Doc Savage: The Ring of Fire #4 Comic Book

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Title:

Chapter Four: Phoenix Unbound

Date of Publication
June 2017

Cover Price
$3.99

Our Rating:

Credits:

David Avallone

Writer

Dave Acosta

Penciler

Dave Acosta

Inker

Morgan Hickman

Colorist

Brent Schoonover

Cover Penciler

Brent Schoonover

Cover Inker

Brent Schoonover

Cover Colorist

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Comic Book Synopsis / Plot

Written by Peter Silvestro

On Phoenix Island, Doc Savage is a prisoner of John Sunlight. Elsewhere, the escaping Pat Savage and Amelia Earhart link up with aides Monk, Johnny, and Ham as Renny and Long Tom arrive at the island by sub. Sunlight tells Doc of his latest plan for world peace through calamity, using Doc's Superior Wave Modulator to create earthquakes and volcanoes along the “Ring of Fire.” The villain shows his plane, the Firebird, outfitted with the deadly device and ready to go destroy San Francisco. The Japanese Vice-Admiral, Matsui, balks at such a dishonorable tactic of war and intends to leave; his aide Captain Osato shoots him down and agrees to pilot the Firebird to America. Doc points out that both Sunlight and Osato are likely to betray one another and Osato lunges at Doc with a sword. Doc fights back, a gun is accidentally fired, Pat, Amelia, and the aides join in. Osato, however, leaps aboard the Firebird and takes off. Amelia Earhart volunteers to chase him in her Electra—even though without weapons it would be a suicide mission. There is a tearful parting with Pat and she takes off....

The aides assault Sunlight's fortress to distract attention from Doc and Pat climbing up to the tower. Pat shoots Sunlight and he falls from the window....

Amelia crashes her Electra into the enemy plane, sacrificing herself to save her country....

As Pat mourns her lost friend, Doc blows up Phoenix Island.

Comments

Peter Silvestro (July 8, 2017)
Comments: This issue was published on July 5, 2017, three days after the 80th anniversary of Amelia Earhart's disappearance. Earhart's navigator, Fred Noonan, is said to have been killed by John Sunlight in a brief exchange of dialogue. The four covers of this series can be linked to make one big, if odd, picture. And the story ends with the promise that Doc Savage will return.

Peter Silvestro (July 8, 2017)
Review: Nice wrap-up to the miniseries doesn't beak any new ground—with one exception: Amelia Earhart's suicide mission is plotted with the poem “Courage” as counterpoint. It was an inspired touch. So, harking back tot he review of issue #1, how did they do with adding a real-life character, especially one with a mysterious fate like Amelia Earhart. I'm not sure. My problem was coming up with a reason for Doc not to reveal Earhart's fate that that wouldn't reflect badly on Earhart i.e. something shameful. In this story, however, she died heroically, sacrificing herself to save the nation, which you would have to admit would b better than suggesting she crashed into the ocean. Perhaps Doc thought that leaving her story unfinished would be more respectful of her—or that he didn't want to reveal the existence of his earthquake machine and San Francisco's close call, which now that I mention it, does seem like something Doc Savage would do. I'm not entirely satisfied but the inclusion of the poem makes up for it greatly.

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