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.

Judge Dredd Mega-Special #1

1988. Cover price 75p.
48 pages. Colour & B&W.
Fleetway Publications.

Edited by Richard Burton.

Cover by Brian Bolland.

Contents:

 2 Contents; illustrated by Glenn Fabry.

 3 Judge Dredd The Blob w: Alan Grant; a: John Higgins, lettering by Tom Frame.

11 Judge Dredd The Blockers w: John Wagner; a: Jose Casanovas, lettering by Jack Potter.

16 Odyssey 7 (quarter page) advertisement. / Dredd Siting in Leicester (eighth of page) advertisement for Another World. / Please Mention Judge Dredd Holiday Special When Replying to Advertisements (eighth of page). / Having Trouble Getting Your Comics? Try a Virgin Comic Shop (half page) advertisement; illustrated by Kev Hopgood.

17 Dredd by Day text introduction (uncredited).

18 Judge Dredd Weirdies! [130-154] w: John Wagner & Alan Grant; a: Ian Gibson.

r: The Daily Star (Northern & Shell Media) #???? (07 Jul 1986) - #???? (07 Aug 1986).

23 Dredd's World illustrated feature; a: Brendan McCarthy.

24 Dredd's World poster; a: Brendan McCarthy.

26 Say Gidday to the Good Life mock advertisement for Oz Judges; a: UNKNOWN.

27 Judge Dredd Weirdies! [155-194] w: John Wagner & Alan Grant; a: Ian Gibson.

r: The Daily Star (Northern & Shell Media) #???? (08 Aug 1986) - #???? (03 Oct 1986).

35 New in the Cubes creator fact files (uncredited).

36 Chopper's Odyssey illustrated feature by Mike Butcher; illustrated by .

r: panels from Oz in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) #545 (24 Oct 1987) - #570 (16 Apr 1988).

39 Judge Dredd The Fall Guy w: Alan Grant; a: Will Simpson, lettering by Tom Frame.

47 Catch Judge Dredd... in-house advertisement for 2000 A.D., Best of 2000 A.D., 2000 A.D. Sci-Fi Special, Judge Dredd Annual and 2000 A.D. Annual; illustrated by Steve Dillon.

48 Judge Dredd and 2000 A.D. Merchandise advertisement for Forbidden Planet.

The first Mega-Special is much like Dredd's appearances in 2000 A.D., but with greater room to maneuver. Under an impressive cover by Brian Bolland (who hasn't drawn a bad Dredd yet), there is a superb Fabry illustration. The contents pages allow artists to show off a little, and this is no exception - Dredd's Lawmaster really looks like a real piece of technology, though colouring is perhaps a touch too bright for Mega-City One.

The Blob begins on Pier 17 at Mega-City One's docks, where a jelly-like tentacle grabs the leg of Eric, a crane operator who is in the process of unloading cargo. The crate breaks open while dangling above his co-workers, showering them with its' contents - knives imported from New Sheffield. Dredd is dispatched to investigate, and discovers Eric's body, along with several others, in the lumber stacks. The blob-creature has made its escape, however, making its way to safety.

Forensics examine the crime scene while Dredd trails it, and they come to the conclusion that it is mutated slime-mould, most likely a Black Atlantic mutation which grabbed a lift from a passing ship in order to get into Mega-City One. The forensics team warn Dredd that it is extremely carnivorous, dosing its victims with acid, before absorbing the resulting sludge through its pores. Dredd confronts the blob, despite obvious dangers, but discovers his bullets have no effect. Worse, it begins eating through his uniform.

Firing an incendiary at the blob, Dredd orders fire teams and a med-squad to Steve McQueen Block, before seeking medical attention for his wounds. From the briefest touch, it managed to eat through Dredd's leg nearly to the bone. You can tell that everyone is having a lot of fun with the story, and some of the dialogue is solid gold:

...and now, on the Early Late Horror Show, we have a real rave from the Grave. Sylvester Stallone is the Blob of Notre Dame in Alan Moore's Oscar-winning remake!

Alan Grant's script is, if you hadn't guessed, a joy to read, despite (or because of) being a retread of The Blob. John Higgins' artwork really shines in black and white, looking suitably grimy and tarnished. One has to wonder if this was among the material sent to Stallone in preparation for his role of Dredd.

Where The Blob excels at setting and tone through largely understated moments, The Blockers is less restrained. It is the kind of story which, if it appeared anywhere else, would be black comedy, but is - unfortunately for citizens of Mega-City One - more of a day-in-the-life strand. The focus of events is Adolf Hitler Block - 400 floors, containing 18,000 housing units, schools, shopping centres, and a hospital. 64,301 citizens crammed in like sardines, slowly going mad...

Frank Dolby, of apartment 39F, prepares for a Citi-Def combat exercise, while his wife knits a book. As Citi-Def organiser for the floor, Frank makes his way to 39G, where Carlton Einstein (a television addict) has barely left his chair for twelve years. Edith Einstein, his wife, and a compulsive shopper, is doing the family accounts as Willis, Edith and Frank's son, makes a prank call to Ed De Bono Citi-Def to warn them of Hitler Block's aggressive maneuvers against them.

Three floors above, in 42X, Rudyard Quincy decides to kill himself before he goes insane, hoping to take out the rest of the block in the process with a home-made nuclear weapon. The De Bono block cuts down Frank's unit with firearms, thanks to Willis' intervention, as the wayward youth watches on in amusement, hanging out his window. Rudyard's nuke fails, and he throws it away in disgust - landing on Willis' head as it falls.

Overjoyed at a nuke - almost literally - falling into her lap, Edith sees a way to make some money in order to feed her family. Frank returns from the unsuccessful raid, and asks if Edith knows where he can lay his hands on a nuke... Despite not getting a lot of background to the story of the block, we don't need extraneous detail. These are people instantly familiar from Mega-City One, the unfotunates who have been abandoned to their fate in a towering, impersonal, chaotic city.

While it is always nice to get newspaper strips reprinted on better paper, Weirdies! isn't a classic slice of Dredd history. A return for Citizen J. Snork, he of the rather large schnoz, in a celebration of the odd, the strange, and the downright weird. There's a nice conclusion, yet this story is lacking a certain urgency. Ian Gibson's great artwork is reproduced sharply and without feeling too crammed in. It shouldn't need to be pointed out (again) that Gibson's style is refreshingly light and breezy.

New in the Cubes covers Liam Sharp, Barry Kitson, John Higgins, and Will Simpson, though the half-page format of biographical information pieces doesn't allow for a great deal of personality to shine through - these small glimpses into the creators' lives are a long-running 2000 A.D. tradition, and is something which always appealed to me. Such features are much better use of pages than recaps of stories, such as... Well, Chopper's Odyssey.

The Pie-in-the-Sky mid-air restaurant makes a welcome return, where Don Pesci is celebrating his hundredth birthday in the Mississippi Mud Suite. Don Pesci's celebration is abruptly interrupted when a Judge emerges from his birthday cake, only to be immediately shot to death by Pesci. His men assure him that it was a singing telegram, and the body is removed by the easiest means available - being thrown out the building. Which is where things start to escalate...

An early evening Batglider, soaring in the thermal updrafts, is the first to be hit by the corpse. The Norrin Radd Block skysurf club, practising their close-formation pyramid move, are next to have a very close encounter, which leads to a very large mess for the real Judges to clean up. Discovering a business card for Party Poppers, Dredd talks to the owner of the company. and - finding that the dead man was paid to appear at Pie-in-the-Sky - arranges transport to the restaurant.

Pesci and his associates have long since departed, and (despite a sincere attempt at stalling from robot staff) Dredd finds that, as a birthday present the Don, his men have arranged a heist for his participation. With time running out, Dredd rushes to meet the location of the robbery. Stunning artwork, a great, twisty story (with all kinds of little nods and homages), and a ticking clock plot - this is prime Dredd material, served up expertly.

An extremely strong start for the series.

Red Dwarf Smegazine Vol.2 #1

May 1993; Cover price £1.50.
48 pages. Full colour.
Fleetway Editions Limited.

Edited by Mike Butcher.

Cover photograph. Cover design by Steve Curley

Free postcards.

Contents:

.2 Look out, Universe, here come... THE BOYS FROM THE DWARF! Introduction text by Mike Butcher?

.4 Smegatorial by Mike Butcher. / Win a Red Dwarf Script Book competition. / Indicia

.5 Lister the God, part one, w:/a: Nigel Kitching, lettering by Elitta Fell.

15 News from the Dwarf text feature by Jane Killick.

16 Behind the Scenes with Red Dwarf VI text feature by Jane Killick.

18 Red Dwarf merchandise advertisement.

19 Craig Charles text feature by Jane Killick.

22 The Junior Encyclopedia of Space Readers Q&A feature by Maxine Lehmann.

23 Androids The Big Scrap Heap of Life w: James Hill & Pat Kelleher; a: Kev F. Sutherland.

24 Red Dwarf Lands in Chicago - A Review of Visions '92 text feature by Joe Nazzaro.

26 Ace Rimmer fact file.

27 Super-Ace w: Steve Lyons; a: Nigel Dobbyn, lettering by Elitta Fell.

34 "The End" episode retrospective by Jane Killick.

37 The Terminator He's Back and He's Meaner Than Ever toy advertisement.

38 Red any Good Books Lately book reviews by Joe Nazzaro, Jane Killick, and John Ratcliff.

39 Captain's Log Mac McDonald interview, by Chris Howarth & Steve Lyons.

42 Hollygrams readers letters. / Next Month in the Smeg

43 Jake Bullet and Dwayne Dibbley The Case of the Cashed-In Contestant, part six, Don't Lose Your Nerd w: Noble & Kitching; a: Flint & Kitching, lettering by Phoenix.

47 News from the Omni-Zone television news by Adrian Rigelsford.

48 A New Beginning - It'll Blow You to Pieces in-house advertisement for Judge Dredd The Megazine.

Before we get too comfy, there is the unfortunate cover text to address:

The Gary Glitter of Space?
Craig Charles Confesses!

How different that innocent line has become in the intervening years.

The first strip, Lister the God, delves into history of the Felis sapien, who descended from Lister's pregnant house-cat. A holy war raged for fifteen hundred years, with no end in sight. Fritz, Krazy and Juma are selected to use the time obelisk to travel five hundred years into the future to return with the false god known as 'Cloister' in order to bring peace to their race. Holly suffers a power drain (necessitating Rimmer being shut off) as the three cat warriors arrive, and Holly - after deciding it has gone far too long without a facelift - decides to help the cats in their quest.

Lister immediately goes to fetch bazookoids to deal with the problem, but before he can reach them runs into the cats. Kryten is seemingly destroyed, and Lister is dragged away to the time obelisk to face his fate. Meanwhile (or, alternatively, five hundred years in the future) Holly has sorted out the glitch. Cat finds he isn't the sole remaining crew-member when Kryten, missing many pieces, arrives with Rimmer's Light Bee.

A strong start for the strip, with a genuinely interesting series of problems for the crew to untangle. There are also, naturally, the moments of comedy which the series is built around. Distinctive artwork, bold colouring (a very stark Rimmer, Holly's distinctive look), and unobtrusive lettering combine to create a very satisfying read. It is always appreciated when a long-ignored piece of back-story is expanded upon, and moreso when done as well as this is.

The Red Dwarf feature film was talked about a lot in the nineties, and the news section once again raises the prospect, with Universal named as being interested. Unfortunately there isn't a reason given for the optimism - were contracts signed? Were names and dates suggested? Had Rob Grant and Doug Naylor merely been seen standing near a producer, raising everyone's hopes for no good reason? The other big news item was a delay in Red Dwarf videos being released.

A quiet note about Danny John-Jules releasing a record is tucked away at the bottom of the page. It's nice to see even those privy to inside scoops can get tongue-tied from time to time.

The Androids one-page strip is a funny interlude, based upon the television show much liked by Kryten, but doesn't do enough with the material to be especially memorable. More fleshed-out and absurd, taking place in Alternative 2X13/L, the city of Smegopolis, an alternative in which genetic engineers have bred a new kind of hero: the hero of the masses! Faster than a speeding bazookoid blast, stronger than a raging stimulant..

Super-Ace. Not quite as strong as a dimension-hopping spaceship, unfortunately. Ace finds himself in a superhero dimension, replete with quirky references to Red Dwarf lore. He has to convince Super-Ace that there is more to being a hero than having powers, but is forced to don the hero's costume and take out the villains in his stead. There's a hilarious conclusion to the strip, and as Ace zips off to another alternative reality things are restored to their proper course.

There is a freshness and vitality to the presentation, making the most of the colour pages. The features are, for the most part, really entertaining, and the postcards are... Well, they are postcards. It is hard to screw up postcards. A poster would have been nice instead though.

Red Dwarf Magazine #1

Mar 1992; Cover price £1.50.
40 pages. Colour.
Fleetway Editions.

Edited by Mike Butcher.

Painted cover by Jon Rushby.

Contents:

.2 Introduction / Indicia photo by Chris Ridley.

.3 The End part one, w: UNKNOWN, based on the scripts by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor; a: Alan Burrows, lettering by Elitta Fell.

18 A Beginner's Guide to Red Dwarf text feature (uncredited).

19 The Red Dwarf Interview Chris Barrie.

22 Holly's Amazing Facts!.

23 The Complete Judge Dredd advertisement.

24 Series V Preview text feature (uncredited).

26 Danny John-Jules photo pin-up.

27 "Could You Pilot 'Red Dwarf'?" quiz.

30 Fixing Reality! interview with Prof. Neider-Lewis by Brian M. Clarke.

31 Caption Competition (half page).

32 We've Got the Power! in-house advertisement.

33 The Red Dwarf Fun Page puzzle page.

34 Craig Charles photo pin-up.

35 Red Dwarf Studio Report text feature.

38 Test Your Red Dwarf Knowledge quiz.

39 BMS mail-order advertisement (half page).

39 Next Issue ... (half page).

40 Chris Barrie photo pin-up.

The cover does not inspire confidence, with Kryten looking like a Conehead who has suffered a horrific industrial accident, Rimmer seemingly being a spliced clone of Chris Barrie and Gilbert Gottfried, and the likenesses of the others similarly loose. It doesn't feel like an official product, which isn't helped by lazy trade dress. No matter how good the contents are, when there is an instinctive dislike of the illustration chosen to represent a title it is unlikely that opinion will be swayed by a brief perusal of the contents in a newsagents.

You've seen the TV show, read the book, watched the video and worn the T-shirt ... well, now it's time to read the RED DWARF MAGAZINE! You will be thrilled by our funny, yet highly informative features; you will be chilled by our nerve-angling adaptation of the very first TV episode of RED DWARF; and you will be spilled if you try sitting in a cup of coffee held by Dave Lister the morning after a particularly heavy night on the lager and vindaloos. Such is life, read on...

There's a sense of continuity between the series and the magazine in the handling of information - a through-line of irreverent humour, a touch of surrealism, and a solid grasp of self-aggrandizing hyperbole. The one thing painfully missing from the cover is "The Galaxy's Greatest Magazine," which could have convinced readers of 2000 A.D. to pick up the issue.

Adapting the stories from the series (which, presumably, everyone reading the issue had seen) is the biggest mis-step, especially when the likenesses are so loose. It isn't awful, but the strip feels redundant when compared to other tie-in titles. That it takes more than one issue to wrap up such a simple tale is an indulgence that really harms the issue overall, but as it is the sole comic strip in the title is by default the highlight.

From here on in things are less than impressive.

A Beginner's Guide is little more than a recap of the main cast, and is (oddly) placed after the strip. It should have appeared at the front of the title or been dropped, as it adds nothing that those familiar with the series will be aware of. The interview with Chris Barrie is much better, though the spartan presentation is somewhat off-putting. He makes plenty of good points, and is aware enough of the critical reception to the series to acknowledge flaws. It is always a pleasure to read his thoughts, and he doesn't disappoint.

Holly's "facts" are, sadly, a wasted opportunity to expand on just how little she understands about the ship, and focuses instead on random subjects which have little to do with the series. The quiz page and fun page are good for a few seconds entertainment, Fixing Reality!, an interview with a fictional character, is pointless, and the Series V Preview is, with hindsight, a fluff piece which could have run in any SF-centric title from the era.

The Studio Report is slightly better than I had expected, given the presentation, with behind-the-scenes information which the likes of Starburst were doing, but - again - the harsh white backgrounds don't convey the sense that this is an officially-licensed title. That much of the issue's problems are cosmetic isn't a great surprise, but that so much of the issue is disposable padding is odder. There are no features regarding the models used in the series, the photos used are generic publicity shots, and a respectful distance is kept from the background details.

There are fanines which carry more information.