Comic Book Review - A Very British Affair

Rob reviews A Very British Affair: The Best of Classic Romance Comics...

When 2000 AD/Treasury of British Comics brand manager Michael Molcher dropped into my inbox with the press release of A Very British Affair: The Best of Classic Romance Comics - I initially scoffed at the idea of reviewing the book. For starters, I'm not one for romance. Reading about people falling in love and having a lovely time does make my stomach churn. Am I just a heartless bastard? Or has the daily grind of dealing with the public made me an emotionless robot? Well, the truth is, I like my comics with a bit of grit.

But, there was something about Michael's press release that resonated with the weird historian who dwells inside me.

"This is some of the finest romance comics from a genre that once dominated the industry, selling millions of copies in the 1960s and ‘70s before vanishing almost overnight"

From here on I had many questions. "What happened for romance comics to vanish overnight, I bet it was Marvel...bastards!, Or maybe the likes of Battle, Action, and Starlord just took over. Or perhaps it could be that the publishers of the day just assumed comics were a "boys" thing. Either way, I sent the Molcher droid an email and awaited the postman. 

While romance comics aren't entirely new, in the era the genre was mainly made up of the likes of Young Romance (created by Jack Kirby), Heart Throbs, and Secret Hearts. Not only did they have terrible cliché-driven names, but they also focused on older teens and young adults who typically lived in suburban America. Away from this and they generally played it safe. There's no controversy when it comes to romance comics - and everyone gets a happy ending. But, over here in the UK and trouble was brewing. 

A Very British Affair: The Best of Classic Romance Comics is a collection of romance strips that attempt to challenge the definition of what a romance comic is. While the overarching notion of girl-meets-boy is prevalent throughout, each of the strips here offers a unique spin on the formula. Ever thought about mixing romance with football hooligans? Or how about a hostage situation? That'll get the heart thumping! 

Much like their American counterparts, the majority of these strips focus on existing relationships and are mainly portrayed from the female perspective. Each strip also tackles most of their stories on real-world issues, and the problem the characters share is either solved by some good old-fashioned soul-searching, or by the duo realizing their relationship is doomed. Again, it's how these tales are presented that makes this collection quite the read. 

Even with the more "crazy" strips, the tales within this collection never lose sight of their target audience. Unlike their American counterparts, each strip comes from a relatable character in some shape or form. Everyone from working-class singletons to those living at home, or with friends is accounted for. Every character has a somewhat normal background, and even normal jobs, it's a far cry from the American comics that's basic premise was a pretty girl becoming the model Stepford Wife. That isn't to say that these British comics came with a stiff-upper-lip attitude, if anything it's breaking the taboo that literature has to be all hunky dory. 

With the publications of the era being published weekly, the demand for content often resulted in a few interesting strips. Some resulted in a completely new viewpoint such as from the male's perspective or that of a little sister. One worthy mention is Letters To Lesley which plays out in an agony aunt style, with "readers' letters" that may or may not be real. It's quite clever in a way that gives the era's readership relationship, and life advice while not being entirely patronizing in doing so. As mentioned a few times, A Very British Affair is s collection of traditional love stories and those that go to some interesting places. A couple of the strips such as Dark Secret feature an outlandish real-world situation, while Prisoner of Xephros plays a riff on Ah-Ha's Take on Me - but with aliens. With lovestruck cavemen and even ghosts, there's something for everyone. 

While a lot of A Very British Affair's offerings are showing their age, it's very easy to forget that the original teenage readers of these strips would have seen these as a form of escape. Much like comics nowadays, a lot of these tales of love and friendship often came with a deeper message. Whether it offers a link to those who are in bad relationships themselves or those who can't seem to grasp a relationship, the strips of this era were the agony aunt columns of the '60s and '70s. Whereas we read this collection as a gateway to this era of comic history, it's certainly easy to see why the publications were very popular back in the day. 

Another unknowing thing that A Very British Affair does is highlights the changing fashions across its era. Beginning in the '50s and everyone has a touch of pre-war glamour, this soon changes as the strips head into the '60s and a noticeable shift towards sex soon takes over with mini-skirts and knee-high boots. Likewise moving into the 70s and then the 80s mixes this up further as the characters reflect the "in" fashions of the era. 

What also surprised me is that there's a wealth of well-known artists with work within this collection. The big "shock" was that of Judge Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra. As both a fan and reviewer of 2000 AD, I'm used to Ezquerra's work taking on a more sci-fi tone, but the late artist's work here is yet another superb example of why he's such a regarded individual. Other noticeable artists include Doctor Who comics Gerry Haylock, and Shirley Bellwood - whose work I wasn't familiar with but after a little research I discovered that she was a regular contributor to these strips. There are also many other artists - and writers - who contributed to the rise of these romance comics. While there were a lot of whom I wasn't aware of, this collection has certainly brought a few new names to my radar. 

Keeping with art, and having such a wide talent of artists also means that there's quite a range of styles on offer. Whether it's the crisp clean linework of the 1950s or the energy filled psychedelic work of those in the 1960s, there are plenty of gorgeous illustrations across this collection. Much like the change in fashion on the characters, the different art styles also work well in showcasing the changing style of comic books as artists refine their work, or new techniques are introduced. 

Overall and I'm glad I took a gamble with A Very British Affair. Aside from a very well-presented hardback book, inside is a varied look into comic books' forgotten genre. Editor David Roach has brought together a splattering of different strips that perfectly highlights what made these comics an escape for their readers. Whether you're a comic historian, or someone looking for something "different", then you can't go wrong with what A Very British Affair offers. 

A Very British Affair: The Best of Classic Romance Comics can be found at all good comic book shops, online retailers, and the Treasury of British Comics webshop.

An arc was kindly provided for this review.

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