The man who bought Judge Dredd

NEW COMIC BOOKS RELEASING APRIL 6TH 2022 MARVEL COMICS & DC COMICS PREVI...

The Online Store Master Plan!

 

As I have made clear in the past with sales to the United States I get hit with tax and as the print company is in the U.S. I get hit with currency conversion when it comes to paying me (even on UK sales).

The Print on Demand company will not allow me to restrict sales to exclude the U.S. so every book sold there is no money for me -they are give aways. Tax, POD Company and printers all get money and I am at the bottom of the pond.

I have a solution though I cannot follow through on this until mid April. I am going to hike up the U.S. cover prices so high no one will buy them. Therefore no U.S. tax or giveaway books (owing the IRS money for books you have received no money for...weird at best).

Therefore by May -remember I am going to have to re-price 200 books and each one takes time- I am sorry if anyone in the U.S. is interested but you have had since 2010 to buy- Black Tower Books and Comics will be unavailable in the U.S. because no one will want to pay the cover price!

Devious but I am sick of selling books and getting nothing in return.

Plan sorted.

Hexagon Comics: TALES OF THE HEXAGONVERSE

 

7x10 squarebound comic, 

54 pages 

b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-088-9. 

US$12.95 / GBP 10.99

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-tales-of-the-hexagonverse.html

Phantom Of What Opera?
Story : Jean-Marc Lofficier * Art : Timothy J. Green II

The Restaurant
Story : Jean-Marc Lofficier * Art : Timothy J. Green II

Cassandra Troy
Story : Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier * Art : Gerald Forton

Hogun Temu: The Clay Dogs
Story : Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier * Art : Philippe Xavier

Nightspeeder
Story : Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier * Art : Kevin O’Neill

Cover : Kevin O’Neill 
English adaptation: J.-M. & Randy Lofficier

Hexagon Comics isn’t merely Wampus, Zembla, Phenix, and the Strangers. For well over sixty years, they published a number of anthology comics in the tradition of DC’s Mystery in Space, Strange Adventures, etc., with colorful titles such as Yuma, Nevada, Mustang, Rodeo...

In addition to the regular hero-driven series, these books also contained many one-shots: war stories, western adventures, supernatural tales, etc. A few of the characters who first appeared in these eventually returned, but most never went beyond these initial appearances.

In this book, we have translated and reprinted five of these one-shots, published between 2000 and 2003. Only two have ever been published in the U.S. before and, as they were all drawn by remarkable artists, we felt that they deserved greater exposure.

I sat down and looked at this cover and tried to think whose work it reminded me of? It took a while until I saw the artists noted on said cover. It is of course the work of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen own Kevin O'Neill (or Kev as we knew him in the old days). This sets the tone of the book.

If you like science fiction then you ought to really enjoy this.  Timothy J. Green II's work is obviously heavily influenced by the great Moebius. Finely detailed and crisp art.  Gerald Forton on Cassandra has a slick b&w style that works really nicely but as I read this I suddenly  realised that Cassandra being "remolded" was the same thing that happened to the legendary British newspaper strip heroine Scarth in the early 1970s...bit obscure rference there! 

Philippe Xavier has an equally nice art style and some of the pages are taken over by certain panels that you feel obliged to look at in detail! Very enjoyable.  O'Neill on Nightspeeder shows why he was popular with 2000 AD readers back in the day (the "day" being the 1980s). I think some of the work looks better than his later Moore collaborations.

Over-all this is a real treat and I noticed something on the cover that I bet others won't 😛 Mnor but ifyou work on editing boks and covers the eye catches it quickly but it is nothing of importance as the main thing is the book and I was surprised by the contents as I get bored very quickly by sci fi -but if you are a fan then this is going to tickle yourfancy!

Hexagon Comics: KABUR #3: ZOTHAQA

 

by Jean-Marc Lofficier; cover by Mike Ratera.
11. THE REAPER art by Mike Ratera
15. ZOTHAQA art by Willy Hudic
16. INTRIGUES IN ILSHANYI art by Willy Hudic
17. NEVLAK AND SEBHO art by Willy Hudic
(eps 12, 13, 14 are included in KABUR #2: KABUR VS ZEMBLA) 

7x10 squarebound comic, 

96 pages 

b&w.
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-112-1

US$12.95


One hundred million years before our time was the continent of Hyperborea. There thrived the rebellious young prince of Ultima Thulé and his companion, the beautiful ex-slave girl Lagrid.
 
After defeating an evil doppelganger, Kabur must now return to the city of his birth from which he was banished by his father, the King. The journey, however, is long and fraught with many perils!
 
In this collection of four new episodes, Kabur will successively encounter the formidable Reaper, the diabolical Wampus, and the two mercenaries Nevlak and Sebho.

I'm pretty old school and for me Conan and Kull are the barbarians I read the Marvel Comics versions of (but not for a long time now). So when I see a barbarian comic album I expect to see pale imitations. 

Kabur I like for its rough and ready look and dynamism. Is it Dave Stevens or Alex Ross style art? No. But who wants that type of art in every comic?  Mike Ratera starts the book off with a lovely black and white style I'd like to see more of. Willy Hudic then takes over the rest of the art chorse in a rough and edgy style that has a Windsor-Smith and Kirby look at times and along with the stories it is a fun read.

And THAT is what comics are about -fun. Escapism and I get to see a lot of comics that fail at this. It is odd that the looked down on publishers such as Kult and Hexagon produce the most entertaining books. Perhaps that is because they understand what comics are and have not lost sight of the fun in amongst 12 cover variants or the regular 6 monthly reboot.

I recommend Hexagon highly.

Kult Creations: SAVAGE! JUNGLE PRINCESS: BOOK 2 - THE HATE MACHINES

 

John A. Short and Gabrielle Noble

44pp

US Comic sizesquarebound

Full colour

UK £6.50 (incl. p&p)

https://savagecomic.blogspot.com/

Here it is, nearly ten years on from the original adventure - the sequel to SAVAGE! JUNGLE PRINCESS BOOK 1 !

 This full colour adventure is by the original SJP team of John A. Short on the words and Gabrielle Noble on art! 

This time Arabella Savage and Friday Robinson are up-against Nazi- Robots! (Also featuring a volcano, naked bathing and engine grease!) It's STILL the most fun you can have with your loin cloth on! 

The PDF digital version is available from the Kult Digital blog! (Book 1 too!) http://kultdigital.blogspot.com

It has taken a while and to be honest I thought we would not be seeing another adventure with Jungle Princess! But here it is. I was surprised when I opened the envelope (I'm sure there was a deal of £20 for a good review..?) and saw what I had been sent.

Firstly, the story -spot on as always and the usual puns that might be included in the movie Carry On Up The Savage! Jungle Princess and Lis Fraser in her prime would have to be the Jungle Princess though I suppose in 2022 everyone would go for Kelly Brook. I'm getting a tad distracted...where was I...oh. Bristol (I said "Bristol" not "Bristols"!). Anyway, dinosaurs, Nazies, a volcano and scantily clad jungle persons...have I mentioned a gigantic Nazi mechanaut? I haven't....well there is one so there.

Then we come to the art. Nice and colourful and exuding fun -and that is what I expect from Gabrielle Noble. The action is drawn well and I really cannot complain as the art and colour work combined with the dialogue gets 10 out of 10 and it's 44 pages for just £6.30 (UK)?

Have some fun and get this book. Treat yourself but (WARNING!) o not rub it all over your body. I won't say why but you've been told.

Moby - 'Extreme Ways (Reprise Version)' (Official Music Video)

Wizkids DnD Frameworks Prices Are Too High

NEW COMIC BOOKS RELEASING MARCH 30th 2022 MARVEL COMICS & DC COMICS PREV...

Hexagon Comics: Guardian of the Republic & Count Saint-Germain & Scarlet Lips

 by Jean-Marc Lofficier & Manuel Martin Peniche; cover by Manuel Martin Peniche

7x10 squarebound comic

 48 pages 

b&w

ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-093-3. 

US$9.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-guardian-of-the-republic-count-saint-germain-scarlet-lips.html

"I have never faced such a threat! Yet I mustn’t fail! France's future is at stake!"
 
It is Christmas Eve in Paris and the dead emerge from the catacombs, dressed as ghastly Santa Clauses, plunging the French capital into total panic.
 
Faced with this terrifying threat, the Guardian of the Republic and Marianne find two unexpected allies: the immortal Count Saint-Germain and the vampire Scarlet Lips.
 
But will even they be enough to stop the threat posed by the Hangman of Bethune and his mysterious new ally, Baphomet?
 
A blood-curling Holiday saga told at the fireside by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Manuel Martin Peniche.

How can you go wrong with super heroics and...the undead? Plus sneaky and evil baddies and a cracking story to go with the Peniche black and white artwork -because any horror story should be in black and white!- and you have a fun read.

the characters become more familiar after reading their other stories and the universe created for them seems likely to turn up a time travel, space or horror tale.  The cover looks very nice and was the first thing I spotted out of the postal carton.  The number of characters available are many and they all seem o work well under the unified history they now share -Lofficier's overseeing all the books it keeps the continuity going.

This is a one off so if you wanted to try a Hexagon comic why not try with this one?

I do love fun comics.

It Is 02:15 hrs....

 Hopefully after ten hours the PC will last long enough to get the reviews I have to do out there.

No support so looks like CBO is on borrowed time!

Warhammer 40k genestealer and Ork meganob review

Power rangers lightning collection shredder tmnt and eye guy review

Just a heads up

 After six hours I have saved all files to USB Sticks so everything is safe.

However, if there are no new updates/posts for more than a week...my computer is gone and I cannot get a new one but the blog content ought to keep people happy -views increase dramatically when I don't post!

Just a heads up

NO More Word Press CBO II

 This morning I found that all posts from 2022-2019 were gone and the blog was in its 2018 format.

I am assuming that this is a Word Press fault and as they answer queries as fast as Blogger (never) I put it all down as lost. Had this CBO gone.....

We shall continue...if I can be bothered.

Hexagon Comics: WAMPUS 02: DOOMSDAY MARCH

story by Franco Frescura; art by Luciano Bernasconi; cover by Luciano Bernasconi. 

180 pp. 

b&w 

US$15.95.

TO BUY THIS BOOK, CLICK HERE!

RETAILERS: You can purchase this book from us at a 40% discount plus freight, or through Ingram. Please email us.

All our books are also on sale on Amazon.

Wampus is a shape-shifting monster sent to Earth by an evil cosmic power called The Great Mind to sow havoc and destruction. He can change into any form by merely touching water, and revert to type by coming into contact with fire. His only adversary seems to be a French ex-secret agent named Jean Sten, whom, in typical Invaders tradition, no one believes. 

In this issue, Wampus brings chaos to London, Spain and Venice, while Sten appears unable to stop him. Yet, strange new allies show up who might pose a challenge to the creature from beyond…

Just when you think Wampus is about to succeed-----

Just when you think Sten is about to succeed---

If this were a TV series I'd watch it (and I don't have a TV!). This book shows why Wampus has achieved an almost cult status amongst those "in the know" not just in Europe but also other parts of the world -including the United States.

Now, I could look it up and see whether Sten ever finally succeeds in stopping his nemesis but that would spoil the fun. I think the idea of looking online to see what happens is bad -B-A-D - because, like looking up an episode guide to the TV series The Invaders, it would spoil the twists and turns and they are still quite effective in this collection.

If you want to see how this all started I highly recommend the first collection of Wampus and I think you will see why people become fans.

