Future Tense #3

Britain's Newest Science Fiction Weekly!

19 Nov 1980; Cover price 14p.
32 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Paul Neary.

Free 'Build Your Own Spaceship' piece, part three, designed by Rahid Khan.

Cover p: UNKNOWN.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Welcome to Issue Three (half page) text introduction by Paul Neary. / The Concise History of the Galaxy (half page) UNTITLED [Uncle Frank] w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett. / Indicia

 3 The Micronauts Divided They Fall w: Bill Mantlo; p: Pat Broderick, i: Armando Gil, lettering by John Costanza.

r: Micronauts (Marvel Comics) #19 (Jul 1980).

11 Meet the Micronauts, part two, Princess Mari... Marionette w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Seeker 3000! The Dying Sun!, part three, w: Doug Moench; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Denise Wohl.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #41 (Apr 1978).

16 Marvel Back-Issue Bonanza! in-house advertisement.

18 Star-Lord Windhölme, part three, w: Chris Claremont; p: John Byrne, i: Terry Austin, lettering by Tom Orzechowski.

r: Marvel Preview (Marvel Comics) #11 (Summer 1977).

22 Paladin In Manhattan, They Play for Keeps, part thee, w: Don McGregor; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Gaspar Saladino & Bruce Patterson.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #43 (Aug 1978).

25 Contact! w:/a: Tom Sutton; lettering by Tom Sutton.

r: Son of Satan (Marvel Comics) #08 (Feb 1977).

27 Warlock And Men Shall Call Him... Warlock!, part three, w: Roy Thomas; p: Gil Kane, i: Dan Adkins, lettering by Sam Rosen.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #01 (Apr 1972).

32 Science Fantasy in Television, Cinema and Graphics in-house advertisement for Starburst.

Before you think that the quality has dipped so low as to negate any possibility of salvation, The Concise History of the Galaxy contains a classic moment of comedy, with more than a hint of 2001: A Space Odyssey being lampooned. While I may be alone in seeing a slight resemblance, the Captain Caveman styling present is greatly appreciated.

With the immensely original title of Divided They Fall, this issue's Micronauts tale strikes out in a bold new direction, with Bug being spooked by a dog's appearance, then engaging in dramatic battle with a chicken, before being capture by a bespectacled amateur scientist who refers to himself as "Odd John." Would anyone actually call themselves such a name? Strips this bad are rarely seen, so to see this in a Marvel title is plain embarrassing.

Star-Lord gets a sentient ship, called (in another startling leap of originality) "Ship". Honestly, why do I bother tormenting myself with possibilities that the quality of this title might rise to the level of... mediocre, perhaps. A lot of the strip's charm has evaporated as the story has progressed, though the appearance of reptilian aliens provide a brief jolt of excitement.

A highlight of the issue is Contact!, which - although the punch-line has been used time and time again - manages to raise a smile thanks to clever writing, some lively art, and a sense of the ridiculous which is entirely appropriate. Unfortunately, yet predictably, things return to normal with Warlock's mangling of science, in a speech so idiotic that even readers possessing no scientific knowledge whatsoever are likely to utter a sigh of despair at how moronic the notion is.

There is word of Star Trek strips forthcoming in the editorial, though I doubt even as tasty a promise as this is likely to have ensured readers' attention through so much of the poor material slapped together for this title. Had the Star Trek material been present since the start it might have held more immediate appeal, though I can't help thinking that the only way for the title to distinguish itself was to opt for original strips.

#02

Future Tense

#04

Future Tense #2

SF from Here to Eternity!

12 Nov 1980; Cover price 14p.
32 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Paul Neary.

Free 'Build Your Own Spaceship'.

Cover p: Dave Cockrum, i: Joe Sinnott.
r: recoloured cover from Marvel Premiere (Marvel) #41 (Apr 1978).

Contents:

 2 Future Tense ...Second Great Issue! (half page) text introduction by Paul Neary. / The Concise History of the Galaxy (half page) UNTITLED [Heavy Sunspots] w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett. / Indicia

 3 The Micronauts Child Eyes!, part two, w: Bill Mantlo; p: Howard Chaykin, i: Al Milgrom, lettering by Irving Watanabe.

r: Micronauts (Marvel Comics) #18 (Jun 1980).

12 Meet the Micronauts UNTITLED, part one, w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

13 Warlock And Men Shall Call Him... Warlock!, part two, w: Roy Thomas; p: Gil Kane, i: Dan Adkins, lettering by Sam Rosen.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #01 (Apr 1972).

17 Seeker 3000! The Dying Sun!, part two, w: Doug Moench; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Denise Wohl.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #41 (Apr 1978).

21 Paladin In Manhattan, They Play for Keeps, part two, w: Don McGregor; a: Tom Sutton, lettering by Gaspar Saladino & Bruce Patterson.

r: Marvel Premiere (Marvel Comics) #43 (Aug 1978).

26 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly.

27 Star-Lord Windhölme, part two, w: Chris Claremont; p: John Byrne, i: Terry Austin, lettering by Tom Orzechowski.

r: Marvel Preview (Marvel Comics) #11 (Summer 1977).

32 Science Fantasy in Television, Cinema and Graphics in-house advertisement for Starburst.

This may be one of the most unappealing covers to appear on a Marvel title, with the crew of Seeker 3000 rendered as plant people, or really bad Green Lantern cosplayers. The interior is, mercifully, black and white, so further artistic desecration is limited to the truncation of the strips rather than rendering them entirely unappealing through ham-fisted colouring.

