Tiger and Jag (Fleetway) #[] (1969).
On Comedy; The Beano and Ideology by Leo Baxendale (Reaper Books; 1989)
Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Comic Strips Collection (Titan Comics) vol.3 (2015) ISBN-10: 1782762043
First Appearances:
Luke Jarvis (The Mindstealers) in The Crunch (D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.) #12 (07 Apr 1979).
Births:
Bill McCail (1902); Bill Humphries (1911); Frank Humphris (1911); Jack Kirkbride (1923); Pablo Marcos (1937); Ian Gray (1938); Simon Henwood (1965)
Deaths:
Leonard Raven–Hill (1942); Dennis M. Reader (1995); Barry Took (2002); Massimo Belardinelli (2007)
Notable Events:
Roscoe Moscow in "Who Killed Rock 'N' Roll?" by Alan Moore, using the pen–name Curt Vile, began in Sounds magazine in 1979.
Douglas Bader was the subject of BBC television's This is Your Life in 1982.
Millie newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1990.
The Glasgow Comic Art Convention began in City Chambers, George Square in 1990.
Songs from the stage show Andy Capp: The Musical released on CD in 2014.
Showing posts with label Massimo Belardinelli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Massimo Belardinelli. Show all posts
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Tornado #1
[24 Mar 1979]. Cover price 10p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W contents.
IPC Magazines Ltd.
Edited by Roy Preston.
Cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
Contents:
The launch of a title is an opportunity to show the readers something they haven't seen before. An opportunity to break free of tradition and stretch out into concepts and designs which haven't been attempted. Launch issues are, in short, the perfect place to show off. No matter the budgetary restraints, editorial constraints, or possible audience complaints, there is no reason to hold back on great ideas or artwork.
By 1979 IPC already had a solid run of successful launches (along with a few troublesome titles), so it would make sense that creative personnel had studied those achievements, taking away all the lessons available. It would have been natural to emulate massively popular characters, to grow under-appreciated ideas into thrilling strips, and show up the rest of IPC's output with top-notch strips. A newly-launched title ought to take every advantage available in order to succeed.
Which is why this issue is such an infuriating read.
The cover is, admittedly, not as bad as some contemporary launches, yet it doesn't scream quality. The mass of conflicting lettering is an eye strain, and dainty stars sprinkled over the left side of the cover bring to mind a style more commonly associated with girls comics - at least the space beneath the free gift hasn't been wasted, though it is still important space casually wasted. The most intriguing aspect of the launch straddles the bottom of the cover, where we are promised "the U.K.'s First Real Live Superhero!"
Many attempts at bringing superheroes to British comics had already been attempted, though this was something different. Unlike Marvelman or Captain Britain, Big E (who should have been dusted off in the nineties for the acid house crowd) was a real superhero, as seen in photographs throughout the title's run - though his credibility is diminished firstly by looking like a young Jim Belushi, and secondly by having an a ridiculously poor costume. It is, of course, Dave Gibbons in the ill-fitting superhero garb rather than a professional model, which shows how little thought had gone into the depiction.
It is surprising, looking back, that no touching up had been attempted on the photographs. Numerous talented airbrush artists were working in London during the late seventies, any one of whom could have taken rough photographs and transformed them into spectacular - and extremely life-like - depictions of a fantastic nature. Of course, that would have shown up the ugly Tharg mask for the piece of tat it was, and undermined the authority of the esteemed editor of 2000 A.D..
Opening with a relaunched version of a vintage character might have worked for 2000 A.D., but Sexton Blake (under an assumed name here) isn't Dan Dare, and - worse - the time period is preserved for this outing. Unlike the BBC series Sherlock, there's no sense of untapped possibilities being exposed and expanded. There's little point in bringing a character back to print if things aren't altered, and this is, sadly, simply too old-fashioned to capture an audience led into the title by Tharg's recommendation.
I'm not sure I've ever got to the end of a Sexton Blake novel, and I can't imagine the character's appeal was significantly greater during the time of this issue's launch.
Fearing that he will be turned into a human guinea pig, Wolfie goes on the run.
With his each of his name containing a first letter reading ESP (though jumbled), this maintains IPC's tradition of handing its characters meaningful names, and the set-up, while containing more than a few well-worn scenes, is visually arresting and well-paced. Not quite SF enough to justify Tharg's presence in the title, but an interesting take on some themes which were strongly represented in fiction during the late seventies.
Getting into a fight with the Earthmen on his property, Matthew chases them away - but when he checks his computer finds his water supply has been cut off.
If The Angry Planet was an attempt to channel Heinlein's vision of man's future, then it lacks a certain believability. Yes, corporations are inherently against individuals (the bottom line always comes first), though the degree to which the persecution of an individual is handled in a cartoonish and patently unbelievable manner. Stopping a person's water supply on a planet where such a resource is unavailable elsewhere is pretty much a death sentence, and something which ought to be handled through a robust legal system - which is entirely absent in the narrative.
There's much potential in telling the story of Martian colonisation, yet all of the interesting possibilities are brushed over in favour of a simplistic revenge story.
Wagner's Walk is a post-WWII tale of Major Kurt Wagner, and his discovery of an atlas which gives him the notion to walk to freedom, out of Siberia. It isn't a story which I'm particularly fond of. Captain Klep is, likewise, a very difficult strip to like, being a parody of Superman, in particular, and superhero conventions in general. It isn't as funny or as biting as it could have been, and pales when compared to Marvel's own satires.
This is a comic without a clear personality. Or, rather, it is in possession of more than one distinct personality, preventing a quick and simple identification of what a Tornado strip ought to be. With Misty, Battle Picture Weekly, or 2000 A.D., the strips fit the title's personality perfectly, and it is possible to identify recurring elements linking those strips. Here... anything goes.
A very poor launch issue.
32 pages. Colour & B&W contents.
IPC Magazines Ltd.
Edited by Roy Preston.
Cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).
Contents:
2 Welcome to the World of Heroes! 2000 A.D. Productions Present - Tornado introduction by Tharg; photographs (uncredited). / Introduction by Big E. / Enjoy Your Turbo-Flyer Safely! Free gift instructions; illustration (uncredited).
3 Victor Drago The Terror of Troll Island!, part one, w: Bill Henry [Chris Lowder]; a: Mike Dorey.
9 The Mind of Wolfie Smith UNTITLED [Departure from Mason Street], part one, w: Tom Tully; a: Vanyo.
15 The Angry Planet UNTITLED [No Water for Markham], part one, w: Alan Hebden; a: Massimo Belardinelli.
21 Tornado's True Tales The Tale of Benkei, part one, w: Steve Moore; a: Xavier Musquera.
26 Wagner's Walk UNTITLED [A Child's Atlas], part one, w: R.E. Wright [Pat Mills]; a: Lozano.
31 Next Week - Your Chance to Join Team Tornado preview. / Indicia
32 Captain Klep UNTITLED [Strangest Visitor from Another World] w: Dave Angus & Nick Landau; a: Kevin O'Neill.
The launch of a title is an opportunity to show the readers something they haven't seen before. An opportunity to break free of tradition and stretch out into concepts and designs which haven't been attempted. Launch issues are, in short, the perfect place to show off. No matter the budgetary restraints, editorial constraints, or possible audience complaints, there is no reason to hold back on great ideas or artwork.
