I have posted previously about The Moon Man, the Robin Hood-like pulp hero who ran in Ace Magazines’ Ten Detective Aces from 1933 to ’37. Altus Press has reprinting the whole series in seven volumes, and I have written about the first four volumes. This time I look at how the series continues in the last three. Each of these volumes have four or five stories, and an introduction by Andrew Saloman. Sadly, none of the interior art from the pulps was included.
As I mentioned previously, I was surprised by how much the stories fit together, where actions and events in one story have repercussions in following stories. Having previously read only new Moon Man stories, the original ones are, I think, much more suspenseful and taunt.
To recap, The Moon Man is really policeman Stephen Thatcher, who has to keep his identity hidden while his fellow cops, including his father, the police chief, and his best friend and boss, Gil McEwan. Both are working to stop The Moon Man. This creates tension in the stories to the point that McEwan is fired for incompetence for not stopping The Moon Man in a previous volume (yes, he got his job back). A new addition on the police side is Detective Mark Keanan, who first appeared in a story in volume four, and comes back as a series regular in volume five’s stories.
I was also surprised to learn that the two people who did know his identity didn’t know it at first. Ned “Angel” Dugan, who assists him in distributing funds, doesn’t learn who The Moon Man is until a story reprinted in the first volume, and Thatcher’s fiance, Sue McEwan, doesn’t learn until a story in the second volume! So Thatcher had to deal with his fiance hating The Moon Man for many stories. She would slowly start getting involved with helping The Moon Man, which added a further complication in the series.
You almost have a three-against-three dynamic in the story with Gil McEwan, Keanan, and Thatcher up against The Moon Man, Angel, and Sue McEwan. Except, of course, that Thatcher and The Moon Man are one and the same.
In The Complete Adventures of the Moon Man, Volume 5 are five stories. In the first story, while being pursued by the police, Thatcher makes the mistake of giving not just his Moon Man outfit to Angel to lock in a safe, but also his service revolver! And Gil McEwan wants Thatcher by his side as he captures The Moon Man.
The next story has The Moon Man go up against a criminal called The Skeleton, who is a real threat. This story also gives us the return of Keanan and Sue McEwan getting spotted helping The Moon Man!
The Moon Man is again accused of murder in the next story, and again must clear his name, as well as Sue McEwan is being pursued as The Moon Man’s unknown female associate. Looking to rob a casino, The Moon Man also spots an old friend gambling in an attempt to recoup charity funds he gambled away. Thatcher must work to help protect his friend. And he must deal with a problem of The Moon Man going into a tenement and hiding his outfit with only Thatcher coming out. Not only has he lost the outfit, but suspicion is cast on him!
In the final story of the volume, Thatcher must go into action as The Moon Man but without his outfit! And deal with others in the outfit as well.
Volume 6 has four stories. All the stories here are around The Moon Man going up against other gangs of crooks. The first story we have a gang is after a cache of loot hidden in the police station and has kidnapped Sue McEwan to force her father to let them get the loot. So The Moon Man is trying to both save Sue McEwan, stop the crooks, and take the money himself.
In the following story, The Moon Man then goes up against an arsonist burning buildings, including one he was in. And Sue McEwan tries to get Thatcher to give up being The Moon Man! Next up is another gang with deadly weapons which shoots down one of Thatcher’s friends. Thatcher not only wants to stop them to avenge his friend, he wants their loot to provide for his friend’s widow. The last story has The Moon Man dealing with a gang of jewel thieves.
The final volume gives us the last five stories. The Moon Man, along with Sue McEwan, is working to rob a crooked politician running for mayor, but is caught on film, and The Moon Man is being blackmailed (again). Can he fight back and win?
We get several strange twists in the next story. The police are closing in on his hideout, Thatcher must arrest Angel. And The Moon Man must contend with crooks now out to stop him!
The following story is another one of The Moon Man being accused of murder, but we get several other additions. We learn more about Keanan, and The Moon Man’s outfit is locked up in Chief Thatcher’s office, and again there is suspicion that someone on the force is The Moon Man. Probably Detective Keanan!
Next we get kidnappings and kidnappings as someone kidnaps Sue McEwan and plans to either ransom her or turn her over the cops as “The Moon Man’s girl.” The Moon Man needs to get her out of this dilemma quick!
Then we get the final story, which really focuses on Chief Thatcher, who must show he’s still a competent police chief or he’s out.
I thought it interesting that the introduction to the final volume spoke of The Moon Man’s use in New Pulp fiction stories by several publishers, which I’ve reviewed, as well as he was used in Ace Comics, where he was renamed The Raven.
Publisher Pulp 2.0 has been working on a complete collection of Raven comic stories, which recently came out. I hope to get it soon.
And yes, keep an eye out for new Moon Man stories from publishers like Airship 27, which came out with its second volume of Moon Man stories.
