Comic Book Review - Falcon #2

“What’s that coming over the hill, it’s Falcon #2!”

The brainchild of Alan Holloway and Ed Doyle is back for its second issue. That’s right, Falcon, the A3 tabloid-style comic anthology has had a successful funding campaign on Kickstarter which means Holloway and Doyle have yet another successful project on their respective chalkboards. 

For those who don’t know, Falcon is inspired by comics such as The Eagle where each story takes place over 1/2 pages. Featuring a smorgasbord of digestible stories created by a vast array of writers and artists, the content of Falcon is just as unique as its page format.

Normally when it comes to reviewing an anthology I’d dive into each strip and give a brief overview of its plot, art, and writing. Much like my review for Falcon #1, I’m going to deliberately ignore this format. With Falcon #2 being a collection of single-page spreads this means that any in-depth review will probably end up spoiling the experience - which is something no one wants. As such I’ll pick out my highlights of this issue with plenty of analysis along the way. 

With that out of the way let’s dive into Falcon #2…

What makes Falcon unique is that most of its stories run across a single page. From a script standpoint, this means that you don’t necessarily get a lot of room for any exposition and character development. Straight from the opening you need to hit the floor running to then capture the reader's attention for the remainder of the strip. For most of Falcon #1, this worked well, but there were a couple of strips that needed a few more pages. Thankfully with Falcon #2, this has been put to bed with the vast majority of its content fitting in with the format exceptionally well. 

There are also quite a few strips that I’d love to see given more of a page count, whether this is within their series, or adapted into the Sentinel digest. Chief of these is Attack On The Space Train by Atholl Buchan. It’s a simple sci-fi story of heritage air show pilot Archie McDonald as he finds his place as an unwilling saviour of the universe. Across the two pages Buchan packs in plenty of energy that could very easily be expanded upon. The same can also be said about Laurence Alison’s Whalerman, which could easily be adapted into its own thing. 

Across Falcon #2’s pages, we get 19 individual strips and a couple of pinups that cater to all manner of genres and subjects. Where the likes of 2 Be Continued…, Noel The Neanderthal, Blot, Oscar & Wilde, and Technofreak continue their residencies from the opening issue they’re also joined by a wealth of new content. Whether it’s the likes of comedy strips, Big Bang Theory, or the creeping horror of The Obsession of Randolph Carter, there’s something for everyone. And that’s the real beauty behind Falcon’s facade, it is a comic anthology for everyone. 

As always this anthology is a gathering of well-known creative talent that has been pulled across the British independent comic scene. Fans can expect to see the work of mainstays such as John Charles, Alan Holloway, Ed Doyle, Mike Powell, Pete Howard, and Paul “Deadeye” Dick amongst plenty of other talented fellows. Special mention also goes out to Ed Doyle who has his work cut out for him within this issue. Aside from being the cover start to Falcon #2, he’s the letterer to a few of the strips too! 

Overall, Falcon continues to subvert expectations with another grand display of writing and artistic talent. While it will have its neigh-sayers who’ll question the A-3 format, it’s one that works for this publication. It’s big, bold and certainly eye-catching, which helps it to stand out from the often crowded independent comic scenes. For those who want something different to their comic book anthologies, or for those who simply want something to pick up and read without wading through years of back issues, Falcon is the anthology for you! 

There’s still time to pledge towards Falcon #2 and you can do so via Kickstarter by clicking here. 

For more comic book and video game chat why not follow us on X, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky.