Because dear postie is putting his/her feet up next Friday, this is a double sized DFC issue just in time for Chrismas.
And a bumper issue it is indeed. There's the welcome return of Dave Shelton's Good Dog Bad Dog, James Turner's Super Animal Adventure Squad and Gary Northfield's Lil' Cutie. Mo Bot High continues well, as does the funny Fish Head Steve. But best of all, there was a great seasonal Sausage & Carrots by Simone Lia - 3 carrots as the three kings and Sausage as a very disgruntled star. Plus a magnificent 4 page Crab lane Crew by Jim Medway. As usual, it's one of the first Molly went for and she absolutely loved the fact that this week was all about the friends just getting together and having an ace Christmas. The only surprise disappointment was the single page Vern & Lettuce. We were both hoping for more!
I'm still not getting John Blake though. It just does nothing for me. Pullman's story is just too ponderous, even when it's trying to be fast moving.
But the highlight for me, and I'm certain, many other grown-ups was Mirabilis. A 10 page introductory episode that, like the recently concluded Mezolith, just sits rather uncomfortably with the rest of the book. It's just so completely different. Far darker, dealing with considerably darker material (first 10 pages, a duel to the death and the devil coming back to Earth for the year of miracles.
(From Mirabils, the devil rides out)
Not just the themes either, but the language as well:
"I don't have to tell you about an English winter - puddles are panes of glass, the trees as bare as standing stones ... And the whole world looks so different that sometimes you have to pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming."
Overall, the whole thing is incredibly good, but packed with references and influences: Steve Dillon artwork, a bit of Brett Blevins in the monsters, touches of Luther Arkwright in feel and settings perhaps. But it's certainly good and should appeal to older readers. (Molly didn't like it though, just like she didn't like Mezolith - just too old for her.) But I'll be looking forward to the next issue for more of the story.
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