I have said recently "by their very nature anthologies are tricky beasts to review because they are usually designed to present a variety of different stories and art styles. Generally speaking whilst most anthology titles follow a singular overall theme or tone they often suffer because they are usually a mixed bag that can never satisfy all of the the people all of the time."
Wow! Those words have come back to haunt me.
On paper (wonderful newsprint paper as it turns out) reviewing the first three issues of Falcon should present a huge challenge, but strangely it doesn't.
The reason is simple. They evoke a very fond feeling. ...Many years ago I enjoyed what I thought may have been a unique experience that I now suspect a great deal of comic fans might empathise with. As a youngster I recall my father on occasion purchased a Sunday newspaper. He was keen to read various articles, perhaps attempt a crossword or in later life sudoku, but there was always a comic strip supplement. I would be handed those few pages to devour.
To me Falcon harks back to those childhood memories of a weekend Judge Dredd strip, perhaps Spiderman, Peanuts or even Calvin and Hobbs. These are most probably rose tinted recollections but they make my heart sing. The same can be said of falcon. I'll explain the genius here:
It is possible Falcon could have been a crushing disappoint. It simply isn't.
The secret ingredient is the format. It is arguable a few or most of the one page stories in Falcon would not work in a standard US format American comic or even within the pages of 2000AD or the likes of Deadline. The genius is the format. As a tabloid style comic Falcon is instantly nostalgic, and simply heart warming.
Falcon is likely best enjoyed in a garden hammock on a sunny Sunday afternoon with a gin and tonic and a classic 70's album such as Dark Side of the Moon or Tubular Bells playing in the background.
Inevitably after accepting this, the question is simple...
Will you actually enjoy reading Falcon with your gin and tonic? Is it any good?
The answer is, Yes, yes it is very good, if you make certain allowances and appreciate what you hold between your hands.
Falcon does not follow a singular overall theme or tone, quite the opposite. It bounces left right and centre and all over the place.
There are cute short cat stories to enjoy almost next to text stories about 1900th centuries whaling adventures. Tammy's Troubles tells the story of a young female footballer just pages away from a story called Attack on a Space Train. Which is a fantastic Roger Corman style title if I have ever heard one !!
This is a smorgasbord of ideas and styles. Stop Thief, Hoody and On My Command Unleash Hell are just great titles. Shooter is a grim but simple fun bolt out of the blue, and BLOT is almost so existentially strange that I wanted to read it five times to understand and appreciate it. Unless the Falcon team receives a cease and desist letter from the estate of the late Sean Connery I cannot conjure up a reason why Falcon should not continue to be a success.
I have carefully avoided naming any particular writers or artists because their are so many. Every single story is deserving of praise. It would be inappropriate to single out any one creator to the detriment of others. Every story will appeal to a different person, that is the beauty here.
Having said that I believe Alan Holloway and Ed Doyle deserve the lion's share of the plaudits for making the publication a reality.
Also Falcon boasts a cover price of £6. Give or take a few pennies a British Sunday newspaper costs almost the same these days, and Falcon is far more uplifting. I think I'd pick reading Falcon over The Sunday Times ! The only difference is there is not a chance in hell I would put my copy of Falcon in my recycling box.
Falcon may not appeal to every comic fan on earth, and I suspect it is not designed to anyway. Some fans simply adore The X-Men or Batman or even 2000AD and that is their comfort zone. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. All comics should be celebrated.
BUT, this is the crucial bit...
Everyone always hopes a review will end on a score. This time it is impossible. Falcon is truly such a mixed bag of goodies. I love most of them, and some maybe not so much, but they are all created with undeniable skill and passion. Anyone reading Falcon might have diametrically opposed tastes, but still derive just as much enjoyment as I have.
Drilling down to the core, there will be something everyone will thoroughly adore here, there will be a story that will make you smile like a lunatic. Like all good things in life the hunt, the adventure, dare I say it The journey is worth your time.
Below I have shared a handful of pages that caught my eye. There were many others but if I share them all there is no point you making the effort to buy it, which for the record you should.
Here is an email to order copies and show your interest: falcontabloid@hotmail.com
Here are my final thoughts...
Falcon is likely to appeal to the connoisseurs amongst us. Fans with excellent taste. The type of reader that will look at comics a little like a tasty looking Tapas menu and be willing to try a little bit of everything. There is a chance not every mouthful will be absolutely perfectly satisfying, but taken as a whole Falcon represents a solid five course meal... or at the very least an extremely satisfying Sunday lunch with an ice cold drink of your choosing in a hammock on a summer's day.
