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February 22, 2008February 21, 2008

Garth: The Women of Galba

By Jim Edgar and Frank Bellamy (Titan Books)
ISBN: 0-907610-49-8

The second 1980s Titan Books collection of the Frank Bellamy Garth spans the period from 7th September 1972 to 25th October 1973 and shows the artist at the absolute peak of his powers. (These great old volumes are still available through some internet vendors such as Amazon.com – and I know because I just checked – but it never hurts to simply Google the title of a book if you’re interested in it)â€¦

Garth was the British answer to America’s publishing phenomenon Superman and first appeared in the Daily Mirror on Saturday, July 24th 1943, the creation of Steve Dowling and BBC producer Gordon Boshell, joining the regular comic strip features, Buck Ryan, Belinda Blue Eyes, Just Jake and the irrepressible, morale-boosting glamour-puss Jane.

A blond giant and physical marvel, Garth washed up on an island shore and into the arms of a pretty girl, Gala, with no memory of who he was, just in time to save the entire populace from a tyrant. Boshell never actually wrote the series, so Dowling, who was also producing the successful family strip The Ruggles, scripted Garth until a writer could be found.

Don Freeman dumped the amnesia plot in ‘The Seven Ages of Garth’ (which ran from September 18th 1944 until January 20th 1946) by introducing the studious jack-of-all-science Professor Lumiere whose psychological experiments regressed the hero back through his past lives. In the next tale ‘The Saga of Garth’ (January 22nd 1946 – July 20th 1946) his origin was revealed. Found floating in a coracle off the Shetlands, baby Garth was adopted by a kindly old couple. Growing to vigorous manhood he returned to the seas as a Navy Captain until he was torpedoed off Tibet in 1943.

Freeman continued as writer until 1952 and was briefly replaced by script editor Hugh McClelland until Peter O’Donnell took over in 1953. He wrote 28 adventures but resigned in 1966 to devote more time to his own Modesty Blaise feature. His place was taken by Jim Edgar; who also wrote the western strips Matt Marriott, Wes Slade and Gun Law.

In 1968 Dowling retired and his assistant John Allard took over the drawing until a permanent artist could be found. Allard had completed ten tales when Frank Bellamy came on board with the 13th instalment of ‘Sundance’ (see Garth: The Cloud of Balthus ISBN: 0-90761-034-X). Allard remained as background artist/assistant until Bellamy took full control during ‘The Orb of Trimandias’.

Professor Lumiere had discovered something which gave this strip its distinctive appeal – even before the fantastic artwork of Bellamy elevated it to dizzying heights of graphic brilliance: Garth was blessed – or cursed – with an involuntary ability to travel through time and experience past and future lives. This concept gave the strip infinite potential for exotic storylines and fantastic exploits, pushing it beyond its humble origins as a Superman knock-off.

This volume begins with the eerie chiller ‘The People of the Abyss’ wherein Garth and sub-sea explorer Ed Neilson are captured by staggeringly beautiful – and naked! – women who drag their bathyscaphe to a city at the bottom of the Pacific where they are at war with horrendous aquatic monstrosities. But even that is merely the prelude to a tragic love affair with Cold War implicationsâ€¦

Next up is the eponymous space-opera romp ‘The Women of Galba’ wherein another alien tyrant learns to rue the day he abducted a giant Earthman to be a gladiator. Exotic locations, spectacular action and oodles of astonishingly beautiful females make this an unforgettable adventure.

â€œGhost Townâ€ is a western tale, and a very special one. When Garth, holidaying in Colorado, rides into ‘Gopherville’ an abandoned mining town, he is drawn back to a past life as Marshal Tom Barratt who lived, loved and died when the town was a hotspot of vice and money. When Bellamy died suddenly in 1976 this tale, long acknowledged as his favourite was rerun until Martin Asbury was ready to take over the strip.

The final adventure ‘The Mask of Atacama’ finds Garth and Professor Lumiere in Mexico City. In his sleep the hero is visited by the spirit of beautiful Princess Atacama who brings him through time to the Aztec City of Tenochtitlan where as the Sun God Axatl he hopes to save their civilisation from the marauding Conquistadores of Hernan CortÃ©s, but neither he nor the Princess have reckoned on the jealousy of the Sun Priests and their High Priestess Tiahuacaâ€¦

Of especial interest in this volume are a draft synopsis and actual scripts for ‘The Women of Galba’, liberally illustrated, of course. There has never been a better adventure strip than Garth as drawn by Bellamy, combining action, glamour, mystery and the fantastic into a seamless blend of graphic wonderment. Of late, Titan Books has published a magical run of classic British strips and comics. I’m praying that Garth also is in their sights, and if he is it’s up to us to make sure that this time the books find a grateful, appreciative and huge audienceâ€¦

February 22, 2008February 21, 2008

Buck Rogers: The First 60 Years in the 25th Century

By various (TSR)
ISBN: 978-0-8803-8604-3

There’s not really a lot you can say about Buck Rogers that hasn’t been said before – and probably better – by the likes of such luminaries and fans as Ray Bradbury.

The feature began as a prose novella which appeared in the August 1928 issue of the â€œscienti-fictionâ€ pulp magazine Amazing Stories. Written by Philip Francis Nowlan, Armageddon 2419A.D. told of Anthony Rogers, a retired US Army Air Corps officer who fell into a five-hundred-year coma whilst surveying a deep mine only to awaken to a world controlled by a Chinese Empire ruled by tyrants called Mongols or The Han.

The valiant battle to free America from oppression was another thinly-veiled â€œYellow Perilâ€ story, (this dubious prejudice, embarrassingly for us liberals, has produced some of the best escapist adventure fiction of the 20th Century) and something in the tale caught the public’s attention. Consequently John Flint Dille, head of National Newspaper Service Syndicate arranged for the author and artist Dick Calkins to produce the industry’s first action/drama continuity feature, as well as the first and most influential SF strip ever (space flight, television, even the atom bomb â€“ all appeared in these panels long before their real world introductions) by securing the rights to adapt the tale into picture form. That prose story, which also introduced the very capable Wilma Deering and the all-knowing scientist Dr. Huer is reproduced in this fabulous if frustrating book.

The daily strip premiered on January 7th 1929, about the time that the prose sequel The Airlords of Han appeared in Amazing Stories (cover-dated March 1929) and the same day that the Tarzan newspaper strip debuted. The strip was a huge hit and the marketing genius of Dille made it a most profitable one. There was merchandise, premiums, giveaways, a radio show, books and even a movie serial. What we now consider as part and parcel of an entertainment franchise was all invented by Dille for the strip – which he renamed Buck Rogers.

This book was released as an anniversary tribute – and is still available through many internet book sellers â€“ and features an extended sequence from each decade. As well as the strips it also offers biographies, a potted history, colour selections and a most fascinating timeline. For each decade there is a context page listing the high points in Dailey Life, Science, Politics and Culture.

But comics are what we love so what about them? From 1929 comes â€œMeeting the Mongolsâ€ by Nowlan and Calkins wherein the noble New Americans defy and defeat the overlords of Earth in their own Citadel. It should be noted however that Calkins, although a popular artist in his day, was never that impressive technically and is to many modern readers an acquired taste.

From the 1930s comes a selection of Sunday Colour Pages. In those early days when everything was new, many local papers often bought only one or the other of the Daily strips or Sunday pages. So to avoid confusion Buck Rogers only ran Monday to Saturday and the colour section featured separate tales of Buddy Deering (Wilma’s little brother) and his girlfriend Alura in outer space, although many other cast members such as Dr. Huer, Killer Kane, Princess Ardala and pirate-turned-pal Black Barney would frequently appear. The Sunday page began on March 30th 1930 and was originally produced by Russell Keaton although the Calkins by-line was the only credit to appear. In 1932 Rick Yager took over the page. He would one day take over writing and drawing the entire feature, aided by Len Dworkins and later Dick Locher.

From the end of the 1940s comes Dr. Modar of Saturn, written by Bob Barton and drawn by a young but immensely talented Murphy Anderson. By this time Buck was a sort of space cop, interplanetary if not intergalactic, and the parochial jingoism had been replaced by the kind of convivial paternalism that washed over all American popular fiction. After all weren’t they the Policeman of The World – and beyond?

The Vulcan Trouble-shooter comes from the 1950s, as Buck becomes Governor of the colony of Vulcan and the target of unscrupulous profiteers in a rather pedestrian tale by Barton, Anderson and latterly, new chief artist Len Dworkin. It was during this decade that relations between creators and syndicate became so acrimonious that it resulted in a court-case. The strip, which had been idling for some time, went into a sharp decline.

