Before There Was a Superman

Reading Challenge 2017: First book in a series you haven't read before.  The Man of Bronze by Kenneth Robeson was definitely a strange novel.  It was a quick read about Clark Savage, Jr. (known as Doc Savage), a man who is almost superman due to two hours a day of intense exercise and mental studies.  He and his five former army buddies go against a Mayan cult in order to save a tribe in Hidalgo, Mexico, get some gold, and generally do good for others.  It reads like an action hero story, complete with gadgets, fast planes, and feats of superhuman strength.  At points it was unbelievable until I realized that it was reading candy for those who like fast-paced stories with intrigue.  Sort of an Indiana Jones meets Captain America.  I had to look up a few words, especially those in British slang, to understand what the characters were speaking of.  Overall, it was enjoyable enough to read the second book of the series of over 90 novels.

First published in 1933, Doc Savage predates Superman by a few years and has interesting parallels.  He is the man of bronze whereas Superman is the man of steel.  He has a fortress of solitude, just like Superman.  However, rather than being an alien, he is a human who has aspired to be better than others in more than just physical ways.  That impresses me more as he was not born that way but has to work at it to be stronger, faster, smarter, and generally impressive.  

The novel is infused with foreign words, both Spanish and Mayan, and includes references to deities such as Quetzlcoatl and Kulkukan, Aztec and Mayan winged serpent gods.  It slanders the Mayans, making them seem as savages, which only makes Savage and his crew seem more noble.  It was a quick read and pretty fast-paced, with lots of action.  It is definitely something that can be read in a couple of hours.

Another reason I chose this novel was due to the Bantam Publisher artwork on the cover.  I loved looking at the slim 75 cent novels and their artwork, which is one of the reasons I read mostly from this publisher.  I look forward to reading more of Savage's adventures.