Good afternoon, all,
I'm wrapping up this weekend with a discussion of the fifteenth issue of The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. The cover depicted Indy in the middle of a crowd as a net containing several crates above them had just broken. The tale was titled "The Sea Butchers Chapter 1: Island of Peril!" The issue had a cover date of March 1984.
The story started in the skies above the Aleutian Islands. Indy and his pilot, Jock Lindsey, had arrived to take aerial photographs of the land below. They knew that the Japanese military forces might make that task a bit troublesome, but still pressed on with their mission. It didn't take long for a Japanese plane to roll past their plane, spewing machine gun fire as it passed.
Lindsey flew closer to the ground for Indiana to get a few photos before they neared a Japanese warship. Indy snapped a few pictures of the cruiser before they skimmed above it. Lindsey took a barrel roll as Jones grabbed a rusty sea hook and tossed it at the opposing plane. The hook snagged the wings, yanking them off in a swift motion and causing the damaged plane to sink like a stone. The cruiser's captain observed the affair from his binoculars and ordered his lieutenant to send a longboat for the downed pilot.
Some time later, Professor Jones shared the photographs with his colleague, Doctor Marcus Brody, at Marshall College in Connecticut. Brody noted that the images showed some promise, despite their blurryness. Indy was certain that one of the buildings he'd photographed was a statue of Chung Hua, the Chinese god of their ancient mariners.
Brody was inclined to agree, except for the fact that they had no concrete proof. He held up a small statue of the deity in question, stating that they needed physical proof. Jones understood, adding that they'd need a ship that was big enough to move large artifacts. Fortunately, he knew of a captain who might just be willing to help.
After a few inquiries were made, Indiana found himself strolling through the streets of Panama City, Panama. He was headed for the city jail, where his old friend, Captain Katanga, was being held. The captain greeted his comrade across the cell bars, explaining that he'd been apprehended because he'd misplaced the bill of sale and related documents for the shipload of rum.
Indy managed to free his colleague, unaware that his cellmate had been listening to their conversation with great interest. An hour later, the friends convened at the Bay of Pagamo. They narrowly evaded the crash of several large crates that fell from their net, which had been suspended by a crane, and were soon engaged in a fight with several locals.
The allies were separated during the conflict. Indiana ducked into a hotel until more of his pursuers were hot on his trail. Jones jumped toward the next building, landing in a produce cart before seeking safety in the restaurant next door. Indiana eluded a trio of thugs in the kitchen and ran out the back door.
Jones kept running until he encountered more gun-toting goons. Katanga advised Indy to get down, and he did so right before the captain's men took out their foes. Indy thanked his old friend for his timely assistance, and they set sail soon thereafter.
Some time later, their vessel was boarded by members of the Japanese navy. They claimed to be searching for contraband, and the commander thought he recognized the American professor from an earlier incident involving relics stolen from a museum in Tokyo. Jones feigned innocence, replying that he was deathly afraid of flying.
Jones and Katanga knew that they had to be careful after their guests left. The rest of the voyage was rather uneventful for their ship, the Bantu Wind. Upon reaching their destination, Indy and the captain disembarked, along with a hand-picked crew.
Indy breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the Chinese temple. Jones marveled at the treasures it contained until his attention was drawn by a female voice from behind. It belonged to the mercenary named Esmeralda Vasquez. Katanga recognized one of her associates as his former cellmate from the Panama jail.
Vasquez was behind the attack on the dock. They wanted his assistance, but Jones wasn't a prize that could be acquired easily. He swung his lantern at the wall behind him after being slapped by the pirate leader, sending sparks flying and allowing him and his friends to escape.
As they headed toward shore, Indy and his comrades noticed a submarine sitting in the waters before them. Esmeralda admitted that she'd stolen the U.S. ship. She eventually convinced Katanga to obey her commands after torturing one of his crewmen. While the ship's crew was led toward the docks, a different fate lay in store for Jones.
Indy was herded to the southern part of the island, where he was buried up to his neck in the sand. Katanga made a break for it and jumped into the water as Vasquez's soldiers fired at him. Meanwhile, Indiana stood helpless against the rock crabs that were now starting to surround him.
As a kid, I had kind of lost interest in this title after the previous issue. I wasn't satisfied with the constantly changing art teams and had found intermittent issues before its ultimate cancellation afterward. I just picked up this issue a few years ago. I wasn't too surprised with another change of artists, but I found the story compelling enough to keep me reading.
The only thing that irked me was that this issue did nothing to move along Marion's story. We will learn a bit more about that in the next issue. Tomorrow, I'll cover the sixteenth issue of this title. We'll find out what happened to Indy and Katanga, and gain more insight into Esemeralda's plans. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment