Month: March 2015
The Phantom. The Ancient Alien Gods. 2000 AD and The Supernaturals
It’s odd but that comment years ago that I was spoilt comic-wise just might be true. I was putting books away and then decided to sort the shelves out even more. I picked out at least seven books I could not even remember having. Then there were the books and comic albums I had forgotten about including The Phantom Comic Album #2 from World Distributors going back to January 1967…
How can you not love that cover?!
Or how about from 1978 (I think) The Gods From outer Space: Revolt Of The Titans? Published by Magnet Books. I think there were only four (I have just the one now that I inherited from my late research colleague Franklyn A. Davin-Wilson after his death in 1983). There was 1. Descent in the Andes 2. Atlantis, Men and Monsters, 3. The War of the Chariots and, 4. Revolt of the Titans.
Man, the memories!
Then I found the 1994 2000 AD Yearbook which, I think, was the one Managing Editor at Fleetway, Gil Page gave me. Had a lovely fold out cover. A very nicely designed cover.
Ahh, I got it. Fleetway had, circa 1987, a comic based on the rather un-sensational Tonka Toy line The Supernaturals -preview comic cover below….
When Fleetway was thinking about (for the second time) what was supposed to be successor to that title, The Paranormals (the intro story -24pp?- was printed for the first time in Tales Of Terror 3 from Black Tower), I had sent a European comic -I think it was a Small Press one- where they had used a fold out cover and I suggested that it might be a good idea. On a later visit to Fleetway Gil handed me this beauty.
That 1994 Year Book really had a very cool designed cover and art.
After finding these and others I sat down to watch Finding Bigfoot….and fell asleep. I’m guessing they never did find it.
Meh. That’s life.
Cinebook The 9th Art: Largo Winch 15- Crossing Paths
Authors: Francq & Van Hamme
Age: 15 years and up
Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: March 2015
Largo is in London for a board meeting with his group’s various CEOs. At the same time, he’s negotiating with a French aeronautics firm for a deal based upon a ground breaking new technology.
But the British capital seems to be the centre of a curious convergence: people with no apparent links to each other gravitate towards Largo and his inner circle. Old lovers, new flames, intelligence agencies, terrorists…
Will the billionaire recognise his true allies amidst such a tangled web?
Alright, I’ve written it and said it so often you must be sick of it by now but these covers are really great to just sit and look at. They say “simple is best” and this is a no-nonsense cover…but a great piece of artwork no less.
And the story? A few times I smirked but I really enjoyed the character interactions and if I need to recommend Largo Winch to you I’m guessing you’ve never read it? Like XIII this series is never short of double-crossing and intrigue and, as always, that final page makes you ask “What next?”
Colour work by Franq and Yoann Guillo is just….”luscious” and the printers Cinebook uses produce the art and colours so clearly…look at that street scene in the first page.
Love it.
Titan Books: Michael Moorcock’s Elric Vol. 2 – Stormbringer
Writers Jean-Luc Cano and Julien Blondel
Artists Didier Poli, Jean Bastide, Julien Telo, Robin Recht, Scarlett Smulkowski
Series: Elric
Yyrkoon fled Melniboné with Elric’s beloved Cymoril. Left behind, heartbroken and humiliated, the albino emperor pursues them with the help of Straasha, King of the Sea Elementals.
Finding that Yyrkoon is hiding in the ruins of Dhoz Kham, in the heart of the Young Kingdoms, Elric prepares to challenge his treacherous cousin and rescue Cymoril. But little does he know that this quest will forever change his destiny, as he finds the legendary cursed sword Stormbringer…
Continuing the stunning new comic adaptation of the classic Elric of Melniboné novels by Michael Moorcock! (see review of Elric Of Melnibone for link to The Ruby Throne)
Whoa. This is pretty feckin’ grim. Great atmospheric artwork and colouring that suits the story. Never having read Moorcock’s Elric books I have no idea how close these adaptions are. But if they are accurate -and if they are approved by Moorcock I’m guessing they must be- then that fluffy idea I had in my head for a very long time of “just another Elf story” was…not accurate.
The colour work is by Recht, Bastide and Smulkowski and as I wrote -it adds to the atmosphere. But so many artists on one book!
I think that these two books and the Thomas, Russell and Gilbert volume compliment each other in a way.
They are certainly educating me!
Recommended.
Cinebook The 9th Art: XIII -XIII – The Bait
XIII – The Bait
Authors: Yves Sente & Youri Jigounov
Age: 15 years and up
A4 Comic Album
Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: February 2015
XIII is hiding in France at the Préseaus, after a past more nebulous he even believed possible caught up to him again. But the organisation that’s after him hasn’t said its last word, and has considerable means at its disposal.
The organisation lures Jones, on duty in Afghanistan, into a terrible ambush, for the sole purpose of serving as bait for the amnesiac – who immediately rushes to her rescue. Meanwhile, Betty Barnowsky-Préseau is off to Maine to dig into XIII’s past…
And look at that cover. That is an incredible piece of artwork. We don’t see covers like this with British comics…oh. That’s right, we DO NOT have British comics anymore. Not unless you count the premier publisher of comics in the UK as Cinebook. And I do. It’s a great cover.
And the intrigue and action continues in the tradition of Vance and Van Hamme and it is a cracking read and the art….well, I wish I could draw like this! The colour work of Berengere Marquebreucq adds to the overall look and I hate to keep writing nice things but Cadic’s Cinebook The 9th Art makes me: this is one of the book series that mark the company as the best.
Cinebook The 9th Art: Buck Danny 5 -Thunder over the Cordillera
Buck Danny 5:Thunder over the Cordillera
Authors: Francis Bergèse
Age: 10 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: January 2015
Managua is on the verge of civil war. Arrested by order of President Sanchez, Buck and his friends have managed to convince the pilots of the Managuean Air Force that their nation’s leader is in the pockets of drug cartels.
With the assistance of the unit they’d come to train, Buck escaped to request assistance from US authorities. Meanwhile, Sonny and Tumb will have to help their rebel allies fight back loyalist forces – and Lady X’s mercenaries…
If things looked a little grim in part one of this story then….”things hot up” even more in this continuation. Drug cartels, intrigue and some good old aerial action that might not have been out of place in a British weekly war comic like Battle.
Buck Danny is legendary -hopefully these books will see his legend grows to include the UK!
You can read my review of part 1 -“No Fly Zone” here: http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/cinebook-9th-art-buck-danny-4-no-fly.html
CBO Recommendation of the Week: Titan Books -Elric Of Melnibone vol. 1
US Trade format
Hardback
176 full colour pages
ISBN 9781782762881
Mature readers
£18.99 UK $22.99 US $25.99 Can
Cinebook The 9th Art: Lucky Luke 51 -The Painter
Authors: Bob de Groot & Morris
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
A4 Comic album format (pbk)
Publication: February 2015
Among the cultural figures of the Old West, Frederick Remington stands head and shoulders above the rest – literally. A good-natured ogre by size and appetite, the artist portrays the West with such skill that the American government entrusts his safety to Lucky Luke.
Looking after such a national treasure is not usually an easy task, but Luke will soon discover that Remington hardly needs protecting – except maybe from his own excessive impulses…
Frederic Remington was, of course, a real person and painted and sculted. His paintings of the old West are incredible -“Buffalo Hunter Spitting A Bullet into A Gun” (1892?) is a great example. Oddly, when I saw his portrayal here the first thing I thought was “He looks a bit like actor Wilfred Brimley”…but no. Remington looked much more like this LL version…
See? Ya gets an educashun here!
The cover looks good and, naturally, again, so does the interior art. It is so crisp and clean. The quality surprises me at times. But I remember the old printing days….sniff..sniff…I have dust in my eyes.
But Lucky Luke and his mad-cap Wild West live up to their usual standard and Cinebook should be proud to have published 51 volumes so far and more to come in 2015!!
Cinebook The 9th Art: Blake & Mortimer v. 20 – The Septimus Wave
Author: Jean Dufaux, Antoine Aubin and Etienne Schréder
Age: 10 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 72 colour pages
A4 Comic Album
Publication: February 2015
Mr India? The Indian Superman?
So, allow me educate you. The Indian Superman was made in 1987 and has a release date of 31st December, and starred Urmila Bhatt, Birbal, Dharmendra, Puneet Issar. The movies credit Siegel and Shuster as creators of the character.
Before you ask, as IPC and Fleetway top management told me over and over “India doesn’t recognise copyright” -very long story but let’s not go there!
Looking around I have just found ComicAttack.net which refers to the movie and here’s a link: http://comicattack.net/2012/12/mmsupermanindia87/
Here are some stills from my now defunct India Comics file.
The other character that the ‘experts’ seem to have trouble locating information on is Mr India. Well, there was a movie and picture comic based on that. However, years before Tulisa Comics had a Mr India comic and I think somehow he channelled spirits (of India?).
My notes are scribbled and I can’t read them all. I do, however, have some scanned images which I offer here for your delectation and…fun!
And the movie? In it the character seems to be an ordinary heroic man looking after break-dancing orphans…..yes….anyway, he can turn invisible. So that does not look like a comic adapted into a movie (I’ve only seen a couple of scenes not the complete movie).
Mind you, the young lady on the dvd cover looks very nice…sigh. Back to drawing comics!
Comics…it’s a funny old business.