The first comprehensive archival collection of Alex Raymond's post-war, post-modern classic. Created by Raymond in 1946, it was a fresh approach to the crime genre, an about-face from the prevailing hard-boiled style of detective fiction. Rip Kirby was smart and sophisticated, but still a man's man. He often applied scientific methods to his crime-solving techniques, but was still involved in plenty of action-Kirby was an All-American athlete and decorated war hero. The supporting cast featured Desmond, Rip's valet and assistant, and plenty of breathtaking women, particularly Rip's girlfriend, Honey Dorian, and the raven-haired and aptly-named Pagan Lee. Highly conscious of the fashions of the day, Raymond also brought post-war and early-'50s chic to the comics page. The first volume of Alex Raymond's modernist classic reproduces, from syndicate proof sheets, every strip from the beginning, March 4, 1946, through December 4, 1948. Co-written with Ward Greene, the stories sometimes address then-contemporary issues, including trafficking in black market babies and the attempt to limit the proliferation of atomic and biological weapons. But the real star is Raymond's lush and incomparable brushwork. 2010 HARVEY AWARD NOMINEE!