NEW COMIC BOOKS RELEASING MARCH 23rd 2022 MARVEL COMICS & DC COMICS PREV...

Max Raabe - Der perfekte Moment… wird heut verpennt (Offizielles Video)

BENEFIT COMIC BOOK FOR THE UKRAINIAN RED CROSS

 

This special issue introduces a character who is both new and yet has been part of the Hexagon Universe since 1963: Captain Ukraine!

Nadiya Karine, the modern-day version of this hero, introduced alongside the French Guardian of the Republic in her very first appearance here (in a story by J.-M. Lofficier & Constanzo), is none other than the descendant of Ivan Karine, a Ukrainian Captain from the 17th century, created by Vincenzo Chiomenti, whose exploits were first published in 1963.

Vincenzo Chiomenti

The Karine family belongs to the Zaporozhian Cossacks, who were the progenitors of the Ukrainian nation. The first story of this classic series is reprinted here, along with a foreword providing details on this historical, yet still topical, character.

This issue features the Captain Ukraines of the 17th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, united in a common effort to defeat injustice and tyranny.

During these tragic hours, Hexagon Comics stands with Ukraine, uniting past and present by releasing this very special issue, the profits of which will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross

 

PRE-ORDERS ONLY FROM www.hexagoncomics.com 

or www.blackcoatpress.com 

BOOKS WILL SHIP ON APRIL 15.

 

                                                   

                                                  

CONTENTS: 

THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN UKRAINE: Story by Jean-Marc Lofficer; Art by Constanzo

THE FIRES OF VICTORY (1963): Art by Vincenzo Chiomenti

 

ISBN 978-1-64932-139-8

56 pages b&w - US$9.95 / GBP 8.99 / EUR 12.00

 

The Two (turns out to be one) Recent Comic Discoveries

 

Although I do read any old boks and annuals/albums I receive before adding them to my already overweighted shelves

The first reason I check is to make sure no pages are missing and that there is no other damage that needs tending to first. Also...I love reading them!

The second reason is to see whether there are any characters I am unfamiliar with. My Vault of the Lost (that sounds cool...but I'm only referring to a section of my brain so...) has a stack of characters that no one else appears to know or care about (until I find them and then the Copy and Paste crew goes to work). There are a good few instances of my stumbling across a character not mentioned anywhere. Forgotten and as soon as I "show and tell" on the blog it is all grabbed and the purloiners start with their lies on how 'they' discovered this "lost gem". They know who they are as they check into CBO daily.

Comic Bits the Journal of British Diamond, Gold and early Silver ages comics as well as Penny Dreadfuls has featured some discoveries in its first two issues and issues 3 and 4 just need editing to make them presentable if I decide to publish them. In future any new discoveries will either be presented in Comic Bits or through a Black Tower publication as I am no longer in the mood for gving everything away after months of hard work.

Which brings us to the announcement I made..two weeks ago? Finding two more forgotten characters -female characters. Well, one turns out to be a slightly altered U.S. reprint that did make their way into some UK comics. At th time they were published (late 1940s) some new artists were trying to develop a more slick American style while working for Gerald Swan. This creates confusion unless you know what to look for.

It took a day but I found the original American comic strip and was able to dismiss it.

The second one, however, was British and was a superheroine (yeah, I wrote "heroine" -live with it). It seems to be a one off strip as I have almost a full collection of the publisher's annuals and even checked some comic issues -nothing. 

Name? Who drew it? Sample art?

Well, if you are really that interested you will need to wait for either Comic Bits or another publication to see the full strip and info.I have been giving away everything on CBO since 1997 and that is without any support to keep the work going so if you are interested then you pay.

Keep those eyes open!

A Quick But IMPORTANT Note

 I have coming up to 200 books on the online store. I am editinf books as well as photographs, finishing art projects and a number of other things. My time is important to me if not you.

There is the QRD Interview (one of several interviews from the past 30 years) if you want to find out more about me. The info is out there to answer questions not for ego.

 https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-qrd-interview-terry-hooper-scharf.html

or the much more indepth:

https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2010/11/phil-latter-talks-to-terry-hooper.html

I do not and will not discuss any business related questions. Following on from internet trolls (the UK 'comic book nice guys') and the fact that their sad and empty (unemployed) lives having nothing better to do than pester me and try to use what I say in various out of context ways.

Check out CBO posts, the British Golden Age posts...in fact there is a shed load of info on myself and Black Tower Comics and Books.

Incredibles Song | FLEXIBLE | Elastigirl In Real Life (Whitney Avalon & ...

HEXAGON COMICS USA / MARCH 2022 RELEASE: (NEW) WAMPUS 2: DOOMSDAY MARCH

 Hexagon Comics USA now offers translations of selected titles from the catalog of this 70-year-old French comics publisher. Books can be purchased on amazon or through the website www.hexagoncomics.com. 

Retailers can purchase them at a 40% discount from distributor Ingram or from the publisher at the website above.

 

 

NEW RELEASE:

WAMPUS 2: DOOMSDAY MARCH

 

stories by Franco Frescura; art & cover by Luciano Bernasconi.

7X10 squarebound trade paperback, 180 p. b&w - US$15.95.

ISBN: 978-1-64932-113-8.

 

Wampus was the herald of a second generation of comic heroes and magazines launched by Editions Lug in 1969, which eventually led to Jaleb, Homicron, The Time Brigade, Kabur and many more.

Wampus is a shape-shifting monster sent to Earth by an evil cosmic power called The Great Mind to sow havoc and destruction. He can change into any form by merely touching water, and revert to type by coming into contact with fire. His only adversary seems to be an French ex-secret agent named Jean Sten, whom, in typical Invaders tradition, no one believes.

In this issue, Wampus brings chaos to London, Spain and Venice, while Sten appears unable to stop him. Yet, strange new allies show up who might pose a challenge to the creature from beyond…

 

"I ate it up when my copy arrived and have already reread it, it's such grand fun; a heady stew of bogus sf/alien/espionage/terrorism circa the '60s, working up to staggering global political/social collapse (orchestrated by the translucent noodle-bodied bad boy Wampus) that builds upon the anarchistic spirit of none other than Diabolik -- hence, a missing link of sorts in European comics history, between the archetype of Fantomas and the coming wave of underground comix radicalism. Love, love, love it, highly recommended!" S. R. Bissette.

"Wampus is one of the great alien monsters of comics... [an] obscure gem of bande dessinée pulp paranoia." Paul Gravett.

 

STILL AVAILABLE: WAMPUS #1

 

stories by Franco Frescura; art & cover by Luciano Bernasconi. 

7X10 squarebound trade paperback, 232 pages b&w; US$20.95.

ISBN: 978-1-932983-61-6.

Foreword by Will Eisner.

 

It's All Getting A Bit Weird Now...

 To show off -a new addition to the family tree. My great great great great grandfather 

You can see the resemblance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Holloway_(British_Army_officer)

Yes. I Just Re-discovered Two More Lost (female) Silver Age Characters

 Oh yes. A new book just arrived today and I was expecting more illustrated text stories but instead it is a mix of text and comic sets (strips).

There are two female characters that I have never heard of before and I am going to be writing a post on these in the next week or so (I hope).

Nothing stays lost forever -not even old British characters!

Cinebook Ltd: YAKARI 19 - THE DEVIL OF THE WOODS

 

Authors: Derib & Job

Age: 6 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
£7.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800440371

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/yakari-19-the-devil-of-the-woods-p-4463.html

In the middle of winter, while Yakari and his friends play in the snow, the tribe’s hunters kill a terrified wapiti. A welcome catch, for the stocks of food are running low. But the next day, all the meat that had been left to dry has disappeared! The hunters set out after the thief, and soon begin to suspect a bear. Yakari then decides to visit his furry friends to identify the culprit …

Before anyone asks the bear involved is not named "Yogi" and no "pic-a-nic" baskets are involved!

Things could be a bit bleak for any bear but as we know by now, Yakari is a friend to the wild animals and pretty soonthings start becoming clearer.  Was it a bear? If not then who is the mysterious thief? Well, I was very happy by the end.

Great fun for older readers just as much as youngsters and "safe" content. Colourful and wonderfully drawn as ever. Beat the worldly blues and follow Yakari!

Cast Iron Chris Never Rusts. Apparently

 

This character like many others that appeared in Swan comics never had any sort of origin tale (that I know of).  The Iron Boy is weird enough, but more about him another time.

 These were just strips drawn to fill pages for a few shillings by creators who didn’t have the luxury of expanding beyond one page with sometimes nine panels.

To all intents and purposes, Cast Iron Chris is a British superman but without a costume and more in the mold of other characters such as Desperate Dan –one wonders whether that might have been the intention?  John “Jock” McCail seemed to be a mainstay of Gerald Swan’s line of Swan Comics (Ah Wong, Dene Vernon, etc.) and drew some Cast Iron Chris strips. We have no idea whether Chris was a creation of his or not.

This was all “throw-away” entertainment after all and few creators chose to sign their work from choice.  We do know that in Slick Fun No. 22 (1945), McCail depicts Chris getting into a battleships 20 inch guns and falls asleep –he is fired into a German naval vessels and his impact sinks it.

That’s pretty good invulnerability.

But there is more.  In Black Tower Gold (volume 4) I reprinted another Cast Iron Chris strip from the Slick Fun Album, 1950).  

In the opening panel Chris is having a letter “C” tattooed onto his chest…using a pneumatic drill as opposed to a tattooist needle!  He then loses a book down an open manhole cover where there is a gas leak –striking a match to find the book in the dark, Chris is blown hundreds of feet into the air.  He goes through the cockpit floor of an aircraft and jumps back down to earth carrying the pilot.

Now, if that ain’t super human then I have no idea what is!

There is no doubt that this is John McCail's style as seen in TNT Tom and many other strips. Back in 2010 I thought the work was by someone else but why I thought that I have no idea 12 years on!

One can use one’s imagination to work out an “origin” but, honestly, the reader being a youngster, was supposed to just accept it all –a suspension of disbelief as it were. And that’s how it was supposed to be.

I have used Cast Iron Chris over the years and more recently a cameo in Parallel Motions (not yet published due to lack of art scanning equipment -ie an A3 scanner).

But, once again, Ben Dilworth stepped in with some, as usual, unplanned Jo Long and D. H. Wilberton strips. Some I did not feel worked with Chris but as you will see others work well -and no "re-boot"!

As for an origin well, I have one in mind and it will involve none other than--- oh. Wait. That would be a spoiler. Guess you'll have to wait and see then!

(c)2022 J Long, D H Wilberton and Black Tower Comics and Books

50 Years

 

Young Madame Foretell and "Our Fatheaded Fortune Teller"!

 

Glynn Protheroe created Madame Foretell -"Our Fatheaded Fortune Teller" for Gerald Swan and her page was basically a series of head-to-head gags. Pretty one-dimensional and for a long time I just put her aside and went with the original pages. However, I was building up a back story for the character in my mind.

In The Green Skies, Vol. II part 3 we see Madame Foretell appear out of nowhere to warn two characters of the coming danger before a transportation spell pulls her back home to "The Wizardry" in Sussex. There she is met by an old turban-wearing fellow she refers to as "Gally".

"Gally" is in fact a Second Level sorceror whom Fanshawe the Reality Check-Controller calls by the name of Gagamulasha. In fact earlier Gagamulasha revealed that Madame Foretell's first name is Glynnis. Gagamulasha and Glynnis are married (though don't ask me which church or sect).

We learn that Madame Foretell can use "magic" but to what extent we do not know though she is left behind when Gagamulasha leaves for the final confrontation at Arrana Comare (Plain of Tears) where only powerful members of the mystical community join the Reality Check Controllers. What happens after that.....

At some point later in her life Madame Foretell met the sorceror and that is a story for another comic!

But how did she end up for a period as some 'batty' (not all there) fortune-teller? 

It was a question I was developing when a package arrived from Japan. After a lot of bowing and apologising for being unworthy the postman gave me the package. I opened up the envelope to see that Ben Dilworth had already produced some "Young Madame Foretell" strips and I thought "go with it".

So we now see Foretell when she was younger, possibly in th eerly 1930s -that raises other questions since she has obviously not changed since the Swan era (1940s/1950s) and 2021 and that is another story to tell (yes, there is one). It is this younger period that I hope to expand on in future.

Madame Foretell was literally a throw-away gag page and although I do not believe in "re-booting" characters I do believe in filling in their past and what made them into the people they became.

Keep popping by as you never know when something might appear. Looking into the future I can tell you it will not be tomorrow.

Cinebook Ltd: CEDRIC 07 - "Isn't It Past Your Bedtime?"

 

Authors: Laudec & Cauvin

Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: July 2021

£7.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800440258

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/cedric-07-isnt-it-past-your-bedtime-p-4451.html

Childhood is a time to learn about life. We discover love, but also such things as disease and death. We learn to share and be generous, but we also learn about the dangers of excesses, greed and gluttony. In other words, every day is a new adventure – especially when, like Cedric, you have a somewhat clumsy father, a grumpy but loveable grandfather … and a strong-willed almost-girlfriend with an occasionally volatile temper!

Hah! This is far more like it. Colourful, well drawn and with some great gags and humour and also that perrennial question asked by many courting couples hoping to make out while baby-sitting: "Isn't it past your bedtime?" 

I know that this is supposed to be for younger readers but I also know that some rather "mature" people also enjoy this series and it takes a lot of work to write humour scripts and make them funny for the reader (oh -the failures!!).

Have some fun -buy a copy.

Cinebook Ltd: MEMORIES FROM THE CIVIL WAR 1

 

Authors: Richard Marazano & Jean-Michel Ponzio

Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 56 colour pages

£8.99 inc. VAT

ISBN: 9781849185288

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/memories-from-the-civil-war-1-p-4456.html

In a not-so-distant future, mankind’s greed and short-sightedness have exhausted the planet. The vast majority of the population lives in misery among the ruins of civilisation, while a small, privileged minority continues to enjoy a luxurious existence inside a few fortress-cities scattered around the globe, the Enclaves. Vivian is a member of the elite forces that protect this utopia – but also regularly hunt down and capture people from outside the walls to use as cheap, forced labour …

Let me start by saying that the art in this books is absolutely lovely. Looks like photo referenced but the overall look and feel is added to by the colour ork which all gets a 10 out of 10 from me.  The dialogue and story flows well and then we have the problem.

We have seen with HSE and other books from Cinebook this "Humans have really ***** up the future" and how the super rich are controlling everything either with tech, troops blah blah blah. Meanwhile the poor and downtrodden fight on as best they can as they seek to survive in this bleak future.

Bor-ring,

I am sorry to write that as the art and story I like but it is this dark future which, honestly, is like the same old trope being churned out and flogged to death. There are people who love this stuff. I like it to an extent -see Dilworth's The Dark Night Detectives for instance. However, I hold back a hell of a lot of this type of material because it gts too repetitive or is simply depressing to read over and over. Comics are fun and while I can appreciate the art and writing skills involved here but the constant dystopian output is such that I will put a book to the bottom of the review list.

The one thing we all need is some fun and escapism -the important word there; escapism. So art and story wise great. Being yet another dystopian series...no. But we'll see how this develops over the next two books.