By 1979 IPC already had a solid run of successful launches (along with a few troublesome titles), so it would make sense that creative personnel had studied those achievements, taking away all the lessons available. It would have been natural to emulate massively popular characters, to grow under-appreciated ideas into thrilling strips, and show up the rest of IPC's output with top-notch strips. A newly-launched title ought to take every advantage available in order to succeed.
Which is why this issue is such an infuriating read.
The cover is, admittedly, not as bad as some contemporary launches, yet it doesn't scream quality. The mass of conflicting lettering is an eye strain, and dainty stars sprinkled over the left side of the cover bring to mind a style more commonly associated with girls comics - at least the space beneath the free gift hasn't been wasted, though it is still important space casually wasted. The most intriguing aspect of the launch straddles the bottom of the cover, where we are promised "the U.K.'s First Real Live Superhero!"
Many attempts at bringing superheroes to British comics had already been attempted, though this was something different. Unlike Marvelman or Captain Britain, Big E (who should have been dusted off in the nineties for the acid house crowd) was a real superhero, as seen in photographs throughout the title's run - though his credibility is diminished firstly by looking like a young Jim Belushi, and secondly by having an a ridiculously poor costume. It is, of course, Dave Gibbons in the ill-fitting superhero garb rather than a professional model, which shows how little thought had gone into the depiction.
It is surprising, looking back, that no touching up had been attempted on the photographs. Numerous talented airbrush artists were working in London during the late seventies, any one of whom could have taken rough photographs and transformed them into spectacular - and extremely life-like - depictions of a fantastic nature. Of course, that would have shown up the ugly Tharg mask for the piece of tat it was, and undermined the authority of the esteemed editor of 2000 A.D..
London - February, 1929!From out of the darkness steps a formidable figure, a pipe set firmly in his mouth - Vincent Drago.
A bitter wind sweeps over the chill waters of the river Thames, hurling a white fury of snowflakes before it in savage gusts!
On such a night as this, there's no honest profit to be made out of doors!
On the other hand - for those who seek a dishonest profit...
...Such a night has many advantages!
A name that struck terror into the most hardened of evil-doers - from the slums of London's East End to the teeming waterfront of Shanghai, Drago was the private detective who never gave up a case - often succeeding where the toughest policemen failed!His associate Spencer, and his dog Brutus, soon have the majority of the ne'er-do-wells under control, and Drago himself deals with the remaining two, before the authorities arrive to cart away their prey. Leaving the police to wrap things up, Drago heads home, finding his 'phone ringing upon arrival - Philip Moffat, of Troll Island (off the North Cornwall coast) requests assistance, but the call is cut off before he can relate more. Drago and Spencer race through the night in his car, the Silver Lady, hoping to arrive in time...
Opening with a relaunched version of a vintage character might have worked for 2000 A.D., but Sexton Blake (under an assumed name here) isn't Dan Dare, and - worse - the time period is preserved for this outing. Unlike the BBC series Sherlock, there's no sense of untapped possibilities being exposed and expanded. There's little point in bringing a character back to print if things aren't altered, and this is, sadly, simply too old-fashioned to capture an audience led into the title by Tharg's recommendation.
I'm not sure I've ever got to the end of a Sexton Blake novel, and I can't imagine the character's appeal was significantly greater during the time of this issue's launch.
Colossal brain-power is not exclusive to adults. Even as a child, Leonardo da Vinci... the legendary Italian scientist and painter... had a profound knowledge of mathematics...Able to remember facts by reading them only once, able to move objects with his mind, and possessing the ability to know the contents of a bag without opening it, "Wolfie" Smith checks his local library to see what is happening to him, and reading about psychic abilities, he learns he has E.S.P. - Extra Sensory Perception. When he arrives home, ready to tell his parents what he has learned, he finds Mr. Venner has accused him of cheating on a test, and that his class photograph has been ruined by what others consider a trick - which Wolfie knows is caused by his psychic aura.
At the tender age of 7, the Austrian composer, Mozart, went on a musical tour, playing minuets that he had written himself...
And by the time he was nine years old, Ernest Patrick Smith, of No.11, Mason Street, Humberton, could make a pepper-pot move, ust by thinking about it!
Fearing that he will be turned into a human guinea pig, Wolfie goes on the run.
With his each of his name containing a first letter reading ESP (though jumbled), this maintains IPC's tradition of handing its characters meaningful names, and the set-up, while containing more than a few well-worn scenes, is visually arresting and well-paced. Not quite SF enough to justify Tharg's presence in the title, but an interesting take on some themes which were strongly represented in fiction during the late seventies.
Mars... the fourth planet of the solar system, with an average surface temperature that was colder than an Antarctic winter... An atmosphere of deadly carbon dioxide... and no surface water!Matthew Markham, the first Martian-born human, now with a family of his own to care for, awaits a water delivery, though discovers the price has increased for the third time in six months, doubling its cost in under a year. As Mars Inc. has a monopoly on the planet there is no choice but to pay up, though with decreasing payments for his farm's produce the prospects of continuing to exist as they are look bleak. Matthew learns neighbouring farmers are abandoning their homes in search of work elsewhere, and when he returns home finds Mars Inc. prospecting for copper deposits on his land.
An unprotected man would be dead in seconds!
When the first manned missions discovered vast mineral deposits, the great multi-national companies of energy-starved Earth formed Mars Incorporated to mine it and ship it back home.
Then, in the first years of the 21st century, as Mars Inc. was drilling for oil in the desert-like Arcadian region...
The drills struck something... and it wasn't oil!
It was oxygen... PURE OXYGEN!
For the next 25 years the planet's surface was "oxygenated" so that by the middle of the century, Mars could support life.
When their contracts expired many of the Mars Inc. employees elected to stay on their adopted planet and settle it... or die in the attempt.
Many died... But more lived. In 2062 the first human child was born on Mars.
Narrow-boned, because of the weak gravity and large-lunged, because of the thin air, he was the first of a new generation that could never live on Earth... The first Martian.
Getting into a fight with the Earthmen on his property, Matthew chases them away - but when he checks his computer finds his water supply has been cut off.
If The Angry Planet was an attempt to channel Heinlein's vision of man's future, then it lacks a certain believability. Yes, corporations are inherently against individuals (the bottom line always comes first), though the degree to which the persecution of an individual is handled in a cartoonish and patently unbelievable manner. Stopping a person's water supply on a planet where such a resource is unavailable elsewhere is pretty much a death sentence, and something which ought to be handled through a robust legal system - which is entirely absent in the narrative.
