TFAW Grab Bag #22: Jon Sable Freelance: Ashes of Eden #3

Like Grimjack: The Manx Cat, IDW's Jon Sable Freelance: Ashes of Eden was originally published online by ComicMix (you can still read the entire series here). I received #3 (December 2009) as part of the TFAW grab bag. The cover and interior art were done by Mike Grell, who also wrote the series. I greatly enjoyed the issue and probably be reading the entire series online soon.

Jon Sable Freelance #33

Mike Grell and Sergio Aragonés team up for Jon Sable Freelance #33 (February 1986). They not only did the cover but also wrote, penciled and inked the story titled "Cave of the Half-Pints". Jon dons his B. B. Flemm's disguise to meet Sucio Eroganes along with Mike and Eden in Los Angeles. Sucio is a cartoonist doing the storyboards for the movie based on Flemm's leprechaun books. The opening sequence's artwork is, of course, done by Mike Grell. The storyboards is done by Sergio Aragonés and follows three leprechauns (Grog O'Leary, Dusty Cruster and Dooley) being kicked out of Dublin's faery mound in 1847. They meet a Red Man on a ship sailing to America, where the trio sets up their faery mound. They start making their own special brew and have several misadventures throw the years.

Jon Sable Freelance #31 and 32

Jon Sable Freelance #31 (December 1985) and 32 (January 1986) features part one and two of "The Gauntlet". After spending a night with Mike, Jon is picked up by a mysterious blonde while taking a walk. She rushes him to the docks to see his old friend Captain Hook aka Jerry Fetter. He is recruited to go into Nicaragua to find out if large crates that the Russians have there are actually MIG 25's. After saying goodbye to Mike, he meets the rest of the team that includes Aileen Saxon (the mysterious blonde who was trained as a Navy SEAL), Ed Gardner (an older demolitions man that served in Korea), Patrick O'Reilly (a black Irishman that got busted up in Vietnam but can still fly anything), Will Jordan (a Texas Ranger that is an excellent marksman and tracker) and Tahnee Hand (half Cherokee and half gypsy woman that that is highly trained in wilderness survival and primitive weapons).

The team plans before going to Nicaragua in Jon Sable Freelance #32. The mission turns even deadlier than expected when the crates end up having medium-range missiles on mobile launches with nuclear warheads.

Mike Grell not only drew both covers but he also wrote and illustrated the two part story. Ken Bruzenak was the letterer and Janice Cohen was the colorist.

Jon Sable Freelance #28, 29 and 30

After a hot shower scene with Sable and Mike, Jon Sable Freelance #28 (September 1985) finds our hero being introduced to Sonny's old friend, Wichita Kaintuck. The pair used to run a movie stunt business called Skid, Crash and Burn, Inc. "Bye Bye Blackbird" has the trio going to a fund raiser along with Mike put on by a famed producer's daughter. Among the items up for bid is Errol Flynn's boots from They Died With Their Boots On, the helmet worn by Kirk Douglas in The Vikings, Clint Eastwood's .44 magnum and the Maltese Falcon. Naturally, the bird is stolen and everyone at the fund raiser is suspected. Mike Grell pays homage to Sam Spade in this issue and the following two issues.

This issue also features part four of the Shatter back up feature.

"Murder...in Spades" is the story's title in Jon Sable Freelance #29 (October 1985) and involves the search for the missing Maltese Falcon.

Part five of the Shatter back up feature is also included in this issue

"The Stuff of Dreams" concludes the search of the missing Maltese Falcon in Jon Sable Freelance (November 1985).

This issue also features part six of the Shatter back up feature.

Jon Sable Freelance #27

Mike Grell once again did the cover for Jon Sable Freelance #27 (August 1985). He also wrote and illustrated "Torch Song" that tells the tale of Jon Moses coming to America in 1951 to meet his father, Jack Sable, and his wife. We learn that his mother escaped the Germans during a bombing attack on D-Day and continued to work for MI9 after the war. He was a rebel during his teens before turning down an appointment to West Point that his father had set up. Jon went to Middlebury College and his father cut him off the family funds. He started blowing sax in a dance band and started to compete in the pentathlon. After a post-graduate course at the government's Vietnam finishing school, he competed and made the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The story shifts back to the present and Jon Sable makes love to Mike Bloodmoon while she is wearing a red sash around her head (there's some pretty adult soap opera moments here folks).

