The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Annual [1967]

[1966] Annual. Original price 10/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Limited.

Based on the US television series starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum.

Cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photo (uncredited).

Contents:

 2.UNTITLED endpaper illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Indicia

 5 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 6 Contents illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 7 The Last Flight Affair text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 The Fortune Cookie Affair text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

37 Rip Van Solo Affair w: Dick Wood (uncredited); p: Werner Roth (uncredited); i: Mike Peppe.

r: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Gold Key) #04 (Jan 1966).

69 The Invisible Man Affair text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

79 The Explosive Affair text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Judged entirely by the cover, this would appear to be as stylish as the originating television series, though the contents betray the annual's rather humble nature. The endpaper illustrations, while capturing the likeness of Vaughn and McCallum to a surprising degree, are coloured with a blasé attitude to realism, making it appear as if the spies are wearing lipstick. It is very fetching lipstick, but inappropriate for a publication which would likely prefer to have its main characters treated with respect.

Mirroring episode titles, the use of The _____ Affair for each of the stories is a nice touch, though I had expected more originality to be used in the nature of the titles. The first story is a perfect example of complacency in the naming of stories, offering a solid yet uninspiring title - it doesn't hold much hope for the story itself, a concern which is borne out by the initial paragraphs:

The Man from UNCLE was strolling north on the Avenue of the Americas savouring the genial warmth of a particularly fine spring morning when a small sound came from inside his jacket pocket.

Solo is THE man from U.N.C.L.E. now? What the rest of the agency's men think about this development is not related, but I'm sure sneering would be a likely response to this news. Feeling as if the author is writing down to the annual's audience, the plot is wielded like a blunt object, hammering events into place with the finesse of a gorilla wielding a broadsword.

The Fortune Cookie Affair is a more polished tale, yet far from the heights of the series. Taking in mistaken identities, fortune cookies, amnesia, and a journey to China, there is much activity to make up for a paucity of puzzles - with so little to work out, the characters bounce around from scene to scene without considering their actions. That it ends on such a predicable note is to be expected, and somewhat ruins the effect of the previous page or so.

Within the secret projection chamber at UNCLE headquarters, startling films are shown by Chief Alexander Waverly! And as Napoleon Solo observes, he can hardly know that he himself will fall tragic victim to the awesome weapon that will soon tempt THRUSH and trigger... The Rip Van Solo Affair

Footage of an anti-aircraft laser weapon is projected on the screen, which Waverly describes as being able to cut through steel at short range, and which THRUSH is planning on stealing. During a sojourn to inspect the weapon's security, Solo is captured by THRUSH and brainwashed into acting as their agent.

An interesting strip which, if not entirely original, at least attempts to break the characters out of the usual plots. It isn't entirely successful, with too few pages to develop the central ideas fully, but it manages to deliver a few outstanding moments regardless.

An actual invisibility potion is, unsurprisingly, at the root of The Invisible Man Affair. Anything I might say as to its plot or characterisation might be misconstrued as being mean for the sake of it, so I'm going to refrain from recounting the impressive laundry list of issues I have with the story. Rounding out the annual is Another Prose Affair (apologies), which is impressively titled The Explosive Affair, which marginally redeems the annual.

Not the best start, despite an attractive cover and rather superior rear cover illustration.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Annual

[1968]