Victorian England's greatest urban legend was Spring-Heeled Jack. His hair-raising adventures as a superhero were recorded in a rare 1904 penny dreadful, offered in facsimile format for the first time, including original ads and illustrations.

As Spring-Heeled Jack made his final "canonical" appearance in Liverpool in 1904, 12 issues of a serial novel was published by the Aldine Newspaper Company.Set just before Britain engages in the Napoleonic wars, celebrated officer Bertram Wraydon, is framed for spying for the enemy. He escapes execution and flees into hiding, but, in doing so, he forfeits his estates to his half-brother, Hubert Sedgefield. Wraydon attempts to reclaim his lost heritage, and, to do so, he is assisted by the mysterious figure known as Spring-Heeled Jack. As Wraydon is forced deeper into the shadowy underworld of espionage and treason, Spring-Heeled Jack confronts each of Wraydon's adversaries to restore his good name. But there is a line between Justice and Law that Spring-Heeled Jack is willing to cross.All of the collections of this rare serial novel are incomplete, however, the missing issue has been located and included for this volume, which also features a new introduction by J.S Mackley.

Penny dreadfuls - sensational stories published in weekly parts - were an important feature of Victorian popular literature. They were often anonymous, and inspired by the melodramas of the day. This is the catalogue of a comprehensive collection bequeathed by music-hall performer Barry Ono.