I've had this book for quite a while and wasn't very impressed when I first read it. I revisited it last night, as I was in the mood for something different, and mid-70s Charlton is always a little different. I liked it much more the second time around. The main weakness is that Nicola Cuti crammed so much into a single issue - the whole lunar explosion is covered in a handful of pages and that kind of underplays the drama of the 311 survivors on Moonbase Alpha. There's a ton of heavy dialogue that takes a while to process. We quickly move to the search for a new world and the first candidate is an odd one, populate by Neanderthalish humanoids and Cthulu-inspired slug masters. It ends on a strange pseudo-cliffhanger that seems to lack drama - as I got the feelings the slugs were trying to trap the Earthlings - but I guess they were just playing host. Don't get me wrong - it's actually a very entertaining read as Joe Staton's lively layouts keep things hopping along. His character and creature designs are also strong - giving the strip a lot more life than existed on the TV screen. Thursday, June 11, 2009
Charlton Notebook: Space: 1999 #1
I've had this book for quite a while and wasn't very impressed when I first read it. I revisited it last night, as I was in the mood for something different, and mid-70s Charlton is always a little different. I liked it much more the second time around. The main weakness is that Nicola Cuti crammed so much into a single issue - the whole lunar explosion is covered in a handful of pages and that kind of underplays the drama of the 311 survivors on Moonbase Alpha. There's a ton of heavy dialogue that takes a while to process. We quickly move to the search for a new world and the first candidate is an odd one, populate by Neanderthalish humanoids and Cthulu-inspired slug masters. It ends on a strange pseudo-cliffhanger that seems to lack drama - as I got the feelings the slugs were trying to trap the Earthlings - but I guess they were just playing host. Don't get me wrong - it's actually a very entertaining read as Joe Staton's lively layouts keep things hopping along. His character and creature designs are also strong - giving the strip a lot more life than existed on the TV screen. 
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4 comments:
Just bought this (and number two) recently - wondered when you'd get round to reviewing it! I loved Space 1999 (TV) as a kid.Any idea how long the run (comics) was??
As ever - fantastic site!
Thanks Blair!
The comic lasted 7 issues - John Byrne and Pat Boyette came aboard on later issues. I really want a copy of #6 with the cover with the helmet floating away.
Joe Staton’s Charlton work is underrated. I’m quite fond of his early stuff (for example, his art on DC’s Showcase #100 was excellent), but felt he went off in a too-cartoony direction in later years.
There was also a b/w magazine series featuring both painted cover and wash interior art by Gray Morrow.
(The cover art was also used for licensing by ITC!)
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