Aliens Vol.1 #8

Sep 1991. Cover price £1.50.
52 pages. Colour & B&W.
Trident Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Martin Skidmore.

Cover by Denis Beauvaus.
r: UNKNOWN.

Free poster; illustrated by Dave Dorman (signed).
r: Aliens Vs Predator (Dark Horse)

Contents:

 2 Contents / Title Credits / Indicia

 3 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

 4 Aliens Earth War, part two, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Sam Keith, lettering by Pat Brosseau, colouring by Monika Livingstone.

r: Aliens: Earth War (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

15 Humanity's Last Hope Has Returned in 1991 in a Last Ditch Attempt to Save Their Future in-house advertisement for The Terminator Vol.1 #02; illustrated by Chris Warner.

16 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

17 Predator Big Game, part one, w: John Arcudi; p: Evan Dorkin, i: Armando Gil, lettering by Kurt Hathaway, colouring by Julia Lacquement.

r: Predator: Big Game (Dark Horse) #01 (Mar 1991).

32 Aliens in-house advertisement for graphic novels and t-shirts.

33 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

34 Aliens Vs Predator Untitled, part eight, w: Randy Stradley; p: Phil Norwood, i: Karl Story, lettering by Pat Brosseau, colouring by Monika Livingston.

r: Aliens Vs Predator (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

49 Model Kits in-house advertisement.

50 Next Issue! (half page) / Subscriptions (half page)

51 Terminator T-Shirt Offer in-house advertisement.

52 Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis in-house advertisement.

While the grey semi-border makes the cover appear slightly drab, and the title of the comic difficult to easily discern at first glance, the image of the Predator is superb. It is an extremely powerful and immediate image, an effortlessly encourages speculation on the contents. The boast of a poster is, for some reason, in a rather stark white jagged balloon rather than being coloured, lessening the overall effect of its news, and the positioning is awkward in the extreme. Poor layout consideration also applies to the Predator side-box, which uses poorly-cropped art featuring lettering.

I don't expect perfection, merely adequate presentation. The amount of times I have had to stop and look closer at something in a Trident title to see what is going on is unbelievable. Time after time the look is spoiled by some minor, easily-fixable element, and the end product suffers from appearing so (dare I say it) amateurish. To have made this cover far more impressive would have taken ten minutes of light editing.

Earth War continues in stylish fashion, and footage from Earth serves to remind Newt of her childhood is a slightly heavy-handed manner, though is none the poorer for the echo. Keith's artwork ranges from extremely stylised to very real in rapid pace, and although there is definitely a 'look' to the series, I wish he had been more experimental with the layout, pushing the nightmarish elements to the forefront - this is, after all, the end of humanity we are witnessing, and yet there isn't an overriding sense of the futility of defence against the aliens.

A far better Terminator advert, sans low-resolution artwork, manages to make the series (finally) look appealing. Unfortunately it is another B&W ad, which calls into question just what was going on at Trident. Were the colour plates not available, or was this merely a theme the publisher was extending through all their promotions?

Most of Cibola County in New Mexico still looks like a Frederic Remington landscape.

The terrain is wide open and rugged, with very few people around to spoil the view.

Occasionally, however, there are things that disrupt the serene community.

Grants Airport is not too far north from here, so overhead traffic is not uncommon.

Frightened though they are, the locals venture out into the open after only a few minutes -

- and within the hour, things are have returned to normal.

That is, as normal as things will ever be again.

Predator: Big Game can be looked at as a compendium of settings dragged from blockbuster movies: the army base, the small-town diner, vast empty landscapes, all threatened by the arrival of The Outsider. In stories The Outsider is a position taken by invading armies, various kinds of aliens, technological monstrosities, relentless serial killers, or any other force which upsets the regular existence of a populace. Having already established the modus operandi of the Predator, no long introduction is required to explain back-story, getting straight to the drive of the story.

If you think disassembling the story in this manner is a simplification of what is presented, don't worry - this is, against a background of similarly-themed stories, a perfect little machine which ticks along with elegance. It is the Bugatti of story engines, which is why Arcudi's use of it here, with a wonderfully light touch, is so appreciated. While accusations of a generic feel might be warranted in places, he sets up events in such a precise manner that not even the most cynical of readers will fail to appreciate how much craft there is in the telling.

Turned down for a three-day pass, Enoch Nakai goes on anti-aircraft duty with his unit in the wilds of New Mexico.

The many smells of the prairie are like words to Enoch Nakai. Each smell has its own meaning.

As the fragrance of loam means fertile soil, and the scent of a hare means food -

An unfamiliar smell almost always means danger.

Stopping the tank upon which he is travelling, Enoch points to a tree which he claims is host to something unfamiliar. Investigating, his colleague is immediately killed by the hidden Predator, and only Enoch's fast reflexes save his skin. Running for assistance he encounters a passing jeep, which takes him to Sergeant Coates and Colonel Athelry, who are in command of transporting the alien ship away from its landing point, and he informs them of the occupant's actions.

Stock story elements are not a bad thing. Using familiar storytelling techniques draws the reader in to a tale of a rogue Predator hunting a military unit down one by one, and the art - using enough recognisable detail to sell the realism of the location - is able to convincingly locate the story in a time and place. I really do love this story, and, although there are pieces of its story which feel slightly out of position due to the truncated reprint format, it works magnificently.

Machiko flees as the Predator and aliens go after one another, and manages to get back to the secured area to warn the others.

#07

Aliens Vol.1

#09

Aliens Vol.1 #7

Aug 1991. Cover price £1.50.
52 pages. Colour & B&W.
Trident Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Martin Skidmore.

Cover by Denis Beauvaus.
r: Aliens (Dark Horse) #01 (Aug 1989)

Contents:

 2 Contents / Title Credits / Indicia

 3 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

 4 Aliens Earth War, part one, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Sam Keith, lettering by Jim Massara, colouring by Monika Livingstone.

r: Aliens: Earth War (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

28 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

29 Predator The Heat, part seven, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Chris Warner, lettering by David Jackson, colouring by Chris Chalenor.

r: Predator #02 (Jun 1989).

39 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

40 Aliens Vs Predator Untitled, part seven, w: Randy Stradley; p: Phil Norwood, i: Karl Story, lettering by Pat Brosseau.

r: Aliens Vs Predator (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

49 Subscriptions (half page) / The Sheffield Space Centre (quarter page) advertisement. / Model Aerodrome Limited Presents (quarter page) advertisement for Halcyon Aliens figure.

50 The Terminator in-house advertisement for #01.

51 Cheap Mail Order advertisement for Planet X.

52 Aliens in-house advertisement for graphic novels and t-shirts.

Another wonderful cover marred by a poor notice placed over the art, this time promoting Earth War. While the title has every reason to bring attention to the story, the manner in which they do so lacks a style and flourish which the strip deserves. A visually stunning piece of horror fantasy which relishes its darkness, Sam Keith really pushes layouts and form to create a feast for the eyes.

Planet LV-426 - Acheron Terraforming Colony.

When I was young, I knew a little girl named Rebecca, Her friends called her Newt.

She had a doll named Casey. The two would stare for hours as manmade storms battered their tiny settlement.

The adult colonists found their new environment cruel and unrelenting, but the little girl had known nothing else. To her, the planet was home.

She only wanted what all children want -

- the warmth and security of family -

- the human connectedness that comes from belonging.

What she got was a nightmare without end.

As anyone who has seen Aliens can attest, Newt is tough. She survived in the alien-infested colony on her own, so that gives credence to her strength of character. Highlighting the fact that she would treat the colony as her home, accepting the harsh conditions there, is a clever way of preparing the reader for what is to come. What is more surprising, though understandable, is the hatred which she holds against Ripley for abandoning her. The addition to the film's conclusion, with Ripley being woken after three days in cryo by Captain Hankerson - who has been travelling in a second ship - is a rather clever way of getting more mileage out of LV-426.

