On This Day: 11 Apr

Overkill (Marvel Comics UK Ltd.) #01 (24 Apr 1992)

The Last American by John Wagner & Alan Grant, Mick McMahon, Phil Felix. (Rebellion; Apr 2017) ISBN 978-1781-08544-8

Births:

George Gordon Fraser (1859); Jane star Christabel Leighton–Porter (1913); Peter O'Donnell (1920)

Deaths:

John Brosnan (2005)

Notable Events:

The first episode of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue broadcast on in 1972, with Humphrey Lyttleton as chair.
Harry Harrison underwent a quadruple bypass operation in 2000, after visiting hospital for an angiogram.
The Beano Room exhibition, focusing on Leo Baxendale artwork, began at the Mills Gallery in 2005.

On This Day: 30 Mar

Disney Elena of Avalor (Panini) #01 (2017)

First Appearances:

Marlon Shakespeare (Chopper) in 2000 A.D. (IPC Magazines Ltd.) Prog 206 (04 Apr 1981).

Births:

Lawrence Hector Siggs (1900); Kurt Caesar (1906); Jack Trevor Story (1917); Richard Evans (1945)

Deaths:

Rudolph Ackermann (1834); Franco Cosimo Panini (2007)

Notable Events:

The Exeter Express & Echo slandered John Gullidge's magnificent Samhain magazine one more, with further sensationalist, exploitational nonsense.
Hawkwind: Do Not Panic television documentary broadcast on BBC 4 in 2007.
The Mindscape of Alan Moore 2–disc DVD released in the UK in 2007.

On This Day: 22 Mar

Thundercats (Panini UK) #01 (22 Mar 2012-18 Apr 2012)

The World of Batman sticker album (Panini; 2016)

Births:

Gerard Hoffnung (1925); Brian Walker (1926); Lew Stringer (1959); Steve Dillon (1962)

Deaths:

Malcolm Douglas (2009)

Notable Events:

Buck Ryan newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1937.
Garth newspaper strip's final episode appeared in The Daily Mirror in 1943.
Kick-Ass feature film given a London première in 2010.
Liquidators were appointed for Pedigree Books in 2016.

On This Day: 21 Mar

World of Wonder (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (1970).
Toxic! (Apocalypse) #01 (1991)

Tank Girl: Armadillo and a Bushel of Other Stories by Alan C. Martin. (2008)
Hurricane and Champion: The Companion Papers to Valiant by Steve Holland (Bear Alley Books; 2011) ISBN-13: 9781907081538

V for Vendetta: Music from the Motion Picture by Dario Marianelli (2006)

First Appearances:

Robina Hood in June (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #[576] (25 Mar 1972).

Births:

Alfred Sindall (1900); Evelyn Flinders (1910); Bill Holroyd (1919); Gallieno Ferri (1929)

Deaths:

Eric Parker (1974); Ron Clark (2009)

Notable Events:

The Perishers animated series began on BBC 1 in 1979.
Nemesis, Torquemada and Purity Brown appeared at the Forbidden Planet store in Denmark Street, London in 1987, where Pat Mills and Bryan Talbot were signing copies of Nemesis Book 5.
Alan Moore appeared on the television series Inside Out in 2008.
Bear Alley Books published their first book in 2011.

On This Day: 20 Mar

Valiant Holiday Special (IPC Magazines Ltd.) nn (1978).
St. Swithin's Day (Trident Comics; 1990).
Batman (Fleetway) Vol.2 #01 (Mar 1993).

First Appearances:

Medivac 318 in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 619 (25 Mar 1989).

Births:

Bruce C. Windo (1920)

Deaths:

J.R. Monsell (1952); James Herbert (2013)

Notable Events:

Terror Keep newspaper strip ended in 1937.
Inaugural Ally Sloper Award held at Comics 101 on this day in 1976.
Patty's Hours of Agony: A Reconstruction of the Life of Patty Hearst newspaper strip began in The Daily Mirror in 1976.
Raymond Briggs was a castaway on Desert Island Discs, on BBC Radio 4, in 2005.
The Royal Mail released World of Comics, a set of ten first class stamps bearing the likeness of Dennis the Menace, Dan Dare, and Judge Dredd among others, alongside the titles they appeared in, in 2012.
Brainstorm! The Art of Bryan Talbot began, at The Muse, 269 Portobello Rd., London, in 2014.

On This Day: 19 Mar

Tornado (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Eagle (IPC Magazines Ltd.) vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Scream (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (24 Mar 1984).

First Appearances:

The Angry Planet in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Captain Klep in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Victor Drago in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
The Mind of Wolfie Smith in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
Wagner's Walk in Tornado #01 (24 Mar 1979).
The Collector in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Doomlord in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Ernie in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Sgt. Streetwise in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Mick Tempest (The Tower King) in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
Thunderbolt and Smokey! in Eagle vol.21 #01 (27 Mar 1982).
The Dracula File in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Library of Death in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Monster in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Max (The Thirteenth Floor) in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Tales from the Grave in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
The Terror of the Cats in Scream #01 (24 Mar 1984).
Frank Weitz (Armoured Gideon) in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 671 (24 Mar 1990).

Births:

Achille Beltrame (1871); Sep E. Scott (1879); William Blain (1903); Keith Waite (1927); Richard Williams (1933); Pasqual Ferry (1961); Simon Donald (1964)

Deaths:

Steve Dowling (1986); Johnny Hicklenton (2010)

Notable Events:

Jim Barker took voluntary redundancy to become a freelance artist in 1982.
The Sun published an attack on St. Swithin's Day in 1990. Failed politician Teddy "dial-a-quote" Taylor was on hand to offer his opinion on the comic, though it later transpired he hadn't even read the story.
Revolutionary War: Warheads (Marvel) #01 (Mar 2014) released in the US in 2014.
Cursed Edge – Prog 5 fan film released on YouTube in 2016.

On This Day: 15 Mar

Big K (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (Apr 1984).
Beyond #01 (1995)

King Solomon's Mines (Bear Alley Books; 2013) ISBN-13: 9781907081699.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson; w: Mike Butterworth, a: John Millar Watt. (Bear Alley Books; Mar 2013) ISBN-13: 9781907081682

Births:

Sir Hildebrand Aubrey Harmsworth, 1st Baronet (1872); Eugenio Juan Zoppi (1923); Mervyn Haisman (1928); John Coulthart (1962)

Deaths:

Mary Tourtel (1948); Joseph Lee (1975); Nadir Quinto (1994)

Notable Events:

Keyboard Skills one-panel cartoon gags, by Tony Benyon, began in Big K magazine in 1984.
The BBC Schools television block broadcast a feature on "new wave" comics (including Crisis) in 1989.
UKCAC began at the Institute of Education, London, in 1997.
London Super Comic Convention began at ExCel Centre, London, in 2014.

The Freedom Collective #1

2004. Cover price £2.45
32 pages. B&W contents.
Kremlin Comics [Rough Cut Comics]

Communism's Mightiest Super-Heroes!

Edited by Igor Sloano [Iain Henderson].

Cover p: Dom Regan, i: Colin Barr, colouring by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 "Many Years Ago..." text introduction by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 3 Freedom Collective "This Land... This Terror!", part one, w: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr); p: Domski Regan (Dom Regan), i: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr), lettering by Pioter Rorkov (Peter Rourke).

14 Record Your Parents Voices at Home (half page) fake advertisement. / New from Kremlin Kraft (half page) fake advertisement.

15 "The Power of the Chief!", part two, w: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr); p: Domski Regan (Dom Regan), i: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr), lettering by Pioter Rorkov.

24 Bonus Feature! The Origin of the Krimson Kommisar and the Freedom Collective! w: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr); p: Domski Regan (Dom Regan), i: Comrade Barr (Colin Barr), lettering by Piotr Rorkov (Peter Rourke).

26 Freedom of Speech readers' mail.

28 Society: Party Animal in-house advertisement.

29 The First Cut is the Deepest in-house advertisement for The Surgeon

30 The Final Cut editorial by Edward Murphy.

31 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band advertisement.

32 New from Borealis Plastics - Glow in the Dark Rasputin & The Gamma Tzar Kits fake advertisement.

Taking the overblown histrionics of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's early sixties patriotic fervor, and twisting the message for a suitably Soviet flavor, could have resulted in a horrible mess. Be assured that this is a far better title than most retro titles. While it is a smarter, and less comedic, take on its subject than the cover suggests, it isn't entirely without problems - the very rough title isn't in keeping with the Marvel style, and the Rough Cut logo should have been in a more sixties mode. However the sheer audacity of both the plot and artwork manage to overcome whatever obstacles it makes for itself.

Colin Barr's script manages to avoid most of the problematic mistakes which have plagued US superhero titles (conflating Communist and Nazi ideology), and goes so far as to portray a Nazi (wryly named Von Braun) in league with The Chief.

There's some very subtle touches in the artwork, and good likenesses of historical characters, but the most impressive aspect of Dom Regan and Colin Barr's art is the depth of the images. The employment of foreground/middle ground/background composition grounds the characters in a time and place, unlike many of the classic comics which it parodies, and manages to appease my aesthetic requirements where superheroes are involved.

Freedom Collective mostly amuses my sense of humor through its' use of in-universe advertisements and letter-page, which keeps up the conceit of this being published in the USSR in the sixties, though this presents other (though minor) niggles - the Borealis advert feels more like a seventies advert, and one might suggest that more could have been made of its adverts.

Should this return in some way, I'll be reading. It is a magnificent and audacious title, which has managed what many would have believed impossible... It has made me genuinely interested in the adventures of a group of superheroes.

Batman Special Edition #1

Summer 1993. £1.50.
68 pages. Full color.
Fleetway Editions, Ltd.

Edited by Mike Butcher.

ISSN: 09683836

Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz. r: cover from Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

Contents:

.2 Contents / Introduction text by Mike Butcher.

.3 Resurrection Night! w: Doug Moench. a: John Byrne. c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by Elitta Fell.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

.4 Chapter I: Trading Darkness w: Doug Moench. p: Steve Lightle, i: Bruce D. Patterson, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

10 Chapter II: The Master Below w: Doug Moench. a: George Perez, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

14 Chapter III: First Steps w: Doug Moench. p: Paris Cullins, i: Larry Mahlstedt, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

17 Chapter IV: The Tempting... w: Doug Moench. a: Bill Sienkiewicz, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

24 Chapter V: "Pinocchio and Jonah's Too!" w: Doug Moench. p: Art Adams, i: Terry Austin, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

32 Why I Chose Batman text feature by Stephen King.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

34 Chapter VI: Barred w: Doug Moench. p: Tom Sutton, i: Ricardo Villagran, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

40 Chapter VII: A Small Itch Scratched! w: Doug Moench. a: Steve Leialoha, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by Tom Orzechowski.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

43 Chapter VIII: The Big Sticking w: Doug Moench. a: Joe Kubert, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by Joe Kubert.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

47 Chapter IX: Branches Like Bones w: Doug Moench. a: Ken Steacy, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

50 The Boys from the Dwarf Are Back... in-house advertisement for Red Dwarf Smegazine.

51 Batman full-color pin-up by Mike Grell.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

52 Chapter X: The Dark Trade w: Doug Moench. p: Rick Leonardi, i: Karl Kesel, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John COstanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

58 Chapter XI: Under The Wind w: Doug Moench. a: Brian Bolland, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

65 Epilogue: Fated Fete w: Doug Moench. a: Brian Bolland, c: Adrienne Roy. Lettering by John Costanza.

r: Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

67 Announcing The 1993 Judge Dredd Mega-Special in-house advertisement.

68 Batman full-color pin-up by Bill Sienkiewicz. r: text-free cover from Batman (DC Comics) vol.1 #400 (Oct 1986).

Reproducing most of the contents of Batman #400 (there's a few pieces missing), this isn't an entry-level title for people to discover the character, but is worth hunting down for those who are familiar with the character and his enemies. Brilliantly white pages, unlike the muddy printing on offer from DC Stateside, makes the artwork really pop from the page, and even subtle details in Sienkiewicz's beautiful painting are clear.

Reading the story now, parallels to Knightfall are rather clear - a criminal mastermind breaks all of Batman's most feared enemies free from Arkham Asylum, and at one point Killer Croc even states "I'm doin' this for one reason only - to break the Batman's back." Had this been published in the late nineties it would have been regarded closer to parody, but here it works. Not a fantastic package, but it finds its' own rhythm.

Of course, being a plan by Ra's al Ghul, this is a slightly darker tale than the one which featured the overgrown wrestler Bane, and is all the better for it.

The inclusion of the Stephen King text piece is what most people will flick to first, in order to see if he really is "one of us". He is. It is interesting to see his reading choices (Blackhawk, Plastic Man, Turok), and to know that he watched the sixties Batman television series. His words, always a joy to read, also show just how important text features in comics are.

Strips may be the beating heart of comics, but text features are the soul.

The lingering puzzle is who the readers of the title were meant to be - ardent followers of the character would undoubtedly have already bought the US release, and it is a tad too complex for younger readers who might happen upon it, which must have diminished the possible audience.

Load Runner #1

23 Jun 1983 - 06 Jul 1983; Cover price 40p.
40 pages. B&W contents.
ECC Publications.

The Galaxy's First Computer Comic

Edited by Bill Scolding.

Contents:

 1 Load Runner UNTITLED [Rogue Robots in Derridges] w: Bill Scolding; a: Peter Dennis, lettering by Steve Potter.

 5 Spectrum Goes Forth (half page) advertisement for Abersoft. / Don't Miss this Incredible Offer! (half page) advertisement for Cascade Software.

 6 Welcome to Lead Runner (three quarter page) Editorial by 'The Controller.' [Bill Scolding] / Bugsy Malone Competition (one and a quarter pages).

 8 This is the Classic! advertisement for The Good Computing Book for Beginners.

 9 Time Plan 9 UNTITLED w: Frank Hopkins; photos: Henry Arden, lettering by Steve Craddock.

13 Exclusive Load Runner Offer (half page) advertisement for Mr. Micro. / Fabulous Sinclair Add-On Offer for ZX81 Owners (quarter page). / R & R Software (quarter page) advertisement.

14 Andy Roid - the Dominators' Rogue Star UNTITLED [The Replacement Player] w: Chris Winch; a: John Stokes, lettering by Steve Craddock.

17 Attention Vic 20 Owners (advertisement).

18 Computafax The Astounding World of Computafax text feature (uncredited). / The Computer Story In the Beginning w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

19 Buzzwords Abort text feature (uncredited).

20 Load Stars Ultravox poster.

22 Count Down to Chaos, part one, text serial by Philip Steele; illustrated by (uncredited).

24 South London's Largest Micro Computer Centre advertisement for Vision Store.

25 The Adventures of Rom and Ram UNTITLED [Disturbing Reports from Earth] w:/a: Andy Robb.

27 Brain's Brainbox Choosing a Computer text feature (uncredited).

28 A-Z of Computers Acorn Atom fact feature.

29 Trumbull's World UNTITLED [The Equation is Completed] w: Rob Beattie; a: Malcolm Stokes, lettering by Steve Potter.

33 Data Update Pop Goes the Micro text feature (uncredited).

34 The Invasion of the Arcadians UNTITLED [Mind Warp Arrives] w: Les Cookman; a: John Stokes, lettering by Steve Craddock.

37 A.D.1983 Formula One micro driving text feature (uncredited); photographs by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

38 The Latest for Sinclair, Vic-20 and TI99/4a owners advertisement for The Software Workshop.

40 Computations puzzle page.

While it lays claim to being the world's first computer comic, Load Runner isn't quite being accurate. It isn't, unfortunately, wholly inaccurate either, which adds to the confusion. 2000 A.D. had prior computer-related material, as did Look-In and other titles, though none to the extent shown here. Despite not being the first comic to feature computers, they dominate the pages of the title, thus earning it a special - if minor - place in the history of comics.

Mike Roman's time as 'Byte Killer' is finishing - the Load Runner is about to be born!

It all began one morning in late June, when Mike Roman, micro mechanic and trouble shooter for London repairmen, was drinking his last cup of coffee.

Mike Roman is contacted when rogue robots run amok in Derridges Department Store, and - despite them being banned under the Mankind Protection Act - they have weapons of some kind. Arriving at the store, Roman destroys one of the robots, though the second flees. Chasing the white robot, he finds himself somehow transported inside of a computer system. In his shock at events, the white robot manages to shoot him.

The plot may ask too much of the reader, though it also has much to be admired. Featuring teleconferencing, a smart car (which automatically reduced speed, and informs the driver of this) slightly predates Knight Rider's popular depiction of this type of vehicle (although actually seems to predict modern vehicles more than it reflects pop cultural perception of same), and although the profession of the main character is too close to Sam Slade, Robo-Hunter, the twist of being inserted into a computer takes the strip in a different enough direction to clearly separate the strips.

Yes, it is a plot ripped straight from Tron, but there's a very attractive look to the art which provides enough interest to prevent immediate comparisons. Very detailed, Peter Dennis' art is never crowded, crafting a solid reality to the opening segment before things get strange. The world in which Roman operates is interesting, and the mention of a Mankind Protection Act raises a lot of questions about the history of the characters which isn't addressed.

If the material was sufficiently elaborated upon then there wouldn't be such a sense of having seen all this before, but the basic concepts are played out painfully straight.

An introduction to the title immediately sets the language and style of Load Runner apart from competitors, with issues referred to as printouts, and creators referred to as programmers and operators. It may reflect what Tharg was doing, but has a pleasing idiosyncrasy of its own.

The high level of quality is dented slightly by the inclusion of Time Plan 9, a photo strip, in which three school students discuss computers for two pages before anything happens. Paul returns home after school to be told his Akron 90 has been making clicking noises throughout the day - even though it was switched off. He switches it on, and Time Plan, a program the likes of which he hasn't seen before, comes up on screen again. Reading through the instruction manual, Paul wonders what is wrong with the computer.

Sssssooooo ssssslllllooooowwwww. There's decompressed storytelling, then there's waffling - this, sadly, feels like a comic strip written without the benefit of the creator having read a comic. Its pacing is so lethargic that by its conclusion I had given up wondering what the mystery behind events was, and this, in a launch issue, is something which should never be allowed to happen - readers ought to be pulled through a first issue in a rush of excitement and energy, with any drawbacks minimised.

The photographs are good enough, though often unimaginative, with a wonderful image of the Akron 90 - set against a patterned background - being the highlight. Should a photograph of a computer really be the best thing about a comic strip? The answer to that question should be clear.

It's the last match of the 1993 season - and relegation looms for "Davy's Dominators!"

This isn't your average team, as the players are robots, and the manager has complete control over their actions - a computer console keeping him in constant contact with his "men" on the field. Davy's opponent, the flamboyant Harry Hartford, is confident of his victory in the match, and even the Dominators' support crew are unsure of whether their equipment will withstand the duration of the match. When one of the Dominators' players is damaged it appears the match is over, as there are no spares, but a substitute roboplayer walks on to the pitch regardless.

Scoring a goal with four minutes remaining, the spare player proves its worth, and even manages to secure a second goal, saving the team.

There's no real reason for a computer-based title to feature a football strip. With the strip aiming at a completely different reader to the Load Runner's core audience, the only explanation for its inclusion is that IPC were so fond of including such strips no matter the appropriateness of the title, and following the format of established titles was to be expected.

But, despite these concerns, the strip actually works.

Ignoring derivative elements (robot faces resembling C-3PO, and Daredevil's logo making an appearance), the main thrust of the story - a man in a sport which is no longer intended to be played by humans - has much appeal. The notion of a challenge where the opponents are far greater in every regard (save for human ingenuity) has been covered in various aspects, with 2009's Surrogates being the closest parallel to subjects raised here. That it doesn't address how vastly faster, stronger, and precise a robot opponent would be is the only drawback in this opening installment.

Anyone familiar with 1990s football will smile at its portrayal of players as robotic automatons.

Computerfax is one of the highlights, being a feature on history and news surrounding computers, providing more information on contemporary computers in two pages than most comics delivered in a year. This is what the title ought to have concentrated on, and is a fascinating glimpse into the theories about Stonehenge's original purpose which were circulating. The Disney story is, perhaps, of most value, displaying a fine sense of humour in relaying the opening of EPCOT.

Count Down to Chaos makes for a change of pace, though continues the trend for continuing material, which is perhaps a little too optimistic, relying on readers to stick with the title in order to get a complete story. Rom and Ram, which performs comedic duties, isn't as amusing as it is intended to be, and likely would have worked better as a single page strip.

The title has a serious misstep with Brainy's Soapbox, which irritates me needlessly. Brainy, the page's fictional host, is depicted as a tie-wearing, bespectacled child of the most annoying order - coupled with the name, he is an extremely unappealing character, and no matter the good intentions of the page, it is difficult to disassociate the visual with the text. Paired with the information on which 1983 computer to pick there is a fact file on the Acorn Atom, noting that it was soon to be discontinued.

This is a world. It is a world of beauty and wonder... A world of light. It is called...

Trumbull's World

It is Not the real world.

As overcrowded billions struggle to survive, programmer Trumbull has discovered a means to jump to another galaxy. The Hall of Innocents breaks news of his work, and surveillance of the programmer is stepped up - having finally completed the equation, he retreats into his favourite adventure game, and when men arrive to take the equation he refuses to divulge its location.

This is a strip which raises a great many questions while refusing to state matters clearly, though is compromised by a lack of clarity. Had colour or better rendering been used to differentiate what appears to be two realities, then there might have been a clearer understanding of the events of the story. It is always difficult to deal with two separate realities in a single narrative, but there are no clear signifiers to any switches in setting.

In any big city, anywhere, there are the arcades: full of kids playing the machines that take them into the incredible world of video games. Harmless fun, well, until...

The Invasion of the Arcadians

A new game is suddenly delivered to every arcade from a new company no one has ever heard of before!

Playing on the popularity of arcades, urban legends (though Polybius, specifically, only came to attention nearly twenty years later), and the arcade scene written about in books such as Martin Amis' Invasion of the Space Invaders: An Addict’s Guide to Battle Tactics, Big Scores and the Best Machines, Invasion of the Arcadians begins with the arrival of the cabinets, and we get to see the odd control layout, quite unlike many of the popular machines which were widely distributed.

Mind Warp is a smash everywhere! Though a hard game to beat at first, soon it was just another game, until...

...A boy playing Mind Warp on his own becomes aware of something strange!

A weird light flickers from deep within the machine...

A high pitched note fills his ears - and his mind!

The screen flashes up "closer"... and he hears it speak!

Returning home, he writes to a box number in the city to order a personal stereo, which he receives at no charge, and obeys the strange signals from his headphones. Those affected, called dazers, hunt in packs, and convert others to their kind. In an alleyway, somewhere in the city, a figure materialises.

Okay, so it isn't anywhere near as culturally aware as The Last Starfighter, but it is a fine horror-tinged story which holds great promise. I'm not sure that "Dazers" is anywhere near creepy enough for the wild-eyed teens running around, yet that aspect really doesn't impinge on the strip's enjoyment factor, nor matter to the narrative.

A feature on F1's use of computers rounds out the issue, and shows how advanced the technology in the sport has always been in comparison with streetcars. We don't, naturally, get more than the most basic information on how the computers were employed in races, but it is interesting nevertheless.

As I want to focus on the things the title did right, there's a great amount of educational work at play - this is one area in which the title stands head and shoulders above similar enterprises. Having computers as a theme was always going to make this badly dated, but as a snapshot of technology in the summer of 1983 it is an exceptional resource. It might have the look of a knock-off, in many regards, but it is picking through the best scraps at the table. Containing attractive artwork and intelligent writing, this is somehow less than the sum of its components.

A decidedly strange, and hesitant, beginning.

Load Runner

#02

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #1

17 Feb 1973. Cover price 5p.
40 pages. Colour, tone & B&W.
Magazine Management London Ltd.

Edited by Pippa M. Melling.

Cover by UNKNOWN.

Free Spider-Man Mask.

Contents:

2 Spider-Man "The Man Called Electro!" w: Stan Lee; a: Steve Ditko, lettering by Art Simek.

r: The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel) #09 (Feb 1964).

10 Stan Lee Sounds Off! text introduction by Stan Lee; photograph (uncredited). / At Last! The Secret of F.O.O.M. - Friends of Ol' Marvel! fan club promotion and mail-in coupon; illustrations (uncredited).

26 Thor the Mighty "The Stone Men from Saturn!", part one, w: Larry Lieber, from a plot by Stan Lee; p: Jack Kirby, i: Joe Sinnott, lettering by Art Simek.

r: Thor (Marvel) #158 (Nov 1968).

33 The Insult that Made a Man out of 'Mac' advertisement for Charles Atlas programme.

40 Nor Playing in... The Mighty World of Marvel in-house advertisement.

Know something, little friend? If you're just starting to read this story, we envy you! Because you're gonna have a ball! This book-length thriller features a really fascinating super-villain; it's chock-full of human interest and drama; and it shows Spider-Man, with all his human problems and frailties, greater than you've ever seen him before! But don't take our word for it - after all, we're spidey's best boosters! See what you think...

Given Spider-Man's phenomenal success, it was only a matter of time until he was promoted to his own title. Although joined by Thor it really is Spidey's title, taking the lion's share of the page count, as well as being the de facto face of Marvel. Appropriately for a launch issue there is a free gift, though how much use a cardboard Spider-Man mask would get before falling apart is open to debate. If, that is, it were present.

"The Man Called Electro!" begins with the hero ignoring a bunch of gunmen in a shoot-out with police, swinging on by as if he didn't even notice them. Racing home, even going so far as to begin changing clothes in the street, rushing to get Aunt May her prescription. Sitting at her bedside as she sleeps, Peter doesn't even notice his shirt has fallen open, showing his costume. On the bright side, if she wakes - and dies of shock - there will be a tasty life insurance payment coming Pete's way, ending all of those money worries in an instant... Of course, that isn't his plan at all. The blatant display of his costume is for a completely different, and totally innocuous, purpose entirely unrelated to any such notion.

And so, Peter Parker keeps the long vigil, not dreaming that a strange figure on the other side of town is going to play a very important part in his life very soon...

Electro, for it is he, is first seen from the neck down, weird equipment strapped to his body.

Aunt May gets taken to hospital, placing more strain on Peter, who finds it difficult to study - hoping to make some money by photographing Spider-Man in action, his plans are scuppered when it begins to rain, his camera ill-suited to poor conditions. Requiring a thousand dollars to pay for the specialist who is to operate on his aunt, Peter approaches Jameson for a loan. Turned down, Jameson nevertheless agrees to pay such a sum for photographs of Spider-Man which are suitable to publish.

J. Jonah Jameson is at his bank when Electro arrives to rob it, and is surprised that the criminal knows who he is. Seeing Spider-Man shortly after, Jameson comes to the conclusion that Electro is Spidey in another guise. Printing the allegation the next day, public opinion is split as to Spider-Man's role in the crimewave. After searching the city, Spidey finds Electro breaking into a safe, but is knocked unconscious before he can bring the criminal to justice.

Superimposing his image onto the photographs already taken, Peter makes it appear as if he has caught proof that Electo is Spider-Man. How this never gets brought up in later stories, as means to discredit Peter's journalistic integrity, is beyond me. If a news photographer fakes images deliberately, they should never be allowed anywhere near a newspaper again.

As public opinion turns against Spider-Man thanks to the sustained reports linking him with Electo, the real Electro breaks a dozen criminals out of their detention area, before they can be transferred to a federal prison, so that they can serve as his personal army. Hearing the news on a passing police radio, Peter first stops at the hospital to check on May before dealing with the escaped prisoners. They flee, ignoring Electro, and are quickly recaptured by waiting police officers.

Jameson waits for Spider-Man to arrive, and his suspicion seems to be proven correct.

At the last possible moment, Spidey eventually makes an appearance. Electro, and the remainder of the prisoners, are waiting in the building, so Spider-Man - wearing rubber gloves and boots - takes on Electro. After the prisoners are dealt with, he finally manages to defeat Electro with a fire hose, realising that water and electricity don't mix.

The ending, where Peter and Betty go for a walk, is an odd way to conclude, and there's no sense that Peter's photo-manipulation is going to have repercussions. It is frustrating when important aspects of the story are brushed over, and nowhere is this more prominent than in the mysterious malady for which May requires an operation. The puzzle over her frequent trips to death's door is compounded by the operation in this issue. What might she be suffering from? My best guess is plotitis, with a side-helping of malingering.

While it may be a problematic story to start the series with, Ditko's artwork maintains his distinctive take on the character. A few of the panels utilises canted angles, deep shadows, and other quirks, showing a great understanding of style. He sometimes falters when it comes to depicting webs, but it is a forgivable quirk.

Thor's first words do note bode well.

The legend has come true! By the will of the Gods, I am alive! I am invincible! I am - Thor!!!

Aside from flagrant abuse of exclamation marks, we have no empirical evidence that he is invincible, nor are we indulged with the specific legend he is referring to. Anyway, an invincible hero is going to be a very dull read.

Our story opens on the windy coast of Norway, where we see a frail figure silhouetted against the bleak sky! He is Dr. Don Blake, an American on holiday in Europe!

And, as Doctor Blake turns and leaves the site, he doesn't see the strange alien spaceship which silently lands behind him!

Alien spaceships drop from the skies so regularly in early Marvel stories that one wonders where they all get stored. Is there an immense, cavernous Government site which stacks them one atop another, like a scrapyard for extraterrestrials? We see them arriving regularly, but seeing them leave is so rare an occurrence as to pose a real logistical problem for the nascent Marvel universe.

With a story titled "The Stone Men from Saturn!", it would be rather a shame if the aliens weren't made of stone. Or from Saturn. Exiting its ship, one remarks "This atmosphere - it is so different from our own planet." Understatement of the century, given that Saturn's is a gas giant comprised mostly of hydrogen and helium. Not to mention that it has no stones on it, never mind living ones.

As they test their newfound strength - increased on Earth - and an ability to leap great distances, the aliens are discovered by a fisherman, who races to inform others of what he has witnessed. Blake overhears the account, and goes to investigate the man's claims, witnessing for himself the beings. Chased into a cave, Blake seems doomed until he finds a secret chamber in which rests an ancient cane. Striking it against the cave wall, he transforms into Thor.

Not a great beginning for Spider-Man's title, though the fact that he had been so quickly promoted from the pages of The Mighty World of Marvel showed that it was the character himself who was (inexplicably) the selling point.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly

#02

Eagle [Vol.21] #1

27 Mar 1982. Cover price 20p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W contents.
IPC Magazines Ltd.

Edited by David Hunt.

Cover by Gerry Embleton.

Free Space Spinner.

Contents:

 2 Eagle Hotline Eagle is Back! text introduction by David Hunt. / A Welcome from the Stars comments from John Craven, Peter Davison, Roy Castle, Ian Botham, Lenny Henry, and John Bond; photographs (uncredited). / How Times Change the new artists - the men who capture the action on film for our exciting photo-stories! Introduction to John Powell, Dave Watts, and Gary Compton. / Wanted! reader feedback requested. / Ernie UNTITLED [Eagle's Official Eagle Mascot] w:/a: Dave Follows.

 3 Doomlord An Alien Stalks the Earth, part one, w: Alan Grant; photography by Gary Compton.

 7 Kids are Tough! Darren Defies Thugs! text feature about Darren Daly by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph (uncredited). / Big Mouth readers' mail. / Eagle Interview Peter Davison by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photographs (uncredited), illustration by Dave Follows.

 8 The Whole Town's Popping! advertisement for Waddingtons Pop-Aways.

 9 Personality Plus Bryan Robson pin-up and mini-bio (uncredited). / Fifty Freebie Man. United Books Up for Grabs! competition.

10 Thunderbolt and Smokey! UNTITLED [Two players don't make a football team], part one, w: Tom Tully; photographs by John Powell.

14 Sgt. Streetwise The Police Had Need of Men Like Him... Men Who Stayed Streetwise!, part one, w: Gerry Finley-Day; photographs by Dave Watts.

16 Dan Dare Return of the Mekon, part one, w: Barrie Tomlinson; a: Gerry Embleton.

18 Sgt. Streetwise The Police Had Need of Men Like Him... Men Who Stayed Streetwise! cont.

19 Eagle Fun Spot School Report - Jim Davidson; photograph (uncredited), illustration by Dave Follows.

20 The Tower King UNTITLED [A Gutted City, Haunted by Crazies], part one, w: Alan Hebden; a: Jose Ortiz.

24 Squadron Leaders advertisement for Humbrol 1/48 and 1/72 scale models.

25 Eagle Data File F-15 Eagle fact file; illustration (uncredited).

26 Daley's Diary Strange Names! / Arnold's Dilemma / Great Mates / 'Picca-Dilley'! / A marathon a day... text features by Daley Thompson.

27 The Collector Eye of the Fish w: Roy Preston; a: Pat Wright & Ron Smith, photography by Gary Compton.

31 Read Mike Read UNTITLED [I'm the strange character who struggles in to London at the crack of dawn] (half page) text feature by Mike Read; photographs (uncredited). / Shopwatch UNTITLED [Kensington board game; The Puffin Adventure Sports Series] shopping feature (uncredited); illustration by Dave Follows.

32 Dan Dare Return of the Mekon, cont.

A messy cover, with Embleton's art covered by redundant lines of text, half of the space given over to promoting a free gift... which would have covered the announcement that there was a free gift. Sheer genius. The messy appearance is continued inside, with Eagle Hotline, a catch-all editorial page appearing to have taken some design hints from early eighties magazines. It is nice to see Eagle's past remembered, with Dan Dare and Digby, Harris Tweed, and Jeff Arnold represented, though this, for the moment, is all the Eagle relaunch has to say about its illustrious original incarnation.

How do you compete with one of the most celebrated and beloved titles to bear the Eagle name? By changing everything which made the original so compelling, and to promote photo strips over traditional comic strips.

Midnight. A fireball streaked down over the sleeping town of Cranbridge -

The only witnesses were P.C. Bob Murton and Howard Harvey, a reporter from the Cranbridge Argus -

Officer Murton is immediately killed by Doomlord, having his knowledge absorbed, and is soon disintegrated with a beam from the alien's ring. Howard Harvey is rendered unconscious, before Doomlord takes the physical appearance of Murton. When Harvey awakens, he travels to the police station to report Murton's death, but is brought face-to-face with Murton, very much alive, and wearing the alien's ring.

Doomlord, the first of this issue's photo strips, attempts to present a dramatic SF tale with all the limitations of its photography undermining any credibility. Doomlord's introduction, it must be admitted, is fairly impressive given that he appears to be wearing a discarded duvet, with a mask which is far more convincing that that used in photos of Tharg. It isn't a perfect introduction to Doomlord, but it isn't anywhere near as bad as some complaints about the revived series would have you believe.

The world really wasn't calling for a mix of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers and The Day the Earth Stood Still, but Alan Grant provides enough interest to keep things moving along without getting caught up in extraneous detail.

A mandatory sports strip for Eagle, Thunderbolt and Smokey!, is a run-of-the-mill school-based photo strip.

The educational record of Dedfield School was second-to-none! But when it came to getting results on the sports field, it was a very different story...

Losing seven-nil, Dedfield - nicknamed 'Dead-Loss' - are a football team without support from their teachers, though Colin Dexter (Thunderbolt) is determined to turn the team's fortunes around. When he learns that Smokey Beckles, recently transfered to the school, isn't going to play for a losing team, his hopes seem dashed.

That the only black character is named Smokey should tell you all you need to know.

On a more positive note, the strip presents a problem, shows a partial solution, and throws a few wrenches in the works. From a purely storytelling standpoint, this is a fairly strong opening, though presented in dreary grey, page after page of photographs, this can't quite overcome its appearance. If this had been a traditional comic strip its plot might have been enough to make a success of the concept, yet there is nothing here worth getting excited about.

Sgt. Streetwise is slightly better, being the adventures of Detective-Sergeant Wise of Special Undercover Operations. Wise operates on his own, without a radio, cuffs, or weapon, even going so far as to forgo identity papers, and after his homeless disguise is blown has to take on a new identity to continue his work.

Snow-covered streets add slightly to the feel of the strip, though this is a pale imitation of detective television shows, and requires a great deal of suspended disbelief at the frankly ludicrous set-up. As with all the photo strips, the reproduction isn't sharp enough to justify such an elaborate means of creation, and there's no real sense of drama despite a well-staged opening.

Splitting the strip, so that Dan Dare could take the colour centre-pages is annoying, and completely unnecessary, displaying a lack of

The return of Dan Dare comes in Return of the Mekon.

It appeared to be the final confrontation between two beings whose adventures had thrilled a generation. Colonel Dan Dare, valiantly fighting to save Earth from the sworn for of mankind... the cold, merciless mastermind of Venus - the Mekon!

The Mekon surrenders after an intense battle, vowing that one day he will get his revenge on Dare. The World Supreme Court, highest judicial body on Earth, passes judgement, sentencing the Mekon to be placed in a life support capsule, enclosed in a meteor, then set adrift in space. Forever. Because a slap on the wrist and a fine isn't going to deter such a heinous villain as the Mekon. Preparations are duly made, and a meteor, with the Mekon imprisoned inside, is sent off into space.

In such a prison, time became meaningless. Was it a month, a year, or a century before other beings approached the meteor?

Aliens pick up the meteor hoping that valuable ore will be discovered within it, and cut it open - despite getting a life-reading from within.

The inhabitants of the planet Korzak were a meek race... and the sight of the green-skinned being terrified them!

Informed that Treens have lived in peace for many years, leaderless and abandoned, becoming farmers and traders, the Mekon is outraged. Deciding to exact his revenge on Dare, he orders his rescuers to take him to the location of his enemy, beaming down to the planet to continue his battle - only to discover that Dan Dare died hundreds of years before. A gravestone states that he died before his battles with the Treen Empire, puzzling the Mekon, and though he cannot defeat a dead man, he can take his revenge on the planet Earth.

Another strip split to take advantage of colour pages, this time continuing on the back page, Dan Dare is a decidedly odd return. Focusing on the Mekon rather than the titular hero, the story goes so far as to kill off Dare on the final panel. This can be taken as a statement of intent for the revived title - don't expect things to remain as they were. It is only partially successful in bringing back Dan Dare's world, feeling slightly too rushed to properly establish a timeline of events.

The solar power satellite was the most important result of the American space programme of the 1980's. A vast array of solar panels had been placed in stationary orbit above the equator...

Solar energy from the sun was converted into microwaves and beamed down to a huge receiving station on the ground, where the microwaves were reconverted into electric power and fed into a grid.

It should have been the start of a new era.

Instead, it was the beginning of a disaster!

The microwaves had disrupted the balance of the Earth's atmosphere, making the generation of electricity in any form impossible. Without it, aircraft fell out of the sky... Ships drifted helplessly... Road traffic ground to a halt...

...and nuclear power stations melted down!

Without electricity there was no radio or TV... No telephones or newspapers... No form of transport... Nor was there heat or light.

In the days that followed, panic swept the world as nobody knew what was happening.

Without electricity food production and distribution broke down, forcing starving mobs out to the countryside in a desperate bid to find some.

Finally, after panic and starvation, came disease and death on a scale unknown since the black death.

Small bands of survivors formed tightly-knit groups to defend themselves and continue life in the ruins of civilisation. In London, within the walls of the Tower of London, such a group was led by a man named Mick Tempest.

There's a lot to like in The Tower King, and much back-story to deliver, which it does as rapidly as possible. The extended sequence of reported information, which builds up to the appearance of the titular character, may take up two whole pages, but as it is essential to everything which follows it is a justifiable journey. The city of London, seen only partially in the vignettes, may not be the most original choice of location to place the series in, though the concepts are interesting enough to overcome this lack of imagination.

Its primary selling point, a modern world deprived of power, had already been visited in the television series The Changes, based on Peter Dickinson's books, though in a slightly different form.

The strip's introductory text is slightly over-playing the reality of such a situation - heat can be provided from fires, and printing presses of old did fine without electricity. Regardless, one has to hand it to Hebden - the text boxes prefacing the story is very dramatic and attention-grabbing manner in which to begin the story. The close of the story proves that there are forms of transport in the new landscape of London, though given that the strip had already shown us horses...

Eye of the Fish, a complete story, is introduced by The Collector.

"Welcome. I am known as The Collector! Some of my exhibits may seem a little out of the ordinary to you. But then so, too, are the reasons why I keep them!"

Terry Lansberry and his father go fishing near a sign which prohibits such activity, but their illicit sport is soon brought to a halt by darkening skies. Terry disappears in a flash of light, swiftly followed by his father, thereafter learning an important lesson...

Yes, it is a slight, and incredibly silly, variant on a well-worn theme, but it doesn't really need to be brilliant. A complete story, however well crafted, is essential to giving readers of an anthology value for money - you never know if they are going to purchase the next issue, so as long as they get one full story then their purchase has been validated.

With a superb beginning from The Tower King, an intriguing question (or two) lingering in Dan Dare, and Doomlord's inherent possibilities, this is a solid, if unexceptional, beginning. Or, if you prefer, it is a rather subdued revival with much potential.

Eagle [Vol.21]

#02

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:

 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!

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!

From out of the darkness steps a formidable figure, a pipe set firmly in his mouth - Vincent Drago.

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...

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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...

The Tale of Benkei

Japan, 1179 A.D.: Few travellers crossed the Gojo bridge at night... and none crossed it sword in hand...

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.

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

Doctor Who Weekly #1

17 Oct 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 "Things looked bad for me after the TARDIS materialised on board a Vorgan space platform." Panorama; a: Dave Gibbons.

 3 Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, part one, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 8 A Letter from the Doctor text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

 9 Day of the Daleks text feature by B. Aldrich [Dez Skinn] & G. Blows; photographs (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds w: Chris Claremont, based on the novel by H.G. Wells; p: Yong Montano; i: Dino Castrillo, lettering by Pat Condoy.

r: Marvel Classic Comics (Marvel) #14 ().

16 Two More S-F Winners from Mighty Marvel (half page) in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly and Starburst.

17 "Hello again, all." text feature by Dez Skinn (uncredited).

18 The Story of Doctor Who text feature (uncredited).

20 Crazy Caption 1 competition; photograph (uncredited).

21 Chew the Gum (half page) advertisement for Bazooka Joe. / 111 Stamps (All Different) FREE (half page) advertisement for Bridgnorth Stamp Co. Ltd.

22 Doctor Who Photo-File William Hartnell fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks w: Steve Moore; p: Paul Neary, i: David Lloyd.

27 I'd only landed on Magnon 5 to stretch my legs, but a malfunction of the TARDIS caused it to disappear, leaving me stranded!" Panorama; a: Dave Gibbons.

28 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

There's a fair few conventions of cover design which, in principal, are entirely justifiable, but are nevertheless completely inexplicable. The free gift (here transfers) is almost always prioritised over the cover art (or, in this case, photograph), despite the likelihood that most copies will be deprived of their items soon after sale. What this means, in terms of aesthetics, is that first issues can tend to be rather unappealing. There is a large blank box upon which the transfers would be affixed, had they been present, though there's no real need to cover the photograph so.

Is the Dalek shy? Is it hiding a spot of rust? Is it trying to disguise itself as a piece of cheese?

The panoramas, on the inside covers, are interesting, though add nothing to the universe of the Doctor. Had they been tied in to stories appearing in the title, or acted as a bridge between television episodes and the comic, then there would be a real incentive to study them for details. On their own, and without any continuation of the narratives, they are simply pretty pictures with some justifying text.

They fought their way across a thousand planets - robot veterans of the eternal war - destroying, with ruthless discipline, all who stood in their way!

And now, the peaceful tranquility of the English countryside is rudely shattered as they appear - as if from nowhere - brutally dragging people out and razing their houses to the ground!

And yet... for all the robots' strangeness, there is something... grimly familiar about them!

The Doctor lands the TARDIS in a small village, immediately heading for the nearest store to stock up on provisions. The owner is distracted, however, and cryptically utters "They're coming!" before explaining himself - the town is surrounded, and he returned to the store as he didn't know what else to do. At that moment a robot smashes into the building and demands that the inhabitants remain where they are. Killing the man, it soon becomes confused at the Doctor's odd biology, which the Doctor uses to his advantage, learning the robot is First Cohort of the Ninth Legion.

Robots and Roman legionnaires. Two staples of British television brought to the printed page in glorious, mad, and rather brilliant fashion. There have been a multitude of stories placing the Doctor in small villages which are tormented by extraterrestrial dangers, and this follows most of the conventions save for the immediate death of what appears to be the sole surviving inhabitant. Without companions, and the man killed immediately, the opportunity for his prodigious running commentary on events, and asides, is limited, though with such speedy pacing this ought not to be a critical problem.

Getting through so much in such a brief page count does mean we have no sense of how long the robots have been prowling the streets. For a character so tied to time, the nebulous time-frame in which an organised invasion (however contained) could be mounted is a niggle which eats at enjoyment of what ought to be a riotous celebration of the character finally earning his own title.

The letter from the Doctor helpfully suggests that the reader look out for #879 ("It really was a beauty"), which suggests that, when it appears, it had better pull out all the stops. A double length issue with a plethora of free gifts, and a complete comic strip... If your copy of #879 isn't an epic tour de force, then you need to immediately return the issue to Panini with a strongly-worded letter of outrage, demanding they immediately send you the highlight of the series.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes.

Day of the Daleks, which recounts both the inspiration for the appearance of the race, and briefly recounts their first appearance, is the kind of light, breezy feature which doesn't push forward the history of the series to any great degree. There are plenty of facts present, though with only three pages to include the entire history of the Daleks it is understandable that the omissions outweigh inclusions.

No one would have believed in last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own...

With infinite complacency, men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs. Serene in their assurance of their empire over matter.

No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable.

Though the adaptation only reaches the discovery of the cylinder on Horsell Common, the telling - both script and art - are slightly above average for the form. While it isn't visually daring, there are nice touches, such as the horse-drawn carriage on the first page. The appearance of the tripod isn't, it has to be said, the most exciting or logical solution to the book's description.

The Story of Dr Who is a puff-piece which isn't far removed from the kind of features seen in general SF magazines, suggesting caution hanging over the issue - not brave enough to really dig into intricacies of script development or continuity, though attempting to centre attention on the series regardless. A Photo-File of William Hartnell (to whom the first issue is dedicated) is so light on biographical information that it doesn't cover his life away from the screen at all, which is, in these days of round-the-clock reality television inanity, rather incomprehensible. He's someone who exuded charm and charisma, and really deserved more than this.

The Return of the Daleks centres on Anhaut, once the scene of a Dalek invasion.

Today, Anhaut is a thriving peaceful world... at least, it's thriving unless you listen to our friend here... His name's Glax... and he's the owner of Galactic Glax Picture Corporation...

Concerned about declining returns on his hologram-movie releases, Glax overhears a mother chide her child for bad behaviour, warning him a Dalek will get him if he doesn't behave. Pondering this as a possible plot, Glax wanders off deep in thought. Hunting in the archives for information, he finds a view-film from eight hundred years earlier. Describing how a Dalek scout landed one night, the footage shows how a band of 23 Daleks rampaged across the planet, slaughtering and destroying. Although the end of the story is tantalisingly vague, Glax is determined to commit the story to film. Unbeknown to Glax, the real Daleks are freed from their prison, and roaming the set.

A slight, though amusing, story of the real deal being mistaken for props, which is a slightly worn set-up, the story nevertheless holds enough charm to excuse its plot. These are characters who are deserving of more added to their story. Even if all we get is a cutaway scene of the Doctor watching one of the hologram-movies between bouts of running through corridors, there's something about the story which always appealed.

If this type of launch, with short comic strips and insignificant text features, had appeared as little as ten years later it would have been laughed off the shelves, but nobody had really exploited a live-action television series to this degree before. As a launch of its era it is very impressive. It isn't perfect, but it is very British.

Read it with a bag of jelly babies to hand, and enjoy the fleeting moments of genius.

Doctor Who Weekly

#02

Toxic! #1

28 Mar 1991. Cover price 99p.
36 pages. Full colour contents.
Apocalypse Ltd.

The Comic Throws Up!

Edited by

Cover by Kevin O'Neill.

Contents:

 2 Welcome to Our Dump! editorial by (uncredited); illustrations by Kevin O'Neill. / Indicia

 3 Marshal Law The Hateful Dead!, part one, Rise of the Zombies w: Pat Mills; a: Kevin O'Neill, lettering by Steve Potter.

12 Aliens - The Comic Magazine advertisement.

13 Accident Man UNTITLED [Money for a Bimota] w: Pat Mills & Tony Skinner; a: Martin Edmond.

21 Mutomaniac Space Cannibals w: Pat Mills; a: Mike McMahon.

27 Coming Soon... Sex Warrior preview; a: Will Simpson.

28 Once Upon a Time in the West w: Alan Grant; a: Simon Bisley.

35 Burning Rubber in Hell! The Driver pin-up; a: David Leach.

36 Do Your Friends Have Mad Comic Disease? pin-up; a: Kevin O'Neill.

Punning on Strip's boast with its line "The Comic Throws Up!" may be immature, but little regarding this title which could be considered mature. To compound matters, in opening the first issue with Strip's lead character, Marshal Law, there is a sense of Toxic! engaging in one-upmanship, while providing a counter-point to the much more staid and respectable title. Make no mistake though, this is a minor masterpiece of comic-book creation, ticking every box as it unfolds.

Kevin O'Neill's cover is a fantastic, powerfully dramatic image of Law, carrying the type of immense weapons which would dominate 90s superhero titles, and several imaginatively-designed 'capes' - one of which is modelled after a dinosaur. Mirrored in the line of dialogue is an echo of the exclamation mark from Toxic!'s logo, which adds to the title's interconnected imagery, and even the barcode is slanted at an angle. Details, seemingly insignificant, build into style.

There's no respite in the opening introduction, which is signed 'Doc. Tox' - an unseen Tharg-like figure who is ostensibly in charge of the title. Personally connecting to readers, in however manufactured a manner is essential in presenting possibly-difficult material - and as this title is a determined assault on the senses, every bit of assistance is required. A wonderful sense of anarchy is created through O'Neill's imagery, and the issue's preface adds in one further minor example of brilliance:

No cash prizes for the best bile!

Readers, pop in the bile box and trash any one or anything you hate.

Providing an outlet for readers to vent their frustrations is a masterstroke, guaranteeing that those who send in suggestions will hang around to see if their choice is published. While I have reservations about the use of the word 'hate' in such a prominent position, it is a notion which has previously provided a deal of entertainment in other forms.

It's the war of the future.

With Shocc Troopers - genetically altered warriors - fighting battles of such savagery as to resemble a Halloween night in Hell.

It's otherwise known as The Zone".

Now the conflict's over... And men with superpowers designed for war...

Have to find a peacetime use for their talents.

Peacetime uses are less noble than fighting in apocalyptic wars, with locales such as the "Foul Play" club having sprung up, where heroes fight each other for the entertainment of wild crowds. Other heroes have taken to working in stress relief parlours, where regular citizens pay for the pleasure of beating them up. It is in one of these establishments, the Cobweb Palace, that Marshal Law discovers the badly-mangled corpse of a man who had paid for the pleasure of beating on Razorhead, though after uncovering a Kalinga big game knife the case appears to be justifiable homicide.

While the story pauses on the revelation that Law was once just such a hero, leaving the murder unsolved, there is a solid introduction to the world, brimming with ridiculously attired characters possessing absurd powers. Far more interesting than the abilities of the characters is their status in a place which has changed drastically around them, leaving them behind as society has moved on.

He should be home soon.

A man shouldn't be late for his own death.

10 millimetre climbing rope. 1,100 lb breaking strain.

I'm the best. I only use the best.

When I'm going to hit someone, I always make it look like an "accident"...

...or a suicide.

Accident Man is a contract killer with a knack for disguising his hits, though the murder seen in the opening installment appears to be rather less than perfect. We get a fight sequence with random people, then are introduced to other hit-men, in a story which isn't quite as polished as the rest of the issue's contents, though has potential. Introducing so many characters in the first part of a story, and in rapid succession, makes it difficult to care about them, and the main character is quite unlikeable - even the slightly amusing incidental jokes don't play as well as those in Marshal Law.

Prisoner Edward Ross has been diagnosed as suffering from mutomania, a condition which makes him prone to an irresistible urge to disobey. Attempts have, of course, been attempted to cure him of this by Edutechs, though his condition is terminal - expelled from the penotech, he is to be expelled into space. The door, alas, doesn't work. Ordered to shoot Ross by the governor, a guard finds that his gun has jammed. Escaping, Ross is warned that he won't get far...

McMahon's art is, in its own way, gorgeous, and the story is packed with interesting concepts which cry out or development - of the material in the first issue, this is the strip which - at first blush - appears to hold the most promise. A penal colony in space, a man blessed with luck, and on the run. This is high concept storytelling with its tongue firmly in cheek, and delightfully mad.

Once Upon a Time in the West is notable for some wonderful Bisley art, though the case of mistaken identity here has, I'm afraid, been rather overdone. While not a top-tier story, it doesn't take up too much room in the telling.

With only two immediately engaging strips, this is a title which doesn't provide a wholly positive first impression, but a strong visual identity for the title, and the promise of forthcoming strips, gives hope that things will improve in future issues.

Toxic! (Apocalypse Ltd.)

#02

Strip #1

...The Comic Grows Up!

17 Feb 1990. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Colour contents.
Marvel Comics, Ltd.

Edited by Dan Abnett.

Cover by Kevin O'Neill.

Free cover-mounted badge.

Contents:

.2 Get Doctor Who Magazine Now in-house advertisement.
.3 Contents / Indicia

.4 Marshal Law Stars And Strippers part one, w: Pat Mills; a: Kevin O'Neill, lettering by Phil Felix.

18 The Man from Cancer part one, w: Glenn Dakin; a: Phil Elliott, lettering by Phil Elliott, colouring by Steve White.

26 The Chronicles of Genghis Grimtoad part one, w: Alan Grant & John Wagner; a: Ian Gibson, lettering by Bambos Georgiou.

28 Incognito w: Paul Buck; a: Art Wetherell, lettering by Stuart Bartlett, colouring by Euan Peters.

36 Upholding The Law text feature by Kevin O'Neill; illustrations.
39 Next Issue
40 Marvel Graphic Novels in-house advertisement.

The proclamation may be "the comic grow up", but this still has a cover gift, shies away from more mature elements, and has (however tenuous) roots in superheroes with the presence of Marshal Law. If anything, this can be seen as a tame precursor to CLiNT, but there's still enough skewed weirdness to keep things interesting for those of us perpetually bored by the antics of costumed characters punching each other in the face - although there is that as well, and superbly done.

Without its claim beneath the title this would be an excellent first issue, but with that hanging over everything, a reminder of what could have been, this is merely a good title. Can merely defining itself as a mature title be so damaging? You might disagree, but such claims ought to be backed up with strenuous efforts to advance the form. The badge, surprisingly, doesn't refer to the comic at all, with the slogan "Bare Faced Chic" instead, as if advertising a women's fashion magazine. It isn't a bad statement, in and of itself, but not one which brings to mind comics.

What would be the perfect badge to sell a mature line? I'm not sure. It would have to be both amusing, as well as speaking to a sensibility that is interested in matters beyond spandex. Being so vague with (what is essentially) free advertising is a misstep - how are people to equate the random slogan with the title?

How good a first issue is this? The trade dress, stylish though understated distressing, is a very eighties look, and slightly disappointing. More critical is a lack of introduction, laying out the intended purpose of the title. Very large contents type makes this appear to be aimed at younger readers, and utilising the space better could have allowed for some communication from Abnett. A discourse with readers is one of the fundamental strengths of comics, and by ignoring this tool the title distances itself needlessly.

After the Big One destroyed San Francisco... After the war in the Zone ended in stalemate... After the superheroes came home...

A strippergram, dressed as the heroine Celeste, walks home through dark Downtown streets, fearing for her safety as a masked man follows her. Asking a stranger the location of the nearest police station, he answers that it is a secret, and when requested for the number is told that it is unlisted. As he leaves her, she runs in an attempt to lose her stalker. The masked man eventually corners her, dragging her to a rooftop where he drops her off the side, saying that "all super heroes should fly."

Marshal Law uses visual references to The Shadow, Bulletman, along with other classic characters, superbly, establishing the setting well. Employing a muted palette to emphasise the art, rather than drown it, further deepens the mood. A beautiful grotesquerie masquerading as a superhero story, with decay and squalor sitting beside gaudy Vegas-style illuminations to heighten the oddity of the city - somewhere between Furst's Gotham, Mega City One, and a Jean-Pierre Jeunet cityscape.

We don't get nearly enough of the background details to fully comprehend how everyday things manage to operate in such a place, but it is assumed that there are still-functioning utilities, and that people aren't slowly being driven crazy merely by proximity to such a place.

Reading like a pitch for an adult cartoon series The Man from Cancer isn't as clear in presentation as a first installment of a series really ought to be, with numerous imaginary elements (in the same style as the rest of the strip) crowding the events, this isn't as clear as a first installment of a continuing story ought to be.

Ian Gibson's artwork on The Chronicles of Genghis Grimtoad is simply amazing, though great art alone is no incentive to keep reading.

On the world known as Shadow-Earth, it came to pass that in the seventeenth year of the reign of Ranald the Protector, the savage hordes of Kang did storm the walls of Haven, and the blood of the brave ran red on the ramparts...

And the hideous image of Toadthrax the sorcerer did darken the skies, and his demons poured forth their fury upon the defenders...

In Inner-Haven, Karbunkle Grimtoad, sorcerer to King Ranald, cast the portents...

It reads like an awkward and unconvincing mix of every cheap fantasy paperback from the seventies smooshed together in a sticky pulp. Firstly, they called their world Shadow-Earth? My problem here (which I also have with DC Comics' Earth 2) is that is it difficult to imagine a civilisation referring to itself as being the alternative to the "real" Earth, in however diminished a capacity. A completely original name would have worked far better, as would a non-punny name for Karbunkle Grimtoad's given name. Would you call your child Carbuncle? Honestly?

At only two pages, of which a great deal is presented with text boxes, so little happens that it is difficult to get a sense of this setting as a real location, with attendant problems, unique culture, and character personalities shining through. Far too much is made of matters which aren't directly related to the title character. It is a strip which takes time to get into, which is a terrible handicap when given such a brief appearance.

The complete story, Incognito, follows Gloria Grant, a famous film actress, as she encounters a man and seemingly builds a brief friendship thanks to him not recognising her. It is a strip which draws on old crime comics, such as published by EC, with a satisfying twist in the tail. Although finely drawn, and with a definite style to the telling, there isn't quite enough to justify eight pages.

The most entertaining element is the three-page text piece by Kevin O'Neill, where he points out that Pat Mills hates superheroes. Hmm. There's a reason I like Mills' comics. Replete with numerous sketches, showing the development of Marshal Law, this is a piece which brings a little of the personal touch I appreciate so much.

It isn't the best start, but a much better opening salvo than most new titles.

Strip

#02

Saviour #1

[Dec 1989]. Cover price £1.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Trident Comics.

Edited by Martin Skidmore.

Cover by Daniel Vallely.

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED credits; illustration by Daniel Vallely.

 3 Saviour Suffer Little Children w: Mark Millar; a: Daniel Vallely, additional design by Sue Morris.

27 This Was the Original Cover... illustration by Daniel Vallely.

A dramatic and muted cover, extremely stylish in design - quite befitting the opening installment of Trident's twist on the superhero genre courtesy of Mark Millar. The credits page, with a panel from the fourth page of the strip blown up (and slightly modified), isn't the most encouraging first glimpse at the title, and the complete lack of any personal touches is worrisome. The lack of publisher information is also notable, as if the title had been assembled in a rush, the usual elements of a comic being an afterthought.

The Saviour, title character and protagonist (or antagonist, if you want to be accurate) of the series appears first as an interviewee on a talk show. Some of the references (Mizz, the Fat Boys, Dallas) are dated, but the tone and presentation of the type of discussion should be familiar to anyone who has braved the evening schedules of BBC1 or ITV - topics which are as flimsy as possibly, stretched out with cringe-worthy 'humour' - and which Millar captures perfectly.

The interview is interspersed with footage of Saviour's heroics, and adverts which... Actually, I would be up for purchasing a wallet made from the dissected skin of a dead television personality, would some forward-thinking company be up for marketing such a product. It is, of course, a spin on the fake adverts in RoboCop, or the television segments in The Dark Knight Returns, but with enough originality in the telling.

There are clear hints, so early in the story, that Saviour isn't the man he has professed to be. A young man serves as a counterpoint to the shallow excess of the main character (modelled after Jonathan Ross, at the time headlining The Last Resort), and it is this figure who presents the most sympathetic character in the narrative.

Two thousand years ago I tried to warn them of the direction their lives were taking.

The dark, tortuous path that led only to despair and chaos.
They tortured me then, and hung me upon a cross to die in the blistering sun.

And I still love them. I still came back.

To save them from themselves.

He's really got them fooled this time. They fight over his every dropping.

A sub-plot surrounding child-killings - in order to slaughter The Beast - feels like a lift from a bad Omen knock-off, and the murder of a priest is too briefly presented, though is handled in a manner which side-steps any accusations of gratuitous sensationalism. A remarkably assured and well-paced debut, with several lines of dialogue which shine, ably brought to life with Daniel Vallely's artwork, which is incredibly detailed in places.

With echoes of Steve Yeowell's art in places, Vallely brings a wonderful energy to the story. Momentary respite from the panel-to-panel storytelling (presumably Sue Morris' contribution) comes with a page of newspaper headlines. Visual exuberance is also present in surprising ways, with a final-panel shot of Saviour flying through the air enhanced with a photograph of dark clouds.