Future Tense #4

Britain's Chilling New Science Fiction Weekly

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

One of Marvel's Big Ones!

Edited by Paul Neary.

Cover p: UNKNOWN.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Britain's Most Exciting Science Fiction Weekly! (half page) text introduction by Paul Neary. / The Concise History of the Galaxy (half page) UNTITLED [Fresh Brains] w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett. / Indicia

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

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

12 Meet the Micronauts, part three, Bug w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

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

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

18 BMX - The Hottest Thing on Two Wheels! advertisement for Halfords.

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

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

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

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

27 Warlock And Men Shall Call Him... Warlock!, part four, 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.

As we got to press this week, the big news is that we have got Star Trek for you, and its scheduled to begin in issue 7! We will be printing the Marvel authorised comic strip version of the recent film, and then getting into new adventures... untold stories of the crew of the starship Enterprise!

If the current roster of material was stronger then the announcement of a further two issues wait might have been bearable, but with the interminable "adventures" of the Micronauts, Star-Lord and Paladin to look forward to, this is not an announcement that is pleasing to read. But there is some news which has piqued my interest:

Also we might just have a few photographs of our recent Marvel Convention for you!

This is more like it. I'm a sucker for behind-the-scenes material, and any record of the convention has to be better than the strips. There must be a wealth of information on the Marvel Convention awaiting publication...

The brief appearance by Ant Man at the end of the current Micronauts story, leading into a full appearance in the next issue, shows that this is not, however it is marketed, an SF story, but merely another tired, predictable superhero story, with all the scientific curiousity of a cocker spaniel. The fact that it is a superhero story isn't an immediate mark against the series, but, because of it being marketed as SF, the superhero elements are a drawback.

The Seeker 3000 makes the jump intact, triumphantly blazing though an eternity of warped time and space!

For thr first time in man's history, infinity is at hand, the vast cosmos within grasp...

...and it took this to accomplish it: the death of the sun!

In one searing instant of cosmic hell, Earth's reality is... vaporised.

Every planet, every moon and asteroid, every man, woman and child in the solar system dies...

...save these precious few aboard a warp-streaking ark named Seeker-3000. They gather now, in mingled jubilation and grief...

The main problem with the warp sequence in Seeker 3000 is its glorious celebration of something which, elsewhere in the title, is treated as a relatively easy accomplishment, undermining the difficulty of the process, and making the characters look like idiots for not figuring out an easier way of accomplishing what others have done with far less destruction. It isn't even depicted with the strength of an average Star Trek or Star Wars FTL sequence, which further cuts away at the melodrama on show.

Thankfully a brand new story is promised for the next issue.

In Chinese Legend, it is told that Buddha died on a bleak new year's day...

On that dying day, Buddha supposedly summoned all living creatures to his side. Twelve responded, and he rewarded each with a year of homage on the lunar calendar.

The moments of interest in Paladin are largely unconnected with the battle which the titular character is involved in, and when he starts talking any tension evaporates. Paladin is a wooden, two-dimensional walking plot point, with dialogue so corny and hackneyed that I actually laughed out loud when reading his utterances:

You killed Marsha. She was sensitive... alert... vibrant.

You ended all her moods and excitements.

That makes me smile every time I read it. How, given the number of people involved in the creation of the strip, could such awful lines get through the entire creative process to see print? No comic strip of this type should turn the death of a character into prime comedy material.

#03

Future Tense

#05

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

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

Doctor Who Weekly #3

31 Oct 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 three, w: Pat Mills & John Wagner; a: Dave Gibbons.

 7 Crazy Caption 3 competition; photograph (uncredited).

 8 The Monsters of Doctor Who The Ice Warriors text feature by Gordon Blows (uncredited); photographs (uncredited).

10 Monster Mix Answers (quarter page) / Another S-F Winner from Marvel in-house advertisement for Starburst.

11 Planet Puzzle illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part three, 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).

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

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Jon Pertwee fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part three, 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 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

Albert and Elsie Olthwaite should be revived for the new series, just so this issue's letter from the Doctor can be regarded as canon. An exceptionaly strange manner in which to begin the issue, though the sense of whimsy evoked by such a communication from the Doctor is reminiscent of the Tom Baker era as a whole. Slighty mad, yes, but with insights which pierce through 'common sense' to deliver profound statements.

Which likely makes the show sound a bit pretentious.

The Doctor faces the Ectoslime, which stuns its victims with its odour before liquefying them and drinking them. Searching his memory to recall if he had ever faced one before, he recalls the fact they have a highly developed sense of humour to make up for their appearance - so tells it a joke:

Having saved himself from a gruesome death, he is dragged from the arena and placed as a slave in an Imperial Air Galley by General Ironicus. A fellow captive aboard the ship is surprised that the Doctor isn't afraid of him due to his appearance, though the Doctor explains that, compared to the Ectoslime, he is almost handsome. Catching a glimpse of Caesar's mother, the Doctor thinks he has discovered the secret of the Galactic Roman Empire...

Has anyone attempted to translate the joke? I'm hoping it is presented in a code, and not merely a jumble of symbols, as such small details add a certain something to the character - even if I'm too lazy to find a suitable solution. The design sensibilities of the Roman-inspired world are rich in detail, with a few exceptional panels. The image of Caesar's mother is one of the few times we get to really see the world as the Doctor does.

And there's almost that Bugs Bunny line, for those amused at such things.

Whatever amusement could be gained from the Crazy Caption images is rather muted by the poor choice of images for this purpose. Screen captures of actors in the middle of unlikely and improbable events, with appropriately weird expressions, are much more suited to captioning. Before anyone points out how difficult such images were to get in 1979, such systems were available.

The Ice Warrior is an odd choice for Doctor Who's "monster of the week" feature, as they never really felt like top-tier enemies until later development, though the article is very informative. Behind-the-scenes images of Bernard Bresslaw getting prepared for his role as Varga are wonderful glimpses into the process of bringing the character to the screen, and worth the cover price alone. The paper quality doesn't do the images justice, though any opportunity to get a peek at the workings of Doctor Who's special effects are welcome.

Recapping The Dead Planet, the entrance of Daleks to the series is captured well, yet its importance in solidifying the series' popularity isn't addressed. It should have at least had a few newspaper reviews, or even snippets of Radio Times publicity material, which would have really sold the time period in which the episode was broadcast to readers.

Jon Pertwee's mini-bio highlights the inadequacy of the short overviews - despite being in line with previous entries, there's much more to his career than is presented here. Neither pin-up nor biography, the photo-files are a weird hybrid which serves neither function. While later incarnations of the title would handle the balance better, I find myself frustrated with the self-imposed limitations the title has created for itself.

Return of the Daleks, remaining a beautiful isolated glimmer of gold in the Doctor's universe, finds Glax and Hok knocked from their steeds by a whirling sandstorm. Within the winds, which they struggle through, they find a pyramid which is topped with a strange light. A door opens as they approach it, granting them access to a recording revealing the secret to the Daleks' defeat. Before Glax can learn what they must do, Kuay blasts the device and summons her Dalek masters.

The strips and television series information continues to make this a title which is well worth seeking out, though its lightweight features are beginning to grate.

#02

Doctor Who Weekly

#04

Warrior #2

Apr 1982. Cover price 50p.
52 pages. B&W contents.
Quality Communications Ltd.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Cover by Garry Leach.

Contents:

 2 Twilight World Illustration by Jim Baikie.

 3 Warrior title credits. / Contents / Indicia

 4 Marvelman Untitled part two, w: Alan Moore; a: Garry Leach.

10 Comic Showcase advertisement for The Old Comic Shop, London; a: Marshall Rogers.

11 The Life, Death & Earlier Days of Axel Pressbutton, Esquire text feature by Dez Skinn; illustrated by Steve Dillon & Curt Vile [Alan Moore].

15 Quality Mail Sales (two thirds page) in-house advertisement for mail-order service.

16 V for Vendetta Chapter Two: The Voice w: Alan Moore; a: David Lloyd, lettering by Zelda Estrella.

23 Father Shandor, Demon Stalker River of Corpses... Tower of Death w: Steve Moore, from a plot by Dez Skinn & John Bolton; a: John Bolton.

r: House of Hammer (Top Sellers, Ltd.) #16 (Jan 1978).

30 Madman Visions of Stasis w:/a: Paul Neary.

35 The Spiral Path Untitled w:/a: Steve Parkhouse.

40 Laser Eraser and Pressbutton Untitled w: Pedro Henry (Steve Moore); a: Steve Dillon.

49 Dispatches text feature.

50 Roar - the Movie (half page) advertisement; w: Dez Skinn; a: Steve Dillon.

51 HOH Collector's Item Back Issues in-house advertisement.

52 People Like Us Shop at... Forbidden Planet advertisement; a: Brian Bolland.

Under a cover which doesn't quite work as an iconic representation of Marvelman, there's another quality outing for Quality's groundbreaking title. As an entry to the issue, moving straight into the Marvelman saga is a strong statement - there's no need for an editorial, or introduction, or commentary, for so assured and confident is this work that any extraneous fluff would merely be wasted. Of course, it could merely be due to a lack of space...

News reports speculate on events at the Larksmere nuclear power station, with rumination about the nature of one man's second degree burns, and the identification of "a man-like object rising into the sky at a tremendous speed." Mike, still in his Marvelman form, arrives home to Liz, who doesn't recognise him. Talking over coffee, Mike explains his past to Liz about working as a copy boy for the Daily Bugle, and seeing a vision which conferred upon him miraculous powers. Liz laughs at the ridiculous nature of his story, claiming his account sounds stupid.

"I suppose you're right. Actually saying it out loud like that, it does sound... Well... Pretty unlikely. I never really thought about it before. But I had to believe it. Don't you see? I was Marvelman! I was a being of almost unlimited power!!

And I wasn't the only one. Within a year I was joined by another young man with 'atomic powers' like mine. His name was Dicky Dauntless...

You're laughing again.

This was the first time that the nature of a superhero's origin story was acknowledged in-universe as being patently idiotic, although the dialogue is handled so well that it doesn't really feel as if the text is being deliberately transgressive. With Liz's laughter stopping once the sincerity of Mike's words become apparent, he relates his final adventure with the Marvelman Family - his friends murdered in an a-bomb explosion aboard a sky fortress hanging over the North Sea.

Building up a serious background to the strip, with a similarly-powered individual, angered at Marvelman's return, hinting at future stories. There's a superb humour in the strip, which isn't something usually noted about Alan Moore's writing, but he has a fantastic sense of who these characters are, allowing levity to arise from interaction.

Axel Pressbutton's adventures had been running in Sounds for a good while when he began appearing in Warrior, so a history of the character, with the strip's inception covered, as well as a checklist of appearances, is a very welcome addition. While there aren't enough reprinted strips included to get a feel of the ongoing narrative, there are enough to satisfy curiosity - as well as, incidentally, encouraging people to hunt down elusive copies of Sounds.

V for Vendetta continues with investigations into V's activities, though nothing can be discovered about his identity or location despite immense manpower being invested. A cover story for the explosion is concocted, going so far as to come up with a plausible reason for the fireworks. V introduces Evie to his Shadow Gallery, his home, where he has collected literature, paintings, and music which the government has banned.

Was I the only one who thought of Droopy when seeing that final panel?

It is appropriate that high and low culture should mesh throughout the strip so well, being equally susceptible to challenges from self-appointed moral guardians - the very people Moore sets out to target here. With some very accomplished artwork, and beautiful lettering, the intimidating scenario in which V and Evie find themselves in is perfectly captured. As omnipresent eyes and ears paying attention to the populace is made literal, one can't help but feeling the rise of surveillance culture was acutely predicted.

A Father Shandor reprint is, perhaps, too close to original publication to be really appreciated. Following such a strip with Madman, which begins this issue, is extremely disorienting - one minute we're following a rather stylish story set in the past, and the next... Well.

Martin Schiller, an epileptic, finds himself in care, and is eventually rendered catatonic where he receives visions. A strange man gives him a substance which sends Martin back to stasis, stating:

"There are six hundred and thirty three different elements of existence... and each possesses an earth which differs slightly from all the others! The people of most of these earths have recourse to stasis through some means or another... Our Earth lies in the 18th element and we are involved in a vast struggle against all the other existences, Martin... and we need your help!"

Told only to trust those from the 18th existence or the Observers - who are neutral, and above reproach - on his journey.

It is an incredibly odd strip, with comic-book conventions, such as multiple realities, vying with the more realistic fate of Martin's physical body. To say that it is difficult to get a handle on the scenario and main character is an understatement. It doesn't quite work for me, with far too much incident and not enough set-up.

Across the plains of Tairngir they marched - the Legion of Lost Souls - doomed to eternal battle for their relic-king Artûk.

And all who stood in their path must perish... Or else fly for their very lives!

Artûk! Lord of death, prince of the air, stealer of dreamers' souls. A triumph of demented will over dead flesh!

The Spiral Path is proving to be the hidden delight in Warrior, with Nuada racing through enemy lines - despite being injured in his attempt, he faces the captain of the enemy forces, who may be more than any warrior could expect to defeat.

Small details add to the texture of the world, and there's enough questions hanging in the air to make the series truly compelling.

Picking up events on Ormuz, Laser Eraser and Pressbutton finds the pair preparing to reach Thaxdon Industries through security forces. Axel displays a dislike of plants, and - encountering an android - Mysta concludes that they have been set up by the Dendrellian Order of Assassins, and as they rush to escape from an explosion she realises that Arterius Donthax is likely behind events. Donthax, seeing how the duo have managed to survive his plots, tells Zirk that he has decided to inform Ormuzian security where Mysta is.

Having to fight their way through wave after wave of officers determined to apprehend them, Axel and Mysta manage to reach a space-cruiser Mysta had hidden, and when they are safely in space Axel asks her to explain why Donthax wants her dead, and how she got mixed up with Dendrellian assassins.

The mix of strips is wider than in any comparable title, and though the issue is light on text features, what is present is of great interest. The paper isn't the best, and the lack of colour interiors is a slight drawback for Marvelman, though on the whole this is a very impressive issue. There's a lack of laugh-out-loud comedy, but there's a solid mix of SF, fantasy, social commentary, and... whatever Madman is.

Doctor Who Weekly #2

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

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

 2 SEACON '79 Photographs from the 1979 World Science Fiction convention; photographs by Joyce A. Agee.

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

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

 8 The Cybermen text feature by Gordon Blows; photographs (uncredited).

11 Monster Mix wordsearch; illustration by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Tales from the TARDIS War of the Worlds, part two, 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).

17 An Unearthly Child text feature compiled by Jeremy Bentham.

21 Crazy Caption 2 competition; photograph (uncredited).

22 Doctor Who Photo-File Patrick Troughton fact-file (uncredited); photograph (uncredited).

23 The Return of the Daleks, part two, 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 Have Fun With the Amazing Mr. Bellamy advertisement for liquorice novelties.

K-9, looking remarkably spiffy, shares a cover with Tom Baker, and there is no hint of any animosity which Baker felt for the useless tin can. Although designed with television in mind it is a photogenic prop, although red blinds over its eyes still makes little to no sense.

The Doctor has fallen foul of the Iron Legion - strange war robots, led by the sinister General Ironicus. He makes a dash for the TARDIS as one of the Legions tanks opens fire!

At the very second the shell explodes, the Doctor has thrown the TARDIS out of dimension!

Caught in a dimensional disturbance, the TARDIS isn't happy at being thrown around. He eventually manages to arrive at the Rome Hyp-Arena, where Maximus Bilious is commentating on events for viewers watching elsewhere. Seized by the Emperor's guards, the Doctor comes to the realisation that he is witnessing events from an alternate Earth where Rome never fell, instead developing a sophisticated technology with which to conquer the entire galaxy.

Alternate realities may be fine for the Marvel superheroes, but... The answer as to the origin of the robots is a bit of a cop-out. It fits perfectly with what we have seen, yet feels as if it hasn't been given enough consideration given the multitude of strange events already seen in the series - it doesn't stretch the parameters of the character to fit the medium, as much as it pastes conventions of comics to the format of the series. The end of this installment is, however, a perfect note to conclude on, though ending every single strip on a physical threat, rather than a puzzle or revelation, might get old if overused.

Not wanting to trust the pigeon post from Ganymede again, I'm sending this letter via Beam-a-Zeat. I did notice they were also sending a batch of smoked klim-bait (a local delicacy) in the same container, so sincerest apologies if this letter pongs a bit.

The Doctor was hanging out with Ace Rimmer back in 1979? This is news which could only be improved if we were to get the revelation he also borrowed Arthur Dent's towel to flick at a Dalek.

The Cybermen does a fairly good job of untangling the (at times confusing) continuity of the characters, though stops short of providing a background to their creation for the show. There have subsequently been a number of publications which have provided more comprehensive information, giving the episode's air-dates and cast, though I'm sure readers were glad to have their memories jogged by such a tight recap of essential details.

Although obviously aimed at younger readers, Monster Mix is a wordsearch which has me thinking - have writers, needing appropriately alien names, used the jumble of letters to form the basis of alien names, species, or worlds? I actually started looking for various names (Saxon isn't present, sadly), but I couldn't remember enough without a reference book handy.

London, November 1963. Under a blanket of thick, swirling fog a policeman pounds his solitary beat amid the high brick walls of the inner metropolis.
   Casting a pale yellow beam, the light of his torch falls upon the large wooden gates of a junkyard, bearing the words: "I.M. FOREMAN, 76 TOTTERS LANE".
   As the policeman walks into the darkness, he fails to notice one of the gates swing open.
   Had he noticed it, he would have been most puzzled by what was inside.
   For, among the debris of the scrapyard was the then-familiar blue shape of a London Police Public Call Box.
   Yet this police box was not what it seemed. For, unlike every other one in the city, this police box hid an awesome secret.
   Just audible to human hearing, it was emitting a humming sound along with a faint vibration coming from within...

The first four episodes of the series are covered by Jeremy Bentham, though there's nothing to indicate a separate pilot was shot prior to broadcast. While the brief recaps are very well written, the lack of detail about the shooting, or other circumstances surrounding the broadcast, leaves this feeling somehow incomplete as an account of the early days of the series. While we are informed that the shooting budget was a mere £2000 per episode, we get no indication of how this was allocated, nor if it was achieved without rewrites. A note on the series reception hints at the praise, though there's no reproduction of the reviews, which would have been a fantastic glimpse into the audience's immediate reactions.

Patrick Troughton remains an enigma, despite the Photo-File's admirable attempt to cover his career, admitting in a disclaimer that the man was so shy he never participated in the usual publicity rigmarole which has become part and parcel of the role. He rarely seems to be properly credited for increasing the scope of the series in a substantial manner, and numerous questions linger regarding his acceptance into the series.

Return of the Daleks opens with Hok Nepo, star of the hologram-movie escaping from the Daleks, who are under the impression that he is their enemy Nor-Din. As the Daleks begin attacking the studio, Glax and Hok manage to escape to a police station, where they inform the officers of events. The police are soon overwhelmed, and decide the situation is best left to the military. Glax, seeing his studio destroyed, decides to head to the Desert of Vash to learn how the Daleks were originally defeated, taking Hok along with him. Kuay, the Daleks' faithful servant, follows them...

You don't need any knowledge of Doctor Who, or the spin-off material, to enjoy the story, which is a great benefit to the story's entertainment value as it increases in scale - still a self-contained piece of storytelling, with no overt call-backs to the Dalek strips of old, there's real tension created by using characters and a setting which haven't been seen before. While we know London isn't going to get destroyed, this hitherto-unseen planet doesn't have the same protection hanging over it.

#01

Doctor Who Weekly

#03

Doctor Who Weekly #1

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

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Photo cover (uncredited).

Free transfers.

Contents:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 Crazy Caption 1 competition; photograph (uncredited).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, where was I? Oh, yes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doctor Who Weekly

#02

On This Day: 14 Nov

The Best of Britain’s Political Cartoons 2013 edited by Tim Benson. (Scribe UK; 2013) ISBN-13: 978-1922247049.

Births:

Alberto Giolitti (1923); Carlos Pacheco (1962)

Deaths:

Malcolm Muggeridge (1990)

Notable Events:

Alan Moore appeared on the music television show The Tube in 1986.
Signing event at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington for Dinosaurs: A Celebration in 1992. Dan Abnett, John Bolton, Doug Braithwaite, Phil Gascoine, John Higgins, Kev Hopgood, Andy Lanning, Dermot Power, Liam Sharp and Nick Vince were present to sign copies of the book.
Stan Lee continued his signing tour at Forbidden Planet, 59 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1991.
Simon Coleby, Gary Frank and Paul Neary signed copies of Marvel UK comics in a Forbidden Planet promotion at The Conservatory, St. Giles High Street, in 1992. Primarily an event to celebrate the launch of Death's Head II, the signing also served to highlight the success of Overkill.
The first episode of Bernard's Watch broadcast in 1997. Though not based on a comic, it shares many similarities to the Stan Still's Stopwatch strip originally published in Buster.
Beanotown Racing PC game released in 2003.
Thought Bubble Comic Convention began, in Leeds at Saviles & Royal Armouries Hall, in 2011.
An Evening with Jonathan Cape Graphic Novels took place at Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol, in 2012.
Leeds Comic Con, part of Thought Bubble, the Leeds Comic Art Festival, began in 2015.

Warrior Women #1

[Jun 1982]. Cover price 40p.
52 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Alan McKenzie.

Cover by Paul Neary.

Contents:

 2 Warrior Women Bonus Pin-Up Poster Photographs of Caroline Munro in At the Earth's Core, Magda Konopka, Victoria Vetri & Imogen Hassall in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Victoria Vetri in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, and Dana Gillespie in The People That Time Forgot, text by Alan McKenzie(?).

Note: Continues on inside rear cover.

 3 Warrior Women Contents / Credits / Indicia

 4 Shanna the She-Devil The Wrath of Raga-Shah! w: Steve Gerber; a: Tony DeZuniga, lettering by Jim Novak.

r: Rampaging Hulk (Marvel Comics) #09 (Jun 1978).

22 Shanna the She-Devil - a Portfolio by Tony De Zuniga text by Anthony Kraft.

r: Rampaging Hulk (Marvel Comics) #09 (Jun 1978).

27 In Every Issue of Rampage Magazine (half page) in-house advertisement. / From Out of the Depths of the Hyborian Age (half page) in-house advertisement for The Savage Sword of Conan.

28 Fury of the Femizons w: Stan Lee; a: John Romita, lettering by Sam Rosen.

r: Savage Tales (Marvel Comics) #01 (May 1971).

38 Warrior Women of the Movies Raquel Welch photograph pin-up.

39 Warrior Women of the Movies photographs of Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman (uncredited) and Shih Szu in Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, text by Alan McKenzie (?).

40 Warrior Women of the Movies photographs of Jane Fonda in Barbarella, Julie Ege in Creatures the World Forgot, and Dana Gillespie in The People That Time Forgot.

41 Warrior Women of the Movies photographs of Jane Seymour in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Ursula Andress in She, and Barbera Carrera in The Island of Doctor Moreau.

42 Warrior Women of the Movies photographs of Caroline Munro in At the Earth's Core and Jane Fonda in Barbarella.

43 Starburst in-house advertisement.

44 A Tale of the Hyborian Age The Woman from Khitai w: Don Glut; p: Gary Brodsky, i: Tony DeZuniga.

r: The Savage Sword of Conan (Marvel Comics) #49 (Feb 1980).

52 The Marvel Summer Specials Are Here! in-house advertisement for Western Gunfighters, Captain Britain, Warrior Women and Young Romance specials.

Warrior Women poses a problematic title in Marvel UK's history. Addressed at face value it is an open celebration of T&A, yet can (with ample justification) be framed as a celebration of strong female characters. As the title never led anywhere, nor influenced the direction of other titles, it has to be taken at face value. Some degree of lenience must be given in addressing its portrayal of women - this was released when Benny Hill was a major television draw, so some areas (if not getting a pass) can at least be understood.

Paul Neary's cover isn't bad, but emphasizes Shanna's assets in a manner which probably split the audience for this issue - I can't be alone in wondering what a random stripper is doing gracing the cover of a Marvel title. Her appearance inside the issue, taken from the magazine-format line of comics, answers at least one question: this title doesn't exist to highlight strong, intelligent women capable of kicking ass - this is strictly cheesecake territory, with no attempt to disguise the fact.

The jungle is more than a place -- it;s a psychology, predicated on the principle that only the strong survive. Thus, there are asphalt jungles, blackboard jungles, corporate jungles... Which no civilized human being can tolerate for long. Not even Shanna the She-Devil!.

After two years roaming the plains of Dahomey and the steamy rain forests of India... After two years in pursuit of the Raga-Shah, high priest of the murder cult of Kali... Shanna O'Hara has come home, to the serene predictability of San Pedro, California, south of Los Angeles. It was that, or allow her rage to consume her sanity.

Staying in a small cottage, Shanna has been tending her garden, taking refresher courses in veterinary medicine, and seeing a psychiatrist for her anxiety issues. Pushing down her fears and coping with boredom, Shanna embraces the dangers to be found in her private recreation of the jungle, replete with a deadly python she has named Ananta after the multi-headed Hindu serpent of eternity. Ananta obliges her, and the two engage in mock combat.

Which feels, somehow, more than mere combat training, which she recognises to a degree.

Having satisfied herself for a while, Shanna heads out to the home of Madeline Wickes, from where they have arranged to visit the Taj Mahal Mall. While walking through the mall, Shanna encounters the high priest of the Cult of Kali, Raga-Shah. Attempting to obtain her vengeance on him, for the murder of Central Park Zoo's leopards in 1972, she is restrained by the mall's security - and informed that Raga-Shah owns the mall. Shanna tells her psychiatrist of the incident, but finds skepticism in her words.

Exiting the building, Shanna runs into Raga-Shah's assassins, who didn't expect her to be done for another half hour. Taking the fight out into the open streets, Shanna is soon incapacitated by a drugged blade plunged into her shoulder. When she finally awakes, Shanna finds herself on an alter upon which Raga-Shah intends to make her a sacrifice to Kali. As the priest expands on his motivations, Shanna attempts to free herself - unable to break free, and unwilling to scream for assistance, she contemplates her fate.

Finally shattering the bonds which hold her, Shanna takes on the amassed force of the cult members. When only Raga-Shah remains standing, Shanna informs him that his fate has already been decided.

Despite a small mountain of problematic elements, which would take far too much space to cover in detail, this isn't an awful story. The presentation of Shanna in highly-sexualised poses is uncomfortable, but no more fetishistic than contorted, overly-muscled images of Spider-Man. What stands out, amid everything else, is the sense that Shanna is somehow not in control of events until the final, decisive battle turns in her favour. Without having a definite agenda, aside from seeking the death of Raga-Shah, she is left to react to the world around her.

Shanna's relationship with her snake is eyebrow-raising, in all the wrong ways, and Raga-Shah choosing to cut her leg with a knife is slightly too on-the-nose. The story almost demands an intense discussion. It is, nevertheless, a bold story, with some interesting angles to its worldview - accepting that Shanna is suffering from her adventures, and seeking help for her psychological issues, makes for a very different narrative than is usually seen in Marvel strips. The flashback (for once) actually has a purpose, and the art...

DeZuniga is a master of picking moments out of the script, though he overdoes the "gentleman's magazine" poses. Switching between a more standard style and rough, realistic images, he evokes the world which Shanna inhabits beautifully. The lettering, however, is atrocious in places - largely working in sync with the art, it sometimes obscures where it should be invisible. When lettering is really noticed, as here, it is rarely for good reasons.

The (brief) portfolio of Shanna sketches has the air of Comics Interview about it, though the larger pages allow for more detail than similar material. It does highlight a couple of artistic choices which don't quite gel for me - Shanna's upper arms aren't as developed as I might have expected, and her shoes don't look particularly effective for a jungle-based character. Given that her costume is basically a fur swimsuit, perhaps functionality isn't quite as important for Shanna...

The Fury of the Femizons is, even by Stan Lee standards, a hokey and cartoonish tale of a future American society ruled by women, where all are birthed by sperm vials rather than traditional means. To add to the mix, it is a society ruled over by a queen. Princess Lyra bests another woman in combat, earning herself a male slave to do with as she pleases - yet he is more than another slave, and has arranged to be taken as Lyra's slave in order to get his hands on brain tapes, forbidden technology which reveals the entire history of the human race. Men outside the city have reverted to bestial forms, crafting axes with which to attack the women of the cities.

Overwhelmed by its flimsy basis, the story never feels remotely real, and the characters are given roles to perform rather than personalities which drive their actions - at least Romita is on strong form, even if he does take more than a smidgeon of costume inspiration from Thor comics. It is precisely the kind of story which shouldn't have found a home here, and explains (in some small way) why there was never a regular Warrior Women series.

There are, in addition to the inside covers, five pages containing (monochrome, naturally) photographs of women culled from various and sundry feature films of (questionable) note, the introduction of which is further migraine-inducing icing on the cake:

As a special added bonus we've gathered together a selection of photos of the lovely actresses who had achieved fame by playing barbarous, savage or warrior women in the field of fantasy cinema. And if, after perusing this feature, you'd like to see more of this type of article, why not latch on to our sister publication, Starburst, which focuses on the world of tv, cinema science fantasy.

"Lovely ladies"? "Peruse"? This isn't a top-shelf magazine, and I would rather read the opinions of the ladies in question than have (some extremely) scantily clad photographs filling the pages of a comic magazine. The terminology aside, black and white photographs only work to their full advantage when printed on high quality paper, and this is far from such a publication - a horrid blob of ink marring Jane Seymour's face on my copy attests to the lack of care in bringing together the issue. And I don't remember Starburst routinely running photographs of women solely for their perceived attractiveness, though, on occasion, there were features of this kind.

