The Feminine Mystique 1

This is part of a series of posts about the characters, storylines and universe of Rob Hanes Adventures, under the label RHAUniverse… 

Here are a few of the women Rob has crossed paths with in the series (with more to come!)

First up is Tiffany Lance, reporter from Find Magazine whose pursuit of a story often takes priority over her personal safety, as well as, occasionally, her friendship with Rob. Though her reporting and his troubleshooting work often put them at odds, off the clock and on the road, they’re FWBs—and, as long as a story isn’t involved, the one person Rob can trust. 

First appearance: “The Assassin” (collected in The Rob Hanes Archives trade paperback), where Rob is hired to protect her from a hired killer but she mistakes him as the hitman. Most notably, she wrote a cover story about Rob for an issue of Find magazine (RHA #13). She’s slated to return in upcoming issue 26!

Caroline Cromwell (nee Wilde) is Rob’s unrequited crush—a spoiled heiress Rob met on one of his earliest assignments, who showed her true mettle when the chips were down. Though Rob eventually develops feelings for her, her family marries her off to crooked Anthony Cromwell, a narcissistic two-bit grifter from an otherwise prominent family, after they squandered her trust fund. Out of a misplaced sense of duty, she remains committed to the marriage and redeeming Cromwell. 

First appearance: Way back in Rob’s first published story, “Meet Rob Hanes,” collected in The Rob Hanes Archives. Usually appears whenever Cromwell pops up on Rob’s radar, involved in yet another criminal scheme. Fun fact—Caroline and her story arc were inspired by a similar love triangle involving the characters of Pat Ryan, Normandie Drake and Anthony Sandhurst in Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates (in the RHA universe, Cromwell is Sandhurst’s grandson).

Lorelei Thornfield, niece to the two Lady Agathas, is yet another spoiled rich girl. Though her adventuresome aunts dote on Rob and often try to match her with Lorelei, she remains immune to Rob’s charms. 

Lorelei and her aunts first appeared in “The Two Lady Agathas,” also collected in The Rob Hanes Archives. They returned in “Death on the Moors” (RHA #7), a drawing room murder mystery. Most recently, she appeared solo in issue 23. Fun fact—Lorelei’s look was initially inspired by actress Mia Sara (Ferris Buehler’s Day Off). 

Still to come: Isabel Corbeil; Irina Taushina, Suzette French; Julianne Love, Katya Vilnius, and Madame Minx! 

Rogues Gallery 1

This is the second in a series of posts about the characters, storylines and universe of Rob Hanes Adventures.

Your hero is only as good as your villain and with 25 issues (and change) under my belt, there have been some memorable vilains over the years, both big and small…

Chief among Rob’s antagonists is the shadowy international crime lord, the boss of crime bosses, Nicolai Korda. Of no known state or origin, Korda is a mysterious figure who only works from the shadows…

Introduced in “New World Order” (collected in volume 0 of the Rob Hanes Adventures trade paperback collection), Rob did not learn of his identity until “Hostile Takeover” (available in the same collection). Since then, Rob has encountered Korda in Hong Kong (“Image is Everything” in RHA #3), North Korea (“Rob Hanes and the Pirates”/RHA #11), and most recently on the high seas in RHA #23 (“The Taking of the Peregrin”).

Their most offbeat face-off occurred in “Crime Takes a Holiday” (RHA #13), when Rob, while on vacation in the South of France, runs into Korda and suspects him and his henchmen of some nefarious plot…but to say more would be a spoiler, so I’ll keep it at that!

And wherever Korda is, his capo and right hand man, Clemson, is not far behind. Pasty skinned with bleached white hair accented by a black streak, he is perpetually behind a pair of wraparound shades. Though he is always seen at Korda’s side and doing his bidding, on one occasion he broke with Korda to surreptitiously give Rob a lead to help bring into custody a corrupt nuclear scientist attempting to sell nuclear secrets to rogue states (“The Hunt for Octavius Jebru/RHA #6).

Stay tuned for more!

A Rob Hanes Adventures Refresher

With the 25th issue of Rob Hanes Adventures recently released, it’s a perfect time to re-introduce the series to readers both long term and new to the world of Rob Hanes Adventures!

Following in the footsteps of the great adventure comic strips like Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates and Noel Sickles' Scorchy Smith but set in the modern day, Rob is a globetrotting troubleshooter for Justice International, a security, intelligence and private investigation agency—some call them spies and mercenaries for hire. As one of JI's newest agents, Rob's conscience and sense of fair play often put him at odds with JI's old guard.

Every story is self-contained, so readers can jump in with any issue! Each issue, Rob often finds himself in the middle of an adventure ripped from the headlines, filled with danger and intrigue, but also laced with humor and romance. The series also has crossed into other genres, ranging from drawing room murder mysteries, sports, to straight comedy and romance. (In issue 25, he even travels back in time to 1930s pre-war Asia!)

In 2018, series creator Randy Reynaldo received the Inkpot Award for Achievements in Comic Art from the San Diego Comic-Con.

With 25 issues to date (and stories that predate the current run), the series has built a deep supporting cast that include sidekicks, old flames and foes that will be highlighted in upcoming posts!

These posts about the characters, storylines and universe of Rob Hanes Adventures will be posted under the label at this blog RHAUniverse. To learn more and to order an issue (or more), visit wcgcomics.com!