Tiger 2nd August 1975

It's just as well it is the middle of winter, and the shortest day to boot, otherwise I shall feel quite guilty for sitting inside all day watching the Euros and reading comics. 

Football, football, football, what a wonderful time of year.

Sadly I am out of step with the seasons on the pages of Tiger, where we are currently in cricket season. While Billy's Boots is delivering a cracking cricket story,  I am, sadly and rapidly, losing interest in Nipper and his exploits on the cricket pitch. It doesn't help that I have just watched six hours of football and now my only wish is to see Nipper kick a football again. Still, it is what it is, and I shall sip my cup of tea and enjoy the other football strips in the comic - along with all the other usual suspects and their sporting shenanigans. 

Tiger

2nd August 1975

Skid Solo

Skid Solo starts in the best possible fashion with the sight of Skid and Sparrow racing side by side in a practice run for the German Grand Prix. 

It's not all sausages and beer, and Sparrow is desperately pointing to Skid's rear tyre which is rapidly shredding itself. 

The inevitable happens, and as his tyres burst Skid comes off the track. Back at the pits, Tommy and Sandy find that their regular tyres don't fit the American wheels, and they only have one set for the race the next day. 

On race day Skid is well aware of the task ahead of him, racing on only one set of tyres. However, he is very fast on the track and soon builds a commanding lead. Tommy and Sandy are wary of the tyres and try their best to warn him to take it slowly. However, with one lap left Skid is forced to gamble and race at full speed. 

Of course, the tyres burst, and instead of finishing first Skid crawls across the line in sixth place. With this result, he slips down the table of the drivers' championship into third place, thirteen points behind the leader. 

A very tidy issue for Skid Solo, and it's great to see some dynamic Grand Prix action. The opening cover image looked like the business, and it was a good introduction not just to the story, but to the entire issue. The story was entertaining, and although I cringed a couple of times, I found it to be a page-turner. With Skid dropping several places on the driver's championship there is still plenty more in the tank for this story, and if the next few Grand Prix are as good as this one I shall be very happy indeed. Next week carries the promise of Tommy's driving test, and I am quietly looking forward to that story being parked so we can continue racing through the Grand Prix season. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "The trouble with this car...is the engine's too good for the tyres! I'm burning them off on the bends..." 

Johnny Cougar

After several events in the athletics series, Johnny Cougar holds a slim lead over the Golden Boy - although now his leg injury is causing him severe problems and the doctors are advising him to quit.

Johnny Cougar is no quitter, and he struggles on to the pole vault. Johnny makes a courageous jump, but the Golden Boy just manages to beat it, although a wobbly bar almost puts paid to his chances. 

Johnny cannot even make a full turn to throw the discus, and he elects to make a standing throw. It is a mighty throw, and Golden Boy must give it his all to beat the mark. This he does, but as Golden Boy is gloating to Johnny Cougar, it is pointed out that one of the officials has pulled a red flag on his throw - it seems he has inadvertently stepped out of the circle while making his throw. Johnny is back in the lead, but the margins are slim and Golden Boy is promising to have a surprise up his sleeve for the next event.

Like last week, this was all too smooth and lacked a barb to hook me in. There is conflict between Johnny and the Golden Boy, but it stays firmly rooted on the page, and never once do I feel involved with it. Part of the problem is these recent events are solo events, so we see Johnny doing an action, and then Golden Boy doing the same, each separately. They aren't directly competing, and with only one character in the panel at a time the story slows. However, I do like looking at it, and the crafting of the work on the page gives me an appreciation for those at work behind the scenes. As long as it keeps looking as good as it does, I shall be happy. I just wish it was a little more substantial. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Well, Cougar, you heap big loser...now we're level on points!"  

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Martin is caught in the fence of the stock car track, while the cars continue to thunder around him. 

With the race rapidly slipping away from him, Martin puts the car into reserve and the pedal to the metal. It works, and as his car springs free he crashes backwards into the other cars about to lap him. 

With his car the only one left running, Martin easily wins the race and collects his share of the prize money. 

He is eager to speak to Tiny about his winnings, but when he calls he finds that Tiny has entered a boat race. Tiny has damaged the boat he was towing, and to make back the money to make a repair he is now racing a boat on the lake for prize money. 

Martin races to the lake as fast as he can, and arrives in time to see Tiny out of control on the water. Tiny is plenty fast enough, but he has no control, and the strip ends with Martin anxious about Tiny's safety and wondering what he can do. 

The most colourful story of the book, and we had several set pieces that gave the artwork, and the colourist, time to shine. In particular, the second half of the story, taking place on water, gave us a different perspective, and I enjoyed seeing Tiny out of control in a boat. We normally see Martin taking the wheel and now we know why. It was a thrill to see Tiny giving it a go, and I hope next week he will get more time on the water. Our two friends are now reunited after being parted last week, and it feels right for this story that is so firmly grounded on the friendship between the two of them. This was again apparent in the concern that Martin showed for Tiny when he saw him out on the water, and I have no doubt that this will be built on further in the coming weeks. Everyone needs a friend like Martin, and I hope Tiny knows how lucky he is.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Driving a motorboat in a race? But he can't! He's not good enough to handle it...not at speed! Where did he get the boat from, anyway?"

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy is representing his country, although his head isn't in the game as he continues to worry about Jules Bernard's kidnapped nephew. 

He is reassured when he picks up a note dropped by Jules, telling him the nephew is safe and there's no need to worry.

With this news, Roy is a new man. The rest of the game he gives a real Roy Of The Rovers performance, striking a thunderbolt of a goal to give England the lead. After a back-and-forth battle with his opponent Jules, he scores a second to seal the win and England is victorious.

Walking off the pitch, Roy is already looking ahead, and with the new season kicking off next week he has a lot on his plate. 

Last week was the pinnacle of this story, and this week we stepped back from that peak with an issue that began the descent into a new storyline. As such, it lacked any real drama and bite and was merely a matter of ticking boxes. Roy in action on the field was what one would expect from such an issue, and there were no surprises to see him score the winning goals. We were told that Jules was a tough opponent, but we never saw it on the page, and there was only a single line telling us that Roy had managed to slip his marker before we saw him smashing home the winning goal. It was nice to have it wrapped up quickly, and I was surprised to see that the new season begins next week. It seems like only yesterday that the season concluded Melchester Rovers winning the European Cup Winners Cup. This was a flat issue and did what it had to do, and now all eyes turn to the new season and the adventures that await Roy and his team there. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "What's the matter with Race? He isn't even trying!" 

Billy's Boots

A gang of toughs from the opposition team are waiting to beat up Billy as he leaves the dressing room after the game. 

Billy outsmarts them, and after climbing out a side window he runs down the street. They give chase, and as they follow Billy around the corner they find he has vanished, with only a blank wall and a ladder in front of them. As they quickly scale the ladder and jump the wall, Billy emerges from where he has been hiding by the garbage bins and walks home. 

Billy arrives home to some good news from his Gran. Auntie Amy has written to invite them to stay at her boarding house at Clay Beach. 

It means that Billy will miss the last cricket match of the season, but he is excited to be going and packs his football and cricket boots - just in case he should get a game.

They arrive at a typical British seaside town, and soon enough Billy is unpacking in his new room. A large spider appearing at his window is his introduction to a group of children staying next door, and soon he is out on the street with George, Sid, and their sister Mary. 

This new gang of friends come across a poster advertising a holiday team to play cricket. With cash prizes on offer, and under the gaze of Mary, Billy thinks he has a chance to perform well, despite the opposition being mostly men. 

Every panel of this story was relatable, and it was the perfect snapshot of a young boy and pals. Seeing Billy slip away from those threatening to beat him up was satisfying, but not half as satisfying as seeing the interaction between him and his Gran when he got home. Seeing the most simple of scenes play out between the two of them on the page filled my heart with warmth, and I couldn't help but wish that my Nan was more like Billy's Gran. The seaside town they journeyed to would be instantly recognizable to most, and the familiarity ran deep in the story. The making of new friends was achieved quickly across two panels, and seeing Billy interact with Mary, the sister of his new friend, took me right back to when I was that age. He didn't directly talk to her, but it was clear that he was trying to impress her. No doubt the hot pants she was wearing had some influence on that. I can't wait to see what happens next, although, like Roy of the Rovers before it, I was surprised to hear that the cricket season is already finished. I think they have only played three games this season, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume there were a lot of games that never made it into the comic. Roll on next week, and more of Mary please - a welcome addition to this boys' comic. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "I had to get your loaf of bread, Gran! What's the news, anyway? Don't say I've been selected to play cricket against Australia!"

Hot Shot Hamish 

While in Austria, Hamish has become separated from the rest of his team in an old castle. Falling through a trap door, he is washed out into the local river, where he surprises several local fishermen as he emerges from the water. 

With his clothes soaking wet, Hamish seeks shelter in a local sports club. Here he finds a football kit, and he rapidly changes into it to dry out. Wandering out onto the field, Hmaish is caught up in a game, and he finds himself substituted on for an injured local player. The team is down two-nil,  but a fast goal from Hamish has the team back in the game. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the Princes Park team is on a coach driving through the mountains. Mister McWhacker is worried about Hamish and has plans to ring the police as soon as they get to the next town. 

I'm a little disappointed by Hamish's exit from the castle and the fact that he looked like the former occupant was swept under the carpet. I wanted it to be more and was surprised to see the story move in a new direction as Hamish pulled on a football jumper. The castle was a great setup, and all I can do now is have faith in the writer that the story will bend back in that direction soon. As much as Hamish looks great muscling his way around the field, the castle offers a broader canvas for the storyteller and the artist and affords an exciting new context for Hamish to carve out his next adventure. It's hard to gauge how much longer this story will linger in Austria, with one game left it may be one week, or it may be more, we shall see. However long it is, I hope that Hamish can deliver a compelling storyline and we can leave this European sojourn on a high.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I have not seen him before. He must be the new man. Well, he can go on right away." 

Nipper

Playing for the Grove Lane cricket team, Nipper has injured his foot while facing their angry fast bowler, Typhoon Tuggey. Surveying the damage, Mike tells Nipper it's best to quit before it gets worse, especially with the new football season almost upon them. However, Nipper is determined to continue and get to the bottom of who placed the prank call to Tuggey, and as the Blackton team comes out to bat he takes his place in the field. 

In the field, Nipper is giving plenty of lip to the opposition players and chipping away at all of them. He especially concentrates on Tuggey, and the game rapidly descends into a shambles, with finger-pointing and threats all over the field. 

The umpire takes a stand and warns both teams. As things get ugly, the Grove Lane captain, Nigel Danvers, steps in and points an accusing finger at Nipper, telling him they wouldn't be in this mess if he hadn't insulted Tuggey over the phone. 

This is the moment that Nipper has been waiting for, and he tells the assembled players that no one knew about the call except for Nipper, Mike and Tuggey, so how then did Nigel Danvers know about it?

It is obvious that Nigel is the guilty party, but as Nipper talks smugly to the players about the plot Nigel is fast coming behind him with a closed fist.

With this talk of the new football season upon us, it looks like Nipper's time at Grove Lane is almost finished - after two games. It has been an interesting ride, and although this wasn't my favourite issue or storyline, it has been steady enough and this feels like a fitting ending. We still have one final conflict to resolve, but I don't think it will take too much to wrap this up and get Nipper back on the football pitch. This week went as I expected and didn't offer up too much in the way of surprises. The conflict we expected to see on the pitch was there, and after some tense moments, the story got where it needed to be with Nigel falling into Nipper's trap. I would have liked to see one more issue to flesh this out, but it is a fast-moving comic, and it was nice to see us reaching the end and already looking towards the future. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "For goodness sake keep quiet, Lawrence! This game is degenerating into a shambles" 

Tallon Of The Track 

Jo Tallon is desperately unhappy that the Ospeys chairman, Sir Basil Oldfield, has signed Bill Bolton to the team. In Jo's eyes, Bill Bolton is a cocky and arrogant rider and one who doesn't ride fairly. 

Their next race meeting is in Pensdale, in the North of England, and as they wait for the coach to pick them up to take them there, Jo observes that Bill Bolton is already late. 

Just at that moment, he appears, dressed in fancy dress as a pirate. Jo is fuming as he explains that it is a psychological trick and that he is merely trying to shake the confidence of the opposition riders. 

The rest of the team find it funny, but Jo is far from amused. Her mood doesn't improve at the track, although Bolton does approach her and ask if he can ride in the first heat. 

Jo agrees, although she immediately regrets it as the race starts and Bolton pulls a wheelie, getting away off the line in last place.

I can't decide if I love or hate Bill Bolton. Previous he came across as a complete heel, yet this week there was a tinge of the lovable rogue about him, which almost redeemed some of his previous behaviour. Pleasingly, it was all undone on the final panels, and his final thoughts make it quite clear that he's not one to be trusted. Earlier in the story I was drawn to the images of him dressed as a pirate, and found those panels to be fairly amusing, not something I expected during this storyline. It did add some levity to the strip and gave us a nice sense of momentum as we went into the second half of the strip. I am slowly warming to this story, and after a couple of slow weeks, I now feel I am enjoying it much more. Perhaps I should go back to the beginning and read the previous issues again, I'm sure that now I have this wider context I would enjoy them much more. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Pirates, prepare to meet thy doom! The birds of prey are here for the kill!' 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Skid Solo  

Best Line: "What am I going to do? If this goes on Tiny's boat could end up at the bottom of the lake." 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 26th July 1975

Sorry I'm late. This week's blog post is a day late, and with the Euros starting this weekend I found I simply ran out of time. It's hard to squeeze in a few hours for this blog when there are fourteen hours of football to watch - especially when those fourteen hours are accompanied by beer and snacks. So today's blog comes saturated in football action, and a slight hangover from the weekend's events. It's going to be the same all month, so I shan't apologise in future, please accept that this blog will be a little average until this football storm has passed over and I'm back on an even keel. I'm sure you'll understand.   

Tiger

26th July 1975

Roy Of The Rovers

After the kidnapping drama of last week, Roy has finally made it onto the field for the English team against France. 

His warm-up was short and didn't go well, which carries on into the game. Roy just can't get his head into the game as he continues to worry about Jules and his nephew. 

Come halftime, Jules still hasn't arrived at the ground and given Roy a signal that it's all gone OK. As Roy heads into the England dressing room he is hailed by one of the members of the French officials. Thinking that he may have news of Jules, Roy stops to talk to him, only to be dragged away by the angry England manager who is furious that Roy would dare to talk to the opposition at halftime. 

The game resumes, and Roy is desperate to make amends. He narrowly misses one chance, but after seeing Jules arrive at the sideline for the French team his spirits are lifted. However, as Jules is subbed on for the French he ignores Roy, and Roy is still in the dark about the fate of Jules's nephew and his own position on the English team. 

We had some great panels buried in this week's strip, although it never blossomed into the exciting storyline I thought it might have. The cover looked promising, and within the comic, we were treated to some good-looking on-field action. However, the story couldn't deliver on the promise of the artwork, and even with the English manager's rant, Roy never engaged with the reader. He really was in his own world, and I found I couldn't relate to him in this issue. Every time I ran into an exciting panel it was immediately undone by Roy's lack of focus, and I found I was more frustrated at Roy than at the comic. An uneven read, with just enough diamonds buried in the rough to make me want to come back and see the outcome. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Roy, what do you think this is...a garden party? You can't go around chatting with the opposition during an international match - not at halftime anyway! 

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar has taken a heavy fall after being tripped by the Golden Boy in the 200-metre race. Surveying the damage, Johnny tells the officials that his leg is badly hurt, but he will continue on. 

It proves no hindrance in the following event, the long jump, which he wins easily. However, in the javelin, Golden Boy outthrows Cougar. With Cougar's leg getting worse, and Golden Boy only two points behind, it looks like the drama is only beginning in this competition. 

Like last week, this was a smooth story that didn't contain a lot of drama. Johnny COugar won events, the Golden Boy won events, and I failed to get excited for either. We are told that Cougar is injured, but it doesn't seem to have affected his performance so far, and it doesn't feel like an important part of the story, In fact, a lot of this competition doesn't feel important, so far I haven't felt caught up in the drama of it. It is a frictionless read, and as much as I love looking at the characters and the sublime artwork, I still don't feel like this is an essential storyline in the current Tiger comic. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Gaaach! A fluke! The wind was against me, when I jumped"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Tiny and Martin have a pile of bills and no money to pay them. 

Tiny is repairing George, while Martin has an idea to enter him in a stock car race. Tiny is against the idea, but Martin wanders down to the stock car track for a look anyway. 

As luck would have it, he meets a stock car driver who has injured himself in last week's race. He offers his car for Martin to drive, and in exchange, they will split any prize winnings 50/50.

Martin readily agrees, although when he returns to Tiny he finds that Tiny has also managed to find a money opportunity with an offer to tow someone's boat to the lake for fifty pounds. 

Both events are on the same day, so they agree to split up and embark on their money-making ventures alone. 

Tiny's boat towing scheme starts well, but soon he comes to a steep road that George can't handle towing the boat. Lacking power, they are soon sliding backwards, and the boat comes off - crashing into a tree.

Martin is also having his troubles at the track. His stock car takes several heavy blows, and when he responds in kind he finds his car crashing off the track and into the wire fence.

I like the idea of the two lads working separately to make money and both have their problems. In this case, each scheme is completely different from the other, with Martin fiercely competing against others, while Tiny is only competing against himself and the environment he finds himself in. It looks splendid on the page, and in particular, I was quite taken by the scenes at the race track. We have seen similar scenes before, but it is a great contrast to Tinys idyllic landscape, and the tension feels greater at the track - especially with the owner of the stock car yelling at Martin. His eyebrows alone are worth the price of admission, and I felt in the heat of the moment as he yelled instructions. There seems to be no easy resolution for the situations the boys find themselves in, and next week's issue is a must-read to see how they will get out of this one. Hopefully, it's not all swept away in the opening panels of next week's issue and we get good milage out of this storyline.   

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Phew, the sign said it was steep...but this is like trying to drive up the side of a wall!"

Tallon Of The Track

Great to see Tallon Of The Track earlier in the comic, rather than the final story which it always seems to have been of late. 

Basil Oldfield wants to sign an arrogant young rider named Billy Bolton to the team, a move that Jo Tallon is dead against. Racing against Bolton in a cross-country scramble, Jo can see Bolton at the head of the field, where he is suspiciously opening a gate beside the track. 

Jo can't understand why he is doing this, but it soon becomes clear as a bull emerges from the paddock and confronts Jo on the track. Jo tries to outride the bull, but unfortunately, the muddy conditions make this impossible and Jo finds herself at the end of the bull's horns and thrown into the fence. 

Jo emerges unscathed, although her bike is crushed and she can no longer continue in the scramble. She makes her way back to the finish line, where Billy Bolton wins the race with ease. 

This leads to one final confrontation with Jo in which Billy Boulton holds all the cards, revealing that he has already been offered a place on the Osprey's team despite Jo's objections. 

I liked seeing Jo appear earlier in the comic, as I am often tired by the time we reach her story at the end of the comic. I didn't expect to enjoy this scramble as much as I did, and having Jo attacked by a bull was an angle I hadn't even considered when I picked up this week's issue. It made for some dynamic panels, and I only wish they were bigger on the page. The story accelerated throughout and we are moving quickly towards a larger confrontation. This scramble is a great start, and I can't wait to see how it will develop from here. Billy Bolton is proving to be a superb villainous foil to Jo, and every line he delivers is toxic and makes his character even more unlikable. The day when he gets his comeuppance will be well deserved, and I shall studiously keep reading until that day arrives. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Yikes! A dirty great bull! Bolton is trying to put me out of the race altogether!"

 

Skid Solo

After the drama of last week's British Gand Prix, Skid is still without a car, although Sandy is trying to get one sorted using the engine out of an American car. 

Leaving Sandy to get on with the mechanical side of things, Skid takes Tommy for a driving lesson on the track. Over ten laps Tommy proves that he's a natural driver, and Skid is impressed by what he says. He tells Tommy that he is sure to pass his driving test the next day, and Tommy is confident as they return to the pits to check on Sandy. 

Sandy still has a lot of work ahead of him, and after a long night, the car is ready for some testing. While Tommy heads off to sit his driving exam, Skid takes the new car out on the track to put it through its paces. It is fast, although he does have an issue with the aerofoil not being at the right angle, a problem that Sadn assures him will be fixed by the German Grand Prix. 

The strip ends with a glum-faced Tommy returning to the team. He tells Skid that he didn't pass his driving exam as the examiner is sick with influenza. He'll have to wait until next week to pass his exam, an event that will coincide nicely with the German Grand Prix.  

I'm not convinced that Skid would really take Tommy for a driving lesson in a race car on the track, but it still made for good reading. Tommy's future is well signposted, and seeing him as a natural driver is laying the groundwork for what we will see in the coming years. It was an improvement on the driving lesson we saw a couple of weeks ago, and even if I can't buy into the believability, at least it was better than leaving the Grand Prix to go for a driving lesson. Once again we see poor old Sandy dedicating himself to getting Skid's car ready. I don't know how much he gets paid, but it would never be enough for all the hours he gives Skid and his cars. No wonder he is always grumpy - he never seems to sleep and every time he gets Skid's car ready Skid manages to find a way to damage it. We have the German Grand Prix next week and with Skid in a fast car, and Tommy's final driving test, we should be turning the corner in this story and setting ourselves up for a speedy finish. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Howling cats! It's really motoring. This thing's got half as much acceleration again as my other cars!" 

Billy's Boots

Billy's school is playing against Cranworth School, and they are finding the pitch to be virtually unplayable. 

Billy ducks to avoid the first ball that angrily shoots off the pitch before he is hit in the shoulder a couple of deliveries later.

At the other end, Jimmy Dawson finds it easier going and begins to score freely. Billy has no such luck, and after a couple of near misses, he finds himself out as he tries to defend his head. 

The rest of the team follows in Billy's wake, and they all struggle with the wild pitch. The team are all out for fifty-two runs, with Jimmy Dawson scoring thirty-nine.

The tables are turned as Cranworth bat, and Billy's fast bowling is highly effective on the unpredictable pitch. He grabs a couple of quick wickets, before having a chance for revenge at the bowler who had previously tormented him. Billy can't get him out, but the Cranworth player is run out in an attempt to avoid facing Billy again, and angry words are exchanged as he leaves the field. 

Cranworth is bowled out, and Groundwood win by seven runs. Billy has claimed six wickets, and in the dressing room, he is the hero of the moment. However, as the team leave, Billy is the last left in the dressing room. Outside he can hear the Cranworth players waiting for him, and it looks like they are waiting to beat him up when he leaves.

This story appeals to the boy in me, and as Billy overhears what is awaiting him, I know exactly how he feels. This was another classic Billy's Boots story, with Billy coming good on the field, only for the story to turn and leave him once again facing problems. There are days when I don't enjoy such twists and turns, but this week I found it worked well, and I bought into the story without a second thought. The poor quality pitch was relatable and something I encountered often as a boy, as were the other boys waiting to beat Billy up. I still carry such traumas in my heart, and seeing Billy waiting in the dark was a tense moment that I shall hold onto all week until we reach the next issue. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Use your bat, chum...that's what you've got it for! That's what you told me!" 

Nipper

Nipper is doing his best to protect young Roger Gifford from the fiery bowling of Typhoon Tuugey. He has done a fine job thus far, but now Roger is facing a furious Tuggey who is bowling at express pace.

The first ball hits Roger's bat, and Nipper calls for a quick single. This puts pressure on the fielders, leading to a collision and more threats. 

As angry as he is, Tuggey just can't get the better of Nipper. Nipper doesn't know much about the next delivery, but he manages to hit it for six. This leads to a series of wild deliveries from Tuggey, some of which strike Nipper on the body, and despite this Nipper gains the upper hand as Tuggey loses control.

The upshot of all this is an easy victory for Nipper's team. In the dressing room, Mike Beatson congratulates Nipper, who tells him that it has come at a cost - Nipper's big toe is red and swallow and Nipper is already fearing for the football season. 

Another cricketing story, although I did like that Nipper mentioned the football season in the final panel. This issue saw Nipper facing wild bowling, much as Billy Dane did in the story before, and one couldn't help but draw comparisons between the two. Perhaps a story in between these two cricket stories would have been better and given each story its own space and room to breathe. Of the two, I enjoyed Billy's Boots more. This is because of the relatability, and as much as Nipper is every young boy who has been an underdog, Billy is facing imminent danger from a threat we are all familiar with. Now that Nipper has alluded to the football season, I am beginning to wonder how far away that might be, and looking at the cover date I see we won't be getting too much more out of these cricketing stories. I am enjoying this story far more than expected, but I am happy to see the word football on the page, and I look forward to seeing Nipper return to his first love. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "He gave me a rubbish full toss that time! Looks as if Typhoon is getting rattled!"

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish is still in Austria with Princes Park and their three-match tour. Watching the Princes Park game on the TV back at the hotel, Hamish finds himself caught up in an all-in brawl with the locals. 

He is saved by the outcome of the match, and as the referee blows full time it is a draw. With this result, all is forgiven between Hamish and his combatants. 

The next day Prices Park takes a tour of a local castle. Several people comment that Hamish looks a lot like the former occupant of the castle - Baron Von Crumper.

As the tour moves on, Hamish takes a moment to sit alone in a great chair in the hall, only to find the chair tilting and dropping him into a secret underground stream. Soon he is washed out to a wider river, where he wades ashore much to the surprise of the local fishermen who mistake him for the original Baron Von Crumper.

A little silly, but compensated by some brilliant artwork. The sight of Hamish disappearing into the depths of the castle was noteworthy, as was the sight of him appearing in the river. All this comes on the back of the opening fight scene, and as much as the story failed to ignite anything within me, I still found the art to be emotive and compelling. More time at the castle would have been nice, but I feel that our time in Austria is coming to an end. We haven't seen Hamish kick a football for a couple of issues now, and a return to the football field is about due. Next week shall continue this Von Crumper story, but I didn't see too many legs in it, and I look forward to once again seeing Hamish's famous hot shot.   

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "It-it's him! The- the ghost of Baron Von Crumper!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Martin's Marvellous Mini  

Best Line: "It's no good, the bull is gaining fast! It's going to--" 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sport's Quiz:

Tiger 19th July 1975

Forget the age of marvels, we are living in the Marvel age. Billion-dollar movies, each with bigger, stronger, and gaudier, superheroes. These heroes may have started with human frailties, but with each movie, their humanity feels further and further away. They may claim to have humble beginnings, but who can remember them as the movies clobber us over the head with the idea of all-powerful heroes. 

This is the second Marvel age I have lived through. I well remember as a child in the late seventies how hugely popular Spiderman was at the time. Every other kid had a pile of Spiderman comics, or a closet stuffed full of Spiderman toys and paraphernalia. Even my spendthrift parents weren't immune, and for my sixth birthday, I received a Spiderman gun that fired ping-pong balls, along with a Spider van to add to my non-existent matchbox car collection.

In the face of this tsunami of Marvel merchandising and comic empire, you might wonder why I chose to read UK boys' comics over the pile of Marvel and DC comics that cluttered every other child's room. A single word- relatability. Spiderman may have been pitched as an average teen with all the concerns that go along with that, but he never struggled to make the first eleven. He didn't play football in the winter and cricket in the summer. He never worried about if his boots matched the other players on the pitch, or practised football in the backyard of his Grans. Billy Dane did, and I could relate to him. I couldn't relate to a teenager fighting crime at night, but I could relate to Nipper, small and scrapping for every minute on the pitch. I could relate to Hot Shot Hamish, sharing both a name and beautiful flowing golden locks (sadly just a memory for this bald man now). 

These were my heroes, characters that inhabited the same world as me. I may not have ridden a speedway bike like Jo Tallon, but I had been to the speedway enough with my father to understand and smell and sound of being at the track. Jo was my hero, pushing herself and her bike week after week. Skid Solo was my hero, doing deeds on the track while nurturing a young lad the same age as me. Hot Hamish, Roy Race, Nipper Lawrence - all heroes. Martin and Tiny could well have been any number of my friend's older brothers as they became teenagers and gained our licences. They weren't spandex-wearing, or powerful, but they were heroes to me. It turns out it's true what they say. Not all heroes wear capes.   

Tiger

19th July 1975

Billy's Boots

Billy has been invited to take part in a practice game for the county side. Last week we saw him start badly, but on the cover of this week's edition his boots have taken a hand, and after shortening his run-up Billy clean bowls the batter.

Billy is feeling pleased with himself, but while fielding on the boundary he is distracted by his classmates. He misses a catch, and the ball strikes him on the shin, forcing Billy to leave the game injured. 

Back at school, Mister Renton tells Billy's team that Billy and Jimmy's punishment is now over and after being dropped from the team for two games are are now back in.

Their first game back they are playing Cranworth school. Looking through the scorebook, one of Billy's teammates observes that no team has scored more than fifty against Cranworth, leading to the assumption that Cranworth must have some good bowlers. 

However, out on the pitch, we see that it's not good bowling that is making for the low scores, but rather a rough pitch that makes the ball almost unplayable. One of the Groundswood boys is out almost immediately, and the strip ends this week with Billy walking out to bat, while his friends offer a dustbin lid to strap to his chest to stop him getting hit. 

These last few weeks of Billy playing cricket have been superb, and this is another strong entry in this storyline. Billy's first delivery was well worth its front-page status and set us up for another issue of ups and downs for the lad. From his bowling performance, things took a turn as he was brought back to earth in the outfield, a nice little lesson tucked into the pages for any boy who gets overconfident after a good performance. The interaction with Mister Renton is also an aspect of the story that delivers more than it should given how little space is dedicated to it. In just a single panel Mister Renton displays his power over Billy and his friends, and although he is installing strong discipline it also shows he has some humanity. This makes for a well-rounded character that is crucial to the lives of Billy and his friends. However, it's not Mister Renton who has the best line in the story, it's the Math teacher who delivers the hottest line we have seen in a Billy's Boots story for some time. It also happens to be the best line in the comic. Lovely writing, and it gives the story an extra edge that makes me smile just thinking about it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Gosh, the Cranworth lot are even more scruffy than we are!"

Skid Solo

Another day of hard graft by Sandy McGrath, and it looks like Skid's car will be ready in time for the British Grand Prix. 

Skid makes the start line in his car cobbled together from two vehicles. Driving aggressively, he leads the field early on, before pulling into the pits with steering issues. 

A quick repair by Sandy and Tommy soon has him back on track. He makes up the lost time, breaking the lap record, and regains the lead. But again he suffers car issues, this time an overheating problem, and Sandy makes another repair. 

The next lap Skid is back in the pits. He has had steering problems again, although this time much more severe and has crashed into a barrier. 

With his race over, Skid tells Tommy that it's best to keep busy at a time like this. With that in mind, he offers to take Tommy for a driving lesson. This lesson is going well until Tommy is rear-ended by a truck as he slows down at some traffic lights. The truck driver blames Tommy, but after he recognises Skid he changes his tune, asking for an autograph and offering to pay for the damages. 

An uneven story for Skid this week and I didn't like it anywhere near as much as I should have. My biggest problem is that immediately after crashing out of the race, Skid leaves the track to take Tommy for a driving lesson. I understand that this is a comic and not reality, but even so, I found this a bit on the nose - especially coming from a professional such as Skid Solo. He has always been the model of professionalism on these pages, and it suddenly seemed out of character to see him leave with Tommy. Before this incident, I had greatly enjoyed the race, and the trials and tribulations facing Skid and his men. Drama after drama stacked up, and through it all Skid kept driving with a steely determination. It felt like we were back to the very best of Skid Solo, so it was disappointing to have it all swept away by Tommy's driving lesson. Even so, the lesson could have been handled better, and the way it finally played out with the lorry driver was weak and not to the usual standard I have come to expect. The motor racing was a solid eight, while Tommy's lesson was a four, giving the strip an uneven score of six. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "That Mon's always got a chance as long as his wheels keep turning!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini 

Tiny and Martin are at Silverstone for a mini race, but during practice, a wheel falls off and the car skids off the track. 

Assessing the damage, they find it is fixable with the right parts. They have no money, but Martin sets off to buy the parts they need, promising to pay everyone back the following day once they have won the race day. 

Race day goes well, and Martin is leading the race by a handy margin. However, he has a bit of bad luck as a stone is flicked up off the track and shatters his windshield. This sends him crashing off the track and out of the race. 

Back at the pits, Martin is towed in. The tow driver tells him it's five pounds for the tow, but he can pay tomorrow. At that moment the race organiser also tells them that they haven't paid their entry fee, and he will also collect his money tomorrow. The boys have a quick tally up and come to the realisation that they need one hundred and thirty pounds by the next day or they will be facing some big trouble. 

Glorious to look at, absolutely glorious. The colours for this issue are spot on, and the story popped off the page at me. The second page was a treat, and seeing Tiny dressed as a program seller was a moment that made me laugh. The final panel and the looks on their faces were the best of the lot and a great way to leave this week's story. Expressive and emotive, the artwork emphasised the dialogue and made an impression that only comics can. Tiny and Martin and their money issues is a never-ending saga (has there ever been another strip in a boys' comic so focussed on money?) that throws up scenario after scenario. Everyone is thrown into the mix here, and we end with the situation where the boys owe money to everyone, a situation I can relate to, although it probably went over my head when I was a boy. If I knew how much of my life would be given over to worrying about mortgage payments etc, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed Martin's Marvellous Mini and their money issues as much as I did when I was a boy. Still, I find it even more relatable as an adult, and I shall be scouring next week's issue to steal their money-making ideas for myself. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "And all we've got is a fifty pence each...and a very badly broken mini..."

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar and Golden Boy receive a warm welcome at the athletic stadium as they prepare to compete against each other in a marathon series of competitions. 

The first competition is a 1500-metre race, a race that Cougar wins easily after pacing himself throughout the run. 

Next is the high jump, and Johnny also wins this easily, electing to watch as Golden Boy takes on a variety of steadily increasing heights before Cougar beats them all with the Fosbury Flop. 

