Milton Caniff occupied heady territory as a master of artwork, writing, drama, humor, characterization and action in the comic strip. He is called "the Rembrandt of the comic strip" for good reason, although given his multiple talents, Michelangelo or Da Vinci may have been a more apt comparison.

Here, the stories are almost evenly split between Steve's exploits and those of his 17-year-old ward, Poteet Canyon, who comes into her own in these pages as she organizes a ragtag high school basketball team and leads them to the state finals, and stands up to Copper Calhoun along the way. Caniff shows a willingness to tackle tough subjects shunned by the strips of the time, such as mental illness, anorexia nervosa and even (contemplated) sexual abuse as Poteet risks the attentions of a lustful driver as she hitchhikes to Steve's next assigned base.

There are also welcome return engagements by Summer Olson, Copper Calhoun, Delta Index, Miss Mizzou, Princess Snowflower and Happy Easter. ( )