Tiger 6th July 1974

 Although I loved Johnny Cougar last week, the rest of the comic didn't live up to this strip. It felt flat throughout and some of the usual strong stories fell a little flat. A quick peruse through this weeks issue and I can see already that things look much better. Johnny Cougar's fight against Mighty Man is winding down, but plenty of other strong stories are rising to take their place. 

Tiger

6th July 1974

Roy Of The Rovers

Football on the beach in Spain, how lovely. And so we begin this issue with Roy training the Sao Palo village team on the beach in preparation for their final match of the tournament. They need to beat Camplona to win the tournament, a tough task given that Camplona has the best facilities and a wealthy benefactor, Senor Benitez. 

Roy and Blackie get up close and personal with Senor Benitez as he offers them a free lunch. If there's one thing I know in life, it's that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and so it proves here as Senor Benitez's lunch comes with a fish hook, a threat and a bribe to Roy to stay out of the tournament. 

Roy is not one to be bullied, and with the aid of Blackie he throws Senor Benitez into the pool. They may have won the battle, but Senor Benitez storms out with thoughts of the wider war raging in his head. These dark thoughts manifest themselves in the final two panels of the strip as a parade passes the two young footballers later that night. Two of the parade members are not what they seem, and there is talk of kidnap in the air. 

The story started softly but ramped up by the end. The training session did little to excite me, but it did lay out the context for what came next. I must say, I was a little surprised to see this is the key game and that they have played three matches already. I feel like we have missed something along the line, or the story glossed over some of the games. Senor Benitz is a worthy villain, and I appreciated the early encounter between him and Roy which resulted in a dunking in the pool. The only part that took me out of the story was his name. I couldn't help but think of Rafael Benitz every time I read his name. Try to imagine Rafael Benitex being thrown in the pool by opposition players! Overall a good start to the comic, and I hope next week's fireworks live up to the expectations set here. 

Rating: 7/10

Best Line: "Of course it didn't, you fools! Do you think I am in the habit of swimming with my clothes on!"

Johnny Cougar and Splash Gorton

Johnny Cougar has been the best story for the last two weeks as his fight against Mighty Man has outshined everything else in the comic.

Sadly, this week isn't as good as last time out, and the fight and overall story of the tournament ends today. Johnny battles with Mighty Man for the first two pages, not in the face-to-face intense style we saw before, but rather with Johnny using his speed to avoid Mighty Man. It is this quickness that finally defeats the Mighty Man as Johnny avoids one of his attacks and Mighty Man finds himself crashing into a ring post. 

Taking advantage, Johnny claims the final pinfall, allowing him to lift the oversize cup and consider what the next adventure might hold. The final tagline tells us that Johnny's next adventure will be in Germany, so it seems our time in Australia has come to an end. 

A letdown, but by no means a poor story. The result was right for what was being told and Johnny beat his opponent the only way possible. A part of me wanted one more week, but if I'm honest with myself, that would be too much for this one bout. Johnny's time in Australia has been enjoyable, but we did lose sight of the location in the last few issues, and these final bouts could have been fought anywhere. Still, we had a good run, and although the story didn't finish on a total high, it was still highly readable and fun. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "The Cougar moves faster than the charging Buffalo!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

With their rival, Percy, lining up to shoot out their tires, things looked dire for Tiny and Martin when we left them. 

Fortunately, he misses, and Tiny and Martin take evasive action. Percy doesn't miss with the punch he delivers to Algy though, as Algy again reminds him it's only a treasure hunt, while Tiny and Martin waste no time finding out who shot at them and instead speed off to the next clue. 

The boys solve the final clue of the treasure hunt with ease, down by the seaside, and make for the finish line where they find they are one of four teams to solve all the clues. To break this deadlock, the race will be decided by ten laps around the runway.

We are lined up at the start as the story fades, Algy appearing at the window of their car as they're about to start to tell them that Percy is out there on the track, determined to stop them at any cost. 

