Sunday is the best comic reading day. Ignore the specter of work the next day and lose ourselves in a world of larger-than-life characters and sporting triumph and disaster. With the Premier League over for another season, all I have is my pile of comics for the next ten weeks, so plenty of time to enjoy some sporting action that isn't quite so life and death.
Tiger
20 October 1973
Tallon Of the Track
I was enthused by the first appearance of Tallon Of the Track last week but this week I came to the realization that it will take a few weeks for the story to find its feet and we are still very much at the introduction stage, we don't even know who Tallon is yet! In this issue, the story continues to lay out its characters, and we see more of Trent as he pursues the mysterious Tallon for his team. After almost being run down by Tallon at the end of the last issue, this week he follows the trail to the abandoned airfield where Tallon lives. Tallon threatens him, telling him they want to be left alone, but Trent explains himself and offers money for riding in a trial race next week. Come race day and there's no sign of Tallon, so Trent puts in a reserve, only for the late arrival of Tallon to put a spanner in the works, literally, and entering the race three seconds behind everyone else. There's not a lot of action in this issue, and with Tallon remaining a mystery to us, there isn't a character we can warm to. As always, the artwork remains strong and is the best part of the story this week.
Rating: 6/10
Best line: "Now sit there until you tell me who you are and what you want, mister. I'm the kind of person who likes to be left alone!"
Roy Of The Rovers
When we last left Jumbo Trudgeon in Roy Of The Rovers he was being heckled by the crowd and was about to be assaulted by an elderly gentleman for reasons unknown. Little more is revealed this week, and although Jumbo escapes unharmed, the continual anger from the crowd remains unexplained. All this off-field drama puts off Rovers from their natural game, and it is only the heroics of Charlie The Cat that save them from defeat, an 1-1 draw saving face but hardly of their high standard. Post-match Jumbo is about to explain more when he is interrupted that a group of people is vandalizing his car. The football action gives us some good panels, especially of Charlie Carter in action in goal, but most of the story is static with dialogue carrying the plot. Like the previous Tallon of the Track, we are deep in mystery and we will have to wait another week before more is revealed. Good for selling next week's issue, but not so good for my patience.
Rating: 5/10
Best Line: "Big-headed Tudgeon - miss it! Miss it!"
Martin's Marvellous Mini
Martin's Marvellous Mini was the best story last issue, and although this week isn't as quite as good the story continues to move quickly along. With our heroes facing a gunman demanding the treasure map, options are limited, but with George on the scene, there is always an out. Gunning the engine, Matin accelerates in a shower of mud that leaves the villains blinded. Making good on their escape, Martin and Tiny head for London, and Tower Bridge where they surmise the treasure is hidden. After obtaining some scuba gear (apparently, they are already trained in how to use it) they explore the bottom of the Thames where they come across a box of gems, just as the map had shown. The final panel of the story sees greed in their eyes as the promise of more treasure lays ahead. I'm not in love with this story, once they defeat the gunman there is no further drama, and the treasure hunt seems all too easy. Without their mini Martin and Tiny aren't as interesting and one can only hope that next week we either get more of the villains, or more of George. Last week I rated this story highly, this week not so much.
Rating: 5/10
Best line: "Five thousand? And...and half is ours!"
Skid Solo
With North America conquered, Skid Solo and the gang are in Mexico for some much-deserved rest and relaxation. For Sandy, this means taking it easy and doing some fishing, for the ever-moving speed demons Skid and Sparrow it means taking to the lake in a speed boat and doing some water skiing. the story starts properly after Skid and Sparrow are seen water-skiing and are asked to join a ski race for charity. After agreeing, they both have second thoughts are seeing the promotion for it, and Sparrow in particular has a case of nerves, having only done it a couple of times before. However, he is saved when an unfortunate tumble down the stairs puts him out of commission, leading to poor old Sandy being roped in to take his place, As luck would have it, the race of called off for rough weather, leading to the punch line that this issue has been building to - the alternative charity event is a fishing competition, which Sandy wins. The structure for this story is similar to last week, where the preceding pages are merely the maneuvering of props to deliver a punch line in the final panels. I am amused by it, but it does feel like a lot of work for little payoff. I know that there will be many more of these to come, but I look forward to the new race season starting and some Grand Prix action.