It needs to be noted that the lack of imagination in selecting strong female characters is a hindrance to the feature's effectiveness. Nowhere is Ika from the recent Quest for Fire seen, nor mention made of real-life heroines such as Mariya Oktyabrskaya, or the role of women in the military in general. I would have expected at least passing mention of Joan of Arc, given the title of the magazine, for which enough material exists to run a monthly feature indefinitely without duplication of facts.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko's spirit weeps at the contents of this issue.

Because Marvel had an obsession with the world of Conan, there is (depressingly) yet another Hyborian outing here, though opening with a scene apparently set in a harem does not inspire confidence in whatever meagre remnants of the main objective of the title remains. The focus on female characters physical attributes throughout (albeit beautifully rendered depictions) brings me to the conclusion that a female readership was far from the concern of Alan McKenzie (or Marvel at large) when this was being compiled.

But wait... Before everyone agrees that this is a relic of a bygone age, writing off the notion of a title focused on women warriors as a horrid notion which ought to be consigned to history, there is some seed of genius here - a notion which even Titan's Xena - Warrior Princess magazine didn't exploit to any degree. By bringing together a translation of Yū Koyama's Azumi, features on films such as Kill Bill or The Professional, as well as some historical information, this might actually have a place in modern publishing.

There are no bad ideas, only poor implementations of ideas.

A rather undistinguished title, with problematic content, though highlighting an (overall) underdeveloped area which (specifically) British comics had thus far largely neglected, this ought to be better remembered - if only to avoid the obvious pitfalls, and serve as a guide to future endeavours in the same vein. And no, neither Vampirella nor Xena's appearances in British publications makes up for this.

The House of Hammer #1

[Oct 1976]; Cover price 30p.
52 pages. B&W.
General Book Distribution.

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Cover by Joe Petagno III.

Contents:

.2 Bargain Basement advertisement.

.3 Contents

.4 Editorial (half page) by Dez Skinn. / Stop Press (half page) news.

.5 Dracula w: Dez Skinn, based on the screenplay by Jimmy Sangster; a: Paul Neary.

.6 Dracula, part one: Castle Dracula

12 Dracula, part two: The Curse Spreads

19 Dracula, part three: The Final Chase

26 Hammer House Biography No.1 Christopher Lee - the Man Behind the Monster text feature by UNKNOWN.

30 Christopher Lee Filmography

32 Media Macabre news feature by Dez Skinn (?).

34 Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter text feature by UNKNOWN.

35 Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter UNTITLED, part one, w: Brian Clemens; a: Ian Gibson.

36 Horror Around the World text feature by Barry Pattison.

38 Effectively Speaking text feature by John Brosnan.

45 Drinkers of Blood... Stealers of Souls text feature by Steve Moore.

49 Van Helsing's Terror Tales Voodoo Vengeance w: UNKNOWN; a: Angus McKie.

52 Fantastic Value! advertisement.

It will come as little surprise to anyone that I love Hammer films, but despite my affection for the lurid cinematic treats they produced in their heyday I can see problems within their output - scripts were often rough in places, the visual effects tended towards the obvious, and the posters were always better than the films managed to be. Yet the company holds an appeal beyond simply restating novels and television classics for a big-screen audience. They were important.

Hammer itself was on the downturn, only able to release To the Devil a Daughter during the existence of the title, despite some fabulous ideas being suggested - there are many people who would quickly suggest that a big-budget Zeppelin vs. Pterodactyls film be made, based only on the poster commissioned to sell the proposed feature, and they wouldn't be wrong.

The cover for the first issue of The House of Hammer doesn't feel like a finished piece of work. Petagno's illustration is slightly off, looking more like a 1980s video cassette sleeve for an Italian or Spanish knock-off than it does an official Hammer product. The brick effect on the logo is quirky enough, but the pasted-on bat is something more appropriate for Monster Fun or Shiver and Shake. Even the text at the bottom of the cover is slightly crude in appearance. A glimpse on Dez's website at the intended first cover shows that the main problem is the garish yellow border.

Thankfully looks can be deceiving.

The adaptation on the 1958 Dracula film (itself an adaptation of Stoker's novel) is excellent in every regard. How good? It is far better than Marvel's use of the character, and easily stands up to the Classics Illustrated novel adaptation by Nestor Redondo. Every panel seems to have been lovingly crafted by Paul Neary to wring tension out of even the most innocuous moments. The likeness of Dracula is clearly based on Christopher Lee, which assists the feeling that this is the genuine article.

With lettering black-on-white, and chapter breaks separating the scenes, the adaptation works well in condensing events to the most important elements, and (although wordy in places) doesn't feel too rushed. A seralised adaptation might, in hindsight, have been better (with separately-available collected volumes, and more time spent with each story), but it is hard to argue with the finished product's appeal.

the Dracula strip is followed by a feature on Christopher Lee, which is relatively brief, though with enough accompanying photographs to cover the fact that it is, essentially, a promo piece. Delving into his history, and his relationship with the character, would have made the article more interesting, but it was early days for the title. The filmography is, in these days of instant information and specialised websites, redundant, but at the time was an invaluable resource.

It may be difficult for some to believe, but even in the nineties finding good filmographies was difficult. That such a piece could have been written twenty years earlier is testament to the skill of the creators.

The most fascinating part of Media Macabre is the Dan Dare news:

Another comic strip is heading for the screen, and possibly TV. It's Dan Dare, the space exploration hero to millions of readers of "Eagle" comic in Britain and Commonwealth. A new production company, Phenomenal Films, has acquired theatrical rights from the owner International Publishing Corp. and is planning a multi-million dollar series of six films.

First of the six, Return of the Mekon, is in development this spring. The producers have obtained stage actor Peter Lucas to play dare as a Bond-style hero some 1,500 years in the future. Cornel (Naked Prey) Wilde is listed as possible director.

Hands up if you can pick Peter Lucas out of a crowd. Yeah...

The Captain Kronos feature wisely neglects to mention how oddly-paced and weird the film feels, playing it up with a recap which makes the film sound much more appealing than it actually is. It isn't a bad film, in any estimation, but suffers from pacing issues and a lack of intensity. The five-page strip which follows is a large improvement on the cinematic outing, and would have convinced me that the character had what it takes to sustain an ongoing series of adventures.

• Tremble as Kronos hunts an Abchanchu in the Bolivian rainforest!
• Witness the vengeance of the Jiangshi as it hunts down Kronos!
• Quake in fear as Kronos enters the valley of the Dakhanavar!
• The dark desires of a Baobhan Sith threaten to overwhelm Kronos!

The character's name is hard to justify, but the bare bones of a franchise were present from the moment the film was released. That it wasn't rapidly followed by either a sequel or a television series is (in these days of sequel-friendly, shared universe, multimedia-friendly campaigns) a crying shame.

Horror Around the World is a (very) abbreviated look at foreign films, anticipating the boom in videos - although films were being rented for home-use, the selection in the seventies was relatively small, edited for length, and extremely expensive. As a list of titles to look out for, it still has a certain amount of use. The main focus of the article is the Coffin Joe films (under the name of Coffin Ze here), which... Actually have to be seen to be believed.

John Brosnan's Effectively Speaking covers the history of special effects in horror films, and is well worth a read. Steve Moore's history of vampires is not quite a comprehensive history of vampires (no mention is made of Arnold Paole, nor the numerous vampire texts which appeared before and after the publication of Dracula), but does a good job of covering vampire films. Much of vampire literature history is still only half-heartedly covered, and an accompanying feature might have raised the bar for other horror magazines.

Voodoo Vengeance, opening with a strange illustration of Peter Cushing as Van Helsing, the host, is an atmospheric Haiti-set horror tale of spurned love and zombies. The script is satisfying, there's solid art, and it doesn't outstay its welcome. The choice of subject is rather strange - had the topic been vampires, tying in with the adaptation of Dracula, it could have been more cohesive a first issue.

Overall, the quality of the features is impressive, and the strips are a delight to read. Highly recommended.

On This Day: 25 Oct

Strontium Dog: A Fistful of Strontium by Jaspre Bark & Steve Lyons (Black Flame; Oct 2005) ISBN-10: 1 84416 270 2

Births:

Arthur William à Beckett (1844); Claude Allin Shepperson (1867); Maurice Dodd (1922); Paul Rigby (1924); Larry Lieber (1931)

Deaths:

Lewis Baumer (1963)

Notable Events:

Jack Dunkley's iconic image of a hand holding a firearm graced the front-cover of The Daily Mirror in 1951.
Peter O'Donnell's play Mr. Fothergill's Murder opened at The Duke Of York in 1982.
The Revolver Hallowe'en Tour began at The Sheffield Space Centre in 1990. Julie Hollings, Rian Hughes, Shaky Kane, Brendan McCarthy, Peter Milligan, Grant Morrison, Charles Shaar Murray, Paul Neary and Steve Parkhouse were in attendance.
The Cartoon Century: Modern Britain through the Eyes of its Cartoonists exhibition began in the Political Cartoon Gallery in 2007.

The Daredevils #1

Jan 1983. Cover price 50p.
56 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Bernie Jaye.

Cover by Paul Neary.

Free cover-mounted badge.

Contents:

.2 This Is It, Frantic Ones! advertisement for Hungarian Rings toy.

.3 The Secrets of Daredevil's Billy Club! w: Roger McKenzie; p: Frank Miller, i: Klaus Janson. / Contents / Indicia

r: Daredevil (Marvel Comics) #159 (Jul 1979).

.4 Captain Britain A Rag, A Bone, A Hank of Hair... w: Alan Moore; a: Alan Davis, lettering by Jenny O'Connor.

12 'Inside Comics' "The Importance of Being Frank" text feature by Alan Moore.

18 The Perfect Mailing Company subscription advertisement.

19 Daredevil Marked for Murder w: Roger McKenzie; p: Frank Miller, i: Klaus Janson, lettering by Jim Novak.

r: Daredevil (Marvel Comics) #159 (Jul 1979).

27 Collector's Corner advertisement for The Perfect Mailing Company.

28 Daredevil poster by Garry Leach.

29 Fantasy Fever (half page) in-house advertisement for Starburst. / The Magazine of Motion Pictures (half page) in-house advertisement for Cinema.

30 Garry Leach - Early Artwork illustrations by Garry Leach.

34 Fanzine Reviews by Alan Moore.

42 Bullpen Bulletins (half page) text promo (uncredited). / Earth 33⅓ UNTITLED ["There are days when I hate being a Skrull"] w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett. / Competition (quarter page) prize of Paul Neary original artwork.

43 Spider-Man "To Die a Hero!" w: Stan Lee; p: John Romita, i: Mike Esposito, lettering by Sam Rosen.

r: partial The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Comics) #52 (Sep 1967).

46 News Feature by Frank Plowright.

52 Two More Winter Specials from Marvel (half page) in-house advertisement for The Savage Sword of Conan and Avengers Marvel Treasury. / Have You Heard the News? (half page) in-house advertisement for the Marvel Superheroes and Rampage merger.

53 Comic Mart classifieds.

54 Marvel Classifieds

55 Marvel's Winter Special Explosion! in-house advertisement for Winter Specials.

56 Marvel Sweatshirt Offer! advertisement.

The Daredevils is a small move in the direction of the Marvel magazines (Starburst and Doctor Who Monthly) while retaining the focus on comics. It isn't entirely successful in marrying strips with text pieces, but there is a lot to love within. Paul Neary's cover is rather good, though the heavy blue background tends to make the cover text (including the price) somewhat difficult to discern at a glance.

Also, the circle with "1st Great Issue" is a positioned with all the skill and care of a drunken bull in a china shop. I've never understood why the area beneath the free badges were allowed to go out without something under the gift. It would have been the perfect place to position the text, meaning that the cover didn't look so bare once the badge had been removed - as most younger readers would do this as soon as possible. A cover deprived of any embellishments should be as appealing as one with them intact.

Alan Moore's Captain Britain strip opens with the titular hero dead, which would be a problem if it were not for the fact that, in comics, characters have a remarkable tendency to come back from such inconveniences with regularity. As two figures - a father and daughter - work amid vast machinery to reconstitute Brian Braddock's skeleton from a fragment of thigh-bone, we get to see glimpses of his lonely past; Muscles form on the bare bones, circulatory systems grow, and finally skin appears. His personality forms anew from these snatches of personal history, just as his body grows.

A familiar costume reappears on the still-quiet body, and Brian's spirit is plucked from the Pool of Being to be rejoined with his body. Reappearing in Darkmoor, on the eighth of September, 1982, Captain Britain - unaware of the ministrations made over his lifeless body by the mysterious pair - rejoices at being home, on the right Earth at last. His saviour, revealed to be Merlin, displays an array of appearances - partially channelling Nicol Williamson (with a dash of Ming the Merciless) in one panel - before the tale concludes.

Despite this being the beginning of a new chapter in Captain Britain's life, there are enough ties to the past with which to root future stories firmly within established continuity. It is especially reassuring that everything that has gone before is accepted without revision - this is still (more or less) the guy we've been hanging out with all this time, and the fact that Brian's been brought back to life shouldn't render any victory through his sacrifice meaningless. He still died. What's more, there's worse to come.

Within a very small page-count the story manages to fill in a lot of information, and it really does serve as the perfect jumping-on point. Alan Davis works his magic on visuals, ensuring that things look as good as they read - you can't ask for more. Well... actually, I can. It's far, far too short to feel remotely like we have been properly reacquainted with him after his journey to the other side. Leaving him at the standing stones, celebrating life, feels too easy. It would have been nice to have another page or two, with him working out how to move forward from this point without looking too Tichborne about it.

Come to think of it, would a reconstituted body maintain precise physical blemishes and marks which could identify an individual? An errant birthmark or mole, and the gig would be up. How would one go about explaining how a scar had miraculously disappeared, or that they are now in possession of an outie when they had an innie? How much of his DNA was originally altered by Merlin, and has that been reproduced exactly, or are there further changes made to his physiology which would be shown by intensive medical investigation? So. Many. Questions.

Listen, don't you kids try and talk to me about comics! I've been reading the damn things for the past twenty two years and I'm bitter, jaded and cynical in terminal proportions.

Alan Moore is tremendous value for money. I could read him espouse the relative merits of the pancakes versus waffles debate, and here he is elegant and eloquent in appraising the work of Frank Miller - before he started to use a weird, grotesque, mis-proportioned style. While I'm not convinced that the subject is entirely appropriate to spend so long on, Moore makes it worth reading - a better use of the space taken up here would be with Moore's opinion of the state of British comics in 1983.

We get proof of Frank Miller's skill at handling composition with a reprint of a Daredevil strip, wherein a bounty is placed upon the Man Without Fear's head. A number of film clips are shown of Daredevil in action, and Mr. Pondexter offers those gathered $2000,000 up front, with the remainder of the half million dollars paid upon receipt of Daredevil's corpse or other conclusive proof of his demise. This raises a dilemma for me - how would this other proof be authenticated? Really, all one would need to do is get a Daredevil costume, dress someone in it, then kill them. Nobody (at this point) is aware of his secret identity, after all.

Matt fields questions from reporters about his kidnapping, and Ben Urich contemplates that "there's more to Matt Murdock than meets the eye." Which is probably not intended as a shout-out, but I'm going to go ahead and imagine Ben kicking back and watching Transformers cartoons in his free time. As Matt goes about his business, a number of people observe his activities, reporting back to on events. Eventually any pretense at covert observation is dropped, and Matt and Foggy are accosted by the agents of Eric Slaughter, who demand Daredevil turn up for a meeting on the docks.

What is it with Marvel Comics characters hanging out at the docks?

Daredevil, of course, turns up at the appointed time, and discovers a number of armed men in hiding - waiting for the opportunity to kill the hero. Which ought to be a nerve-wracking moment of high tension, but we know that there is no way Daredevil is going to get killed off. He makes his move, demanding answers, but the men respond by opening fire. Picking off the gunmen one by one, Daredevil manages to get one to talk, but before he can learn who has put out the hit on him his source of information is killed. The man behind the attempt on the hero's life is... Bullseye.

Garry Leach's poster art is superb, and deserves to be published in a high-quality print. Despite having an eye out for this in better quality, I've never seen it reproduced. Subtle and minimalist, the towering buildings looming high behind Daredevil as he leaps into action. It feels as modern an image as it did back in the early eighties. It is accompanied by a page of his younger artwork, which is a revelation - his style improved greatly between the ages of 11 and 16, and makes me want to see the intermediate steps. These "behind the scenes" features are well worth the time to put together, and show the evolution of an artist's ability.

Alan Moore reviews Lew Stringer's Fantasy Express #04, the Martin Lock-era Fantasy Advertiser (#75), and Triple Echo Vol.1 #04 by Steve Roberts in the appropriately named Fanzine Reviews. At a single page, albeit one without cover repros of the zines in question, there isn't much room for elaboration or in-depth examination. It is always appreciated when these titles are highlighted, but such features need to be have enough room to breathe.

High quality content can only take a title so far, thus we must suffer a Spider-Man reprint. The Kingpin places J. Jonah Jameson and Spidey in an inescapable death trap, from which (naturally) they escape. The long-running Spider-Man title (under whatever name it was using that week) was the obvious place to corral his adventures safely away, so placing him in The Daredevils is extremely annoying - they've been reprinted so often that anyone with a fondness for the character would have already been familiar with the story.

News Feature brings all the latest up-to-the-minute news from Stateside about exciting developments such as an ongoing Alpha Flight series, the introduction of the Hobgoblin, Doug Moench leaving Master of Kung-Fu and Moon Knight, and the cancellation of The Brave and the Bold. At two pages (with most of that space taken up with cover repros) this still feels overdone. I'm not sure I like comics publishers promoting comics in general in this way - it would be too easy to promote Marvel titles over those of other publishers, which is why having a distance between publishers and news is always preferable.

A very accomplished issue, despite the inclusion of Spider-Man. An excellent poster is the icing on the cake.