When the red snow descends, all in its path are destroyed, their bodies devoured by the scarlet rot. ARK, the monstrous-headed scholar of evil, sprays red death across a terrified nation and demands total surrender. Doc Savage is helpless as America reels under the crimson lash of deadly snow — helpless because he stands accused of murder!
One of my personal favorites, the corroding red snow made a huge impression on me as a kid. Extremely scary stuff and some pretty exciting opening chapters.
Not only does Red Snow boast one of the best (maybe the best?) Bama cover, but it also tells something of an offbeat Doc adventure. It fits in the “menace-to-the-world” catagory but unlike others of this kind, the action is more localized and personal. Normally these types of Docs kick off with the world being threatened and general chaos on a global scale, but in Red Snow, Doc stumbles onto the menace at the same time as the world is finding out about it and handles things before they get out of hand. This makes for a nice change of pace and the Red Snow is one of the better threats Doc has faced. I liked this adventure and highly recommend it. It’s nice to see that the pulp formula could be tweaked without losing anything. The result is a better than average Doc in the end.
I agree with the preceding comments. This is a surprisingly good Doc adventure and one of the best menaces he ever faced. This is also one of the best Bama covers, probably because it’s so uncharacteristic of the Doc series. But Bama catches a crucial scene toward the end of the story and it makes one wonder if we had the Red Snow during WWII if things might have gone a bit easier. Wow. Incredible Doc adventure!
This is a good, solid, juicy Doc adventure. Perfect for someone just getting into the series for the first time. Excellent pacing, villains and gadgets. The red snow is one of Dent’s best “world-threatening” weapons, and his description of its use in the Miami park is truly frightening. It even terrifies Doc.
And yes, the Bama cover can’t be topped.
I couldn’t agree more with the comments already posted about this adventure. This one is a true classic and is ideal for introducing someone to the series. The story clips along at a very rapid pace and is fascinating from the opening chapter to the final one.
I remember finding myself surprised that I had finished it so quickly the first time I read it through. This one is Dent at the top of his game!