NEW DAN DARE COMIC

A new comic featuring Southport’s iconic space hero, Dan Dare has just been published by Titan comics.

Written by Peter Milligan, and based on characters created by the late Frank Hampson (miss-spelt in the comic as Hampton), with art by Alberto Foche, it’s another brave attempt to update the fifties space hero.

There are three different front covers, although the art on this version by Chris Weston is the best in my opinion as it obviously pays homage to Frank Hampson’s original character.

Chris Weston was the artist who worked on the excellent 3-part Ministry of Space comic.

And what do I think of the first instalment? Well, I’m always glad to read a new Dan Dare adventure.  The artwork is clean and fresh, and the writing isn’t too wordy. The beginning, although updated of course, reminded me of the very early Captain Condor stories in the Lion comic during the early fifties, when space pilot, Captain Condor is a freedom fighter, at war with the solar system’s evil Dictator.

 There’s some brief cynical political rhetoric (although it’s considered, and doesn’t bear some of that heavy satirical bias seen in the dark dystopian short-lived 2000AD spin-off Revolver comic version from 1990. Coincidentally, writer Peter Milligan wrote the Rogan Gosh strip in that rather avant-garde publication.)

The story continues along a pace touching on the relationship between Dan and his arched nemesis, The Mekon (Not that any of this is a criticism, but, again I was reminded of other stories I’ve read dealing with the relationships say between Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty, or Batman and the Joker)

As we all know, there have been a few attempts to update Dan over the years, starting with 2000AD in 1976, which had him depicted as a generic space adventurer, and later more like an action hero Hans Solo type.

Later the New Eagle comic tried to give it a retro feel, and during the run even used original Eagle comic artist Keith Watson who produced some beautiful fifties looking artwork. Sadly, it was short lived. 

This splash page by Oliver Frey, from the 1983 Eagle Holiday Special. 

Virgin Comics published a seven part run in 2007, which seemed to owe more to the 2000AD depiction than the Eagle original.

And now we have a new kid on the block. Here’s the synopsis from Titan Comics:

“For the first time in human history, the solar system is at peace and Dan Dare, pilot of the future is bored out of his mind – and praying for something to break the monotony of peace”

Being a bit of a purist that doesn’t strike me as something the fifties Dan would consider. Britain as a nation was slowly recovering from the war, when he was created and Frank’s vision of a utopian and bright future was just what the comic readers wanted. I guess in line with today’s cynical thinking that just doesn’t seem to appeal now, and it would be naïve of me to think otherwise. Modern writers obviously have to write for a modern audience, and it must be difficult to retain fifties ideals and put a modern slant on a character more associated with another age.  

However, some things don’t change, and even Dan’s original exploits had their fair share of that all-important drama.

The synopsis continues;

“When an unknown vessel of biblical proportions arrives in the solar system and obliterates a moon of Saturn as a show of strength, Dan finds himself thrust back into a new adventure that threatens not just Earth, but all life in the entire universe!”

Nothing new there then, but we love a good old fashioned alien invasion. I’ll certainly be picking up the next issue.