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As all Destroyer fans are aware, the series had a tumultuous 1997-1998. It experienced four different authors, three truly terrible books (the worst in the series history), and a totally disjointed story line. Remo met the love of his life - Chiun actually liked her. She disappeared. Chiun found some bizarre soul mate. She too disappeared. Remo could control his super-attractiveness to women. Now he can't. And on and on. Ideas that could change the series vanished. New ones (a meat eating, coffee drinking Remo - A crass, belching Chiun that would kill children) were introduced. Well, with 111 we have a new author, and he's going to be here for a while. Jim Mullaney has taken over from Will Murray (Sapir and Murphy stopped writing the series back in the 50's) as the permanent author. Jim is now at the helm - author of one previous Destroyer (88 - The Ultimate Death), he has piloted the series away from disaster. Like the Titanic, it was headed for the iceberg created by 108, 109, and 110. All wise fans are ignoring those three books, and going from 107 right to 111. I exchanged several e-mails with Jim, and asked him about 111, 112, and the series in general. Following are his comments. Comments on 112 From Jim: I am emphasizing to everyone that the next three books are a trilogy only in the loosest sense of the word. The books are connected, but the individual stories should stand on their own. Originally I had an idea for a one-shot book (Brain Storm) that would set up a story thread that would have carried into a couple of other books much farther down the line (as was done in the past with Shchit or Nishitsu or any of the supervillains). The latter two books would be connected to the first only by this thread. Well, when they heard about the outlines, the publisher decided to line all three of them up together and call them the "Fatherland Files". So I think that's the Nazi thing in a nutshell. Actually, I'm a little concerned that people are going to think I'm turning the series into "Captain Remo: Nazi Hunter", but with any luck the books will be fun enough that no one will care. In any event, after Failing Marks (114) we get back to normal. On his first solo Destroyer book (111)...
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Published by Pinnacle Books, written by Will Murray: The Assassin's Handbook 1982 with Richard Sapir & Warren Murphy (Rare!!!) Revised and reprinted as: Inside Sinanju 1985 with Richard Sapir & Warren Murphy (Also rare!)
The Assassin's Handbook and Inside Sinanju are the Pinnacle of collecting the series. Hard to find, they are basically a guide to the earlier part of the series (Assassin's Handbook - pre 1982, Inside Sinanju that plus a little pre 1985.) There is a cool interview with Murphy & Sapir, an all-new story (The Day Remo Died), reviews of good and bad assassinations, and a lot more. I was lucky - I found a HARD COVER version of The Assassin's Handbook at a library sale. Inside Sinanju also has commentary on the movie.
After making this page available in January 1997, I received lots of e-mail asking how Richard Sapir could have helped with 101 "Bidding War." Mr. Sapir died over a decade ago..... But he had ideas and storylines on paper before this tragic event. No, he did not visit anyone in mystical visions, as some suggested. Nor did mysterious patterns appear in Rice Fields bearing the Symbol of Sinanju.
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I must admit
that I was a little nervous about stepping into the series given what has gone on for the
past year. But with Prophet now in wide circulation and the feedback all positive
thus far, with continued luck, we can finally put those last three books behind us.