119a 10/42 The Laugh of Death

Posted by on Oct 12, 2002 in 1942, Bantam 109-120, clark, larkin, nanovic, novel, pulp | 1 comment

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Doc’s trusty crew suddenly disappears. The only clue is an unearthly laughter that arises from nowhere and destroys the will. Doc, alone, must save his sidekicks before they die — but when the laughter attacks him, the Man of Bronze becomes the helpless puppet of evil!


  • Andrew Salmon

    “The Laugh of Death” may have the oddest opening scene in the canon. This tale, though short, features some nice little tweeks of the Doc formula. We see the Fortress of Solitude and learn a bit about its construction. Doc is on his own in this adventure, his entire crew (even Pat)having been taken hostage. The story is science based though character driven, highlighted by Doc’s shame at losing his temper while locked in a bank vault and later Monk’s compound blunders which lead to the hairy chemist’s outburst during a hail of gunfire: “I’m not bulletproof today!” A classic line. Another feature of this latter Doc is the smooth, polished style. Dent is at the top of his game here, in full command of the genre and one gets the feeling, while reading, that one is in the hands of a pulp master. And this IS saying a lot! An above average tale all the way around.