Pick of the Brown Bag
August 24, 2025
by
Ray Tate
Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag. My name is Raymond Tate. In this blog I review comic books; the best and the worst. You may also learn some of the medium's and the characters' histories along the way.
So. This is a weird one. Ostensibly, the trade paperback anthology collects a 1970s comic book series entitled The Legendary Lynx, published by Triumph Comics. The trade paperback is in fact a pastiche actually published by modern day Mad Cave Studios: ISBN 9-781545-814000.
The Legendary Lynx is not just that. It's metafiction. I learned of this element after the fact. I am not reviewing the metafiction. I'm not reviewing the ruse. Instead, I'm reviewing the comic books within. That's how I roll, baby. You live or die by the quality of the work.
The trade collects issues one through four of The Legendary Lynx. Each issue spans twenty pages with advertisements eliminated. Comic book covers reprinted as a bonus. The trade paperback is sturdy with thick, glossy paper, technically-speaking worth the asking price of eighteen bucks.
Alex Segura is the writer/creator and designer of the Lynx. The character's quite visually appealing. The eye candy first attracted my attention.
Her uniform is practical. The mask a traditional domino style, and the choker an allusion to the Black Canary. I also like the Lynx back-logo. The lynx isn't really a spotted cat, but the spots work out aesthetically. As do the flared pants, which may or may not be a nod to the period.
Sandy Jarrell, from Jungle Jim, and colorist Grey Allison actualize and animate Segura's conception. I'm guessing Segura was pleased when he saw the final product. I certainly would be.
The Lynx lacks superpowers. She's a costumed vigilante, and a tough one to boot. The utility belt comes in handy.
We learn in issue three. The Lynx resulted from vengeance.
This want explains her winning take-no-prisoners attitude. The claws in her gloves mark those who hurt women. Especially men.
The feminist themes in The Legendary Lynx unfortunately pertain today. It's a man's world. Frequently men betray women. Frequently men think of women as possessions. Frequently men hurt and kill women.
Segura put a lot of thought in the creation of Claudia Calla alias the Lynx; including how she came to be and who trained her to be such a deterrent.
You may wonder what can a ghost teach a living creature. After all, a ghost floats, goes through walls, etc. That's not exactly in a human's skill set.
Hilary Finch alias Apparition, also created/designed/written by Segura, was a master thief murdered by her boss Gregor Frost. It's the master thief part that's important to Lynx's development. Despite being dead, Apparition possesses a suitcase full of experience regarding stealth, manual dexterity, etc.
The Lynx will need all these talents if she's to survive the gauntlet of evil individuals Segura conceives. As mentioned, Gregor Frost is the mob boss who murdered Hilary Finch, but he's not just a gangster. He's a magic user.
Frost is at war with the Cult of El Tizon and a soul-sucking demon. Mr. Void is the head of the criminal underworld and the soul-sucker. Void's revelation as a Nosferatu look-alike is somewhat disappointing when compared to the depiction of his hench-ghouls.
These are easily the coolest looking villains in the whole book. Not that the others are shabby, but come on!
The Lynx's interaction with the cast demonstrates the complexity of a story that started out simple. Lynx wanted vengeance for her twin sister Lisa. Apparition became interested in the Lynx's quest and decided Claudia could help her get Gregor Frost while she kept Claudia alive. They become friends. Although that friendship appears to have taken a turn.
Segura examines the relationship between Hilary and Lynx through the encounters with the villains and their machinations. In an interesting twist, none of the antagonists bear a grudge against the Lynx. They instead want to destroy or exploit Apparition. Mr. Void has a different agenda. He has his sights on Simon Upton, Claudia's newspaper colleague.
Claudia never wanted to work at a paper. She never had a desire to become a reporter. This is a means to her end to seek vengeance for her sister and, like Clark Kent, identify the problem spots needing heroic attention. To Mr. Void, who wants Simon Upton's soul, the Lynx is a mere nuisance.
We never find out what split them apart.
Segura re-establishes Hilary's and Claudia's connection when Hilary's spectral existence is placed in jeopardy. Furthermore, Lynx's choice in a later issue results in Hilary's understandable anger toward the hero, followed by reconciliation. It's a little more than you expect from a cat that doesn't actually have a pedigree.
Then as well, Legendary Lynx began with Claudia simply seeking the missing Simon Upton, whom we learn Mr. Void captured. She becomes entangled in what essentially is magical gang warfare. This draws in her friend Apparition. Claudia becomes more invested in saving Apparition rather than Upton, who is no prize.
Upton is unlikeable. Upton is out to expose the Lynx's secret identity should he learn it. Not because it's the right thing to but instead for personal glory.
Oh, I don't think you hate doing it at all, creep.
Segura doesn't define Lynx by a relationship with Simon, although that would be the convention. In fact there is no good man in The Legendary Lynx. Instead, Segura makes The Legendary Lynx about a friendship between women under the radar of the macguffin. These first four issues are about Hillary and the Lynx, an up and down friendship that evolved from the mentor-pupil dichotomy and mutual support for finding vengeance to provide succor for restless souls.
