Eagle era Dan Dare - Are they worth reading?

[Hawkmumbler]

So now the 2000AD era Dan Dare comics are getting a reprint, and are deffinetly being bought by myself, however besides this yhe inly DD comics I own, are the Garth Ennis (admittedly superb run) on the series. So, now that I know the Titan run of collections from the original Eagle might be getting a reprint, is it worth me taking the plunge on the greater body of work on the character?

[JamesC]

The simple answer is yes they are. Having said that, you need to take into account their age and the ethos of the publication. They're not exactly fast paced action stories.
In (I think) the very first story, set on Venus, there's a super fast transport system which is basically a magnetic train running through a vacuum sealed tunnel. This was obviously an opportunity to educate 1950s school boys on new technology so it has cut always and a whole lot of 'how it works' stuff. I think it's pretty cool and interesting but It certainly slows down the action.

[Colin YNWA]

What we really want (and when I say we I of course mean me) is the New Eagle era stuff reprinted with all that lovely Ian Kennedy artwork.

[Richard]

Most of the 2000AD Dan Dare stories were in fact dull and terrible. But they are a great showcase of Massimo Bellardinelli's art, so if that interests you then get it for the art. But the standard of writing was entirely out of place in that comic. The only half-way good story was Mutiny, which won't be in the first volume.

[Daveycandlish]

Absolutely worth a read. Read the stories Prisoners in Space, Man from Nowhere and Reign of the Robots. All great stories and beautifully rendered by Hampson and his team.

[ZenArcade]

I have a strong feeling Eagle era DD may feature as a collection project for me after completing Battle. The art is divine. Z

[IndigoPrime]

So, now that I know the Titan run of collections from the original Eagle might be getting a reprint

Really? Where did you hear that? Good news, if so. Those early hardbacks are impossible to find now.

[Mardroid]

I picked up one of the Eagle Dan Dare hardbacks at Bromley library. I'm not sure if its still there...

[Tjm86]

So, now that I know the Titan run of collections from the original Eagle might be getting a reprint

Really? Where did you hear that? Good news, if so. Those early hardbacks are impossible to find now.

I looked at those when they first came out, humming and hawing over whether to switch from the Hawk Book versions.  Nice as they were, Hawk did a better version for my money.  Closer in size to the original, sturdier than the Dragon's Dream ones, good job on the reprint.  They seem to come and go in fashion.  Sometimes it can cost the best part of £100 per volume, other times you can pick them up for £40.  Curiously Safari in Space seems the most expensive, considering it is one of the weaker stories (personal view mind).  At the moment they seem to be at the lower end.  Troutmark in Cardiff had a full set in recently at this end of the price range.

Each version of DD seems radically different to the previous one with all the sensibilities of the age.  The eighties Eagle version went through several incarnations during the course of its run, some of which could do with a miss.  The run around the 300's in which Dare was a kind of space cop bears more than a passing similarity to the last storyline to grace tooth's pages although without Gibbons' art to hold it up.

[IndigoPrime]

Maybe it's time for some omnibus paperback editions, thereby providing more people access to these stories without diminishing the investment of those who purchased the hardbacks.

[maryanddavid]

Where did you hear that are reprinting the Titan run Hawk?

I am with Tim on this though, the Hawke collections are the very best, near the original size. The Man from nowhere for me is a must read comic.
The Dragons dream editions, binding issues aside, can be bought cheap and that have great reproduction and new framing art by Hampson. It collects the three essential Dare stories, Man from Nowhere, Rogue Planet and Reign of the Robots in three book. If you are thinking of dipping your toes in they are the ones I'd go for to begin. Plenty on ebay at varying prices, this looks reasonable(nothing to do with me either!)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAN-DARE-BOOKS-X-3-/151670395431?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2350429227

[Tjm86]

I'd go with MaryAndDavid.  The other stories are worth reading from a completist point of view but Rogue Planet, Man from Nowhere and Reign of the Robots are definitely the highlight of the 50's era.  The Return of the Mekon story from 80's eagle was far and away the strongest, especially with Kennedy's amazing art.  The NBC suited figures on on of the 83 issue's cover is a highlight but then I'd say that all of his work on this story is perhaps some of his best.  Rebellion style omnibus editions would certainly be a nice way to go but it would be fantastic to see a nice hardback of that first storyline.

[Hawkmumbler]

Seem's I mislead people a little, I heard rumblings about reprints from various sources about reprints and in a drunken stooper took them for gospel. I apologise for any conffusion, that being said I think we'd all like it.

And thank you for the reccomedations, I will deffinetly hunt down a copy of The Man from Nowhere.

[Professor Bear]

I missed a great deal of New Eagle first time around, but a recent reading binge reveals that apart from Return of the Mekon, most of the Dan Dare stories were quite dreadful - the first story after Mills and Wagner's scene-setting efforts was about Dan being abducted by the peaceful "Timids" to their home planet of Bell Endor, and as fantastic as this may be, it's still downhill from this point onward.  I remembered being freaked out by some story about flesh-eating jellies, but reading all of it as an adult was a terrible idea.

Cruz' fully-painted artwork is still awesome, though, and Oli Frey is a pleasant revelation.  A reprint book would certainly look fantastic.

[Dark Jimbo]

...home planet of Bell Endor...

Really?!