Gwandanaland Comics #857

Gwandanaland Comics #857 collects ZX-5 – Spies in Action: Volume 4, bringing together Golden Age espionage adventures centered on the dashing secret agent ZX-5. The cover art — credited to Major Thorpe — plunges readers straight into the action: set against the sun-drenched canals of Venice, a woman in a striking red dress is thrown clear of a gondola amid a dramatic explosion, while ZX-5 reaches to catch her and shadowy figures look on from the water below. It's a wonderfully pulpy slice of mid-century spy thrills, and this handsome collection is a great way to dig into the genre's roots.