The 17th issue of top UK independent comic Spaceship Away has recently been published. Once again it's a fantastically enjoyable issue with a good variety of content. This blog has featured enthusiastic comments about this comic before but I understand there are still "traditional" UK comic collectors who don't buy Spaceship Away, despite the comic being about as traditionally British as it's possible to be.
Some people are put off by the price. At £6.99 per issue it's not cheap, as the relatively low print run of the comic means a higher unit cost. However, as it's only published three times a year, £21 per annum isn't going to break the bank.
Is it worth £6.99 an issue? Definitely! 44 full colour pages on high quality paper, with the best reproduction one could ask for. Of course good printing is no use if the contents aren't up to par, but in the case of Spaceship Away the material is always top class!
This latest issue is the best so far in my opinion. Here's just some of the highlights:
• Tim Booth's stunning artwork on Dan Dare, drawn with meticulous detail.
• Frank Hampson's original synopsis for Operation Saturn.
• Top SF author Stephen Baxter's thoughtful comparison of Eagle and TV21.
• Ron Turner's Nick Hazard strip, with excellent new colouring by John Ridgway.
• Graham Bleathman's cutaway design of the cockpit of the Anastasia. (The spaceship, not the singer.)
• An all-new Dan Dare centre spread by Mike Noble!
That last one is, in my opinion, worth the cover price alone. I've been a fan of Mike Noble's artwork since I was five years old and it's great to see him come out of retirement for this one off job. Best of all, Mike has lost none of his magic, with the quality of his drawing being as high as it ever was. I was tempted to post a scan here but, no. If you want to see what Mike Noble's version of Dan Dare looks like buy the comic! You'll be glad you did.
With ten comic strips and several features, Spaceship Away No.17 is indeed well worth subscribing to. For those of you wishing there was still a traditional British adventure comic out there, this is it. Publisher Rod Barzilay says that with rising production costs and bank charges this will be a tough year. This comic deserves your support. What are you waiting for? Visit the website below to order your copy now!
http://spaceshipaway.org.uk/
I'll second those comments about John Ridgway's colouring work -- simply stunning. And, of course, that Mike Noble centrespread simply has to be a must-have for anyone who grew up reading TV21 or Look-In
ReplyDelete