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From: boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Comics Reviews #3 (not so long)
Message-ID: <264@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 03:26:54 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.264
Posted: Mon Jan 21 03:26:54 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 06:13:37 EST
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Mea culpa! Here are some I forgot.

Ratings for the comics reviewed are as according to the Mad Armenian Scale, a
shameless rip-off of the Moriarty Scale, stolen out from under the very nose of
the Napolean of Crime. Nyah-ah-ah!!

********************************************************************************
|=>A+< A veritable Classic. One of the best of All Time. Example: THE SPIRIT   |
|==>A< One of the best of the year. Ex: TEEN TITANS #39: "Who Is Donna Troy?"  |
|==>B< A very good issue, one of the best of the month. Example: CEREBUS       |
|==>C< A well done, entertaining issue.  Satisfying.  Example: JON SABLE       |
|==>D< Rather boring, or a few good spots mixed with more bad ones. Ex: ROM    |
|==>F< Boring AND stupid or childish.  Example: MARVEL SUPERHEROES SECRET WARS |
|==>Z< Actually offensive.  Example: DAZZLER --- THE MOVIE GRAPHIC NOVEL #12   |
********************************************************************************


SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS (MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #14)	[D+]

	Silly, unoriginal, unimaginative, predictable, and rather dull. But
it's pretty. Not quite a Ukrainian Easter Egg (the artwork's not *that* good,
not is the scripting *that* bad), but I don't know why anyone bothered. On the
other hand, I didn't feel that I wasted my time.


CAPTAIN BRITAIN  #1	[C-]

	For a while now, two Marvel-UK titles have been generally available
in the US, STARBURST and DR. WHO. Both of those are feature magazines, though
the latter does contain a Dr. Who comic feature. CAPTAIN BRITAIN, though, is
the first full-fledged comic from Marvel-UK to be distributed in the US. Like
most British comics, it's an anthology title. The bulk of the Captain Britain
is a re-cap of the Captain's adventures up until now, most likely done more
so that the American audience will be filled in to what's gone on before than
to remind the British audience of CB's career. It's a rather cursory glimpse
of the character's career, especially of the Alan Moore reign, but it serves.
	The only other new strip is "The Freefall Warriors", which was pre-
viewed in an earlier issue of DR. WHO. The jury's still out on this one. The
other two strips are reprints, but are of strips that have appeared only in
Britain, so they are still new to the American audience. The first is "Abslom
Daak, Dalek Killer" a Dr. Who spin-off by Steves Moore and Dillon, the team
who also bring you the Pressbutton strip from WARRIOR and Eclipse (this strip
originally appeared, of course, in DR. WHO). The other reprint strip is
"Night-Raven" by Steve Parkhouse and David ("V for Vendetta") Lloyd, which
has appeared here and there in the Marvel-UK line. The story isn't terribly
exciting, but the art's good. And later episodes were penned by Alan Moore,
so one has something to look forward to.
	All in all, a rather nice package. Oh, one caveat: like most British
comics material, this is in black and white.


CAPTAIN AMERICA #305	[D+]

	Captain America fights Captain Britain, or does he? The story is a
bit dull, on top of which, there are a few continuity problems (though only
ones which would be obvious to someone who was familiar with the career of
Captain Britain). First of all, Cap A seems to have forgotten his previous
team-up with Cap B way back when during the first run of CAPTAIN BRITAIN.
Secondly (and this is a gaff shared with last month's ROM), Cap A remembers
fighting alongside Cap B during the final battle with the Wraiths, but that
Cap B had his old costume then. I find it hard to believe that the entire
run of Cap B stories from when he guest-starred in the Black Knight's strip
in the British HULK comic through the Alan Moore scripted feature in DARE-
DEVILS (UK) and MARVEL SUPERHEROES MONTHLY (see the re-cap story in CAPTAIN
BRITAIN #1) took place in that short an amount of time.


HEARTBREAK COMICS #1	[C]

	Well, it's finally out! David Boswell, who brought us the adventures
of Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman has a new comic out. This one
concerns the sexual escapades of Laszlo, "the Great Slavic Lover". Unfortun-
ately (for Laszlo), one of his lovers is Lena Fleming, wife of the aforemen-
tioned demented dairyman. Reid suspects that his wife has been fooling around,
and hires a detective to find out with whom. Of course, Fleming finds out who,
and confronts Laszlo in a knock-down, drag-out fight.
	The art is a little crude, but the story is so hilarious, that you
hardly notice the art at all. If you liked REID FLEMING, you'll like this.
And there's an ad on the back cover for REID FLEMING #2. I hope it isn't too
long before *that* one's out.


--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA)

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