It's been a while since I picked up an old comic at random for a quick read and besides bringing back memories of different days I am also reminded how different comics were back then. Since the closure of my local comic shop I have mostly ordered collected editions via Amazon or picked them up in Waterstone's. Most of the comics I buy via mail order are one-shots or limited series.
And here-in is the difference between then and now. The story in this issue of Batman was self contained and could be picked up along with other random titles which were also mostly even in the late eighties stories completed in the one issue. These days most stories are multi issue arcs and lots of titles have out of sequence tie-ins to major events and crossovers making random reading no longer possible.
The other more noticeable feature of old comics, especially the further you back) is how much more wordy these stories were. Even with a silent villain like Mime it took much longer to read than a modern comic.
Of course the market has changed and publishers do look to collected editions or trades as a major source of income but I would like to think that it was possible at least once in a while to just sit down with a pile of comics.
Oh and before I forget this is one of those weird adventures that could only happen in an old DC title. Someone's been stealing the knockers out of the church bells across the city. Enter the Mime. Silly but fun, just as sometimes comics should be.
The publishers of the British comic Shift have announced the publication of collection of Empire a long neglected series originally started by the short lived Gorilla Comics way back in 2000 and then taken up and issued as a six issue miniseries (with the two Gorilla editions published as double sized #0) by DC Comics in 2003/4.
IDW also produced a four issue mini series Empire Uprising in 2015
Their announcement indicates their edition will be 180 plus pages. The collected DC edition was 208 pages though I would guess that included covers for the mini-series which would be unnecessary in this edition.
The story is about a warlord called Golgoth who has taken over most of the world. Greenland remains free but for how long? I collected both the original and DC versions and would highly recommend this to anyone who has not read it.
Shift will also be publishing a new instalment of the story by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson next year.
The Eleven is one of the more interesting of The Master's incarnations or regeneration's however you choose to view these. All of these personalities being conscious within one body is bound to be entertaining. I first came across The Eleven in a one of Sylvester McCoy's outings Dark Universe last year and was impressed not just with the story (one of Big Finish's best) but the concept of the multi-layered consciousness of the Master.
So buying my first of the new more expensive box sets that have sadly replaced the monthly adventures range would seem a "no brainer". The Doctor is ambushed in the Void and ends up on the world of Malaruss where the population uniquely have developed dual-minds. The Eleven and his murderous wife (she wiped out her home planet) are making mischief as usual. The first part of this three-parter is a standard but entertaining Doctor who adventure.
Then we come to CD 2 one of the reasons my review of this audio adventure is out later. The Murder ofOliver Akkron is one of the most boring and tedious 70 odd minutes I have been forced to listen to since I started collecting these Doctor Who CD's. I just kept falling asleep......
Once this is over you then return to what should have simply been the second CD with Elevation for the final and cracking ending to this story.
Properly edited this could have been simply a double CD so yes I feel a bit cheated by the padding on the overlong and boring second story. I hope this is not going to be typical of future releases because I am not impressed.
My message to Big Finish: Bring back the Monthly Adventures.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
This is a better buy and Dark Universe gets a 5 Star Plus rating.
The latest issue of 2000AD arrived today and as advertised is a extra sized special issue with all new stories starting this week. It'll be be available in stores and on-line direct from the publishers on Wednesday! If you haven't picked up a prog in while now is the time to do so!
There are seven stories in this issue, five continuing and two complete short stories. As usual the prog kicks off with Judge Dredd in The Hard Way who is in Atlantis to pick up Accounts Judge Maitland. However she's the target of mercenaries and money appears to be no object in disposing of her.
Next up the world of the supernatural awaits us as The Diabolik's return in Arriverderci Roma which sees the team sent on journey by The Vatican to prove the loyalty of one of their number.
Scarlet Traces returns for some high flying science fiction as the war with the Martians continues. Are we about to meet the missing Jovian's and will they help humanity and the surviving Venusians?
No special would be complete without a visit from Judge Anderson and this really is a dark adventure in every manner you can think of art included...but it all brightens up with the surprise inclusion of an on-going strip featuring Pandora Perfect. Originally appearing in one of the "Regened" editions for younger readers the publishers obviously see a future for her in the main Prog.
The comic ends with two sci-fi strips, the short and to the point Future Shock about a Samurai and his newfound job in The Guardian and the Godchild. Finally we get to one of the more bizarre but fascinating story of The Out as "Book Two" continues one humans journey beyond humanity's borders. Even her publishers haven't paid her for forty years.
Rating: 5 Stars: (Highly Recommended)
And coming soon for kids of all ages is the Monster Fun Halloween Special! Due on shelves on October 6th and there's more.
In April 2022 Rebellion are re-launching Monster Fun as a regular bi-monthly comic!
Having returned to reading Spider-Man comics via the new series from Panini I noticed this trade paperback collection in Waterstones which collects the first five issues of the current US series. The Panini comic started with reprints of issues #17 onward. So not too much catching up to do though for now the first volume will do,
As I noticed many a time the Marvel Universe has changed so much since I was last a regular reader. It seems Kingpin has sort of gone down the Lex Luthor route of becoming a politician but only Mayor rather than President but still has nefarious plans.
There's appearance by Mysterio and Karaven the Hunter both of whom heavily feature in the current seven issue run of Panini's title. There's battles with three headed Sentinels and Spidey gets cloned...again but this time into two. Interesting though not original concept and of course he has to become one again as that's the way things always are and must be.
I noticed Ryan Ottley did a lot of the art and for a while the comic did look a bit like Invincible especially the scenes between Marty Jane and Peter Parker. Could have been easily transposed as Mark Grayson and Atom Eve. Just saying.
Overall a nice set of stories and set ups for the current series and one feels for poor old Petey always suffering from the effects of his career as a super-hero. I must say Aunt May is looking a lot younger and less fragile from the early days of Lee & Ditko which first introduced to Spider-Man.
One of the often overlooked channels on Freeview is Forces TV which repeats a lot of of wonderful (and some not so) old TV programmes. Of late they had broadcast Buck Rogers and Man From Atlantis both favourites when they were first shown and frankly nostalgia for us oldies. They do a lot of old comedy programmes as well, all with that annoying "the dialogue and humour is from the times they were made in nonsense to keep the serial complainers at bay but I digress.
Last night they began repeating Blake's 7 a BBC show with a cult following. It'll be on at 9pm every weekday night and I look forward to watching this rather odd piece of science fiction that caught a lot of peoples imagination when it was first broadcast back in 1978.
Blake's 7 ran for four seasons of thirteen episodes and a total of 52 programmes. It was a very dystopian programme and one step away from Doctor Who with which it may have shared "production values" with shaky scenes and special effects but was much more violent and began with the main hero being charged and exiled on the grounds of being a child molester.
Later on we got to meet the two most popular characters the anti-hero Avon played by Paul Darrow and the wonderful panto-like villain we all loved to boo Servelan played by Jaqueline Pearce. The other star of the show was the spaceship Liberator.
Like all popular TV programmes from that era Blake's & spawned a comic, three Annuals and a range of toys amongst other things. Big Finish makers of the Doctor Who range of audio also do new material based on the show.
Marvel UK produced a monthly Blake's 7 Magazine with comic strip which ran from 1981 to 1983 for 23 issues plus two "summer specials" and two "winter specials". I don't have any of these but my missus does as she was a big fan of the show and even has the free gifts attached!
It was left to World Distributors to produce the "Annual and they printed three of these covering the first three seasons.
Readers may be interested to know that a fourth annual has actually just been published by a dedicated group of fans to cover the fourth season. It's a weighty 252 page monster with unfortunately too high a price for this pensioner but if you wish to obtain one please go to: Blake's 7 Annual 1982
Following Blake's 7 was a repeat of the first episode of Gerry Anderson's UFO which was originally broadcast in 1970 and ran for just one season of 26 episodes. This tale of aliens coming to Earth to harvest human organs and possibly invade was never finished though did continue in comic strip form like most other Gerry Anderson productions up to that time.
Apparently a furthers season was planned but we got Space 1999 instead.
I don't recall having seen the first programme before but probably have seen the rest though probably not in the right order over the years. Only Ed Bishop as Col Edward Stryker appeared in all episodes followed by self appointed ladies man Col Alec Freeman whose behaviour in the opening episode was quite cringe-worthy when it came to women.
Full collections of the comic strips from Countdown/TV Action can be viewed on ufocomics.co.uk
The latest issue of the Megazine hits the stands on Wednesday and brings you another part in the 2000ADEncyclopedia as a bonus. Subscribers receive a print of the excellent cover!
Only the Judge Dredd story is more or less a stand alone adventure though it does make reference to recent events as the other cities around the globe prepare sanctions against Mega-City One for it's time travelling spying and pinching of their secrets. Meanwhile Dredd has to assess former Chief Judge Francisco's ability to remain as a street Judge as the authorities have other plans for the man.
The rest of the issue is taken with continuing chapters from other parts of the Dredd-verse including the final part of Diamond Dogs II. However as usual it's the bizarre entry into the bowels of Hell itself that make Devlin Waugh so readable. Why did he take a football team with him? We are about to find out.
Angelic continues though this is a weaker chapter and no matter how how I try I just can't get into The Returners.
Rating: 4 Stars (Recommended)
Also out this week is the latest 2000AD which brings all the current story-lines to a conclusion and next weeks Prog will be a bumper 48 page "jump-on" edition so if you haven't been following the comic for a wile or haven't read it before this is the place to jump on board!
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Recommended)
Subscriptions for both comics available via: shop.2000ad.com
Back in the seventies a craze suddenly erupted around a form of martial arts emanating from Hong Kong movies known as Kung fu. There were films with Bruce Lee none of which I have seen to this day and a TV series starring David Carradine which had the imaginative name of Kung fu. There was even a song Kung fu Fighting by Carl Douglas that became a UK number one hit in 1974.
It was inevitable that the comics industry would get in on the act and Marvel certainly did starting with The Hands of Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu which ran for 125 issues from 1974 to 1983. Along the way Kung fu even got a black & white magazine for the more mature market which was one of Marvels more succesful outings in that format running for some 33 issues.
And so to to day Panini releases a compendium of stories featuring Shang-Chi to act as a tie in to the forthcoming movie. Now I was never a fan of this genre and it was only because I wanted soemthing to read that I took a chance on this Marvel Select edition.
The first story is taken from Heroes For Hire #18/19 another title I've never picked up though this was different to the old comic I was "more familiar" with. The verdict? Frankly the story and art were dreadful. I reminded me of the bad days of the nineties and was not a good start.
However persevering there was some respite in the tie in to Spider-Island which I keep meaning to pick up a trade of. Now this three-part story was actually quite good and did encourage me to want to grab a copy of the full saga.
Sadly the remainder of the collection with Avengers #11 and a Shang-Chi "one shot" were frankly boring to tedious and with this I will revert to avoiding Kung fu stories again. I certainly won't be bothering with the film.
With deliveries still being disrupted it seems that Panini's X-Men title is still delayed so I'll have to wait another week for that to arrive. WHSmiths said they were getting a large delivery tomorrow but I won't be back in Wandsworth (nearest store) until next Thursday. Still did pick up a couple of items from Waterstones and of all places Sainsbury's which I'll review over the next couple of days. Watch this space!
However at least the latest Amazing Spider-Man arrived on time and it's a cracker of an issue reprinting the bulk of the oversized issue 25. The other bit being in the last issue. This sees Spidey confront some robots as he trys to rescue Dr Connor aka The Lizard, a new Electro goes after an acress at a theatre where MJ happens to be. Didn't know that the original villain had popped his cloggs. Explains the lady.....
There's a surprise at the end leading to the next issue which shows how much I've got out of touch with Peter Parkers world! Must do some catching up!
Rating: 4 Stars (Recommended)
Only one other arrival this week and that's the latest 2000AD which I get on subscription along with the Magazine. All continuing stories this week though Dexter finishes and the others will no doubt tie up next week as Tharg promises us that in two weeks the prog will be a bumper 48 page issue with all-new strips. Tell yer friends to get on board!
Back in the sixties with just three TV channels and children's TV being broadcast at tea-time on both the BBC and ITV the whole family would sit down and watch these programmes together. A habit long lost I fear. One of those programmes was the delightful Wacky Races from the Hanna-Barbera studios.
This cartoon featured a number of really strange vehicles with equally odd drivers and passengers but the real stars of the show were the villain Dick Dastardly and his dog Muttley whose laugh was often imitated in the playground.
Given the number of times these cartoons were shown you'd be surprised to learn that were just seventeen 20 minute episodes in 1968 . However the programme had some memorable spinoffs.
The annual also contains strips from two other related cartoons the first being Dastardly & Muttley In Their Flying Machines. This show with it's memorable Stop That Pigeon theme tune also only had seventeen episodes originally broadcast from 1969 to 1970.
and the other being The perils of Penelope Pitstop. This also ran in 69/70 for a total of seventeen episodes.
There were a total of five annuals in this series with the last two featuring The Harlem Globetrotters who were famous at the time and given their own cartoon show.
The annuals main source material was from Gold Key comics who published a short seven issue run of Wacky Races and featured Dick Dastardly in one of it's anthology humour titles. Otherwise the annuals were filled with "guest strips", puzzles and of course the inevitable text story.
It's only been a couple of weeks or so since I accidentally came across Spider-Man Life Story in a collected trade paperback edition which examined the life and times of peter Parker in real time rather than "Marvel time" where the clock ticks much, much more slowly.
Seeing Peter grow old and his friends, allies and enemies around him do the same was an interesting way to to see how a super-heroes life might really have been. We're not all young forever though in the mainstream comic I suspect Peter Parker always will be.
Of course when publishers get hold of something worthwhile printing there'll always be room for sequels..of sorts anyway. Like the original story I only stumbled on this comic by accident once more when it was advertised in the new releases e-mail that The Forbidden Planet send me every week. This Annual is indeed a tie in to the main feature and the main protagonist is not our hero but his enemy J. Jonah Jameson.
This tale takes us back to the early days with Jameson deciding to hire scientists to take out Spidey and after the second time with The Scorpion falling ill and wanting to talk it's Jonah who ends up in the slammer as the real menace to society. From there inside gaol we see a different and quite intriguing side to the whole Spider-Man epic through the eyes of an obsessed man.
I mentioned in my previous review I'd like to see more of these and it was pointed out that Marvel are currently doing a series based on the real time lives of the Fantastic Four. As soon as that is collected I'll be grabbing a copy. In the mean time do pick up a copy of this comic it's a good read.
Over recent years I've collected a lot of Marvel UK's output as at the time they were originally published I was for the most part buying a lot of the US editions which were in colour, readily available and in advance of the British comics story-wise.
One exception to this so far has been the Titans comic with it's landscape format which really doesn't appeal to me. The Annual is an obvious exception. This is a full colour publication and contains two complete stories the first being a reprint of the American Fantastic Four Annual #6 (1968) and the other a Black Widow story from Amazing Adventures #8 (1971).
The Fantastic Four story. Let There Be ..Life is a classic which introduces readers to the Negative Zone, Annihilus. of course sees the birth of Franklin Richards son of Reed and Sue Richards. All founding elements of the Marvel Universe created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in their 100 plus issue run of that title.
The Black Widow story is much shorter despite having the longer title; How Shall I KIll Thee? Let Me Count The Ways and was chosen for it's appropriate length rather than anything else. The character has grown into something of interest in modern Marvel and in particular because of her role in their cinematic universe. However back then I was not particularly interested and this story was all a bit, well "meh".
I have finally got around to reading the fourth and final volume of Grant Morrisson's run on Green Lantern and have to say that each volume has been more progressively difficult to read and digest. His journey into the surreal possibilities of not just existence but what lies behind it and more comes to a complex if seemingly simple conclusion in this six part adventure.
Hal Jordan the hero at the centre of this tale starts off the first chapter by being dead but then he's been deceased at least three times to my knowledge and both destroyed and helped rebirth his creators, allies and even former opponents. So the reader has little to worry about here as he learns of the Ultra War which will turn everybody against everyone everywhere down to the last atom.
It will probably not be a spoiler for you the reader to learn that Hal returns to the land of living once again. Nobody thinks he'll take being dead lying down or for long either. There's a trial going on with Hyperman and his family being at the centre of a scandal caused by substance abuse. There are two Star Sapphires floating around from the Multiverse and we visit Universe 11 where women are in charge.
There's so much happening here with Morrison's obscurantist dialogue hardly helping but all the elements that made the Green Lantern what it is are present and fighting in this countdown to an ending.
I suspect these four volumes would read better consecutively in a short period of time rather than over the actual couple of years it took to write and publish this epic.
The latest volume of the horror version of the legend of King Arthur returns with the reader finally seeing the arrival of the British Government into the fray. But first up we return to the group of Neo-Nazi's last seen in the first volume who it appears are working with Gran's daughter or Duncan's mother however you wish to view her.
A fight begins as The Green Knight arrives and throws Harry's head into their pub. You know the deal. There is much afoot in this chapter of the adventure as Rose finds herself awaiting the return of the Knight in a year and and a day after intervening.
WE get to listen to mum's motivations and what she thinks of her sons beau but can Rose be saved? Enter a couple of soldiers led by Civil Servant Heppleworth. There's mysteries within mysteries as one of these troopers is under direct instructions to report back to the Prime Minister whose face is always shrouded in darkness.
Oh and they are not to ask any questions despite the sight of things no one should have to. They otherwise will get drawn into the ever-changing story.
As for King Arthur and Merlin. Thy're around all right but how things go for them only time will tell...
And in Volume Four which I have already pre-ordered for April 2022.
If you haven't started this story volumes one and two are readily available via your local comic shop ( I use the Forbidden Planets Mail Order service) or Amazon if pre-ordering Volume 4.