Ripley is shocked when told footage from Kane's helmet still exists:

"The inboard suit recorders logged everything. The Nostromo's android dumped the data into the escape pod's computer long before you slagged him and blew the main ship."

Interested in the navigator, or pilot, which Kane discovered in the destroyed ship, Hankerson wants Ripley to accompany him to the planet to act as a guide, and to provide reliable first-hand information. Threatening to wake up Hicks or Newt if she declines, Ripley is forced to return to the LV-426 with another team of marines.

Keith's style takes some getting used to, especially when he uses more abstract techniques. Beautiful, mad, and quite amusing in places, he breathes life into the story, providing a visual counterpoint to the script's leaps of logic.

The Predators are not happy. Which might be an understatement, as they start firing on people gathered on the streets. It is only when Schaefer targets the fire hydrants that he is able to level the playing field.

Schaefer has no love for the city, his job, or even the people - so why the hell did he do it?

When it was all over, would anyone even care? Or would they turn bac to their televisions, pleased that their reception had finally cleared up -

Then I remembered what he'd said about the beast - the beast in all of us.

"Maybe the hunt is their way of keeping the beast alive"

- maybe this war was Schaefer's way of doing the same.

Mirroring protagonists with their antagonists is an old trick, though Verheiden's script is more explicit in showing the similarities than most would be comfortable with. Having previously set up the hunting background, with flashbacks, the scene doesn't jump out as being out of place, but it certainly makes the reader take notice. This hero of ours, we see, is far from heroic.

Which, given the enemy he is going up against, is probably for the best.

The Sheldon boy crashes his vehicle into a wall, bringing assistance from those investigating the unconscious Predator. The boy explains that his mother and father were killed by monsters, and when he sees the captive alien identifies it as the same species. A meeting is called after the Sheldon ranch is checked, and preparations are made for what is being considered an invasion.

Few of the ranchers had weapons or their own, and the corporate armory consisted of fifteen scatter-guns - primarily for use against fire-crawlers and briar-wolves - and ten pistols earmarked for a police force the town had never needed.

Prosperity Wells was never intended to be a fortress, but the ranchers, under Hiroki's direction, set up an admirable line of defense.

The final three pages are a masterclass in creating tension, with the aliens and Predators stepping up their sport, with Machiko stuck in the middle. The stacking of containers is reminiscent of old westerns, where the wagons are dragged into a circle, further elaborating on themes which have run through the story. As happy that I am about the threat aboard the Lector finally paying off, I do have to wonder - what have the aliens been up to all this time?

On second thoughts, I probably don't want to know...

The Terminator advert at the back of the issue is incredibly pixelated, and so stylised that it doesn't represent the eventual cover repro at all. Adverts this bad should be dropped, rather than negatively influence potential readers.

#06

Aliens Vol.1

#08

Star Wars Comic Vol.1 #7

05 Sep 1999. Cover price £1.25.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.

Edited by John Freeman.

Painted cover by Hugh Fleming.
r: cover from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).

Contents:

 2 The Final Battle! text introduction (uncredited). / Contents / Indicia

 3 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, part seven, w: Henry Gilroy, based on the story by George Lucas; p: Rodolfo Damaggio, i: Al Williamson, lettering by Steve Dutro, colouring by Dave Nestelle.

r: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).

11 Forbidden Planet advertisement.

16 Use the Force advertisement for Lego Star Wars sets.

22 All-Out Star Wars Action! in-house advertisement for Star Wars Comic, Star Wars Magazine, and graphic novels.

24 Have Darth Maul on Yer Back competition.

25 Communications readers' mail; illustrations by Nicholas Jones and Richard Fallon.

26 Coming Next Issue

27 Subscribe & Save

28 Galaxion '99 convention advertisement.

I'm not saying that Freeman was recalling the good old days of Doctor Who, but this issue begins a sequence of random cover dates which zip back and forth with no consistency.

Having dragged on for six issues already, Star Wars Comic gets the rest of the saga out of the way in one chunk. The strangely muted battle, in which Darth Maul takes on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, lacks a certain something, and the coup de grâce is strangely absent - one might imagine, if the film was not referred to, that Qui-Gon merely fell over.

The destruction of the droid control ship is given a similarly too-brief moment, with two large explosions marring the surface, though there is no indication of the extent of the damage. A handful of panels charting the destruction over the following moments would have clarified that we are seeing its destruction rather than merely being severely damaged. It is a theme which has recurred throughout the series - stunningly beautiful artwork, marred by poor storytelling choices.

The final full-page image does the adaptation no favours, and as a conclusion there is a distinct lack of satisfaction to be had. Disappointingly, there is still no comedic flourish to offset the serious nature of the strips chosen. Levity, especially when dealing with such po-faced space opera, is required to keep from feeling drained at the relentless pomposity of it all. Star Wars is meant to be fun, and this exercise in repetition is hardly enjoyable.

#05

Star Wars Comic

#08

Dracula #5

May 1993. £1.25.
40 pages. Full colour & B&W.
Dark Horse Comics International

Edited by Dick Hansom.

Cover by Mike Mignola.
r: cover from Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #04 (Jan 1993).

Contents:

 2 Dracula Introduction text (uncredited) / Contents / Indicia

 3 Bram Stoker's Dracula, part five, w: Roy Thomas; p: Mike Mignola, i: John Nyberg, lettering by John Costanza, colouring by Mark Chiarello.

r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #4 (Jan 1993).

20 Bloodlines text feature compiled by Dave Hughes.

22 Vampirella - What Has Gone Before text introduction; illustrated by Mike Kaluta.

23 Vampirella Who Serves the Cause of Chaos?, part two, w: Archie Goodwin; a: Tom Sutton.

r: Vampirella (Warren) #08 (Nov 1970).

30 Transmission Vamp text feature by Adrian Rigelsford.

32 Werewolf! w: Larry Ivie; a: Frank Frazetta, lettering by Ben Oda.

r: Creepy (Warren) #01 (1964).

38 Positive Blood Type reviews of vampire books by Seamus Ryan.

39 Subscribe - Comics for the '90s (half page) in-house advertisement. / Exclusive Fangtastic Offer (half page) advertisement for Studio Three Jewellery Design.

40 Timeless Terror From Dark Horse in-house advertisement

Note: There is more information about the Werewolf strip at DocDave's Frazetta blog.

Mignola's depiction of the beastial Dracula is grotesque and eye-catching, capturing the film's design ethos perfectly, and making the cover really stand out. The cover lines, when placed upon such a strong image, are rather inconsequential - not to mention being extremely difficult to read.

From Jonathan Harker's journal: 2 October

We left London by train and crossed the English channel that night in stormy seas, no doubt from the passage of the Count's ship. He commands the winds, but we still have the advantage. By train, we can reach the Romanian port at Varna in three days. By ship, it will take him at least a week. From Paris, we traveled through the Alps to Buda-Pest. The Count must sail around the Rock of Gibraltar, where we have posted a look-out, and then on to the Black Sea port at Varna where we will meet his ship and burn it into the sea.

Ending with a rather downbeat, and very dark, installment, the strip follows every other adaptation in condensing the journey to Dracula's castle into as brief a space as possible. It is annoying that the colouring is so suddenly dark as the small band rushes to stop Dracula, as it appears to already be night - "We've got to kill him before the sun sets!" seems, therefore, to be a misplaced line. Its closing pages hammer home the differences here than in other adaptations of the novel, with a tearful Mina delivering the killing blow to the vampire.

"We want no proofs. We ask none to believe us. God be thanked that all has not been in vain - the curse has passed away."

Bloodlines further elaborates on the cinematic success of the film, and offers up ten copies of Redemption's videocassette release of >The Vampire Bat in a competition. A less impressive product given coverage is Scarlett, an attempt by DC Comics to attract the horror crowd - Tom Joyner and Keith S. Wilson's opening issue might have had interesting moments, but quickly faltered, though the piece is strangely quiet on the comic's contents.

Vampirella arrives at a scene of worship, with the cult members in full chant. Attacked by the monster she had seen before, Vampirella defends herself - and makes her presence known, drawing the cult members down on her in force. Chained to an altar, it seems that she will be given as a sacrifice to Nuberus, though Tyler steps in to prevent her death. He admits that his real name is Ethan Shroud, warlock of Old Salem, and first leader of the Companions of Chaos, and professes his love for Vapirella, for which she rebuffs him. The real Tyler returns to life to drag Ethan into the limbo from which he has ventured, and the Crimson Chronicles, which the cult used in their ceremonies, burns...

Dragging out the Van Helsing subplot with a single page of plot development is a touch luxuriant, especially when the strips are being dragged out here, but with such accomplished artwork there is little to gripe about. I have a soft spot for the character, having read through stacks of the Warren originals (back when they could be picked up for 50p each), and it is a joy to see them get another chance to shine here.

The 1977 Louis Jourdan-starring Dracula gets coverage in Transmission Vamp, with some amusing observations from Adrian Rigelsford:

With the current tidal wave of interest in all things Dracula-related, it would seem an ideal time to dig up this Count, but, alas, this does not look like it will ever happen. Apart from the odd clip turning up now and again (and a recent screening at the National Film Theatre), the long-requested release of the production on the retail video market seems [as] unlikely as it has for the past ten years or so, with clearance and rights ownership causing endless problems.

It would turn up on the fifth of April, 1993 on BBC Two, while this issue was still on the shelves. As amusing as it would be to imagine the BBC broadcasting the show deliberately, it is an odd coincidence.

Positive Blood Type (the puns, they keep coming) tackles Anne Billson's Suckers, Poppy Z. Brite's Lost Souls, and The Ultimate Dracula anthology from Dell, with remarkable restraint. Laying off the awful vampire puns altogether would have endeared me more, as it reeks of trashy US horror magazines of the seventies, not one of which retains anything remotely close to charm. Of the books listed, The Ultimate Dracula, with a P.J. Farmer story, sounds the most interesting.

#04

Dracula

#06

Dracula #4

23 Mar 1993 - 14 Apr 1993. £1.25.
36 pages. Full colour & B&W contents.
Dark Horse Comics International.

Edited by Dick Hansom.

Cover by Mike Mignola.
r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #?

Contents:

 2 Dracula Introduction text by Dick Hansom (? uncredited) / Contents / Indicia

 3 Bram Stoker's Dracula, part four, w: Roy Thomas; p: Mike Mignola, i: John Nyberg, lettering by John Costanza, colouring by Mark Chiarello.

r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #04 (Jan 1993).

17 Bloodlines text feature compiled by Dave Hughes; photographs by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

19 Vampirella Who Serves the Cause of Chaos? w: Archie Goodwin; a: Tom Sutton.

r: Vampirella (Warren) #08 (Nov 1970).

33 Inside Coppola's Dracula Untitled, part four, text feature by Gary Gerani & Dave Hughes; photographs by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

34 Salem's Slot review of Salem's Lot (1978) by Seamus Ryan; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

35 Subscribe - Comics for the '90s

36 The Galaxy's Greatest Heroes Return in... Classic Star Wars in-house advertisement

The hunt for Dracula begins, and, while Mina sees Renfield, the boxes of Dracula's home soil are purified so that they cannot be used by him. After venting his anger on Renfield for betraying him, Dracula visits Mina - who he convinces to drink of his blood. Knowing that the link between Mina and Dracula can be used to his advantage, Helsing hypnotises Mina.

Some of the colouring decisions make the art too dark in places, with reproduction struggling to cope with the almost-hidden figures on the first page, for example, though for the most part this is an artistic choice which sells the stylized mood. The page which doesn't quite work is when Mina is hypnotised, as the various blues blend into one another. For an adaptation which has, overall, been so strong, this isn't really a problem.

Bloodlines sets its sights on Academy Award nominations for the film, announcing that Bram Stoker's Dracula snagged a nomination in every category of the second Chainsaw Awards, run by Fangoria. The feature's brief, yet tantalising, coverage of Anne Rice's UK promotional tour doesn't state whether the interviews which weren't cancelled were for print or television - small details.

Night blankets a remote area of the rocky mountains, and, softly, silently snow has begun to fall. A cutting wind sends the flakes of white dancing and driving across the rugged landscape to pelt and sting a figure strangely out of place in these surroundings, a girl of unearthly beauty wandering through a winter night. A girl lost in a world not her own...

Vampirella suits the black and white presentation, though it has to be asked - was the finances stretched so tight that some colour could not have been added? After finding herself stranded on a mountain after a plane crash, Vampirella is rescued by Tyler Westron, who takes her to the safety of his retreat for the nervous rich. Vampirella discovers that Tyler is well aware of her alien origins, as she has talked while under sedation, and worse - he has had to amputate her wings. Telling her that he only wishes to aid her, Tyler convinces Vampirella to be patient.

And far from the isolated winter lodge, other events are forming that will in time touch the girl of Drakulon, for as the half-light of dusk settles gloomily over a graveyard in rural Michigan...

Conrad Van Helsing exhumes Kurt's corpse, and, seeing that it is drained of blood, puts a stake through the heart of his dead brother.

Vampirella may not be the most original series ever written, but the effect of so many influences upon this plot assists in creating a larger canvas upon which to paint her adventures. A cult which worships ancient gods, the isolated "hospital" where events play out, a staking in a modern cemetery, a strange monster kept caged in the basement - all of the elements are familiar, yet when woven together in this manner build into something greater than the pieces themselves.

It isn't perfect, however. There are panels which don't work, especially those in which close-ups of major characters don't look like those characters, and the ending trails off, when it should end on a more dramatic note.

No matter the film, reading of the rush to get a completed product in the can in time for its release date, and as Inside Coppola's Dracula makes clear, Bram Stoker's Dracula. had quite a few challenges to overcome. Most interesting of the comments, is mention of the deleted scenes:

Certain elements were lessened or dropped, others amplified. Early test screenings suggested that a little blood goes a long way. Some very sexy scenes were deleted altogether.

So... More deleted scenes than there was on the two-disc DVD release?

As a lifelong Stephen King fan, Salem's Lot always felt like a poor adaptation, whether in its film edit or as a mini-series. Seamus Ryan provides a brief recap of its development, first as a film, then as the eventual mini-series it became, and its sequel. There isn't enough to convince me to give it another chance, and I'm not sure why it is included. Had there been more a involved history of the book and its adaptation it might have been a really useful primer, though without a wealth of detail it merely points to the video's existence.

Stealth marketing at work.

03

Dracula

#05

Aliens Vol.1 #6

Jul 1991. Cover price £1.50.
52 pages. Colour & B&W.
Trident Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Martin Skidmore.

Cover by Denis Beauvaus.
r:

Contents:

 2 Contents / Title Credits / Indicia

 3 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

 4 Aliens Untitled, part six, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Denis Beauvaus, lettering by Bob Pinaha.

r: Aliens (Dark Horse) #02 (Dec 1989).

12 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

13 Predator The Heat, part six, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Chris Warner, lettering by Jim Massara, colouring by Chris Chalenor.

r: Predator #02 (Jun 1989).

29 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

30 Aliens Vs Predator Untitled, part six, w: Randy Stradley; p: Phil Norwood, i: Karl Story, lettering by Pat Brosseau.

r: Aliens Vs Predator (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

47 Letters Page readers' mail.

49 Aliens - the Graphic Novel, the Portfolio, the t-shirts, the Hardback in-house advertisement.

50 The Terminator in-house advertisement for #01.

51 Subscriptions (half page) / The Sheffield Space Centre (quarter page) advertisement. / Fantasy World (quarter page) advertisement for June opening of Another World.

52 Toxic! in-house advertisement for #15.

One of the best covers so far, with its light blue and black trade dress playing well against Beauvaus' image. The jagged balloon containing the announcement that the aliens have reached Earth is, however, an eyesore - Trident, despite being good at picking out suitable material for reprinting, and with extremely talented creators providing new strips, always seemed to be less adventurous when it came to lettering. In appearance it is the kind of thing I expect to see printed on own-brand boxes of fish fingers rather than a comic cover.

The - the alien is the only one I can trust. Their loyalty transcends human treachery.

Together, we will form a new world. I will lead man and alien alike toward a new glory, a new beginning -

- A better tomorrow!

Spears quickly learns just how intelligent - and duplicitous - the aliens can be, and pays for his arrogance with his life. Meanwhile, at Gateway Station, the ship carrying Newt and Hicks docks, and they discover what has become of the handful of survivors aboard. A report from planetside has news of a nest which the aliens have built, spralwing across the city, and down into the underground. All seems lost for those remaining on the surface, but an old friend is at hand to take the battle to the aliens.

With her final-page appearance, Ripley is, once more, an essential part of the Alien saga. Although her appearance brings a smile - in the same manner as seeing Arnold reprise his Terminator role in Terminator Genisys - though, like Terminator, Aliens needs to find a voice, and characters, away from what is familiar. As interesting as her position in the films has been, there really should be more to the universe than her adventures.

Rasche reunites with Schaefer atop the Pan Am building, and, once Philips' men are put in their place, head to a U-Rent space on the Lower East Side. Filled with enough police impound to take on every cracked-out psycho in Manhattan, Schaefer watches Kartoon Kastle to prepare himself for the coming battle. Realising that the odds are too great, Schaefer sets out to recruit some back-up. The Predators are tracking his movements, and it takes the death of another Predator to convince Carr that< Schaefer is on the level.

Once the recruited army of criminals is properly armed, Rasche points out that they can hardly be expected to fight when the Predators are still in their ships. Forcing them to descend from their ships by the destruction of one of the vessels, Schaefer finds himself stuck between a police force wanting his hide and aliens wanting his head.

The ships aren't greatly impressive, which is highlighted in the panels which present them in close-ups. They remind me of the ugly spaceships which proliferated throughout DC's titles in the 80s, with the same simplistic design sensibilities. It is nice to see unconventional forces stepping up to take part in the forthcoming battle, and reactions to Schaefer's proclamation about alien forces invading is exactly what one would expect.

Searching for the doc, an unconscious Predator, along with the destroyed ship, is discovered in Iwa Gorge. It is brought to the Med Centre, where investigations into its physiology are begun. With all of the excitement it takes a while before anyone notices that the Lector still hasn't taken off.

A chance encounter with intelligent XTs was considered so remote that the company's off-planet manual contained only one line on the subject:

"Avoid direct contact until specially trained personnel arrive on the scene."

We were about to write a whole new chapter.

Aliens Vs Predator is still a fascinating story, though its inspirations are beginning to be noticeable. There's a definite manga sensibility to some of the images, which is both amusing ans appropriate.

#05

Aliens Vol.1

#07

Star Wars Comic Vol.1 #6

12 Sep 1999. Cover price £1.25.
28 pages. Full colour.
Titan Magazines.

Edited by John Freeman.

Painted cover by Hugh Fleming.
r: cover from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #04 (May 1999).

Contents:

 2 A Desperate Alliance text introduction (uncredited). / Contents / Indicia

 3 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, part six, w: Henry Gilroy, based on the story by George Lucas; p: Rodolfo Damaggio, i: Al Williamson, lettering by Steve Dutro, colouring by Dave Nestelle.

r: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (Dark Horse) #?? (1999).

13 Forbidden Planet advertisement.

18 20 Phantom Menace Graphic Novels Must be Won competition.

19 Subscribe & Save

20 Star Wars: Episode I - Qui-Gon Jinn, part two, w: Ryder Windham; p: Robert Teranishi, i: Chris Chuckry, lettering by Vickie Williams, colouring by Chris Chuckry.

r: Star Wars: Episode I - Qui-Gon Jinn (Dark Horse) nn (May 1999).

26 Coming Next Issue

27 See and Read the Film advertisement for graphic novel.

28 Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Let the Slaying Begin... in-house advertisement.

Another great cover, and one of the finest images of the often cartoonishly evil Darth Maul.

This installment of The Phantom Menace begins with so much abysmal dialogue that it seems to deliberately highlight Lucas' deficiencies as a writer. None of Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan's speech feels in the slightest realistic, and it is a problem which can't be overlooked when reading - there is no repartee here, being a series of apparently random sentences shoved into the Jedi mouths:

"I feel the presence of the Sith."
"I'm sorry I've been so rebellious."
"You will become a great Jedi."
"Do you think the Queen will be successful?"

This isn't, despite appearances, a handful of choice quotes, but rather a conversation. Who talks like this? That the artwork is so good makes the lapse in scripting especially noticeable. A brilliant image of the army walking through Naboo's mists is as good as Goseki Kojima or Hugo Pratt, although in other places there appears to be difficulties with perspective, rendering Darth Maul as somewhat short in stature.

Qui-Gon's own story is a tad more refined, with beautiful artwork and superb characterisation throughout. I'm never going to get used to the naked C-3PO though.

#05

Star Wars Comic

#07

Indiana Jones Annual 1990

[1989] Annual. Original price £2.99.
NA pages. Full colour contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Louise Cassell.
Designed by Rebecca Owen.

Photo cover (Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones)

Features by Patrick Mulkern & Louise Cassell

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper by Luigi Stefanelli / Gina Hart.

 6 Raiders of the Lost Ark - The Story: A Photo Tribute

 9 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - The Story: A Photo Tribute

12 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

13 Gateway to Infinity! w: David Michelinie; p: Ron Frenz i: David Bulanadi, colouring by Bob Sharen.

r: Indiana Jones (Marvel Comics) #04 (Apr 1983)

35 The Making of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

40 The Harbingers w: David Michelinie; p: Ron Frenz i: David Bulanadi, colouring by Bob Sharen.

r: Indiana Jones (Marvel Comics) #05 (May 1983)

After two hardback annuals with beautiful painted covers, this is - at first appearance - something of a letdown.

Recaps of Indy's big-screen adventures are entirely perfunctory, serving as little more than set-up for the cinema release of The Last Crusade. The problem with much of Indiana Jones' comic-book material is the focus on merchandise and (naturally enough) the films, missing a great opportunity to get readers interested in aspects of history which underpin the character, or escapades which he becomes involved in.

Rather more interesting than the synopses is the feature on the making of The Last Crusade, though this too suffers from a lack of elaboration. Split into paragraphs about the main players, there isn't room to delve into the numerous aspects of production which might have been more interesting. Special effects, perhaps - given some elaborate set pieces - might have been a worthwhile addition, or location scouting.

The two-part strip reprinted from Marvel's Indiana Jones series is less detailed and sketchier than the film adaptations, suffering from a poor likeness of Harrison Ford, some awkward compositions, and a story which doesn't reveal anything about the character which would make it essential reading. A strange choice for this annual, and it sits uncomfortably with the previous ones.

1985

Indiana Jones Annual

2009

Official Star Wars: Episode II Annual 2003

[2002] Annual. Original price £6.99.
72 pages. Full colour contents.
Egmont Books Ltd.

Edited by Jane Clempner.

Photo cover montage.
Back cover painting (uncredited).

ISBN-10: 0749856106

Contents:

 2 Jedi Forces Photo montage endpaper.

 4 Credits

 5 Contents

 6 Anakin full-color pin-up.

 7 Attack of the Clones, part one, text story by Dan Whitehead.

16 Padme Amidala character bio.

17 Padme Amidala full-color pin-up.

18 Anakin Skywalker character bio.

19 Anakin Skywalker full-color pin-up.

20 Obi-Wan Kenobi character bio.

21 Obi-Wan Kenobi full-color pin-up.

22 Mace Windu Quiz

24 Attack of the Clones, part two, text story by Dan Whitehead.

32 Zam Wesell character bio.

33 Zam Wesell full-color pin-up.

34 Jango Fett character bio.

35 Jango Fett full-color pin-up.

36 Vehicles, part one, illustrated feature.

38 Mace Windu character bio.

39 Mace Windu full-color pin-up.

40 Count Dooku character bio.

41 Count Dooku full-color pin-up.

42 Attack of the Clones, part three, text story by Dan Whitehead.

50 Yoda Quiz

52 Vehicles, part two, illustrated feature.

54 Clone Trooper character bio and photos.

56 C-3PO & R2-D2 character bio and photos.

58 Attack of the Clones. part four, text story by Dan Whitehead.

68 Mace Windu's Answers

69 Yoda's Answers

70 Sith Forces Photo montage endpaper.

Whatever gains in originality which Star Wars made throughout the eighties and nineties, with novels, comic strips, and television cartoons providing new storytelling avenues, was brutally stripped back to the bone with marketing for the second trilogy. Retelling the films again and again and again, the characters were robbed of their vitality through tedious repetition, plot points painfully exposed with each incarnation. After the novelisation, the young reader novelisation, the comic adaptation, later packaged as a graphic novel, along with sundry promotional tie-ins, there was absolutely no need to reprise the story once more.

And yet, for reasons best known to Lucasfilm, here we are again.

Worse than pointless, this is only of value for the images from the film. If I want to refresh my memory of the film I'll watch it. The last thing I want to do is read yet another take on something which has become so familiar that I am able to recount lines of dialogue without a great deal of effort. It isn't, I hasten to add, Whitehead's fault - if someone was going to ply forth the tale for the umpteenth time, then he is as good as any to tackle the job, and he injects as much life into proceedings as he is able.

These types of annuals pose an interesting question, which should generate serious concerns in license holders - if this account of the film's narrative exists, then why would a reader bother with the film? It is, after all, the same narrative, and packaged alongside numerous images from the film. Serving as a perfectly reasonable alternative, it might provide more use than sitting through the film. It will certainly take less time to get through.

If adaptations, as a whole, are to survive the transition to print, then they must provide something which the film doesn't contain. What this annual desperately needed was additional scenes, alternative takes on what we get to see in the film, scenes taken from original characters' points of view, or expanding events to depict the consequences of events seen in the film. By rigidly adhering to the film there is only one conclusion:

This book is a complete waste of time.

Scooby-Doo! Annual 2007

[2006] Annual. Cover price £6.99.
64 pages. Full colour contents.
Panini Books

ISBN-10: 1904419976

Contents:

 2 Scooby-Doo! a: (uncredited).

 4 Contents a: (uncredited).

 5 Scooby-Doo and the Skeleton Scare!, part one, w: Terrance Griep, Jr; p: Joe Staton, i: Jeff Albrecht, lettering by Tom Orzechowski, colouring by Paul Becton.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #69 (Feb 2003).

11 Join the Gang! 'snakes and ladders' board game.

12 The Scooby Crew biographies of Mystery Inc.

14 Scooby-Doo and the Skeleton Scare!, part two, w: Terrance Griep, Jr. p: Joe Staton, i: Jeff Albrecht, lettering by Tom Orzechowski, colouring by Paul Becton.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #69 (Feb 2003).

20 Horrible Weeble! make it yourself feature.

22 Things That Go Bump in the Walls, part one, w: John Rozum. p: Paris Cullens, i: Bob Petrecca, lettering by Nick J. Nap, colouring by Heroic Age.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #99 (Oct 2005).

26 The Haunted Graveyard picture puzzle.

28 Things That Go Bump in the Walls, part two, w: John Rozum. p: Paris Cullens, i: Bob Petrecca, lettering by Nick J. Nap, colouring by Heroic Age.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #99 (Oct 2005).

32 Doggie Doodle! How to draw Scooby-Doo.

34 Wail of a Tale!, part one, w: Frank Strom. p: Anthony Williams, i: Dan Davis, lettering by Tom Orzechowski, colouring by Paul Becton.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #76 (Sep 2003).

40 Shadow Spooks! picture puzzle.

41 Wail of a Tale!, part two, w: Frank Strom. p: Anthony Williams, i: Dan Davis, lettering by Tom Orzechowski, colouring by Paul Becton.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #76 (Sep 2003).

47 Groovyscopes With the Mystery Inc. Gang! horoscopes.

48 The Spirits of Appledown County!, part one, w: Rurik Tyler. p: Kaken Matchette, i: Scott McRae, lettering by Tom Orzechowski, colouring by Zylonol.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #71 (Apr 2003).

52 Head First! make it yourself feature.

54 Scooby's Snack Attack! wordsearch.

55 Velma's Super Spooks! fact page.

56 The Spirits of Appledown County!, part two, w: Rurik Tyler. p: Kaken Matchette, i: Scott McRae, lettering by Tom Orzechowski, colouring by Zylonol.

r: Scooby-Doo (DC Comics) #71 (Apr 2003).

62 Mystery Solved! a: (uncredited).

2006

Scooby-Doo Annual

2008

Street Fighter II #10

Jun 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Dck Hansom.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 Street Fighter II Presents the Official Movie Adaptation of Street Fighter credits. / What Has Gone Before recap (uncredited). Indicia

 3 The Battle for Shadaloo painting by Sonia Hillios.

r: cover from Street Fighter: The Battle for Shadaloo (DC) #nn (1995).

 4 Street Fighter, part two, w: Mike McAvennie, based on the screenplay by Steven E. de Souza, based on the Street Fighter video game series, produced by Capcom; p: Nick Napolitano, i: Bob Downs, lettering by Tim Harkins, colouring by Lee Loughbridge.

r: Street Fighter: The Battle for Shadaloo (DC) #nn (1995).

20 Street Fighter II poster

22 The Truth is Out There in-house advertisement for The X-Files.

38 Win the Book of the Movie of the Game competition to win Street Fighter novelisation by Todd Straser, based on the screenplay by Steven E. de Souza (Boxtree; 04 May 1995).

39 Patlabor Mobile Police in-house advertisement for videocassette.

40 Street Fighter. Unplugged. advertisement for Upper Deck trading cards.

Wisely placing Chun-Li (Ming-Na Wen) and Cammy (Kylie Minogue) on the cover, this is an overall more attractive proposition, while maintaining a strong link to the film. While there isn't a free gift this time round, the rather good cover to DC's original printing of the strip is included. Also included, finally, is a recap of prior events, though there's still no reader interaction. It is almost as if the title doesn't need to acknowledge the existence of its following, given how long it has survived already.

Chun-Li introduces herself to Ryu and Ken, warning them that they have ten minutes to flee before explosives go off. Slipping away, she encounters Cammy, who informs Chun-Li she is still under arrest. Sagat discovers that Bison has paid him in money bearing the general's face, angering Bison with his refusal to accept the notes. Guile prepares to launch an all-out attack on the fortress. Blanka is freed from the process which is designed to turn him into the ultimate weapon in Bison armoury, immediately attacking those he discovers.

The story may be filled with holes, characters with paper-thin personalities, and a sense of realism slightly lower than in the average Simpsons episode, but there's one thing the film did well - the explosions are gloriously large and very, very loud. Transposing the film to a comic strip was never going to yield a high quality product, but the conclusion is simply awful. Rushing through the story, in order to get it done and over with as quickly as possible, isn't the best way to handle a problematic narrative.

This issue's lack of feature content is a problem - when the main attraction is so feeble, there is nothing left to latch onto in the hopes that improvements are forthcoming.

#09

Street Fighter II

#11

Spongebob Squarepants: My Pet Sea Monster

Jul 2009; Cover price 4.99.
100 pages. Full colour.
Titan Books.

ISBN-13: 9781845764678

Cover by UNKNOWN.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

.3 Spongebob Squarepants: My Pet Sea Monster title page.

.4 Credits / Indicia.

.5 My Pet Sea Monster w: Scott Roberts; p: Gregg Schigiel, i: Jeff Albrecht, lettering by Comicraft, colouring by Sno Cone Studios.

r: UNKNOWN.

15 Rip Van Sponge w:/a: Graham Annable.

r: UNKNOWN.

21 The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

23 "Spongebob Goes Casual" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

39 "Lose the Tie" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

41 Krusty Karen w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

49 "That Sweater" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

51 Western Duds w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

57 "Wading Pool" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

67 Spongebob at the Movies w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

70 Staring Contest w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

72 Squidward w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

73 Snail Park w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

75 Nephews w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

83 Snail Groomer w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

85 "Keep Away from Krabs!" w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

87 Spongebob E.V.I.L.pants w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: UNKNOWN.

95 Don't Miss in-house advertisement for Mermaid to Measure and Gone Jellyfishing.

96 More Marine Mayhem! in-house advertisement for Fool's Gold.

97 Spongebob Squarepants Comic in-house advertisement.

98 Spongebob Squarepants: Frantic Fry Cook computer game advertisement.

The pocket-size format is makes the title appear as if it is slimmer than its hundred pages, though clean printing and slick paper combine to create a bright and attractive package. I'm not particularly enamoured of the series so I can't speak to the fidelity of the strips in relation to its animated source, but as an independent entity this is a fairly amusing collection of stories. Not that I would particularly seek out such a collection...

If you love the show this is probably of more interest.

Disney's Planet

22 Nov 1998 - 26 Nov 2000 (106 issues)
Two-Can Publishing / The Sunday Telegraph (newspaper insert).

 01 (22 Nov 1998) Mulan full-color pin-up. "Mulan - Mending the Wall" strip begins.

 02 (29 Nov 1998) Cri-Kee and Mushu full-color pin-up.

 03 (06 Dec 1998) Captain Shang full-color pin-up.

 04 (13 Dec 1998) "Aladdin and the Royal Toys" strip begins.

 05 (20 Dec 1998)

 06 (27 Dec 1998)

 07 (03 Jan 1999)

 08 (10 Jan 1999) "101 Dalmatians in Star Search" strip begins.

 09 (17 Jan 1999)

 10 (24 Jan 1999)

 11 (31 Jan 1999)

 12 (07 Feb 1999)

 13 (14 Feb 1999)

 14 (21 Feb 1999)

 15 (28 Feb 1999)

 16 (07 Mar 1999)

 17 (14 Mar 1999)

 18 (21 Mar 1999)

 19 (28 Mar 1999)

 20 (04 Apr 1999) "Mulan: The Lucky Cricket" strip begins.

 21 (11 Apr 1999)

 22 (18 Apr 1999) Hercules "A Torch for Meg" strip begins.

 23 (25 Apr 1999)

 24 (02 May 1999)

 25 (09 May 1999) Jungle Book "The Great Monkey Fling! strip begins.

 26 (16 May 1999)

 27 (23 May 1999) "Mickey and the Race to Save Space" strip begins.

 28 (30 May 1999)

 29 (06 Jun 1999)

 30 (13 Jun 1999)

 31 (20 Jun 1999) 101 Dalmatians "Pongo and Perdy Battle it Out" begins.

 32 (27 Jun 1999)

 33 (04 Jul 1999) Mulan strip begins.

 34 (11 Jul 1999)

 35 (18 Jul 1999) "The Little Mermaid: Underwater Engagements" strip begins.

 36 (25 Jul 1999) Mulan full-color pin-up.

 37 (01 Aug 1999)

 38 (08 Aug 1999)

 39 (15 Aug 1999)

 40 (22 Aug 1999)

 41 (29 Aug 1999) A Bug's Life "Royal Trouper" strip begins.

 42 (05 Sep 1999)

 43 (12 Sep 1999) Hercules "Working from Dawn Till Dusk" begins

 44 (19 Sep 1999)

 45 (26 Sep 1999) Quasimodo "The Gargoyle of My Dreams" strip begins.

 46 (03 Oct 1999)

 47 (10 Oct 1999) Tarzan "Dangerous When Wet" strip begins.

 48 (17 Oct 1999)

 49 (24 Oct 1999) Tarzan "Tantor's Lucky Charm" strip begins.

 50 (31 Oct 1999)

 51 (07 Nov 1999) Tarzan "Queen of the Jungle" strip begins.

 52 (14 Nov 1999)

 53 (21 Nov 1999) Mulan "The Little Doll" strip begins.

 54 (28 Nov 1999)

 55 (05 Dec 1999) 101 Dalmatians "Dalmatian Designs" strip begins.

 56 (12 Dec 1999) "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas" begins.

 57 (19 Dec 1999)

 58 (26 Dec 1999) Simba "Shadows" strip begins.

 59 (02 Jan 2000)

 60 (09 Jan 2000) Simba "A Tail Too Long" strip begins.

 61 (16 Jan 2000)

 62 (23 Jan 2000) Simba "The Talking Tree" strip begins.

 63 (30 Jan 2000)

 64 (06 Feb 2000) Toy Story 2 strip begins.

 65 (13 Feb 2000)

 66 (20 Feb 2000)

 67 (27 Feb 2000)

 68 (05 Mar 2000)

 69 (12 Mar 2000) Toy Story 2 "Nervous Rex" strip begins.

 70 (19 Mar 2000)

 71 (26 Mar 2000) Ariel "Eric's Story" strip begins.

 72 (02 Apr 2000)

 73 (09 Apr 2000)

 74 (16 Apr 2000)

 75 (23 Apr 2000)

 76 (30 Apr 2000) Donald Duck strip begins.

 77 (07 May 2000) Mickey Sports full-color pin-up.

 78 (14 May 2000)

 79 (21 May 2000)

 80 (28 May 2000) Hercules "Teamwork" strip begins.

 81 (04 Jun 2000)

 82 (11 Jun 2000) "Quasimodo Saves the Day!" strip begins.

 83 (18 Jun 2000)

 84 (25 Jun 2000)

 85 (02 Jul 2000) "The Fox and the Hound" strip begins.

 86 (09 Jul 2000)

 87 (16 Jul 2000)

 88 (23 Jul 2000)

 89 (30 Jul 2000) "Donald Goes to Hollywood" strip begins.

 90 (06 Aug 2000)

 91 (13 Aug 2000)

 92 (20 Aug 2000)

 93 (27 Aug 2000) "Workout the Hercules Way" strip begins.

 94 (03 Sep 2000)

 95 (10 Sep 2000)

 96 (17 Sep 2000) "Mickey's Marathon!".

 97 (24 Sep 2000) Donald Duck "Hard Times!" strip begins.

 98 (01 Oct 2000)

 99 (08 Oct 2000) No 2-page strip.

100 (15 Oct 2000) Ariel's Birthday Surprise" strip begins.

101 (22 Oct 2000)

102 (29 Oct 2000) The Secret Origin of the Duck Avenger" strip begins.

103 (05 Nov 2000)

104 (12 Nov 2000)

105 (19 Nov 2000)

106 (26 Nov 2000)

InDucks series listing.

Bugs Bunny Specials

9 issues

Bugs Bunny Summer Special (1974; cover price 15p)
TV Comic's Bugs Bunny Holiday Special (1978; cover price 35p)
TV Comic's Bugs Bunny Special (1979; cover price 40p)
TV Comic's Bugs Bunny Holiday Special (1980; cover price 40p)
A TV Comic Special Bugs Bunny Holiday Special (1981; cover price 50p)
Bugs Bunny - A TV Comic Holiday Special (1982; cover price 50p)
Bugs Bunny TV Comic Holiday Special (1983; cover price 60p)
Bugs Bunny - A TV Comic Holiday Special (1984; cover price 65p)

Bugs Bunny Holiday Special (1986; cover price 75p)

Street Fighter II #9

May 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Dick Hansom.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 Street Fighter II Presents the Official Movie Adaptation of Street Fighter credits. / Indicia

 3 Street Fighter, part one, w: Mike McAvennie, based on the screenplay by Steven E. de Souza, based on the Street Fighter video game series, produced by Capcom; p: Nick Napolitano, i: Bob Downs, lettering by Tim Harkins, colouring by Lee Loughbridge.

r: Street Fighter: The Battle for Shadaloo (DC) #nn (1995).

19 The Truth is Out There in-house advertisement for The X-Files.

20 Street Fighter II poster

22 Lock Up Your Sons! It's Tank Girl in-house advertisement.

35 100 Street Fighter Trading Card Albums to be Won competition.

36 Lights, Camera... Action! text feature (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

38 Prepare to Face a Deadly New Life Form in-house advertisement for Manga Heroes #04.

39 Get Blown Away With Masamune Shirow's New Dominion Tank Police in-house advertisement for cideocassette.

40 Street Fighter. Unplugged. advertisement for Upper Deck trading cards.

It would be interesting to see sales figures for this issue compared with the previous issue, though (as that seems unlikely) I would hazard a guess that advance word-of-mouth on the state of the film adaptation would likely have hurt this issue some. Attached to the front, as an incentive to continue past reprints of the manga, there are some trading cards. They are very attractive trading cards, mind you, but with a focus on the film representation rather than comic art.

There's still no introduction, although reprinting the film adaptation would have been the perfect opportunity to start heavy promotion.

Chun-Li Zang reports, for GNT News, on the A.N. forces who are consolidating their hold on Shadaloo City. Ken Masters and Ryu Hoshi are arrested, after attempting to cheat Sagat (by selling on toy weapons as the real thing), and placed in A.N. custody. When a fight breaks out in the yard, Colonel Guile gets the idea to use them in order to locate M. Bison's fortress.

Bison oversees Dr Dhalsim's research, which is progressing with Blanka's transformation into a perfect soldier. Ken and Ryu manage to get their hands on a truck, and with Vega's assistance make a break for the gate to escape the A.N. forces. Guile is shot in the escape, though Chun-Li manages to place a tracker on the truck before it disappears. Balrog discovers that the signal they are receiving is facing interference from another signal, and deduced that it is coming from the A.N. headquarters.

Sneaking in to the HQ, Chun-Li learns that Guile is alive, though she manages to escape before being confined. Zangief, meanwhile, makes acquaintance with Ken and Ryu.

This is a fairly representative adaptation, for good or bad, of the film, with art which manages to convey the mood and setting appropriately. It is rather a steep decline in quality from the art of the manga, but it has its own charm. The storyline may be ridiculous, even for a video-game tie-in, but the real problem is how quickly the strip blasts through each plot point, leaving characterisation behind.

Not the finest moment in film adaptations.

A two-page feature, though ostensibly concerning the film adaptation, makes note of the merchandising bonanza which had arisen from the success of the originating games, though shies away from a complete list of available items. It is rather surprising to see contemporary writing discussing the film in terms of its success, having accrued $30 million in its first 25 days, and its soundtrack album reaching tenth place in the charts.

A side-feature, The Bison Trooper's Guide to Shadoti, is an interesting attempt to create a language, Shadoti, for use in the franchise. It isn't, despite sounding so promising, nearly as useful as it might have been.

#08

Street Fighter II

#10

Aliens Vol.1 #5

Jun 1991. Cover price £1.50.
52 pages. Colour & B&W.
Trident Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Martin Skidmore.

Cover by Chris Warner.
r:

Contents:

 2 Contents / Title Credits / Indicia

 3 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

 4 Aliens Untitled, part five, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Denis Beauvaus, lettering by Bob Pinaha.

r: Aliens (Dark Horse) #02 (Dec 1989).

12 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

13 Predator The Heat, part five, w: Mark Verheiden; a: Chris Warner, lettering by Jim Massara, colouring by Chris Chalenor.

r: Predator #02 (Jun 1989).

28 Credits / Story So Far text introduction (uncredited).

29 Aliens Vs Predator Untitled, part five, w: Randy Stradley; p: Phil Norwood, i: Karl Story, lettering by Pat Brosseau.

r: Aliens Vs Predator (Dark Horse) #01 (Jun 1990).

50 Subscriptions (half page) / Model Aerodrome (quarter page) advertisement for Aliens models. / Fantasy World (quarter page) advertisement for June opening of Another World.

51 Letters Page readers' mail.

52 Aliens - the Graphic Novel, the Portfolio, the Hardback in-house advertisement.

Spears launches, and heads for Earth with his 'trained' aliens, abandoning his men. Newt and Hicks manage to stow away on his ship, though are unable to prevent the mad scheme when Spears locks himself in the cockpit. as Butler - alone with the aliens, the general's men either dead or hiding - transmits a final message to Newt. Gateway Earth Station responds to the arrival of the ship, asking for identification, and stating that there are no landing coordinates. Earth has been considered lost to the aliens. Hicks and Newt realise the only way to get off before Spears lands on Earth is with the emergency escape pod, and in their rush to get away can't check for signs of sabotage.

As satisfying as it is to see Newt escape certain death once more, the situation Earthside is intriguing. With the officials aboard the space-station regarding Earth a hopeless cause, we have to consider the possibilities this offers up - giraffe aliens, manatee aliens, hippo aliens... If, as so often depicted, they are resilient enough to adapt to any circumstance, does this mean they have made in Antarctica a suitable nest? WHich brings up, of course, the question of a Thing crossover.

Or better, Aliens Vs the Thing Vs Predators Vs Terminators.

Throw in a few ED-209's and it will be more entertaining than the human mind can cope with.

Schaefer is woken with a bucket of water in his face, discovering ust how committed Eschevera is to providing him with a painful, protracted death. Managing to escape, he heads for the jungle, hoping to disappear. As he runs, Predators begin to clear out his adversaries.

From the sound of the screams, I figured those things were starting to enjoy themselves.

It was only a matter of time before they turned their attention towards me.

Picked up by his own people, Schaefer is told that the Predators' only interest is in him.

Rasche realises that the authorities intend to hand Schaefer over - using his anger to his advantage, he takes out his federal babysitters, exiting with the helmet in his possession once more, heading for the meeting which has been arranged...

The final panel sets up a stand-off between humans and Predators atop the Pan-Am building, which is both slightly anachronistic and very amusing reading the story now. While the tropical segments of the strip have never quite felt as sticky and uncomfortably hot as they should, the New York sequences are better depicted. Unfortunately the colouring isn't quite up to the task of conveying the feel of the city, with swathes of bright colours limiting the effect to a degree.

Sickly Rhynth are discovered, yet the lethargic behaviour isn't treated as a serous ailment. Shigeru Chigusa, son of the company's head, announces that is en route, as alien face-hugger corpses are discovered on Ryushi, although Dr. Revna isn't sure precisely what he is looking at. Deciding to investigate Iwa Gorge, he discovers Predators rather than the aliens he was looking for, and is soon discovered. In a race for his life, his vehicle smashes into the Predator vessel causing an immense explosion.

There are a few extremely amusing incidental scenes, as well as some very attractive art, yet five issues in and we're still to see the two aliens go at each other. This isn't a complaint, as the plot is growing into a maze of conflicts and puzzles, which seems to be working for the strip. Machiko Noguchi is beginning to get some really good scenes, and her interactions with employees - Scott, in particular - makes the slow pace worthwhile.

Spaceship names are hard to get right. Sometimes the names are a bit soft and unconvincing, as if the visual component was more important than the name, though here a rather strong name causes problems - the Lector may or may not be a direct reference to The Silence of the Lambs, but it distracts from what has, so far, been a carefully constructed world.

If readers were getting impatient, the aliens finally make their presence known.

#04

Aliens Vol.1

#06

Superman Chronology

17 Oct 1914  Birth of Jerry Siegel.

10 Jul 1914  Birth of Joe Shuster.

04 Dec 1937  Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sign a contract with Detective Comics, Inc. giving the publisher first refusal on any comic strips created for the following two years.

03 Mar 1938  Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sign a contract with Detective Comics, Inc. giving the publisher complete rights to Superman.

18 Apr 1938  Action Comics (National Periodical Publications) #01 (Jun 1938) goes on sale. First appearance of Clark Kent / Superman, Lois Lane.

22 Sep 1938  Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sign a ten-year contract with Detective Comics, Inc.

16 Jan 1939  Syndicated Superman daily newspaper comic strip began.

05 Nov 1939  Syndicated Superman Sunday newspaper comic strip began.

19 Dec 1939  Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sign a contract increasing their pay rate to $20 per page and promising 5% of net proceeds from certain commercial exploitations of Superman.

12 Feb 1940  The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series began on New York's WOR station, with The Baby from Krypton.

09 May 1941  Final original format episode of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series.

26 Sep 1941  The first Fleischer animated short, Superman, released in U.S. cinemas.

28 Nov 1941  The second Fleischer animated short, The Mechanical Monsters, released in U.S. cinemas.

09 Jan 1942  The third Fleischer animated short, Billion Dollar Limited, released in U.S. cinemas.

26 Feb 1942  The fourth Fleischer animated short, The Arctic Giant, released in U.S. cinemas.

26 Mar 1942  The fifth Fleischer animated short, The Bulleteers, released in U.S. cinemas.

24 Apr 1942  The sixth Fleischer animated short, The Magnetic Telescope, released in U.S. cinemas.

15 May 1942  The seventh Fleischer animated short, Electric Earthquake, released in U.S. cinemas.

10 Jul 1942  The eighth Fleischer animated short, Volcano, released in U.S. cinemas.

23 Aug 1942  The ninth, and final, Fleischer animated short, Terror on the Midway, released in U.S. cinemas.

31 Aug 1942  First 15-minute The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series on Mutual Network.

18 Sep 1942  The first Famous Studios animated short, Japoteurs, released in U.S. cinemas.

16 Oct 1942  The second Famous Studios animated short, Showdown, released in U.S. cinemas.

20 Nov 1942  The third Famous Studios animated short, Eleventh Hour, released in U.S. cinemas.

25 Dec 1942  The fourth Famous Studios animated short, Destruction, Inc., released in U.S. cinemas.

## ### 1942  The Adventures of Superman novel, by George Lowther, published by Random House.

19 Feb 1943  The fifth Famous Studios animated short, The Mummy Strikes, released in U.S. cinemas.

26 Mar 1943  The sixth Famous Studios animated short, Jungle Drums, released in U.S. cinemas.

18 Jun 1943  The seventh Famous Studios animated short, The Underground World, released in U.S. cinemas.

28 Jun 1943  Jerry Siegel conscripted into U.S. Army.

30 Jul 1943  The eighth, and final, Famous Studios animated short, Secret Agent, released in U.S. cinemas.

24 Oct 1943  Lois Lane, Girl Reporter, accompanying the syndicated Superman Sunday newspaper comic strip, began in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

21 Feb 1944  Mr. Mxyzptlk first appearance, in the Syndicated Superman newspaper comic strip story The Mischievous Mr. Mxyzptlk.

02 Mar 1945  Superman encountered Batman and Robin for the first time in The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series.

21 Jan 1946  Jerry Siegel honourably discharged from U.S. Army.

12 Apr 1948  Judge Young declares National to be the owners of Superman, ruling against Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Judge Young declares Jerry Siegel "the originator and the sole owner" of Superboy, ordering National to cease publication of the character.

21 May 1948  Judge Young declares National to be the owners of both Superman and Superboy, after National paid Siegel and Shuster $94,013.16 for the outstanding rights.

24 Jun 1949  Final episode of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series on MBS.

04 Feb 1949  Final 15-minute episode of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series on Mutual.

07 Feb 1949  First half-hour episode of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series on Mutual.

24 Jun 1949  Final half-hour episode of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series on Mutual.

29 Oct 1949  First evening broadcast of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series, intended for older listeners, on ABC.

21 Jan 1950  Final evening broadcast of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series, intended for older listeners, on ABC.

05 Jun 1950  First afternoon broadcast of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series on ABC.

20 Jul 1950  First chapter of Atom Man vs. Superman film serial released in U.S. cinemas.

01 Mar 1951  Final episode of The Adventures of Superman syndicated radio series, The Mystery of the Prehistoric Monster, broadcast.

04 May 1951  National Comics Publications, Inc. v. Fawcett Publications, Inc. argued before Judge Learned Hand.

30 Aug 1951  National Comics Publications, Inc. v. Fawcett Publications, Inc. decided in favour of National.

23 Nov 1951  Superman and the Mole Men released in the U.S.

19 Sep 1952  First episode of Adventures of Superman television series, Superman on Earth, broadcast.

## ### 1954  Stamp Day for Superman released to schools, by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as part of its Saving Bonds promotion.

23 Apr 1955  First colour episode of Adventures of Superman television series, Through the Time Barrier, broadcast.

## ### 1955  The Short story Superman and Paula Brown's New Snowsuit, by Sylvia Plath, published as part of the new GCSE.

18 Jun 1956  Curt Swan took over art on the Syndicated Superman newspaper comic strip.

14 Jan 1957  Lucy and Superman, the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of I Love Lucy starred George Reeves as Superman.

05 Jan 1958  First chapter of Superman film serial released in U.S. cinemas.

28 Apr 1958  Final episode of Adventures of Superman television series, All that Glitters, broadcast.

## ### 1958  The Adventures of Superpup pilot screened as a replacement for Adventures of Superman television series. Not broadcast.

15 Oct 1958  John Hamilton, Perry White in Adventures of Superman television series, died of heart failure.

16 Jun 1959  George Reeves, star of Adventures of Superman television series, found dead, from a gunshot wound to the head, in the upstairs bedroom of his home.

## ### 1961  The Adventures of Superboy pilot screened as a replacement for Adventures of Superman television series. Not broadcast.

29 Mar 1966  "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" premiere on Broadway.

17 Jul 1966  "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" closes on Broadway.

10 Sep 1966  First episode of The New Adventures of Superman animated series broadcast on CBS.

First episode of six-minute Filmation The Adventures of Superboy animated series broadcast on CBS.

09 Sep 1967  First episode of The Superman / Aquaman Hour of Adventure animated series broadcast on CBS.

14 Sep 1968  First episode of The Batman / Superman Hour animated series broadcast on CBS.

08 Sep 1969  Bud Collyer, voice of Superman in both The Adventures of Superman radio series as well as the Fleischer and Famous Studios animated shorts, died of circulatory disease.

13 Sep 1969  First episode of The New Adventures of Superman animated series broadcast on CBS.

## ### 1969  Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex essay by Larry Niven published in Knight magazine.

05 Sep 1970  Final episode of The New Adventures of Superman animated series broadcast on CBS.

07 Oct 1972  Cindy's Super Friend, the fifth episode of The Brady Kids animated series, starred Clark Kent / Superman and Lois Lane.

08 Sep 1973  Super Friends animated series began on ABC.

22 Dec 1973  Final episode of Super Friends animated series.

24 Aug 1974  Re-runs of Super Friends animated series concluded, with the series cancelled.

01 Feb 1975  "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" broadcast on ABC as part of its Wide World of Entertainment series.

07 Feb 1976  Super Friends animated series began reruns - as a mid-season replacement - on ABC.

10 Sep 1977  The All-New Super Friends Hour animated series began on ABC.

03 Apr 1978  The World's Greatest Superheroes syndicated newspaper comic strip began.

02 Sep 1978  The All-New Super Friends Hour animated series concluded.

10 Dec 1978  Superman - The Movie released in the U.S.

Superman, Last Son of Krypton novel, by Elliot S. Maggin, published by Warner Books.