We have an uneven issue on our hands this week. Some stories are improving, some are getting worse, and a couple are at the other end of the scale - almost touching excellence. I don't mind that too much - I would rather have a few excellent stories and some poor ones rather than a comic full of bland middle-of-the-road strips. So, who has scaled the heights in my opinion, and who is sliding down the charts - read on to see who is top of the pops in Tiger this week.
9th November 1974
Billy's Boots
Billy Dane failed to impress the scout the last time he played, but this week he has been given a second chance and a trial with Groundwood Town FC.
In usual Billy style, he gets off to a bad start as one of the other players mocks him for the old boots he has. Things escalate quickly, and his new nemesis Stan Thomson throws his boots over the fence and out of the ground.
Billy runs to retrieve them, which takes some time as they are caught in a hedge, and by the time he gets back the trial has started without him. The scout is angry with his lateness, and Billy is told he can come on at half-time.
At half-time he comes on as centre forward for the B team, only to find himself up against Stan Thomson, who just so happens to be the best defender in the squad.
Billy reads the game well and gets into the right positions, but Stan is too strong and knocks him easily off the ball. This changes as the strip reaches its climax. Billy beats him with a nutmeg and instead of going for goal he turns around and beats him a second time before finally scoring. This infuriates Stan, who promises that Billy won't get away with making him look like an idiot.
Nothing unexpected here, and it is everything a Billy's Boots story should be. We had the prerequisite of Billy losing his boots before the game, only to have them restored in time to impress on the pitch. We also had the boots moving him into the right positions, as well as doing something unexpected when the time came. None of it was surprising, and I enjoyed the familiarity of it all. Once again Billy feels very much like a boy, and although he has magic boots, is one of the most relatable characters in Tiger. Difficult to give this a rating as everything was comfortable, but some days that is exactly what I need.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "What's Dane doing now? He's passed Thomson...but now he's turning..."
Roy Of The Rovers
With the tempestuous history between Tony Storme and Archie Miller, the two respective managers of Melchester Rovers and Carford City, the game between the teams in the Cup Winners Cup looks as though it could be a stormy affair.
And so it proves, with Roy subjected to a heavy tackle early on that results in a yellow card to a Carford City player, and a freekick that Blackie lines up from the edge of the box.
With Roy breaking from the Carford City wall, Blackie can slot home the goal through the gap created. It's a clever play and Archie Miller takes it personally.
So much so that he makes an immediate substitution. On comes Cruncher Coggin, a player he uses when he wants to take out an opposing player - in this case, Roy Race. Roy is wise to this, but still Coggin nails him with an early foul and continues with petty fouls despite a warning from the ref.
Things climax when Roy finally slips past him and manages a shot on goal. It is well saved by the keeper with a dive and it seems that Roy has the upper hand. However, Coggin nails him good and proper from behind with a foul that has the crowd shouting for Coggin to be sent off.
Especially incensed is Tony Storme, who yells at Archie Miller that it is his fault and he did it on purpose. Archie Miller is having none of it and the strip ends with Miller striding aggressively towards the Melchester manager.
Another excellent instalment of this story. It has been building up wonderfully, and every page seems to ratchet up the tension further. We had a fine balance between the on-field action and the off-field drama, and the way one fed the other was well done. Roy dominated the football scenes (it is his name in the title after all) but I was pleased to see Blackie Grey back in action and scoring the goal. Lots of positives, with a clean storyline that made sense and some artwork that flowed naturally from this idea. A solid showing, and one of the better stories this week.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "You hot-headed fool, Miller! Stop using this game to work off your grudge against me, before someone is seriously hurt!"
Martin's Marvellous Mini
Racing across the outback against giant trucks, Martin and Tiny are using George's small size to their advantage, taking an alternative route that has led them into an area of large boulders. They are equal to the task and the hazard is soon negotiated before the next problem arises.
A river needs crossing, but its investigations show it is too deep for George to cross. Not so for the trucks they are racing against, and the thunder through with ease.
Martin and Tiny are forced to drive along the bank to find a suitable spot to cross. They find one part of the river where it narrows, and we are treated to the sight of George jumping across the river and successfully landing on the other side.
It looks like the drama may be over, but our pals see the other races driving in the opposite direction. It soon becomes apparent why when they come across a bushfire. Not only that, but the bushfire is heading directly for a farmhouse where the occupants are completely unaware.
Great to see the boys back in colour, and this added an extra dimension that the story has been lacking the last few weeks. We didn't get as much chumminess as usual, although there was some gentle banter between Tiny and Martin that was familiar. I'm not yet totally on board with race, it still feels one-sided and I'm not quite sure why the boys would want to be involved. On the other hand, it does offer some great set pieces, and we are already veering off into new territory with the fire. Next week should see the story develop further, and I will be interested to see where they take this next.
Rating: 6.5/10
Best line: "This won't do the suspension much good!"
Nipper
Nipper is a man with a mission, and his fuming face is how we begin this week's strip as he storms off to confront the reporter Brian Crawford.
Arriving at the newspaper office things escalate quickly. As angry Nipper finds not Brian Crawford, but rather his elderly editor Phineas Cringle. Phineas defends his reporter, but Nipper refuses to calm down and things become heated. It climaxes with Nipper pushing the editor to the ground before a punch-up develops between Nipper and the other staff in the office.
A wild punch sends Nipper reeling to the ground and at that moment he sees Brian Crawford's office. He dives into the office seeking Crawford, while the staff lock him in there and call the police. We finish with Nipper finally smiling as he sees a photograph in the office that may explain why Brian Crawford is having a go at him.
Drama aplenty, and a brawl at the newspaper office was not quite what I expected as I started this strip. An angry confrontation was on the cards, but I didn't expect it to develop in the way that it did. I don't normally condone violence, but I thought the fight was great and I enjoyed seeing Nipper's rage boil over. Perhaps it's because I could never do such a thing in real life, I enjoyed seeing someone else live out my fantasy. There was a lot of humour in these pages, something that I perhaps haven't given it enough credit for. It lightened the tone and offset the on-page action of the fistfight. Aside from the fight, this humour was a real highlight and something I would like to see much more often through the strip. We are away from the the football field, but the strip is giving us plenty of action and with the wider storyline developing we still have some way to go.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Then lock the door behind him...and telephone the police! I...I'll have that little hooligan charged with assault!"
Skid Solo
Skid has left Los Angeles since last week's adventure and is now heading south to take part in a race in Mexico. He has to get there first and the story begins with them struggling to navigate their way across the border. Sandy is in charge of the map and looking for the turn-off that will get them there. The next road on the left is marked as "to border" and Sandy instructs Skid to take it.
The road runs mile after mile, with no sign of the border in sight. We have a lot of arguing among the three about Sandy's map reading skills, but Sandy is adamant they are on the right route.
They come to an abandoned village, with a large warning that it is a target area and to stay out after November 1st. Before they have a chance to do so, three US jets appear in the sky above them, and soon Skid is driving for his life to avoid the rockets being fired from above.
They escape after several close calls, and soon find a road that leads in the right direction. They are still bickering about Sandy's map reading, but the strip ends by showing us that Sandy and his map were right. The map did say to border, but what Sadny didn't know was that Border was the name of the township used as a target.
An unusual Skid Solo story, I quite enjoyed it. It was fresh, and I appreciated the artwork featuring the aircraft. I have seen similar tales told in short story form, but seeing it in comic form was new to me. It gave us another look at the dynamics between the three men, and the constant arguing was amusing throughout. I like their friendship as much as the racing on the track, and this was highlighted throughout these two pages. Next week we should get back to some racing, in Mexico no less, and hopefully they will retain this strong human element throughout.
Rating: 7/10
Best line: "I'm reading this map, aren't I, mon? It says right here..." to border"! And that's the road we're on!"
Hot-shot Hamish
Having lost the rest of his team, Hamish is now trying to hitch-hike home,. It looks pleasant enough, and the strip begins with a couple of locals sharing food and lemonade with Hamish.
Football rudely interrupts this lunch, as some local lads kicking a ball around encroach on the picnic.
Hamish joins them and showing some of his professional skills attracts the attention of other villagers. He is quickly invited to play for the village team in an upcoming match that evening. Hamish readily agrees and although the other team oppose his inclusion he is soon kitted out and ready to go.
