|
-
Hivemind social net
-
News
- Features
- Blogs
- Events
Calendar
- Editorials
- Monthly
Zine
- Offworld
Report
- Our Daily
RSS Feed
- Google Toolbar scifi
- Movie/TV
Reviews
> Recent movies
> Movies by year
> Movies by title
- Book
Reviews
> Recent books
> Books by year
> Books by title
- Home
- Worlds
- Biography
- Bibliography
- Appearances
- Reviews
- Blog
- Community
- Press
- Links
Become
an Advertiser
- Web
Site Directory
- Search
the Net
- StephenHunt.net
- WoodenRocket.com
- Check
your E-mail
- Non Sci-Fi
News
|
Dan Dare: Prisoners Of Space by Frank Hampson and Desmond Walduck
01/09/2006 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Titan Books. 110 page illustrated hardback. Price: £16.99 (UK), $24.95 (US). ISBN: 1-84576-151-8. Buy Dan Dare: Prisoners Of Space in the USA - or Buy Dan Dare: Prisoners Of Space in the UK  check out website: www.titanbooks.com
Well, chums, this seventh book in the 'Dan Dare' series took a long time in coming, especially as it came out last November. In fact, I hold the reason in my hand because it had to be reprinted owing to a page being used twice. No doubt the Mekon will hold his tender green hands up to the mistake citing how rude Captain Dan and his pals have been to him even if he doesn't quite know what a 'melon-head' is. I trust all of you connoisseurs of one of Great Britain's finest comicbook heroes are eagerly buying all the editions available so that poor sales will not be the cause of this book series to close. So even if you're not that interested in a 1950s icon, check your fathers and grandfathers for their birthday presents. All copies in the shops will have all the right pages so boo sucks to you, you Mekon you.
All the Dan Dare books so far have been two-parters so you had to wait a few months between each volume. Not with this one, chums. This is a self-contained book of one complete story.
The exiled Mekon and his associates have taken over space station XQY, shortly before Captain Dare is to visit in an experimental spacecraft, The Performing Flea'. However, some mischievous cadets have been allowed to look over it as 'punishment' - not in my day, chums, then you're have six of the best - accidentally take-off together with old veteran 'Groupie' who was showing them around. It wasn't Groupie's fault, chums, someone left the controls active. The controls being set, they arrive at the station. The Mekon very kindly offers to trade them for an unarmed Dan Dare who volunteers to go. His batman, Digby, thinks it a trap and smuggles himself on-board much to Dan's disgust for even bringing some weapons. Digby proves right and Dan shows he has more lives than a cat in surviving all that the Mekon can throw at him. Truly a spectacular adventure, chums.
With an introduction by Sir Tim Rice, another Dan Dare fan, and an interview with Bruce Cornwall, who illustrated all the technical equipment used in the comicstrip for a time we learn more about the series. The introduction of cadets was to give characters closer to the Eagle's readers' ages someone closer to relate to. This might seem commonplace these days, chums, but it was rarer back then. It's a shame that Professor Jocelyn Peabody was practically down to a cameo appearance with this adventure but battles in space was men's business back then and they protected their womanfolk.
Although I doubt you'd be able to get a copy of the mistake edition, the correctly printed one is out and about and will make a fine introduction to the man of tomorrow. It's a jolly good romp in the British spirit of adventure.
GF Willmetts
|
|
