Editor/ Publisher: Ian Wheeler
Average Rating: 
Luke Handley:
Kelvin Green: 
Steven G. Saunders: 
Luke Handley: I don’t buy fanzines. Not that I have anything against them, it’s just something I don’t do, and I don’t know much about them except that which the name itself gives away: a magazine written by fans for fans. I guess I’ve always thought the money I’d spend getting a mag that told me about comics could be better spent buying actual comics; I’ve never bought a copy of Comics International and have only ever picked up one issue of Wizard, and that was 5 years ago. So, unfortunately, I don’t have anything to compare this to. But I liked Eagle Flies Again #14 far more than I thought I would. Heck, it was a fun read. This issue contains a lot of stuff for the comics enthusiast especially if you’re a British comics enthusiast like yours truly. Unfortunately, this issue, October’s, was the last to see print.
Things kick off here with a “Top Ten” British boys’ comics characters, with some creators also chiming in with their personal faves, including background and publication history. Number one is no surprise for anyone who knows anything about comics in this country, but the rest of the list is less well known. Alongside the ever popular Dennis the Menace and Doctor Who we have the space-faring Dan Dare, Charley from Charley’s War and Roy of the Rovers. I must confess: I’m a Brit yet have never heard of most of these. The daily and weekly strip has always been hugely important and successful in Britain, and that’s where most of these guys came to fame, but it’s not something I’m into. However, I loved this article for the history lesson value alone. I now feel far less ignorant of British comics culture.
An interview with Judge Dredd scribe extraordinaire John Wagner follows in which he discusses the character, his longevity (I didn’t know he’d been around since 1977!) and his current “Origins” arc in 2000AD. It nearly had me rushing out to grab a copy but was a little sparse on the details and actual promotion of the story itself. This, in turn, is followed by a best of Girls in boys’ comics, which is less detailed than the article devoted to their male counterparts but still grabs the attention in more ways than one (especially Durham Red), and a study of the rise and fall of the horror comic Scream!, a title that was crippled by editorial mandates and the demise of comics’ popularity in Britain. There’s a commentary of an old Future Shocks strip published in 2000AD in 1981 entitled “Air Base Hell” in which the Devil plays the part of a bomber pilot collecting the souls of dead pilots. Not bad but nothing special. Jeremy Briggs, one of the mag’s writers tells us about the cover that first drew him into the world of comics, a particularly striking painted cover by Ian Kennedy for an issue of Warlord in 1976. The last article here is also presented as the big exclusive of the magazine: an unpublished plot by Alan Grant and John Wagner for the photographic Joe Soap strip that ran in the New Eagle comic in 1982. Well, I guess it holds some interest for people who followed the strip, but I’ve never heard of the guy, and so this does little for me.
The issue wraps with “Mail it to the Mekon ” (which I think is an alien out of the Dan Dare comics) with letters from readers and comics writers alike bemoaning the untimely passage of one of their favourite magazines that helped promote classic and current British comics. There is also a lengthy list of links to all manner of websites devoted to British comics (too many to have checked them all yet but I intend to!) and a final farewell from former Eagle editor, Barrie Tomlinson. The whole thing closes with a couple of pages of comic strip.
I enjoyed reading nearly all of this, but ultimately if I had to ask myself “Would I buy the next issue had it not been cancelled?,” and the answer would be “no.” As I mentioned above, I think I’d rather buy a couple more comics instead. In this day and age, there are so many fansites and newsites devoted to comics that all news and information tends to be just the click of a mouse away. How much chance did a fanzine priced at £3.50 ($6.75) have? Another thing that in my opinion holds (held) this back is the focus on old comics and playing up the nostalgia feeling older readers might get reading these articles, and maybe this isn’t the best way to bring in the modern readership. But this isn’t meant to be a snub to the guys who put out this issue. The focus on British comics makes it stand out and contains stuff I’d never heard of. It was a satisfying read, and I got just as much entertainment out of it as I would out of so many pages of actual comics (and I get to feel less ignorant!), which is all one can ask for really. Also, on the back of reading this I went online to check out the most recent issues of 2000AD and read the great reviews Steven Saunders has been giving them on this very site that I wasn’t checking out. I think I might have to nip via the comics shop on the way home...
Kelvin Green Ostensibly a fanzine devoted to Eagle, the original home of scifi icon Dan Dare, Flies Again actually has a wider focus, this issue covering the likes of 80s horror title Scream, 2000AD and Judge Dredd. There’s a good variety of articles and opinions on show here, although the emphasis is on nostalgia rather than news, and to be perfectly honest, that doesn’t interest me nearly as much as knowing what’s new and interesting in the world of British comics. Production values are high, and the articles here are well written and evocative, but they just don’t grab my attention in the way that the pieces in something like Redeye do. Perhaps it’s because I grew up with Transformers and Spider-Man rather than Scream and Eagle, or perhaps I’m just not turned on by nostalgia, but this undeniably well-produced title just does nothing for me. If you’re of the target audience though, you might find your nostalgic cockles well-warmed here.
Steven G. Saunders: It’s really too bad that this is the last issue of Eagle Flies Again because I really like it! A fanzine focused on British comics, it’s obvious right away that the contributors dearly love the medium about which they write. I’m a bit miffed myself that I just discovered this labour of love, but that shouldn’t be too surprising what with me being a Yank and all. These kinds of magazines just aren’t very common at all this side of the pond. Jam packed with goodies concerning all things British in comic-bookdom, Eagle Flies Again is one of those things that are very handy indeed to both fan and neophyte alike to the UK comics’ side of things.
This final issue is a good one…, or at least I assume as much, since I haven’t seen the previous 13 issues. I think that fans of British comics both in the UK and abroad can find something in this issue that will appeal to them. Eagle Flies Again tries to cover as much of the Brit-comics spectrum as possible, from early strips to current 2000AD material. Some of the stuff covered was known to me, and some wasn’t; and it’s always nice to learn something new. Highlights featured in #14 include a great interview with John Wagner (I loved reading this), a top 10 list of best British comics characters (with Judge Dredd and Dan Dare rounding out the top two, of course), profiles of some top British comics heroines, a Dan Barton strip, a great bit on the memorable Future Shocks story (from 2000AD) called “Airbase Hell,” a nice section with links to all things British comics, and a couple of nice pinups (of Halo Jones and Torquemada from Nemesis the Warlock). Then there are the obligatory sections that you’d find in any magazine such as a letters section, news and a couple of nicely written editorials. Really, there’s enough in this issue for any fan of British comics to salivate over.
On the technical side of things, this magazine is certainly of the “fanzine variety.” It’s still exceptionally done for what it is, I feel, and it is most definitely driven by pure passion. I like passion, so big points awarded to Eagle there. The writing could be better in parts, but the overall tone is laid back and conversational with a great touch of humour added into the mix. So, to me, that’s another bonus. I like to read things written by people who are having fun, and this zine clearly shows the contributors are enjoying themselves. As for the art and design, it’s nothing that exciting. Stock art is used extensively and the layout is simple, but easy on the eyes. I don’t really care about a magazine’s layout, or if it’s in colour or black & white (like Eagle), as long as it reads well and the content is good. While the format and design of Eagle Flies Again is nothing to write to mum about, it doesn’t detract from the meaty goodness it has to offer. As a matter of fact, now that I think on it some more, the layout of this magazine is just right and even brilliant in some parts. Also, the fonts used are very readable and everything is situated just right with little to no complications involved. Anyone can pick it up and have a good go at it.
Like I stated before, it’s too bad that this periodical is no more, as I really enjoyed reading it. I even learned a lot, since I don’t know my older British comics all that well. The links section is outstanding and is a blessed resource for anyone wanting to find out more about the UK end of the industry. If you like the kind of comics featured in Eagle Flies Again, then you would do yourself a favour to at least read this issue, and then look up some back issues like I plan to do. Don’t expect perfection, but do expect to be treated right.
I should note that the spirit of Eagle Flies Again lives (at least that’s how I interpreted it) on over at the Down the Tubes website. I checked it out, and I have to recommend Down the Tubes as a great site to find more information on UK comics.
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