
To Will Murray: You had me at "Doc Savage meets King
Kong."
Seriously, that pairing of two of the most iconic characters in adventure
fiction is irresistible. The set-up is great, with Doc, Monk, and Ham arriving
back in New York City right after Kong has taken his plunge off the Empire
State Building. When they go to see the body and Doc says, "I know this
creature," . . . well, maybe it didn't send quite as much of a shiver
through me as "They were the footprints, Mr. Holmes, of a gigantic
hound!", but it's still a great line.
From there we're off to a flashback that reveals not just how Doc first met
King Kong in the days soon after he returns from World War I, it also lets us
get to know Doc's father Clark Savage Sr., who is a rather shadowy figure in the
original novels, plus Doc's grandfather, the sea captain Stormalong Savage (a
great name if there ever was one).
Once Doc and his dad, sailing on the ship Orion
(the same schooner on which Doc was born) reach Skull Island in search of old
Stormalong, the action is almost non-stop. Headhunters, dinosaurs, and Kong
himself provide formidable obstacles for the Savages. This story takes place
before Doc adopted his no-killing policy, like the first few novels in the pulp
series, so the violence is pretty graphic. But there are quieter, more poignant
moments, too, that are very effective.
One of the most appealing things about this novel for long-time Doc Savage fans
such as myself is seeing the early, developmental stages of things that will
figure prominently in the series later on, such as Doc's superfirer machine
pistols and some casual mentions of Doc's uncle Alex Savage, whose daughter Pat
becomes a major supporting character. There are also hints of much more Savage
family history to be uncovered later on, as well as an explanation of how Doc's
father came up with the idea of training him to be an adventurer. (It's not one
that I would have suspected.)
If you've never read Doc Savage before, SKULL ISLAND would make a good starting
point, although it is considerably different from the other novels in the
series. If you're a long-time fan like me, it's even better. Will Murray's done
a spectacular job here, the cover by Joe DeVito is breathtaking, and SKULL
ISLAND gets the highest recommendation from me. It's currently available in
e-book and trade paperback editions, with a limited edition hardcover on the
way.