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Just What Exactly Are These?

 Everyone knows (well, if you've been following CBO over the last 10 years at least) that I collect, ostensibly to wargame, 1/32nd scale -or 54mm- toy soldiers. I actually dread the idea of counting how many and from what periods I have. I blacked out even thinking about the number of  1/72nd (20-25mm) figures I have.

The problem with buying job lots cheaply (come on this is me and I do not have the cash to throw around) is that you often get figures you have never seen before. Look at the ones below.

I have been around a long time but never seen "cowboy" figures like these and on very odd plug-in bases. I asked around and no one had any idea who the maker was.

My first thought was that they were nice sculpts but looked like young boys playing at being cowboys. 

 So off I went on a mad three hour internet search (WHY, you OCD moron?!)  I would find out who made them or...get  bad eye sight from trying.  

 The underside of the stand may well have the makers name but as you can see it is unreadable. 

Being dim I had not thought of a Google Lens search but when I did try that I ended up with pages of images but nothing until....after one hour a small image caught my eye.  I thought it was rather odd and comical that the fella lying down and shooting has his foot plugged into the base and is shooting stright up into the air!

It took a bit longer searching but then I discovered these were made by Texas APS an Italian company.  Now I could copy what I found online at a site I should have checked at the outset -the Small Scale World blog of Hugh Walter!

If you want to find out more I recommend visiting his blog and as I am so nice here is the link:

https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/2019/12/i-is-for-international-brigade.html

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"The Captain Britain Corps in Marvel Comics does not have a black member in its core membership" Say What???

 Someone argued with with me over my statement that there was a "black" member of the Captain Britain Corpse (corps is pronounced "core"). As proof they took this from Google search:

"The Captain Britain Corps in Marvel Comics does not have a black member in its core membership. While the Corps represents various versions of Captain Britain from different realities, the members are primarily white British individuals. The corps has been rebuilt with members like Jamie Braddock and Brian Braddock". 

Well, tickle my nibbly-bits. If you are going to base your knowledge or argument on what an AI says then go suck my grapes of wrath. Ever heard of Doug Edward aka Captain Commonwealth? He turned up in The Mighty World of Marvel 13 dated 1st June, 1984 in the story A Funeral On Otherworld.

To be honest it took ages to find any image of Captain commonwealth online. Every other human/non human member of the Captain Britain Corps but him. You might find this clipped image...

But I had to look hard (all my issues are stored away so I could not get to them, however, searching long and hard I found this miscoloured image of the good Captain. In the 2002 Marvel trade of Captain Britain he is coloured to be a white person!!

The idea seems to perpetuate the myth that British comics had no "black" characters because we are a white racist bunch. Truth is that the characters go back to the 1920s and whether the dated art style (ie. the sort of image that will give certain people a brain aneurysm ) or less comedic and realistic we had them right through to the 2000s.

My question is why are the fan boys who love to complete comic character lists or group memberships constantly forgetting the "black" ones?

Also, how about this fella?  Chieftain Justice (T'challa) from Excalibur #44(1988).

Do your research and do note promote silly un-factual statements just because it will make you part of the virtue signalling crowd.  Better still -read the bloody comics you are supposed to be so expert on.

JUNK: Record of the Last Hero by Kia Asamiya

Have you heard of or read Junk: Record of the Last Hero?  It was a Manga series written and drawn by Kia Asamiya and originally published in Japan in 2004 by the Akita Shoten's magazine Champion Red. In 2006 It was brought to the United States in 2006 by Dr Master Publishing Inc. (more about them further on).

 JUNK is a story which focuses on high school pupil Hiro Yuuki, a who has become a shut in after being bullied at school and barely leaving his room. Hiro's only connections to the outside world are his parents, his love interest Ryoko, oh...and the Internet!

While online, Hiro stumbles across JUNK and, although there is no explanation as to just what JUNK is exactly, Hiro signs up anyway. Yeah, it's that kind of thing that land you taking on secret missions into space -but I'm not allowed to talk about that).  

Anyway, JUNK turns out to be a project that attempts to increase human potential and Junk stands for Juriatic Union of Neo-Kinetics. JUNK users become empowered by a suit that appears on them when activated -almost a bit like "Guyver" the japanese Manga series by Yoshiki Takaya. The JUNK series takes a lot of inspiration from Superhero Tokusatsu shows like Super Sentai (Power Rangers), Ultraman, and Kamen Rider (or Masked Rider) but Kia Asamiya puts a rather darker twist on it. 

If you think of what Frank Miller did to Batman in The Dark Knight Returns, so Asamiya did with this series but to the stereotypical Japanese Superhero Tokusatsu genre. In case you are wondering what this is exactly I can tell you (lucky there's the internet!):

"Tokusatsu is a Japanese term referring to "special photography" or "special effects," encompassing a genre of filmmaking that combines live-action with special effects, often featuring epic battles, giant monsters, and memorable characters. It's a technique used in various types of media like science fiction, fantasy, horror, and war, but is also sometimes considered a genre itself. "

There, now you know so we are even on that!

What Asamiya asked in this series was if a person with these powers existed in our world, how would the world react?  Yeah, okay, not exactly an original concept but it is how it is written and drawn and presented -the 1980s Squadron Supreme 12 issue series from Marvel looked at this and, decades later, DC borrowed the idea with the Justice Lords in the Justice League animated series and later introduction into their comics). Also, the Watchmen series. See? You get a lot of info on CBO and whoever just whispered "most of it is trash" -I see you!  But up until JUNK it was never used, as far as I can find out (Manhua is my main field) with Japanese super heroes, yes, there are a few!  

The amount of damage to buildings, etc. is incredible but this is typical of the Japanese TV shows. I was watching an Ultra Man episode the other day and rather than grab his opponent and move away from a built up city area the character was just blasting and crushing away -one of the onlookers did chastise him later by pointing out the amount of damage his battle had caused.

 JUNK can be described as "dark".  If you read a series such as Mamoru Uchiyama (Script, Drawing, Inker), and Toshifumi Yoshida (Script) Ultraman Classic Battle of the Ultra Brothers the story is basically villains who are supposed to be dead kill Ultra Men and there are fights but it is basic good, clean super hero stuff -and I am not complaining as I quite enjoyed it. But in JUNK there is sex, violence and drugs and this was very obvious when I got some of the books while I was heavily promoting Dr Master Publications inc. (no, they never paid me and went out of business in 2009).

There was also, although I never originally realised it (I can be a little dim at times),  some over -arching political satire but that does not mean it is boring. There is sarcasm and some whacky-ness and my first reaction when I got the books was "Oh, crap more Japanese Manga", however, the two volumes I got were excellent and had me hooked and so, with tears rolling down my eyes, I purchased the other volumes to read the full story and for me to go to the effort it took and cost it had to be good.

The plot (summarised)  is about the JUNK, a system which acts as a super-suit, and the people to whom the junk suits are assigned and at first there were only two units (one white unit and one darker, black unit ) in the world and, you guessed it,  both were in Japan!  It was revealed, however,  that a third JUNK type (red) also existed . Black, White and Red JUNKs were all prototypes used by JUNK Systems to further develop the Blue JUNK which would be the production model. 

According to Asamiya the eye style, "Is a mono-eye style.... but there's actually two eyes." The suits require an eight-hour charge up period and that gives only one hour of performance and although the suits are given free of charge users must complete a report and send it to the manufacturer, which had not yet been named.  I mean -what could go wrong?  What?

Hiro gets the Black unit. The other unit goes to an unknown female user, it is later revealed that the White JUNK actually goes to Manami's Stand in/bodyguard, Lisa. the story follows Hiro's gradual maturing and changes in his life through the adventures he has and how he copes with the responsibilities and burdens it brings. 

I do not want to give any spoilers in case anyone does go out and look for the series but there is a final battle with a squad of Blue JUNKs and naturally there are twists and turns.  I know what you are thinking (except you in the red T-shirt: that is disgusting!) -"How does he activate the JUNK suit when he needs it?"

I am sooooo glad you asked. No shouting "SHAZAM!"  no  "By The Power of Grey Skull!"   Rather like the character Sean Barker in the Guyver movie who shouts "Guyver! , Hiro's transformation password is.....

"TRANSFORM!"

Uh, okay. Not very imaginative but it is to the point so I'll let that one go.  In the end Hiro is the only one of the JUNK wielders to still retain his JUNK suit.

I think I have made it clear that this is a series well worth seeking out and from thinking this was going to be a rather lame Japanese Iron Man rip off I soon changed my mind and still browse through it over a decade later.

Junk is definitely not comic junk.

   

Trolls Are So Sad

 I always make things transparent and that includes abusive emails. I received this from Alex Foix who was someone who was becoming a nuisance with messaging me on Twitter (X) and other places about the characters I use.

"At the original time of emailing, I had not been aware of some very key differences between the American and UK copyright systems. Which made it a little clearer about how public domain content actually works in the UK, had I have known that my curiosity in the initial email was fruitless to begin with.

"Although I don't feel any misreading on your part excuses you from being a jerk."

How was I being a "jerk" or "douche"?

Saturday 12th March 2022

"Purchase all of Swan's content and characers from him directly in the early 1980s and systematically purchased any Golden age characters from publishers still alive at that time. I do not intend to go back and forth on what I have. There are many public domain US characters that might be more worth your while. As for HM Copyrights Office and Intellectual Properties Office why would you need to call or contact them?

https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk

"Have a look at the online store and the link I sent you DOES work as I just had two other people try it. There is a link on the CBO blog QRD interview which is the original shorter version and if you search my name and QRD interview it will appear.

"I am no longer willing to discuss my copyrights. They are secure and you have not explained WHY you are digging into this so the subject is now ended.

T"

The problem was that this person (if it is his real name) was pestering me and I was being as polite as I could be in responding but then he wanted more info and it was getting to such a state that when his reply to my above email was received I blocked him. He was never clear why he was concentrating on my work or business or what his intent was but I was polite but that he was focussing on me was evident by what people online were telling me.

His response was:

"Having calmed down from earlier, and realized that emailing you to begin with, I have a small question to ask you.

"Are you ALWAYS this much of a douche to people?"

Today, over three years later this pops up in my inbox:

"At the original time of emailing, I had not been aware of some very key differences between the American and UK copyright systems. Which made it a little clearer about how public domain content actually works in the UK, had I have known that my curiosity in the initial email was fruitless to begin with.

"Although I don't feel any misreading on your part excuses you from being a jerk."

To be honest when someone I have never met or communicated with before starts this type of thing it is trolling and basically harassing you on multiple sites that is classed as a cyber crime (look it up on the Crown Prosecution Service web site). I get emails and messages all of the time from people across the world  as I am the most open and easily most contactable person in comics and I always respond (as I did in this case) but when the emails and insults continue steps need to be taken.

Included in the latest email was a link to Yahoo search Organize_Conquer and that takes you to:

""Organize and Conquer" is a common phrase encouraging taking control of one's life and achieving goals by improving organization and productivity. It suggests a proactive approach to managing tasks, time, and environment to achieve success. "

I have no idea what that is supposed to do with me??

Anyway, I never block people anymore as I find it far more effective to report their account in cases of 

trolling or abuse. Mr/Ms Foix -desist now.

Creative Covers or Slam! Bash! Crash! Action Covers?

 

I've referred to covers being a very important part of a book and how it is meant to draw in the potential customers. Here's a link:

https://hoopercomicart.blogspot.com/2021/07/yes-cover-really-does-matter.html

Someone suggested that I might sell more books if I adopted the character or super team battle action scene on covers. They may be right but there are problems.  Firstly, I like to think that real comic fans (not the ones out chasing every cover variant or first issue or even the first appearance of a character) love comics for the sake of the medium -the stories, the art and that they are not all swayed by having to have a big action cover. Maybe I put too much faith in real comic fans ....if they exist these days because I never hear from any.

Secondly, I want to have the reader surprised by what is in a book. In the first version of Return of the Gods: Twilight of the Super Heroes I simply had Jack Flash free falling into tentacled space.  When the book went up to over 300 pages I wanted something different after all what was in the book -alien Boarman invasion, space vampires, cultists, adventurers and super heroes, giant robot, ancient Old Gods and the newer ancient pantheons, eternal war on a dimensional plain and the ultimate evil.  How the heck do you get all of that on one front cover?  So I went for a more cosmic view cover.

The Cross Earths Caper involved parallel Earths, a Selenite space cannon pointing at Earth, the rescue of the original 1920s members of the Society for the Suppression of Criminal Activity and a lot more including the main heroes lost in time.  I went for a multiple Earths cover.

When it came to the final part of the Invasion Earth Trilogy, The Green Skies,  I found that the page print limited was 500pp on a book and so, annoying as it was, I had to split that final part into three separate volumes.   I designed and drew cover after cover and rejected them all> decided that I would go with an eye catching fancy design featuring the silhouette of one character (pivotal characters) on each. A lot of comments about the unique design and blah blah ego stuff blah blah. 

How do you produce a simple cover for a book in which the Reality Check Controllers are decimated, an alien invasion fleet commits genocide on Mars, space patrollers are killed, and on Earth a plague of genetically created (by alien vampirons) zombies dubbed "the Close Zone Boys"  have spread across the globe and heroes on every continent have to face the menace while Earth magic users are tricked by their guiding council into traps and heroes die (permanently)while, as an act of mutually assured destruction to prevent an unstoppable alien invasion force the Selenites have a doomsday device that will destroy every planet and object in the solar system and beyond.... there is more with non alien vampires but let's not give the story away.

Also, although I can whack a comic cover rough together for projects I am not really a cover artist.  Someone did suggest that the easy option was to use AI to create the covers.... my response is unprintable.

Would more action on a cover sell a book?  I do know that some people do not find my idea of a cover to their liking but then I have had some claim the books have high production standards so can't be called Small Press (I do not call them that) and "look too professional. You cannot win.

If you make your own comics or books my advice is to go with what you feel fits in and you are happy with and please do not use AI art!

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An Epic Cross-over?

   I was asked again why I do not do a mega crossover of all the obscure British super heroes I have catalogued.  

Well, because we are talking modern -1970s-early 2000s- it cannot be done.Firstly, you need permission from the creators and most of those left zines a couple decades ago and although I have tried tracking some down for interviews I think it was only two I found. One had no interest in comics and said his zine (small press comic) was "just a Uni fad".  

You cannot just take all of the characters and use them because they were created by and owned solely by one person. Even the 1970s characters, not used in 47 years could not really be used. I did try asking some of the creators at one time about producing a trade of their comic with all the sales cash going to them. No deal. "It was mine and it was of that time" and that ended the conversation although I have at least tried to keep the memories alive.

As it is I have so many stories with a LOT of characters but I don't think I have decades more to make them all come into print. No Stransky or Labbat, no Dilworth just poor old little me so what I can get out in print will have to be it but definitely NOT any more epics such as Return of the Gods and Green Skies.... I don't think!

Regarding that Alan Moore Special...

 No, it is not available. Check the cover and you'll see if was a rather sarcastic joke.

Ahh....Memories

 

Am I Touting for Business?

 14.5 thousand views in the last 7 days.   

If 2% of you want to buy some of my books I would be very happy!

Yes, I am touting for business.

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Cinebook Ltd -Harry Dickson 2 - The Court of Terror

 

Authors: Luana Vergari and Doug Headline, from a story by Jean Ray; illustrated by Onofrio Catacchio

Age: 12 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 64 colour pages
Publication: February 2025

£11.99 incl VAT

 ISBN: 9781800441569

Frederic Hamilton, an aging millionaire and philanthropist, calls upon Harry Dickson to investigate most curious facts. For some time, he has been having strange dreams in which he appears before a mysterious court – eleven masked judges who accuse him of despoiling Humanity. 

Now, his latest dreams have included physical torture … and the pain is still present when he wakes up! Dickson and Superintendent Goodfield travel to Hamilton’s residence, but their mission quickly turns into a nightmare …

Harry Dickson is quite an old character and I came across some of his adventures in German in the 1990s when I was looking at old German pulps and other magazines from the early 1900s.  In this volume there is an illustrated text section -Disgorged From Hell -Harry Dickson's Foes which is an interesting read.