He is immediately a target as the other village resents his inclusion, and after being heavily knocked into the ground Hamish can only watch on as they score. He is far from happy, and the strip ends as he promises to himself to fight fire with fire.
Another delightful strip set in Spain, and although the football all happened on the second page, it was the first page and Hamish interacting with the locals that had me hooked. It all looked so pleasant, and I could easily imagine myself being part of such a scene. In fact, in my travels I have often found myself abroad in a small village kicking a ball around with the locals - it truly is a global game. Back in the pages of Tiger, Hamish's time in Spain may not go much beyond this game as Mr. McWhacker is already making plans to bring him back. I hope Hamish gets to stay on at least a little longer. The warmth of Spain and the strip is just the tonic to get through winter here, and I'm in no hurry to get back to Scotland and Princes Park.
Rating: 8/10
Best line: "Och, ye're great pals! Ye're as good as Scotsmen...and they're the best in the world!"
Johnny Cougar
Johnny Cougar is still in the woods with Robin Good as the story further develops with the capture of a lorry. Stripping it of all valuables, the outlaws leave the lorry and the tied-up driver and retreat into the forest. They know the police will be searching for it and plan on being far away by the time it is found. Sure enough, the police are pouring resources into the woods in their search, and even enlist a helicopter to help.
In another part of the forest, the outlaws are happy with the raid and now have enough supplies for many months. It's now time for a little play. Robin Good challenges Johnny with his bow and arrow and delivers a fine shot that splits a sapling. Johnny points out that he was brought up with the bow and arrow and betters Robin Good by splitting his arrow in half with his shot. Far from being upset, Robin Good is delighted and tells Johnny he is a good fit for the outlaw outlaw band.
The following week there were more raids by the outlaws, now concentrating on money-carrying vehicles. Using explosives to blow the trucks open, the outlaws are grabbing as many riches as they can. However, Johnny has been formulating a plan while watching these attacks and is now ready to start fighting back.
I'm finally on board with this storyline, and this was the most enjoyable episode yet. Given that there was no wrestling, this was surprising. We had plenty of good moments to fill the void and seeing Johnny with a bow and arrow in hand was an unexpected treat. I feel I have adapted to the story rather than the story changed in any way. Perhaps sometimes we just need to live with a story for a while before we get it. Of course, having such wonderful art each week certainly helps and this was another issue crammed full of visual treats. Now that I'm in sync with the story I look forward to reading next week and seeing Johnny fighting back.
Rating: 7.5/10
Best line: "Miserable dog! You are common thieves...so you will pay the penalty for your evil ways!"
Tallon Of The Track
The Ospreys are all ready to fly to Australia this week, but there is one small twist before they can board the plane to the sunny climes of Aussie - they are suddenly offered an all-expenses trip to Russia.
Some members of the team are interested in this counteroffer, and they put it to a vote. With the voting tied at four apiece between the two destinations, Jo decides the best way to settle the matter is on the track with a race between her and Dave to decide where they'll be travelling.
It is a close race, and Dave looks to have it sewn up, especially after Jo's goggles are smashed by a stray stone. However, she is tenacious and doesn't let up a bit, managing to pip Dave on the line. With the race won it is decided - the team is off to Russia.
This was unexpected, and I wonder why it was suddenly decided that the story wouldn't go down the route of an Australian trip. Perhaps it is because Martin and Tiny are already there with Martin's Marvellous Mini. Russia has a story potential, but this issue felt like a waste. It was an issue dedicated to changing the story direction, and although the race was fine, I don't read Tallon Of the Track each week to watch Jo and Dave race each other to make decisions. I wasn't the slightest bit invested in this story, and I can only hope that we get a major storyline once they reach Russia.
Rating: 4/10
Best line: "To reach a decision I'll race against you! Four laps of the track - the winner to say which offer we'll accept!"
Issue final ratings:
Overall: 7/10
Best Story: Nipper
Best Line: "Ye say Hamish has left the hotel...wi-oot his passport? Wi-oot the money I left him? He's hitch-hiking back? Och, the idiot's taken leave o' his senses!"
Best Panel:
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