Vulcan - 4 Oct 1975

Lets have another dip into this title shall we? Have said it before, but Vulcan was way ahead of its time in being a weekly anthology of reprints. Sure, Marvel UK had been doing it for a while, but that was American reprints and here we have UK originated titles. A great idea, which i'd love to see being produced right now - but minus the dodgy colouring.
Okay, lets dip inside:
First up, its that big lunk and big hunk of metal that is "Mytek The Mighty". Just two pages here with a shadowy, unseen shape that may or may not be the fella sinking a ship and going after the professor. Ah yes, the professor. What do we make here in the 21st century of an Egyptian scientist called "Professor Fez" who - wouldn't you just know it - wears a fez. At all times. Even when climbing into bed. Hmmmmm... Still, FANTASTIC art by Eric Bradbury, especially these terrific eyes. The awful colouring here has lessened the impact somewhat though - will have to try and track down the original B&W version.

Next up, "The Spider", which is the usual terrific stuff. Here not only do we have The Spider, but also The Executioner (a musclebound baddie with a "punishing heat ray" stiched onto the top of his balacava) and The Silohouette, the mysterous leader of the bad guys, who acts just like The Hood did back in the 40's Batman serial. Brilliant artwork, which goes to show how the oft-cited Lenoard Nimoy comparison to The Spider is quite a superficial one. There's something not quite right about his face that i can't quite put my finger on. The proportions are right but i think that its the eyes being a tad too small and the nose a tad longer than normal that's doing it here.
"Saber, King Of The Jungle" comes across as a Tarzan rip-off, especially as he ends up in quicksand - something everyone seemd to fall into at some point in every Tarzan film and episode of the TV show that i can think of.

Back on track with "The Trigan Empire", with absolutely beautiful art from Don Lawrence. I can remember very well this episode, with the strangely boggled eye octopus-like robot appearing for the first time.
"Steel Claw" was a bit dull, being mainly exposistion as Crandell tries to figure out who the web-handed foes are all about.

By far the best is "Kelly's "Eye", a strip i've not mentioned that much here as i've always considered him to be a bit of a drip. But this art is just stunning and hugely elevates the tale. Very, very atmospheric as Tim goes up against Count Varga, a "human vampire". Lopez was firing on all cylinders here and i can't think of anyone who'd have been better suited for it.
Last up, "Robot Archie". Oh dear.
"AIEEEE!" WATCH:
Nuffink.