On This Day: 30 Mar

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

First Appearances:

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

Births:

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

Deaths:

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

Notable Events:

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

On This Day: 19 Mar

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

First Appearances:

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

Births:

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

Deaths:

Steve Dowling (1986); Johnny Hicklenton (2010)

Notable Events:

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

On This Day: 14 Mar

Happy Pi Day

Speed & Power (1974)

First Appearances:

Tyranny Rex in 2000 A.D. (Fleetway Publications) Prog 566 (19 Mar 1988)

Births:

Sally Artz (1935); Davy Francis (1958)

Deaths:

Jose Casanovas, Snr. (2009)

Notable Events:

Two illustrations of Old Bill, drawn by Bruce Bairnsfather as part of his lecture tour, were auctioned for charity in 1919.
Toskanex Limited incorporated in 1978, becoming company no. 01357592. The name on the covers of their books is Knockabout.
GlasCAC (Glasgow Comic Art Convention) began at Candleriggs Town Hall, Glasgow, in 1992.

On This Day: 04 Mar

Whoopee! (IPC Magazines Ltd.) #01 (09 Mar 1974).

First Appearances:

Ad Lad in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
The Bumpkin Billionaires in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Daisy Jones' Locket in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Ernie Learner in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Little Miss Muffit in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Lunchin' Vulture in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Snap Happy in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Stoker-Ship's Cat in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
Toy Boy in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).
The Wolf Pack in Whoopee! #01 (09 Mar 1974).

Births:

Thomas Tegg (1776); John Ryan (1921); Peter Jackson (1922); Glen Baxter (1944); Simon Bisley (1962)

Deaths:

Sidney Conrad Strube (1956); Salvatore Deidda (1990); Camillo Zuffi (2002)

Notable Events:

The Universe and Eye: of Man and New Science by Timothy Ferris & Ingram Pinn published by Pavilion Books in 1993.
Dennis the Menace paid a visit to The One Show, to celebrate Comic Relief, in 2011.
An episode of What Do Artists Do All Day?, featuring Frank Quitely, was broadcast on BBC2 in 2014.

The Freedom Collective #1

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

Communism's Mightiest Super-Heroes!

Edited by Igor Sloano [Iain Henderson].

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

Contents:

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

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

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

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

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

26 Freedom of Speech readers' mail.

28 Society: Party Animal in-house advertisement.

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

30 The Final Cut editorial by Edward Murphy.

31 The Sensational Alex Harvey Band advertisement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

POW! Annual 1971

[1970] Annual. Original price 10/. or 50p.
80 pages. Full colour & tone art.
Odhams Books

Painted cover UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 Frontispiece a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 4 Magno: Man of Magnetism w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Miguel Quesada (uncredited).

11 Aquavenger! w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Victor Ibanez (uncredited).

17 Mr. Tomorrow: Criminal from the Future w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Matias Alonso (uncredited).

26 The Hunter and the Hunted w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

33 Electro w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Jose Ortiz (uncredited).

41 The Esper Commandos w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Enric Badia Romero (uncredited).

50 Marksman Versus the Saboteur w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

57 The Phantom w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Eustaquio Segrelles (uncredited).

65 Norstad of the Deep w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Leopoldo Ortiz (uncredited).

74 The Time-Rider w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Victor Ibanez (uncredited).

This is a highly eccentric annual, filled to the brim with characters you have not heard of. It isn't an entirely successful launch of the characters, but it offers a fascinating insight into the European model of superheroes. The logic of creating entirely new characters (well... comparatively original characters, but I'll get to that in a moment) was a solid one - by owning the rights to the material, Odhams would have been in a better position to fully exploit the strips.

Unfortunately, nothing ever came of the enterprise, so what might have happened to the Marvel reprint scene had the annual been a success is open to debate. The artwork is more realistic and slightly darker than the broad strokes used in US material at the time, with numerous details throughout which lends a more grounded feel to the over-the-top powers.

Whatever the reasons for the publication of the all-new lineup, there are marked differences to the American style in nearly every regard. The strips open with the name of the main character instead of the story title (in a hold-over from the way weekly adventure strips were presented), creator credits are absent, and the length of each strip is remarkably short, especially given that a sizable portion of the book is taken up with the origins of the characters.

In addition to the style of artwork chosen, this tonal difference couldn't have helped sell children on the idea that they were getting something equivalent to the strips which bore Marvel or DC characters. The explicit setting of the first strip in London is especially odd, if the intention was to encourage comparison to US material.

Magno, in a costume reminiscent of the X-Men's Cyclops, with wings from Captain America's mask, is a strange mix of sixties adventure shows with the superhero format. The first couple of pages brings to mind The Avengers or The Persuaders, with a handsome hero riding in to a dangerous location in a fancy car, but soon establishes an element of the unusual in a criminal gang whose modus operandi includes the wearing of elaborate masks.

To hide their shame at appearing in this annual, perhaps?

The beautifully rendered vehicles, and the abrupt ending, are so different to what was appearing elsewhere at the time that it must have puzzled anyone expecting a reprise of reprint material in the UK. Aquavenger is a less interesting version of the aquatic hero popularized by The Man from Atlantis, Aquaman and Namor, the Sub-Mariner, although the strip doesn't so much end as is wrapped up before running out of pages.

European influence is to the forefront in Mr Tomorrow, which has a very interesting symbol representing the future society in the first panel. A modified NATO-esque globe, with the impression that a new world order is in place, sits at odds with the odd penalty handed down to the unnamed criminal (surely that is an electric chair?), who will go on to identify himself (bizarrely) as Mr Tomorrow. The story is completely wrapped up within the brief space allotted to his adventure, rendering future use of the scenario moot. The Hunter and the Hunted is an idea straight out of the fifties, merging the wild west with crime drama. As a comic strip it lacks a certain energy, but is the only character whom I could imagine as starring in a half-decent television show.

The immediately following strip, Electro is the first in which to posit a superhero universe rather than standalone adventures. As soon as the origin is taken care of, the main character is taken to the Super Security Bureau, where - on the wall of the office of the head of the organization - there are images of other super-powered individuals such as Mr. Whiz, Iron Dog and Flame Man.

Not terribly inspiring names, but the American influence here is the strongest in the annual. If only Iron Dog had been given one of the available slots in this annual...

In a costume reminiscent of Captain Marvel, Eddie Edwards (gotta love those alliterative names) soon finds himself facing off against a horde of crystal-like enemies (years before Defenders of the Earth would do the same) and once again the action moves to the water for its' conclusion. The reinforcement of US sensibilities is also present in the location of the story - Surf City, USA.

Esper Commandos is the best of the collection, in no small part due to it owing more to the science fiction strips which had been a staple of British comics than to any superhero title. It feels like an early 2000 AD or Starlord strip, with a darker subject matter than the surrounding strips. Marksman (no relation to the US strips, though with a remarkably similar costume) is - after the preceding tale - rather a disappointment.

The notion that, at some point in the future, superhero garb will be worn by security guards, pushes the willing suspension of disbelief required far too much. On much better ground, The Phantom (which employs much of the original Ghost Rider's gimmick of appearing to be a spirit), though the tale is an ultimately disposable crime drama wrapped in superhero elements.

Norstad Of The Deep is the most puzzling of these tales. It's main character is the kind of creature which would have been right at home in a low-budget fifties monster film, and the mind-transference plot relies on the kind of pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo more usually found in SF films of the forties. The only thing which the strip has going for it is the glorious artwork, but even this isn't enough to retain much interest.

The final strip, The Time-Rider, stars a genius inventor, millionaire, time-traveling cowboy. He probably juggles as well, which will come in handy when he realises this is as good as it gets. It is the most blatant example of throwing everything possible into a plot in the hopes that one aspect will rise to the surface. Unfortunately, it squanders every opportunity it gets, and leaves no lingering sense of unfinished business.

Not only is Kash Pearce an insufferable idiot (especially regarding his informed abilities), his mechanical horse doesn't even look like a robot. D.C. Thomson's various use of such horses were much better, and this steed doesn't have a fraction of Galaxy Rangers' appeal. It is a story which brings the annual to close on a disappointing note.

