Gwandanaland Comics #852

This 2017 Gwandanaland Comics collection gathers the ZX-5 – Spies in Action strip, and the reproduced interior page on the cover gives you an immediate taste of the pulpy thrills inside — a tense confrontation between the square-jawed agent ZX-5 and a wild-eyed adversary dominates the splash panel, while the surrounding comic strip panels show shadowy figures, a clandestine meeting in a chateau, and two men locking in combat. Credited to Major Thorpe, the strip crackles with that sharp espionage atmosphere of trench coats, double-crosses, and the elusive villain De Villiare lurking in the shadows. If you have a soft spot for classic spy comics presented in an affordable, accessible format, this volume is a fine way to dive in.