 |
| Cover by Christian Ward. |
Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future No.1 will be published in October, written by Peter Milligan and drawn by Alberto Fouche.
The comics news site CBR has exclusive details and interior pages over at this link:
http://www.cbr.com/dan-dare-revival-peter-milligan/
Can Dan Dare make it in the wider world of comics these days? Give it your support in October and let's hope so!
Below: brilliant retro-inspired variant cover by Chris Weston. (Ignore the bar code numbering. That's just for the mock up.)
10 comments:
That Chris Weston cover is marvelous.
Being polite, I remain to be convinced by the other artist.
Yeah, not sure about the new look for the Mekon in the strip itself but we'll see.
The Weston cover is great, and I like that Ward's attempting something different. Digging deeper, I note with some amusement that another alternate cover appears to have Tony Blair standing in as our favourite interplanetary hero.
I think I'll be giving this a miss. I'm not keen on the interior art at all. They should have gone for retro original Eagle style art for the interiors. That Chris Weston cover is a tantalising taste of what this series could have been.
I think Dare is a difficult strip to sell to an audience today. I know some original fans won't pay today's prices for a comic, but if the character is modernised too much for a younger audience it loses what made it distinctive. Personally, I've never liked Dan Dare much, but I admire the impact it had on British comics and the craftsmanship of the 1950s strips. I'll buy the Chris Weston cover because I really like it, and keep an open mind on where the story goes.
I will get the first issue with the Chris Weston cover to check it out. But the book I'm looking forward to the most (also out in October) is the new Dan Dare collection 'Mission of the Earthmen'. If only Titan could keep some of the previous collections in print I'd be happy. I'm only missing one, 'Prisoners of Space'.
My first experience of the character was in the late 80s (Eagle). He carried a gun (was it called Peacemaker), was akin to the likes of Dredd and was a no-nonsense tough guy. He was "my" Dan Dare.
And then in late 80s, I got to read some of the 50s tales. And I was surprised at the difference. Perspective, eh?
A comics professional was quite rude online, telling me I was wrong for liking "my" Dare, but if it's the first one I came across, and I enjoyed his tales, what's wrong with that?
I am mildly intrigued by this new series, by the way.
You make an excellent point, Parry. It's all about perspective. Those 1980s Eagle stories were exciting and really well illustrated; all one could ask for really. I think they achieved a good balance between the old strips and new with those stories, and hope they get collected one day.
You're certainly not wrong for liking them. Thousands of readers enjoyed those strips! Sadly, the attitude of "if it's not like it was in my day, it's not good enough" is there in comics, music, film, TV, everything. I can appreciate people having their preferences rooted in their childhood (we all do, to a certain extent) but the techniques of story and art have evolved naturally over the years, reflecting the world around it. Otherwise we'd still be buying Ally Sloper and Comic Cuts!
I echo these sentiments - I'm saddened by/for people who can only wallow in nostalgia. That said, I'd love to see a collection of the 80s Eagle DD strips, particularly those drawn by Ian Kennedy.
I loved the original Dare, missed the 2000AD revival first time round but enjoyed the Eale version(s). Virgins mini was great. I'm certainly going to give this one a chance. Needs supporting like all British comics.
Post a Comment