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Dan Dare: Pilot Of The Future: Operation Saturn Part 1 by Frank Hampton
01/08/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Titan Books. 95 page hardback graphic novel. Price: £14.99 (UK), $19.95 (US). ISBN: 1-84023-889-7. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out websites: www.titanbooks.com
Well, chums, although the date isn't given with this story, I expect it to be about 7 years ago or rather in the late 1990s as depicted by creator Frank Hampton and his pals back in 1953. The period was seen as a time of innovation for the British Isles, with us leading the way for interplanetary travel. The Americans never even really entered this particular space race, even if Hank is the token Texan, so rejoice to the adventures of Dan Dare and his team.
This time they are going to have a spaceship equipped with a highly dangerous new fuel, monatomic hydrogen, that can be activated by radio beam from inert that will allow a trip to Saturn in a far shorter time than would be believed possible. Of course, the real problem is sorting out the radio frequencies and energy required so the spacecraft doesn't explode. Colonel Dan Dare and his batman, Digby, end up being the chief test pilots. In the background, Doctor Blasco, the inventor of this fuel is also working to his own agenda as he and his pals are to be on the passenger list to Saturn. All highly scientific, chums, as there have been mysterious small spacecraft, nicknamed Black Cats, been sighted around the Earth all hailing from Saturn's moons.
Finally, they are all on their way. Dan and Digby nearly don't make the trip after another crash and injuries but chase after it in a smaller prototype as they feel they are more experienced than his team-mates with this fuel. Professor Peabody discovers that Blasco is up to no good and is held by him as he turns the tables on Dan and his crew. Locked in the hold and realising that Blasco is going to sell out the Earth and have a mass genocide, Dan and Digby take the smaller craft and fly on ahead to see just what kind of enemy they have on Saturn's moons.
They land on Phoebe, discovering that they are actually floating on its atmosphere. When they swim below it, they find it breathable. The moon isn't the most hospitable place but discovering that not all the aliens discovered here are allies of Blasco. They find their desire to warn Earth to be thwarted and the duo take it upon themselves to escape to Titan, using these aliens' own spaceship where there is a radio transmitter that has a powerful enough beam. Along the way, they encounter Sondar, the only surviving Venusian from a crash, after a similar expedition to find the origins of the Black Cat spacecraft.
Unfortunately, they run into an enemy fleet and with the Phoebe aliens pursuing have to dodge an interspace war. After the course of which, Tharl, the leader of the Phoebe aliens, arrives by telesender - another name for a matter teleporter - and challenges Dan to a fencing duel which he looses. It seems all of this has been a test to see whose side Dan was actually on and how much mettle he had. The Phoebe aliens were suspicious because of Blasco's actions and also for Digby to be wearing the traitor's clothes. Not Digby's fault really, chums. He'd have been in his underwear otherwise. Don't get excited, ladies, Digby will only blush. Things are hotting up...but that will have to wait for the second volume.
In the meantime, there is also a second Dan Dare story included called 'Double-Headed Eagle' which isn't included in the bibliography at the back nor any information at the front so presumably from the Eagle Annuals, along with another part of the Frank Hampson interview, of where it fits into the chronology. This is a small tale of an interplanetary Olympic games between Earth and the Venusians, where Dan's nephew Alastair, is involved in carrying the torch to start the games. There is also a conspiracy by some evil Venusians to blow up the stadium. This is thwarted when an absence of something round and circular owned by Digby points the way to the bomb.
Things are certainly pretty rum in Dan Dare's reality, aren't they, chums. His exploits are illustrated by Frank Hampton and his team bring these characters to life. Being brought up in the 60s where British comics are only a few pages of story a week, the Dan Dare stories were long ever by their standards. The first part depicted in this book started in February and was still going strong in October. This was helped by the fact that there were several mini-adventures within the main story as various element were brought together. Combined into a book format here, this ends up being truly a graphic novel, especially as there's little in the way of recaps.
If you've been following the other Dan Dare books in this series, you'll be picking this one up anyway. There is enough information explained in this one for you to pick up past threads as well if you want to use this one and the succeeding volume as your starting off point as well.
Frank Hampson had a meticulous way of going about doing his work and Dan Dare is one of the British icons that any SF fan should have more than a passing acquaintance with in their collections. If you're collecting, then don't forget this volume.
GF Willmetts
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