One of the beauties of comics is you can judge a book by its cover - and by this week's cover, I am judging that we are in for a treat. Roy Of The Rovers stars on the cover with its splash of color and drama, but I won't be dwelling too long on this cover as I want to get inside and see what it's all about as soon as possible! It may not be football action, but I'm impatient to see some of the strands from last week's story continue and hopefully tie me further into the story. Cover dispensed with, I'm turning the page.
Tiger
27 October 1973
Roy Of The Rovers
Well, things have certainly escalated for Jumbo Trudgeon in this story. Roy Of The Rovers continues from its eye-catching cover with Jumbo taking Roy back to his village of Pudley as an explanation of his problems. It seems his problems stem from lorry drivers using the village as a shortcut. there is a solution, using some of his lands, but the problem is exacerbated by a feud between his Uncle and Colonel Chadwick. The story moves quickly this week, and every panel reveals more of the story until we reach the climax -Roy is accidentally shot by Sir Henry Trudgeon! I felt last week's Roy Of The Rovers was lackluster, but this week certainly makes up for it with a good mix of story and action. The final panels are particularly memorable and well worth the cover price as we see Roy take a shotgun blast. There will be later stories of Roy being shot, but for now, this is shocking enough and is the ultimate cliffhanger ending.
Rating: 9/10
Best Line: "look out..the old fool's going to shoot!"
The Tigers
Dressed in scuba gear, Ron Burton was about to sabotage Chunky Clark and The Tigers when we last left the action. Lost in his angling, and thoughts of catching a fish, Chunky doesn't notice Ron swimming beneath him. With a dose of his famous luck, he snares Ron in the branches of the tree he is sitting in, pulling him from the water and exposing him. From there chaos ensues, the story only settling in the final panels as a club official approaches with the idea to hold the context on the spot they are now. The is a good week for the Tigers, and I enjoy the story, slight though it is, on these two pages. The slapstick isn't overdone, and Chunky's luck is more amusing than in previous weeks. Not my favorite, but a solid entry in this week's issue.
Rating: 6.5/10
Best line: "I've caught something - and it isn't a cold. I've fished up a frogman who looks just like Burton..."
Martin's Marvellous Mini
Martin's Marvellous Mini is bookended by two action events that color the whole my whole impression of this week's story. Last week I commented that I hope we get more of the villains, and my wish is immediately granted as the men chasing the treasure ram George from the side before making off with the treasure map. However, the map they take is only for the already discovered jewels, and the two old ladies give Tiny and Martin the next part of the map which sends them off on a journey to Oslo. On the road to Hamburg we get the second major event as a helicopter with a flamethrower attacks them. This seems faintly ridiculous as I type it, but on the newsprint page, it is a dramatic event that casts the rest of the story in a new light. With a smashing start, and a hot ending, I forgive the mundane middle of the story, and the final image alone is enough for me to put my pocket money down for next week.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "A helicopter with a flame-thrower!"
Skid Solo
Skid Solo is back in the UK this week and meeting with Terry Forwell, inventor of the river-skimmer. Asked to appear in an advertising campaign for it, Skid, Sparrow, and Sandy head to Scotland where they stay at Lord Bartingtons lochside castle. It is here that the story picks up steam, the team is interrupted during dinner with the news that the Bartington Stone has been stolen from inside the castle. The crooks fail to make a clean getaway, and Skid is soon in pursuit in the river skimmer. After being outmaneuvered on the water, the villains crash into the castle whereupon they are captured. The final twist comes as the advertising campaign appears, not with Skid, but rather with Lord Bartington singing the praises of the river-skimmer. Although not on the race track, there is a lot to like about this issue. Of course, Sandy gets some great lines about Scotland, and the on-water action with Skid driving the skimmer is great. With a memorable location and a sense of history, the story appeals to me and having a jewel theft as the reason for the race action makes it all the more engaging. Not Skid at his best, but a fine issue indeed.
Rating: 7.5/10
Best line: "Ye watch yere tongue, ye young whipper-snapper! Ye're in the best country in the world, the noo!"
Johnny Cougar with Splash Gorton
It feels like the buildup for the fight between Johnny and the Great Tovaritch has been going on for weeks, and this week it looks like we are just about to get the payoff. With Tovaritch storming into the gym where Johnny is training and dealing quickly with three other wrestlers in the ring, the scene is now set for the bout between Johnny and Tovaritch. At a first division ground, the crowds and the cameras are ready, and after an impressive arrival by Tovaritch and an equally impressive entrance by Johnny we are finally ready for the battle to commence In terms of action, not much happens this week, but we have now reached the point where the tension of the last few weeks can be released. I have been indulging myself in the artwork, and I know next week will be even better as we finally get the wrestling action I have been craving. Not the issue I had hoped for, but essential for the story, I found this built my anticipation nicely for the next issue.
Rating: 6/10
Best Line: "This is a fight no one should miss. It's the fight of the century!"
Tallon Of the Track
We finally get the big reveal in Tallon Of the Track - Tallon is a girl. But before we get to that we have two pages of fast and furious race action as Tallon flies around the track, catching the other riders and then in a sensational piece of riding going past them. However, there is the small issue of ill-discipline, and Trent confronts Tallon, before ripping off her helmet and revealing her true identity. This is a great moment, and the highlight of this story so far. For weeks I have been talking up the artwork, but in this issue, we get a story that is it's equal, and with the on-track action just as spectacular it would easily be the story of the week, if not for Roy of The Rovers. With her identity now revealed, we can look forward to the story moving forward and hopefully plenty more race action like this issue. Superb throughout, and a must-read.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Great suffering wildcats! You.. you're a girl!"
Football Family Robinson
Football Family Robinson has had a great run recently, and although this week doesn't quite reach the previous highs, it is still most enjoyable. The pace slows this week, Alf is still struggling with Rodney Bull's mates threatening him, and although the family rallies around him, the next match is ugly with the fans giving him a tough time every chance they get. There is no action or drama in the story, it continues to build on what has come before in an unhurried way, the tension between the fans and the family the only true flash point. I enjoy seeing my girl Viv give a spirited defense of Alf, but I am already thinking ahead to next week in the hope that we will get something more happening.
Rating: 5.5/10
Best line: "This is going to be one of the toughest matches we have ever played. We've got to beat eleven men - and the crowd!"
A Horse Called Ugly
Joe and Ugly continue their South America adventure this week at the center of a missing person alarm. However, Angela defuses the situation, heading off to where Joe and Ugly had made some friends the day before. Her hunch proves correct, and Joe is enjoying the company of a local lad called Beppo. It is a pleasant and relaxing breakfast scene, later interrupted by Brian Beacham of the showjumping team. In a frosty atmosphere, the story ends with one of the horses being startled by a fish, plunging into a thicket of brambles while Brian blames Beppo for the situation. The story is OK, but a horse falling into some brambles isn't enough action for my taste or a dramatic enough story. I want to like this story more, I like the characters, but I find I can never quite find the key that properly unlocks the story for me. Not bad, but not for me.
Rating: 4/10
Best line: "So the message was true! Larcombe has decided to disgrace us all by living like a beastly Gypsy!"
Issue final ratings:
Overall: 8/10
Best Story: Roy Of The Rovers
Best Line: Blackie - "Roy's been shot! "
Best Panel:
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