extraordinary. The line work is so fine and how we see the varying weights being utilized come together and create this outstanding attention to detail is why books of this era shined. Mini attention to detail is so phenomenal and how we see the characters faces and Body Language just further the characterization in ways words alone cannot do. Then of course there’s how the backgrounds are utilized and they bring us this nice depth perception, a sense of scale, and that overall sense of size and scope of the story itself. The utilization of the page layout and how we see the Angles and perspective in the panel’s show such a remarkable I for storytelling. The way everything is placed and how thoughtful and care and with care that this is all done make this so stunning from a visual standpoint. The color work here is pretty d.arn marvelous as well and how they you see the various Hues and tones within colors create the shading highlights and Shadow work in a limited for Color Run is really rather remarkable.
There are two individual stories here both the reprint and both showcase how these kids were in a time of War. We don’t really get to see the reasons why yet there is no background explanation it’s just this is what it is and let’s move forward. So of course This lends itself to creating a certain amount of intrigue because you know there is no backstory there is no how they got there it’s just their it draws the reader in and admit engages the reader’s mind and it makes you want to be a part of the story you want to be there you want to help them you want to be them and that is the best thing a story can do it can transport you to another time and another place so you immerse yourself fully into that world.
I got to say these were stories that were done right. They didn’t try to be more than they were they didn’t try to use gadgets and tricks and a little you know dark angsty or overly powerful characters they wrote about life. Life is so much more interesting Than Fiction although this inspection at the time it was also about Modern Life and that is why if you ever have the opportunity you need to find the boy Commandos