POW! Annual 1971

[1970] Annual. Original price 10/. or 50p.
80 pages. Full colour & tone art.
Odhams Books

Painted cover UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 Frontispiece a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Magno: Man of Magnetism w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Miguel Quesada (uncredited).

11 Aquavenger! w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Victor Ibanez (uncredited).

17 Mr. Tomorrow: Criminal from the Future w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Matias Alonso (uncredited).

26 The Hunter and the Hunted w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

33 Electro w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Jose Ortiz (uncredited).

41 The Esper Commandos w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Enric Badia Romero (uncredited).

50 Marksman Versus the Saboteur w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

57 The Phantom w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Eustaquio Segrelles (uncredited).

65 Norstad of the Deep w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Leopoldo Ortiz (uncredited).

74 The Time-Rider w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Victor Ibanez (uncredited).

This is a highly eccentric annual, filled to the brim with characters you have not heard of. It isn't an entirely successful launch of the characters, but it offers a fascinating insight into the European model of superheroes. The logic of creating entirely new characters (well... comparatively original characters, but I'll get to that in a moment) was a solid one - by owning the rights to the material, Odhams would have been in a better position to fully exploit the strips.

Unfortunately, nothing ever came of the enterprise, so what might have happened to the Marvel reprint scene had the annual been a success is open to debate. The artwork is more realistic and slightly darker than the broad strokes used in US material at the time, with numerous details throughout which lends a more grounded feel to the over-the-top powers.

Whatever the reasons for the publication of the all-new lineup, there are marked differences to the American style in nearly every regard. The strips open with the name of the main character instead of the story title (in a hold-over from the way weekly adventure strips were presented), creator credits are absent, and the length of each strip is remarkably short, especially given that a sizable portion of the book is taken up with the origins of the characters.

In addition to the style of artwork chosen, this tonal difference couldn't have helped sell children on the idea that they were getting something equivalent to the strips which bore Marvel or DC characters. The explicit setting of the first strip in London is especially odd, if the intention was to encourage comparison to US material.

Magno, in a costume reminiscent of the X-Men's Cyclops, with wings from Captain America's mask, is a strange mix of sixties adventure shows with the superhero format. The first couple of pages brings to mind The Avengers or The Persuaders, with a handsome hero riding in to a dangerous location in a fancy car, but soon establishes an element of the unusual in a criminal gang whose modus operandi includes the wearing of elaborate masks.

To hide their shame at appearing in this annual, perhaps?

The beautifully rendered vehicles, and the abrupt ending, are so different to what was appearing elsewhere at the time that it must have puzzled anyone expecting a reprise of reprint material in the UK. Aquavenger is a less interesting version of the aquatic hero popularized by The Man from Atlantis, Aquaman and Namor, the Sub-Mariner, although the strip doesn't so much end as is wrapped up before running out of pages.

European influence is to the forefront in Mr Tomorrow, which has a very interesting symbol representing the future society in the first panel. A modified NATO-esque globe, with the impression that a new world order is in place, sits at odds with the odd penalty handed down to the unnamed criminal (surely that is an electric chair?), who will go on to identify himself (bizarrely) as Mr Tomorrow. The story is completely wrapped up within the brief space allotted to his adventure, rendering future use of the scenario moot. The Hunter and the Hunted is an idea straight out of the fifties, merging the wild west with crime drama. As a comic strip it lacks a certain energy, but is the only character whom I could imagine as starring in a half-decent television show.

The immediately following strip, Electro is the first in which to posit a superhero universe rather than standalone adventures. As soon as the origin is taken care of, the main character is taken to the Super Security Bureau, where - on the wall of the office of the head of the organization - there are images of other super-powered individuals such as Mr. Whiz, Iron Dog and Flame Man.

Not terribly inspiring names, but the American influence here is the strongest in the annual. If only Iron Dog had been given one of the available slots in this annual...

In a costume reminiscent of Captain Marvel, Eddie Edwards (gotta love those alliterative names) soon finds himself facing off against a horde of crystal-like enemies (years before Defenders of the Earth would do the same) and once again the action moves to the water for its' conclusion. The reinforcement of US sensibilities is also present in the location of the story - Surf City, USA.

Esper Commandos is the best of the collection, in no small part due to it owing more to the science fiction strips which had been a staple of British comics than to any superhero title. It feels like an early 2000 AD or Starlord strip, with a darker subject matter than the surrounding strips. Marksman (no relation to the US strips, though with a remarkably similar costume) is - after the preceding tale - rather a disappointment.

The notion that, at some point in the future, superhero garb will be worn by security guards, pushes the willing suspension of disbelief required far too much. On much better ground, The Phantom (which employs much of the original Ghost Rider's gimmick of appearing to be a spirit), though the tale is an ultimately disposable crime drama wrapped in superhero elements.

Norstad Of The Deep is the most puzzling of these tales. It's main character is the kind of creature which would have been right at home in a low-budget fifties monster film, and the mind-transference plot relies on the kind of pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo more usually found in SF films of the forties. The only thing which the strip has going for it is the glorious artwork, but even this isn't enough to retain much interest.

The final strip, The Time-Rider, stars a genius inventor, millionaire, time-traveling cowboy. He probably juggles as well, which will come in handy when he realises this is as good as it gets. It is the most blatant example of throwing everything possible into a plot in the hopes that one aspect will rise to the surface. Unfortunately, it squanders every opportunity it gets, and leaves no lingering sense of unfinished business.

Not only is Kash Pearce an insufferable idiot (especially regarding his informed abilities), his mechanical horse doesn't even look like a robot. D.C. Thomson's various use of such horses were much better, and this steed doesn't have a fraction of Galaxy Rangers' appeal. It is a story which brings the annual to close on a disappointing note.

An incredibly strange annual, and an experiment in creating a raft of new characters which didn't truly capitalize on the opportunity. As a Pow! annual it fails to make any reference to the weekly title, but as a stand-alone superhero title it remains an interesting glimpse into the British superhero scene which could have arisen in the seventies if more interest had been present. It is well worth reading to see just how different the creative process was at the beginning of the seventies, and, naturally, for the glorious artwork.

As a superhero annual it lacks finesse, though numerous concepts would be revisited by other hands over the course of the nest twenty years to provide the title with the curious benefit of appearing to be published before its' time.