The art by Onofrio Catacchio is very enjoyable to look at while Hiroyuki Ooshima's colour work enhances the mood of the various scenes. Headline and Vergari have written a nice and moody story based on an original Jean Ray (the character's creator).  This series looks like it could be another winner for Cinebook.

Mysterion. The fate of this character left me with mixed feelings about what Dickson did rather like Ben Dilworth with the 1930s The Clock stories questioned whether using a gun to bring justice is wrong -the conclusion was that it was ...a paradox.

Square jawed and pipe smoking Dickson is certainly a character that entertains.

Worth the price of admission! 

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Cinebook Ltd -Buck Danny 15 - Air Force One

 

Authors: Frédéric Zumbiehl; illustrated by Gil Formosa
Age: 10 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages:  48 colour pages
Publication: February 2025

£8.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800441552

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/buck-danny-force-p-4569.html?osCsid=417ldlu9dfpaia3le6mm612je6

Project Skyborg, the Air Force’s prototype AI pilot, has turned into a complete disaster. While the system works, it has unfortunately been hijacked by agents of the Circle, a shadowy criminal organisation whose nefarious plans Buck has already thwarted several times. 

The terrorists are now in possession of an AI-controlled F-16 with which they intend to strike an important target and start a deadly war. They have also called upon Sato, who’s kidnapped Sonny and plans to use him to lure his sworn enemy Buck into a trap … The conclusion of a two-part story started in volume 14.

ooh. AI being a "bit of a thing" at the moment this was timed well.  The art and story flow well with plenty of -well, almost an overload- of action.  Sonny has his very own side story and gets the gal in the end to boot.  Some of the dialogue seemed a bit odd such as "Heavens!" as an exclamation and "you piece of garbage!" It may seem odd due to my age and watching Wesley Snipes movies again -after all the books have a rating. Shouting "You **** Goddam ***** of a *****!" might be a bit out of place.

I'm old.

I never realised how tough a military pilots life is: flying high tech aircraft and James Bond style action.  Maybe they need a pay rise?  This would make a great action movie and when a comic album is good enough that you think that then it must be good. Right? Well, it got to volume 15!

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Cinebook Ltd -The Bluecoats 18 - Duel in the Channel

 

Authors: Lambil & Cauvin
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: January 2025

£8.99 incl VAT

 ISBN: 9781800441521

1864. The USS Kearsarge, a Union warship, puts in at the port of Amsterdam. Its mission in Europe: to stop the predations of the Alabama, a confederate privateer that’s been preying on the transatlantic trade. Aboard are Blutch and Chesterfield, threatened with a firing squad by an irascible general, and sent to lie low in the Navy by their own superiors. Soon, the Alabama is spotted, and the Union ship rushes to intercept it. The confrontation will take place in the English Channel!

Well, what can I say?  After (a lot of) years telling people that the Confederate and Union navies had a battle in the English /French Channel Cinebook vindicates me! That our heroes end up in the Union Navy should be no big surprise since they have been in the cavalry and involved in ballooning.

There are some liberties taken in the story for comedic effect and so that our Blue Duo can get involved  There is the naval battle and the general carnage of war and the sad aftermath but our two numb-heads keep on going and one of them even tries his hand at surgery while the other...uh...tries his hand at going green and casting out "green comets" -you have to guess which or, perhaps, buy the book and find out?

This series is always fun as well as a tad educational (we'll ignore that last part so as to not put off anyone with an education allergy).

Always fun and always recommended.

Oh, in case you are interested you can learn about The Battle of Cherbourg here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cherbourg_(1864)

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It Took Over 50 Years But Colossus Has arrived

Back in the 1960s and 1970s there were no action figures. You wanted Captain America, Thor, Batman or, say, Billy the Cat then you turned to that wondrous material Plasticine (it's basically what Ardman Animation did).

Kotar and Sabuta, The Missing Link and other heroes I created were all built from Plasticine and it took a couple packets to make my own version of Giant Man -Colossus. The character appeared in Return of the Gods Twilight of the Super Heroes but I always wanted to have the classic look.

I wanted a Colossus to add to my growing number of adventure characters in 54 mm (1/32nd) scale. I found a very cheap 6 inch wrestling figure (the Rock) and Milliput  for hair wrist band and comm-watch as well as belt control and....

Voila!

Hmm. Ignore the 60mm Crescent cowboys  -I've been on a big figure paint spree.

Above: Herald/Lone Star 54mm Tarzan figure and a Crescent Native American as Blue Eagle and behind him to the left Mr Bat and right the Bat. Colossus fits in with these well.
 

For some reason after I finished this one I smiled. Maybe I'm going senile...or having fond memories?

Hexagon Comics -The Partisans 3: War's End

 

7x10 square bound comic, 

48 pages 

b&w
ISBN-13: 978-1-64932-333-0.

 US$10.95

https://www.hexagoncomics.com/shop-the-partisans-3-wars-end.html

cover: Luciano Bernasconi

THE FIRST DAY 
Story:: J.-M. Lofficer; Art: Mario Guevara 

THE LAST DAY 
Story: Thierry Mornet; Dialogues: J.-M. Lofficer; Art: Luciano Bernasconi 

Spring 1945. The end of the Second World War is near... Paris has just been liberated... The Germans are retreating everywhere... The Americans are coming... However, there is still time for some desperate missions, such as stopping a last train of Jewish children from being taken by the Nazis to the death camps!
 
The Guardian of the Republic and Marianne, Baroud and Princess Sadko of the Partisans, will each face incredible obstacles in order to halt this abominable project. And their success will only come at the price of the blood shed for some of them...
 
But while one war is about to end, another, perhaps even more violent and merciless one, is already beginning...
 
These two sagas from the last days of the Second World War have been created by Thierry Mornet & Luciano Bernasconi, and Jean-Marc Lofficier & Mario Guevara.


The strongest story was  The First Day Guevara's art on this looks almost pencil and washes. It's quite effective.  With the Princess shot down by a traitor will we ever learn what the Crimen Project is?! This is certainly the best of this volume.

It was interesting to see Bernasconi's art as the Guardian of the Republic faces a tough fight and a fight that could prove fatal but along the way he meets his 21st century counterpart and Dr Omega.  Will this be the 1940s Guardian of the Republic's final battle?

Hopefully we will see vengeance over the shooting and betrayal of the Princess and the Allies but only time will tell. Perhaps things will move on to the Cold War?

A fun read.

addenda. I am old and daft and forget, Jan Marc was kind enough to correct me re Crimen:

"In the review of PARTISANS #3, you seemed to wonder what "CRIMEN" was.

"The answer is, it is our Hydra as CLASH is our SHIELD. All were created in the 60s to capitalize on the success of BOND and UNCLE.

"CRIMEN was introduced in our CLASH TPB.

"Where we differ from the model is, we connected to the 1800 British criminal societies. Reread the GUARDIAN OF THE REPUBLIC / COUNT ST GERMAIN / JOHN MIST issue and the STRANGERS ORIGIN: HOMICRON for more.

"There you'll see an older rick Ross/Baroud, as well as his son (or grandson now with the sliding timescale?) the new BAROUD.

"For a more detailed appearance see GUARDIAN OF THE REPUBLIC #1.

"In addition to the connection to the 1800 crime societies which I think is original,  making patriotic WWII hero Rick Ross into a villain is I think rather unique.

"The next PARTISANS will take place at the time of the founding of the UN and will show how Rick Ross created the modern-day CRIMEN."

Thank you, JM!

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Cinebook Ltd -Buck Danny Classics 8 - The Eagle's Nest

 

Authors: Frédéric Zumbiehl and Frédéric Marniquet; illustrated by André Le Bras
Age: 10 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages:  48 colour pages
Publication: October 2024  

£8.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800441460

The operation to rescue Tumb from the Nazis hiding in Argentina has derailed dramatically, and now Sonny, too, is a prisoner. That leaves Buck and Mossad agent Beata to continue the search, both for their friends and for the secret Nazi base. A mission that is becoming more urgent by the hour, as this remnant of the Third Reich managed to escape with some of their secret weapons at the end of the war, and are preparing for a major operation …. 

