TECHNICAL SPECS: Published 2 pages at a time in Look-In #45-49/1980, by Angus P. Allan and Arthur Ranson.
IN THIS ONE... A boy is snatched by Time and put in his great-great-grandfather’s place in the Congo in 1890.
REVIEW: The boys continue to break the mold, and in The Mask’s case, it’s at least a little bit so that Ranson can draw stuff he normally couldn’t, like talking trees, African vegetation, wild animals, and “jungle action”. I’m for it. Sapphire and Steel don’t even show up until the last few panels of the first strip, opening with a full page of colonial dickwad Archibald Twain’s story before the turn of the century. Our leads later make their position on colonialism known (against), but the strip itself unfortunately uses the word “satanic” several times in relation to the witch doctor Twain threw off a cliff all those years ago. Yes, he is influenced by the Enemy, but the Evil in these stories is Time, not Satan proper. This is confusing the issue and literally demonizing the native religion.
Otherwise, it’s a fun and well-drawn adventure, where the Agents actually do time travel (my favorites, on balance). Steel gets to slap a leopard as it jumps at Sapphire, Time appears as a member of the Parliament of Trees, and the witch doctor looks super-cool. For once, Sapphire’s time control isn’t used as straight deux ex machina, but rather to create team work opportunities for Steel. The art is gorgeous throughout, and by eschewing the bit where the parents of the threatened child get the story explained to them, we get far more far-more-interesting jungle stuff.
READABILITY: Medium-High - I thought they’d get in trouble with the African setting, but they mostly avoid the expected pitfalls and offer a lusciously-illustrated and exciting tale.
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