Tiger 28th February 1976

You cannot beat the anticipation of the big game. The swell of the crowd as the teams emerge from the tunnel and the roar as they come onto the field. The cover of this week's comic plugs directly into that, and we are greeted with the sight of Billy and Jimmy leading a team out. It not only creates anticipation for the game over the page but also for the entire comic that will follow. I'm not cheering as I see the front cover, but I am ready for whatever comes next. Let's kick off and see what will follow. 

Tiger

28th February 1976

Billy's Boots

This week's cover is surprising. We see Billy and Jimmy leading out Walbury Town, kitted out and ready to play the second half.

Although Billy doesn't have his boots, he has his luck, and one of his miskicks has an unexpected outcome as Walbury scores their first goal. 

Buoyed by this, Billy plays with much more confidence. He and Jimmy combine well and almost score a second goal, which a full-stretch keeper just saves.

After the game, Billy and Jimmy earn the praise of their teammates, although as they walk home, their thoughts again turn to the school team. They run into a school friend and learn that the school team struggled without them. They have high hopes of getting back into the team, but these are dashed in the final panel as their friend tells them that Mister Harris was furious that they weren't there to support the team.

The exact words Mister Harris used were "Let the team down", so I don't expect to see Billy and Jimmy back in the team anytime soon. A shame, as their performance at the charity match was particularly good. 

The charity match delivered on many fronts. It gave us a lovely cover, with Billy and Jimmy leading the team out, and this primed the reader for what was to come. The team in red was eye-catching, and paired with the yellow of the tunnel they were running out of, it neatly matched the red and yellow Tiger title above. I was once told by a marketing man that red and yellow together was the most pleasing colour combination on the eye, and from what I see here, there was some truth in his statement. 

Despite not having his old boots, Billy played remarkably well. I recently read an article that suggested that Billy's Boots weren't magical at all. It is ambiguous, and perhaps the old boots only give Billy the confidence to play well rather than being magical. Now, I cannot help but think of them as "Billy's Placebo Boot's"   It is never explicitly stated on the page that they have powers; we only have Billy's thoughts on the matter. The article made a great point, and seeing Billy play well in this week's strip with regular boots suggests that he plays all right. In particular, Billy's strike from the edge of the box was magnificent, and only some fine keeping kept it out. 

Billy is obviously a confidence player, and chances are, with Mr Harris dropping him from the team, his confidence will be shaken. He will need his placebo boots near at hand for the next few games, no matter who he ends up playing for. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line:  "Don't worry, son...we all miss our kick at times. Just keep trying, that's the important thing!"   

Skid Solo

Skid is at the track and looking longingly at his car that Sandy has rebuilt. Still in his wheelchair, Skid cannot drive, and Tommy takes it for a run around the track. 

Tommy stops after twenty laps, telling Skid and Sandy that he is taking his driving examination today. Sandy goes with him, and soon Tommy is taking the test with a driving instructor. 

The test goes well, especially the emergency stop, as Tommy's reflexes prove worthy of a racing driver. The instructor commends him on his driving, and Tommy passes. There is one more final surprise for the instructor as Tommy is greeted by fans wanting his autograph, and the instructor learns that Tommy is already a famous racing driver. 

He tells Tommy that his son is a fan, and Tommy offers him free tickets, if he'll just come back to the track with him he will give them to him. The instructor obliges, and on the way, they pass a car that has crashed into a fence. The instructor tells Tommy that such drivers should be banned, and they soon reach the track. 

There, Skid greets them both, and Tommy tells him that he passed the test. Skid confesses that he tried driving today but was less successful than Tommy as he crashed into a fence. The driving instructor hears all this and, seeing it was Skid Solo who crashed, apologises to Tommy about the comment that such drivers should be banned. Sandy tells him not to worry, while Tommy brushes it off and gets the free tickets.

The plot was mildly amusing and did just enough to keep the story moving along. Although the story focused on Tommy, it was the secondary plot with Skid that had me enthralled. The art depicting Skid in his wheelchair was evocative, and the sight of him looking at the new car and thinking about his life in motor racing overshadowed anything else we saw from Tommy and the driving instructor. 

This part of the story was laid out early, with the first panel showing Skid in his wheelchair looking over the car with Sandy and Tommy. Although talking positively to his teammates, we get some insight into Skid's mind as the following two panels show him replaying the crash over in his mind. I read quickly past it the first time, but a second look had me reconsidering the story and realising that underlying darkness. It was all humour and hijinks for Tommy and the driving instructor, but Skid was struggling with his own battle - a battle far more interesting than Tommy was embarking on. 

The humour with Tommy contrasted with the heaviness of Skid's story. It helped balance out the story, but I can't help but think it also felt frivolous and misplaced. It was jarring seeing it straight after Skid replaying the crash in his mind, although it was helped by the fact that Tommy's story mostly took place once we had turned the page. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. 

Both Skid's and Tommy's stories are moving rapidly. In the next few weeks, we should see Tommy get onto the track proper, and after six months of talking about his licence, we can now shut the gate on that story. The path is clear, and little remains between him and his dream. Skid still has a long way to go, but from today's issue, we can see that he has the drive to get back to where he belongs. He has the willpower, and it's only a matter of time before he trades in the wheelchair for a faster set of wheels. It may be some months, but I am here for the journey and will be with Skid every mile of his journey.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "That's okay, mon...ye didna ken..."

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Tiny and Martin are sailing toward Mr Twastle's holiday island, with horrible Henry still in tow. Henry plays several tricks on them while they are sailing, and it is with great relief that they reach the island and are reacquainted with Mr Twastle.

George is delivered to the island, and Tiny and Martin set off for a little peace and quiet. They are only five minutes on the road when a blue saloon car roars past them. In the back seat is Henry, holding a sign that says "Help, being kidnapped." Following behind, Tiny and Martin assume it's another practical joke, although the sign is just enough to plant the seed of doubt. 

There has been a kidnapping, so it feels strange to say this was a relatively low-key issue of Martin's Marvellous Mini. It was the friendship of Martin and Tiny that filled two-thirds of the comic, and the drama of the kidnapping only appeared in the final panels. 

Henry may have been playing pranks on Martin and Tiny, but mercifully, he wasn't on the page much. In the first prank, we didn't see him at all, merely Tiny suffering while Martin laughed. This was reversed a panel later, and I enjoyed seeing the boys laughing at each other. We had another couple of small-scale pranks from Henry before seeing Tiny and Martin enjoying a drink with Mr Twastle. It seems they have easily forgotten how much trouble he caused them. They have also forgotten how much he owes them, and I was surprised when Tiny told him not to worry about it; a holiday on the island would be enough. 

There was an injection of warmth in the comic as we saw Tiny and Martin reunited with their vehicle and speeding down the road together. These were my favourite panels of the story, and I especially liked the panel of the mini being overtaken by the blue BMW. One could sense the speed of the much larger car, and we again saw a natural interaction between Tiny and Martin. Only a line from each, but it told us plenty. 

I don't care much for Henry or the kidnapping. Martin's Marvellous Mini is the fastest-moving of all the Tiger stories, and situations like this are usually quickly wrapped up in the next issue. In this case, I wouldn't mind at all if they caught the kidnappers in the first panels, returned Henry home, and started their next adventure, all by the end of next week's strip. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "It...it's Henry's electric hand-shaker!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Trevor Cassidy is out to prove that his energetic style of play is better than the lethargic performance that Gerry Holloway put in during the last game. This has backfired, and his impulsiveness gives away an early goal before he makes another hasty mistake and surrenders a second. 

Roy tells him to cool it and slow down, but there is further trouble at halftime when Roy is forced to play another reserve with the injured Jimmy Slade coming off the field. Having two reserves in the first team throws off the balance, and Hansfield score a third goal.  

When Roy is roughly tackled just outside the box, he is awarded a free kick rather than a penalty that many fans think he deserves. With this, the fans take matters into their own hand,s and the strip ends with a pitch invasion imminent. 

Roy is everywhere in this strip, yet for all his industrious activity, he has very little agency, and events swirl around him under the influence of others. Roy was depowered in this issue. Too often, we see him swing a match with his own performance or score a match-winning goal in the last minute, but there was none of that this week. He was a member of a team that let him down and failed all over the field.

There were moments when Roy could have had an influence. We saw him hit the post with one shot, and then, late in the strip, he took it upon himself to dribble at the goal and won a free kick. Another week, and this could have been the point when the game swung back in Rover's favour, but with the fans spilling onto the field, that is unlikely to happen. 

The fans are always a crucial part of the Rovers story, and to see them take a larger role here is an interesting choice. We have seen them come onto the field of play before (The Spangler story comes to mind), but here, it is an overt choice. Fans injecting themselves into the game adds another wrinkle to the story and another aspect of the game that Roy has no control over. How he will navigate this next week remains to be seen. Right now, Roy Race has a lot on his plate, and any of the multiple storylines could take centre stage.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Save it for the dressing room, Trevor! The whole team needs sorting out!" 

Hot Shot Hamish

Hamish has taken Jock McBell home with him, but this has caused a problem as McBell recognises Hamish's landlord as McCash, a man he has sworn to take revenge against. 

McBell quickly explains the back story of how when they were young men, he and McCash owned a sweet shop together. One day, McBell went to play football, and when he came back, he found McCash was gone, as was all the money from the till. He never saw him again. 

Seeing McCash, McBell chases him, threatening violence. A well-placed hot shot from Hamish sees the two men bang heads, and they both fall to the ground, dazed. 

With peace restored, McCash suddenly recognises McBell. He tells a story of how McBell went off to play football, leaving him working at the shop. While McBell was gone, he fell from a ladder, banging his head, and when he awoke, he found himself on a boat for Canada. 

McBell doesn't believe a word of it, but Hamish quietens him, telling him that McCash has regained his memory and he should let him tell him what happened next. 

Not so much a Hot Shot Hamish story as a McBell and McCash story. Hamish was merely an observer here, and most of the strip was given over to McBell and McCash explaining their own side of the same story. 

Despite Hamish being a passenger, I found I liked the story a lot. It was a nice change of pace, and once again, the art delivered some splendid images. The sight of McCash falling as he reached for some sweets stood out, as did the panel showing McCash and McBell being hit by the hotshot. It was a story that leaned into the humour without going too far over the top. 

This fine balance made for a faster read, yet a rewarding one, as the humour and art went hand in hand. I often complain when Hot Shot Hamish strays too far from football, but on this occasion, I enjoyed the change, and the story feels refreshed as we turn toward next week's issue. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "For fifteen years I've waited to put ma fist on yere nose, McCash...and now I'm going to do it!"    

Johnny Cougar

It's the last match of the international wrestling tournament, and Johnny Cougar is fighting against The Pirate. 

The Pirate talks big and is fast in the ring, but Johnny is faster. After the bout goes back and forth, it is eventually Johnny who hits The Pirate with a dropkick to win the match by a knockout. 

The tournament ends in a three-way tie between Johnny, The Masked Maniac, and The Pirate, and in a sensational finish, the organisers announce that the tournament will be decided by a three-way fight between the three men. All three men will be in the ring at once, and the last one left standing will be declared the winner. 

Johnny Cougar differs greatly from Martin's Marvellous Mini. This tournament felt like it had been running for months, although this was only Johnny's fourth fight. The fights themselves often stretch for more than an issue, and there is always plenty happening in between. If this was Martin Marvellous Mini, the fight would be over in the first quarter of the strip, and by the final panels, we would be halfway through the next one.

That is not a criticism of either strip, and their different styles work for the respective stories. I do enjoy seeing Johnny's fights laid out over several pages. I thought this one may have given too much to the gimmicks of each wrestler, especially after seeing the opening last week with the plank and the flags. However, that wasn't the case, and apart from the Pirate speaking in character, the story stayed tightly focused on two big men wrestling hard against each other. Dropkicks and forearm smashes dominated the page, and the strong art was a good match for the strong characters.

The excitement of the audience at the prospect of three men in the ring wrestling speaks of the times the comic was written. They did have multi-wrestler matches, but without them reaching a large TV audience, not a lot of people would have seen one. Nowadays, it's common to see matches with different stipulations, and it's not at all unusual to see the ring littered with big men. Seeing their excited faces, one can only wonder how they would react to seeing a Royal Rumble. Mind-blowing indeed. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best Line: "Fantastic Daddy-O...just fantastic! But do you know what this means? It's a triple-tie at the top of the table!"

Nipper

Nipper is off on his motorbike to meet up with the rest of the England under-twenty-three team to play against the Netherlands. Nipper still hasn't regained his memory and is apprehensive that he won't remember the previous training sessions or the tactics.

Stopping at a cafe to ask for directions, he finds himself involved in a scuffle with a man he doesn't recognise. The situation is defused, but Nipper is aware that he has to watch his reactions in future. 

Joining up with the team, Nipper's worst fears are realised, and his play at training is completely disjointed from the rest of the team. The manager tells him that he will probably play him as a sub, but in the final panel, Nipper's attention is caught by the arrival of the Dutch team and one player in particular - the very man he had a fight with in the cafe earlier. 

The artwork of Nipper continues to delight, and I am enjoying it much more than a year ago. It is lighter, easier to digest, and lets the characters and story shine without getting in the way. The story seems to have become a lot more entertaining on the back of this, and although it's just as heavy in places, it's never a chore to read. 

This week's story is still dealing with the fallout of Nipper's memory loss, and although he is getting better, we can see that he still has a long way to go. Last week, we learnt that he was in the England under-twenty-three team, and this week, that story escalated with the introduction of Nipper's Dutch foes.

The cafe scene was wonderful in every way. It was heartwarming to see Nipoper asking for directions and ordering a cheese roll. Seeing the simple things in life depicted on the page always helps make these characters all the more real. 

While in the cafe, he also crossed paths with one of the Dutch players, although he didn't realise it at the time. This is common for a Nipper story, and we often see him competing one-on-one against various opposing players. Last week it was Zampia, and now this week it's the Dutch number one. It's an interesting choice and not something we see in the other football strips in Tiger. Nipper always seems to play better when he has a man to play against, and these one-on-one battles are often the main focus of Nipper's story. Like Batman and the Joker, Nipper is defined by the characters he comes up against, and without a great villain, he would be just another regular team player.  

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Just watch who you are thumping, mate! You almost spilt my tea!" 

Tornado Jones

Tornado Jones designed a rocket car to leap the Avon Gorge, but the night it was completed, he passed out. 

Professor Caine drags him out, and they realise there's a gas leak in the car somewhere. That night, they do an investigation, but come the day of the jump, no leak can be found anywhere. 

Jones sits in his car at the top of the ramp, and we learn that not only is his jump being televised, but Jones also has a microphone on him. 

The take-off goes well enough, but seconds after, Jones can smell gas and becomes delirious. He begins to sing while his car begins to loop the loop. The strip ends with Jones's car upside down and heading back to where it came from.   

Tiger has saved the best for last. Nipper and Tornado Jones are the best stories in this week's comic, and this was just the finish we needed. Tornado Jones promised much last week, and it has delivered here with a story neatly laid out in two halves. 

In the first half, we saw the problem arrive, and Jones and the professor tried to discover its source. This built up the second half of the strip nicely. The ending was inevitable and made all the more delicious by the work put in the first half of the strip. 

Despite being a dangerous and life-threatening moment, it was still fun, and having Jones sing as the stunt went wrong added some levity to the moment. It did undermine the peril he was in and gave the feeling that he would survive whatever came next, which is no bad thing for the end of the comic. Nobody likes a tragic ending, at least not me.

Tornado Jones is often the last strip of the comic. I am sure it would be far more appreciated if it were to appear earlier in the comic. I am often fatigued by the time I reach the story, and it suffers in my estimation because of this. Some of these stunts deserve the front cover at least, and I would love to see some colour thrown around. Track listening for any album is crucial, and so too for comics. It seems to be neglected here, and Tornado Jones deserves better than he gets. This week's story was a beauty, and as such, it deserves all the attention it can get. Sadly, that doesn't always happen for the last strip in the comic. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Fumes again...funny smell! Ha, ha, ha, I-I don't know what's wrong with me, but I feel like singing!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7.5/10

Best Story: Tornado Jones 

Best Line: "But if you pass out during the actual attempt - it'll be fatal!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: 

Tiger 21st February 1976

Alcohol.
Alcohol is the reason there was no blog last week. 
Alcohol and karaoke - one of the most deadly combinations known to mankind.  All I can say is just be thankful you weren't there as I mangled my way through Oasis's back catalogue (they deserved it). No matter how bad the night was, the real damage came the next day as I failed to rise at 7am, 8am, or 9am. It was almost lunch before I felt human enough to get out of bed, and although I got up, not a lot happened that Sunday afternoon apart from the couch having a weary visitor and the TV flicking through channels. 

A new week and a new me. I'm not out there running marathons, but I am in my library, not reading great works of literature, but rather the comics of my youth - which just so happen to be great works of literature. Well, maybe not Johnny Cougar this week, but certainly many of the other stories are taking us on a worthy journey. With characters developing as the world around them grows ever more complicated, it's a lifelong journey, and some of the characters are proving to be just as fallible as me. At least in 1976, none of them had ever heard of a karaoke machine. Just imagine a middle-aged Billy Dane and Jimmy Dawson belting out a drunken "Wonderwall." Now that's a story I'd like to read!

Tiger

21st February 1976

Johnny Cougar

Johnny Cougar suffered a concussion in his last match, and this week begins with Johnny having an intense gym workout. He passes with flying colours and decides he is fine to take part in his next match against The Pirate. 

As he walks towards the ring for this bout, The Masked Maniac emerges from the crowd, telling Johnny that despite their previous difference, he fully supports Johnny and needs him to beat The Pirate. 

 As Johnny enters the ring, The Pirate raises the Skull and Cross Bone Flag. Johnny has his own flag, showing Johnny triumphant over The Pirate. The flag enrages The Pirate, who slashes it down with his cutlass before pointing to a plank erected beside the ring and telling Johnny that he'll be walking down it before the end of the match. 

The opening panels didn't fill me with great hope for this story. While seeing Johnny training was moderately interesting, it wasn't a dynamic start to the story. Nor was it the hook to bring me into the story, and it was a ho-hum beginning to a story featured on the cover.

Things improved inside, and after some unnecessary panels with Splash, we arrived at the arena for some wrestling.  The Chinaman and Footballer fighting gave us some heavy impacts that demonstrated what a physical sport wrestling is, before the arrival of The Pirate.

I'm not normally one for silliness, but I couldn't help but smile at the outfit of The Pirate, or indeed the entire conceit. It was wacky, yet it worked in the context of the story. Yes, he had a cutlass and a flag, but it was no more outrageous than the Footballer and the Masked Maniac, and it did admire the chutzpah of the writer for committing this to paper. 

I like where we finished, and although the story was uneven, things look good for future episodes. A strong beginning would have been nice, but like so many things, it matters not where you start but where you finish, and this week, we finished in a very good spot indeed.  