An incredibly strange annual, and an experiment in creating a raft of new characters which didn't truly capitalize on the opportunity. As a Pow! annual it fails to make any reference to the weekly title, but as a stand-alone superhero title it remains an interesting glimpse into the British superhero scene which could have arisen in the seventies if more interest had been present. It is well worth reading to see just how different the creative process was at the beginning of the seventies, and, naturally, for the glorious artwork.

As a superhero annual it lacks finesse, though numerous concepts would be revisited by other hands over the course of the nest twenty years to provide the title with the curious benefit of appearing to be published before its' time.

The Crunch #1

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

Cover by UNKNOWN.

Free "The Black Band".

Contents:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE CRUNCH IS NOW!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Which is a problem.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hulk Comic #1

07 Mar 1979. Cover price 10p
24 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics, Ltd.

At last... in his own comic!

Edited by Dez Skinn.

Cover by Brian Bolland.
Sal Buscema Hulk head placed on Bolland Hulk body.

Bagged with free Hulk sticker album and stickers.

Contents:

 2 Hulk Comic Introductory page. / Indicia

 3 The Incredible Hulk UNTITLED [Storm Over Arbory] w: Steve Moore; a: Dave Gibbons.

 6 The Black Knight UNTITLED [Rare Blood Delivery] w: Steve Parkhouse; p: Steve Parkhouse, i: John Stokes.

 9 From Trebor Double Agents H.Q. advertisement.

10 Watch out Hulk! Rampage Monthly now features The X-Men (one third page) in-house advertisement. / Journey into the world of the Weird -- the Occult -- the Magical (one third page) in-house advertisement for Rampage Monthly. / The Micronauts (one third page) in-house advertisement for Star Wars Weekly.

11 Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. UNTITLED [Seven Stars, Seven Missiles] w: Steve Moore; a: John Richardson.

15 2 More Triumphs from Marvel (half page) in-house advertisement for Savage Sword of Conan and Starburst. / 111 Stamps (All Different) Free (half page) advertisement for Bridgnorth Stamp Co. Ltd.

16 Ant-Man The Man in the Ant Hill w: Stan Lee; p: Jack Kirby, i: Dick Ayers.

r: edited from Tales to Astonish (Marvel Comics) #27 (Jan 1962).

19 Don't Miss the Latest Issue of Marvel Comic (half page) in-house advertisement. / On Sale Now - Spider-Man Comic (half page) in-house advertisement.

20 Night-Raven UNTITLED [] w: Steve Parkhouse; a: David Lloyd.

23 Star Flight News Zero Minus 15 (half page) advertisement for Starflight Rocket Fleet model toys. / Every Week Marvel Comic (half page) in-house advertisement.

24 The Incredible Hulk is just too big for only one comic! in-house advertisement for Rampage Magazine.

There's something slightly off about Bolland's cover, which isn't entirely successfully made to fit Marvel house style by the use of a Sal Buscema head, though the use of new material - any new material - in a Marvel title is to be celebrated. It is unfortunate that this bold start is immediately paused for a preview of the contents which offers nothing save for a promise of free gifts in the subsequent issue. A small text introduction is always preferable to these clip art-like illustrations. Thankfully, the selected images are mostly good, though I'm not sure what to make of Ant Man.

Victim of Gamma Radiation, Bruce Banner now finds himself transformed in times of stress into the most powerful creature ever to ealk the Earth.

Arbory is in the midst of one of the most vicious electrical storms in living memory, which has plunged the inhabitants into darkness. The Hulk, struck by lightning, is somehow able to hold the charge - glowing incandescent blue - which terrifies locals, believing aliens have landed. A mugging, suddenly illuminated by the Hulk's accidental intervention, turns to murder when the victim recognises his assailants. Fleeing the scene, they run into the Hulk...

A very slight story, with an amusing use of the Hulk's body chemistry to propel the plot. For a three-page strip, this has an awfully high body-count, highlighting the casually-handled mortality rate in superhero comics. There's also the problem of the Hulk's haircut, which is especially distracting. The ending has the hallmark of old morality plays, which seem very dated now, though oddly works to the story's advantage.

Somewhere in the skies over South-West England a military helicopter in engaged upon a mission of mercy... Carrying vital medical supplies to a hospital in Cornwall, cut off by freak storms and blizzards...

As the cloud cover breaks, the pilot observes the Black Knight flying through the air on his steed, a distracting enough sight to cause a crash. The Black Knight lands in order to determine the nature of the pilot's quest, and - upon learning that a rare blood type is being transported - decides to take matters into his own hands. Far below, old Sarah Mumford - out collecting firewood - considers the 'dark rider' a bad omen, while an armed Harrier takes off with the intent of taking down a UFO. Or an unidentified knight on his flying horse, if you prefer.

Mordred, learning of the Black Knight's return, sets his nightmarish birds of prey loose. Two rockets manage to dismount the knight, and...

The story cuts off, mid-scene. While the story serves as a perfectly reasonable introduction to the character, having such an abrupt ending really affects the way the story is received. There's a great atmosphere delivered through very attractive art, but there are too many events crammed into the first installment, without explanation, that I'm left feeling slightly short-changed by the strip. I've got a feeling this is a story which would greatly benefit from being read through without interruption.

Thousands of feet above the Eastern seaboard of the United States, a gigantic Heli-Carrier hangs motionless and quiet... the mobile command headquarters of the organisation known as SHIELD...

Utilising the training room to keep in top shape, Nick Fury is distracted by the sudden appearance of seven glowing stars in a circle - long enough to allow a blast to hit him, numbing his arm. Duggan races to shut the power down, though Fury deals with the problem himself, blasting the control unit. Sidney E. Levine, "Gaffer," SHIELD's weaponry expert and inventor, and Carlyle Pallis, head of SHIELD's internal security, are summoned to investigate whether the stars were the result of malfunction or sabotage.

Fury gets Duggan to accompany him on a separate line of investigation, but come up empty in the records. Gaffer and Pallis report that someone replaced components, as well as installing a hologram projector behind panelling. Before anything else can be revealed, the Heli-Carrier goes on Red Alert - a missile which splits into seven warheads is about to strike. They are stopped, and a trace of the final detonation pattern reveals a pattern identical to that which appeared in the training area.

This is a beautiful, and SF-heavy, introduction to Fury, with enough background to tie the story to American comics, and a decent mystery for him to solve. While Richardson is no Steranko, he gives the visuals everything he's got - occasionally nearing iconic imagery, as with the shot of Fury, gun held in front of him. It isn't an entirely successful opening, but has a quirky style I could grow to like.

It all began only a few weeks ago. Pym was working on a fantastic project. A secret serum. Anything could be reduced in size and shipped for a fraction of the cost! An entire army could be transported in one airplane... And finally... for Henry Pym, success!

Another outing for the origin of Ant-Man, albeit a curtailed one. It isn't bad, but overly familiar thanks to repeated appearances.

Night-time in the city, in a downtown hotel room a high-level business conference approaches stalemate...

As negotiations between criminal groups break down, Night-Raven makes his presence known. Escaping out a window as gunfire ricochets around him, Night-Raven grabs Granacco and pulls him up to the roof. Distracting two of the mobsters, he sneaks back to the conference room and brands the third criminal, leaving his calling card before departing unseen.

While the story is paper-thin, the atmosphere generated in the strip is far more resonant than the rest of the title combined, instantly setting a tone slightly darker than mainstream Marvel usually employs. There aren't many characters who brand their enemies, and this is the big selling point for the character.

And no, in case you were wondering - the sticker album wasn't located with this issue.

Crisis #1

17 Sep - 30 Sep 1988. Cover price 65p
32 pages. Full colour.
Fleetway Publications.

Edited by Steve MacManus.

Cover by Carlos Ezquerra, design by Rian Hughes.

Contents:

 2 Third World War UNTITLED credits / Chronology.

 3 Third World War Hamburger Lady w: Pat Mills; a: Carlos Ezquerra, lettering by Gordon Robson.

17 New Statesmen Book Reviews - All Men Are NOT Created Equal Chris Lawson. In-universe book review by John Smith, illustrated by Jim Baikie.

32 Crisis Talks Credits. / UK Tour: Handle It! Tour dates and locations. / Indicia

Eve Collins has just turned eighteen, and has been drafted into Freeaid, an organisation funded by multinationals to free the third world from poverty. Her hopes for deferment, as a student, are dashed when the youth selection board learns her subjects are art, English, and sociology, so in order to avoid her fate takes an overdose. After having her stomach pumped out, and being classed as psychologically disturbed, Eve is sent to a psychological warfare battalion nicknames "the Psychos"

Assigned to move the populace of a Central American village to a new "prosperity zone," the group Eve is with encounters resistance to the forced relocation. Garry, a volunteer, begins kicking in doors and threatening the inhabitants, while Eve and Trisha attempt to convince a woman that her quality of life will be better at the model village. Despite assurances that there is a clinic, with a school and shopping centre to come, Mrs. Garcia refuses to leave her home, and the situation rapidly escalates.

A strong opening, with lots of delicious moments, the story manages to surf over near-future predictions which never came to pass by dint of being so engaging. Hamburger Lady is much more accessible than it at first appears, though a few of the details seem awfully far-fetched. It is difficult to imagine multinationals expending money to operate in the third world, where there is little return for their investment. Anyway, companies such as Disney, or McDonalds, or the rest, are too busy plying their psychological warfare in the west to consider a new field of combat.

Pat Mills is a force to be reckoned with, and here - in full flow - he manages to deliver on the promise of intelligent, socially-aware, politically-minded comics, wielding ideas as if they were weapons. Ezquerra's art is perfectly suited to the script, lending the setting a grimy and slightly worn-out quality. With a cast of characters who have solid backgrounds and personalities, this doesn't operate with the same palette as most of Fleetway's strips, feeling more like an independent title which just happens to share a publisher with more commercially-minded fare.

It is an odd experience reading something so (relatively) recent, set in a future which has now passed. It would be churlish to delineate all the divergences, though one specific visual caught me by surprise - Ivan's portable television is, even by 1988 standards, remarkably large. It recalls the Sony Watchman, in elongated form, rather than sleek modern iterations of the technology.

The Optimen, a group of genetically-engineered superheroes manufactured by the US government, were rebranded as the Statesmen in order to appease public mistrust. An incident in South Africa has tarnished their legacy, and, as global televangelist turned miracle worker Phoenix launches a campaign for Presidency, the Halcyons - a black ops division of the Statesmen - are sequestered in preparation for a reunion. A protest led by Reverend-Colonel Leon Kastner has gathered outside a bathhouse, which is being covered by Larry Scanlan for Channel 9.

Meridian decides to go for a walk, despite the risk of media exposure, which Vegas uses as an excuse to leave in order to purchase alcohol. Burgess, the weight of his actions weighing heavily upon his conscience. As he tears apart his room, handlers assigned to watch over the Halcyon are reluctant to intervene. Dalton, at the bathhouse, is caught in an explosion...

The New Statesmen is incredibly rich in detail, with small and revealing glimpses into the world of the Optimen hidden in plain sight. Right from the faux book review, names, of people and groups, are dropped with abandon - Genizah Books? Very clever, though one wonders how many readers bothered to figure out the cryptic references. Even the almost-analogue for traditional superhero teams, the Halcyon, are aptly named - it is exceedingly rare for quasi-military intervention to make things better, and this group are anything but firmly on the side of angels.

Sometimes, as with the name of the bathhouse, subtlety gets kicked to one side in favour of blatant foreshadowing. Burgess (named for Guy Burgess?) is an enigma here, set aside from the others, and yet is the most interesting. Unfortunately, the overtly-complex nature of the plot doesn't suit itself to the printed page in such stark fashion, and, by absorbing storytelling techniques from disparate forms, the tone is wildly uneven.

In-universe texts (a Watchmen trick), television clips (from The Dark Knight Returns and RoboCop), a near split-screen, flashbacks, inventive panel and text box placement... Everything is piled atop a plot which requires clarification and solid foundations, leaving some elements isolated, and others too obscured to be of immediate benefit to a casual reader. Vast complexity is something to be built up to, and dropping so much - and so rapidly - in the first issue is, perhaps, asking too much.

Rian Hughes' design elements for Crisis help, in some small way, to unify the disparate stories, yet the two halves of this issue are so vastly different that it is difficult to see who the title is aimed at. An impressive, if slightly unfulfilling and overwhelming, start.

It's Wicked! #1

20 May 1989; Cover price 30p.
24 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Helen Stone.

Free Green Fangs.

Contents:

.1 Slimer UNTITLED [Draculala] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

.2 Chamber of Horrors! editorial by Helen Stone; illustration (uncredited).

.3 Gordon Gremlin UNTITLED [Wig Fishing] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

.4 Ghostman Bat and his Black and White Rat UNTITLED [Heavy Male Today] w: UNKNOWN; a: John Geering.

.6 Best of Fiends UNTITLED [Shear Excitement] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

.7 Dunstable D. Dragon UNTITLED [Yoke's on You] w: UNKNOWN; a: Nick Miller.

.8 Winnie the Witch Doctor UNTITLED [No More Spells] w: UNKNOWN; a: Barrie Appleby.

.9 Are you troubled by strange noises in the night? in-house advertisement for The Real Ghostbusters Collected Spring Special #01.

10 Clare Voyant UNTITLED [A Great Burden] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

11 Mummy's Boy UNTITLED [Coffin Fit] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

12 It's Slimer UNTITLED [Doc Frankystein] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

14 Slime Time! readers' jokes.

15 Bat Chat! readers' mail.

16 Ghoul School UNTITLED [First day of a new term] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

18 Toad in the Hole, part one, In the Beginning... w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

20 The Ghosthunters UNTITLED [Moe & Joe] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

22 Inspector Spectre, Private Eye UNTITLED [Handbag Snatcher] w: UNKNOWN; a: UNKNOWN.

23 It's Wicked? Sorry, Son We've Sold Out (half page) subscriptions. / In Next Week's Issue... (half page).

24 New from Marvel in-house advertisement for Cartoon Time.

Something of a nightmare to index, as the spartan index above shows.

While a Slimer spin-off had been published in 19##, and the character had made appearances in Marvel Bumper Comic, this marks the first major exploitation of the character in a creative manner. No longer tied to reprints or unconnected anthologies, but as the lead attraction in a horror-comedy anthology, Marvel looked back to IPC's Shiver and Shake and Monster Fun for content inspiration, while appropriating the appearance of D.C. Thomson titles. It isn't an entirely convincing mixture.

Slimer, naturally, takes the cover spot, with a strip tying in to the free gift. There's no attempt at a punchline for the strip, but it doesn't really matter - the image works whether the free fangs are attached or not. Chamber of Horrors!, which is a perfect title for a horror-themed editorial, sets out the mission for the title - horror and comedy, hand in hand, every week. The illustrative border is perfect for the title.

Sticking with tried and tested gags, Gordon Gremlin didn't need a horror character for the story in this issue. It isn't as if the joke is good enough to overcome the disconnect between character and story, and only the artwork redeems the strip.

Ghostman Bat, punning off Postman Pat, is a vampiric postman with a pet rat. This is the closest It's Wicked gets to a high concept idea. Actually, that isn't fair, as the strip has a further twist - the main character delivers ghosts rather than mail. There's a flurry of gags and some great art. There's not, unfortunately, any indication that this is going to be more than a series of two-page jokes.

Best of Fiends are, basically, hairy Madballs. I didn't find the strip amusing, but being outside the target demographic it is impossible to say if this would have had the desired humour quotient for readers of the title. One of the problems is the pay-off relying on a seriously unfunny game - golf is a tedious "game" which has no redeeming elements, and by throwing in an act of violence perpetrated by a golf club seems a concept better served in animation than a comic strip. Also, the fact that the character looks like a testicle doesn't help.