The Concise History of the Galaxy isn't quite as funny (yet) as other Quinn and Howett strips, though I'm holding out hope that it improves. As it is the sole beacon of originality within the pages of Future Tense, and with the remainder of the contents struggling for definition and differentiation in the issue, it is a strip which really should be more energetic.

The Microship Endeavour has escaped from the Microverse and has landed on an unknown planet! They see amongst the giant vegetation, a house which they recognise to be in the style of a dwelling from planet Earth... But it is much too small! Two of the Micronauts - Space Glider and Marionette - approach the curious structure from the air...

If, like most intelligent readers, you will have guessed that Marionette and Arcturus are looking at a doll's house, then you are smarter than any of the characters in this story. The sole concession to some semblance of originality are models capable of movement, though as the notion of living toys dates back to the myth and legend we shouldn't rush to congratulate the script - the creepy girl, whose powers animated the toys, is not necessarily a villain in events, but merely a child wishing to play.

To have such an unusual cast of characters, with the unique selling point of being the same size as their action figures (on sale in all good toy shops, circa 1980), but delivering such a predictable tale with them, makes this is massive disappointment. The wasteful tale is mercifully wrapped up quickly, and followed by a single-page introduction to the characters. It is a feature which really ought to have appeared before the strip in the first issue, and is utterly useless here.

Warlock really is an abysmal story with which to tease in an SF audience, with its recap highlighting everything which is wrong with the strip:

The High Evolutionary has in the past created a race of animal-men who revolted, and nearly destroyed him! He now lives in a hollow asteroid spaceship with his companion animal-man Sir Raam! Raam has summoned his master to examine a strange cocoon found floating in space...

Why is the High Evolutionary in space? More pertinently, how did he get there?

Actually, I don't care. The awful writing and mediocre art can hardly encourage empathy with any of the characters.

Seeker 3000 continues to plunder Star Trek for everything not nailed down, is one of the most shameless comic strips in Marvel's retinue. The idea of telepaths being marked so that they are easily identified is a brief moment of sense in what is largely a forgettable story.

Paladin boasts some impressive cityscapes, though is mostly a rehash of better material, while Star-Lord stands as the sole strip which does something interesting with its main character - until, that is, it turns into a superhero strip more suited to The Mighty World of Marvel than an SF title. The plot nudges the story into becomming one of the most disappointing strips of the issue, and, given the undistinguished strips which it shares space with, must be seen as quite the accomplishment.

#01

Future Tense

#03

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

Doctor Who Weekly #4

07 Nov 1979. Cover price 12p.
28 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

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

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

 7 Crazy Caption 4 competition; photograph (uncredited).

 8 Starting Next Week in Issue Five of... Doctor Who Weekly preview of Throwback strip; a: Paul Neary.

 9 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Yeti - Robot Pawns Controlled from Space text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

12 Planet Puzzle Answer (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly.

13 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part four, 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 (1976).

18 The Dead Planet text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham; photographs (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Tom Baker fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

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

27 Doctor Who and the Turgids advertisement for Doctor Who Radio from Shortman Trading Company Ltd. w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 UNTITLED Tom Baker pin-up; photograph (uncredited).

The Doctor's letter reminds readers not to play with fireworks, noting that they are still explosives despite their packaging and public perception. It is a message which can't be repeated enough, as even all these years later there are still horror stories of needless accidents being reported - such public safety notices have largely fallen out of favour, and these remnants from a time before social media are really evocative.

The Imperial Air-Galley enters the Temple of the Gods, an alien space-ship, and the Doctor convinces Morris to help his escape - which Morris is more than happy to do, given that he hasn't made an escape attempt for a couple of weeks. The Alien Guard, protectors of the temple, rush to prevent the escape of the prisoners. Managing to avoid recapture, the Doctor meets Vesuvius, the oldest robot in Rome. After performing minor repairs on Vesuvius, the Doctor asks where he can find the Gods - and realises that the Romans have been worshiping the Malevilus, most terrible of alien races.

Aliens who take the form of statues? Shades of the Weeping Angels raise this beyond any quibbles regarding the other-dimensional nature of the Romans. Morris is a great character, who really lightens the strip, as well as being oddly likable.

Although interesting, the Yeti aren't quite as memorable - or terrifying - as the Great Intelligence, who really should have formed the focus of the feature. As a history of the robots, however, it is a fine example of the recaps making the threats seem more credible than the episodes managed. The main drawback to the Yeti is their resemblance to Wombles, which is a complete drama-killer. How are the furry, rotund litter-pickers meant to scare when they are so damn cute?

I wouldn't say no to a pet Yeti.

I'll name him George. And I'll hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him...

War of the Worlds is one of the main foundation stones of alien invasions in popular culture, with some of the most dramatic scenes of devastation to focus on such an unlikely location. It should be told as the epic it is, and have at least one or two compelling, memorable images on every page. It should matter. While the adaptation is fine, it isn't exceptional. If there's one word which encapsulates the strip, that word would be "adequate".

The designs of the tripods owe much to the film adaptation, which overwhelms any positive artistic choices. Such a disappointment.

Continuing the recap of The Dead Planet, the same handful of images which always get published are, quelle surprise, dusted off and printed onece more. Are the choices of photographic record for the first doctor so limited that we never get new (or at least unpublished) material? Surely someone was a bit snap-happy on set, and there remains, somewhere, a few pieces we haven't seen dozens of times. Which isn't a complaint aimed at Doctor Who Weekly in specific, but all coverage of the first Doctor.

