Comic Book Review - BLAZER! #1

Rob Lake reviews BLAZER! #1...

Blazer! the 32-page indie anthology comic by Steve MacManus has just dropped into my cluttered inbox. It's 11:54 on a damp Tuesday night and I'm sitting here in the dark furiously typing this introduction. Do I wait till the morning to read BLAZER!? or do I gaze into its 1970's inspired roots tonight?

You know what...Let's do it!

But beforehand what exactly is BLAZER!?

"Blazer! began as the working title for a new comic being developed by Goodenough Publications in my novel The SheerGlam Conspiracy." 

"The novel charts a circulation war between two rival comics publishing companies in 1970s London. To establish an outright dominance in the market, one of the companies hires two scriptwriters to create a new title, which is codenamed GNP 13."

"Having introduced the notion of a new comic, I felt it my duty to the reader to describe what strips would be in this fictitious title, supposedly being readied for launch in the spring of 1974." 

"Before I knew it, I found myself scripting the first episodes of each strip. And I felt quite pleased with myself when it occurred to me to include the scripts as an epilogue in The SheerGlam Conspiracy."

"And that was that, until some months after publication when I received a phone call from Ben Cullis of The77 Publications. I learned that The77 was to be a picture strip publication inspired by the comics of the 1970s."

"I was delighted by Ben’s proposal that the Blazer! scripts are drawn and lettered for bi-monthly publication in The77. And so it was that The Tinkling Triangles and The Collector were published, drawn respectively by Kiwi newcomer Brendon Wright and industry titan, the super talented Charlie Gillespie."

"In his role as editor, Ben suggested the remaining strips be published in a title of their own, naturally called Blazer! Ben set to work pairing artists with the scripts, and at some point, he asked me to devise a new strip to fill the 32-page pagination he was working to. This led to me asking Peter Western if he would like to collaborate with me on Domenica’s Ring, and it was an absolute privilege for me when Peter readily agreed."

Steve MacManus on the genesis of BLAZER! 

To develop BLAZER! into reality, Steve MacManus and Ben Cullis headed off to Kickstarter to secure crowdfunding for the ambitious title. A few weeks later and the campaign had amassed £8,866 from 401 backers - myself included. 

With a second issue already receiving the green light, it's safe to say that both MacManus and Cullis are on to something big. 

So with introductions done let's crack on with the review...

Opening the cover of BLAZER! is like stepping back in time. The style of the pages (and even the colouration) screams 1970's comic books. We get an editorial by BLAZER!'s very own Dom Tom, an introduction to Gloria SheerGlam (nice nod to the novel which inspired the comic book) and some tidbits about competitions, and even George Foreman creating a grill! 

Godwin's War

The first strip sees MacManus and Dan Cornwell take us to the dense jungles of Burma. It's not long before we're introduced to Moses Godwin and Sister Sara - our unlikely duo of the story. What follows is an action-packed story of motorcycle chases and incredibly bad puns. But as opening stories go, it certainly starts with a bang. 

Dan Cornwell gives us some fantastic artwork. The jungle setting is captured incredibly well, with plenty of thick dark lines and plenty of close-up action that show off its claustrophobic nature. Each cell is also packed to the brim with enough detail that brings this one to the forefront

Steve MacManus gives us a nice introduction to Godwin and Sara. It's interesting to see both go from man and woman of faith to two "badasses" within 5-pages - even if Godwin ends the strip looking like Nick Fury. 

Derringer & Son

Next in line is the crazy world of freelance fixer, Jack Derringer. Derringer is a vet of the Vietnam war who's making his way in life as a fixer for hire. In tow is his adopted Son who's only here because Jack can't put him through college. We follow Derringer & Son as they're protecting American icon, Levi Pumpernickle. Before too long it's car chases and more terrible puns as the duo try to recover a priceless diamond. 

Steve MacManus teams up with Colin Maxwell for this crime caper. I enjoyed Derringer & Son quite a lot. The camp feeling of the whole strip felt like a homage to Batman mixed in with a little Magnum P.I.. Maxwell illustrates the strip quite well with plenty of cell breaking art. The glider scene is of particular interest, there are big blocks of black but the use of white lines paints the Vegas Strip well. 

Dominica's Ring 

Now this one took me back (and I'm a child of the '80s). We're in the studios of LWT (London Weekend Television for you youngsters) as singing sensation Dominica takes the stage. Que some mind control and a ring that makes people combust and you've pretty much got your standard LWT viewing.

This time around Steve MacManus teams up with Peter Weston as BLAZER! gives us its first full-colour strip. In terms of story, I felt that Dominica's Ring is the weaker of the BLAZER! offerings, it felt incredibly claustrophobic and I had a job keeping up with what was going on. Weston's art takes on an almost graffiti-esq tone as he paints an almost psychedelic picture of the shenanigans that the ring is causing over at LWT.

Boot Room Boy

Boot Room Boy surprised me. What's starts as something that you think is going to mimic Roy of the Rovers turns into a murder mystery. It all starts with struggling football club, Barchester United signing foreign football star - Pablo Zapata. After a scuffle with fellow player Danny Jones ends in an apparent suicide it's up to the team's Boot Room Boy to find out what's going on.

Filippo is on art duties for Boot Room Boy. His simplistic art feels very reminiscent of an old newspaper comic strip. We get some nice wide-angled views of Barchester's stadium and some great action shots. In terms of story, MacManus gives us the beginnings of a good old fashioned "who done it" where the result may not be as clear as it seems.

The Sheriffs of Nottingham 

Freaky Friday meets The Dentist as two seemingly unconnected gentlemen both visit a dentist/beauticians. The twist is that after a routine extraction they end up in each others bodies. While the British chap is stuck in America, his American counterpart is dispensing some American style law enforcement on the mean streets of Britain. 

Andrew Richmond does a good job with his art for The Sheriffs of Nottingham. Each cell is packed to the brim and there's plenty of thick linework to denote the action. It's also worth mentioning that the extraction scene did make me cringe, even more so that I've got a dentist appointment myself in the coming week! 

Much like Dominica's Ring, the plot of The Sheriffs of Nottingham is a little hard to follow. While the English pronouncing is an interesting take, it's a bit difficult to keep up with. 

As someone who's not yet read The SheerGlam Conspiracy, a lot of Steve MacManus's ideas for Blazer! #1 have no doubt blown over my head. However, it's an interesting read none the less. While in my opinion, Blazer! has its strong and weaker parts, it all comes together into a great companion piece to accompany The SheerGlam Conspiracy.

As I've said before Steve MacManus is a legend to so many and it's great to see him back doing what he does best. While Blazer! #2 may be a little way off as yet, I'm interested to see how he develops the idea's started within this opening issue. 

Rating 8/10

A complimentary review copy was provided for this review. 

Missed the Kickstarter? If so, Blazer! is available to pre-order from The77's website.

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev