Thunderbirds Volume Three (graphic novel review).
Last year, Egmont released a large volume containing ‘Thunderbirds’ stories http://sfcrowsnest.org.uk/thunderbirds-the-comic-collection-graphic-novel-review/. This year, they have split these eighteen stories over five softcover volumes, with ‘Thunderbirds Volume Three’ being the third of five. All the art is by Frank Bellamy and mostly written by Alan Fennell. If you want to keep the big hardback for yourself, this edition is one you can leave to your sprogs.
‘The Eiffel Tower Demolition’ (originally released 24 August 2068-14 September 2068) is basically about getting rid of a rusting relic from the past in Paris, except the demolition team go on strike because of the number of accidents that happen and think the project is jinxed. With concerns about the danger to life should the Tower fall, the authorities convince International Rescue to help. Even they fail and although its understated, people do actually die. However, they do discover the cause of the jinx and everything is golden after that.
‘The Nuclear Threat’ (originally released 21 September 2068-19 October 2068) has some similarities to our own reality when to cut back on the number of nuclear weapons each country has, a percentage of them are brought together and detonated in the Pacific Ocean. Would that be called gesture politics? Considering what we know now, looking back I can’t help thinking that was kind of stupid although Thunderbird One does go in and check the radiation levels. A more pressing concern for International Rescue is another freighter containing more nukes has gone off course and they have to stop it.
‘Hawaiian Lobster Menace’ (originally released 26 October 2068-30 November 2068) is the discovery of a new bomb. Inject a lobster with explosives, add water and boom! With people at risk, International Rescue has to stop the bad guys.
Finally, ‘The Time Machine’ (originally released 07 December 2068-11 January 2069). Essentially, the rescue of the future by time machine by taking a dismantled Thunderbird Four into the future, re-build it and use it to repair the Niagara Dam before it ruptures after an ecoterrorist detonates a bomb on it. The logic of this story is so wrong and even me re-reading it again after so many months, I can still come up with better solutions. Every series is entitled to having a seriously bad story and this is ‘Thunderbirds’ one.
GF Willmetts
October 2014
(pub: Egmont. 50 page softcover graphic novel. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-4052-7262-9)
check out website: www.egmont.co.uk
