RECOMMENDED READING: STAR TREK - THE CLASSIC U.K. COMICS VOLUME TWO...

Back on September 25th 1971, TV21 ceased to be a separate entity

and was absorbed into VALIANT, a U.K. comic that had been continuous-

ly published since 1960.  (The issue was dated a week ahead - October 2nd.)

And so ended a legend in British weekly periodicals, as TV21 had, in its hey-

day, been the best-selling comic for children by a very-wide margin, and

whose sales have probably never been equalled even to this day. 

I'd been buying Valiant regularly since SMASH! had been merged

into it back on April 3rd of that year, and I was immediately taken with the

STAR TREK centrespread comic strip, one of only two (if I remember cor-

rectly) to come over from TV21.  (The other was The TUFFS Of TERROR 

ISLAND.)  The art, by JOHN STOKES, on PARAMOUNT's TV hit, was

nice and clean, telling the story well and capturing the likenesses of the

main actors in a way that not all previous artists had been able to.

Visually, the pages were sheer quality and a treat to the eyes.  I'm for

tunate enough to own several issues, including the first three, and it's al-

ways a pleasure to look again at these strips whenever I dig out the comics

for a self-indulgent nostalgia-fest, wherein I travel back in time as easily as

a crew member from the starship ENTERPRISE.  Now, however, I have

this brilliant new book by IDW to make that trip easier, the second of a

three volume set (yes, I've got the first one, the third is not yet out)

reprinting all the U.K. Star Trek strips down through the years.

The reproduction is amazingly crisp and clear, and if you're a Star

Trek fan, or a lover of British comics, you're sure to be bowled over by

this handsome, sturdy volume, which contains not just the Valiant strips,

but also ones from TV21 and its Annuals.  Available from FORBIDDEN

PLANET and all good comics shops and bookstores.  I'm already

looking forward to the third and final volume in the series.

Definitely a 'must have' item for discerning collectors.

  

Below - the cover of the first combined issue of Valiant & TV21.

Posted in: Cartoons