Comic Reviewer: Will Cooling
Title: Red Eye 6
Written by various
Edited by Baz Renshaw
Published by Accent UK
Well we meet once again, as I return from my haunt in The Nexus Files to the review section of The Nexus. And just like my last review, I’m reviewing the newest issue of Red Eye. Yes its issue five of Red Eye, and five issues in it just keeps getting better and better!
Regular readers of these reviews and Red Eye know the drill by now; Red Eye is one of the few if not the only comic magazine to offer a comprehensive coverage of comics both mainstream and indie, modern and historical. It does this in four distinct sections; news and previews, columns, interviews and reviews. Red Eye’s prime strength has always been its thorough and well-written articles. This issue is no different with Moose Harris dissecting the rise and fall of 2000AD’s sister title Starlord. He explains in detail how Kevin Gosnell’s original plan for Starlord was watered down by editorial conservatism and how the strain on producing two science-fiction titles placed on 2000AD’s editorial and creative team. Just as good, is the ever-excellent Walther Dragonbuckle’s look at the 2000AD work of Alan Moore. Unlike other British writers, Moore’s 2000AD work is less well known than his work for other British publishers such as Warrior and Marvel UK. This is a mistake as his work on such series as DR & Qunich and The Ballad of Halo Jones is amongst Moore’s best work and displays a lightness of touch that he wouldn’t recover until he started the ABC line in the late nineties. Dragonbuckle expertly describes Moore’s 2000AD career and uses a wide range of sources to cast new light on Moore, and his peer’s perception of him. In addition to these excellent articles is a number of op-ed columns including the Tim Webber’s new RAW column and Chris Atkins’ regular Panelogy column.
Another traditional strength of Red Eye, is the in-depth and informative interviews Red Eye is doing with a wide range of comic creators. This issue has excellent interviews with such creators as Brodie’s Law’s Daley Osiyemi and David Bircham, 2000AD’s editor Matt Smith and the second part of the interview with Ian Edginton and D’Israeli. All these interviews treat the interviewees with respect whether they work for American publishers or are self-published creators, and they concentrate on illuminating the work of the author for the reader, not stirring up cheap controversy. Above all they are all great reads with the interviewers showing a great knowledge and love for the interviewee’s body of work.
However, where this issue of Red Eye really excels relative to previous issues is the news coverage and the reviews. The news coverage contains excellent looks at the ‘comicsnationuk’ series of events up and down the country organised by Barry Renshaw and other British Indie creators and appraisals of the recent Brighton and San Diego comics festival. The quality of the reviews is even better with in-depth reviews of the new Dan Dare TPB, new Rebellion TPBs and the excellent Doomlord: The Deathlords of Nox TPB alongside a wide selection of British and American indie titles. All the reviews are written to the highest standard, with writers such as Barry Renshaw, Ben Dickson and Leon Hewitt benefiting from the extra space being given.
Red Eye is a joy to read not only because it is and always has been a greater read, but because it is improving with ever issue. Ever issue addresses the (minor) flaws of the previous issue whilst building on its (major) successes. With extra coverage of mainstream comics in Britain and America, with more and longer reviews and excellent op-ed columns it has surpassed the quality of previous issues to the extent that all your humble reviewer can say is…
…when’s issue six out?
Grade: A
