Delilah Dirk and the Pillars of Hercules

by Tony Cliff

Overview

Having survived a close shave in England, where she was falsely accused of spying for the French, Delilah has set out with her companion Selim for more agreeable adventures in central Asia. But when she stumbles on an artifact that may be a clue about the location of the legendary third pillar of Hercules, Delilah and Selim are drawn back to Europe on an Indiana-Jones-style archeological caper that pits her against a ruthless enemy who is murderously intent on preventing Delilah from speaking out against him.

From vast forgotten underground cities to an elaborate and shocking double-cross, Tony Cliff's Delilah Dirk and the Pillars of Hercules brings all the drama and excitement that fans of the series crave.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626728042
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Series:	Delilah Dirk , #3
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	829,860
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Tony Cliff — a lifelong resident of Vancouver, British Columbia — began his comics work as a contributor to the Flight series of anthologies. His first major published work, Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant, is a New York Times bestseller and a Publishers Weekly Best of 2013, and was nominated for Eisner, Shuster, and Harvey awards. Delilah Dirk and the Pillar of Hercules is the third book in the Delilah Dirk series, following 2016's similarly well-received The King's Shilling. He is strongly opposed to bios that conclude with one quirky attempt at humor.

Editorial Reviews

05/28/2018
In this third volume in the adventures of Delilah Dirk, the titular early-19th-century explorer teams up with Laurens Van Hessel, a newspaper correspondent who gives her a lead on ancient ruins that could lead to the third Pillar of Hercules. Along with Dirk’s trusty sidekick, Erdemoglu Selim, the three traverse the Mediterranean Sea from Anatolia to Algiers to Gibraltar, piecing together clues and learning more about the third pillar’s purpose. But trying to uncover a millennia-old mystery when working with a less-than-scrupulous journalist leads to competition and confrontation, requiring Dirk’s wits, wisdom, and weapons—not necessarily in that order. Cliff enhances traditional features of a good pulp tale with a strong female lead and a highly dramatic visual depiction. While the characters are clear and distinct, Cliff is less generous with backgrounds, etching in some details but also relying on panel hues to generate a space’s mood and ambience. This dynamic allows him to focus on the action sequences (of which there are plenty) and the character interactions. Cliff has created an engaging and daring character that is equal parts Lara Croft and Indiana Jones. Ages 12–up. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Cliff's art is striking in both action scenes and in the choice of color palette, used to convey place, tone, and mood."—Kirkus

"Compelling writing combined with colorful illustrations makes this a book that is sure to delight." —School Library Journal

"Cliff has created an engaging and daring character that is equal parts Lara Croft and Indiana Jones." —Publishers Weekly

"Awesome two-page spreads capture the grandeur of their archaeological finds...Delilah’s no-nonsense demeanor and dry sense of humor make her a joy to follow..." —Booklist

"This fun, fast-paced graphic novel is a pleasurable read... Excellent illustration tells the story and covers much of the action quickly and succinctly." —VOYA

From the Publisher

06/01/2018
Gr 6 Up—In the third installment of this action-packed series, Delilah's continued adventures with Selim lead her to meet Laurens Van Hassel, a journalist who is convinced there is a hidden city full of treasure awaiting him if only he can find it. He enlists Delilah and Selim to assist him, thus launching a series of Indiana Jones—esque exploits with narrow escapes from death and capture. Selim narrates, and though he rarely voices his opinions to Delilah, he lets readers know about his objections to her schemes. Chaos mounts as people around the world read Van Hassel's articles and learn of the group's daring deeds. The use of color perfectly matches the tone of each scene; warm colors are used in action sequences, while the more peaceful scenes in between are illustrated in blues and grays. Compelling writing combined with colorful illustrations makes this a book that is sure to delight. VERDICT Give to fans of Nimona or the "Lumberjanes" series. A first purchase for most libraries.—Jenni Frencham, formerly at Columbus Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2018-05-15
Delilah Dirk, Erdemoglu Selim, and journalist Laurens van Hassel set off on a cross-continental adventure in search of a mythical lost city.The third volume in the graphic novel series following Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling (2016) opens in Turkey with British adventurer Delilah Dirk and her companion, Erdemoglu Selim, battling local magistrate Küçuk. Upon prevailing against the tyrant, they are recruited by sensationalist journalist van Hassel to raid an ancient tomb, a shrine to the architect of a legendary city known as the Third Pillar of Hercules. Unbeknownst to Dirk and Selim, van Hassel has been writing about their exploits, attracting international interest and the return of Delilah's nemesis, Jason Merrick. Merrick's vendetta against Delilah has him chasing the treasure-seeking trio to Algeria and, further enraged by van Hassel's portrayal of him in the press, on to Gibraltar, where the discovery of the lost city has far-reaching implications. Cliff's (Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring, 2017, etc.) art is striking in both action scenes and in the choice of color palette, used to convey place, tone, and mood. While artistically rich, this volume is limited in its development of Dirk and Selim, whose playful banter is minimized. Readers may wonder about Merrick's fate and the outcome of his broken romantic relationship.A solid addition to the series but does not live up to previous installments. (Graphic novel adventure. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

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