This issue also features another untitled Shatter story.

Jon Sable Freelance #25 and 26

Jon Sable Freelance #25 (June 1985) features "Homecoming Part 1: The Angel" and starts with him in the disguise of B. B. Flemm discussing his leprechaun books as a Broadway play with Eden Kendall. He then meets up with Mike Blackmoon minus the wig, mustache and glasses. She shows him a painting of a line that she did for the hunting article that he wrote. Sable goes home only to find the federal agent waiting to tell him that Sparrow is out to kill him since he did not kill him in the last issue. He takes Mike to a cabin to get closer and he starts telling her of his mother.

"Homecoming Part 2: The Moses Line" is the main feature of Jon Sable Freelance #26 (July 1985). This story is about how his parents met in the last part of World War II. His father, Captain Jack Sable, was part of the Eighth Air Force that got shot down over Belgium. He meets and fall in love with a resistance fighter code named Moses.

Both issues features a bonus Shatter story. Mike Saenz was the artist while Peter B. Gillis was the writer.

Jon Sable Freelance #22 and 24

Jon Sable Freelance #22 (March 1985) and 24 has part one of "The Contract" written by Mike Grell, who also did the covers and illustrated the interior. Widowmaker, the horse from last issue, is now a carriage horse at the start of the first book. Sable takes Mike Blackmoon for a ride to celebrate her birthday. The pair have been growing closer and she is the tall artist for his line of children books that he writes as B. B. Flemm. His publisher, Eden Kendall, also appears in very sexy white lingerie. Anyway, Sable is approached by a federal agent to terminate Sparrow. He thinks the offer over before accepting. Jon Sable Freelance #22 also has "Safari Sketchbook" that features text, sketches and photographs that Mike Grell did while on safari in Africa.

Jon Sable Freelance #24 (May 1985) has the conclusion of "The Contract" (I actually picked up two copies of this by mistake). He finds himself in Isreal making out with Rachel in the desert outside of Jerusalem. Sable sets up a deal with an arms dealer before getting attacked after leaving his establishment. The pair attack a warehouse that has Sparrow's second in command and lover only to find out that it was a set-up. Rachel not only betrayed Sable but was also sent to kill Sparrow. The ending is pretty cool with the last two pages having no words. Another installment of "Safari Sketchbook" is in the back of this issue.

Jon Sable Freelance #21

Jon Sable Freelance #12 (February 1985) features another great cover by Mike Grell. "Widowmaker" had him going after the wife that was convicted of hitting her husband with a horseshoe and has been dubbed the White Widow by the press. She claims that he was kicked in the head by a horse. She is out on bond while her case is on appeal but her husband has been in a coma for the past five years. Widowmaker is also the name of the horse that her husband trained for the Olympics. Jon Sable met him during that time while he was training for the Pentathlon and he was helped with his equestrian events. He tells her that she is not going to get away with it and starts showing up everywhere. Sable even goes to the stable to visit Widowmaker just in time for the White Widow to go for a ride. I will not spoil her fate but it is ironic.

Jon Sable Freelance #19

I have read a couple issues of Jon Sable Freelance from First Comics in the past (#8, 30, 32, 34 and 40 to be exact). When I recently picked up the eighty-nine comics for ninety-nine cents, I picked up several more issues of the series. Mike Grell not only did the cover for Jon Sable Freelance #19 (December 1984) but he also wrote the script as well as penciled and inked the interior art. Janice Cohen was the colorist while Ken Bruzenak did the lettering. This issue's story was titled "Prey" and finds Jon Sable back in Rhodesia, South Africa being hunted by bounty hunters (he has a price on his head). He visits Colonel McKenna and his wife, Ruth, who are the parents of his dead wife, Elise (she died along with their son and daughter in a house fire set by poachers). The Colonel is not very happy to see him but Ruth has a little more sympathy. The end is very touching because the last two pages has no words while the Colonel makes a very important decision. In fact, there are several wordless pages through the issues and Mike Grell's art is just breathtaking.