And now it’s perfectly clear Goodwin’s seen You Only Live Twice. This story recasts Phil as James Bond—with Goodwin borrowing not just the big volcanic secret headquarters ending from You Only Live Twice, but details from various other Bond movies like Thunderball. Williamson clearly had a great time illustrating the story—he’s got secret bases, naval…

Well… all the gains Goodwin’s made on Corrigan’s writing get flushed this story. Some of it may be Williamson’s fault, but not exactly. He does a great job; it’s just too bad he’s illustrating the dumbest content on the strip since he and Goodwin started. Mrs. Murkley—not a character who needed to return—is back and…

Now, I imagine Goodwin knew the FBI was nothing like he portrays it in Corrigan. This story is more like any film noir detective story with the cop being hunted by an unknown villain and having to deal with it. Of course, it’s not an unknown villain… it’s those wily Chinese again. Goodwin likes the…

It’s like whatever great advances Goodwin makes with Corrigan’s writing he almost immediately sets back. Well, not completely, but still noticeably. This story features Phil heading off to a fictional European country—with fairy tale castles—to sort out a prime minister’s plot against the future queen. The setting gives Williamson a lot of great opportunity and…

There’s no globe-trotting this story, just Phil hanging out in New York and investigating a spy ring. There’s so little back story we never even find out what foreign power is buying government secrets; we don’t even find out why the federal employee selling the documents is risking execution for treason. But none of that…

While it’s nice to know Goodwin’s seen Bad Day at Black Rock and maybe Man in the Shadow (or some variation of crime boss running small town with townspeople’s de facto permission), it sort of makes this Corrigan storyline boring. The only interesting thing about it—once it becomes clear we aren’t going to find out…

Phil’s off to the Arabian desert this story, which does give Williamson a chance to draw some fantastic scenery and action scenes. Goodwin plots a lot of action into the same relatively short period, but it works out since Phil’s character development has taken another break. Goodwin gets in an opening action scene with Phil…

Thank goodness China went communist because what Asians would Americans have had to demonize once World War II was over…. The villain this issue is a Chinese spy (he looks like a fat Fu Manchu), but also appears to employ a Japanese karate expert. Goodwin never struck me as a dumb writer; he must have…

I think this story has to be my favorite Corrigan so far. Not only does it have a good length (Goodwin usually cuts out just when the second part of a longer story could start), but it also features Phil’s wife, Wilda. Okay, I’m not a fan of her name—in fact, when she’s taken hostage,…

Phil Corrigan finally gets some personality this story. Not a lot of it, but some. Goodwin and Williamson are far more concerned with making Corrigan thrilling than they are developing the protagonist. Of course, since Phil’s just a good egg, I suppose they can’t develop him too much. This story concerns a dying mobster, his…

Corrigan’s off to the sunny Caribbean this storyline, where he discovers the bad guys aren’t helping fugitives escape the States but rather stealing their money and making them do hard labor. That situation, the criminals doing harder labor than they’d ever do in a real prison, isn’t one Goodwin explores. Actually, Goodwin doesn’t explore much…

Archie Goodwin does this fantastic job setting up the story—a defected Soviet scientist is being pursued by the bad guys because they want to ransom her. Meanwhile, she doesn’t like being stuck in protected custody and dreams of getting free for even a night. It’s a great setup and the character is really compelling. Then…