The six-week holiday period has begun -although I can't quite process it. It became quite a struggle for kids to endure the classroom during a very hot and torpid final week of June. I took my senior UPS down to the Lossie for some role-play practice interviews, which they carried out, to my mild surprise. My Higher class came out to the amphitheatre the next day, ostensibly to throw around some Shakespearian insults but they're still quite shy and skittish and would much prefer to just sit down and look at a device.
I spent my 55th birthday on Saturday in Aberdeen, buying some comics, graphic novels and the dvd of Netflix's Iron Fist. I've rationed them out, as my dad taught me- no bingeing here. I was disappointed by the downbeat, encounter group plot that concluded the ongoing Astro City series. I think I'll probably read the collected Bendis Man of Steel but the first issue didn't grab me, really. I was more interested in the wordy new iteration of the Justice League; however, it's dismaying that there's no place for more contemporary, diverse characters like Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, the Ryan Choi Atom, Vixen and the Ray. AND I will never tire of stating that Cyborg fits the League like Mr. Fantastic did the Avengers 30 years ago.
The most entertaining read so far, to my surprise, was the Black Lightning /Hong Kong Phooey team-up. A gritty and affectionate parody of Marvel's grindcore titles like Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, there's also a back up strip: a gun control satire starring the Funky Phantom!
On the subject of comic books, the weekend before last saw the first ever El-Con at the Town Hall in Elgin. It sold out quickly but since it was organised by cosplayers, I have to say it was aimed squarely at them. It wasn't exactly Value For Money although it was laid-back and charming.
There were precisely two stalls selling comics but at least it wasn't dominated by hippie crafters, like Clydebank and Lenzie, last year. "Someone actually buying real comics!" carolled one stall holder as I handed over a couple of quid for an issue of Adventure Comics, with some stunning Toth Black Canary pages.
The cosplayers, to give them their due, are enthusiastic, diligent and creative and are also willing to be snapped.
This person got their coat on ebay, apparently. If I owned one, I think I'd have to wear it every day.
This ties nicely into the Big Finish plays from ebay which have soundtracked my walk to school during June.
Absolute Power is written (and directed) by Gerry Anderson's son, Jamie, who has now directed about a dozen DW adventures. It's a Sixth Doctor adventure with Mrs. Constance Clarke from December 2016. Constance has a flirtation on a planet where a tycoon has unleashed an alien invader;
this electrical life-form feeds off human hosts. It's a vaguely Lovecraftian sci-fi tale, a bit sophomoric and reminded me greatly of the Virgin New Adventures of the Nineties. I enjoy hearing Constance, who's a fine replacement for Evelyn Smythe but this is a bland effort. 2/5 Talmars
Set on the hierarchical planet Formicia, Chris Chapman's The Middle ( released last November) initially seems to be about a euthanasia program, then it presents mechas piloted by the elderly in a fake war ( fake wars being a Who trope for about forty years now) Then, it becomes a satire on management consultants. It ends very abruptly but I'm enjoying the relationship between Mrs. Clarke and Mrs. Ramon. I'm irritated by the way Colin says "planUT" however and the theme sounds slightly more "tinselly". 3/5 Talmars.
The Wreck of the World is a Second Doctor adventure, performed by Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines as Zoe and Jamie.
It's set on a colony ship -turned -mausoleum. A team of exotic alien treasure hunters fight off skeletal zombies, under the influence of a malevolent entity known as the Corvus, which feeds on decay. There's a lot of "What the-" dialogue and silent pauses. There's also a cute robot which cries out in an unsettling screeching. The play's a little spooky but, again, is more like a Virgin Missing Adventure from the 90s than a Season Six serial from 1969. 3/5 Talmars.
The best disc this month has been the dual-story Seventh Doctor disc, Shadow Planet/World Apart. The first story sees Jungian therapy gone wrong as the Tardis team encounter their "shadow-selves" on the retreat planet Unity. The second story is a grim tale of survival on the dimension-hopping planet Nirvana, recounted through a recording device ( like the scary Jo Grant adventure Ghost in the Machine).
Sophie Aldred's Ace is irritatingly child-like in Shadow Planet but it's nice to hear timid-but-brave Hex again ("'Ere yer are, 'ere, luk!"). Philip Olivier's character is, of course, exposed to horrible, traumatic experiences in World Apart. There seems to be an implication that the Seventh Doctor's shadow-self is on the loose in the final moments. I wonder if it will be resolved? 7/10 Talmars
Later this week, I'm going down to Glasgow to clear out my substantial collection of comics, books and CDs from Cumbernauld Road but I'm planning posts on Barsoom and Killraven. I might go down to Sandhead and Port Logan to recover first, though.
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