After 800 years, the Daleks have returned to the planet Anhaut, seeking revenge for their former defeat. Movie producer Glax and his star, Hok Nepo, have found the weapon chamber of the ancient General Nor-Din... Only to have its contents destroyed by the Dalek agent, Kuay, before they could learn its secret...

Prepared to kill everyone, and destroy everything, in their path, the Daleks approach the pyramid. Seemingly trapped, and destined to die in the pyramid, Kuay tells Glax that the Daleks' hold on her ended when she touched a crystal helmet - a device which rapidly ages the user. Hok takes the helmet from Kuay, though he cannot get it to work. Knowing her Dalek implants will enable use of the device, Kuay prepares to sacrifice herself to end the menace once and for all.

As endings go, Return of the Daleks pulls out all the stops.

While I'm going to miss Glax, his transformation from amoral exploitation producer to (albeit reluctant) hero has been a great way to expand the confines of the series. The history of the Daleks outside of strict continuity had already produced a few brilliant stories, and if they were to break free of the series, to invade television screens on their own, this strip would have to be considered as an inspiration.

#03

Doctor Who Weekly

#05

Bato Loco

rebel[14 Aug 2012]. Free.
68 pages. Colour & B&W.
Rebellion.

Edited by Keith Richardson.

Cover by Simon Coleby, coloured by Chris Blythe.

Free with Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion) #326 (14 Aug 2012).

Contents:

 2 Credits / Indicia

 3 Bato Loco title page; illustrated by Simon Coleby.

 4 Judge Dredd Bato Loco credits page; illustrated by Simon Coleby.

 5 Judge Dredd Bato Loco w: Gordon Rennie; a: Simon Coleby, lettering by Tom Frame, colouring by Chris Blythe.

r: Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion) #202 (11 Feb 2003).

17 Bato Loco True Romance credits page; illustrated by Simon Coleby.

18 Bato Loco True Romance w: Gordon Rennie; a: Simon Coleby, lettering by Tom Frame.

r: Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion) #208 (27 Aug 2003).

26 Bato Loco Head Job credits page; illustrated by Simon Coleby.

27 Bato Loco Head Job w: Gordon Rennie; a: Simon Coleby, lettering by Tom Frame, colouring by Chris Blythe.

r: Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion) #229 (08 Mar 2005) - #230 (05 Apr 2005).

39 Bato Loco Kiss Me Deadly credits page; illustrated by Andrew Currie.

40 Bato Loco Kiss Me Deadly w: Gordon Rennie; a: Andrew Currie, lettering by Simon Bowland, colouring by Peter Doherty.

r: Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion) #290 (10 Nov 2009) - #291 (08 Dec 2009).

58 Judge Dredd Meat Patrol credits page; illustrated by Simon Coleby.

59 Judge Dredd Meat Patrol w: Gordon Rennie; a: Simon Coleby, lettering by Tom Frame, colouring by Chris Blythe.

r: Judge Dredd Megazine (Rebellion) #224 (19 Oct 2004).

67 Bagged with Megazine 327 On Sale 15 August 12 in-house advertisement for Marauder.

68 Goin' Loco!

In the Big Meg's Barrio blocks, they called Carlito Agarra the 'Bato Loco' - 'Crazy Guy'. He's just trying to make an honest cred, but if it ain't the Judges on his back it's the Mob - Madon'!

You have to love a cover where someone steals Judge Dredd's badge.

So I know what it is you are thinking.

'Carlito,' you are saying, 'why is it you are doing this strange thing with this big fat dead guy, and all those Judges and bad news scary mob guys? Is this why they are always calling you Crazy Guy?

And so then I say to you, 'Patience, my friends, for soon you will be seeing that all this is not so crazy after all...'

There have been more eccentric beginnings to Dredd's stories. Not many, but there are a few which can top the image of a man riding a giant corpse on wheels.

A week earlier. Louie the Gut, returning from making his regular smuggling route through the Black Atlantic tunnel, collapses from a heart attack and dies, the haul of uncut diamonds in his stomach. Carlito Agarra is picked up by Don Morte's men for a sit-down, despite the fact that Don Morte is a taxidermied corpse, whose wishes are 'interpreted' by his consigliore, Vito Machievelli. Asked to retrieve the diamonds from the Resyk morgue, he discovers that two of his associates also have the same idea.

There are two corpses of similar size present, though the choice of which one is their corpse is settled when Guido Guisperre - 'Grand Guignol' - bursts from a corpse's stomach wielding his chainsaw. Hearing the disturbance, Dredd orders all squads to move in on the morgue, though Carlito and Guignol burst through the morgue's doors riding Louie the Guts' corpse. Managing to escape from both Guignol and Dredd, Carlito makes a run for freedom, and fate is smiling on him as he searches for a way to square things with Machievelli.

While most of the time I would have a problem with coincidence playing a part in the resolution of a story, here it works to the advantage of characterisation and the overall mood of the strip. Yes, there is a whole series of unlikely events, but in Mega City One this is business as usual.

Okay, so here we are again, and every time we are doing this, it seems as if you are catching me in the middle of something crazy happening.

Catalonia, Carlito's girlfriend, who he met when she took the contract on his head, is angered that a year has passed since Carlito promised to marry her within a year. Catalonia promised to herself that she would kill him if he didn't keep his promise, and she gives him a week to purchase her a ring. As the days tick by, without money or a ring, things look bleak for Carlito. Hearing that the Slyrrm, aliens seeking ingredients for narcotics on their homeworld, he scams them out of enough money for his needs.

As Carlito is ready to ask Catalonia to marry him, the Slyrrm catch up with him.

With a good sense of the variety of life in the setting, Rennie manages to weave a very funny - and quite light, given prior strips - action-adventure story. Catalonia is fantastic character, and it is pleasing that she is so much more competent than Carlito.

Head Job crosses Carlito's path with that of Judge Dredd once more, as Machievelli orders him to deal with Cubans from the Wastes who are running an organ-legging racket. A bulk shipment of executed politicos turns out to be merely their heads, and Carlito doesn't want to pay for something he can't sell on. As the deal goes south, Dredd leads an assault on the exchange. Recognising Carlito from Resyk, Dredd chases after him, as the other Judges clear up the organ-leggers.

Seeing Dredd covered in body parts is amusing, though somewhat predictable now. The circumstance in which he manages to get in such a predicament, however, is rather fresh. Unlike the rotting head thrown at him.

Okay, so I know what it is you are thinking -

"Carlito", you are thinking, "is that Abadonna Morte I see you with, beloved daughter of your boss, Don Morte? Why is it you are in this situation with her, when everyone know she is crazy as hell, and liable to get you in very serious trouble indeed?"

And I say to you, "that is a good question my friend, with an answer that is maybe long and not so simple to explain..."

Called in to deal with Abadonna's latest break-up, Carlito is told to assist Billy-17 cleaning up the mess. While there, Abadonna asks him to accompany her on a date, as she has invitations to the Cocabandito, and can't turn up alone - for appearances sake. A kidnap crew hits their car before they reach the club, however, and his worries about Abadonna killing him are replaced with a worry he's going to meet his end another way. Carlito's (entirely unintentional) heroics impress Abadonna enough that she kisses him, and Machievelli informs him that he should consider Abadonna his girlfriend from now on.

Which, considering his fiancée is a contract killer, isn't the best news he's had.

Catalonia orders Carlito to meet her on a rooftop, which he agrees to, as Abadonna tells Machievelli that she fears he is cheating on her. Obviously this means he must die, but Abadonna insists she be there to witness Carlito's demise. Things soon escalate out of control.

The final story in the collection is a very sombre and low-key Dredd story in which he takes night shift on meat wagon pick-up with a Judge whom he failed. It isn't often that we get to see the less glamorous side of the judicial system's tasks, and here we see what it takes to go out every day and collect corpses for Resyk. Following a relatively normal night of pick-ups, Dredd answers a call, drawing the truck into a fight which it isn't designed for.

Not as funny as Low Life, though a fine example of the less dramatic side of Mega City One's inhabitants. Following through on the promise of an excellent introduction to the character, Gordon Rennie delivers on Bato Loco's promising premise with one unlikely event after another, increasing the stakes with each installment. Gloriously illustrated by Coleby and Currie, there isn't a dud panel in the entire collection.

Eagle [Vol.21] #2

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

Edited by David Hunt.

Photo cover by Gary Compton.

Free Golden Eagle badge.

Contents:

 2 Eagle Hotline The Eagle Has Really Landed! text introduction by David Hunt. / Your Free Gift / Get Ready For... Roar film preview / Eagle Book of Records reader feedback requested. / New This Week introduction to The Money Page and The Adventures of Fred. / Odd Spot photograph (uncredited). / Happy Birthday / Last Minute Department reader feedback requested.

 3 Doomlord UNTITLED [No Trace of the Spaceship], part two, w: Alan Grant; photography by Gary Compton.

 7 Wellie of the Week Terry Wogan photograph (uncredited). / Eagle Sweet Talk Scarey Sticks / Things that Go Chomp in the Night! / Rocky Horror! / Caught by the Camera Boeing 727 photograph by Hans Wendt. / Ernie UNTITLED [Being a Star Comes Naturally] w:/a: Dave Follows.

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

 9 Eagle Data File Sea King Har 3 fact file; illustration (uncredited).

10 The Adventures of Fred UNTITLED [Read the Signs] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

11 The Collector Assassin w: Brian Burrell; a: Pat Wright, photography by Sven Arnstein.

14 The Unexplained! Demon Guard (one third page) text feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited). / The Symbol of Excellence (one sixth page) newsagent order form.

26 Daley's Diary It's Best by Boat! / Forgotten Losers / Lauda's Crown? / The Dutch Master / The Last National? text features by Daley Thompson.

16 Dan Dare Return of the Mekon, part two, w: John Wagner & Pat Mills; a: Gerry Embleton.

18 Sgt. Streetwise UNTITLED [The Thames Gang], part two, w: Gerry Finley-Day; photographs by Dave Watts.

21 The Tower King UNTITLED [Lord Spencer's Arrival], part two, w: Alan Hebden; a: Jose Ortiz.

24 Free with Battle in-house advertisement for Battle and Strike Force sticker album; a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

25 Eagle Interview Bob Champion (three fifths of page) interview by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph by UNKNOWN (uncredited). / Kids are Tough! Michael Goes on Parade (two fifths of page) text feature about Michael Webb by UNKNOWN (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

26 The Money Page: Glamorous Teacher Miss Palmer, Magna Carta School, Staines; photograph (uncredited). / Big Mouth Belt Up, Jim! / School Uniform readers' mail. / Superdad! Nick and Matt Oakley photograph (uncredited). / Brothers & Sisters Get it Taped! / Super Sis readers' mail.

27 Thunderbolt and Smokey! UNTITLED [West Against North], part two, w: Tom Tully; photographs by John Powell.

31 Read Mike Read UNTITLED [The big mistake that I've always made with any sport I've participated in...] (half page) text feature by Mike Read; photographs (uncredited); illustration (uncredited). / Shopwatch It's Looking Good for Spring [Wrangler; Palitoy Pocketeers games] shopping feature (uncredited). / Next Week

 9 Personality Plus Clare Grogan pin-up and mini-bio (uncredited). / 10 'Happy Birthday' LP's Up for Grabs! competition.

Eagle says a special thank you to the following for their help this issue... The Magna Carta School, Staines. Epic Records.

There's still an educational element to Eagle's remit, with surprising success. One such fact is that penguins can catch colds, as the Antarctic is so cold it is germ free, thus penguins have no immunity to the sniffles. Non-fiction highlight of the issue, and I can't get the image of penguins sneezing out of my head - smiling each time I imagine them wiping their beaks on their wings, grumbling away. This is the Eagle of old shining through the new paint job. Barely visible, but still there.

At the offices of the Cranberry Argus, reporter Howard Harvey - the only witness to Doomlord's arrival on Earth - tried to convince his editor that his story was true.

If you are even minimally aware of series such as The Invaders you will know that attempting to convince superiors, or authorities, of alien activity is likely to end in failure. Worse, it might be seen as an eccentricity which points to instability, losing the character their safety nets of regular income and credibility. It is never a good sign when a character jumps straight to his "They're coming... They're coming..." act, rather than patiently investigating and collecting evidence.

Alan Grant is a great writer, but here panders to a degree of clichéd writing which doesn't feel real. In only two installments of the story, Harvey has lost all credibility as a reporter. Tailing the police officer, Harvey loses him at a train station, though sees a vaguely-familiar man get on the train - a closer look reveals that he is wearing the same distinctive alien ring. Arriving at King's Cross Station, he finally remembers the man's name, Sir Matthew Hodges, Cranbridge's member of Parliament.

While the photographic standards are, admittedly, better than average, there is still no discernible advantage to presenting Doomlord in such a manner. Artistic quibbles aside, it is to the strip's credit that the casual murder of bystanders isn't shied away from - with one such unfortunate shown to be disintegrated when the alien's disguise begins to falter.

The Adventures of Fred is a precursor to Mr. Bean, or Matt Lucas' Pompidou, perhaps. Utilising signs to tell its story, with the Inspector Clouseau-like character oblivious to their warnings, the single-page introduction is, however, merely adequate. Comedy is difficult, and when there is the added complication of creating scripts achievable through photography, it makes necessary exaggeration almost impossible. It is impossible to capture crazy antics in photo strips with the same anarchy present in drawn strips.

"Welcome. I see you have returned to sample another weird and bizarre tale from my museum of extraordinary exhibits.

The story behind this charm bracelet is unusual. A romance, perhaps? Alas, no, let me tell you about the person who used to wear this... Harvey Pell, the man who had no heart!

Rivalries in London's gangland sees numerous unlikely and odd "accidents" claim the lives of various people. Edward Rogan, a food connoisseur is poisoned at his own dinner table, the Gray brothers - driving enthusiasts - were involved in a fatal smash when their brakes failed, and Charley "Birdy" Burdett, fell from an office block while birdwatching. Accidents they are not, for they are the work of an assassin whose modus operandi has earned him the moniker "Heartless" Harvey Pell.

Pell's next hit is Tony Lombardo, a man who spends his free time on the shooting range. Deciding on an appropriate method with which to dispose of Lombardo, Pell breaks into the man's office and sets up a pistol to fire the next time someone speaks into the 'phone. Having seemingly set up the perfect murder, he is interrupted by an opportunistic thief who sees the office door open. Tied to the chair, in line with the pistol, Pell is forced to wait on Lombardo returning to his office to release him, hoping that nobody uses the 'phone...

A taut story, with a clever set-up, handled in a clunky manner through the photo strip format. The character of Pell would be revisited in Accident Man, proving that no good idea goes to waste, though here the conceit is badly squandered. With Lombardo's pistol so prominent in the photographs, it is likely he would move it back to its proper location before going anywhere near his 'phone.

The Unexplained!, a text feature which covers supernatural dogs, is suitably placed at the end of The Collector, though is far from an in-depth account of such beasts. Such a small feature was never going to be satisfying, or include the best (i.e. downright creepiest) stories, yet the complete absence of credible (and documented) reports make this a brief note that, yes, such things might exist. Maybe. Possibly. If you squint hard, and don't try to rationalise away such things. More gravity would have helped, but the main problem is with the length.

As the nature of the articles are not usually of interest, I normally give Daley's Diary a brief glance, note the contents, then move on. But this issue's contents has an intriguing comment regarding the fate of the Grand National.

I shall be very sorry, like all lovers of sport, if this year's Grand National is the last to be run. It's become part of the British way of life.

While various attempts, over the years, to have the race brought to an end due to animal welfare concerns, there has never really been a sense that such concerns might actually come to anything. What was different in the early eighties? I kinda want to know how close the race came to ending, but I'm not interested - or invested - enough to go looking. Context in the reporting of current events is appreciated, especially when texts are analysed at such a remove. Approaching the commentary now, without immediate access to material of the period covering the event in detail, makes for a frustrating and tantalising read.

The year was 2210, one mile above the Earth, in the parliament of the Terran Federation, delegates sit in emergency session. . . .

Dan Dare begins strong, with an armada of eight thousand ships approaching Earth. The president reveals that he is a robot, exploding with enough force to destroy the satellite upon which the parliament are aboard. Luna Base, HQ of the Terran Defence Fleet, launch a force to repel the invasion, though possibly not in time.