Rating: 4.5/10
Best line: "Och, steaming heaps 'o haggis! Hey, Skid...Sparrow.. come an' see this!"
A Horse Called Ugly
I wasn't too fussed on A Horse Called Ugly last week, but I find this week's story more to my taste. In the last issue, Joe and Ugly arrived in South America but remained unhappy with their situation. This week things look up for the pair as they take a leisurely ride in the countryside with Angela. After rescuing a boy from the stream, Joe and Ugly are taken to a local village where they are cleaned up and given some local hospitality. As Joe says himself "These are his kind of people and mine!". Much happier, it is with heavy hearts that they return to their luxury accommodation. However, the next morning the team awakens to find both Joe and Ugly are missing, and assume that something terrible must have happened to them. The story is meandering this week, and after some action as Ugly and Joe plunge into the river, the rest of the panels are fairly mundane. The final couple of panels has me hoping that next week the story will sweep me up, but until then I'm rating this one low.
Rating: 4/10
Best line: "Ugly, hang on to this. I haven't got enough strength!"
Football Family Robinson
Football Family Robinson was almost my favorite story last time out, and this week it maintains that high standard. I know I asked for more Viv, but I am more than happy as the story stays firmly focused on Alf and his problems with the law. After the police came across Alf crouching over Rodney Bull's unconscious body, things looked bad for Alf, and things don't improve as two witnesses give their statements. With the story breaking in the next day's paper, all the family can do is carry on with their training and work. Alf is questioned by a detective, but not taken in, which the team takes as a sign that there are other suspects, a fact confirmed when the detective reveals that Rodney Bull had many enemies. The story concludes just after this, as Alf is working on the building site as some of Rodney's friends ride last on bikes, throwing a brick through the window. The intrigue is continuing to build in this story, and the premise and delivery are great. This week is just as good as last time, and if it continues like this it may well be the first story I turn to next week.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Have you come to arrest our Alf?"
Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton
The Great Tovaritch continues to run amok in Johnny Cougar and after throwing Splash into the dessert table last week, confronts Johnny. Despite Johnny urging him to be calm, Tovaritch causes a scene in the restaurant before going outside where he promptly does further damage to a passing bus. At the promoter's office, he signs the contract to wrestle Johnny officially but is unhappy that Johnny's name is first on the document, leading to another moment of rage. The story ends with Tovaritch making his way to Johnny's gym to prove a point about his strength. This episode is all about demonstrating the rage and strength of Tovaritch. In a move straight out of the wrestling world, they are building him as a heel before we get the payoff at the main event. The restaurant scene and the promotors office shows this uncontained temper of huis, while the damage to the bus gives us some idea of the strength he possesses. This isn't my favorite story of the week, but I give credit to the team for building the character here that will no doubt pay off down the line.
Rating: 5/10
Best Line: "Me, I'd rather fight a herd of buffalo than that guy."
The Tigers
"Gritty Gherkins!" - when we last saw Chunky Clark in The Tigers he was adrift in a boat about to go over a weir. In some awesome angling action, Chunky tries to cast his way to safety, only to see his line break. It is then his rod that saves him as he uses to it brace himself between two rocks. It is in this precarious position that he is rescued by some other anglers in a boat, the very same anglers who had lost the small boat in which chunky now sits. He is well rewarded for his bravery, with the anglers funding new equipment for Chunky to use in the competition. We are then set up for the next issue with Ron in some scuba gear about to once again sabotage Chunky and his comrades. A good story this week, with a fine balance between action and plot. It is typical of Chunky to go from zero to hero and back again in a single issue, and it is no different here. However, there is no real peril in the final panels, and I expect we'll see Ron's dastardly scheme play out on the first page of next week. Not quite as good as the last issue, but enough that I'll be back
Rating: 5/10
Best line: "The only thing Chunky can catch is a cold!"
Issue final ratings:
Overall: 5/10
Best Story: Football Family Robinson
Best Line: Chunky Clark - "I can't understand it. The grotty fish can't have read what's in my angling book. Maybe they're hibernating" "
Best Panel:
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