Speciale Nathan Never #3
Speciale Nathan Never #3 (December 1993) is a structurally significant package in the build-up to Italian comics' first-ever female-led Bonelli series: its bundled booklet, Legs Weaver – 'Miraggi,' written by Michele Medda with art by Andrea Artusi, was the second of three pre-launch Legs solo stories published before her own monthly title debuted in January 1995. The main album also brings the Frayn family—Donald, April, May, and July—into sharp narrative focus, as Donald Frayn's death and the subsequent recruitment of April and May Frayn into Agenzia Alfa represent a key turning point in the shared universe's ongoing continuity. Taken together, the issue is a prime example of the Speciale format as a narrative laboratory where Bonelli's creative team tested and developed supporting characters who would eventually anchor multiple spin-off titles and storylines.
In "Caccia al ladro," three skilled sisters must pull off their most dangerous heist yet—stealing three priceless cat-shaped statues to rescue their father, Donald, from a ruthless collector. Written by Antonio Serra and illustrated with sharp precision by Stefano Casini, this 1993 thriller blends high-stakes crime with a touch of mystery, all wrapped in a striking cover by Claudio Castellini.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The Speciale Nathan Never line launched in 1992 as an annual companion to the regular monthly series, with each of the first five issues pairing an oversized main story with a smaller bundled booklet spotlighting secondary characters. The 'Miraggi' booklet attached to Speciale #3 was scripted by Michele Medda—one of the three co-creators of Nathan Never alongside Antonio Serra and Bepi Vigna—with interior art by Andrea Artusi and a cover by Claudio Castellini, the artist who defined the visual identity of the series during its early years. The three pre-series Legs Weaver booklets (attached to Speciali #2, #3, and #4) formed a deliberate editorial runway that allowed the creators to gauge reader appetite for a female-led spin-off before committing to a full monthly title.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published by Sergio Bonelli Editore in December 1993 as the third entry in the annual Speciale Nathan Never line.
- The main story is titled 'Caccia al ladro' and features Nathan Never, Legs Weaver, and the Frayn family as central players.
- A 32-page bundled booklet, Legs Weaver – 'Miraggi,' is attached to the issue; it is written by Michele Medda with interior art by Andrea Artusi and a cover by Claudio Castellini.
- 'Miraggi' is the second of three pre-series Legs Weaver solo stories (the others appeared with Speciale #2 in June 1993 and Speciale #4 in November 1994), collectively serving as the creative test-run for her standalone monthly series that launched January 1995.
- The Legs Weaver monthly series (1995–2005) became the first Sergio Bonelli Editore title ever to be headlined by a female protagonist.
- The issue features Donald Frayn and his three daughters—April, May, and July Frayn—in a storyline involving the recovery of stolen art; Donald Frayn dies during these events, after which April and May join Agenzia Alfa.
- Edward Reiser, founder and head of Agenzia Alfa, appears in his recurring role as the authority figure who recruits operatives—including both Legs Weaver and the Frayn sisters—into the agency.
- The Nathan Never universe, including the characters debuted or developed across these Speciale issues, was created by Michele Medda, Antonio Serra, and Bepi Vigna, with the series first launching in June 1991.
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