The Kármán line, sixty-two miles above Earth, is generally accepted as the point at which Earth's atmosphere gives way to outer space, which itself is far higher than the flying ship is portrayed as being. It is a curious statement to make - one hundred miles places the parliament in space, though far, far too low to be in a stable orbit. Comic-book science, however, cocks a snook at such details.

At only two pages it is difficult to imagine how this is going to play out without an increase in space for the strip, though the art more than makes up for such brevity. While robots masquerading as humans is an overplayed device, the final panel is a surprising reversal of conventional depictions of the security of Earth space.

An extremely stiffly posed shot in the first panel of Sgt. Streetwise is enough to turn me off reading the strip immediately, and I honestly don't care what happens. Already, two issues in, the photo strips have outstayed their welcome.

Lord Spencer's men arrive via train, and is told he will be ruler of the Tower of London within the hour. Mick Tempest, the Tower King, has other ideas, and charges into the battle, though must retreat due to overwhelming forces. At Tower Bridge a small group of Tempest's men prepare to hold off the invaders until the bridge can be raised.

Beautiful, engaging, and utterly compelling, The Tower King continues to impress.

The Money Page, for which read "readers' mail" (with additional quirks), poses two problems, the first of which is the more troublesome - Glamorous Teacher, which praises attractive teachers, and showers gifts upon them, is annoying. Summing up a person's career with a statement of how good they look? Not cool. It would have been more appropriate to reward teachers who provided real, solid life-changing classes. The kind of teachers who are remembered long after their pupils have left school. They may not be the most photogenic, but their value to society is incalculable.

The second issue with the letters page is the poor formatting, wasting much of the page. When readers have spent time writing to a publication their comments should be presented in a respectful manner, and with enough variation in content that the page isn't fragmented snippets. As a new title the number of suitable letters might have been low, though this is where thoughtful, and erudite, responses come into play. By padding the page with an ugly border, then boxing off each section, there's so little presented that the title might as well have not bothered including it.

01

Eagle [Vol.21]

#03

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

Street Fighter II #5

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

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Free cover-mounted Ryu postcard.

Contents:

 2 Announcing... A New Breed of Heroes for the Nineties! in-house advertisement for Timecop.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 06: Karma w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 5 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

23 Street Fighter II Battle 07: King of Kings w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 The cloak of mystery surrounding M. Bison begins to unfold as Ryu, Chun-Li, and Guile reveal the stories of their pasts. (one fifth page)

39 Street Fighter II Survey!

40 More Cyber-Suited Psychic Action in the Cyberpunk Collection in-house advertisement for AD Police and Geno Cyber videocassettes.

With a very nice postcard adorning the cover, this issue seems to be designed to attract back lapsed readers, and usher in latecomers, with some especially attractive art. The splash page is as good an image of Ryu and Ken as I have seen, and although what follows is an extended flashback of a pivotal fight in Ryu's past, it is handled well enough to overcome any sense of further padding.

With so many plots carrying over from earlier installments it might have been nice for events thus far to have been provided in a brief opening paragraph, as introduction to the continuing story.

Battle 07: King of Kings steps up an already impressive display of style, with page 24 and 25's scenes from the stadium recalling the brief scenes of activity surrounding the fight scenes in numerous boxing movies.

Chun-Li continues her investigation into the disappearance of her father, discovering a link between the drug Doll, the Grand Fight, and Shadowlaw. Ken approaches Ryu before his fight, and M. Bison finally steps to the fore. There's a flurry of activity, for sure, but the plot progression has been erratic at best, and downright glacial in places. With things appearing to be reaching decisive turning points for several of the hanging plot threads, this is hardly an entry-level issue.

Given the furore over Newsfield's inclusion of bared breasts in a computer game magazine a few years earlier, it is remarkably brave of Manga to include just such an image here, almost taunting conservative retailers with their lack of a mature readers warning on the cover.

#04

Street Fighter II

#06

The Crunch #1

20 Jan 1979. Cover price 10p.
32 pages. B&W and red.
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.

Cover by UNKNOWN.

Free "The Black Band".

Contents:

 2 The Crunch is Now... Introduction (uncredited). / Free gift preview for forthcoming issues. / Contents (unordered).

 3 Arena UNTITLED [No Mercy! Kill! Kill!] w: Dave H. Taylor (uncredited); a: Enrique Alcatena (uncredited).

 7 Mantracker UNTITLED [Yellow Pine Bank Robbery] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Alberto Salinas (uncredited).

12 The Kyser Experiment UNTITLED [Introducing Dr. Kyser] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

16 The Walking Bombs UNTITLED [U.S. Rocket Research Complex] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Denis McLoughlin (uncredited).

20 In the Skies Over Britain, the Crunch Question is... Friend or Foe? illustrated feature (uncredited).

21 Hitler Lives UNTITLED [Germany is in ruins] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Patrick Wright (uncredited).

25 The Crunch Black Band (quarter page) free gift information. / Another Great Story Starts Next Week (quarter page) in-house advertisement.

26 The Crunch Death Leap photo feature on Eddie Kidd (uncredited).

27 Who Killed Cassidy? UNTITLED [] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

31 The Crunch Question (half page) in-house advertisement.

32 Another Free Gift in The Crunch Next Week in-house advertisement for Barry Sheene poster.

I would love to know which wag scribbled a middle finger on the fist depicted on the cover. The desecration does mean that the issue cost a mere 20p, thirty-five years after publication. Regardless, a brilliant cover layout - proudly promoting the newness - isn't aided by a rather unremarkable illustration, but the excitement which it conveys is palpable. The Black Band, this issue's free gift, doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than to advertise the fact that the wearer has purchased The Crunch, which is fine in and of itself, but seems rather poor in comparison to other giveaways of the seventies.

