Crime Comic Review Bernie Kriegstien Blind Man’s Bluff

CRIME COMIC REVIEW BERNIE KRIEGSTIEN BLIND MAN’S BLUFF. 1962

One of only two comic strips based on Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct crime novels. Kriegsteien (the artist) fell out with the never named writer responsible for the strips, and the series died with their working partnership.

While McBain’s novels went for a realistic forensic police team approach that the modern CSI stories would envy, the comic strip is a tall tale of a psychotic and blind artist who, after being blinded by a hawk, sees in brief flashes of light only, but goes on from them to paint his models, who e then kills as they can only grow old and no longer be as beautiful as his portraits of them.

The chief cop, Carella cheerfully sends his deaf and dumb wife, Teddy, (a recurring background figure in the novels) as bait as the adman goes on the rampage upon finishing her portrait. 

As well as the artists visions there is a psychic bond between Carella and his wife that brings the cops to her rescue. It’s an absurd and over-stretched story so it seems that the lack of realism here may have been a contributory factor to the comic’s short shelf life.

Well drawn, but preposterous, unlike the excellent novels which still stand the test of time well.

Arthur Chappell

McBain, Carella, Teddy, 87th, Precinct, novels, comic, police, crime, artist, blind, deaf and dumb, Arthur, Chappell, 1962,