A mixed bag this week between high-stakes drama, and low-level frivolity on the beach. I liked all of it, Percy with the rifle was thrilling, but I was equally enamoured by the appearance of two donkeys on the beach, and an ice cream van - a timely reminder of summer as the nights get longer here. Next week should be the climax of the story and all the building blocks are in place for a good issue. Martin's Marvellous Mini has delivered before, and I have every faith that it will deliver again next week with a fitting end to this story. 

Rating: 8/10

Best Line: "I - I want to talk to you chaps! About Percy...my friend, well, he was my friend...but he's not anymore!" 

Skid Solo

Race day, and it is the French Grand Prix. Skid puts in the fastest practice lap, but soon enough he is eclipsed by the French driver, Corbonne, who tops him and takes the pole position on race day. 

The race itself becomes a battle between these two, with Corbonne in the lead and Skid pushing him hard all the way. Back in third, Sparrow and Juan Landio are also fighting hard, but not as hard as Al Ledstock who is pushing his car to the limit. 

Ledstock makes his way past Sparrow and Landio and manages to catch Solo and Corbonne. He briefly takes the lead, but he has pushed his car too hard and is forced to retire due to mechanical failure. 

Solo and Corbonne are left still scrapping for the lead, and after sitting second for most of the race, Solo finally makes it past Corbonne as the French driver makes an error. It is short-lived as Solo soon finds his car is losing power. Corbonne goes by him, and so too Sparrow Smith. 

Skid hangs on to third, barely making it to the finish line. He tells Sandy that he ran out of fuel, but a quick inspection by Sandy reveals a broken fuel line. While they look forlornly at the vehicle, Corbonne takes the trophy, and the points, giving him an eighteen-point lead on the table. 

This was a hard-fought race, and it took its toll on both man and machine. Just what I have come to expect from Grand Prix racing, and I found this story gripping throughout. The race had a close finish, mechanical failure, ups and downs, and best of all no major accidents. Exciting reading for motor racing fans and comic fans alike, this is the Skid Solo I hope to see every week. Pure race action, I loved every minute of it, and this is my favourite story this week. 

Rating: 9/10

Best Line: "Why don't you guys build a car that can take it? What's the use of me being the greatest driver you've ever seen...if the car falls to pieces!"

The Tigers

There isn't much to tell with Chunky Clark and his Tigers this week, Chunky is still playing wicketkeeper, and for the first half page of the strip he is just as bad as last week. Things take a turn once Ron Burton's crony, Tuff, hits him with a slingshot. Hitting Chunky in the back, it catches Chunky by surprise and he jumps, just in the right direction to catch a ball. 

In the next panel he stumbles and manages to get a runout. Things are looking up and it gets even better once he is hit in the face with a cricket ball. Now seeing double, he suddenly finds he's catching everything, much to the chagrin of Ron Burton who can only look on in dismay.

Not as funny as normal, nor as thrilling, this felt like an odd entry. However, I liked what I was reading, although the story only slightly progressed from where we were last week. I'm not sure how the blow to the head has helped Chunky, but he is playing like a completely different player in the latter half of the book, and this is stirring up Ron Burton no end. One can sense that this will lead to Buron doing something drastic in the next issue, and hopefully the story will continue to unfold from there. A good issue, still not a favourite, but steady enough. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "D'you think that wicket-keeper has got his right glasses on?"  

Football Family Robinson 

A noise approaches through the forest towards the Robinson camp, and no one knows if it is friend or foe. Relief then when Bluey the Kangaroo appears. But that's not all, he also arrives with Titch and some of the lost family members. 

At this point the story expands considerably, for not only has some of the family returned, but they returned with news that the forest isn't uninhabited, and there is a super tourist centre just a few miles away. And that's not all, they have also been offered a contract to play exhibition football for this Pacific Paradise, and all they need to do is find the rest of the family. 

