Spandex: Fast And Hard

Spandex: Fast And Hard
Martin Eden
Titan Books
Hardback
96 pp
Full colour
Dimensions: 258 x 170mm
ISBN: 9780857689733
Publication date: 25 May 2012
£12.99

Prowler, Liberty, Glitter, Indigo, Butch, Mr Muscles, Diva — all superpowered, all British, and the first all gay super-hero team there ever was! Created by independent creator Martin Eden, Spandex charts the highs and lows of a group of Brighton-based heroes, doing battle with 50-foot lesbians, a group of deadly pink ninjas, as well as their own complicated love lives! Packed with pop culture references, nods to classic comics and chock-full of humour and drama, Spandex is a super-hero book like no other!

This is the very first collection of Martin Eden’s award-nominated comic and collects Spandex #1-3, plus bonus material!
There is “A Brief History Of Spandex” article plus a Who’s Who with this book so it ought to be all you need to know.

“There aren’t many gay super heroes around, and there’s never been all-gay super team…” writes Martin.  Does it really matter if a super hero or crime-fighter is gay? In Black Tower Comics they have co-existed with the, uh, “straights” since 1984. In 1986, Don Melia, together with his former long-time partner Lionel Gracey-Whitman, created ‘Matt Black’, dubbed “the world’s first gay superhero.” John Byrne had to drop heavy hints (thanks to Marvel censorship) in Alpha Flight that his character, Northstar, was gay.  I could go on as there have been a few –I’ll not insult anyone by mentioning “Kaptain Kween” (last seen in a 1970s Ally Sloper magazine).

Does it really matter?

For this book –YES!

Where else would: “PINK NINJAS!!” make you chuckle? Marvel will stick to the traditional Western black-clad versions thank you.  There are lots of nice touches and I don’t think this is just going to appeal to a GLBT readership –though I want to be there when that brave comic geek buys a copy!

I don’t think Eden’s art style has progressed a great deal since he started The O Men but his enthusiasm and obvious fun he has writing/drawing this makes it fun to read. The use of basic colour is also a bonus as it opens up the artwork and pages and made this a good read.

We have very few good comics coming from the UK so to see this and its neat packaging is good –and it helps show people there are creators in the UK.



above:No relation to Black Tower’s size-shifting heroine.  I guess this had to happen one day!!