Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire - Vol. 5 - The Buccaneer's Bounty

I can't believe it's been over a year since I read book four in the Daisy Blackwood series of graphic novels.  It certainly does not seem like that long.  I have thoroughly enjoyed these stories - Ryan Howe writes some fun, fast-moving, action-packed stories and his art, while a bit on the cartoony-side, definitely work with the stories.  In a way, I suppose I'm glad I put off reading this one for as long as I did, because it seems this is the last book in the series.  This was published back in 2021, three years ago now, and I haven't seen any indication of any new stories on Howe's website.  Which is a real shame, as this character is just too good to put on a shelf and let collect dust.  Daisy Blackwood needs more adventures!

The Buccaneer's Bounty opens not with the title character; rather, Howe starts this story with a sky pirate who inadvertently discovers the secret to the "treasure of the three captains."  A locket he discovers could be the key to locating that treasure, and it just so happens his girlfriend is a medium who can contact the dead - a medium who used to be a student of the professor, and who happens to have stolen the Skull of K'Tuck, a supernatural artifact the professor is hoping to have Daisy Blackwell recover.  And thus, finally, on page 22, we see our favorite pilot-for-hire enter the picture, as she has been summoned by the professor to locate the skull.  And locate it she does, but with the most unexpected results!  It seems the medium has unwittingly freed the spirit of Luisa Costa, a pirate who has been dead for several hundred years, give or take.  And now that spirit is dead-set (pun intended!) on regaining a mortal body, and it's up to Daisy and her crew to put a stop to it.

 

From here, the action picks up speed, and Howe crafts another dangerous and exciting adventure, as Daisy must obtain one of the items that Costa needs to restore her spirit into human form - an anastasis stone, also referred to as a "resurrection" stone - and in order to get one, she must face off against her grandfather - which is a well-written, fun scene, since Daisy and her grandfather basically hate each other!  What struck me about this scene is that just as Daisy is about to win the auction for the stone, her grandfather receives a mysterious message and simply gets up and leaves!  It would seem to me this is a hint of some future story Howe has planned ... yet, since there don't seem to be any more stories, I'm left wondering exactly what that message was and why the mystery surrounding it?

A kidnapped friend, a race against time, and a fight against a giant sea monster round out this story, making it another fun and exciting read.  And while Daisy does ultimately rescue her friend and recover not only the skull, but also the stone, for the professor, the story ends with a cliffhanger of sorts.  Perhaps Howe will one day return to this series and pick up where he left off.  I did notice, however, that on his website, it appears he has some other series, such as We've Got Spirit, Bad Karma, and Captain Flynt.  I suppose I need to check those out to get my fill of Howe's writing and artistic talents.

If you enjoy comics, if you enjoy adventure stories, and if you enjoy daring female pilots, then you will absolutely LOVE the Daisy Blackwood series.  I highly recommend it!

RATING:  10 sultry evening dresses out of 10 for closing the book on Daisy Blackwood with a truly exciting tale of pirates and treasures!

Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire - Vol. 4 - Paranormal Perils

Four books into the ongoing story of Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire, and I'm still enjoying her adventures now as I did when I picked up and read the first graphic collection.  Creator/writer/artist Ryan Howe has created a truly likable character with a bit of wit, some quick comebacks, and a whole lot of intelligence and gumption to go up against some crazy supernatural baddies that seem to get worse with each story.  These comics are told in newspaper strip-style format, and the pulp-style adventures are paced perfectly to keep the action going, the story moving, and the excitement building.

Paranormal Perils provides readers with not one, not two, but THREE new stories featuring Daisy Blackwood and her new friend/roomie, Huma Laghari (who was introduced in the last collection).  Daisy and the Doc have returned home, where Ross Parsons is anxiously waiting.  Daisy welcomes Huma into her humble home, but any much-needed rest gets pushed aside when a little fire sprite escapes its container, and the two women have a bit of a comedic escapade re-capturing it.  The main feature, to to speak. of this volume involves a cult calling themselves the Golden Tone, who are making a nuisance of themselves in town.  Daisy and Huma set out to stop some of the Tone's members from harassing some innocent pedestrians, which leads them into uncovering a nefarious plot involving some high ranked officials and some very human sacrifices!  Of course, Daisy does what Daisy does best - blows things up! - and brings all of the cult's plans come crashing down on their heads in the most literal fashion possible.  The short story that wraps up this fourth volume is a cute little tale about a missing mummy that is not necessarily the danger everyone things she poses - and yes, I said that right - SHE.  And before the pages close on this book, Daisy finds herself asking Huma to join her in business, so that they can share more supernatural adventures together going forward!

 

The first tale, "Hot Times," is not overly serious, as Daisy introduces Huma to her home, her friends, and her life - but Huma has brought a fire sprite back with her, and when it gets loose, the two woman have one heck of a time trying to recapture the little booger.  Of course, what's the easiest way to put out a fire?  Not exactly the way you would think!

The main story of this collection, "Beautiful Music," starts off simple enough with Huma getting a needed haircut (after what the fire sprite does!), but quickly escalates into a full-scale adventure when they get into altercation with cult members of the Golden Tone.  It's a mixture of supernatural and technology, and Daisy happens upon the smallest of clues that begins to make her wonder if there is a bigger picture that she isn't seeing (because the cult leader's mask just happens to have the same symbol that she saw back in Norway...)

The final tale, "The Mummy," is supposed to be a simple delivery - but when the box carrying the mummy falls from her airplane, crashes, and the mummy gets up and walks away, Daisy must hunt her down.  With the help of Huma, she finds the ancient queen is looking for the most unexpected thing of all!  It's actually a touching little story that reminds the reader not to judge a book by its cover.

With this fourth book, Howe gives readers a bit of a respite from the longer adventures of the previous books, but the stories maintain the same quality, the same quirky humor, and the same excitement and adventure.  His art is as beautiful as ever, and the mix of detailed backgrounds with blank background panels gives just the right mix to keep the reader focused on the story and not just the "pretty art."  I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I really want to see Daisy Blackwood as a television series.  I mean, let's face it - a 1940s/50s pulp-style action hero who is a female adventurer that manages to get involved in one supernatural escapade after another - it's got "HIT" written all over it!

So, one more book to go - and then I have to wonder if there will be any more Daisy Blackwood tales, as I have not seen any further collections solicited, nor have I seen any news on Howe's own website about future stories.  I hope there is still more to come, as this is just too good a character to be put up on a shelf and left to collect dust!

RATING:  10 brooms and dustpans out of 10 for stories that give the reader some fantastic fun adventures to read with characters you just have to love!

Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire - Vol. 3 - The Dreamland Demon

The name of Ryan Howe should be well-known in the comics world - and if it's not, well, it needs to be!  His creation, "Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire," is by far one of the best comic strips / stories that I have read.  The stories are fun, adventure-filled, and exciting; the characters are engaging, realistic, and entertaining; and the style of storytelling - well, I've said it before, and I'll say it again - it's completely cinematic.  It's like I'm watching a film unfold on the page before my eyes!  Each page contains three to five panels (although he does utilize a splash panel once in a while for a very important scene/reveal), and each page manages to end at a specific moment that immediately takes the reader to the next page to find out what will happen next!  His art remains consistent throughout, and his backgrounds vary from extremely detailed (when the setting is an integral element of the story) to minimalist (when the dialogue and characters are the most important part of the scene).  By the time I finish one of Howe's graphic novels, I feel like I have just finished watching a movie that leaves me breathless, wanting for more!

The Dreamland Demon is the third graphic novel in the Daisy Blackwood series, and it picks back up on the story from the first story, The Cursed Island.  But instead of opening the story with our main character, Howe throws readers right into a chase scene - with a young woman named Huma and her aunt Raifah, who are running from a dark and deadly creature - one that takes Raifah's life, even though it's a dream!  The scene then changes to a professor's library/office, where Daisy is explaining the weird event from the island and how whatever was in that mysterious box caused people to go mad.  Just as she is leaving the professor's office, she mentions a few flights she has lined up, which catches the attention of an older woman in the hallway who happens to be in search of a pilot.  But readers quickly learn this woman is not everything she claims to be, for she says she is an old friend of Professor Adams, but after Daisy leaves and Professor Adams comes out, it is clear the two do not know each other!  And so the intrigue begins...

 

The story takes Daisy and her client, Constance Flynn, who happens to be working with Huma on this mysterious quest, around the globe, all the way to Scotland and then on to Norway in search of the unnamed treasure.  However, when Daisy begins to have some very strange and frightening nightmares, and she follows Constance and Huma into a cavern that is full of not-so-ancient treasures in Scotland, she ultimately uncovers the truth about Flynn's quest - and the undead man she carries around who is allegedly going to lead her to the treasure she is after!  Of course, as with any good story, there's more going on here than what we see on the surface, and soon Daisy falls victim to the strange madness that overtakes the people who fall under the undead Sigvard's control!  Flynn has been keeping the ancient viking under her control through sedation, which has been limiting his ability to control others, but even the sedation has its limits.  And the closer the team gets to Sigvard's hidden stash, the harder it is to keep the viking sedated.  And it all leads to a climactic race for the treasure, as treasure hunters gone mad fight to get their hands on the ultimate prize - a madness that Daisy is all too familiar with!

It's clear from this story that Howe is building up to something big - something that will tie these stories together and lead to an even bigger battle than what we see in these pages.  While each book is its own story, there are elements being placed within the stories that connect, and it will be interesting to see where Howe takes us with these.  

One thing I do enjoy about these stories, other than just the fantastic writing and superb art!, is the fact that the stories are clearly set in the past.  They don't have cell phones, or internet, or any of the other technological conveniences of today's world.  Thus, the stories are more focused on the characters and the adventure and less on how technology can do all the work for them.   I also like the fact that with this book, we have a clear and definite step into the supernatural world, and the fact that the next book is titled Paranormal Perils, it's a pretty easy guess to see that Daisy Blackwood's world is one where she will be facing quite a bit of paranormal activity!  Which is fine by me - mixing the adventure with the supernatural, but without all the tech gadgets - well, it pretty much guarantees a story that I'm going to enjoy!

Looking forward to more of Daisy's adventures!

RATING:  10 boxes of tranquilizers out of 10 for keeping Daisy's adventures fresh, fun, and filled with exciting moments that keep me turning page after page!

Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire - Vol. 2 - The Stolen Socialite

That spunky pilot Daisy Blackwood returns for a second pulp-style adventure in Ryan Howe's latest graphic novel collection, The Stolen Socialite.  Pulled from Howe's website for his high-flying heroine, https://www.daisyblackwood.com/, this second story finds Daisy searching for a friend who gets kidnapped right in front of her!  Having thoroughly enjoyed the first graphic novel, I went into this one with high expectations - and Howe certainly didn't disappoint!

From the very first page, the anticipation of things to come builds.  A woman traveling the interstate.  Mysterious men keeping watch, reporting to someone unknown. The arrival at a stately mansion. With no captions one word balloon, and four panels, Howe manages to convey an entire set-up for this latest adventure, and whets the reader's appetite to rush and get to the next page. And the next page. And the page after that. And the next ... well, you get the idea.  It's a non-stop roller coaster ride of shopping, kidnapping, car chasing, police fighting, brother arguing, high-flying fun that only Daisy Blackwood can provide.

 

Someone has kidnapped Daisy's friend, Laura Lin - and right in broad daylight.  Just as the police prepare to look for her, there are reports of numerous banks being robbed.  With the police's attention divided, Daisy realizes it will be up to her to save her friend.  And when the air pirate, Gummel, appears on the scene, well, Daisy does what she does best - hops in an airplane and takes flight to chase after the airship on which her friend is being held hostage.  A daring jump lands Daisy right on the airship (in mid-air!), and soon enough, she's fighting henchmen, freeing her friend, and facing off against the dastardly Gummel.  And just when things seem dire for our heroine, Daisy (and readers) find out that Laura is not exactly a helpless damsel in distress (which is good news for Daisy!).

Howe has an amazing style of storytelling that works so beautifully. Each page reads like a Sunday newspaper strip.  With anywhere from 3 to 5 panels, each page has a beginning, middle, and end that leads directly into the next page/strip, flowing so smoothly, it reads with ease.  And the story itself makes for a fantastically cinematic tale - I could easily see this character and these stories up on the big screen, a Saturday afternoon cliffhanger-style serial that brings you back week after week to see more.  And the art - ooooo, la-la! - while I would not call it "simplistic" (check out all four panels on page 4 to see the amount of detail Howe puts into his work), it is simple and pure, so that the reader does not get so distracted by the "pretty art" as to miss the story.  Rather, the story and art compliment each other nicely to make for an enjoyable read.  And the way he draws expression! Check out poor Officer Simms on page 30 to see what I mean!

This is a series of graphic novels that should not be missed.  Whether you are a fan of comics or just a fan of great stories, you will thoroughly enjoy Howe's brand of adventure here.  Anxiously looking forward to book three!

 

***Oh, and just for your added enjoyment, Howe throws in a special bonus short story, "Follow That Bird!"  A wealthy tycoon calls in a favor and has Daisy chasing after his bird, Polly, who flew the coup (no pun intended). The bird has overheard every deal the tycoon ever made and could be worth a lot of money to the wrong people. So, it's up to Daisy to keep that bird from falling into the wrong hands.  Easier said than done, when that bird takes her on a chase through the city, fighting off every pirate out to get their hands on the pretty bird.  From roof tops, to flag poles, to the tops of trolley cars, it's an all-out crazy chase that eventually comes to an end when they run into (literally!) a rather large cop.  The question is - whose side is he on?  It's a fun-filled romp that will definitely make you smile.

RATING:  10 pairs of comfortable shoes for shopping out of 10 for taking readers on another exciting adventure

Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire - Vol. 1 - The Cursed Island

Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire
The Cursed Island
Publisher: Soaring Penguin Press
Publication Date (September 2018)
ISBN 10 - 1908030305
ISBN 13 - 978-1908030306
90 pages of story and art

Remember back in the day when stories were about carefree adventure, when heroes were faced with dangerous cliffhangers (sometimes literally!), and you sat on the edge of you seat, breathlessly waiting to see how he or she would escape? Well, creator, writer, and artist Ryan Howe has once again captured that somewhat pulp-feel of adventure, heroism, and just plain-ol' good storytelling with his comic hero, Daisy Blackwood, Pilot for Hire.

The Cursed Island is the first collected story from Howe's website, www.daisyblackwood.com, where there are regular updates of the Daisy Blackwood stories. The story opens with an unexplained prologue of a group of men are coring samples somewhere, when they stumble across a rather unusual item...flash forward, and Daisy is asked to make a delivery to one of the western islands. Reluctant at first, she gives in and takes off just in time - for someone is after the cargo on that plane. As Daisy quickly discovers, there is more than just cargo on the plane; there is also a man with a gun, who is looking to have Daisy take him to a different island. It seems he has a box, and whatever is inside that box is singing to him, coercing him to do things he doesn't want to do, as it has many men before him.  He wants to return the box before anyone else can be cursed by it.

Howe has mastered visual storytelling in a way most comics are unable to do in today's market - Howe does not use any narrative captions; rather, he relies solely on the dialogue and the actual action in each panel to tell the story. And let me tell you, he does a perfect job of it! I got so caught up in the story, it wasn't until I was re-reading it that I realized there was absolutely no exposition. To me, that tells the mark of a really great storyteller.

For comic fans and adventure fans, this has it all. And I will be up front about this - the story doesn't necessarily answer every question you may have. Some things are left up to the reader to decide or figure out, and that's okay. Because, while this tale is a story in and of itself, I know that there are more stories to come, and I have no doubt that Howe is setting up things for future stories.

This is definitely a must-read!

RATING:  10 mutated underground dwellers out of 10 for good, old-fashioned pulp-style, cliffhanger storytelling that is exceptionally enjoyable!