The next event is the 200-metres. Cougar is winning again when suddenly Golden Boy trips him. At the speed they are going Cougar could be badly hurt in a fall, but we'll have to wait until next week to see what happens next.

A simple enough story, and one I enjoyed without ever becoming too involved. The artwork highlighted this and kept out of the way as the story told itself. After the intensity of the wrestling match, this issue gave us a chance to catch our breath as the action on the page slowed down. We had three events, but none of them was particularly taxing, and they were each neatly compartmentalised. The only real drama on the page was the third event, and even then it was the final panel where we finally had some conflict. A light story, the highlight oddly enough was the opening panel as they paraded around the stadium in the back of a car. It wasn't the Cougar I have come to expect, but I enjoyed the change of pace and it was a nice read for a Sunday morning. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Brave words...Cougar think you should save your breath...you going to need it!"

Nipper

Nipper is about to open the batting for Grove Lane Cricket Club, facing the lightning-fast bowler Typhoon Tuggey, who is making it a personal mission to hurt Nipper. 

Tuggey delivers on his promise. The first ball almost takes Nipper's head off,  while the second and third ones are too fast to see and smash Nipper in the hand, and in the stomach. 

Sir Henry is watching on with his son Roger, and he tells Roger that he hopes he is learning a thing or two from Nipper. 

Out in the middle Nipper finally manages to get a single and escape the onslaught. However, his batting partner is out the next ball, clean bowled by Tuggey. Roger comes to the crease looking scared stiff and anxious about facing Tuggey, Nipper can see that he's scared and appeals to Tuggey to take it easy on the lad, but Tuggey merely laughs and tells Nipper that all of Grove Lane's players are fair game as far as he's concerned.

This story carries a lot of promise but has yet to deliver. We have now got a handle on Tuggey and his intentions, and although we saw Nipper struck by some frightful blows, the worst is yet to come. Having the chairman's son Roger thrown into the mix added an extra angle int this conflict between Nipper and Tuggey, and things look like they are out of Nipper's hands for now. This was a nice touch, and I appreciated that for once Nipper cannot dictate what happens on the page. It is a chance for other characters to come forward and move the story along, and I think the conflict between Roger and Tuggey will give the story another layer that will help it become a deeper and more interesting read. Maybe none of this will happen, and I will be eating my words next week, but for now, I am happy with the direction we are pointing and waiting to see what will happen next. 

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "By gad! A blow like that would have felled an oak tree...yet Lawrence is bouncing right back again!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy has promised his French friend Jules that he will help him find his kidnapped son, but first, he must find a way of wrangling his way out of an English team trip to the movies. 

Roy has a scheme, and it works perfectly. Putting in some extra training with the English team, he returns to his locker and tells the manager that he has lost the key to his locker where all his street clothes are. The manager is frustrated, but there is nothing he can do. Roy tells him that he'll rush back to the hotel get his clothes, and then meet them directly at the cinema. This they agree to and Roy is soon on his way to meet up with Jules. 

He and Jules fill a suitcase with newspapers instead of ransom money and drop it off at the appointed spot. The money floats down the river, and further on it is fished out by two masked men. They are shocked when they find that Roy has also been in the river, floating under the suitcase, and he catches one with a punch before grappling with the other. 

Jules is quickly on the scene, and the pair of them soon have the kidnappers sedated and waiting for the police. Roy leaves Jules to wait and scampers off, desperate to meet up with his English colleagues and hoping all this drama doesn't affect his performance on the field the following day. 

Excitement plus, with barely a football in sight. I hadn't expected things to escalate as fast as they did and the story was up and running before I knew it. The artwork in the story was better than I have seen in a long time, and I think a large part of this was having Roy away from the football field. The scenario he was in was far more interesting to the eye, and the artist gave us several great panels of Roy in action. Roy bursting from the water to strike the kidnappers was a standout, as was the brief fight that ensued. This story has been building for several weeks now, and this week we got the payoff with a healthy dose of action and some great Roy Race moments. It's not over yet, but it is hard to see how this issue will be topped and it feels like this will be the pinnacle of this storyline. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I guess they didn't expect us to turn up this morning! You chump, Roy! We're due at the cinema in half-an-hour! The manager has got a reception laid on!" 

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish is stuck at the top of a mountain, while the rest of his team are off playing. The local guide tells Hamish that there are two ways down; the fast way or the slow way. Hamish elects to take the fast way and finds himself unceremoniously pushed off the side.

Still tied to his guide, Hamish is soon on his way down as his guide negotiates the sheer cliff. As they reach the lower slopes they see some grass skiers, and Hamish offers that he wouldn't mind trying that himself. His guide obliges him, and Hamish is soon zooming down the hill. Despite a warning from the guide, Hamish ends up in the local river, where he comes out drenched and covered with mud. 

Back at the hotel, Hamish settles down in front of the TV with some locals to watch the Princes Park game. Princes Park is already two-nil up when there is a heavy foul committed against one of their players. Hamish is unhappy and yells at the TV. At the ground, a fight breaks out between the players and spectators, and back at the hotel, Hamish is soon engaged in some fisticuffs of his own as a brawl develops in the TV room over the decision. 

The first half of this week's story had some light humour, but the thigh-slapping laugh-out-loud moments were in the final panels as the fighting started. You can't beat an old-fashioned brawl, and with the exaggerated cartoon aspects of Hamish thrown it, this was a doozy. I temporarily forgot this was a football story, and just revelled in the expressions of Hamish and his combatants on the page. It wasn't as silly as some of the previous issues, and even having Hamish on grass skis was funny rather than just foolish. We are in the midst of a humourous streak for Hot Shot Hamish, with some of the drama of the football season temporally forgotten and replaced with a more sedately paced and amusing storyline. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Hooligan! Does your team no' ken how to play football?"

Tallon Of The Track 

Club chairman Basil Oldfield wants to bring new blood into the Ospreys team and tells Jo Tallon that he wants to bring in Bill Bolton. Jo is unhappy with the situation, although there is little she can do about it at this moment and for now they must wait until Bolton's trial with the Lions has finished.

Wanting to take her mind off the team, Dave offers Jo to enter a scramble meeting with him the next Saturday. She readily accepts, and come Saturday both are geared up and waiting to go at the start of the scramble. Their good mood is interrupted but the appearance of Bill Bolton who has also entered the scramble. Showering Jo with mud, he once again riles her up and Jo is furious when she finds she'll be racing against him in the intermediate event.

The event begins, and Jo and Bolton prove to be a cut above everyone else. Soon they are both far out in front, with Bolton holding an advantage over Jo. Coming over the hill, Jo can see Bolton has stopped at the bottom of the hill and is currently opening a gate. Jo can't fathom why, as the scramble goes straight past the gate, but we will be sure to find out come next week. 

I'm still not feeling enthusiastic about this story, although my interest has been piqued somewhat by this scramble race. It seems Jo has her work cut out to win over Bolton, and he doesn't look like he will bend easily to her will. Paired with the scramble race, we have two story threads crisscrossing each other, and each should provide fuel for the other. To have a storyline of purely Jo clashing in the team would be repetitive after the previous storyline, and throwing in this scramble has raised the stakes, and my interest, considerably. Next week may well be make or break as far as my interest in the story goes, but things are looking promising and I have high hopes for the next issue. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Tut-tut, what an accusation! A nice, quiet, well-bred lad like me wouldn't dream of doing a thing like that!" 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Roy Of The Rovers 

Best Line: "If you two hurry up and sit down, you can get professional coaching here...in maths!" 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 12th July 1975

This week's issue is surprisingly consistent, with every strip delivering a solid story. Although nothing stood out, neither did anything underperform.  Most stories are building nicely towards a larger event, with several improving on their previous week's edition. This left me wanting more, and by the time I finished this comic and was well-primed for whatever comes next. Just like football, consistency is more important than flash, and this week's comic is a solid midfielder rather than an over-priced striker. 

Tiger

12th July 1975

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar has the upper hand in his wrestling bout against Golden Boy, but Golden Boy is far from done and still has a couple of tricks up his sleeve.

Cannoning off the ropes, Golden Boy catches Cougar with an almighty head butt. As Coiugar falls to the floor, Golden Boy follows this up with what should be a match-winning elbow smash.

However, Cougar has other ideas on the matter and just manages to move his head before Golden Boy's elbow comes crashing down hard into the mat. 

Golden Boy is now injured, and Couagr wraps up the match with a furious throw that tosses Golden Boy out of the ring and into the crowd. Cougar wins by a knockout, and the audience wonders how the winner will be decided now that Golden Boy has won the boxing and Cougar has won the wrestling. 

The ring announcing enlightens us all in the final panel, telling the crowd that the two men will compete in a marathon series of competitions in the local Athletics Stadium next week,. These competitions will test the strength, skill and stamina of both men and only the very fittest will triumph. 

The ending of this bout was inevitable, yet highly enjoyable as we were presented with several captivating images of Cougar throwing his opponent across the ring. Like the previous issue, the story focused entirely on the wrestling match and played to the strength of the Cougar character. With the artwork showing the two wrestlers' bodies in the best possible light, as well as beautifully rendering the faces of those watching, the story practically leapt off the page at me and was a visual treat throughout. I may not have been entirely enthused about Golden Boy or the premise behind the fight, but I can't deny that it looked great and hooked me from start to finish. This is a boy's comic doing what boys' comics do best - fast-paced action with two sportsmen who look more like superheroes. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Johnny let him go...the Golden's Boy's become a human rocket!" 

Hot Shot Hamish 

With Hamish in goal, Princes Park has gone two goals down against their Austrian opponents. Mister McWhacker has seen enough, quickly pulls Hamish out of goal, and puts him back in the outfield where he expects Hamish to score three goals. 

Hamish makes an immediate impression, dribbling the ball past several players before putting the ball in the back of the net....for an own goal. 

Mister McWhacker's halftime team talk is succinct - it's all Hamish's faulty and they should play him out of the game,

This they do, although they still end up losing three-one. The next day Hamish is rested for the game and while the team travel to the neighbouring town Hamish goes sightseeing. 

He tries out the ski lift but finds he doesn't have a head for heights and faints as the lift carries him to the top of the mountain. From the top he has only two options - take the ski lift back down or walk down while roped together with a mountain guide. Hamish elects to go with the guide and he tells those around him that he is no longer a footballer...he is a mountain climber.

A humorous story and one that had a fine balance between football and off-field shenanigans. Both served up funny situations, although I did find Hamish on the ski lift to be the funniest part of the strip. The size of Hamish compared to the seat was funny in itself and coupled with the look on his face, one couldn't help but laugh. On the field, his own goal was funny, but having scored several own goals myself I couldn't laugh too hard at the big man. This isn't quite classic Hot Shot Hamish, yet it was close enough to give me several laughs that were well-deserved.   

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "No ye don't, mon! I'm no getting on that tiny wee seat again!"

Martins Marvellous Mini 

Tiny and Martin can only watch on helplessly as their hard-won money is blown overboard as they catch the ferry home. 

Arriving back in Britain they find themselves again looking for a way to make money, and as they drive away from the docks they see just the thing with a billboard advertising the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. 

Thinking that they might be able to enter one of the supporting races they drive to Silverstone where they are disappointed to find that all the places have been taken for the mini races. However, they are offered jobs as programme sellers, an opportunity they have no option but to take. 

As they begin to sell programs they see the minis practising on the track, and as luck would have it there is a serious accident that sees several minis unable to take part in any further racing. 

Martin and Tiny are offered their spot for the races, providing that can put in some good practice times. Their first lap is extremely fast, only a second outside the lap record, and their place in the race is assured. However, as Martin takes the car out for a few more practice laps, he finds one of the rear wheels coming off and we end with him crashing off the track and into a hay bale. 

Another week of ups and downs for Martin and Tiny. As we see many times throughout their storylines, something good happens, only for something bad to occur over the page. This week they lost their money (boo!), and then see the sign for Silverstone (yay!). At Siverstone they are told there are no spaces in the race for them (boo!) before a bad crash offers them a chance (yay!). A fast lap time (yay!) followed by a crash off the track (boo!) rounds out this issue and I am exhausted by the end of it. I generally like the direction we are heading, although I would have liked to see anyone one of these key moments stretched out a little more. Told across two issues, this week's strip could have had more time to breathe, and each one of their ups and downs would have carried more weight. Still, what do I know, I only read the comics, I don't write them. Similar to Hot Shot Hamish before it, this isn't a classic issue for Martin's Marvellous Mini, although it was likeable and sets up expectations that it will only get better in the coming weeks.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "I say! Those types were selling programmes yesterday! Surely they're not competing!"

Billy's Boots

Billy and Jimmy are trialling for the county Colts team, and when we last left them Billy was just about to face their fastest bowler. It doesn't go well for Billy. The bowler is much too fast for him, and he ends up on the ground looking back ruefully at the bowler, 

Explaining to the coach that he's only a schoolboy and has never faced a bowler that fast, the coach decides to see how he goes bowling. 

On this front, Billy delivers in spades, with his magic boots helping him bowl a variety of high-speed deliveries at the county opener, before eventually bowling him with a slower ball. 

The coach is suitably impressed, and Billy finds himself in the team for Saturday's game,  opening the bowling no less. 

This proves to be a different kettle of fish, and Billy is smashed to the boundary for his first two balls. However, for his third delivery, he shortens his run up and can feel the boots are up to something - something we'll have to wait until next week to see.

I may have said it last week, but I prefer this cricket storyline to any of the football stories we have seen from Billy's Boots in the previous months. I like that there is more adult involvement, and we have an expanded cast of characters, some more important than others. There is also extra detail in the artwork and it is more nuanced than we have previously seen. Several panels were outstanding this week, and in particular, I had a soft spot for the montage showing the professional cricketer facing a barrage of deliveries from Billy. Splendid stuff and it added extra depth to a story that is already pushing the boundaries of what it had previously been. I spent more time reading this story than any other this week, and that is attributable to the artwork and the extra detail at play. It drew me into the story like no other and although it wasn't my favorite story this week, it was a very close second.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I told you...I've only played schoolboy cricket! We don't have bowlers who are that fast!" 

Roy Of The Rovers 

Roy is on the trail of his good friend Jules Bernand who has sneaked off from the hotel. 

It doesn't take long for Roy to get to the bottom of Jules's evasiveness. Snatching a note left for Jules in a phone box, Roy finds that Jules's nephew has been kidnapped with the kidnappers demanding that Jules pay one hundred thousand pounds for his release. 

Roy offers to help Jules and tells him he will formulate a plan before the rendezvous with the kidnappers on Wednesday night, just two hours before the Nations Cup Match. 

Roy phones Blackie and his team and finds the Rovers have won the five-a-side tournament without him. Roy then joins the England team in preparation for the match against the French and practises the tactics that will hopefully win them the game. All seems to be going well, but in the final panel, the manager tells the team that he will be taking them to a movie, a western, before the match to help them relax, right at the same time that Roy is supposed to meet Jules for the rendezvous. 

The plot accelerated with this issue, and I found myself well and truly caught up in the action. I had been lukewarm about this story the last two weeks, but this week it all came together in a thrilling ride that has me hungry for more. There was very little football, aside from the practice, instead, we are entirely focused on the kidnapping and Roy's offer to help Jules. The five-a-side was wrapped up quickly, and I'm pleased to see it wasn't played out on the page, instead a single call to Blackie was all that was required to wrap that up while Roy concentrated his attention on Jules. A fast-paced issue this week, and the story continues to quickly unfold, making next week's issue unmissable and one of the first stories I will turn to. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "I'm going to help you get Armand back! And it won't cost you a penny! When you meet those kidnappers, I'll be right behind you!

Skid Solo

The team is practising for the British Grand Prix when disaster strikes. Distracted by a low-flying helicopter, Skid spins off the track. He is unharmed but furious at what has happened. He takes out his anger on the helicopter pilots before rudely telling Tommy and Sandy to fix the car as he storms off. 

In the office, Skid gives another blast to the race officials and then threatens the photographers waiting outside for him. 

Back at the pits, the news is not good and Sandy has been unable to fix the car. Tommy is sent to get the spare car, and with the help of another mechanic, they soon have the spare loaded onto a trailer. However, as they drive through the night back to Silverstone, they suddenly come across a car on the wrong side of the road, and the car trailer is overturned. Although no one is hurt, Skid now has no car for the Grand Prix and is forced to withdraw,.

Although Skid tells Sandy he can't drive without a car, and will instead help teach Tommy to drive, Sandy to determined to find Skid another vehicle, and that is where we end this week;'s strip. 

It's not very often we see Skid angry like this, and it is almost out of character to see him being angry at a range of people. I liked it, and it helped bolster the character of Skid who can sometimes be one-dimensional and a goody-goody. Seeing him show some raw emotion made him more relatable, and I felt for him as he took his anger out on those around him. The artwork did a fine job of capturing his angry expressions, as well as those around him. Not only did the artist give us the human aspect of the story, but they also provided several great panels of the cars, especially of Tommy and the mechanic driving at night to fetch the spare car. These panels were the best in the story and gave some weight to the events happening away from the track. Another strong issue for Skid Solo, and with Sandy vowing to get Skid a new car, we still have some way to go.     

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Clear off! If you print a picture of me...I'll sue you!" 

Tallon Of The Track 

The Ospreys have lost their last four matches and are placed in a lowly fifteenth in division one. With falling attendance, Basil Oldfield, the club chairman, angrily tells Jo that the team had better buck their ideas up. Jo tells him that he should relax, he is confident about tonight's event. 

However, the performance on the track tells a different story. Dave Trent is going well in his heat, but the opposing rider, a youngster named Bill Bolton, manages to sneak by him. Dave keeps the pressure on, but Bill Bolton refuses to let him pass. Dave is forced to the fence, whereupon he loses control and crashes out of the race. 

Bill Bolton wins, and when confronted by Jo about his tactics he is unrepentant. He tells her that it's a shame that speedway rules don't allow women to compete, as he would enjoy beating her out on the track. 

Jo is angry, but all she can do is watch on as Billy Bolton comes first in all four of his scheduled races. To add fuel to the fire burning inside her, Jo is approached by Basil Oldfield at the end of the meeting, who tells her that the team needs an injection of new talent and he intends on signing Billy Bolton to the team. 

Another story about adding to the team, and after the last storyline of signing a new recruit, it seems we are retreading old ground. Perhaps this time around the writer thought he could do better, I don't know, but I do wonder why we didn't go this route last month when Jo was searching for new talent. I love seeing the bikes on the track, and the various scraps that Jo gets herself into, so this story of recruiting riders feels regressive and boring to me. The politics of signing riders to the team, and the conflict between management may be the stuff of Netflix dramas, but in a boys' comic, it feels out of place and doesn't compare to previous storylines. Next week may prove me wrong, I hope so, and although some aspects of this week's strip were outstanding, I couldn't help but feel it could have been better.    

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "All we've picked up is one rotten point! I'm going to have a word with Bill Bolton!"

Nipper

Nipper has accidentally knocked a visitor into a pile of old tyres. When the visitor comes up fighting, Nipper is taken aback and wonders who it could be. 

We soon find out it is Typhoon Tuggey from the Blackton Cricket Club. He is upset about a phone call that Nipper has apparently made, although Nipper knows nothing about it.   

Tuggey has a reputation as a nasty piece of work, and with Blackton being the next match for Nipper and his team, Nipper fears for his safety. He even talks about giving up cricket and just sticking with football. 

Game day arrives, and Nipper dutifully rides his motorcycle to the game. Here he has a piece of bad luck, for just as he arrives at the gate of the ground so too does Tuggey, and the pair collide on their respective motorcycles. 

Tuggey is furious, leaving Nipper further worried about facing Tuggey's bowling. It's no surprise then to see Nipper being greeted by the captain who tells him that he has won the toss and Nipper will be opening the batting against the fuming Tuggey. 

I like this new twist to the cricket story, with the off-field events affecting the on-field game. A nice rivalry is simmering away, and it is being brought to the boil for next week's issue which should escalate things further. I had previously questioned the need for Nipper to play cricket in the offseason, but I have reconsidered this after reading Harry Redknapp's book, and the stories of West Ham players in the sixties playing cricket after training. It was a different world back then, something I don't always remember as I read these stories with a modern eye. The more I read it, the more I realize the world of Nipper is firmly rooted in the past, with its tales of urchins playing in the street and footballers having other jobs outside of the game. Not only a good read, but one that touches on an era that has sadly passed and despite my best efforts I remain a stranger to the world of Nipper.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "No thanks, Mike! I've had enough of this cricket lark!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Roy Of The Rovers 

Best Line: "Well...he's got the longest run-up I've ever seen for a boy! He's got to be fast!" 

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: