This is the third deluxe collector’s facsimile edition of Operation Saturn featured in the Eagle comic from February 1953 to May 1954.
Certainly, Dan Dare wasn’t the first comic-strip space hero: there were Buck Rogers (1929) and Flash Gordon (1934) among others...
It’s the year 2001. A number of Earth’s spaceships are being attacked by robotic remote-controlled projectiles – nicknamed ‘black cats’. Apparently, they originate from Saturn. [The ‘black cats’ reminded me of a similar invasion of a swarm of small metal ships in the movie Star Trek Beyond (2016)].
Dare, Digby and their pals take Dr Blasco on the special starship Valiant to investigate. It transpires that Blasco is in league with the high lords of Saturnia: they intend to invade Earth and Blasco will be a puppet ruler! Dan and Digby escape while the rest of the crew are captured by Blasco and his agents...
However, landing safely on the planet, Dan and Digby befriend one of the alien natives, Nikki, a short blue guy, who proves a valuable guide and introduction to Tharl, the leader of a planned rebellion. Indeed, the evil Vora who rules at present is in for a shock...
Yet again Dan encounters colourful creatures, some deadly, others serving as vehicles, and there are plenty of alien cities and buildings in glorious colour too.
We’re in pre-Star Trek territory where a teleporter is a tele-sender; the video is a teleblower; at one point Dan is tortured by the zesto-ray that ‘causes intense pain throughout the nerve centres without leaving marks (p97). Of course Dan does not reveal anything about the rebels; so Blasco and Vora decide to torture Professor Jocelyn Peabody instead...!
It’s action all the way. Perhaps still too wordy, but enjoyable all the same.
There
is also an 8-page adventure from the 1953 Eagle
Annual.
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