Keep in mind that I discussed in detail the origins of my character in the first volume and while they had a few comic book influences (mostly from the Valiant Universe), DC’s Pandora was not one of them — at that time, the character had only appeared a few times and was most notable for having helped reboot their continuity in Flashpoint.
The use of a silver skull in my story actually came from a Shadow novel by that title that was published in The Shadow Magazine January 1, 1939. I decided to use The Silver Skull as the subtitle for this adventure since I had elected not to use Pandora’s name in any capacity.
So, what’s next for Gravedigger? Look for another volume in about a year’s time, with the Mortimer Quinn for Mayor plotline bubbling in the back of both it and the fifth volume of Lazarus Gray. Since we’ve dealt with “The Other” that was teased in volume one, we’ll have a clear path for whatever I decide to do for the next book. I definitely want to continue to focus on the interpersonal lives of our cast and shine a light on Charity’s personal growth.
Stop by my blog (http://www.barryreese.net) to keep up with the goings-on in all my pulp stories, as well as take a gander at exclusive artwork.
Also be sure to look at the rest of The Sovereign City Project, which includes my own Lazarus Gray series, Derrick Ferguson’s Fortune McCall books and Tommy Hancock’s Doc Daye.
See you in volume three!
A TIMELINE OF THE UNIVERSE ACCORDING TO BARRY REESE
Major Events specific to certain stories and novels are included in brackets. Some of this information contains SPOILERS for The Peregrine, Lazarus Gray, Eobard Grace and other stories.
— 800 Viking warrior Grimarr dies of disease but is resurrected as the Sword of Hel. He adventures for some time as Hel’s agent on Earth. [“Dogs of War” and “In the Name of Hel,” Tales of the Norse Gods].
1748 — Johann Adam Weishaupt is born.
1750 — Guan-Yin embarks on a quest to find her lost father, which takes her to Skull Island [Guan-Yin and the Horrors of Skull Island].
1776 — Johann Adam Weishaupt forms The Illuminati. He adopts the guise of the original Lazarus Gray in group meetings, reflecting his “rebirth” and the “moral ambiguity” of the group. In Sovereign City, a Hessian soldier dies in battle, his spirit resurrected as an headless warrior.
1793 — Mortimer Quinn comes to Sovereign City, investigating the tales of a Headless Horseman [Gravedigger Volume One]
1865 — Eobard Grace returns home from his actions in the American Civil War. Takes possession of the Book of Shadows from his uncle Frederick. [“The World of Shadow,” The Family Grace: An Extraordinary History]
1877 — Eobard Grace is summoned to the World of Shadows, where he battles Uris-Kor and fathers a son, Korben. [“The World of Shadow,” The Family Grace: An Extraordinary History]
1885 — Along with his niece Miriam and her paramour Ian Sinclair, Eobard returns to the World of Shadows to halt the merging of that world with Earth. [“The Flesh Wheel,” The Family Grace: An Extraordinary History]
1890 — Eobard fathers a second son, Leopold.
1895 — Felix Cole (the Bookbinder) is born.
1900 — Max Davies is born to publisher Warren Davies and his wife, heiress Margaret Davies.
1901 — Leonid Kaslov is born.
1905 — Richard Winthrop is born in San Francisco.
1908 — Warren Davies is murdered by Ted Grossett, a killer nicknamed “Death’s Head”. [“Lucifer’s Cage”, the Peregrine Volume One, more details shown in “Origins,” the Peregrine Volume One] Hans Merkel kills his own father. [“Blitzkrieg,” the Peregrine Volume One]
1910 — Evelyn Gould is born.
1913 — Felix Cole meets the Cockroach Man and becomes part of The Great Work. [“The Great Work,” The Family Grace: An Extraordinary History]
1914 — Margaret Davies passes away in her sleep. Max is adopted by his uncle Reginald.
1915 — Felix Cole marries Charlotte Grace, Eobard Grace’s cousin.
1916 — Leonid Kaslov’s father Nikolai becomes involved in the plot to assassinate Rasputin.
1917 — Betsy Cole is born to Felix and Charlotte Grace Cole. Nikolai Kaslov is murdered.
1918 — Max Davies begins wandering the world. Richard Winthrop’s parents die in an accident.
1922 — Warlike Manchu tutors Max Davies in Kyoto.
1925 — Max Davies becomes the Peregrine, operating throughout Europe.
1926 — Charlotte Grace dies. Richard Winthrop has a brief romance with exchange student Sarah Dumas.
1927 — Richard Winthrop graduates from Yale. On the night of his graduation, he is recruited into The Illuminati. Max and Leopold Grace battle the Red Lord in Paris. Richard Winthrop meets Miya Shimada in Japan, where he purchases The McGuinness Obelisk for The Illuminati.
1928 — The Peregrine returns to Boston. Dexter van Melkebeek (later to be known as The Darkling) receives his training in Tibet from Tenzin.
1929 — Max Davies is one of the judges for the Miss Beantown contest [“The Miss Beantown Affair,” The Peregrine Volume Three]. Richard Winthrop destroys a coven of vampires in Mexico.
1930 — Richard Winthrop pursues The Devil’s Heart in Peru [“Eidolon,” Lazarus Gray Volume Three].
1932 — The Peregrine hunts down his father’s killer [“Origins,” the Peregrine Volume One]. The Darkling returns to the United States.
1933 — Jacob Trench uncovers Lucifer’s Cage. [“Lucifer’s Cage”, the Peregrine Volume One] The Peregrine battles Doctor York [All-Star Pulp Comics # 1] After a failed attempt at betraying The Illuminati, Richard Winthrop wakes up on the shores of Sovereign City with no memory of his name or past. He has only one clue to his past in his possession: a small medallion adorned with the words Lazarus Gray and the image of a naked man with the head of a lion. [“The Girl With the Phantom Eyes,” Lazarus Gray Volume One]
1934 — Now calling himself Lazarus Gray, Richard Winthrop forms Assistance Unlimited in Sovereign City. He recruits Samantha Grace, Morgan Watts and Eun Jiwon [“The Girl With the Phantom Eyes,” Lazarus Gray Volume One] Walther Lunt aids German scientists in unleashing the power Die Glocke, which in turn frees the demonic forces of Satan’s Circus [“Die Glocke,” Lazarus Gray Volume Two]. The entity who will become known as The Black Terror is created [“The Making of a Hero,” Lazarus Gray Volume Two].
1935 — Felix Cole and his daughter Betsy seek out the Book of Eibon. [“The Great Work,” The Family Grace: An Extraordinary History] Assistance Unlimited undertakes a number of missions, defeating the likes of Walther Lunt, Doc Pemberley, Malcolm Goodwill & Black Heart, Princess Femi & The Undying, Mr. Skull, The Axeman and The Yellow Claw [“The Girl With the Phantom Eyes,” “The Devil’s Bible,” “The Corpse Screams at Midnight,” “The Burning Skull,” “The Axeman of Sovereign City,” and “The God of Hate,” Lazarus Gray Volume One] The Peregrine journeys to Sovereign City and teams up with Assistance Unlimited to battle Devil Face [“Darkness, Spreading Its Wings of Black,” The Peregrine Volume Two and Lazarus Gray Volume One)]. Lazarus Gray and Assistance Unlimited become embroiled in the search for Die Glocke [“Die Glocke,” Lazarus Gray Volume Two]