Things don't improve drastically with Dunstable D. Dragon, which has two awful puns in three panels. The "Dragon Facts" section beneath the strip is wasted with a hand-wave for the character knowing his own name, but should have been used to deliver something which might have been of use to readers - the names of dragons from myth and legend, famous dragonslayers, great dragon books... The permutations are endless, and by using it to excuse a plotting defect is really annoying. So much potential here, and to throw it away for that...

There's a strong D.C. Thomson flavour to Winnie the Witch Doctor, which features a witch who is a doctor. Treating witches. Funnier than it deserves to be, the art and script combine to make an amusing strip which introduces the character in a funny sketch. While it is a ways from being considered a classic, it is the first strip in It's Wicked to overcome imposed limitations.

Clare Voyant is about a gypsy fortune-teller, with all of the subtlety that implies. There's a slight improvement with Mummy's Boy.

Have you ever wondered what goes on in a museum after the last visitor has gone... Who knows what could be lurking in these dark corridors..?

It anticipates Night at the Museum with exhibits coming to life at night, and is amusing enough to warrant its place. This is more the type of strip I was expecting. The art is attractive, and the handling of the jokes (as they are) isn't bad, but at a single page there isn't anywhere for the narrative to go.

Despite taking the cover, a further three-page strip is devoted to Slimer, in which he visits Doc Frankystein. The punchline is one which has adorned at least three or four stories over the years, but the crafting of the story and art is competent enough. I'm not convinced that a heavy Ghostbusters influence is really necessary for the title, and you can have too much of a good thing. Slimer reappears as host of a joke page, which is as groan-worthy as you might imagine.

Ghostman Bat takes the readers' mail, in Bat Chat!, and Ghoul School resumes the strips with the least frightening bunch of ghouls to ever appear in comics. The story isn't bad, but this continues a run of strips which don't really deliver of frightening comedy in a manner which Trap Door or even the 1972 animation Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters managed.

Once upon a time, in a castle that could really do with a lick of paint...

There lived an inventor who was a little ... odd.

Toad in the Hole is a tad different in that it intends to be read as an ongoing narrative, though the humour is present here as well. Introducing the (unnamed) inventor, and his errant creation, Toad, who emerges from a rubbish pit fully formed. It has the making of an interesting story when it gets going, but there's not much here to get stuck into.

Ghosthunters is the story of the Mole Brothers, Moe and Joe, hunters of horror, trackers of terror, sleuths of the supernatural. Unfortunately, they're not very good at it. Along the lines of Major Jump, Horror Hunter, the pair of incompetents manage to ignore monsters in plain sight while mistaking ordinary people for vampires and werewolves - it is going to get very tiring if the formula isn't mixed up a little in future installments. This is a strip which has become more pertinent over the years, with the rise of ghosthunting television series, and a comedic take has much opportunity..

Inspector Spectre, Private Eye is ghost PI who, as of the first installment, has a perfect record. While it is not in the same league as other strips of its kind, it isn't a bad start. I'm favourable to the notion of ghostly investigators (a childhood love of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) goes a long way to explaining that), and there are many things that a ghost can do to solve a crime... While it isn't a strong start, there's enough in the notion for me to forgive the blatantly plotting-by-numbers here.

This is a comic written by people who don't seem to have a love of horror. It isn't necessary to know who directed Antropophagus, or have read the whole of Varney the Vampire, but a little appreciation of the form is essential in conveying a watered down version for the consumption of younger readers.

Instead of foisting this title on a kid, buy them It's Behind You! by Paul Cookson and David Harmer instead. They'll thank you.

Penny #1

28 Apr 1979. Cover price 10p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W contents.
IPC Magazines Ltd.

Cover photograph (uncredited).

Free Mouse in Cheese Fun Pendant.

Contents:

 2 Hi, There! (half page) introduction (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited). / Free Next Week! (quarter page) / Snoopa UNTITLED [A Tasty Chunk of Cheese] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Joe Collins (uncredited).

 3 Tales of Katy-Jane UNTITLED [Charlotte's Birthday Gift] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Ugolino Cossu (uncredited).

 7 Blunder Girl! UNTITLED [Skateboard] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Jack Edward Oliver (uncredited).

 8 Enid Blyton's Secret Seven Look Out Secret Seven, part one, w: UNKNOWN, from a story by Enid Blyton; a: John Armstrong (uncredited).

11 Ginny and Shep UNTITLED [The Road Accident] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

15 Tansy of Jubilee Street UNTITLED [Missing Diary] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Ken Houghton (uncredited).

16 Penny - Arcade Things to Make... That Are Fun to Have [Decorated Mirror; Paper Flowers; Decorated Tissue Box; "Stained Glass" Picture; Door Nameplate; Felt Wall Tidy] illustrated feature (uncredited).

20 The Village Clock UNTITLED [A New Home in Little Havenne] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: Peter Wilkes (uncredited).

24 Little Women, part one, text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited), adapted from the novel by Louisa M. Alcott; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

26 Sad Sal and Smiley Sue UNTITLED [Sunshine on a Saturday Morning] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

28 Waifs of the Waterfall UNTITLED [The Arrival of Fingal] w: UNKNOWN (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

31 Penny Tells You How... Care for Your Cat text feature (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN.

32 Penny's Pet File Cats pin-up; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Photo covers aren't the best way to encourage potential readers to pick up a new title, especially one which isn't tied to a pre-existing franchise. The Cheese Pendant is quirky and offbeat enough to catch the eye, which goes some way to making up for an incredibly formulaic feel to the cover layout. There's something about the logo which is off-putting, with a jauntily slanted P which cries out to be fixed with scissors and tape. I am, of course, well outside the target audience, and so can't speak to the effectiveness of such an odd choice.

As always I'm glad there's a proper introduction to the title, which adds a personal touch (albeit an artificial one) to a new comic, signed by the titular character. Penny is somewhat the enigma - not as deliberately mysterious as Misty, nor as mercurial and knowledgeable as Tharg the Mighty. She's the owner of Snoopa, the mouse which features in the comic strip at the bottom of the page, which cleverly ties in to the free gift.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, an old man sat with his wife, both working hard to finish a very important task...

Mr. and Mrs. Simpkin put the finishing touches to a present, which they have spent months preparing, for Charlotte (their employer's daughter)'s seventh birthday - a doll which Henry has put so much love and care into, that Katy-Jane was capable of feelings. The footman's daughter, Alice, takes a fancy to the doll, though Charlotte isn't as impressed with the gift, deeming her current dolls much finer and larger than Katy-Jane. With no reason to waste the gift, Alice becomes the proud owner of the doll.

On the passing of Henry, Alice takes a walk with Katy-Jane, encountering Charlotte in the gardens - seeing that a servant's daughter has what was to be her gift, Charlotte throws the doll over a wall. Alice searches for Katy-Jane until night falls, but decides to go home and search afresh the next day - which is complicated by her father's news that they are to journey to Lord Bramley's estate at first light, for him to become the household's butler. Leaving behind Katy-Jane, Alice travels with her father to their new home...

An intriguing plot, well-realised characters, and some beautiful artwork... for a rather familiar class difference tale, spiced up with the inclusion of a sentient doll which is, however, unable to talk or move. Moving so many of the characters off-stage by the conclusion of the initial installment is a brave move, with a lingering sadness at the heart of the tale, this isn't a standard build-up for a serial. There is the hint of this going in the direction of classic television movie The Gun, broadcast a few years before this title was launched, which might be interesting.

And does this count as the first comic about a character with locked-in syndrome?

Although schoolgirl Diana Squints looks ordinary, she has a mysterious secret power! Meet her now as she enters Selfreezers Department Store---

After saving her money for six months, Diana finally has enough money for a new skateboard, though the price has increased in the interim. Seeing that the cashier is being held up by a robber, Diana changes into Blunder Girl and zips to the rescue.

A sumptuous single-page gag-strip from the masterful pen of Jack Edward Oliver, though without his usual visual signatures. While the character may be a parody of Wonder Woman (which had been running on BBC1 from 1978), there is enough of the style and humour associated with JEO's later strips present to maintain Blunder Girl!'s interest. This may be of interest to readers fascinated by political elements, specifically criticism of inflation rates of the time, seeping into comics.

The Secret Seven strip is a throwback to an older time, utterly at odds with the rest of the comic so far, with text boxes propelling the narrative alongside images in a mockery of the form. Gaudily coloured in its first two pages and far too tedious to recap. If you are at all interested in the characters (or Enid Blyton works in general) there are far more entertaining adaptations, and enough resources about the stories online, that you shouldn't subject yourself to this footnote in comics history unless you are truly masochistic.

Mercifully the following strip, Ginny and Shep, is a far sight better. A girl (Ginny) and her dog (Shep) have grown up together, and now, at ten years of age, Ginny's faithful Alsatian are inseparable. This is a set-up crying out for the fates to step in and shake up poor Ginny's world, and we aren't about to be disappointed.

Then, in one swift awful moment everything changed. It happened on one of their evening walks...

While crossing the road after Ginny, Shep is hit by a car. After getting hep home, the vet is called to check on him, with the conclusion that there are no broken bones, though Shep is severely shocked. The next morning Shep appears to improve, but over the course of the next few weeks he doesn't seem to have gotten over the accident. Ginny overhears her parents talking about having her dog put down, and - after considering the options - decides to take him to the vet herself. When she gets to the vet, Ginny lies and says Shep isn't being put down after all.

One of the problems I had with Supernatural's The Secret of Silver Star is addressed and rectified in this story, with the fact that Shep is to be killed made clear until the very last panel. It is a far more effective use of the (already very old) plot point, and allows for more drama to be wrenched from proceedings. Script and art unite to create a memorable strip, which never descends to melodrama, and feels more assured that many similar narratives - at four pages, although not providing much in the way of background specifics, there's real substance here.

Opening in media res, Tansy of Jubilee Street finds the titular protagonist searching for her diary while breaking the fourth wall. Call me old fashioned, but I am always immediately distrustful of a drama strip which acknowledges its artificiality with asides to the reader - it is a slippery slope from commentary to leaping across panels, or mentioning speech balloons, and is difficult to reign in once the more outré elements have crept in.

Having lost her secret diary, Tansy is terrified that her brother will find it before she tracks it down, the possibility of him reading extracts to his friends drives her to upturn her room - which she is soon reprimanded for by her grandmother. Using the excuse that she has lost her homework book, Tansy is told to clean up the mess. Remembering that she changed her grandmother's library books the day before, she rushes to ensure her diary wasn't accidentally mixed up with them.

Rushing out of her room, Tansy nearly falls over her mother's suitcase - packed for her trip to the hospital due to the imminent arrival of a baby in the household. She learns that the diary hasn't been found by the librarian, and checks in with her friend June, to whom she loaned some records.

This is something which has only occurred to me - the girls' comics never capitalised on their female hosts' social lives, nor intertwined the titles to any degree. The naming of the friend as June immediately suggested possible crossover potential, turning the titles into an ongoing soap opera, with mention of what is happening in the lives of characters in other titles being a way to increase sales of titles which were seen as declining. Even making mention once a month would have bolstered sales somewhat.

After increasingly desperate attempts to locate the diary, Tansy discovers a note from her brother Simon, telling her that the baby is coming, and everyone has departed to the hospital. When Tansy arrives he finds out that she has a new baby brother, and that her diary had been accidentally packed with her mother's belongings in the suitcase all along. Tansy once more addresses the reader: "This doesn't leave my sight from now on. Boys just don't understand us girls, do they?"

Well, no - not when you are addressing me directly. Stay. In. Character. When there is some malleability to the fourth wall, with a reader inset acting to tease out information from the main character, there is less of a flexibility to the rationale of comic narratives, but with such blatant discussion with an unseen audience there is nothing stopping Tansy skipping uncomfortable scenes by "leaping" to the next chapter, or changing her appearance by asking the artist to depict her with a better hairstyle.

After so much discussion of her diary, there is no indication that this will lead anywhere - certainly not a secret contained within said diary which will play into future storylines. If it had been arranged for a free diary to be given as a gift, the decision to concentrate so much on the subject wouldn't have felt so random. There's wonderfully light artwork, which certainly helps make the characters likable, but the plotting irregularities get in the way of this being an entirely satisfying introduction.

The biggest mis-step is that we don't get to see the baby. Girls love babies, and having a cute little baby closing out this strip could have generated a lot of feedback from readers who have baby siblings. It would also have given reason for a series of articles outlining the care of babies and small children to follow the strip.

There's a feature on objects which readers can make at home inserted in the middle of Tansy of Jubilee Street, with a range of items which aren't connected, nor offer any assistance in following through the suggestions. It is an annoying and unnecessary oversight which could have added much to the title. By concentrating on one or two suggestions rather than six would have allowed for more depth to this feature - in fact, linking the Decorated Mirror and Stained Glass Picture could have been easily linked by providing Charles Rennie Mackintosh stencils.

And once you have stencils, there ought to be a feature on the artist, which is easily supplemented by a glossy picture as an appropriate free gift for a future issue. Tying things together neatly was never a strong point in British comics, and the lack on linked-up thinking is nowhere more obvious than in this issue. Greater development could have made this an excellent introduction to many subjects, rather than a mixed bag of material of varying quality.

The Village Clock begins with a television reporter filming a VT insert for a news programme:

"The perfect, peaceful country setting, isn't it? The manor house clock looks out across a street of ancient picturesque cottages... a timeless rural scene that must surely last forever...

No... Not forever! Oldcastle Corporation plan to build a new overspill town right here... Only a miracle can save this lovely village from complete destruction!

Miracles do happen, and head office hands down word that the corporation has pulled out of the deal through a lack of funds - more inflation woes? - and Havenne New Town is no longer proceeding. The Seaton family, whose home was demolished in preparation for construction, make their way to Little Havenne and their new home, getting a shock when they discover that the cottage they have been given is isolated, with only one neighbour. As they settle in to Ivy Cottage, Sally wanders around and encounters an elderly woman.

Being told how the village used to appear, it is almost as if the past has come to life for the girl. So real, that Sally is earful that she is late for her lunch, but the village clock - and her watch - suggest that no time at all has passed.

Temporal malarkey always has a place in comics, and the time displacement here has echoes of a few notable stories (mainly Tom's Midnight Garden), reassuringly handled with a fairly realistic background to the enforced move. The first page seems oddly out of place, unless the fate of the new town is to become a recurring sub-plot in future installments, but works to provide a sense of time and place. Charming and attractive linework, with a couple of exceptional panels.

Sally Lumm and Sue Miles lived next door to each other. They were the best of friends - but as different as chalk and cheese...

The name of the strip, Sad Sal and Smiley Sue, recalls Fit Fred and Sick Sid (if something works, try it again), though is drawn in a drama style rather than in a comedic style - which, strangely, works to the benefit of the humerous dialogue. With the sun shining brightly, Sue is overjoyed while Sally is less than pleased. Their parents and pets follow their attitudes to life, as disposition is hereditary in the world of IPC characters.

Sue's dog, Sam, has as much of an outgoing nature as his owner, and does tricks for a busker - earning money for both the violin player and Sue. Not to be outdone, Sal's dog, Desmond, sits outside a butcher's shop until the owner, feeling sorry for him, gives a Desmond a bone. Which is the extent of the story, establishing the girls' personalities and friendship, though providing precious little propulsion for a storyline of any kind.

Without a concrete goal for either of the girls to work towards - a talent show, or a competition of some kind - and lacking any adversity - the loss of something within a defined period - there really isn't enough reason to keep reading. It isn't good enough to simply show how different the girls are, there needs to be a need for readers to invest their time in the lives of these girls. Lacking anything that is plot-relevant in an opening installment is asking too much from readers, and makes the strip feel unfinished.

Scots girl, Fiona Craig, was her school's best sprinter she could run like a deer.

Waifs of the Waterfall manages to put me of immediately, with a lack of proof-reading.

Fiona's teacher tells her she will be a star sprinter when older if she keeps practising, to which she answers that she gets lots of practise running with the deer on Glenlochie Estate, where her mother is cook to the Laird. On her birthday she discovers that Reddy and Falla - the deer she spends time with - have had a fawn. Born in a cave, it refuses to leave due to the noise of a waterfall. Lachlan, the Laird, spies her way with the deer, and when Falla dies he gives Fiona the newborn to raise - which she names Fingal.

A slight tale, with a fairly straightforward plot propelled by coincidence. Sweet enough, though lacking meat - although I'm sure Falla will make a tasty meal for the Laird. Once again the lack of an antagonist (or an essential problem to overcome) means that there is an empty centre to the story which no amount of cute animals can overcome. The opportunity to inform readers of the proper care for these animals makes me optimistic that the educational content in future installments will increase.

Care for your Cat is extremely light on content, but promises to build into a fact-file over following weeks. It isn't up to the standards of The Eagle's half-page animal care features, but is fine enough for the age range, which is (at a guess) eight-to-ten-year-olds. The care of animals is a subect which properly ought to be covered in more detail over several issues rather than completing one pet a week, where details will undoubtedly get lost in the need to cover as much as possible.

A mixed issue, with some highlights and several missed opportunities, which (overall) is slightly less impressive than a first issue ought to be. There's ample room for improvement in the contents.

Captain Britain Vol.1 #1

13 Oct 1976. Cover price 10p.
36 pages. Colour & B&W.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Edited by Larry Lieber & Neil Tennant.

Cover p: Larry Lieber (signed); i: Frank Giacoia (uncredited).

Free Captain Britain mask.

Contents:

.2 Captain Britain UNTITLED [] w: Chris Claremont; p: Herb Trimpe; i: Fred Kida, lettering by Irving Watanabe, colouring by Marie Severin.

.9 A Personal Message from Stan Lee introduction.

10 All the Excitement of the Battlefield from Atlantic advertisement.

11 To Celebrate the Launch of Captain Britain (half page) announcement. / Fun Jokes (quarter page) advertisement for novelty catalogue. / Free Stamp Collectors Outfit (eighth of page) advertisement for The Bridgnorth Stamp Co. Ltd. / Free Complete Stamp Collectors Outfit (eighth of page) advertisement for Philatelic Services.

12 The Fantastic Four One From Four Leaves Three! w: Stan Lee; p: John Buscema, i: Joe Sinnott, lettering by Mike Stevens.

r: edited Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) #110 (May 1971).

17 Get These 4 Great Mags Everyweek! (three quarters page) in-house advertisement for Super Spider-Man, Planet of the Apes and Dracula Lives, The Titans, and The Mighty World of Marvel starring The Incredible Hulk and the Avengers / Free Next Week... Captain Britain Boomerang!! (quarter page)

18 Have you got a meccano tank, plane, horse, jeep, submarine, skyscraper, motorboat, showboat, racing car, railway-engine, taxi cab, windmill, cable car set? (half page) advertisement for Meccano. / Marvel T-Shirts (half page) in-house advertisement.

24 Captain Britain's Fun Page puzzles. w:/a: Owen McCarron.

25 A Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. a: Jim Steranko.

r: cover from Strange Tales (Marvel Comics) #167 (Apr 1968).

26 Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. From Hell -- Fury! w:/a: Jim Steranko, lettering by Jerry Feldman.

r: cover from Strange Tales (Marvel Comics) #159 (Aug 1967).

31 A Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up Captain Britain! p: Herb Trimpe, i: Fred Kida.

32 Win These 3 Great Mogul Toys advertisement.

Splashing out on full-colour pages, with which to showcase Captain Britain, makes a real difference to the title as a whole. Flat colouring really doesn't matter, and gives the strip the feeling of belonging to the same tradition as Captain America, Spider-Man and other US characters - this is a British character with firmly American roots. Lieber's cover design looks back to mid-sixties US covers for inspiration, and - compared to other British launches - shows great restraint in text placement.

Opening somewhere on Cheviot Hills, our fledgling hero faces off against Reaver and his associates. There are (Duddo?) standing stones making interesting background scenery for a action-packed sequence, as Reaver states that Cap is all that stands between him and enough power to rule the world. Reaver's forces don't stand a chance against the strength and reflexes of Captain Britain, who casually swats them away.

A highlight of this is the thought balloon: "I'm a physicist, not some... Super-hero!" Was a Star Trek re-run playing in the background when this was written?

Instinctively stating that Reaver can call him Captain Britain, we get treated to a flashback origin story - not the most elegant manner in which to impart this information. This section doesn't work quite as well. Darkmoor Research Centre, a top secret nuclear complex half-hidden on the lonely moor, is a bustling, futuristic facility which looks more like a hydro-power plant designed by a madman. That it is only half-hidden is an interesting fact - what was wrong with completely hiding it? Did they run out of time? Did they run out of money?

Brian Braddock, working as an assistant to Dr. Travis - a pipe in his mouth throughout, hopefully unlit considering his location - gets told that the complex is on the threshold of developing a practical, safe fusion reactor system which will solve the world's energy crisis overnight. Their conversation is interrupted by shooting from outside, and a nearby wall collapses as Joshua Stragg - the Reaver - enters in a futuristic tank to kidnap the assembled scientific minds.

Dr. Travis is killed in the assault, and Brian flees - abandoning his pipe - with Stragg's men in hot pursuit. Crashing his motorbike off a cliff, Brian has a vision of two immense faces. Informed that he is in an ancient circle of power, Brian learns that he is going to be judged on peril of his immortal soul. He is then told to choose between an amulet and a sword...

Which is where the story breaks off, sans a satisfying conclusion.

It feels like an American reprint, especially given the uncomfortable break just as things are getting interesting, a matter not aided by the very large panels more befitting a younger audience than intended. Still, this is a nice change from endless reprints, so must be applauded.

The Fantastic Four story continues on from material published in Titans, which is simply unacceptable in a launch issue - stories should feel fresh and exciting, and not immediately tie to other publications which are not assured to still be available. Facing certain death in the Negative Zone, Reed attempts to save himself as the rest of the team watch on via the Visi-Scanner.

Having been deprived of the opening part of this adventure I can't say that I care much how Reed survives (as he must), though it is an attractively-drawn tale with enough style to validate its inclusion.

Steranko's work is always appreciated, though (once again) we begin mid-story - there is no alteration to remove a "see last ish" reference in an opening text box, making me wonder is the decision to include the strip in this title was a last-minute decision. A couple of pin-ups - Nick Fury and Captain Britain - are also included, but special mention must be made of the free gift. There's a distinct lack of blue mouthpiece, but it is a great-looking mash when flat.

An unfocused and slightly scrappy first issue, but with an appeal which transcends its limitations.

The Mighty World of Marvel Vol.1 #1

07 Oct 1972; Cover price 5p.
40 pages. Colour, tone & B&W.
Magazine Management London, Ltd.

Cover by John Buscema.

Free iron-on Monster T-Shirt Transfer

Contents:

.2 The Hulk The Coming of the Hulk w: Stan Lee; p: Jack Kirby, i: Paul Reinman.

r: The Incredible Hulk (Marvel Comics) Vol.1 #01 (May 1962).

.9 Instructions for free gift. / Advertisements

10 The Mighty World of Pin-Up Page! Fantastic Four p: Jack Kirby, p: George Klein.

r: (altered) cover from Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Vol.1 #01 (Nov 1961).

11 You've a team to be proud of- get a watch to be proud of advertisement for SoccerWatch.

12 The Hulk The Coming of the Hulk (cont.)

15 The Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four! w: Stan Lee; p: Jack Kirby, i: George Klein, lettering by Artie Simek.

r: Fantastic Four (Marvel Comics) Vol.1 #01 (Nov 1961).

20 A Special Message from Stan Lee (one third page) / For Mighty Marvel Readers Only! (1 2/3 pages) collectible token competition.

22 The Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four! (cont.)

30 Accept this Splendid Encyclopedia Free! advertisement.

31 Spider-Man Spider-Man w: Stan Lee; a: Steve Ditko, lettering by Artie Simek.

r: Amazing Fantasy (Marvel Comics) Vol.1 #15 (Sep 1962).

The Hulk has never looked more impressive than the opening splash page, and Kirby's influences (a favourite topic for articles about Jack Kirby) are clear - physical solidity bringing to mind William Blake, and some hint of Karloff's monster - which makes the brief original run of the character's so immediate and enjoyable. There is a uniqueness of vision in artwork for the early stories which would be washed away once The Hulk became popular. Here, with undiluted, unquestionable skill, everything works beautifully. The writing, as always with Stan Lee, is awkward and unconvincing.

The introduction of The Fantastic Four is less obvious a path, and the slow build-up teases a horror story out of what is essentially a superhero concept, though exceptionally done nevertheless. There's no great plot here, nor any deep thinking, beyond the characters getting from point A to point B with all manner of mishaps creating delays through their ill-advised display of abilities. It is almost a parody in places, with one ridiculous moment after another, culminating in the four assembling with joy at having survived the morning.

Rounding out the issue is the first appearance of Spider-Man, and - once again - it is a fantastic depiction of the character. The writing is surprisingly taut, and the twist recalls the best of the pre-superhero Marvel comics, though with much more emphasis on internal struggles than external battles. Without wasting any time, Peter Parker quickly falls into his heroic persona and brings justice to his uncle's killer - a simple motivation, played painfully straight, and which has been recycled endlessly ever after.

Odd tinting choices take attention away from the art, which has always looked better in black and white, but it is the best first issue Marvel have managed for their superheroes, with iconic characters shown from the beginning.

Marvel Madhouse #1

Jun 1981; Cover price 35p.
36 pages. B&W contents.
Marvel Comics Ltd.

Cover by Marie Severin.
r: modified and recoloured cover from Not Brand Echh (Marvel Comics) #03 (Oct 1967).

Contents:

.2 Dangerous Visions advertisement.

.3 Welcome to the Marvel Madhouse contents page; illustraton uncredited. / Indicia

.4 Earth 33⅓: The Motion Picture And Lo There Shall Come a Norm! w: Tim Quinn; a: Dicky Howett.

.6 Charlie America The Honest-to-Irving, True-Blue, Top-Secret Original Origin of Charlie America! w: Roy Thomas; a: Tom Sutton, lettered by Gaspar Saladino.

r: Not Brand Echh (Marvel Comics) #03 (Oct 1967).

14 Dangerous Visions advertisement.

15 He's Mighty Sore "The Origin of Sore, Son of Shmodin!" w: Stan Lee; p: Jack Kirby, i: Frank Giacoia, lettering by Artie Simek.

r: Not Brand Echh (Marvel Comics) #03 (Oct 1967).

23 The Inedible Bulk! "The Origin of Brucie Banter ...and Friend" w: Gary Friedrich; a: Marie Severin, lettering by Artie Simek.

r: Not Brand Echh (Marvel Comics) #03 (Oct 1967).

30 From the Depths of the Hyborian Age (half page) in-house advertisement for The Savage Sword of Conan. / Now... in Every issue of Marvel Superheroes (half page) in-house advertisement.

31 Too-Gone Kid "The Fastest Gums in the West!" w: Roy Thomas; a: Marie Severin, lettering by Sam Rosen.

r: Not Brand Echh (Marvel Comics) #01 (Aug 1967).

35 Star Wars Watches for Boys & Girls! advertisement.

36 Missed any Good Magazines Lately? in-house advertisement for Starburst.

There's something inherently appealing about the mockery of superheroes. Unfortunately, the reliance on reprints means that this isn't quite as fresh and exciting as it could have been, with only Earth 33⅓ constituting original content. It is extremely good content, with three whole pages to play with, but is followed by so many reprints that no matter how well-crafted the strip is (it is very funny) there's a lingering suspicion that this issue isn't the best value for money.

Quinn and Howett provide a counterpoint to the solemnity and melodrama which regular strips routinely indulged in. A rocket carrying a baby from the dying planet of Britain hurtles through space towards Earth 33⅓, crashing into the bedroom of the Normans. Under Earth 33⅓'s dense gravity the child found it was weaker than on his homeworld. Adopted and named Norman Norman by the couple, his life was quiet until one night on his twelfth birthday his foster parent were gunned down by a robber.

Not being particular fond of them, their deaths didn't discourage Norman Norman. At the age of fifteen, Norman was attacked by a swarm of radioactive, gamma-ridden bats, leaving him suffering from radio-gamma sickness. And a strong dislike of bats. The ambulance taking him to hospital was then involved in a 300MPH collision. Thankfully modern technology being what it is, the surgeons began to rebuild Norman into something even better than before. Until they found out he was broke.

As far as origin stories go, Private Normal - the not-at-all-super-in-any-way-man - is very expansive, with numerous allusions to Marvel comics, and even the appearance of an issue of Whoopee!. The details (Mount Sinus Hospital, Doc Kildane, a sneaky Superman logo) are amusing, and the speed at which events progress means that there isn't a problem with the lack of a narrative thread. The strip remains as fresh as the day it was published, and almost makes up for the amount of reprints which follows.

The splash page of Charlie America makes a decent point (as all satire should) regarding the number of times origin stories are tackled. Some characters (such as Batman) have had their origin retold so many times that it is difficult to feel any empathy for the character's situation - sure, it's sad losing parents to a robber, but it is unbearably cruel and unusual punishment to be told the same story multiple times.

For reprints from Not Brand Echh, the rest of the strips aren't all that bad, and Marie Severin's work really shines in the format, even if the paper quality is abysmal. It is nice to see the linework without unnecessary colour.

Battle Picture Weekly #1

08 Mar 1975; Cover price 6p.
32 pages. Colour & B&W.
IPC Magazines Ltd.

Cover by UNKNOWN.

Free combat stickers.

Contents:

.2 Battle Picture Weekly Blasts into Action! Introduction text.

.3 D-Day Dawson Beach-Head! w: Gerry Finley-Day (uncredited); a: Geoff Campion (uncredited).

.6 Lofty's One-Man Luftwaffe UNTITLED [Mass Escape from a Stalag Luft] w: Pat Mills & John Wagner (uncredited); a: Paulo Ongaro (uncredited).

.9 Boys at War The Headfirst Hero text feature by W. Harrington (uncredited); illustrated by Mike Western (uncredited).

10 The Flight of the Golden Hinde UNTITLED [Strange Vessel of the Past] w: S. Conforth (uncredited); a: UNKNOWN.

14 Battle Honours Brew-Up at El Alamein w: UNKNOWN; a: Zaccara (uncredited).

16 Day of the Eagle UNTITLED [Meet Mike Nelson] w: Eric Hebden (uncredited); a: Pat Wright (uncredited).

19 This Week's Great Gift! text feature (uncredited).

20 The Bootneck Boy UNTITLED [Marine Recruiting Hut] w: Ian MacDonald (uncredited); a: Giralt (uncredited).

23 The Rat Pack UNTITLED [Maximum Security Wing] w: Gerry Finley-Day (uncredited); a: Carlos Ezquerra (uncredited).

29 The Terror Behind the Bamboo Curtain UNTITLED [Bridge Must be Finished by Monsoon] w: Charles Herring (uncredited); a: Giancarlo Alessandrini (uncredited).

32 This Amazing War! German Secret Weapons Fact feature by Eric Hebden (uncredited); illustrated by Ian Gibson (uncredited).

Giant cover illustrations of free gifts are an odd conceit. Are they there in case someone picking up the title can't tell there is something provided alongside the item they have purchased, or are they there to torment people many years later, when the gift in question has long since disappeared? Whatever the reason, it brings to mind the much older D.C. Thomson first issues which so prominently displayed their wares.

Battle Picture Weekly even partially aligns itself with the pocket books with a title which brings to mind Battle Picture Library, which had been published since 1961, but doesn't overtly signal such a link in any way. The markets being slightly different, and with such variety in the weekly, there isn't a great shock in this quiet distancing.

D-Day Dawson, for all the platitudes lauded on the strip over the years, isn't initially inspiring. A throwback logo doesn't help - even the first panel gives off the gung-ho, boys own adventure feel which was outdated even in 1975. Things improve through the duration of the story, though once Dawson is shot and placed upon a landing craft there is an odd sense of events not being taken entirely seriously. A wound which will kill Dawson eventually, yet a giving him a year of life with which to ruminate on events, should have more serious implications.

A shell destroys the landing craft, so he uses this stroke of bad luck as a means to rejoin the fight. Only a brief amount of time having passed, so after (presumably) having received some rudimentary surgery to stabilise his condition, he decides that grabbing navy explosives and heading back onto the beach is a good idea. There is no mention of keeping the gaping wound in his chest clean, he doesn't quickly stash any painkillers in a pocket, nor does he have any time to change clothes to conceal his wound.

What he does is charge a German strongpoint with the explosives, destroying it.

It is clear that the notion of a (legitimately) fearless soldier holds some special appeal, but the handling of the injury is sloppy and rushed. Had there been a return to Britain for the wounded Sergeant, before working his way back to the front lines on learning of the deaths of his squad, there would have been added psychological motivation. Even getting him back to one of the ships for a few days would have allowed for the extent of his injuries to be clarified.

Not the great yarn it is often seen as, but merely an above-average one.

A much fresher logo for Lofty's One-Man Luftwaffe signals a different type of strip. The opening break-out from a stalag luft certainly doesn't feel like run of the mill military exploits, especially when the body count begins rising. Lofty is the only one of his group to escape the clutches of waiting Germans, and he makes his way to an airfield where there is aircraft which will get him safely home.

But this isn't that story.

Taking out ace pilot Major Ranke, who was also on his way to the airfield, Lofty assumes his identity and takes his place with the one-o-nine squadron. Nabbing himself a plane, Lofty takes to the skies, quickly becoming tangled in ongoing combat between a Wellington and a Focke-Wulf, before limping back to the airfield he had just left. Welcomed as Ranke, Lofty decides to stick around so he can fight the German air force from within.

Passing yourself off as a German pilot isn't just about a solid grasp of the language, but idiosyncrasies, slang, personal history and knowledge of cultural phenomenons local to a specific region. It isn't explained how he can so convincingly step into the shoes of a decorated officer without any preparation or reference material, but there's enough eventful moments to keep young readers from questioning the logistics.

The Headfirst Hero is the story of John Cooper, who joined the French Foreign Legion at only fifteen. Despite being on the brief side his story is one which has lasting interest, and there's a solid argument that the inclusion of such material really solidified the title in the early issues. Balancing the fiction with history allowed the stories to be placed in context by astute readers, and highlighted events which spurred the writers on.

History was nowhere more evident than in The Flight of the Golden Hinde, in which Sir Francis Drake's vessel is called upon to defend British interests once more. Or, at the least, a replica is, created as a test to see if the British Navy could replicate Drake's achievements. There's an appealing ridiculousness to the story which carries it above the other strips, and despite qualms about how effective such a ship would be in open conflict with a 1940s vessel, the premise is presented with the right amount of self-awareness.

A second slice of true-life bravery, though by presenting Brew-Up at El Alamein as a strip, with excellent art, there is more immediacy to proceedings. The first issue feels slightly skewed in favour of strips, to the detriment of value-for-money. It is enjoyable to lose oneself in well-written text pieces amongst the more obvious contents, and by skimping on these it doesn't take long to rush through the issue. It isn't a problem which comedy titles suffer from, but adventure titles should feel as if they are packed with content.

Day of the Eagle, and Mike Nelson (Mystery Science Theater 3000 baggage is now hanging over that name) is caught in the midst of a Mission: Impossible-style operation to obtain German documents. He escapes, causing the maximum amount of damage in his retreat, and delivers the pilfered information to his superior in the S.O.E., where the title of the story finally comes into play. Operation Eagle is given the go-ahead.

Mike seems a little too eager to go kill someone. Anyone. He isn't fussy. The image of him stroking his chin in anticipation of being set loose to end the life of an unknowing individual gives the impression he is fitting Colonel Forster up for a pine box. Who is this madman, this psychopathic killer in our midst? Well... Mike is, unfortunately, our hero, and we are meant to like him. Which is something of a problem.

He's informed that from now on he'll only be known as Eagle (presumably to stop people asking how the Bots are) and given a FG 42, the German S.S. Paratroopers rifle. Of course he has to try it out, riddling a handy dummy with ammunition as Forster had wisely removed himself from the vicinity. When a boffin gives him a special lightweight tripod for use as a machine gun, Mike is delighted: "For maximum killing power, eh?"

We only know he's the hero because his job is to kill Hitler.

Which makes everything alright.

A full page is given over to explaining the history of badges given away as stickers, which only highlights how much more fun would have been had if Battle Picture Weekly had splashed out on actual patches for the launch. The badges chosen were all from Allies, so seeing kids running around with proper sew-on patches would have heightened interest in the title, as well as fostering an association with actual military branches.

Danny Budd is The Bootneck Boy, dismissed from a Marine recruiting hut by an unimpressed Marine Sergeant. We're given some back-story, and get to see that his life is already difficult before he gets jumped by three youths in a street-fight. Thankfully this is witnessed by the officer who told him he was too scrawny to enlist, and admiring Danny's ability to defend himself offers him a chance to fulfill his dream.

While it contains less action than elsewhere, The Bootneck Boy is an important strip in setting tone - it isn't a leap to see that this would eventually lead to Charley's War. Seeing small moments in Budd's liife before events propel him into combat allows for a sympathy which is entirely lacking in Day of the Eagle, and prevents the strip from being about (essentially) going out to murder people.

Rat Pack is a bargain-basement Dirty Dozen, with four inmates released from Wessex Military Prison by Taggart in what looks suspiciously like an unauthorised mission. Floodlights and prison sirens mark their escape in a jeep, but when they get to a barn to hide the jeep discover military police awaiting their arrival. Turk immediately attempts to kill Taggart (and not for the last time), before being slapped away.

Taggart tells his men - Kabul 'The Turk' Hasan, Ronald Weasel, Ian 'Scarface' Rogan, and Matthew Dancer - that they are to train to become a special commando unit, striking at dangerous targets behind enemy lines. The prison break was their first test, and they now need to take out Big Karl, a sixteen inch, long range German gun sited on the French coast. It is pointed out that their mission could be a suicidal attack, which proves prophetic - informed wind-speed is too strong to parachute into combat, Taggart kicks them out of the plane anyway. Right into the path of a German patrol.

As troops are mobilised Taggart has a moment of self-doubt, but readers shouldn't. This is an accomplished and entertaining opening, even if inspiration for the story is so blatant. Characterisation of the leads is strong, and danger is perceptible throughout. A great deal of the kudos goes to Carlos Ezquerra, whose confident artwork breathes life into events, and manages to make each of the main cast easily identifiable even in group shots.

The Terror Behind the Bamboo Curtain focuses on the lives of men interned at a Japanese prisoner of war camp, and who are being forced to construct a bridge before a monsoon arrives. The Japanese villains are drawn to resemble buck-toothed, short-sighted stereotypes seen in cartoons of the forties, and has little in common with actual appearances of officers. We get our first taste of what is to come when a prisoner is sent through 'the bamboo curtain' - a forest of bamboo laden with traps. Blake, a tough can-do British soldier, goads Camp Commander Sado into sending him into the bamboo forest.

There are more offensive stereotypes in The Bamboo Curtain than in the rest of Battle Picture Weekly combined, and it hurts the strip's credibility. If visual depictions are so biased, then we can't trust anything in the strip to contain nuance: British officers are square-jawed heroes who play by the rules, while foreigners are unattractive, cowardly, and willing to engage in all sorts of ungentlemanly conduct. A poor way to round off an otherwise strong collection of strips.

A final treat remains in the form of This Amazing War! which explains the Krummerlauf, a wind cannon, and a belt-buckle pistol. A really interesting selection, which contains facts which are beyond simple dates and names, and allows for intriguing illustrations. Did someone actually get their hands on one of those belt-buckles, or was it cribbed from a photograph? I would like to believe that a collector of militaria lent the item to editorial for the feature, but know that it is highly unlikely.

A rough jewel of a comic, with defining elements already in place.