Milton Caniff (1907–1988)

If the unevenness of volume 1 left you wondering how Milt Caniff earned his exalted reputation, volume 2 (1937 to 1938) removes any doubts. The characters have become more layered and the narratives more intricate. This is an artist and writer reaching full mastery of his medium. The Sandhurst plot and the introduction of Big Stoop and Judas are highlights, but it's the long section with Burma (including close to a year of strips without Pat Ryan) where this strip really sends off sparks. show more It's one of the best runs on any adventure strip ever. This is Caniff--"the Rembrandt of the comic strip"--firing on all cylinders. show less

There are very few comic strip creators that can match Milton Caniff's level of excellence in art, writing, powerful action and moving stories, humor or snappy patter. Offhand, I can't think of any who have it all in one package as he does. "Steve Canyon" is commonly ranked a little below Caniff's great strip, "Terry and the Pirates", although sometimes I'm darned if I can see why. Here we have 2 years of strips that tell a few fine stories of action and intrigue. Miss Mizzou is introduced show more here, she of the college campus at Columbia, Missouri. But the main thrust of these stories revolve around Steve and Summer Olson, whom he finally proposes to, and she accepts. But of course fate throws some snags in their path to happiness, and the book concludes with the two uncomfortably still engaged after a miscommunication led to Steve leaving her on their wedding day (it's all honorable; he thought her missing and presumed dead first husband had returned from the dead), and Summer accepting a lucrative but demanding job from Copper Calhoun, who seems determined to keep the two apart. Of all the various complete reprints of various comic strip classics floating around these days, this may be the best in terms of production values; truly a handsome series. show less

Steve Canyon himself is a little too perfect to be as interesting as Caniff's sidekick gallery, but there are times when the jut-jaw is shaken. There are some moving stories here involving long-established characters, including Summer Olsen, Copper Calhoun, Poteet Canyon, Convoy and Holly Hall. Most of the suspense is derived from cold-war plotting by the Reds, but the human interest more than balances out the tension. Caniff's art and writing are still up to snuff, but there are times when show more it would be refreshing to have a new female lead introduced who did not fall for Steve so readily... or at all. show less

The most compelling story here is the one where Copper Calhoun plots to derail Steve and Summer's long-running engagement, capped with a thoroughly satisfying and uncharacteristic response by Summer when she finds out.This book also introduces one of Caniff's best characters, the brave, beautiful and blind Mrs. Hall.

There are a few other returning characters here; Caniff's stage covers the world, but it's a small world in which old acquaintances are always popping up. Caniff is still the show more master of the cartoonist's pen and the written word. Every strip shows careful planning; they're almost all little stories with a kicker at the end, which together work to advance the main story. In some ways "Steve Canyon" is a more mature strip than "Terry and the Pirates", but that earlier strip has more heart and charm. show less