Well, sod it. I lost the bet with myself. The shadowy figure at the end of Sea Dart was not Adolf Hitler but....Martin Bormann. If you ask "Who he?" go back to school. I now owe myself £10 I do not have.  Or as Buck explains when meeting the Nazi: "The padre?...wait...that face...you're actually...Martin Bormann!  Hitler's former right-hand man!"

And, yes, even the highly trained Mossad agent hadn't realised.  Wearing a disguise when dressed as the padre might have justified the shock of the revelation but...these two don't turn out to be the finest brains out there.

Apart from that it turns out that Bormann was not just Hitler's right hand man (gasp!) he was also in charge of secret projects such as an anti-gravity one.   So some old German jets equipped with anti-gravity systems are part of the master plan to bomb any part of the world and bring about the (are you ready for this?)..Fourth Reich.  Damn I never saw that one coming. Well......

Anyway, in true Bond style the Nazi underground complex is infiltrated and thanks to the good ole United States of America (and Mossad) the plot is thwarted and so the most wanted Nazi on Earth meets his doom....oh...he doesn't. But HOW could he escape?!

He dressed up as a padre and drove away.

So, if I get this correct just changing your clothes makes you impervious to detection?  If so then Frau Klangenwursthung over in the next village really could have been Hitler?!  It would explain the moustache.

This is good old hokum fun and enjoyable and I suspect there was some tongue-in-cheek writing going on here. Its action packed and its a fun read and it is something we need these days!

Cinebook Newsletter 207 - March 2025

 

Dear Reader, The wait is finally over: they’re here! Volumes 1 and 2 of our brand-new, exclusive-to-Cinebook Blake & Mortimer – The Complete Collection series are available, and they are gorgeous! They’re 224 pages of concentrated comics history – and exciting adventures of course! – lovingly placed inside a hard cover, with three stories collected inside each and a whole extra book’s worth of additional material on those titles, the series as a whole, the author and his travails … plus photographs, sketches and illustrations, analyses of the art and the writing … and more! Volume 1 contains all three parts of our heroes’ very first adventure, The Secret of the Swordfish. World War III, Olrik, dogged British resistance and phlegm, and a jet plane whose design will forever remain legendary in the comics world! As for Volume 2, it encompasses what are arguably the best episodes: The Mystery of the Great Pyramid, both parts, and The Yellow M. From the sun-drenched Giza Plateau to the fog of London, come along for some of the most spectacular pages of the Ninth Art! Finally, Emilie’s Inheritance reaches its third volume, and some mysteries are beginning to find answers – though new questions and surprises arise in return! Florence Magnin’s art is as gorgeous as ever, and her story weaves classic Irish folklore and science fiction together into a captivating whole that’s not to be missed! March with Cinebook – travelling far and wide! We are happy to announce that the third volume of our Lucky Luke series – Dalton City – is now back in print and waiting only for you to pick it up! Blake & Mortimer Edgar P. Jacobs The Complete Collection 1 At long last, a hardback collected edition of Blake & Mortimer is published in English! A Cinebook exclusive, not even available in French, this Complete Collection will gather two or three books per volume, in the original publishing order, plus another book’s worth of fascinating extra material on the series and the author, as well as sketches and historical notes – unmissable for any true fan! … Read more Blake & Mortimer Edgar P. Jacobs The Complete Collection 2 This second volume collects together what are probably the most emblematic Blake & Mortimer titles: the two-parter Mystery of the Great Pyramid, and above all the incredible Yellow M, an instant classic that propelled its author into the ranks of bande dessinée greats … Read more Emilie’s Inheritance 3 Florence Magnin The Exile As Emilie comes to explore the Irish estate she’s inherited, she’s forced to face a startling truth: there, ghosts, fairies and gateways to other worlds aren’t mere legends, but rather the reality! Then there are the other residents, all of them strange, creepy at times, and who seem to hide a terrible secret … Read more Amazonia 4 Episode 4 Michel Vaillant Legendary Races 3 The Disastrous Season North-American readers, to locate a comic book shop near you that stocks or can order these titles and many more, use this handy Read more   Or, if you're a retailer yourself, please go to: Read more Blake & Mortimer The Complete Collection 1 Blake & Mortimer The Complete Collection 2