The DFC # 31
Okay, so it arrived earlier this week due to the New Year's lack of postman, but I haven't managed to get around to posting it until now.
The cover: This is a weird side effect of making the comic subscription only. There is absolutely no way I can imagine this being the cover if it had to exist physically on shelves. It's a great cover, please don't misunderstand, but it's not a children's comic cover is it?
And whilst we're on it, the cover features Mirabilis. This is shaping up to be absolutely great. It goes a little wibbly wobbly jumping to and fro into fever dreams and flashbacks, but even with these, it still accomplishes more in the five pages this episode than the dire John Blake has done for weeks. Because with this issue I've completely given up on Pullman's John Blake. It's just too ponderous, too drawn out and too unbearably dull. It's the first strip that's completely failed for me. But given the number of strips in the DFC in these 31 issues, that's not a bad strike rate at all.
Other things: Molly as usual gravitated straight to Vern & Lettuce and Sausage & Carrots. But for the first time since I can't remember when there was no Crab Lane Crew for her. Come back soon Jim! However she has decided that Good Dog Bad Dog, Peach De Punch and Super Animal Adventure Squad are great replacements.
This issue also saw the first episode of Frontier, by Jason Cobley and Andrew Wildman. I used to know Jason when he popped into Nostalgia & Comics with his great Bulldog Adventure Comic. (FPI interview here) It's great to see him doing so well with the DFC and Classical Comics. But, after the double episode introduction of Mirabilis at Christmas, I can't help feeling that this could have done with the same. It's four pages are good and fun, but it's all over far too quickly to get anything more than a taste of the series. A double episode of any new adventure serial may be a good idea. Give the reader something substantial to start with. Just an idea.
Now, if you haven't already done so, toddle off to subscribe to the DFC. Make good children's comics one of your New Year resolutions.
I totally agree about the DFC and John Blake in particular. I think maybe Pullman thought writing for the comic strip is the same as writing a novel. There's too much cutting between scenes, and stuff that's weirdly irrelevant, making the whole thing uninvolving. Anyway, the the rest of the comic just shines with quality.
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