Action Force #2

14 Mar 1987. Cover price NA.
24 pages. Full colour contents.
Marvel Comics

Edited by Richard Starkings.

Cover by Geoff Senior (uncredited).

Presented free with Action Force #01

Contents:

 2 Contents / Mission Control editorial; a: Geoff Senior (uncredited). Indicia

 3 Cut and Run, part two, w: Simon Furman; p: Kev Hopgood, i: Dave Harwood, lettering by Richard Starkings, colouring by Steve White.

 8 You Must Not Miss Next Issue in-house advertisement; a: Geoff Senior (uncredited).

 9 Best Defence, part two, w: Larry Hama, a: Herb Trimpe, lettering by Phil Felix, colouring by Bob Sharen.

r: G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero (Marvel) #50 (Aug 1986).

20 My Brother's Keeper w:/a: Ken Steacy.

r: Amazing High Adventure (Marvel) #05 (Dec 1986).

Mr. R. Trent.
Ministry of Defence.
Whitehall.                           6/3/87

Sir,
   In response to your request for a written account of the events of the 5th of this month, I submit the following:

An epistolary, with appropriate visual accompaniment, is a very brave move for Furman to employ in what is only the second issue of the series, though there are several breaks where the action is presented in a traditional manner.

At approximately 1100 hours, our station cameras recorded the entry into access port one of the Action Force operatives code named Snae Eyes and Scarlett.

Their palm print configurations checked out with our computer records and admitted them to our London headquarters...

Entry port one, as it happens, is accessed via the London Underground track at Westminster, which is why the story carries the following:

WARNING: Scarlett and Snae Eyes are highly trained Action Force personnel - on NO account should you play on London Underground tracks.

All other Action Force antics are, apparently, fine to mimic.

The Eel captured by Footloose manages to overpower an Action Force agent, and makes his way to the SIMCOM room, where operatives can train against simulated enemy forces. Scarlett and Snake Eyes make use of the facility in order to maintain their combat skills, where the Eel hits Snake Eyes with a speargun, then shoots Scarlett before escaping through the inlet to the Thames.

While it is difficult to imagine, given the superior facilities often depicted, that a lowly Eel could manage to escape, the story is told in a manner which downplays the more worrying aspects of this. A few simple changes in dialogue, to indicate that the escape had been set up by a mole, for instance, would have made this extraordinary feat more acceptable.

Best Defence continues, with Beach-Head, Lady Jaye, and Flint sneaking onto the hijacked plane as it is refueled. Lady Jaye disguises herself as a stewardess, and learns from Hawk (via a relayed message) that the flight is a suicide run, with the hijackers intending to crash into a top secret Soviet chemical warfare depot in Beringovskiy - the resultant gas cloud could kill millions.

I wonder if Flint's comment, upon cutting open a suitable access point, that it is "a size 42 regular hole" is a sneaky Hitchhiker's reference. The final panel joke about Lady Jaye getting stuck in the toilet is a bit too silly for what has preceded the panel, and the rescue attempt itself seems rather too easy, though I'll give the story some leeway as there's advanced tech in play.

There's some voyeuristic tendencies in the depiction of Lady Jaye - the only character to be depicted changing clothes - and the sensibilities are very much in line with action-adventure cinema of the era. The story itself contains echoes of numerous hijackings, which plagued airlines in the seventies and eighties, but is remarkably restrained in showing the human cost of such actions.

Edwards Airforce Base: Spring, 1955

Investigations into the possibility of carrying parasite fighter planes within the awesome Atom bombers led to the fighter-conveyor or FICON programme. Numerous combinations were tested and one showed great promise: the fighter was the F-85 Goblin, the bomber, the fabulous B-49 Flying Wing!

A historical military tale (the first part of a longer story) rounds out the issue. It is written in a style which doesn't really grasp me, though the fact that it was intended to be read as a complete story explains why there isn't more of a hook to maintain interest.

#01

Action Force

#03

Strip #1

...The Comic Grows Up!

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

Edited by Dan Abnett.

Cover by Kevin O'Neill.

Free cover-mounted badge.

Contents:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strip

#02

Action Force Monthly #1

Jun 1988; Cover price 50p.
32 pages. Full colour.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by John Tomlinson.

Cover by Dougie Braithwaite.

Free Battle Ribbons.

Contents:

.2 Mission Control Introduction text by John Tomlinson. / Contents / Indicia

.3 Double Bluff w: Ford Alan; p: Dougie Braithwaite, i: Cam Smith, lettering by Annie H., colouring by Stuart Place.

15 Action Force Skystriker Strikes Back toy advertisement.

16 Mini-Poster r. cover art by Dougie Braithwaite.

18 Earth, 8162. Not a nice place to live... in-house advertisement for Dragon's Teeth.

22 Double Cross w: Ian Rimmer; p: Dougie Braithwaite, i: Cam Smith, lettering by Bryan Hitch, colouring by Stuart Place.

27 Ancient Relics!, part one, w: Simon Furman; p: Geoff Senior, i: Dave Harwood, lettering by Annie H., colouring by Steve White.

r: Transformers (Marvel Comics Ltd.) #125 (08 Aug 1987).

Decreasing the page size in order to appear more American might have made some commercial sense, but it makes Action Force Monthly appear to offer less value for money. Braithwaite's cover (featuring Roadblock, Flint, Footloose, Lady Jaye, Leatherneck and Sci-Fi) has the right amount of celebratory joy to herald the return of the characters to print, though it also, unfortunately, makes this appear to be aimed at a younger audience. A great mini-poster, despite my reservations.

Double Bluff opens with Cobra's Crimson Guard holding an ambassador hostage in his embassy, interrupted in their evil machinations by Roadblock, kicks the door in and reminds readers to watch the last few episodes of Call My Bluff's twenty-fourth series. Or maybe not. Still, this fun little story continues with Sci-Fi executing a Crimson Guard holding the ambassador hostage, before Roadblock guns down the rest of their number. Xamot and Tomax are taking notes, and figure that using Battle Android Troopers will be less trouble than hiring replacements for dead Crimson Guards.

Or Battle Android Troopers were on sale at all good toy stores, and they really needed to be highlighted in the title.

Action Force are debriefed by Trent, who tells Footloose that he needs a holiday. He doesn't say, but I would like to think he's booked a room in Bomont, Oklahoma. It is, naturally, a bluff, and he is soon accosted by Troopers. Sci-Fi explains to the others that a Cobra Location Tracker is broadcasting their location, which (for reasons which remain unexplained) was part of the plan, and they prepare for an imminent attack on their base. Xamot and Tomax arrive with Footloose (using him to gain access), and bring a bunch of Troopers with them.

Every time I have to write Xamot and Tomax I am reminded of how much their names make me think of pharmaceuticals.

Internal defences are activated, destroying the Troopers, but the brothers escape mysteriously before they can be apprehended. In fleeing for their lives, they manage to snag a photograph of Trent with his daughter, and announce that they will kidnap her - because bugging them, with technology available to Action Force, wasn't even a remote possibility. If any two characters deserve to take a head-shot it is this pair.

A few pages feel rather empty, with backgrounds sketched in - it feels rushed and half-hearted rather than a stylistic choice, but the story moves so quickly that these shortcuts doesn't detract from the energy. There are also issues with likenesses in some places, with an extremely off-model Lady Jaye being the most noticeable. This is a good start, but an important franchise really needs an excellent start.

Shipwreck observes a German WWII bomber being raised from the depths, utilizing a new balloon-based system of deep-sea retrieval system, in Double Cross. If it can minimise damage to old or delicate structures, then it can be employed to raise any Action Force vehicle lost at sea. The test is interrupted by Cobra forces led by Thornton, whose father shot the plane down - and when Shipwreck takes refuge in the plane he finds the reason for their interest: crates of gold bars.

A very brief five pages, with some interesting art choices. It's better than Double Bluff, mainly for the ending, and really cements the violent streak of the title. The bleak ending feels much more mature than anything preceding it, and it is almost a shame that such a fun tale as Ancient Relics! is placed after it. There's nothing to dislike in the crossover with Transformers, which bravely pits the Autobots against each other as a threat surfaces deep beneath the streets of London.

Action Force #1

07 Mar 1987; Cover price 32p.
24 pages. Full colour.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Richard Starkings.

Painted cover by Geoff Senior (uncredited).

Free copy of Action Force #02 (14 Mar 1987).

Contents:

.2 Contents / Mission Control introduction by Richard Starkings. / Indicia

.3 Action Force Gun Boat! w: Simon Furman; p: Kev Hopgood, i: Mark Farmer, lettering by Richard Starkings, colouring by Steve White.

14 Operation Prisoner Release advertisement for Action Force Assault Copter Dragonfly.

16 Intelligence Profile Code Name: Flint fact file; p: Herb Trimpe; i: Joe DelBeato.

r: illustration from The G.I. Joe Order of Battle (Marvel) #01 (Nov 1986).

17 Action Force Best Defence w: Larry Hama; a: Herb Trimpe, lettering by Phil Felix, colouring by Bob Sharen.

24 ThunderCats Crunchy Potato Snacks! advertisement for Spooner Foods.

Subtitled "International Heroes" for this issue only, and graced with a a suitably frenetic Geoff Senior cover - full of explosions and blazing guns. It is the kind of image I would expect to be re-used as a free poster, but Marvel go one better for their free gift. Action Force is the only title I am aware of which gave away its second issue free with the first. An interesting ploy, though surely it would have made more sense (and probably cost around the same) to merely double the page count. It does, however, feel like brilliant value for money on the part of the reader.

Action Force are made aware that a pleasure boat moored at the West India dock section of the Thames is the location where a consignment of arms is to be handed off by Destro's organisation to COBRA. With the arms already stowed aboard the vessel, Action Force has to prevent the vessel reaching open sea with its cargo intact. As most of the guests aboard the ship will be genuine party guests, the only way to infiltrate undercover - made easier by an invitation which has been intercepted.

Flint and Lady Jaye pose as partygoers in order to get aboard, while Barbecue and Shipwreck are to board river-side, and Footloose intended to act as look-out, performing communications duties for the team. Unfortunately, Footloose jinxes the mission by saying "What could possibly go wrong?" A COBRA Eel manages to sneak up on him with a garrote, thus proving he should remain quiet unless he has something important to say. He manages to defeat the sea commando, as a fire aboard the ship gets civilians out of the way so Flint can make his move.

Straight into a room full of COBRA agents. Storm Shadow informs Cobra Commander that charges in the hold cannot be defused, and everyone has four minutes to get clear of the ship. Regrouping after the explosion, the team debriefs each other on their activities - Barbecue states that he only set the charges before being knocked unconscious, leaving the question of who primed the explosives hanging. It's a fine opening for the characters, despite feeling a bit small. The notion that these are the very best at anti-terrorism activities seems to be an inferred ability, and the limited number of available agents seems odd in retrospect.

As an origin for the organisation, this is perfectly a serviceable story, and the art is (to be expected) is great. The rest of the issue is taken up with a re-branded US reprint, and the presentation is fantastic compared with the American newsprint.