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| Images copyright D.C. THOMSON & Co., Ltd |
Picked up this new comic in my local WHS today. Only got
two feet out the door before I was rugby-tackled by security, but
I managed to kick the schecht out of her. Only kidding of course.
So, what has the new THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO monthly
mag published by D.C. THOMSON got going for it?
It's a neatly presented 36 page mag, 12 of which are in comic
strip format utilizing what looks like screen grabs from the TV
show. A bit too much padding with pin-ups, puzzle, info & activity
pages for my tastes, but it is a 'magazine' rather than an outright
'comic' and fits the format that most kids are used to nowadays.
(Must say I don't much like the 'dutch tilt' speech balloons in
some panels - they don't quite work in my view.)
At £3.99, the price seems a bit steep, even allowing for the
Thunderbirds-related toy which accompanies every issue, as the
toy is declared as 'free' on the cover. £3.99 for a mag and a toy
is not bad, especially as the toy appears to be of good quality,
but as it's supposed to be free, then the mag is overpriced.
This isn't really aimed at older children of my age, but it'd
make a nice treat for your kids, or nieces and nephews, and you
could always play with the toy when they're reading the magazine.
The last licensed title I recall DCT doing was 'BUCKY O'HARE',
so I suppose they deserve a pat on the back for having another go,
and trying to rekindle the embers of what was once a mighty
comics publishing industry in this country in days gone by.
I'll buy the first few issues until I've got all the craft, but
whether I purchase any more depends on the toy. When you
think about it, that's rather a poor reflection on any publication -
and is a sad indictment on what's wrong with children's periodicals
today. Kids are buying comics not for the comics themselves, but
for the items that accompany them. Whether or not my assess-
ment of the mag will be shared by the target audience remains
to be seen, but let's hope it's not a case of 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 -
Thunderbirds are gone!
And look at this great little TB1 model - over 3 and a half inches long.
