Classic Dan Dare: The Phantom Fleet [Hardcover]

Frank Hampson (Author), Desmond Walduck (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Dan Dare | Publication Date: June 9, 2009

It’s chocks away once again as Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, returns! First published in classic British comic Eagle, this is perhaps the most seminal adventure of one of Britain’s best-loved characters, presented in a gorgeous library edition.

When transmissions are disrupted throughout the Solar System and spaceships — including one carrying Sir Hubert — disappear, Dan and Co set out to discover what’s going on. They find a fleet of huge alien craft containing peaceful aquatic creatures called Cosmobes, who are fleeing from another aquatic race, the warlike Pescods.

But the Pescods have a deadly weapon, the "Crimson Death"... and they’re heading for Earth! Will Dan and his crew be able to once again save the day?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"* "Frank Hampson's Dan Dare is the most thrilling and accomplished work ever published in the comics form in Britain." - Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials "Frank Hampson is one of the unsung geniuses of the Twentieth Century." - Terry Jones (Monty Python)"

About the Author

Frank Hampson is perhaps best known as the creator and original artist for Dan Dare, but he also illustrated a number of children’s books for Ladybird. Dan Dare was first published in the British comic, The Eagle, in April 1950 and was last published as an ongoing series in 1996 — although Dan had undergone more than a few changes by then.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 104 pages
• Publisher: Titan Books (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184856127X
• ISBN-13: 978-1848561274
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.6 x 12 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,284,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dan Dare, sf from the sixties, October 30, 2007

By 

Ja De Bruijn "Hans de Bruijn" (Prinsenbeek, Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Classic Dan Dare: Prisoners of Space (Hardcover)

When i was 9 years old i first read the adventures of dan dare in eagle. It gave me a feeling that i was really going into space and was not bound to earth. That feeling returned by reading this comic book. Now i'm much older, but i'm still taken by the story, the colourful drawings and the sentiment of space travelling.
Much fun.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Vintage Classic With Only A Few Marks Of Age, July 11, 2007

By 

Stuart Bridgett (Brooklyn, New York United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Classic Dan Dare: Prisoners of Space (Hardcover)

I was introduced to Dan Dare through my father's collection of Eagle Annuals from the late 50s and early 60s, and this collection represents a great series from the original comic.

The art and colour is way ahead of its time - some friends at DC Comics still express admiration for the painstaking production process and sustained quality of these strips from the early 50s.

Unfortunately some of the episodes (the original strip consisted of two full-colour pages a week) seem to have been reproduced by scanning archived editions of Eagle. I say this because some episodes have the slight geometrical mismatch of colour printing and line printing that flags the classic comicbook misprint.

If you're new to Dan Dare I would pace your reading - the two-page episodes frequently have cliffhangers at the end, and the repeated climaxes makes for the loss of some of their effect.

Overall, it's a pleasure to own this slice of comics history, and in the great hardback format, it's well worth the price.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Childhood never ends, June 1, 2007

By 

P. Pearce "DanDare" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Classic Dan Dare: Prisoners of Space (Hardcover)

1950's and in a galaxy far, far away,Australia actually ,I eagerly await the next edition of Eagle from the UK. Will Dan escape the clutches of the evil Mekon? Of course he will, every time as he has Digby at his side. Now over 50 years later I can relive the artistry and thrill of Hampson and others at one go thanks to this marvelous publication. Age has not dampened the thrill or the fun. But a secret, I don't devour it all at once, like a good wine I sip it slowly.
For all oldies and for kids this is 5 out of 5. The detail is superb and the stories very readable even now, albeit a tad quaint at times.
And doesn't the Mekon remind you of Davros of Dr Who?