THE CRUNCH IS NOW!

THE CRUNCH is a whole new experience in boys' papers! It's for the boy of TODAY - packed with never-before-told stories with true-life features on the men who have faced the crunch in their lives.

Whatever else this issue has going for it, there's a giant stumbling block of the name to get over. It speaks of rush hour on the Tube, or being grabbed someplace sensitive, not of excitement and adventure. While it is explained within this issue as a life-defining moment, that isn't necessarily what is going to be taken from the title by readers. A remarkably good logo, despite questionable appropriateness of the name, boldly coloured red to maximise its attention-grabbing properties.

Welcome to the greatest, most exciting sport ever! The ultimate conflict - and to the death! Locked in mortal combat employing strength and cunning and the most ingenious weapons the 21st century can devise. This is the story of one man's struggle against the system, and his desperate battles for survival in the Arena

Mark Sabor, a journalist who criticized his corrupt and oppressive government, is found guilty of Article 29 of the Public Order Code and his citizenship is revoked. Plans to appeal are shattered when told that he is a non-citizen, and will be taken to fight in the Arena, where death is almost guaranteed. Sabor is shown around by Deker, chief guard, and sees where he will be allowed to design and construct weapons. Almost immediately Sabor is placed in a simulator where rubber bullets are fired at him, and learns rudimentary defense techniques from Alexis Powers.

His stay seems destined to be a short one, as Sabor learns he will face the Savage, the most vicious fighter the Arena has ever seen, in seven short days.

An innocent man falsely tried and convicted by a future government is possibly inspired by the previous year's Blake's 7, though there's less stigma attached to Sabor's crime. Gladiatorial combat is an odd way to deal with criminals, and Alcatena's art brings to mind both Death Game 1999 and Harlem Heroes (and feels prescient of The Running Man's film adaptation), without being derivative.

Despite everything seeming being in place from this installment for dramatic purposes, somehow the strip doesn't gel quite as it should. Perfectly serviceable, though lacking an instant appeal, it would improve greatly over subsequent weeks, yet here there is no sense of how pervasive the Arena truly is. Our exposure, through Sabor's plight, doesn't show how the regular citizens react to this occurring as part of the media landscape - Sabor, therefore, comes across as woefully out of touch with what is happening in the legal system of his own nation.

In our age of multimedia bombardment on the launch of a new series of reality television shows, round-the-clock news, and endless sporting boroadcasts, surely the Arena would receive all the promotion available - and, as a reporter, Sabor ought to be at least familiar in passing with the circumstances surrounding the participants. It is a storytelling oversight which impinges on immersion in the world of the story to an uncomfortable degree.

Much better, and with all the flair and drama of an hour-long US adventure series, is The Mantracker.

Bounty hunter! Hated by lawbreakers and despised by society! A man who tracks down other men for the price on their heads! This is the story of Bearpaw Jay, the Indian warrior who became a bounty hunter!

Jay, a highly-decorated ex-Green Beret, returns to his home town, Yellow Pine, and is met by his grandfather. Before heading home, he goes to deposit his savings in the bank, but is taken hostage during a bank robbery. Jay's grandfather is killed when he intervenes, and Jay sets off on his own to take down the robbers. With a five thousand dollar reward for their capture, Jay looks to purchase a car and fancy weapons for his new life as a bounty hunter.

The best strip in this issue, Mantracker is perfectly paced, beautifully illustrated, and eminently entertaining - Jay Bearclaw isn't given much in the way of characterisation in the strip's handful of pages, but there's an energy which carries his narrative along as he sets out on a career as a bounty hunter. This feels, more than any other strip in the title, as if it was destined for television. Which is a shame, as no attempt at exploiting the property has been made. Better than The A-Team premise, and with the added scope of his Native American heritage, this is a gem of a story.

How The Mantracker escaped the attention of television producers is a mystery.

The Kyser Experiment is a football story with SF elements, sure to appeal to... Someone. I'm not sure why, of all subjects, the artificial amplification of athletic ability has been so tied to football in comics, with this being a perfect example of a strip splitting its potential audience with conflicting elements. Sports fans aren't a major target audience for SF, nor are SF fans likely to embrace the sports aspect wholeheartedly, leaving a narrow overlap where strips often struggle to survive alongside more traditional material.

Camford City have concluded their previous season with an empty trophy cabinet, despite reaching the FA Cup Final and being runners-up in the First Division (surely there are runners-up trophies), and three weeks before the start of the new season, Len Bradley, City Manager, introduces Doctor Kyser to his squad - taking charge of the health and fitness of the players. Placing each of the players, in turn, in an ominously-shaped "treatment" mechanism, each is subjected to the treatment, save for Jeff Lawson, whose physiology is incompatible with Kyser's ministrations.

Alan Green is taken to the treatment room after he twists his knee during practise, and returns to the pitch a few minutes later - to Lawson's astonishment. After the game is over, Green's knee appears to be injured again, though he can't explain how that is so. Jeff is determined to discover the secret of the doctor's strange therapy.

Engaging, though with many inconsistencies in telling the story - we aren't given an explanation as to how a failing club can afford a doctor with astonishing results, nor how they manage to afford such a grandiose stadium in which to play. Accepting the limitations, it does what it sets out to do with a certain flair, and the art is solid enough to overcome many of the niggling doubts raised by the plot.

The Walking Bombs begins at the U.S. Rocket Research Complex in Nevada, where General Bannerman is announcing Project Apocalypse funding being approved, when he explodes - the blast from which appears to be a nuclear explosion. Secret Agents Mike Preston and Andrei Chakov are summoned to a meeting with their chief, Sir John Hart, preparing for an attack on British soil. They watch a life feed which shows the U.S. Secretary for Security briefing the Prime Minister, when he, too, explodes in a flash of light.

Preston and Chakov race to the scene, and are met by armed forces personnel in protective clothing. A call is received from Professor Hagan, an expert in microelectronics, who wishes to be picked up from his house in Sussex. Others, however, are also interested in the scientist...

While the notion of people acting as walking bombs is patently ridiculous - somewhere between spontaneous human combustion and a superhero story - this largely focuses on the ramifications of such individuals being granted access to highly sensitive locations and people. There is a refreshing lack of sensationalist elements within this installment, and McLoughlin's art is, if not as elaborate as some of his western material, beautifully balanced. Some panels, especially explosions, are depicted wonderfully.

My name is Jacob Lindt and I am dying... but first I must tell you my story... many will find it incredible... but you must believe me, or the World will plunge into chaos and misery again... for Hitler the Nazi Dictator did NOT die in the ruins of his Third Reich...

Firmly in exploitation territory, Hitler Lives plays on long-held suspicions that Hitler somehow managed to escape his fate. Despite Berlin being in ruins, Lindt, a young German officer, is ordered to keep fighting to the end, but resists. In desperation he shoots his commanding officer, then concludes that the only thing which will end the needless slaughter is the death of Hitler. At the bunker he is stopped by an SS patrol and sees the funeral pyre for the Chancellor. Lindt is then shown that the real Hitler is alive, with an impersonator taking his place in death.

In a state of suspended animation, Hitler's body is taken to the banks of the River Spree, where it is transferred to a boat. Lindt accompanies the fanatical Nazis, who hope to resurrect their leader when the need is greatest, in order to scupper their plans and kill Hitler once and for all.

Hitler Lives wouldn't have been out of place in Warlord, and - in a title which is "for the boy of TODAY" - seems to sit awkwardly alongside contemporary, near-future, and outright SF stories. The premise, however, holds interest, though Lindt's personality is only barely sketched-in throughout this installment.

Which is a problem.

By having his primary motivation merely be "this war is going badly, so I'm going to kill Hitler" makes Lindt's understanding of political and military hierarchy seem woefully inadequate - does he really believe that nobody else (especially from the upper echelons of the Nazi party) will step in to take over, in, possibly, a more effective manner? Without a strong motivation, clearly stated, there's a gaping hole left for readers to fill in. Are we to superimpose historical accounts of von Tresckow, von Gersdorff, von dem Bussche, and others disenchanted by changes in Germany?

That Lindt isn't an important officer makes his progression from the streets of Berlin to an eventual escape, accompanied by SS officers, all the more unbelievable. If he was of significant rank, and in possession of information or equipment essential to the success of the mission, he would have a purpose beyond being another warm body to throw in from of advancing Allied forces, yet he seems to be (at best) a minor cog in the military machine.

Frustrating full of unanswered questions, and using coincidence to propel the plot, Hitler Lives feels like a holdover from an earlier time. Patrick Wright provides the strip with some remarkably good artwork, with an eye for detail, which is more interesting than the plot.

Ross Harper, a traffic officer, attends a meeting at Dulsa City Police Department H.Q. during which it is announced that President Jack Cassidy is visiting the city that day, news of his visit having been restricted due to security concerns. Harper is assigned a position opposite the library, and after spotting a car, in what is meant to be a closed-off area, encounters a White House security agent. As the presidential limo passes, a shot rings out. Harper is also injured in the assassination, but recovers enough to tackle a man attempting to flee the scene.

Thomas Orkin is identified as their shooter, though no firearm is located. Before a search can begin, the FBI assume command of the investigation, and Harper takes the opportunity to pass on the names of eyewitnesses and his helmet - proof that a second shooter was involved. All press and newsreel film of the shooting is confiscated, and Ross Harper (much to his surprise) is asked by the FBI to interrogate Orkin.

While at the holding facility, Harper is drugged, and on resuming consciousness discovers Orkin has committed suicide. The FBI refuse to acknowledge the names of eyewitnesses, or his helmet, and set on Harper for falling asleep on the job.

I have reservations about the logic behind White House security withholding details of a presidential visit from police officers. It is the greatest misstep in an otherwise tense conspiracy tale, which predates XIII, as well as other ruminations on the Kennedy assassination through fiction. There's something about the actual assassination which feels as if the page is rushed - we don't get a wide shot, in order to establish geography, so when a character says that shots came from some bushes we must accept the statement at face value.

Another quibble lies with the manner in which evidence, in the form of Harper's helmet, is casually handed over without indicating that the chain of custody is being observed. There's a great story here, but I fear it is one which is going to accrue more of these logical difficulties. Being published so soon after the assassination of Harvey Milk answers why this was included, though it would have been better if more time had been spent setting up the strip's location and major players.

So close to being a great first issue, the scripting difficulties in The Crunch's strips knock this down to merely an adequate issue. Fascinating ideas, some impressive artistic talent, a few engaging characters, though wrapped up in inconsistent scripting.