Problem solved as in the very next panel the other missing family members appear, with their own super tourist centre connection, this time Coral  Wonderland who has also offered a contract to play football. 

All their troubles seemingly behind them, the rest of the comic descends into bickering among the family about which offer to take. Things become physical and fighting begins, before in the final act of the story, Fred is knocked unconscious against a tree. 

"And we have been offered a contract to play some exhibition football!" - and with this line the story jumped the shark. Sure, this lost in the jungle lark hasn't been my favourite storyline, but then to get offered not one, but two contracts to play football, from out of nowhere, well, that was just too much for me. Both lost family members just happened to find different tourist centres and be offered a contract, No sir, I'm not buying it. Let me look for a positive. We did see Viv. But she was being manhandled, and I'm definitely not happy about that. I guess the one pleasing aspect of this whole episode is next week we can move on to something new and hopefully put this whole sad episode behind us.

Rating: 3/10

Best line: "Fred, exert your authority. Do something!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

I thought Jo had figured out why the Hunsford Hawks were so fast as she looked at her watch last week, but apparently not as we are back to square one this week. Watching them race we get a recap from Jo who once again tells us that there is no way they can travel at that speed and break the records.

She requests TV director Richard Caxton to film the Hawks, including in the pits with their reserves and mechanics. He follows orders, and quickly develops his film for a viewing session the next day. 

The viewing sessions are more of the same, with a lot of talk of how unbelievably fast they are, before Jo leaps to her feet. Pointing at the screen she exclaims she knows how they are doing it, and it's right there on the screen. 

We are treading water with this story, and after six months of exciting and compelling storylines from Tallon Of The Track, it feels like this one has run out of steam. I confess I don't really care how this team is riding so fast, and it could have been resolved this week after Jo's discovery last week. The fact that we got two pages out of filming a race and watching is all too much for me and on the back of the previously disappointing Football Family Robinson, the comic is feeling particularly weak at this point. One thing the story did highlight was how far technology has come. While they filmed the Hawks with a bulky camera and developed the film, now we would just point our phone and watch it back immediately. Now that would have sped up this week's issue considerably.

Rating: 5/10

Best line:  "Maybe the Hawks are just brilliant riders!"

A Horse Called Ugly

Things come to a head in this week's strip as Joe catches up to Cliver Mannering, Lord Humphrey, and the horse float with Ugly. Things kick off immediately, with Mannering lunging at Joe with a wrench. Joe is too fast for him, and it is Humphrey that takes the blow.

With Humphrey out, Joe and Mannering scuffle, Joe triumphing as he pushes Mannering's head into the dirt.   

While Mannering and Humphrey bicker about whose fault it is, Joe frees Ugly. Just in a nick of time too, as Mannering makes a break for it. Ugly doesn't wait for instruction, and easily runs down Mannering, bailing him up near the fence and leaving him begging for mercy. 

This part of the story wrapped up, the race organisers cancel the race result, and Mannering and Humphrey are banned from all future race events. 

There is one unresolved issue though, which horse is faster, and Joe insists on a one-mile dash to decide once and for all which horse is better.

Just when I thought this story was wrapped up, we get this one final coda. Overall I was happy to see how it all unfolded, and a highlight was seeing Mannering and Humphrey get everything they deserved. I was surprised to see Joe scrapping but cheered on every blow he dealt to Clive Mannering. Ugly wasn't entirely forgotten, and he was given his moment to shine as he ran down Mannering, in one final humiliation. I'm not sure how much mileage we will get out of this one final race, fingers crossed it won't be dragged on for weeks. This was a good story, but I'm just about ready to wipe the slate clean and begin a new story.

Rating: 7/10

Best line:  "You want trouble... you've got it!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 6.5/10

Best Story: Skid Solo

Best Line: "Gosh, look at all that money. He's trying to bribe us, Roy! "

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: