Comic Cuts — 22 June 2026

The latest Commando and British Weekly Comic Swap Meet took place on Saturday. June 20, at Wolstanton Methodist Church in (the clue's in the name) Wolstanton, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, although it is known amongst the organisers as the Stoke swapmeet, as Stoke-on-Trent is nearby.

Last year, we took a trip into Hanley and it was a disappointment; this year we (please welcome to the stage Mr. Karl Kennedy) headed off earlier (7.15am) and drove beyond Stoke to Shrewsbury, right in the centre of Shropshire. I've always wanted to visit Shropshire because that was where Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine novels were set: the Long Mynd, the Stiperstones... they were semi-mythical sounding when I was nine.

Well, it took me a few decades, and I didn't see any of these mystical hills, but Shrewsbury is a beautiful town full of beautiful old buildings. One we visited was a remarkable market building, with stalls set out on two levels. There was even a guy selling comics and annuals... but he wasn't there! A notice on his pitch informed us that Dave was "drinking in Greece". A good secondhand books stall on the gallery level had a few SF novels, but nothing I wanted. But I asked the lady in charge and she recommended a nearby shop...

We met the artist as he was working on this...

... which we visited after lunch, and it was well worth the walk. Welsh Bridge Books had a wall of science fiction from the era I like (A-format paperbacks, painted covers), plus a couple of other shelves. Karl rooted aound the comic boxes and bins and came away with some nice finds. I knew I had to take it carefully as I'd already over-spent on books this week following our visit to Books-on-Sea and an emergency purchase on Ebay (I managed to pick up the third part of a trilogy, so I was forced—forced—to buy the other two books, and a couple more while I was at it). I found some Joe Haldeman titles I didn't have (used to, but like an idiot I got rid of them during one of my irregular culls), a Norman Spinrad I didn't have, and a copy of Randall Garrett's Too Many Magicians, which I've always wanted to read. (An alternate world where magic is a science; I believe it is written in the style of a detective novel and is a locked-room mystery.)

After a mad dash to get back to the car park on time, and a fruitless attempt to visit a nearby comic shop (which wasn't a shop, and was about to close for the day at 3.00pm), we headed to Wolstanton Methodist Church to help Stuart Steele and Ed Walker set up the display boards for the art show. Then off to Andy's to meet up with Andy Yates and his family, Stuart Hume, who was also staying overnight, and Bailey, the friendly family dog.

We returned to the hall to set up tables at 8.00pm and later sat around drinking craft beers and chatting until 11.00. 

Breakfast of champions!

We were back in the hall at 8.00 Saturday morning and I crammed as many books onto the table as I could, then helped carry boxes and crates of comics as others arrived to set up. I took a few pictures of the hall as people were unpacking because I knew I wouldn't have time to do it later. As the 10 o'clock approached, I had a wander around the tables and managed to find some books that I wanted. And, I'll confess now, I had another walk around later when things had quietened down around lunchtime and found yet more books on another table. 

By now I'd bought a dozen books, so I had a nominal target for sales. I need to get into double figures to make the trip worthwhile financially—I chip in for petrol and food with Karl, and there are one or two incidental costs, but the big cost of accommodation is taken care of by Andy; with the additional spending, I needed to sell a dozen books of my own.

The Bear Alley Books table... I've now published too many books to fit!

The first sale came a few minutes in. It was around that time that Mike Chinn, on the table next to mine, arrived and began unpacking, and we chatted throughout the show as we're both print on demand authors trying to flog our own wares. Shows can be nervous times, because you simply don't know who will come through the door and how much money they have to spend—it's holiday season, there's football on the TV, the weather was scorching... all excuses not to come out or to spend cautiously. 

One good thing is that I finally had my card reader up and running. I started on that hazardous journey after the previous show and it's far too long a tale to tell here. The long and short of it is that I think I made sales this year because I had the card reader. So all the crying and cursing was worth it.

I did eventually sell 16 books and took about £230; below last year's total, but perhaps to be expected as last year I was able to sell a few books to the dealers but this year I didn't have anything new. (But I will have an announcement on that front on Friday.)

We had a raffle around 2.00pm and I won a copy of Commando signed by Keith Burns—to add to the copy I won at one of the other shows—and a Millennium Falcon chopping board. I had hoped for one of the prints or bits of original artwork, but no such luck this time around. The raffle is always worth a punt.

We started clearing up around 3.00pm as we had a long drive ahead of us. I think we left about an hour later, having said our thank yous and goodbyes and see you next years. Apart from a stop off for some food and a drink—we were both starving as neither of us had eaten much (see photo above)—we made good time and I arrived back home at 7.30pm.

I had to do a stock take yesterday (Sunday) and put in an order for some more books which, coincidentally, came to almost £230. So I just about broke even over the weekend. And this morning I got up to a day ahead that involved packing a few orders that need to go down to the Post Office, sorting out photos, writing this, and defrosting the fridge. And there's nothing like defrosting and cleaning a fridge to bring you back to earth.

Comic Cuts — 19 June 2026

Good evening... yes, I'm posting this Thursday night, because I'm not going to be around on Friday morning to cross-post this to Facebook (my one social media outlet... I haven't embraced Instagram or TikTok and I no longer post on Twitter, buy Teslas or launch satellites through SpaceX—I don't see why I should support or enrich Elon until he buys some of my books).

So... where am I? I'm in Stoke at the British Comics Swap Meet (or Swop Meet as the advertising has it... oops), which is being held on Saturday, 20th June, at Wolstanton Methodist Church, ST5 OHS. This was the first swap meet outside of Colchester I did and had such a good time I even went to Glasgow earlier this year. 

I should have copies of most Bear Alley titles, although some are in short supply as I had a late rush of orders and haven't had a chance to restock. I should also have a card reader, which should make payments easier. While I try to keep prices down, short print runs and rising prices aren't helping matters, so show discounts are slim. But the books are Post-free, which might help customers stretch their pounds a little.

I need all the cash I can get to pay for this week's extravagances. It has been our busiest week in months as we headed out on Tuesday to see Mitch Benn at the Colchester Arts Centre to catch his latest tour, The Lehrer Effect, about one of his greatest influences, Tom Lehrer. By tragic (or useful PR) coincidence, Lehrer passed away three days before Mitch Benn's first show up in Edinburgh last year—which is always the risk you take when writing about a 97-year-old. 

Even if you're not a fan of Lehrer, you'll probably know 'The Elements' (a list of every element in the periodic table) or 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park', which are typical of Lehrer's lyrical cleverness and very dark humour. As Lehrer rescinded his copyright on all his songs, Mitch was able to give us his own renditions of these, adding 16 further elements that have since been discovered to the first. His own songs fitted in beautifully and he has even returned to writing an instant song during the 20-minute break, based on bits of local or national news suggested by the audience: this time around it was Ipswich getting their new bins before we have, the Russians firing on a yacht, and the cat that interrupted a performance of Romeo & Juliette. The last time he did one of these in Colchester it was "Fenton!" about the dog chasing deer in Richmond Park way back in 2011.

The gig was thoroughly enjoyable and we now have the show on a key fob, which contains a ton of songs from the show and many more inspired by Lehrer that Mitch has written over the years. The header pic is of Mel meeting Mitch. Amazing to think we've been attending his gigs since 2007!

Wednesday we went to Southend-on-Sea, although we didn't see much of the sea compared to the amount of time we spent in book shops. I do like a good book shop (who'd have guessed?) and there's a particularly good one in Southend: Books-on-Sea. Has an excellent stock of second-hand books, including a  good selection of science fiction. I bought seven books, but could easily have bought seventy if I wasn't so aware that I'm just about to spend a fortune licensing and printing a new book.

The haul included Alan Moore's The Great When, which I'm really looking forward to reading, and a Ken Macleod novel that I leapt on not realising it was the third part of a trilogy. Now I'm going to have to buy the other two (oh, no, what a disaster!). I picked up a copy of White Fang Goes Dingo and a couple of John Sladek novels, all of which I used to have until I did a big cull back in the late nineties. I'm sure I'm not the only person regretting the decision to pay the rent rather than keep the books.

Finds in charity shops included Karla's Choice by Nick Harkaway, a sequel to the works of his dad, John Le Carre, and Hearts, Hands and Voices by Ian McDonald, a rather beaten-up copy with a nasty sticker pull that disfigures the lovely Jim Burns cover... but it will fill a gap until I can find a better copy.

One thing I particularly like about Southend is the street art, which you find on any flat building surface. It's amazing. 

Which brings us to today, writing up the above, scanning some book covers, packing boxes with books for sale, writing up a price list, and all the other hundred and one things that need to be done ahead of a show. Just remembered to charge up the phone and the card reader. We're heading off around 7 or 7.30 tomorrow morning for the three-and-a-half-hour drive, but I'm told there's going to be a detour. No idea what or where to. I'll tell you all about it in the next Comic Cuts.

Commando 5967-5970

This week's action-packed Commando set features a brand-new Rayker story and a deadly battle between a Churchill and a Tiger I tank in the unforgiving North African Desert. Issues 5967-5970 are on sale today. Thursday 18th June.
     Also, new to Commando from the 14th June, readers can buy Commando issues direct from dcthomsonshop.co.uk with FREE delivery!

5967: Rayker: Back in The Ranks

Sergeant Moses Rayker, a black man in a white man’s army, fights two wars: one against the Germans and another against racism within the segregated American military. 
    After extreme losses during the German surprise attack in the Ardennes, General John Lee asks for something new from Santa — Infantry volunteers. Race isn’t important, he says, but anyone who joins needs to be a private or PFC. 
    It took Rayker five years to earn his stripes, but those guys need a leader, and to be one, he’ll need to be… Back in The Ranks!

Story: Simon Topping
Internal Art: Mike Dorey
Cover Art: Mike Dorey & Grant Wood

5968: Dive After Dark

There wasn’t a bomber squadron in North Africa that could outfly the Fleet Air Arm outfit who called themselves “Buckley’s Bats”. Every pilot was an ace and every navigator could find his way across the desert blindfolded. 
     And the planes these supermen flew? Well, they were Fairey Albacores — cumbersome biplanes with a top speed of only 160 mph. Nobody, no matter how good, could win a war flying kites like that… or could they?

Story: Brunt
Internal Art: Mira
Cover Art: Ian Kennedy
First published 1972 as No.616

5969: Desert Duel

North Africa, early 1943. Following a raid on a German outpost, the crew of a Churchill tank nicknamed Lancelot find themselves isolated in the desert. Damaged and relentlessly pursued by a Tiger I tank, their attempt to rejoin their formation turns into a life-or-death struggle against the German tank, and eventually between the commanders of the two crews. As vultures circle overhead, this can only end in a… Desert Duel.

Story: Andrew Knighton
Internal Art: Carlos Pino
Cover Art: Keith Burns

5970: The Sleeping Tiger
 
All his life, Jim Slater had been able to sleep anywhere at any time – at home, at school, even at work. If he had the chance to nod off, he took it, and was soon dozing. Well, tigers like to catnap too, don’t they? And that’s what Jim turned out to be – a sleeping tiger.

Story & Internal Art: Anglo
Cover Art: Philpott
First published 1985 as No. 1874

Rebellion Releases — 17 June 2026

In Berlin, 1945, the Allies unleashed Maximan to take on the German super soldier Masterman. Maximan’s defeat was only kept secret by the nuclear bomb that destroyed both men.

Forty-plus years later, and twenty years after a generation of ’60s British superpowered heroes came and went, the teenage pop star Zenith is the only superhuman left. His only interests – women, drugs, alcohol and fame. So, when he is contacted about the threat from the many-angled ones and the impending destruction of our world, his first reaction is to steer well clear. But the superhumans of the past have other plans…

Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s ground-breaking superhero odyssey is back and presented for the first time in full colour. The original run of the beloved 2000 AD classic series was made up of four stories, with only the final of these presented in colour – for this new edition, Books 1-3 have been freshly coloured by acclaimed new talent JP Jordan (Sink Your Teeth In), providing a new approach to one of 2000 AD’s most acclaimed stories!

Follow the bratty Zenith as he finds himself embroiled in dangers from all sides – not that he’s paying huge amounts of attention to what’s going on; there’s girls to chase and charts to top – from German supersoldiers to extradimensional threats. Zenith is one of 2000 AD’s only ventures into the familiar world of superheroes, and carries our distrust of that entire genre. These heroes aren’t out to help us, they’re just out for themselves – how can Zenith and his ragtag clutch of allies, including the psychic conservative politician Peter St John and drunk firebrand Red Dragon, possibly save the country from the gravest threats it has ever faced?

Collecting the whole of Zenith from Book One to Book Four in complete colour for the very first time, The Zenith Full Colour Omnibus hits shelves this December! Alongside the standard hardback edition, we’re also delighted to unveil a webshop-exclusive hardback edition featuring an all-new cover from Yeowell and Jordan which features characters from across the full run of the series!

A highpoint in 2000 AD’s five-decade history, featuring ascendant writing from Morrison and career-defining artistry from Yeowell, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll has never looked so good. 

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2487
Cover: Toby Willsmer.

JUDGE DREDD // THE OUBLIETTE by Ken Niemand (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRINK // THE CALL OF THE VOID by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
SILVER // MALIGNANT by Mike Carroll (w) Joe Currie (c) Simon Bowland (l)
THISTLEBONE // THE WILD MAIDEN & THE FAIR WOLF by T.C. Eglington (w) Simon Davis (a)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
THE FALL OF DEADWORLD // JUSTICE by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Simon Bowland (l)
HELIUM // RED OCTOBER by Ian Edginton (w) D'Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine 493
Cover: Lee Carter.

JUDGE RICO // THE BLACK TOWER by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (c) Simon Bowland (l)
ATOMFALL // THE WICKED ISLE by Jonathan L. Howard (w) Anthony Williams (a) Rob Steen)
FARGO & MCBANE // FAVOURED SONS by Ken Niemand (w) PJ Holden (a) Quinton Winter (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // AN ITERATION OF ALLIES by Andi Ewington (w) Sinu Senan (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)
MEGATROPOLIS II by Ken Niemand (w) Chris Weston (a) Antonietta Saulino (c) Rob Steen (l)

Roy of the Rovers Volume 1 by Rob Williams & Ben Willsher
Rebellion 978-183786782-0, 17 June 2026, 160pp, £16.99. Available via Amazon.

REAL ROY OF THE ROVERS STUFF!
Once a mighty team in English soccer, Melchester Rovers are now a pale imitation of what they once were. Languishing around the bottom half of the table in League Two, the future is looking decidedly grim for the club. Enter Roy Race; a sixteen-year-old striker with a lethal left foot and a burning desire to play for the club he has supported all of his life. Could he be the spark that reignites the Rovers after years in the wilderness?
    From the pages of Tiger to having his own title, Roy of the Rovers is the most popular soccer strip in British comics. This action-packed sporting drama reboots the iconic character for today's generation of football fandom.

Rogue Trooper: Ghost Patrol by Alex de Campi & Neil Edwards
Rebellion 978-183786754-7, 18 June 2026, 112ppp, £19.99. Available via Amazon.

Nu Earth: a battle-scarred, poisned world where Nort and Souther forces fight for control of a nearby black hole. Genetic Infantryman, Rogue Trooper is the sole survivor of the Quartz Massacre.Together with the bio-chipped “ghosts” of his dead comrades he wages a one-man war against the vicious Nort forces.
    A Souther war veteran called Macinrow, Captain Nygaard and a group of fresh recruits, set out for Nu Earth in search of Macinrow's friend, Sgt White, who could hold the key to winning the war... 
    An all-new adventure Alex de Campi (Smoke, Full-Tilt Boogie) and Neil Edwards (Spider-Man, Superman) delves into the secret history of the Genetic Infantrymen.

Comic Cuts — 12 June 2026

Between last week's exciting trips to the pub(s) and next week's trips to Colchester, Southend and Stoke, I've had a dull but productive week. Yes, it's back to the back-breaking job of cleaning up artwork.

Not back-breaking really, but I hunch up and I'm making delicate movements with the mouse to paint out splashes of ink and using cut and paste to fill gaps in panel borders and fix damage to lettering, and that means stresses across the shoulders and neck. Do that for a couple of hours and you'll understand why I'm so slow putting books of reprinted comics together.

But we're getting close to announcing the next title. The contract is now signed off and I have two forewords in the works, and the cover will hopefully be here at the weekend or soon after. Once I have everything in place, I'll be doing the usual reveal and will start taking orders as soon as possible. 

The artwork I'm working on is for the book—or rather two books—after that. I'll need to write some introductions for those, which will be a nice break. 

The last writing I did was for PIRATES!, my history of wartime and post-war independent comic publishers. I reached the end of what I'm calling "Book 1' at the weekend, although there's at least a couple of bits I still need to write. I've clocked off with 42,000 words written. Still a long way to go.

With a couple of reprints under my belt, I'll be happy to get back to the next index, which is likely to be Valiant, as that's already partly written; I actually wrote some of it back in 2019, ahead of writing the opening sections of the Action book that I completed earlier this year—ACTION THE SEVENPENNY NIGHTMARE. (In fact, the opening of the Valiant history was originally written back in 2009... but that's another story entirely.)

Cleaning up the artwork for the latest batch of comic reprints has been made manageable thanks to Youtube. All the artwork clean-up and design work for Bear Alley Books is done on my old PC, which is now getting on for 20 years old. But that frees up the laptop that I usually use for writing (this, for instance), and Youtube is absolutely full of wonderful music. 

I'm a huge Rush fan, but I've never had a chance to see them live, other than on DVD. Technically that means I've seen them play in Rio de Janeiro, on their 30th anniversary tour, on the Snakes & Ladders tour, and on their 40th anniversary tour, and elsewhere. Of course, like others I thought that Neil Peart's death meant I'd never get to see them play again, even on screen. 

Well, they're back, baby! Celebrating their 50th (plus) anniversary with a huge tour, aided by a new drummer and a keyboard player. But it's still Rush! And thanks to Youtube, I've watched two full gigs that they performed in Los Angeles's Kia Forum on June 6th and June 9th. Utterly wonderful to watch. 

I know some folk don't agree with people recording gigs, but fans are going to be buying the inevitable Blu-ray that'll eventually come out. I know I will. But in the meantime, forget the football—I'll be following Rush vicariously right up to the end of the tour in April 2027.

Rebellion Releases — 10 June 2026

Following on from last week's news about The Treasury of British Comics Annual, this November will also see the Eisner-nominated 2000 AD Annual returns once again, this time as an expanded Anniversary edition with even more new stories!

Blaze through the weary Winter weather with the thermonuclear power of 2000 AD – the comics juggernaut which burns ever-bright with Thrill-Power! The 2000 AD Annual 2027 returns once again, a classic yearly feast which this Christmas features more new stories than ever before… as Tharg The Mighty begins his preparations for the 50th Anniversary of The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic!

Running over 100 pages, The 2000 AD Annual 2027 features a standard edition cover from the award-winning Jock (Batman) and a webshop-exclusive cover from legendary fan-favourite 2000 AD Droids Cliff Robinson and Dylan Teague! In addition, the Annual will feature new stories featuring some of 2000 AD’s most beloved characters and creators, including:

    Judge Dredd by Rob Williams and RM Guera
    Robo-Hunter by Garth Ennis and Chris Burnham
    The Out by Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison
    Hawk the Slayer by Alec Worley and Staz Johnson
    Fiends of the Eastern Front by Ian Edginton and Alejandro Aragon
    Tharg’s Future Shocks by Mike Carroll and Kieran McKeown

In addition, the Annual will feature a collection of classic Thrills from across 2000 AD’s fifty years of publication, including plenty of surprises, features, and the returns of classic characters! You may think you know what to expect – but you absolutely cannot predict what Tharg has planned for you this Christmas!

The 2000 AD Annual 2027 is now available to pre-order from the 2000 AD webshop today, in either standard or webshop-exclusive editions!

And now, this week's release...

2000AD Prog 2486
Cover: D'Israeli.

Once again, change is headed for 2000 AD, as we arrive at the final part of Silver with this week's Prog 2486. The Baroness will be back however, as Book Four is coming to the Prog in the near future! This week also brings us the penultimate instalments of Helium and Judge Dee, as next week's Prog 2487 will be our second bumper-sized issue of the year—bringing with it the return of The Fall of Deadworld and Thistlebone!

JUDGE DREDD // THE OUBLIETTE by Ken Niemand (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRINK // THE CALL OF THE VOID by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
SILVER // MALIGNANT by Mike Carroll (w) Joe Currie (c) Simon Bowland (l)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HELIUM // RED OCTOBER by Ian Edginton (w) D'Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Comic Cuts — 5 June 2026

I've spent most of the week doing a deep dive into independent comic publishers outside of London, as the paper restrictions that gripped the UK during and after WWII meant that publishers could produce only limited print runs of titles, and these could sometimes be sold entirely in London and the counties around the capital. Little wonder that enterprising artists, publishers and printers in the provinces began publishing their own comics. Manchester and Glasgow had a number of different publishing houses, but they spread to Newcastle, Stoke, Liverpool, Ilford and elsewhere.

I've also been exploring further afield, as a loophole made it possible to import comics from Canada for a while in 1946-47 before being closed down. Thankfully I found some good reference books on the subject of Canada's wartime publishing and they have helped fill in some gaps in my knowledge. 

On the reprint front, I've now received an excellent foreword for the next book—yes, I'm getting lazy in my old age and letting someone else write something! I'm actually waiting on a second piece and still have to sort out a cover, but the contract is signed so it's definitely happening!

I mentioned last week that we were going out to see Tiff Stevenson. This was at a monthly comedy event known as the Funny Farm, a stick and string set-up at the back of a local pub: hand-made backdrop, no stage, an amplifier/speaker on a table nearby... but it works. We have a beer garden, a gazebo and a marquee seating. One day I'll count how many people squeeze in.

So we had three acts (Hazel, who runs the Funny Farm, says she accidentally overbooked the show!) with two putting on full roughly hour-long shows. Glenn Wool I'd heard of but had never seen. Surprising as he lives not far over the border in Ipswich. Canadian, personable and relaxed, even when he was talking about his divorce, makes him easy to like. Maybe I'm biased, as we had friends over from Canada for a meal on Saturday... they were over for a week, not just for one pub meal. Nice meal, actually. One of our local pubs reopened recently with a new landlady.

Meanwhile, back at a different pub two days earlier... Holly Ludlow did a dry, self-effacing, slightly neurotic routine with a surprise twist (it's a tattoo and where that tattoo is). Thoroughly enjoyed her set and the tattoo is real—she showed it to me after the show.

Tiff Stevenson we've followed for ages and she was a "bucket list" comedian for us. So pleased that she not only came to Wivenhoe (we would have travelled to see her, honest) but was as brilliant as we'd hoped. This was a work in progress ahead of the Fringe, but hopefully we will get to see the finished show next year when it is toured.

About the photo. I'm not usually keen on selfies. Mine is not a face that enhances photographs, so I actively avoid getting into them. But someone offered to take a photo and I took them up on it and it turned out not so bad. Good enough for me to put on Facebook and to repeat here.

I'm still managing to keep up a schedule of reading two books a month... or, rather, finishing two books a month. I'd promised myself that I would read more short stories this year, so I picked up a Brian Aldiss collection that included the Nebula Award-winning title story, The Saliva Tree & Other Strange Growths. All good, some psychological thrillers, some bizarre science fantasy. I haven't read Aldiss for years and I really need to re-read some of his novels. 

Reading Aldiss made me think of Harry Harrison and I finally read Make Room! Make Room! which was a brilliant evocation of an overpopulated New York revealed through the investigation of a murder and the approaching millennium. The city's 35 million citizens struggle for housing, welfare and sustenance. It wasn't quite that bad in 1999, but Harrison writes superbly of heat and despair of having water and food shortages, no work and no hope. My copy is a film tie-in, but the novel doesn't make much of Soylent Green. I'll also add that this was so much better than Bill the Galactic Hero and I think I'll stick to Harrison's more serious books in future.

From near future to far future. I had an urge to go back to something really pulpy, and I was tempted to re-read The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt. But that was the last book of his I'd re-read, so I dug a little deeper and pulled out The Weapon Shops of Isher, which is as crazy as I remember. The Weapon Shops help keep a check on the powerful rule of Isher, Empress in the year 4784. A vast new building contains an energy gun powerful enough to destroy the Weapon Shops.... but if the building can be moved in time, that will give the men behind the Weapon Shops a chance. Chris McAllister, a reporter, visits a mysterious shop that appears in his city in the 20th century, is transported into the future and then sent back into the past—this see-saw action building up enough energy to shift the new building further and further into the future.

It's wildly imaginative, vastly conceptual but also has Van Vogt's fascination with human psychology at its centre. I must get to the sequel soon. Incidentally, that rather battered copy is the same one I picked up second-hand in around 1975, so it has been fifty years since I read it. Looking through the cover gallery I put together (part 1, part 2) reminds me how much I loved his novels and short stories (many of which were fixed-up into novels) when I started reading SF in the 1970s. 

The other book I finished was almost finished a few years ago, but has since sat on a shelf with about 50 pages of stories left to read. I love Larry Niven and The Draco Tavern was his last full collection of new stories, dating back to 2006. (I'm pretty sure subsequent collections have been a mix of stories and extract from novels or collections gathering together previously collected stories with maybe one extra story.) The premise is simple: the tavern has been set up in Siberia for various species of visiting aliens. The stories are generally short (there's 27 of them in 316 pages), and some are slight, but for the most part enjoyable. You get to meet a wide range of visitors—and Niven is great at creating aliens—and I have been inspired to go find some more stories with lots of weird aliens, namely James White's Sector General series, the first of which I started the other day. I'm rather enjoying letting one book inspire what I'll read next, rather than having a formal "to be read" pile. That said, I bought three new books this past week, so I really ought to get some new books read amongst the re-reads.

Commando 5963-5966

This week's Commando set includes a high noon face-off between Commandos, SAS and a group of Nazi Cowboys, and over in Normandy, Hauptmann Lange is interrogating the captured, and surprisingly nonchalant, Private David Taylor. Issues 5963-5966 are on sale today, Thursday 4th June.

5963: Commandos Vs Cowboys

High noon in the town of San Cavino. Two gunslingers. One victor.
    Nazi Cowboys have formed the despicable SS George Washington Legion, terrorising Allies and civilians in Northern Italy. That’s where SAS Major Hugh Hulke comes in. He knows the area and can assist Captain Andrew Ashe and his elite Commando unit in taking down the turncoats. But is Hulke out for justice — or revenge?

Story: Rossa McPhillips
Internal Art: Marc Viure
Cover Art: Marco Bianchini

5964: Hero on Horseback

How do you attack a Nazi Panzer supply base guarded by huge Tiger tanks? Do you use bombs? Or rockets? Perhaps artillery? 
    Not if you’re Captain Brad Blake you don’t. You charge with your own roughneck, bareback cavalry!

Story: Spence
Internal Art: AC Kennedy
Cover Art: Penalva
First published 1972 as No.613

5965: What Are You Doing Here?

Although currently tied to a chair in a medieval church, Private David Taylor could climb like a monkey and talk the hind legs off a donkey. But, fuelled by coffee, cruelty and a desire to push back against the Normandy Invasion, Hauptmann Lange only wanted to know one thing from Taylor… What Are You Doing Here?

Story: Andrew Knighton
Internal Art: Vicente Alcazar
Cover Art: Marco Bianchini

5966: The Last Raiders

On foot, in a foreign land, with every police force and army unit on the alert for them, a small bunch of Italian sailors tried desperately to get over the border to the safety of Mexico. 
    What were they doing in the USA in the first place? Well, it started when they raided a big American harbour, thousands of miles from their home, in a midget submarine!

Story: Bill Fear
Internal Art: Blasco
Cover Art: Jeff Bevan
First published 1985 as No. 1882

Rebellion Releases — 3 June 2026

The Treasury of British Comics Annual returns in November for a collection of both new and classic stories hand-picked from the archive to guarantee some warmth this Winter! Featuring stories – including several never reprinted before until now – from across the decades, The Treasury of British Comics Annual 2027 will reprint an assortment of astounding comics from the pages of Action, Misty, 2000 AD, Tiger, Boy’s World, Buster, Monster Fun, Valiant, Hurricane, Whizzer & Chips and more!

A festive feast for fans of comics, the Annual also features four new strips commissioned exclusively for this collection, including:

    Helmet Head & Janus Stark by Stephen Brotherstone, David Lawrence and Laurent LeFeuvre
    Robot Archie Vs Vanessa From Venus by David Roach and Emily Roach
    Black Beth by Alec Worley and Aly Fell
    Death Wish by Rich Prinn and Shane Connery Volk

Celebrating the depth, diversity and dynamism of British Comics History, as we champion classic characters and breathe vibrant new life into their wild and wonderful adventures!

The Treasury of British Comics Annual will be released this November, available either as the standard edition featuring a cover from the Mighty Mike Perkins, or as a fiendish webshop-exclusive edition cover from the gory Godmachine!

Stay tuned as we’ll reveal the reprint stories later this year – but with comics from Jim Baikie, Don Lawrence, Tom Tully, Ian Kennedy and more you’re guaranteed a stocking stuffer this Winter!

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2485

JUDGE DREDD // THE OUBLIETTE by Ken Niemand (w) Jake Lynch (a) Emily Roach (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
BRINK // THE CALL OF THE VOID by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)
SILVER // MALIGNANT by Mike Carroll (w) Joe Currie (c) Simon Bowland (l)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HELIUM // RED OCTOBER by Ian Edginton (w) D'Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Peaches' Creatures – The Big Heist by Ned Hartley & Dan Boultwood
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786562-8, 4 June 2026, 144pp, £16.99. Available via Amazon.

It's the Creature Crime of the Century!
    Peaches Jones is a brilliant and unconventional young girl with an amazing power...she can talk to monsters! Always accompanied by her best friend, Jonny the Golem, Peaches is travelling the world recruiting a small team of strange beasts and beings so she can carry out a big heist. Hot on her heels are a team of government agents, led by Agent Daffodil, determined to keep Peaches from her prize.
    Written by Ned Hartley (Bananaman) and featuring the vibrant art of Dan Boultwood (It Came!), Peaches is an exciting and unique addition to the world of British comic book characters.