From the 1960s The Miss Solar System Beauty Pageant shows wonderful art from the underrated George Tuska, but a strip and character that bore no relation to the icon of futurity that he should have been. The strip was cancelled in 1967, with the final instalment published on July 8th of that year.

And there it would have ended if not for the television show which was created in the Space-Opera boom following the release of Star Wars. In 1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century returned to newspapers as a Sunday colour feature written by Jim Lawrence and illustrated by Gray Morrow. A selection of these make up the 1970s-1980s requirements in this volume. This time the strip ran until 1983 with Cary Bates replacing Lawrence in 1981.

This is an annoying book. It is large, beautifully expansive, contains clever and informative added-value features, and reprints stories that have seldom if ever been reprinted. But the editing is insane. Two of the adventures just stop dead in mid-story without even a written synopsis of how they conclude and even the selections seem atypical of the wealth of material that could have been used. I love this book because of what it means to comics but I hate this book for being less than it should be.

Hopefully with the 80th anniversary (which I take as the birth of the strip – not the publication of the novella) looming next year the current copyright holders will do a better job of it this time.

February 21, 2008February 21, 2008

The Story of Babar

By Jean de Brunhoff (Egmont)
ISBN: 978-1-4052-3818-2

Babar the Elephant has been charming readers for generations and Egmont have re-released five of his earliest adventures for another bunch of children and adults to fall in love with.

This volume first appeared as L’Histoire de Babar in France in 1931 and was an instant hit. The English language version was launched in 1933, complete with introduction by A. A. Milne, bringing Jean de Brunhoff’s forthright and capable elephantine hero across the channel and thence across the Oceans to America and the Colonies. Apparently the initial tale was a bedtime story his wife Cecile created for their own children. De Brunhoff wrote and painted seven adventures before his death in 1937, two of them published posthumously. After World War II his son Laurent continued the franchise producing ten more adventures between 1946 and 1966.

The books have in their time been controversial. Many critics have seen them as being pro-colonialism, and as products of a more robust time, they could never be regarded as saccharine or anodyne, but they are sweet, alluring and irresistibly captivating.

When baby Babar is growing up in the jungle his mother is killed by white hunters. Terrified and sad the baby flees in a panic, eventually coming to a very un-African provincial city. He meets a kind old lady there who gives him money to buy a suit. As he adapts to city life he moves into her very large house and is educated in modern, civilised ways. But still, occasionally, he feels homesick and misses his jungle home.

After two years he meets his cousins Celeste and young Arthur wandering naked in the streets of the city and the Old Lady gets them clothes too. Soon though, their mothers come to fetch them and Babar decides to return with them and show the other elephants all the wonderful things he has experienced. Buying a motor-car and filling it with clothes and presents he returns just in time, because the King of all the Elephants has eaten a bad mushroom and is dyingâ€¦

The political assumptions of adults are one thing, but the most valid truth is that these are magical books for the young, illustrated in a style that is fluid, humorously detailed and splendidly memorable. Even after 75 years and more they have the power to enthral and captivate and that charm is leavened with an underlying realism that is still worthy of note.

My only concern is that in an age of computer screens and instant messaging the cursive script of the text might deter a few readers. I applaud the publishers for not replacing it with block letters and hope I’m wrong, as usual, because these are wonderful books for the young of all ages and species.

February 21, 2008February 20, 2008

Elektra Lives Again

By Frank Miller & Lynn Varley (Marvel/Epic Comics)
ISBN (hardback):0-87135-738-0 ISBN13 (softcover): 978-0-7851-0890-0

I’m looking at the superb hardback released in 1990 but the most recent release was an oversized paperback in 2002 of this impressive and contemplative psychological thriller of obsession and loss.

Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer who fights crime and injustice as Daredevil, a costumed acrobat whose other senses are so super-sensitive he can track a bullet leaving a gun, hear pulse-rates across a street and even identify felons by their scent. In college he loved and lost a girl named Elektra whose father was murdered before her eyes. She left Matt and became a ninja assassin. Years later they briefly reunited before she was murdered by Bullseye, one of Daredevil’s greatest foes.

Her Ninja masters The Hand brought her back from death before Murdock granted her final redemption and peace. He was left not knowing if she was actually dead or alive.

Now plagued by nightmares in which her murdered victims are pursuing her, the blind Murdock is being driven mad by visions of Elektra. In the waking world The Hand are back and they plan to kill Bullseye and reanimate him as their Prime Assassin. Elektra is alive and intends to stop themâ€¦

This cold, lyrical tale of love and horror is a powerful example of Frank Miller’s ability to tell a story. Although an uncomfortable fit for the continuity-conscious, the bleak and desolate scenario, the balletic grace of the action sequences, superbly finished with the icy palette of Lynn Varley’s painted colours, and the sheer depth of characterisation makes this one of the best Daredevil stories ever told, although not one to read if unfamiliar with Elektra’s back-story.

Best to track down those stories first (most recently collected as Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller: Volume II , ISBN: 978-0-7851-0771-2) then â€¦

February 20, 2008January 14, 2009

Batman: The Scottish Connection

By Alan Grant & Frank Quitely (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-5638-9372-8

Way, way back in Detective Comics #198, 1953 (â€œLord of Bat-Manorâ€ drawn by the legendary Dick Sprang) Batman was left a Scottish Castle. It was later established that Bruce Wayne’s ancestors came from Scotland. Don’t ask me why that bit of ephemera remains when so very much else has been rewritten over the years but it has, and professional Scots Alan Grant and Frank Quitely used that fact to craft this slim yet gripping little thriller.

On a visit to the Auld Country, Bruce Wayne stumbles onto a quasi-Masonic plot to locate the lost treasure of the Knights Templar; that’s just the tip of the iceberg in a revenge scheme hundreds of years in the making that involves beautiful tragic women, deadly plagues, ancient super-weapons, crazed claymore-waving maniacs and good old-fashioned Heid-cases and Barm-potsâ€¦

Beautifully illustrated, deftly scripted and brilliantly skirting the line between comedy and thriller, this is pure adventurous escapism from two consummate professionals. Go and get it, bonny lads and lassies.

February 20, 2008February 19, 2008

Wild Adapter, Vol 1

By Kazuya Minekura (TokyoPop)
ISBN: 978-1-59816-978-2

Despite a definite homoerotic subtext this tale of modern gangsters can be read as a crime story with the lone protagonist as the proverbial alienated outsider. Makota Kubota is cool. A High Schooler, he seems immune to all the pressures of a teenager’s existence. He only comes alive when playing Mah Jong.

When he is sought out by a local Yakuza boss to take charge of the local youth gang he goes along with it. He is told to keep all other gangs out of his area – he successfully complies. Makota is extremely capable, and can handle himself in a fight. There seems to be nothing he can’t do. And still, nothing seems to penetrate his aloof exteriorâ€¦

Slowly though he establishes a relationship – almost a friendship – with another young Yakuza, Nobuo Komiya, and learns about a semi-mystical mutagenic drug that’s just reaching the streets. Wild Adapter is not just another narcotic. Some of the addicts are turning into strange animals and dying.

What is happening and what does Makota’s uncle, the famous detective, know about all this?

In this first volume, almost a prologue, Kazuya Minekura lays the groundwork for a fascinating adult crime thriller, but that’s all. The threads and settings are in place but there is no real narrative here yet. Engaging and intriguing, dripping with Gangster Chic and wonderfully drawn, it will still take a few more volumes before we know what’s going on and whether or not it’s worth pursuing.

This book is printed in the ‘read-from-back-to-front’ manga format, and carries a parental advisory notice of explicit content.

February 19, 2008February 19, 2008

Star Wars: Dark Times, Vol 1: The Path to Nowhere

By Welles Hartley, Mick Harrison, Douglas Wheatley & Ronda Pattison (Dark Horse Books)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-470-8

The story begins in the aftermath of the evil Palpatine’s victory. Now Emperor, he begins to consolidate his power, both over the galaxy and more importantly over his new disciple Darth Vader. The new Sith Lord is still troubled by guilt and the emotions of his former life as Jedi Anakin Skywalker.

On New Plympto Jedi Master Dass Jennir has survived by joining forces with the Nosaurian Rebels he was fighting before the Old Republic’s Clone Warriors turned on all users of the Force. When the unstoppable Stormtroopers slaughter all the Rebel males and enslave the females and children, Jennir and a single survivor join a motley crew of merchants and attempt to rescue them, but the lengths to which they must go soon have the Jedi on the brink of abandoning his beliefs. And all the while Vader obeys orders and his own doubts begin to fadeâ€¦

This dark and portentous drama set in the period immediately following the birth of the Empire examines the rise of evil throughout the galaxy but still maintains a taste of the swashbuckler with the introduction of Jennir and his mysterious allies. Nevertheless the bleak star is Darth Vader, and the superb artwork of Douglas Wheatley augmented by the paint and colours of Ronda Pattison perfectly capture the troubled nature of this sulphurous black monster. Also, their facility with non-humanoid characters is simply breathtaking.

Parts of this tale (collecting issues #1-5 of the comic book series Star Wars: Dark Times) have been adapted from the prose novel Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno.

February 19, 2008January 17, 2009

Showcase Presents Supergirl

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-810-2

Superhero comics don’t do sweet or charming anymore. The modern narrative focus concentrates on turmoil, angst and spectacle and although there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with that sometimes the palate just craves a different flavour.

Such was not always the case as this splendid black and white compendium of the early career of Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El of Argo City joyously proves. Also included and kicking off proceedings is the try-out story ‘The Three Magic Wishes’ written by Otto Binder and illustrated by Dick Sprang and Stan Kaye which originally appeared in Superman #123, August 1958. In this tale a mystic totem conjures up a young girl with super powers as one of three wishes Jimmy Olsen makes. Such was the reaction to the plucky heroine that within a year a new version was introduced to the Superman Family.

Action Comics #252 (May 1959) introduced Superman’s cousin Kara, who had been born on a city-sized fragment of Krypton, hurled intact into space when the planet exploded. Eventually Argo City turned to Kryptonite like the rest of the giant world’s debris, and her dying parents, observing Earth through their scopes sent their daughter to safety as they perished. Landing on Earth, she met Superman who created the identity of Linda Lee and hid her in an orphanage in small town Midvale whilst she learned of her new world and powers in secret and safety. This groundbreaking tale was also written by Binder and drawn by hugely under-rated Al Plastino.

Once the formula was established Supergirl became a regular feature in Action Comics (starting with #253 ‘The Secret of the Super-Orphan!’), a residency that lasted until 1969 when she graduated to the lead spot in Adventure Comics. At the orphanage she met a boy named Dick Wilson (eventually Malverne) who would become her Lois Lane, a recurring romantic entanglement who suspected that she had a secret. As a young girl, romance featured heavily in her thoughts and she met other potential boyfriends including alien heroes and even a Mer-boy from Atlantis.

Many of the early tales involved keeping her presence concealed, even when performing super-feats. Jim Mooney was selected as regular artist and Binder remained as chief scripter for most of the early run.

This gloriously economical chronological collection continues with Action #254’s ‘Supergirl’s Foster-Parents!’, an unscrupulous couple of con-artists easily foiled, after which she meets a mystery DC hero when ‘Supergirl Visits the 21st Century!’ (#255). Her secret is almost uncovered (‘The Great Supergirl Mirage!’) before she has her first guest-shot in ‘Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl’s Pal!’, written by Binder, and captivatingly illustrated by Curt Swan and George Klein (from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40, October 1959). In her Action appearance that month she granted ‘The Three Magic Wishes!’

Superman often came off rather poorly when dealing with women in those less enlightened days, always under the guise of â€œteaching a much needed lessonâ€ or â€œtestingâ€ someone. When she plays with Krypto, ignoring his secrecy decree, the Man of Steel banishes the lonely young heroine to an asteroid in ‘Supergirl’s Farewell to Earth!’ but of course there’s method in the madness. ‘The Cave-Girl of Steel!’ sees her travel to the ancient past before her second guest appearance (in Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #14, January 1960) ‘Lois Lane’s Secret Romance!’ Drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger, this is the first of many attempts by Supergirl to play cupid. Action #260 saw her join Superman in the lead feature ‘Mighty Maid!’ (by Binder and Al Plastino) as well as her own strip ‘The Girl Superbaby!’

The next issue introduced Streaky the Super-Cat in ‘Supergirl’s Super Pet!’ whilst ‘Supergirl’s Greatest Victory!’ delivered a salutary lesson in humility to the Girl of Steel. Swan and Klein got another shot at drawing the kid when ‘Superboy Meets Supergirl!’ (Superboy #80) whilst Action #263 presented ‘Supergirl’s Darkest Day!’, after which Jerry Siegel took over as ‘Supergirl Gets Adopted!’ a sad tale which ends with the lass back at the orphanage.

I’ve restrained myself so please do the same when I say that the next adventure isn’t what you think. ‘When Supergirl Revealed Herself!’ (Siegel and Mooney, Action #265) is another story about nearly finding a family, followed by ‘Jimmy Olsen, Orphan!’ (by Siegel, Swan and Klein, from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #46), after which Streaky returns in ‘The World’s Mightiest Cat!’ (Action #266 by Siegel and Mooney). Binder, Swan and Klein produced ‘The Untold Story of Red Kryptonite!’ for Superman #139 and Supergirl met the Legion of Super Heroes in Action #267’s ‘The Three Super-Heroes!‘

In the next issue she meets ‘The Mystery Supergirl!’ before starring in a full length epic in Superman #140. Written by Binder and drawn by the great Wayne Boring ‘The Son of Bizarro!’, ‘The Orphan Bizarro!’ and ‘The Supergirl Bizarro!’ blends comedy and tragedy in another tale about broken families, a major theme in all these early stories of the Girl of Steel.

Action #269, by Siegel and Mooney, introduces Jerro the Mer-boy in ‘Supergirl’s First Romance!’ and the next issue once again finds her in Superman’s and her own feature. ‘The Old Man of Metropolis!’ (Binder, Swan and John Forte) is followed by ‘Supergirl’s Busiest Day!’ (Siegel and Mooney) with cameos from Batman and Robin, and Adventure Comics #278 by Siegel and Plastino, sees her revisit Superboy in ‘Supergirl in Smallville!‘

Streaky came back for ‘Supergirl’s Fortress of Solitude!’, scripted by Siegel, but Otto Binder wrote the next adventure starring ‘The Second Supergirl!’, an alternate world tale that was too big for one issue. A sequel, ‘The Supergirl of Two Worlds!’ appeared in Action #273 as did a novel piece of market research. ‘Pick a New Hairstyle for Linda (Supergirl) Lee!’ involved readers in the actual appearance of their heroine and gave the editors some valuable input into who was reading the series.

‘The Girl with Green Hair!’ was another girl-plays-cupid tale (from Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #51, by Binder, Swan and Klein) and in ‘Supergirl’s Three Time Trips!’ Siegel and Mooney demonstrate that history cannot be changed. Superman #144 featured ‘The Orphans of Space’ by the same author and Al Plastino, and then ‘Ma and Pa Kent Adopt Supergirl!’ in Action #275, by that man Siegel and Mr Mooney.

Veteran scripter Robert Bernstein joins Wayne Boring for the lead story in Action #276. ‘The War Between Supergirl and the Superman Emergency Squad!’ is followed by a return visit to the Legion of Super Heroes in ‘Supergirl’s Three Super Girl-Friends!’ and the next issue featured an animal epic in ‘The Battle of the Super-Pets!’

The last five tales in this volume form an extended saga that took the Girl of Steel in totally new directions. On the eve of Superman announcing her existence to the world Supergirl lost her powers and resigned to a normal life was adopted by the childless Mr and Mrs. Danvers. But it was all a deadly plot by Lesla-Lar, an identical double from the Bottle City of Kandor who planned to replace Supergirl and conquer the Earth. This mini-epic (‘The Unknown Supergirl!’, ‘Supergirl’s Secret Enemy!’, ‘Trapped in Kandor!’, ‘The Secret of the Time Barrier!’ and ‘The Supergirl of Tomorrow!’) which ran in Action #278-282 repositioned the character for a more positive and effective role in the DC universe and hinted of a more dramatic and less paternalistic, parochial and even sexist future for the most powerful girl in the world.

But that’s a volume for another timeâ€¦

February 18, 2008February 17, 2008

The Best of Star Trek

By Peter David, Tom Sutton & Ricardo Villagran (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-563890-09-3

This book collects a sampling of favourites from DC’s 12 years of publishing Star Trek comics. The first tale is ‘Mortal Gods’ by Mike W. Barr, Tom Sutton and Sal Amendola (from issue #5, 1984) wherein a Starfleet officer survives a crash landing on a protected world and goes on to become a religious figure-head. Despite being an old, old plot the creative team have produced enough tweaks and nuances to make it a comfortable if not fresh read.

This is followed by ‘The Final Voyage’ which was the lead tale from the 1986 Annual (#2, written by Barr and illustrated by Dan Jurgens and Bob Smith). Set at the close of the original â€œFive Year Missionâ€ it sees the homeward-bound USS Enterprise assaulted by Klingons who control the mind-bending abilities of the Talosians (see the TV episodes The Cage/The Menagerie).

Next up is the wonderfully comedic ‘Double Blind’ (issues #24-25 of the first DC comicbook series, March and April 1986) by Diane Duane, Tom Sutton and Ricardo Villagran. Set between the movies Star Trek: The Search for Spock and Star Trek: The Voyage Home it tells of an encounter between two of the most fearsome species in the cosmos â€“ but all is not as it seems in this wickedly satirical romp. This is followed by the moving life story of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. ‘Retrospect’, by Peter David, Curt Swan and Villagran tells the bittersweet tale of Scotty’s career and the woman he lost in a clever series of flashbacks that will remind many of Christopher Nolan’s film Memento. This originally appeared in the 1988 Annual.

The volume concludes with ‘The Trial of James T. Kirk’ (#10-12, by Peter David, James Fry, Gordon Purcell and Arne Starr), another great tale, but one already covered in my review for the Titan Books edition of that name (see The Trial of James T. Kirk, ISBN: 1-94576-315-7 in our archive section).

These yarns are magical romps of fun and thrills that fully embrace and enhance the canonical Star Trek for the dedicated fan, provide spectacular comicbook adventure for followers of our art-form and most importantly, provide an important bridge between the insular world of fans and the wider mainstream. Stories like these about such famous characters can only bring more people into comics and isn’t that what we all want?

February 17, 2008February 17, 2008

Hellblazer: Bloodlines

By Garth Ennis, William Simpson & various (Vertigo)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-650-4

This volume collects the stories written by Garth Ennis following the landmark Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits (ISBN: 1-56389-150-6) and shows two sides to the urban wizard and ultimate anti-hero. As well as the jaded world-weary supernatural veteran, he shows a softer side. Whilst recovering from the demon-cured lung cancer that nearly killed him Constantine returns to his London haunts, and against all better judgements allows himself to fall in love with the formidable Irish lass Kit Ryan.

The first tale (originally printed in issues #47-48 of the monthly comicbook) is illustrated by William Simpson, Mike Hoffman and Stan Woch. ‘The Pub Where I Was Born’ and ‘Love Kills’ finds him a spectator to grisly spectral vengeance when his local pub is burned down; a traditional ghost story well told and a necessary prelude to the excellent Christmas offering ‘Lord of the Dance’. Drawn by Steve Dillon, this uncharacteristically joyous tale of Pagan Good Fellowship is a highpoint of the series and serves to whet the appetite for the controversial horror-fest that follows.

‘Remarkable Lives’ from issue #50, and illustrated by Simpson, sees the immortal King of Vampires attempt to suborn and intimidate Constantine. As usual the Hellblazer leaves intact with another immensely powerful creature furious, ashamed and determined to destroy him.

‘Royal Blood’ comes from issues #52-55, wherein Constantine takes on the entire English Establishment. When a prominent member of the Royal Family (well his ears certainly are) becomes the latest host-body for the cannibalistic demon that once possessed Jack the Ripper, all the assets of the ruling classes are called into play to fix the problem and avoid a scandal. John Constantine is no lackey of Privilege though, and his solutions are a double-edged sword. This scandalous, horrific and deeply satisfying shocker makes for a deliciously dark and powerfully political satire that completely reaffirms the character’s anti-establishment credentials.

The volume concludes with the opening shot in a long running battle between Constantine and the new ruler of Hell, The First of the Fallen. When he was dying of cancer, Constantine saved himself by selling his soul to three rival Lords of Hell. Since none would give way to the others, the only way to avoid Infernal War was to keep the wizard alive and jockey for later advantage. Constantine knew that eventually his time would be up and spent some time devising ways to cheat the Devils.

‘Guys and Dolls’ (issues #59-61, illustrated by Simpson, Mike Barreiro and Kim DeMulder) tells the tragic story of the succubus Chantinelle whose heretical affair with an Angel gives Constantine an opportunity to be a hero, spit in the faces of both Heaven and Hell and most importantly, bank a favour that will be of unprecedented value when his ultimate battle finally comesâ€¦

Hellblazer is a superb series about flawed heroism and desperate necessity, with a tragic everyman anti-hero compelled to do the right thing no matter what the cost, arrayed against the worst that the world can offer. It’s also the best horror drama in comics and worthy of your devoted attention.

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