There's much potential in telling the story of Martian colonisation, yet all of the interesting possibilities are brushed over in favour of a simplistic revenge story.
And now, welcome to our 'Triple T' spot, that's Tornado's True Tales... a series of sagas about unusual Heroes in amazing feats of Heroism that ACTUALLY HAPPENED! The first saga occurred a long time ago, in a world very different from our own. It tells...There's a warm place in my heart for this strip, but once more the title looks to the past rather than exploiting Tharg's presence in promoting the comic. Telling the story of the warrior monk Saitō Musashibō Benkei, and it is a fairly standard version which is repeated here. While it would have been more attractive without the border, the art is superb, and it performs its role as an educational element well.
The Tale of Benkei
Japan, 1179 A.D.: Few travellers crossed the Gojo bridge at night... and none crossed it sword in hand...
Wagner's Walk is a post-WWII tale of Major Kurt Wagner, and his discovery of an atlas which gives him the notion to walk to freedom, out of Siberia. It isn't a story which I'm particularly fond of. Captain Klep is, likewise, a very difficult strip to like, being a parody of Superman, in particular, and superhero conventions in general. It isn't as funny or as biting as it could have been, and pales when compared to Marvel's own satires.
This is a comic without a clear personality. Or, rather, it is in possession of more than one distinct personality, preventing a quick and simple identification of what a Tornado strip ought to be. With Misty, Battle Picture Weekly, or 2000 A.D., the strips fit the title's personality perfectly, and it is possible to identify recurring elements linking those strips. Here... anything goes.
A very poor launch issue.
Tornado
#02
Monday, November 19, 2018
Wildcat #4
03 Dec 1988 - 16 Dec 1988; Cover price 40p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Cover by Ian Kennedy
Contents:
One of the most dramatic covers of the series thus far, with Kennedy channeling the spirit of seventies low-budget European SF films for a horror-tinged image.
Jones discovers the Terrasauron can fly when attempting to tame the beast to his will. Eventually subduing it with his laser goggles, Jones sets about teaching it act as he wishes, though expresses concern about his army being prepared within the six remaining days. One Arglon has managed to escape the battle, and approaches his forces on a wounded flying dinosaur. He successfully reaches the rest of his men, and demands to speak with the council of elders. Hearing the survivors tale, the council brings the date of attack forward, preparing tunnelling creatures to strike from below.
Cracks appear in the city's roads, although the army is far from prepared.
Events move far too rapidly to believe that the great forces of one civilisation is truly moving against another - it feels more like a localised squabble, supported by the lack of vistas squirming with alien bodies, hungry to attack. As small as the conflict is presented as, there are things to enjoy here regardless - beautiful artwork, laid out appealingly, compensates for some of the deficiencies in presentation. The large pages ought to be used to their full advantage, creating a real sense of scale, but this never quite gets there.
Joe's men use lasers to force the tree to release their leader, and when hit it collapses in a scream of agony. Reattaching Joe's brain pack, he informs the men that the location is far too dangerous to remain in, and that they should attempt to return to Wildcat - a voice calls out, though no other humans ought to be in the area.
The very premise of a removable brain has already grown tiresome, and I can't help but think that the problem should have been addressed in-universe - discussion about attaching the unit in a more substantial manner, to ensure accidental loss of faculties. Some form of side release buckle worked into the design of the apparatus, perhaps. If the team surrounding Joe can't figure out that this is a major obstacle which needs addressing, then they really are too dumb to live.
Overwhelmed by the sheer number of alien aggressors, Kitten's unit struggle to free themselves. Kitten, meanwhile, has Crud restore her youth and vitality in order to rescue her team. Using her wrist lasers she manages to even up the odds, allowing defensive measures to be taken. Hitting the alien leader with her lasers, Kitten learns that it is, in fact, a robot. Hobos is spotted, and Bonnie fires at the alien with a sniper rifle, almost killing him. As he fleees, the multi-eyed figures reveal that they, also, are robots - with lasers in their eyes...
As if the battle wasn't tough enough already, they are also able to fly.
Kitten's strip has a lot to draw readers in. A rather fantastic set-up, with the all-female unit (shades of Charlie's Angels notwithstanding), great designs for the surrounding alien life, and a mystery in Kitten's sudden ageing and rejuvenation - which is why this storyline is increasingly becoming rather annoying. With increasing hostility from Hobos, and the presence of robots on the planet, this doesn't feel connected to what is happening elsewhere, or even make a great deal of sense as presented.
So... There's dinosaurs, advanced robots, mobile and intelligent plants, and numerous sentient aliens all residing upon this one planet. And that's without mentioning the ghosts. How far, pray tell, can credibility be stretched before it snaps under the accumulated weight of the clichés piled atop the premise? It is almost as if each story exists in its own reality, ignoring the fact that being set on a single planet requires echoes of distant life to be present. Where are the living plants in the city Turbo Jones has seen, and where is the dinosaur life wandering the tropical jungle which Kitten is exploring?
Further to this, is Hobos some distant relative of Mojo?
It might all be a reality television series designed to annoy or entertain audiences.
Given a terrifying demonstration of the Bellari's power, Loner agrees to fight the beast. Assigned a number of Fuzzballs to accompany him into the depths, he begins a trek through a cavernous underground system, along a rather handy path, and when far enough away from Bellari the Fuzzballs are able to communicate with Loner telepathically. Explaining that they are a normally peaceful race, formerly the pets of an advanced race of telepaths. They inform Loner that they collected the ancient weapons of their former masters and deposited them in the deepest caverns so that no others could use them.
Led to the grotto of fantastic weaponry, Loner first uses a chair which will afford him the mental abilities required to operate the weapons - advancing him many thousands of years into his biological future.
And thus Loner becomes more advanced than his peers, and able to use advanced weapons. As the distinct story threads of the various teams advances, in this case dramatically, the sense that a long-term plan for the series is, in some way, sketched out. The bravery in changing up the status quo so early in the title's run is interesting and unexpected, though is likely a requirement to enable Loner's strip to compete with the adventures faced by teams of explorers elsewhere in the title.
The Fuzzballs' ability to communicate lucidly is a plot twist which makes a modicum of sense, and isn't a complete swerve from left-field.
The complete story, Death on Wildcat, establishes that the remnants of humanity aboard the ship are accompanied by a multitude of aliens in addition to the previously seen robots. John Anderson, the ship's deputy commander, reports that there has been no crime aboard the vessel for weeks, and that the threat of criminal behaviour can now be placed aside. To prove him wrong, an alarm rings out as a murder victim is discovered.
Seemingly sucked dry of all blood, the victim is identified by Dr. Timothy Lee, who discovered the body. Another body is found a day later, bearing the same distinctive lack of blood. Regarding Dr. Lee as his prime suspect, the Chief of security has nothing to base his suspicion on other than a gut feeling, which is confirmed when he witnesses the doctor transforming into a vampire...
Dinosaurs, robots, vampires... Oh, my.
It is impressive that no plot development, however far-fetched, is left untapped. What this means for credibility, alas, is that we are left with little foundation for the big reveals. This is a title desperately short of build-up, rushing headlong in to one adventure or another.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Cover by Ian Kennedy
Contents:
2 Turbo Jones UNTITLED [Terrasauron-Tamer] w: UNKNOWN; a: Ian Kennedy.
7 Loner pin-up; a: David Pugh.
8 Joe Alien UNTITLED [Prisoner of the Tree] w: UNKNOWN; a: Massimo Belardinelli.
11 Kitten Magee UNTITLED [Robot Attack from Above] w: UNKNOWN; a: Jose Ortiz.
16 Joe Alien UNTITLED (cont.)
18 Time-Warp Data Link feature page (uncredited). / Alien readers' art; Martian Moonrider by Danny Bryant, Belugan Blob by Richard Dowling, the Slither-Sloth by Andrew Heath, Rola-Lung by Vincent Holland, Troilian Fiend by Wayne Smith, the Greater Guzzard by Barry Bottomley.
20 Loner UNTITLED [The Bellari's Hallucinations] w: UNKNOWN; a: David Pugh.
25 Death on Wildcat w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.
31 Loner is Ready for Issue Five - Are You? in-house advertisement; a: David Pugh.
32 Free Circus Games advertisement for Weeto's cereal; a: UNKNOWN.
One of the most dramatic covers of the series thus far, with Kennedy channeling the spirit of seventies low-budget European SF films for a horror-tinged image.
Jones discovers the Terrasauron can fly when attempting to tame the beast to his will. Eventually subduing it with his laser goggles, Jones sets about teaching it act as he wishes, though expresses concern about his army being prepared within the six remaining days. One Arglon has managed to escape the battle, and approaches his forces on a wounded flying dinosaur. He successfully reaches the rest of his men, and demands to speak with the council of elders. Hearing the survivors tale, the council brings the date of attack forward, preparing tunnelling creatures to strike from below.
Cracks appear in the city's roads, although the army is far from prepared.
Events move far too rapidly to believe that the great forces of one civilisation is truly moving against another - it feels more like a localised squabble, supported by the lack of vistas squirming with alien bodies, hungry to attack. As small as the conflict is presented as, there are things to enjoy here regardless - beautiful artwork, laid out appealingly, compensates for some of the deficiencies in presentation. The large pages ought to be used to their full advantage, creating a real sense of scale, but this never quite gets there.
Joe's men use lasers to force the tree to release their leader, and when hit it collapses in a scream of agony. Reattaching Joe's brain pack, he informs the men that the location is far too dangerous to remain in, and that they should attempt to return to Wildcat - a voice calls out, though no other humans ought to be in the area.
The very premise of a removable brain has already grown tiresome, and I can't help but think that the problem should have been addressed in-universe - discussion about attaching the unit in a more substantial manner, to ensure accidental loss of faculties. Some form of side release buckle worked into the design of the apparatus, perhaps. If the team surrounding Joe can't figure out that this is a major obstacle which needs addressing, then they really are too dumb to live.
Overwhelmed by the sheer number of alien aggressors, Kitten's unit struggle to free themselves. Kitten, meanwhile, has Crud restore her youth and vitality in order to rescue her team. Using her wrist lasers she manages to even up the odds, allowing defensive measures to be taken. Hitting the alien leader with her lasers, Kitten learns that it is, in fact, a robot. Hobos is spotted, and Bonnie fires at the alien with a sniper rifle, almost killing him. As he fleees, the multi-eyed figures reveal that they, also, are robots - with lasers in their eyes...
As if the battle wasn't tough enough already, they are also able to fly.
Kitten's strip has a lot to draw readers in. A rather fantastic set-up, with the all-female unit (shades of Charlie's Angels notwithstanding), great designs for the surrounding alien life, and a mystery in Kitten's sudden ageing and rejuvenation - which is why this storyline is increasingly becoming rather annoying. With increasing hostility from Hobos, and the presence of robots on the planet, this doesn't feel connected to what is happening elsewhere, or even make a great deal of sense as presented.
So... There's dinosaurs, advanced robots, mobile and intelligent plants, and numerous sentient aliens all residing upon this one planet. And that's without mentioning the ghosts. How far, pray tell, can credibility be stretched before it snaps under the accumulated weight of the clichés piled atop the premise? It is almost as if each story exists in its own reality, ignoring the fact that being set on a single planet requires echoes of distant life to be present. Where are the living plants in the city Turbo Jones has seen, and where is the dinosaur life wandering the tropical jungle which Kitten is exploring?
Further to this, is Hobos some distant relative of Mojo?
It might all be a reality television series designed to annoy or entertain audiences.
Given a terrifying demonstration of the Bellari's power, Loner agrees to fight the beast. Assigned a number of Fuzzballs to accompany him into the depths, he begins a trek through a cavernous underground system, along a rather handy path, and when far enough away from Bellari the Fuzzballs are able to communicate with Loner telepathically. Explaining that they are a normally peaceful race, formerly the pets of an advanced race of telepaths. They inform Loner that they collected the ancient weapons of their former masters and deposited them in the deepest caverns so that no others could use them.
Led to the grotto of fantastic weaponry, Loner first uses a chair which will afford him the mental abilities required to operate the weapons - advancing him many thousands of years into his biological future.
And thus Loner becomes more advanced than his peers, and able to use advanced weapons. As the distinct story threads of the various teams advances, in this case dramatically, the sense that a long-term plan for the series is, in some way, sketched out. The bravery in changing up the status quo so early in the title's run is interesting and unexpected, though is likely a requirement to enable Loner's strip to compete with the adventures faced by teams of explorers elsewhere in the title.
The Fuzzballs' ability to communicate lucidly is a plot twist which makes a modicum of sense, and isn't a complete swerve from left-field.
The complete story, Death on Wildcat, establishes that the remnants of humanity aboard the ship are accompanied by a multitude of aliens in addition to the previously seen robots. John Anderson, the ship's deputy commander, reports that there has been no crime aboard the vessel for weeks, and that the threat of criminal behaviour can now be placed aside. To prove him wrong, an alarm rings out as a murder victim is discovered.
Seemingly sucked dry of all blood, the victim is identified by Dr. Timothy Lee, who discovered the body. Another body is found a day later, bearing the same distinctive lack of blood. Regarding Dr. Lee as his prime suspect, the Chief of security has nothing to base his suspicion on other than a gut feeling, which is confirmed when he witnesses the doctor transforming into a vampire...
Dinosaurs, robots, vampires... Oh, my.
It is impressive that no plot development, however far-fetched, is left untapped. What this means for credibility, alas, is that we are left with little foundation for the big reveals. This is a title desperately short of build-up, rushing headlong in to one adventure or another.
#03
Wildcat
#05
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Wildcat #3
19 Nov 1988 - 18 Nov 1988; Cover price 40p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Cover by Ian Kennedy
Free Alien Monster Stickers.
Contents:
A creature carting around laser-blasting aliens, in no way inspired by Dino-Riders, takes the cover. There were, apparently, stickers in this issue also, but mine aren't present.
Foregoing any introduction, the issue moves straight into the Turbo Jones story. As the Burroids are being massacred by Arglons, Jones' sense of duty comes to the fore, and he agrees to assist in the defence of their city. With a rousing victory, Jones is made Commander, completely in charge of the army - which is going to need training, as the enemy intends to move against them in ten days.
Seeing a fearsome Terrasauron, the largest and most savage creature on the planet, Jones decides he wants it as his personal battle vehicle.
Wildcat really does seem to be a title calling out for tie-in merchandise. From cute Fuzzballs, to the creatures here, a great line of toys could have made this a title with lasting importance outside of the comic.
Joe survives a fall which would have killed anyone else, but loses his brain-pack in the process. As his team encounter more killer plants, Joe's body is pulled up into a giant tree. Attempts to free their leader are met with an attack which stops the men in their tracks, and without his intelligence, Joe is unable to provide any assistance of his own.
Kitten Magee manages to use her wrist lasers in time to save herself, and her strip, from her zombie-like attacker. The rest of the creatures mae her their leader upon witnessing her impressive fighting skills. Later, as it has passed midnight, Kitten moves away from the camp, and it is revealed that she is much older than her appearance would indicate. As she restores her vitality, the aliens attack her team.
Some impressive art, and of a very dark nature, enlivens the plot-by-numbers script. By solving a threat at the beginning of a story, only to have another appear at the end (and repeated in the next issue) the threats are diminished, whereas raising the threat level steadily through increasing dangers could have made the strip more solid - it seems as if the team aren't particularly well trained if they have to defeat a new threat each issue.
Loner's unconscious body is transported by the Fuzzballs to the great scarred lizard, who is revealed to be telepathic. Explaining that he is from another galaxy, belonging to the Bellari race, he crash-landed on the planet and found himself trapped in the underground caverns Loner also fell in to. After revealing that a gigantic beast resides deep in the caverns, the alien asks Loner to kill it.
There's a definite H.R. Giger feel to the beast Loner is going to face, and the body language of the scarred alien, when admitting that it is a wonder he hasn't gone insane after all these years, is wonderful. The consistently high level of art which the strip has, along with so many small details revealed in dialogue, makes the journey all the more enjoyable to read.
A meteoroid discovered in orbit around the planet is about to cross paths with the ship, and a team is sent to destroy it before the collision destroys the remnants of humanity. While investigating rock samples taken from it, three scientists are taken over by alien life-forms. Getting rid of a janitor and assuming control of the garbage chute (in which to dispose of the bodies of their victims), they start a reign of terror.
Anyone familiar with Apollo 18 might see similarities in the set-up, and a problem with the title is exposed painfully here - life aboard Wildcat is the most interesting facet of the title, and yet the entirety of events occurring on the ship are contained (and constrained) in bite-size horror-tinged tales which, by their nature, can't hope to capture the sense of loss and terror at being alone in the universe.
A strong issue, though not without problems. When you have artists this good, and the featured artists are extremely talented, the entirety of the title is lifted.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Cover by Ian Kennedy
Free Alien Monster Stickers.
Contents:
2 Turbo Jones UNTITLED [Arglons Attack the City] w: UNKNOWN; a: Ian Kennedy.
7 Free Stamp Collector Starter Kit (half page) advertisement for Universal Stamp Co. / Warning - When You See This Cover Be Prepared for a Thrill-Power Overload (half page) in-house advertisement for Eagle Annual 1989.
8 Joe Alien UNTITLED [Joe's Death Fall] w: UNKNOWN; a: Massimo Belardinelli.
11 Kitten Magee UNTITLED [Kitten's Had It!] w: UNKNOWN; a: Jose Ortiz.
16 Joe Alien UNTITLED (cont.)
18 Time-Warp Data Link (one and a quarter pages) feature page (uncredited);
19 Alien readers' art; Big Eye by Ed Hassall, Konzbo by Leigh Stevens, Snizboz by Jason Landau, the Spotted Snarler by Kevin Parkin, Angleman by Matthew Little.
20 Loner UNTITLED [Brought to the Bellari] w: UNKNOWN; a: David Pugh.
25 The Great Ark in is Wildcat 4 in-house advertisement.
26 The Invaders! w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.
32 Robo pin-up. a: Joan Boix.
A creature carting around laser-blasting aliens, in no way inspired by Dino-Riders, takes the cover. There were, apparently, stickers in this issue also, but mine aren't present.
Foregoing any introduction, the issue moves straight into the Turbo Jones story. As the Burroids are being massacred by Arglons, Jones' sense of duty comes to the fore, and he agrees to assist in the defence of their city. With a rousing victory, Jones is made Commander, completely in charge of the army - which is going to need training, as the enemy intends to move against them in ten days.
Seeing a fearsome Terrasauron, the largest and most savage creature on the planet, Jones decides he wants it as his personal battle vehicle.
Wildcat really does seem to be a title calling out for tie-in merchandise. From cute Fuzzballs, to the creatures here, a great line of toys could have made this a title with lasting importance outside of the comic.
Joe survives a fall which would have killed anyone else, but loses his brain-pack in the process. As his team encounter more killer plants, Joe's body is pulled up into a giant tree. Attempts to free their leader are met with an attack which stops the men in their tracks, and without his intelligence, Joe is unable to provide any assistance of his own.
Kitten Magee manages to use her wrist lasers in time to save herself, and her strip, from her zombie-like attacker. The rest of the creatures mae her their leader upon witnessing her impressive fighting skills. Later, as it has passed midnight, Kitten moves away from the camp, and it is revealed that she is much older than her appearance would indicate. As she restores her vitality, the aliens attack her team.
Some impressive art, and of a very dark nature, enlivens the plot-by-numbers script. By solving a threat at the beginning of a story, only to have another appear at the end (and repeated in the next issue) the threats are diminished, whereas raising the threat level steadily through increasing dangers could have made the strip more solid - it seems as if the team aren't particularly well trained if they have to defeat a new threat each issue.
Loner's unconscious body is transported by the Fuzzballs to the great scarred lizard, who is revealed to be telepathic. Explaining that he is from another galaxy, belonging to the Bellari race, he crash-landed on the planet and found himself trapped in the underground caverns Loner also fell in to. After revealing that a gigantic beast resides deep in the caverns, the alien asks Loner to kill it.
There's a definite H.R. Giger feel to the beast Loner is going to face, and the body language of the scarred alien, when admitting that it is a wonder he hasn't gone insane after all these years, is wonderful. The consistently high level of art which the strip has, along with so many small details revealed in dialogue, makes the journey all the more enjoyable to read.
A meteoroid discovered in orbit around the planet is about to cross paths with the ship, and a team is sent to destroy it before the collision destroys the remnants of humanity. While investigating rock samples taken from it, three scientists are taken over by alien life-forms. Getting rid of a janitor and assuming control of the garbage chute (in which to dispose of the bodies of their victims), they start a reign of terror.
Anyone familiar with Apollo 18 might see similarities in the set-up, and a problem with the title is exposed painfully here - life aboard Wildcat is the most interesting facet of the title, and yet the entirety of events occurring on the ship are contained (and constrained) in bite-size horror-tinged tales which, by their nature, can't hope to capture the sense of loss and terror at being alone in the universe.
A strong issue, though not without problems. When you have artists this good, and the featured artists are extremely talented, the entirety of the title is lifted.
#02
Wildcat
#04
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Wildcat #2
05 Nov 1988 - 18 Nov 1988; Cover price 40p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Cover by Ian Kennedy
Free Alien Monster Stickers.
Contents:
Continuing the fine start, the free gift - a strip of three full-colour stickers (loosely-packed inside the issue) - follows the title's sense of exploring a new world, highlighting three creatures which can be found there. They are rather impressively sized, and many likely ended up being attached to books, bags, furniture, or smaller siblings - to have an issue complete with its free gift makes me very happy.
Turbo Jones, using his visor in a superb visual reference to Cyclops of the X-Men, shoots a flying lizard out of the air. What follows is a brief history lesson from the Supreme Monarch, outlining a conflict with the Arglons which has been raging for many years. Asked to take a position as military advisor, Jones' reaction is of incredulity at the suggestion.
Then a Dino-Rider appears.
Of course, it isn't actually a Dino-Rider, but close enough. There must have been something in the idea of immense creatures heaving around armor and ordinance, as mid- to late-eighties SF and fantasy properties were stuffed to the gills with the things. It isn't a bad example, thankfully, raised by some exceptional art.
Joe Alien's luck holds out, seeing the walking tree before it can reach him. While the depiction of the tree is fine, it does have the unfortunate effect of reminding me of WOW!'s Family Trees, but there are only so many ways that such a creature can be depicted... With the disappearance of Baker, Joe finally works out that the vegetation poses a danger to his rapidly diminishing unit. Baker's demise at a baby Sarlacc pit, with suitable sound effect, is a joy. It is amazing that the title wasn't merged with 2000 A.D..
Attempting to contact Wildcat to inform them of the situation, Joe discovers that communications aren't working. As the various forms of plant life gather, and hold a conference, the links to Family Trees and The Haunted Wood grow uncomfortably clear.
Despite being in the tropics, Kitten's team are remarkably well-clothed. It had occurred to me that the only reason to specifically state the location was to justify the eventual bikini-scene (it was the eighties), but Jose Ortiz's restraint here is admirable. The dialogue is dripping with knowing, and blatant, innuendo: "Kitten! Something in that bush!" and a multi-toothed creature rumbles "Huuuur! Huuuuur!" as the women walk past.
In a superbly creepy sequence, a group of humanoid creatures stumble out of the dark, their row of eyes glinting in the low light. It is a moment of complete and focused horror in what, to that point, has been a firmly SF strip. Slightly unfortunate in having the sole female main character be so easily swiped aside, but it is set up so that she can redeem herself in the next issue. Or die a horrible death. There's always the possibility that the title will contain a real surprise.
I'm tempted to make a comment about Crud, but given T-Bob, Nono, Snarf and Orko, it isn't the worst comedy sidekick. The name is, however, prone to mockery.
Dave Pugh's art in Loner is amazing. You likely don't need that pointed out, but it really shines here - even in the midst of so many great artists. The immense scar-faced lizard is one of the most memorable creatures from the title. Encountering a flying Fuzzball (again: why can't I buy one of these?) Loner is being slowly herded towards his demise.
Space Madness is a painfully eighties story - Rick X, a DJ aboard Wildcat, is shot while on-air. BY A ROBOT. Yes, that's the trick to make it a SF story. Leaving aside the likelihood of lugging along a DJ aboard a ship filled with people crucial to the survival of the human race, why is precious resources being expended on broadcasting throughout the ship? Even in 1988 there were such things as cassette tapes and CDs.
The robot is on a murderous rampage, and soon claims a second victim. This is reported in The Wildcat express, a newspaper which- Okay, hold on a minute. There's a newspaper on the ship? Really? Honestly? An actual printed-on-paper newspaper? Are there newspaper boys on the ship as well? Milk deliveries, with a little van scooting around the corridors? I bet there's a skateboard park somewhere on board as well.
A botany boffin listening to the thoughts of his plants (Roald Dahl much?) is killed next, and a witness to a fourth killing finally delivers a solid lead for the security officers investigating - a robot from the printing presses of Wildcat express. It turns out that the editor is responsible, in an unlikely turn of events, in order to create sensationalist headlines. I'd like to believe it was the robots themselves who were responsible - planning murders first, then escalating to going on strike and causing horror comics to disappear.
Not that it was any way inspired by real events.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Cover by Ian Kennedy
Free Alien Monster Stickers.
Contents:
2 Wildcat The Story So Far... Introduction. recap; illustration by Ian Kennedy.
3 Turbo Jones UNTITLED [Time to Fight Back] w: UNKNOWN; a: Ian Kennedy.
8 Joe Alien UNTITLED [Stalking Joe Alien] w: UNKNOWN; a: Massimo Belardinelli.
11 Kitten Magee UNTITLED [Ten Metres and Closing] w: UNKNOWN; a: Jose Ortiz.
16 Joe Alien UNTITLED (cont.)
18 Time-Warp Data Link feature page (uncredited); pocket cartoon UNTITLED [Stonemason] by UNCREDITED, from a joke by G. Cartwright.
19 Alien readers' art; Songtun Shape-Changer by Andrew Cole, The Mighty Mouth Monster by Paul Ramsey, The Multi-Eyed Tree Terror by Colin Matthews, and The Floating Fiend by Lawrence Magee.
20 Loner UNTITLED [Underground Lake] w: UNKNOWN; a: David Pugh.
25 Free Stamp Collector Starter Kit (half page) advertisement for Universal Stamp Co. / Joe Alien Loses His Brain (half page) preview of next issue; illustrated by Massimo Belardinelli.
26 Space Madness w: UNKNOWN; a: .
32 Joe Alien pin-up. a: UNKNOWN.
Continuing the fine start, the free gift - a strip of three full-colour stickers (loosely-packed inside the issue) - follows the title's sense of exploring a new world, highlighting three creatures which can be found there. They are rather impressively sized, and many likely ended up being attached to books, bags, furniture, or smaller siblings - to have an issue complete with its free gift makes me very happy.
Turbo Jones, using his visor in a superb visual reference to Cyclops of the X-Men, shoots a flying lizard out of the air. What follows is a brief history lesson from the Supreme Monarch, outlining a conflict with the Arglons which has been raging for many years. Asked to take a position as military advisor, Jones' reaction is of incredulity at the suggestion.
Then a Dino-Rider appears.
Of course, it isn't actually a Dino-Rider, but close enough. There must have been something in the idea of immense creatures heaving around armor and ordinance, as mid- to late-eighties SF and fantasy properties were stuffed to the gills with the things. It isn't a bad example, thankfully, raised by some exceptional art.
Joe Alien's luck holds out, seeing the walking tree before it can reach him. While the depiction of the tree is fine, it does have the unfortunate effect of reminding me of WOW!'s Family Trees, but there are only so many ways that such a creature can be depicted... With the disappearance of Baker, Joe finally works out that the vegetation poses a danger to his rapidly diminishing unit. Baker's demise at a baby Sarlacc pit, with suitable sound effect, is a joy. It is amazing that the title wasn't merged with 2000 A.D..
Attempting to contact Wildcat to inform them of the situation, Joe discovers that communications aren't working. As the various forms of plant life gather, and hold a conference, the links to Family Trees and The Haunted Wood grow uncomfortably clear.
Despite being in the tropics, Kitten's team are remarkably well-clothed. It had occurred to me that the only reason to specifically state the location was to justify the eventual bikini-scene (it was the eighties), but Jose Ortiz's restraint here is admirable. The dialogue is dripping with knowing, and blatant, innuendo: "Kitten! Something in that bush!" and a multi-toothed creature rumbles "Huuuur! Huuuuur!" as the women walk past.
In a superbly creepy sequence, a group of humanoid creatures stumble out of the dark, their row of eyes glinting in the low light. It is a moment of complete and focused horror in what, to that point, has been a firmly SF strip. Slightly unfortunate in having the sole female main character be so easily swiped aside, but it is set up so that she can redeem herself in the next issue. Or die a horrible death. There's always the possibility that the title will contain a real surprise.
I'm tempted to make a comment about Crud, but given T-Bob, Nono, Snarf and Orko, it isn't the worst comedy sidekick. The name is, however, prone to mockery.
Dave Pugh's art in Loner is amazing. You likely don't need that pointed out, but it really shines here - even in the midst of so many great artists. The immense scar-faced lizard is one of the most memorable creatures from the title. Encountering a flying Fuzzball (again: why can't I buy one of these?) Loner is being slowly herded towards his demise.
Space Madness is a painfully eighties story - Rick X, a DJ aboard Wildcat, is shot while on-air. BY A ROBOT. Yes, that's the trick to make it a SF story. Leaving aside the likelihood of lugging along a DJ aboard a ship filled with people crucial to the survival of the human race, why is precious resources being expended on broadcasting throughout the ship? Even in 1988 there were such things as cassette tapes and CDs.
The robot is on a murderous rampage, and soon claims a second victim. This is reported in The Wildcat express, a newspaper which- Okay, hold on a minute. There's a newspaper on the ship? Really? Honestly? An actual printed-on-paper newspaper? Are there newspaper boys on the ship as well? Milk deliveries, with a little van scooting around the corridors? I bet there's a skateboard park somewhere on board as well.
A botany boffin listening to the thoughts of his plants (Roald Dahl much?) is killed next, and a witness to a fourth killing finally delivers a solid lead for the security officers investigating - a robot from the printing presses of Wildcat express. It turns out that the editor is responsible, in an unlikely turn of events, in order to create sensationalist headlines. I'd like to believe it was the robots themselves who were responsible - planning murders first, then escalating to going on strike and causing horror comics to disappear.
Not that it was any way inspired by real events.
#01
Wildcat
#03
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Wildcat #1
22 Oct 1988 - 04 Nov 1988; Cover price 40p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Free poster.
Cover by Ian Kennedy.
Contents:
While it may be a delight to look at, there are minor storytelling elements which show that this is aimed at a younger audience than 2000 A.D., but even with the (extremely) soft SF angle it is a great introduction to a universe obviously thought about in some detail. The larger page size benefits the artwork, and Ian Kennedy surpasses himself with a cover which is filled with interesting detail.
Turbo Jones, expedition leader, searching for humanity's new home in the wake of Earth's destruction, finds himself (and his men) captured by an alien race upon landing on the strange planet they have discovered. Taken to an alien city, he is informed that the Supreme Monarch wishes to question him, but things go sideways when an alien riding a flying beast arrives. It's a fine, if rather pedestrian, script, which rushes through plot points in order to keep the pace moving.
Then to Shuttle Wildcat Two, with Joe Alien - last surviving member of his race, magna-intelligent, natural leader, and brain power so immense that he was fitted with an external brain pack at birth. The main problem with having an external brain pack is superbly demonstrated straight away, when he authorises a crew-member to briefly remove it, rendering him a gibbering idiot. It is obvious that this is going to be a recurring problem for the character, and demonstrates what the age-range of readers was expected to be.
Joe's group discovers hallucinogenic plants which quickly turn out to be man-eating ones. The rest of the crew don't seem too upset that Davis is missing (did he break wind in the shuttle? Hog the broadband?), while problems continue in the form of an approaching tree as camp is being readied for the night. The colour pages don't greatly increase the appeal, though the inclusion does allow for some inventive palette choices.
Meanwhile, Kitten Magee, taking Shuttle Wildcat Three, journeys to the planet's tropical jungles with her all-female crew. It is less that the genders are treated equally than it is Kitten not liking men. For a title which skewed younger, the suggestion here will probably have bypassed the audience. Casandra Cardeti makes the rookie mistake of wanting to be the first to step foot on the planet's surface, and is immediately grabbed by a giant tentacle. It turns out to be a giant slug-like creature, and is rapidly dispatched.
The violence on display, as with the dialogue ("I'm sure we'll find more weird things for you to play with"), is portrayed casually, with the focus on Kitten's competence in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. With help like Casandra, Kitten had better be good... The questions raised by the setting are ignored (why would the slug hand over food?), and jewelry is shown to be functional items rather than mere decoration. All very paint-by-numbers, but done with enough panache to get away with it from young readers.
There's an odd final panel, hinting at forthcoming plot developments, where an obese alien on a floating platform calls Kitten - safely out of earshot - "My pretty one." It always bothered me that alien concepts of beauty would cross species-lines in such a way that he could view her as anything other than a hideous alien creature.
Loner, who, appropriately, works alone, arrives at his destination aboard Shuttle Wildcat Four. He is the most stereotypical character in the title, going so far as to name his firearm, an antique six-gun converted to fire assorted bullets a-la Dredd, "Babe." Fortunately, the strip is rendered in loving detail by David Pugh, who provides a solidity and realism to the world around the character. The main problem with a solitary character, cut off from communication by terrain, is shown clearly in the numerous thought balloons which pepper the pages.
A rockslide sees him travel beneath the surface, where he discovers that luminous rocks act as an artificial daylight, and encounters small Furby-like creatures which are capable of giving electric shocks. Which knock-off Furbies are also capable of. So blatant is the cute-factor that toy tie-ins were the only possible reason the little critters are prominently showcased.
Final Mission, the complete story, closes off the first issue. Commander Lancelot Knight, the Wildcat's pilot, discovers a strange craft nearby. It turns out to be Explorer III, one of the most famous spacecraft of all time, launched in 1999 with a crew formed of all the super powers, with a symbolic task for international peace to explode Earth's last nuclear weapon in space. A message from the ancient ship is received, and Knight (recklessly) suits up and goes exploring. He's confronted with the ghosts of the crew, and asked to help detonate the warhead so the crew can be at peace.
There's no real sense of a command structure in place, nor indication that all that remains of humanity are aboard the Wildcat, which makes taking matters seriously more difficult. It isn't so much that the writing is sloppy (the pacing of the stories is solid, and the dialogue often very amusing), but that the rush to set up external conflicts has muted some of the possible internal strife.
The title would have benefited from being more ship-bound at the beginning of the series, with exploration growing organically from the storytelling, and stronger ties between the individual characters. Without having a sense of the desperation for a new homeworld, the scenes on the planet appear to be the main crew mucking around planetside while everyone waits, twiddling their thumbs, aboard the ship in orbit.
Wildcat is frustratingly inconsistent, but wonderful to look at.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.
Edited by Barrie Tomlinson.
Free poster.
Cover by Ian Kennedy.
Contents:
.2 The Battle to Survive... Introduction. a: Ian Kennedy.
.3 Turbo Jones UNTITLED w: UNKNOWN; a: Ian Kennedy.
.8 Joe Alien UNTITLED w: UNKNOWN; a: Massimo Belardinelli.
11 Kitten Magee UNTITLED w: UNKNOWN; a: Jose Ortiz.
16 Joe Alien UNTITLED (cont.)
18 Time-Warp Data Link feature page (uncredited).
20 Loner UNTITLED w: UNKNOWN; a: David Pugh.
25 Wildcat Update Next issue information.
26 Final Mission w: UNKNOWN; a: Horacio Lalia.
32 Kitten Magee pin-up. a: Jose Ortiz.
While it may be a delight to look at, there are minor storytelling elements which show that this is aimed at a younger audience than 2000 A.D., but even with the (extremely) soft SF angle it is a great introduction to a universe obviously thought about in some detail. The larger page size benefits the artwork, and Ian Kennedy surpasses himself with a cover which is filled with interesting detail.
Turbo Jones, expedition leader, searching for humanity's new home in the wake of Earth's destruction, finds himself (and his men) captured by an alien race upon landing on the strange planet they have discovered. Taken to an alien city, he is informed that the Supreme Monarch wishes to question him, but things go sideways when an alien riding a flying beast arrives. It's a fine, if rather pedestrian, script, which rushes through plot points in order to keep the pace moving.
Then to Shuttle Wildcat Two, with Joe Alien - last surviving member of his race, magna-intelligent, natural leader, and brain power so immense that he was fitted with an external brain pack at birth. The main problem with having an external brain pack is superbly demonstrated straight away, when he authorises a crew-member to briefly remove it, rendering him a gibbering idiot. It is obvious that this is going to be a recurring problem for the character, and demonstrates what the age-range of readers was expected to be.
Joe's group discovers hallucinogenic plants which quickly turn out to be man-eating ones. The rest of the crew don't seem too upset that Davis is missing (did he break wind in the shuttle? Hog the broadband?), while problems continue in the form of an approaching tree as camp is being readied for the night. The colour pages don't greatly increase the appeal, though the inclusion does allow for some inventive palette choices.
Meanwhile, Kitten Magee, taking Shuttle Wildcat Three, journeys to the planet's tropical jungles with her all-female crew. It is less that the genders are treated equally than it is Kitten not liking men. For a title which skewed younger, the suggestion here will probably have bypassed the audience. Casandra Cardeti makes the rookie mistake of wanting to be the first to step foot on the planet's surface, and is immediately grabbed by a giant tentacle. It turns out to be a giant slug-like creature, and is rapidly dispatched.
The violence on display, as with the dialogue ("I'm sure we'll find more weird things for you to play with"), is portrayed casually, with the focus on Kitten's competence in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. With help like Casandra, Kitten had better be good... The questions raised by the setting are ignored (why would the slug hand over food?), and jewelry is shown to be functional items rather than mere decoration. All very paint-by-numbers, but done with enough panache to get away with it from young readers.
There's an odd final panel, hinting at forthcoming plot developments, where an obese alien on a floating platform calls Kitten - safely out of earshot - "My pretty one." It always bothered me that alien concepts of beauty would cross species-lines in such a way that he could view her as anything other than a hideous alien creature.
Loner, who, appropriately, works alone, arrives at his destination aboard Shuttle Wildcat Four. He is the most stereotypical character in the title, going so far as to name his firearm, an antique six-gun converted to fire assorted bullets a-la Dredd, "Babe." Fortunately, the strip is rendered in loving detail by David Pugh, who provides a solidity and realism to the world around the character. The main problem with a solitary character, cut off from communication by terrain, is shown clearly in the numerous thought balloons which pepper the pages.
A rockslide sees him travel beneath the surface, where he discovers that luminous rocks act as an artificial daylight, and encounters small Furby-like creatures which are capable of giving electric shocks. Which knock-off Furbies are also capable of. So blatant is the cute-factor that toy tie-ins were the only possible reason the little critters are prominently showcased.
Final Mission, the complete story, closes off the first issue. Commander Lancelot Knight, the Wildcat's pilot, discovers a strange craft nearby. It turns out to be Explorer III, one of the most famous spacecraft of all time, launched in 1999 with a crew formed of all the super powers, with a symbolic task for international peace to explode Earth's last nuclear weapon in space. A message from the ancient ship is received, and Knight (recklessly) suits up and goes exploring. He's confronted with the ghosts of the crew, and asked to help detonate the warhead so the crew can be at peace.
There's no real sense of a command structure in place, nor indication that all that remains of humanity are aboard the Wildcat, which makes taking matters seriously more difficult. It isn't so much that the writing is sloppy (the pacing of the stories is solid, and the dialogue often very amusing), but that the rush to set up external conflicts has muted some of the possible internal strife.
The title would have benefited from being more ship-bound at the beginning of the series, with exploration growing organically from the storytelling, and stronger ties between the individual characters. Without having a sense of the desperation for a new homeworld, the scenes on the planet appear to be the main crew mucking around planetside while everyone waits, twiddling their thumbs, aboard the ship in orbit.
Wildcat is frustratingly inconsistent, but wonderful to look at.
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