DEREK THE TROLL - reviewed!

The latest title from British humour comic dervish, Lew Stringer, is his collection of 'Derek the Troll'! It isn't, as you might be tempted to think from the title, a Viz strip of his about a loser who spends all his time typing away venom on his bedroom computer attacking people on the internet. The Derek of the title is a more literal troll who appeared in Games Workshop's magazines back in the eighties. This comic collects every episode of the sword and sorcery spoof from Warlock Magazine and White Dwarf. It illustrates what's so great about Lew's work… Not only are his plots very clever with great twists and jokes at the end, but he peppers each strip with fantastic plays on words and sight-gags along the way. (My favourite joke of the whole collection was Derek filling in the grave for Warlock Magazine in the first of the White Dwarf strips!) The second half of the issue collects the complete 'Rock Solid: Space Hero' from eighties' Harrier Comic Swiftsure. Rock is an arrogant Flash Gordon-type who is more dangerous to have on your side than having villains against you. There is a great pay-off to his multi-part 'Brazen Invasion' story, but to reveal it here would be to spoil the surprise. Let's just say it has very serious implications for Lew Stringer's shared universe (known as the Lewiverse!) It's @£3.50… 32 pages, black and white, colour cover, kid friendly... in American Comics format. You can get it from: http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm