A complete issue · 400 pages · 1868
Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times
A complete, restored issue of Penny Dreadfuls from 1868 — all 400 pages of cheap serialized Victorian sensation fiction — crime, horror, and lurid melodrama, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.
A complete issue · 400 pages · 1868
This issue features "Black Bess; or, the Knight of the Road," a serial adventure narrative centered on the celebrated highwayman Dick Turpin and his mare. The opening chapter depicts Turpin waylaying a carriage on Wimbledon Common carrying the recently retired Lord Mayor of London, Ezekiel Punge, and his sharp-tongued wife. The ex-mayor, absurdly preoccupied with admiring a golden testimonial cup presented by civic authorities, falls victim to Turpin's robbery. After extracting the mayor's valuables, Turpin pursues the dropped cup inside the carriage, where the ex-mayoress—displaying unexpected courage—traps him inside with her coachman and footman standing guard outside. The narrative emphasizes picturesque action, period costume detail, and comedic characterization, particularly the contrast between the pompous, frightened mayor and his domineering, fearless wife. The preface defends the work as morally sound adventure fiction depicting an obsolete profession.
Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.