Rating: 6/10

Best line: "Avast there, me hearties...victory will soon be mine...and then I'll have proved that I'm the greatest matman who ever sailed the seven seas!" 

Billy's Boots

Billy and his pal Jimmy are doing a cross-country run, while Jimmy moans that he won't be selected in the next game. Billy tries to reassure him, but their conversation is interrupted when they stumble upon an animal trap. At the same moment, a gamekeeper appears, and the two boys are accused of poaching and taken to the owner of the land, Colonel Everitt. 

Colonel Everitt tells the boys they are trespassing, even if they didn't place the trap. He tells them that he will report this to their headmaster, and the following day, Billy and Jimmy find he has kept his word. They are both on the noticeboard to play for the school team, but a furious Mr Harris storms into the corridor, crosses their names off the team lists and tells them to report to the headmaster. 

They receive a week's detention, and come the weekend, they find they don't have a football game. They try the Merrydowners first, but they have a full team. They then learn of a charity match, and they decide to go and watch. The call goes out at halftime, asking if anyone can play football. Billy and Jimmy report to the player's tunnel, and they are told it's a gimmick for the match. They are the only volunteers, and they can play in the second half. Then, Billy remembers that he doesn't have his boots, and the strip ends with him worried that he will embarrass himself in front of a crowd. 

Another story of two halves, and I liked both of them. I greatly enjoyed meeting Colonel Everitt in the first portion of the story, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of him in future episodes. The trespassing story was dealt with quickly, and, although we could potentially return for more drama, it was correct to quickly move on to football matters. 

Part of me wants to tell you that the football side of the story was far-fetched, but we are reading a story about a boy with magical boots, so the point is moot. The panels showing Billy Jimmy and Billy at the game with their bobble hats were firm favourites, not only keeping the two boys warm but also warming the cockles of my heart. It is amazing how something so simple can be so evocative, and I felt twelve years old again as I gazed upon the pals watching from the stands. 

The final call to the field was predictable but no less enjoyable. I think every Tiger reader can see what is coming next, and I am already cringing on Billy's behalf. Once again, we finish a story with me feeling sorry for Billy, who just can't seem to catch a break. 

It's been a tough couple of weeks for Billy, and with no respite in sight next week, he looks to continue this difficult run. Although I feel sorry for him, it does make for good reading, and despite my empathy for the character, I am quietly looking forward to seeing how he will overcome these challenges.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I don't see what can happen...we haven't done anything!" 

Martin's Marvellous Mini

The boys have returned to Buxton Street, but the mini is now sitting at the bottom of a hole next to an unexploded bomb from World War Two. 

The army saves the day, using a crane to lift the car out. The bomb is then exploded by the army, although it causes some damage to the houses in the street, especially number 17. The street will be repaired, although the occupants of number 17 are worried about where their children will sleep while these repairs take place. 

Tiny and Martin decide they could take the two children, Henry and Linda, to the holiday island owned by Mr Twastle of their last adventure. The ride to the ferry is relatively uneventful, although Henry proves to be a lively character. He becomes worse once they board the ferry, with his misbehaviour getting out of hand, ending with him collapsing the two deck chairs Martin and Tiny are relaxing on. 

So, Mr Twastle and his island live on in the pages of Martin's Marvellous Mini. You just can't keep a good man down. We are in the midst of a curious story of children, yet I am wondering how much we will see of the island and Mr Twastle in future issues. 

The bomb part of the story was fun, and the explosion breaking all the windows of the street was particularly satisfying. Obviously done in a pre-Heath and Safety era, the explosive team was laissez-faire with their attitude and final solution for the bomb. Reading this now, it feels like we have come a very long way. 

I took an instant dislike to the children, which I guess is the intention of the writer. They didn't feel mischievous or high-spirited, but rather downright nasty, horrible little beings. Tiny and Martin are better men than I am. With my temper, Henry would have been turfed over the side of the boat at the first sign of trouble. I don't care if he does look like a young Roy Race. I wouldn't be putting up with any of his nonsense. 

Given my poor attitude to Henry (sorry, not sorry), I am not sure I am going to enjoy next week's issue. That is unless Tiny and Martin take a firm hand, and Henry is put back in his box in the most satisfied manner possible.   

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Could be trouble? He is trouble! I hate to think what he's up to right now..."

Nipper

Nipper regained his memory mid-game against Morino. Pointing his finger at Zampia, he tells him he knows he kicked him all over the pitch last time they met, and now he's up to it again. 

It looks as though Nipper is about to boil over, but instead, it's Zampia who loses control. As his teammates urge him to concentrate on the game rather than his personal battles, Zampia suddenly snaps and strikes his own captain. This action results in him being shown a red card, and Morino is reduced to ten men. 

The game resumed, and Nipper scored with his famous horizontal bicycle kick. Nipper hasn't fully regained his memory, but it is slowly coming back, and he is more like his former self. 

A week later, Blackport won the return leg against Morino, and they are through to the next stage of the European competition. Jogging off the field, Mike Bateson tells Nipper he expects he will be a threat on the field come Wednesday. Nipper questions this, as he doesn't know of a game on Wednesday. His memory loss is again at play, and Nipper has no idea that he has been picked for the England under Twenty-two team, nor can he recollect any of the training sessions or the tactics that will be employed. 

Aided by clean artwork, this was another great Nipper story with many highlights scattered across its two pages. 

The opening panel with Nipper confronting Zampia and Zampia striking his own captain was superb, and the rest of the story was able to cruise on the back of this sensational opening. I didn't think I would care too much about Nipper and Zampia, but it delivered more than it promised. It was clever that when Zampia did explode, it was against his own teammates. leaving Nipper to carry on with his own problems without being directly impacted by Zampia. The best panel of the story was of Zampia striking his captain, and although I don't normally condone violence, I loved seeing this played out. 

We had another treat soon after as Nipper scored with his patented horizontal bicycle-kick. Again, an arresting image that snatched my attention. The panel in which he did this stood out as it sat over the page from the previous grand panel of Zampia, meaning neither detracted from the other.  

We had a lovely moment in the dressing room as Nipper says he has another memory that has come back to him - Mike Bateson owes him five pounds. It had the players laughing, and me too, as the easy friendship made light of the serious situation Nipper finds himself in.

The final quarter of the story was the weakest part. Morino is easily dispatched in the second le,g and it takes only two panels to close the chapter on this European Challenge. A new challenge appears on the page as Nipper learns that he is in the England Under Twenty-Three team, although he has no recall of any of the training sessions. You needn't worry, Nipper. I have no recollection of the training sessions either, as this is the first we have heard of you being in the team and taking part in the build-up to the game. The last two months have been entirely dedicated to Nipper's memory loss, and it's strange that this has never been mentioned before. One can only assume it's an idea that's only just occurred to the writers, and although I want to see what happens next, there is the feeling that this has been shoehorned in. 

It doesn't matter too much; we should rejoice at seeing Nipper wearing the three lions on his chest, and we are quickly moving into more drama as he takes the field for his country. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "No - it's no good. Everything else is a complete blank! Except for one thing..."

Tornado Jones

Tornado Jones has opened his big mouth on TV and now faces the prospect of having to leap the Avon Gorge near Bristol. Surveying the gorge, Jones doesn't like his chances, although it's too late to back out now. 

Jones presents his drawings of a rocket car to Professor Caine of the aero research centre. Professor Caine has been tasked with helping Jones build his rocket car, and upon looking at Jones's designs, he tells him it's too heavy.

Professor Caine has a mockup of the gorge in his laboratory and launches a model of Jones's car to test it. Unsurprisingly, it crashes into the side of the gorge and explodes. Jones's solution is simple - put a bigger rocket on it. The Professor points out that the car will probably break up under the strain of bigger rockets, but Jones is adamant, and the Professor goes along with his wishes. 

The rest of the preparations proceed smoothly, and we see the ramp being built later in the strip. The professor unveils Jones's car. Jones sits in the driver's seat, satisfied with what has been built, when he suddenly clutches his throat and falls backwards. 

This story was all about the preparations, and as such it didn't carry much drama until the final panel. Even this final panel didn't grab the reader, as the affliction that has struck Jones is unknown and unseen on the page. A man clutching his throat can't compare with the sight of him soaring across a gorge, and it felt a step down from the promise earlier in the strip. 

That said, the preparations were worth my time, and I did enjoy seeing the care in setting up the stunt and the story. We now have a good sense of what faces Jones and the potential for tragedy. The sight of the car exploding at the mockup was warning enough and gave a visual idea of what awaits us next week if Jones should overcome his current issue. 

It's hard to dislike Tornado Jones. Even a relatively flat issue like this one carries some wonderful art, and I am always transfixed by the facial expressions that James Bleach bestows upon his characters. Not much was happening on the page, yet Jones's face always had movement to it, and it felt like there was always a quiet drama lurking just behind his eyes. Hopefully, that drama will come forward onto the page next week, and we get a stunt worthy of the art.  

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "So increase the engine-size and build the real thing, professor! For this stunt, its going to be do or die!" 

Skid Solo

Tommy "Crash Carter" has been entered into another sports car race, and he is having trouble. In practice, he takes the wrong line into Shepard's Corner and comes off the track. It takes some advice from Skid and a demonstration on the blackboard to show him the error of his ways. 

The race starts, and Tommy has no trouble at Shepard's Corner. Not so for some of the other drivers, and we see some making the same mistake as Tommy did earlier. Later in the race, Tommy approaches the corner taking his usual line, only to find he is at the wrong corner, and he comes off the track. 

After the race, Skid asks him if he took the wrong line. Tommy says yes and no; he did take the right line, but at the wrong corner.

Once again, Skid is playing mentor, and he is proving to be very good in this role. He is always patient with Tommy and gives him just the right advice, along with enough trust for Tommy to make his own mistakes. The overall feel of the strip was quaint, and there was something rather homely in the quiet way Skid delivered his lessons, like a well-intentioned and patient father. 

Tommy continues to make mistakes, but I am continuing to enjoy it, and I am quite happy with the speed at which the story is progressing. Tommy still has a lot to learn, and each week, he takes another step forward as he moves steadily toward his eventual goal. I am not sure I shall enjoy the story as much once Tommy gets there; it's the journey rather than the destination, but for now, I am quite entertained. 

The drama of the story was low-key, yet it kept its foot steadily on the accelerator through the story, and we motored nicely through to the finish. There was a steady build to it all, with Skid issuing advice earlier in the strip, Tommy making good on this advice before the final disaster befell him, and we had Skid give one last piece of advice. This advice, dispensed Captain Kirk style, could have become preachy, but it all stayed on just the right side of the line, and we finished well poised for the next step in Tommy's education. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Yes, every mistake...is a lesson learned...and remember you can never stop learning!"

Roy Of The Rovers

Roy scored the first goal of the match against Railford, courtesy of a delightful overhead kick by Gerry Holloway. It is a moment of genius from Holloway, although some of the Rovers players dismiss it as luck. 

Despite barely touching the ball in the game, nor seemingly even making an effort, it is Holloway who scores the second goal, pouncing on a rebound to seal the match. 

After the game, the Rover's players remain unconvinced. Holloway barely made an effort, yet both goals came when he got involved in the game. 

On Monday morning, Roy finds two first-team squad players waiting at his office. They are unhappy that Roy selected a fourth-division player ahead of them, and Roy calms the situation, telling them that Holloway is cup-tied and Roy will be selecting them for the next game. 

Eager to prove himself a dynamo on the field, one of these players, Trevor Cassidy, throws himself into the action. This overeagerness results in a rash foul, and from the resulting free-kick, Hansfield scores the first goal of the game. This worries Roy as Hansfield now have their tails up and is going for a spot of giant-killing. 

We have seen Rovers knocked over by smaller clubs many times in their history, and if it were to happen here, I would not be surprised. Still, it's early in the game, and I foresee some Racey heroics ahead of us. 

I didn't enjoy the first game or the Holloway storyline, although it does seem to be developing. Pivoting to two disgruntled players helped broaden the scope, and it gives us a couple of weeks away from Holloway and a chance for the story to breathe.

These unhappy players are far more dramatic than the team's displeasure with Holloway's play on the field, and my favourite panels of the strip were when Roy came to his office on Monday morning to find two unhappy squad players waiting for him. I'm not sure how big a squad Rovers have, but now Roy has some sort of sympathy for the Chelsea manager who has more squad players than he can fit into the dressing room. 

A hard-fought cup match next week should satisfy my need for intense football action, and given that Rovers are already one-nil down, we should be in for a good climax to the game. With disgruntled players everywhere he looks, Roy will have a tough time weaving his team together, and this should be just as interesting as the football over the next few weeks. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "A spot of trouble I'm afraid, Roy! Len Peters and Trevor Cassidy are demanding to see you!"

Hot Shot Hamish 

Princes Park has been ravaged by influenza and reduced to eight men who are grimly hanging on in a vital game. Hamish is everywhere, desperately defending the line, but eventually, he cracks, punching the ball away to save a certain goal but surrendering a penalty. 

The penalty is converted, and Princes Park needs a miracle. That miracle appears a minute later as a heavily bandaged Jock McBell emerges from the tunnel. He jogs onto the pitch, with his concussion now better and the game resumes. 

McBells first touch is a good one, as he floats the ball into the box where Hamish is waiting. Hamish nods it down, then hammers home the hot shot to tie the game at one each. 

The rest of the game is a tussle with a pile of players collapsing on the ball. A single foot emerges from this heap to kick the ball home for a goal, and Princes Park is the victor. Pulling the foot from the pile of bodies, Hamish finds it belongs to Jock McBell and McBell is hailed as the hero of the moment. 

Hamish takes him home to celebrate, but as they approach the front door, Hamish tells him that the house belongs to Ian McCash. At this name, McBell becomes enraged, telling Hamish that he has been looking for him for fifteen years, and now it's time for revenge. 

Hamish delivers again with another story packed with whimsical images and emotive storylines. The redemption of McBell was well played, and by the time he tapped in the match-winning goal, we had been on quite a journey with him. The journey is set to continue next week, and the final panel of McBell preparing for a wee stooshie was the exclamation point on an eventful strip.

Hamish carried the storytelling load earlier in the strip. He was everywhere on the field, and this was well captured by the art of Julio Schiaffino.  Schiaffino excelled in showing the pinball nature of the game - the opening panel of the strip set the standard early and was surpassed several times throughout the comic, each time a small nugget of delight for the reader. 

The most memorable image was that of McBell stretching out a leg to score the match-winning goal. The following image of Hamish pulling in the leg to find McBell was equally fun, and the two panels were the lynchpin of this week's strip. 

It looked as if the story of McBell had run its course, but the final panels saw the story find another gear. The current strands of Hamish's life are beginning to come together, forming a huge knot of a problem for him. How he resolves this remains to be seen; there are no clues readily available on the page, but however he resolves his issues, I know it will be with good humour and some exotic artwork. 

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Ian McCash...so this is where he's been hiding. I've been looking for that mon for fifteen years...to get ma revenge!"

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Hot Shot Hamish  

Best Line: "...the five pounds that you borrowed off me last week, Bateson! Cough up!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz:

Tiger 14th February 1976

Valentine's Day 1976. Given that I was three years old at the time, I very much doubt I was wasting my money on chocolates or flowers for anyone. I'm still the same today, as my wife will happily attest. I have had several true loves in my life, and the greatest of these loves is for the comics of my youth. This relationship has outlasted all others and remains just as strong today as it was in 1981 when my mum first bought me a Tiger comic. I recently ran into an old girlfriend and was shocked at how much she had aged since we were together. Not so with the Tiger comic, which remains just as vibrant and attractive as it was when I was eight years old. In the next thirty minutes, I shall revisit this beauty from my past and enjoy some precious time with those characters who fill my heart with love.    

Tiger

14th February 1976

Skid Solo

Skid Solo graces the cover of this week's issue as he finally emerges from the hospital. As relieved as we are to see him no longer bedridden, it is sobering to see him in a wheelchair, complete with a blanket across his lap.

The journalists present enquire about his health, but Skid is more interested in talking about his protege, Tommy Carter. Addressing the TV audience, he tells them that one day, young Tommy Carter will be a World Champion. 

Tommy later speaks with Skid as Sandy explains that the media are now calling him "Crash" Carter. Skid responds by showing Tommy some old footage of World Champions, all crashing their cars in the years before they won. He explains to Tommy that none of them won with a broken car, and they all won once they stopped crashing. 

Tommy takes the lesson on board, and in his next race, he cautiously drives Skid's sports car. He is a lot safer, but he is also the last. Eventually, Tommy decides he has to find a way to win without crashing, and he is aggressive for the rest of the race. Unfortunately, as he comes around the bend, he finds two other cars have crashed and are blocking the track. Tommy manages to stop before he crashes into them, but as he is enquiring about their health, his car is shunted from behind, and once more, he earns the name "Crash"

The strip closes out with Skid chastising Tommy, sternly telling him that next time he stops he should pull off the track first. However, Tommy has a chance to once again prove himself as Skid has entered him in another sports car race next week - that is if Sandy can repair the damage inflicted in time.  

Great to see Skid emerging from the hospital. Skid has been on the front cover many times, usually travelling in a car at high speed. Here, the only wheels in sight are the wheels on his wheelchair, and it was a moment to give the reader pause to reflect. 

Inside the comic, the story was predictable, yet well told in a manner that we have become accustomed to from Skid Solo. We had Skid playing mentor to Tommy, and the scenes of him taking him aside for a quiet talk were entirely in character and something we have seen before from Skid. Interesting to see Skid has race footage of previous champions at home, and I did briefly wonder how long it took him to go through all the footage to edit together a package for Tommy to watch. It is relatively easy nowadays, but in 1976, it would have taken quite some time and effort to put together. I shouldn't be thinking about such things while I'm reading the comic, but I just can't help myself. 

The action on the track wasn't as exciting as the action with the film projector, but it was the crux of the story. Although Tommy did take on Skid's immediate advice, he also took on another lesson we have seen in the past from Skid, namely, stopping to help a fellow racer. I am sure that Skid himself stopped his car on the track to aid crash victims, and this no doubt has been a positive influence on Tommy. Skid can't be too hard on him for absorbing this lesson, despite its negative outcome in this situation. 

This was a big step forward in the development of Tommy Carter, and in just a couple of months, we have seen him gain his license and begin racing on the track. It has been a slow start, but after today's crucial lesson, both Tonmmy and the story should take a leap forward, and we are now only weeks away from seeing him take the track in a Grand Prix race. Hard to predict what will happen in the next sports car race he has been signed up for, but I have the feeling this may be the final hurdle before it all comes to fruition at the start of the Grand Prix season. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "Come and see some film, Tommy...I've got it all set up. It may interest you..."

Hot Shot Hamish

With Princes Park's team ravaged by the flu, they find themselves short on reserves. After an on-field injury, old-timer Jock McBell is called in despite his lack of fitness. He admits as much to Hamish, yet Hamish promises to do his best to look after him. 

McBell spends his first moments nostalgically telling Hamish how tough football used to be when he first started playing. Dreamily, he speaks of barging players with his shoulder and bundling keepers over the line for a goal. This reverie ends suddenly when McBell is hit in the face with the ball and drops to the ground. 

The trainers bring him around, and soon McBell is back in the thick of the action. He first gives away a free kick when he shoulder-barges an opposition player, and a few minutes later, he goes one further when he knocks the opposing goalkeeper off his feet and into the goal. 

Luckily, McBell also knocks himself out, and the trainer checking on his condition tells Hamish that he must have suffered a concussion when he was hit in the face. He is carried off the field, and soon after, he is followed by two players suffering from the flu. Princes now only have eight players on the field and are grimly hanging on against overwhelming odds. 

My first thought was Vinnie Jones when I read this. I have recently watched a video of him talking about modern football versus football in his era, and he was every bit as nostalgic as McBell in this strip. 

After a couple of weeks away from the field, Hot Shot Hamish and his team have returned to the pitch with a humourous story that pushed all my right buttons. Big men playing a tough version of football appealed to me immensely, and I loved seeing McBell wreaking havoc after his concussion. Some wonderful panels were shown of him in action, and the art gave the story an extra punch. The artwork was just as large as the characters it was depicting, and there was completeness to the strip. 

The story of concussion was pertinent to the current situation of football at the moment, and the events on the field didn't feel too much of a stretch. This was a story that spanned the forty years between the comic and now, and while I laughed hard at the story throughout, I also recognised it as something that reads just as well today as it did in 1976. 

I have enjoyed seeing Hamish's problems with finding a house and the recent shenanigans with a photographer and McMutton, but nothing can beat the sight of Princes Park on the field fighting the odds with an understrength team and Hamish leading from the front. I laughed at it all, but underneath, there was a proper football story being told and as such, this is my favourite story this week.

Rating: 8/10

Best line: "Just as well! I was going to send him off!"

Martin's Marvellous Mini

Tiny and Martin are in Moscow, desperately looking for Mr Twastle, who has vanished while leaving a trail of unpaid bills behind him. After some silliness at the airport and a weak disguise, they find him and, rather surprisingly, not only do they pay all his bills but also pay for him to return to his island. 

With this drama behind them, Tiny and Martin return to Great Britain. They arrive at Buxton Street and are surprised to find the street empty. There is a large hole that Martin fails to see, and as their car drops onto it, they discover why the street is empty. There is an unexploded bomb at the bottom of the hole, and they are told that the army is on the way to blow it up. 

With their car facing an explosive ending, our lovely lads jump into the hole, planning to save it before it's too late.

The Moscow adventure ended quickly. I was hopeful for a fun-filled coda, but it wasn't to be, and the final scenes in Moscow were disappointing. I felt let down by Tiny and Martin and the way they gave a large amount of their money to Mr Twastle. I understand they are nice guys, but in this case, they are too naive for their own good. Not once did they consider that Mr Twastle could have killed them with the avalanche, and while it did wrap up the story quickly, it did leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

Their encounter with Mr Twastle lasted several months, and casting my mind back, this all started in Hawaii. Since then, we have come a long way, both in mileage and in story, and although it had a weak ending, a lot of it was very good. I wasn't so fussed by Tiny and Martin's adventures on the island, but the New York to Moscow rally gave us plenty of memorable moments. I shall remember this story for a long time, and when I do it won't be the weaker moments I remember, rather it will be the moments of Tiny and Martin racing their little car through the snow, overcoming the odds, and almost winning the entire race.  Mr Twastle wasn't the greatest of villains, but he did give us the fuel to get us through the story and was the engine driving all the action. 

My heart lifted when the boys arrived back in Buxton Street, a name I've not heard in a long, long time. Even close to home, there is drama to be found, and I was surprised by the twist. It was well executed, and although I would have liked nothing more than to see all their neighbours and friends welcome them home, I do like the direction the story took. The hero's welcome can wait a week, first, we'll have to deal with this final bombshell and explosive ending.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Hey! What are you doing? It's dangerous down there! There's a bomb down there...left over from World War Two, we only just found it..."  

Tornado Jones

Tornado Jones is innocently driving down a country road when he is suddenly stopped by a pretty girl. This fetching young lady tells him that she is a researcher for the TV host Dennis Dickenson and that Dennis Dickenson would like Tornado to appear on his show.

Tornado agrees but is embarrassed on the show when Dickenson insists on showing all his failures. An angry Tornado rashly tells Dickenson that he will jump a rocket-powered car across the Avon Gorge, but later, as he looks at the map, he realises how big the gorge is, and it looks like he has bitten off more than he can chew. 

I'm a sucker for a pretty girl in a sports car, and the first three panels of the story had me drooling at the prospect of a young lady joining the action. It wasn't to be, but it did get me involved early in the story and kept me reading on. 

Dickenson is a good character, and although he is the villain of the piece so far, I do like the way he has been portrayed. He is true to life, and I could easily imagine any number of TV presenters taking his place in the strip. His goading of Tornado Jones was a clever way of getting us to his next stunt, and the way Jones walked into the trap was entirely in keeping with his character. 

Whether that stunt lives up to expectations remains to be seen, and I often find I like the build-up to the stunt better than the stunts themselves. I am not putting too much faith into what will come next, but if the surrounding story is good, then I shall be more than satisfied. I'm just hoping the pretty girl makes another appearance.

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "The famous Dickenson chat show? That's fantastic, honey - maybe I'm a bigger name in Britain than I thought!" 

Johnny Cougar 

Johnny is competing in an international tournament and currently fighting against the Chinaman. Although Johnny has an injured arm, Splash Gorton encourages him to forget about it and get himself into the match, as he is at risk of being eliminated from the tournament if he doesn't win some points. 

Johnny heeds Splash's advice, and although shaky throughout the fight, he overcomes the odds and wins a pinfall with a surprise move. With this win, Johnny moves into third position at the table, although in the final panel, we learn that he is suffering from a bad concussion. 

I'm a hard man to please, and although this gets a pass mark from me, it did feel on the light side of Johnny Cougar stories. The match was by the numbers, and while it looked good, it failed to raise my heartbeat. I was more excited by the pretty girl in the last strip than anything I saw here, although that is no reflection of Johnny's good looks. 

The Chinaman looked strong on the page, while Johnny looked weak. You would think an underdog winning in this situation would appeal to me, but it did feel all too easy for Johnny. Not in the manoeuvre he performed, but in the way that the Chinaman was overcome by it and in the easy way he gave up the pinfall. It's things like this that take me out of the story, and while Johnny's fights usually have a realism about them, helped in no small part by the quality of the artwork, this was one occasion where it didn't ring true.

This tournament still has some way to go, and with Johnny scheduled to face The Pirate next week, we have some immediate wrestling action ahead of us. Like the Hot Shot Hamish story earlier, we have another case of concussion, and I will be curious to see the impact this will have on Johnny and his performance in next week's issue. An interesting choice, and coupled with his arm injury, he is very much the underdog. That all bodes well for exciting drama and, hopefully, a captivating finish to the story. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "Hey, man, snap out of it! What gives with you? Where's your pride? Remember you're a Seminole...fight like a Seminole!" 

Billy's Boots

Billy and Jimmy are playing in defence for the next game, while their new friend, the small Mickey Brown, has made the team as a sub.   

Billy makes a good fist of playing in defence, but at halftime time, 'Hardnut' Harris makes some changes, bringing on Mickey Brown as a striker. An injury to another Groundswood player sees Billy move into the midfield, and soon, he and Mickey form an easy partnership. Billy scores one goal from a long ball and then a second as Mickey threads a through ball to him. 

After losing one nil, Groundswood came back to win two-one. This bodes well for Mickey Brown being picked for the next game, although Billy's friend, Jimmy Dawson, is downhearted as he thinks it will be at his expense. 

Poor old Jimmy, and although the story is ostensibly about Billy, I can't help but feel more involved in Jimmy's story by the end of the strip. Many a young boy has been in a similar situation, and how Jimmy responds will be familiar to most. His forlorn look as he trudged off the field said it all and was fuel enough for the fire of the next issue. 

Jimmy wasn't the only one to steal this issue from Billy. The appearance of Hardnut Harris was also welcome, and for all of Billy's on-field play, it was the brief appearance of these characters that caught my eye. Even from behind, Mr Harris lives up to his Hardnut nickname. The profile of his stony face said it all, and his large body reinforced this first impression.

I haven't been too kind to Mickey Brown since his first appearance, but I can't deny he has certainly propelled the story over the last two weeks. It has tilted the story away from Billy, and the repercussions of Mickey's appearance are impacting those around Billy. It's Mr Harris who has to make a decision, and Jimmy who will rise or fall based upon that decision. It has widened the focus from Billy alone, preventing the story from becoming stale and one-dimensional. The magic boots are temporarily forgotten, and the story is a lot more interesting for it. 

Rating: 7/10

Best line: "I play my heart out to help get the team into the quarter-finals of the cup...and now I'll be out!" 

Nipper

As the Italian fans chant the name of their hardman, Zampia, Nipper is on the cusp of regaining his memory of their previous encounter. However, the name slips back into the mists of his mind, and the game against Morino begins. 

Zampia resumes the hard style of their last encounter with a heavy foul, knocking Nipper off his feet. Zampia expects Nipper to retaliate, but Nipper instead fools him, quickly passing the ball to Mike Beatso,n who scores the opening goal. 

Zampia is held responsible by his team, and things get worse for him as Nipper slips his marker to score with a diving header. However, in scoring his goal, Nipper collides with the Mornio keeper, taking a crack to his head. With this, his memory comes flooding back, and he points out Zampia, loudly telling him he knows why he has been acting so tough, while the rest of the team worries that now anything might happen. 

Nipper's memory loss has taken an interesting twist. Without his fiery on-field persona, his style is noticeably different, and it does, at times, feel like another strip. For all Zampia's attempts at provoking him, Nipper remained calm and unmoved. One wonders how much better Nipper would be on-field if he could rein in his temper like this all the time. He is certainly a lot more effective when playing coolly. 

The final knock to the head was predictable and the only way the story could go. It does move us into new territory, and we now have the on-field action changing in the face of Nipper's restored memories, as well as the wider repercussions for the rest of the story. There are a lot of directions the story could now go, and it will be interesting to see what direction we take first. There are several avenues to be explored, and the story could potentially branch in a few directions at once. I don't care where we go from here, and I'm just happy to go along for the ride.   

Rating: 7.5/10

Best line: "You won't hold out much longer, Lawrence! I make you so angry, you explode!" 

Roy Of The Rovers

Gerry Holloway isn't making any friends with his effects on the field. In his first game for Melchester Rovers, he barely exerts himself. Several times, the ball comes toward him, yet he makes no effort to chase it down, telling the team he will not blindly chase the ball around like a maniac. 

He crosses swords with an angry Duncan McKay in the dressing room, and coming out after the halftime break, the team seems unsettled. Rovers start poorly, but when the ball is cleared upfield, Gerry Holloway suddenly puts on a burst of speed and beats the opposing players to it. He then demonstrates his skills, running hard at the defenders before delivering an overhead kick that puts the ball into the box. From there, it is a simple Roy Race header that sees Rovers take a one-nil lead. Picking himself up, Roy looks at Holloway, wondering if it was a piece of lucky showmanship, or did he just show his genius. 

I just can't find it in myself to care about Gerry Holloway. That shouldn't matter, but it also means that I currently don't care much about the current story. Gerry Holloway doesn't move the needle one way or another. He is neither a hero nor a villain, but rather just a young lad who is having trouble fitting into the team. 

The story started slow, with only the crowd giving Holloway conflict. This ramped up at halftime, and his angry words with Duncan McKay were the highlight of the story. The final goal may have looked pretty on the page, but it was only a bit of window dressing on what had come earlier. 

I still enjoy the artwork, and if anything, this is getting even better week after week. The play looks crisp and fresh, while the facial expressions give life to the characters. The art deserves a better story than that of Gerry Holloway, and once again, I can only hope that Roy puts his foot down next week so we can move on to better things.   

Rating: 6.5/10

Best line: "Well, the kid's got spirit, anyway, Roy! He certainly stopped Duncan McKay in his tracks! 

Issue final ratings:

Overall: 7/10

Best Story:  Hot Shot Hamish  

Best Line: "I play my heart out to help get the team into the quarter-finals of the cup...and now I'll be out!"

Best Panel:

Roy's Sports Quiz: