Titan’s Dan Dare collections resume later this year with “Mission of the Earthmen”

Dan Dare: Mission of the Earthmen

After a lengthy hiatus, we’re delighted to report Titan Comics is to resume the original Dan Dare collections first published under Titan Books featuring strips from Eagle comic, with Mission to the Earthmen, which will be released in October 2017.

In Mission to the Earthmen, Dan and Digby are carrying out a reconnaissance mission over a newly discovered planet when their craft is forced down by the inhabitants, the Zylans, who want to use the pair to help bring civilisation to a nearby planet, Vort. Having completed their mission the pair are given a super-fast Zylan ship – the Zylbat to return to their base, only to discover it deserted and a message telling them that the rest of the expedition has returned to Earth to deal with a problem that has developed on the Mother planet…

Dan Dare - Mission of the Earthmen Page 1

The opening page of the Dan Dare adventure “Mission of the Earthmen”

Dan Dare - Mission of the Earthmen Page 2

Written by Eric Eden, the strip was first published in 1960 in Eagle Volume 11, Issues 29 – 52 and was drawn by Don Harley and Bruce Cornwell.

Regular readers may recall I edited some of the final collections of the original Titan Books run, but the series was put on hold by mutual agreement between Titan and the copyright holders the Dan Dare Corporation after publication of  Trip to Trouble in 2010.

The new Mission of the Earthmen collections come as Titan also ramps up the release of its new Dan Dare comic, edited by David Leach – but a launch date for that, or the creators involved, has not been officially announced just yet.

Dan Dare is currently enjoying a revival in Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures, recently nominated for several awards. The second volume of stories goes on general release at the end of this month.

Titan Books previously released a number of Dan Dare collections: they can still be found on sale, in limited supply.

Pre-order Dan Dare: Mission of the Earthmen from amazon.co.uk – using this links helps support downthetubes, thank you

Dan Dare: Previous Collections from Titan Books

All links below are to amazon.co.uk – using these links helps support downthetubes, thank you

Dan Dare: Voyage To Venus Part OneVoyage to Venus Part 1

Dan and his crew travel to Venus, hoping to find new resources to feed a starving Earth. But the planet is already the lair of the pint-sized megalomaniac, The Mekon, who has his own plans to conquer Earth! Includes background material exclusive to this book, with rarely seen art pages, an in-depth introduction to Dan Dare, and a foreword by Dave Gibbons

Dan Dare: Voyage To Venus Part Two• Voyage to Venus Part 2

The mission to Venus continues. This collection includes Part One of an interview with Dan’s creator, Frank Hampson.

Dan Dare: The Red Moon Mystery• The Red Moon Mystery

Dan and his trusty crew must head once more into the dangerous, icy depths of space to uncover the secrets of a strange red moon that has entered the Solar System and threatens Earth with destruction! Includes a foreword by Uncanny X-Men scribe Chris Claremont and Part Two of an interview with Frank Hampson.

Dan Dare: Marooned on Mercury• Marooned on Mercury

Believed dead after they successfully saved the Earth from the threat of the Red Moon, Dan and his friends have crashed on Mercury and fallen into the hands of the rock creatures that inhabit the planet! To make matters worse, Dan’s nemesis ‘the dreaded Mekon’ is once more on his trail and Dan finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place! This edition features an exclusive introduction by legendary Queen guitarist, rock god and long-time Dan Dare fan Brian May

Dan Dare: Operation Saturn Part OneOperation Saturn Part One

In Part One of this interplanetary epic, Dan and his trusty crew must head once more into the breach and face the dastardly Dr Blasco, who is helping the evil Saturnian rulers to attack Earth. Can Dan, with the help of the Saturnian rebels, stop him? This edition includes the final part of an interview with Dan Dare’s creator, Frank Hampson, plus features on Dan Dare merchandise.

• Operation Saturn Part Two

In the second instalment of this epic tale, the battle for Saturn is raging as Dan and his crew attempt to escape the clutches of the nefarious Dr Blasco and his Saturnian cohorts, while the friendly pirates of Phoebe mount a full-scale assault! This volume also includes the Eagle annual stories “Operation Triceratops” and “The Planulid”, plus a Frank Hampson sketchbook, and “The Way to Space” interviews with Eagle‘s “backroom boys”, Dare artist Frank Hampson, centrespread artist Leslie Ashwell Wood, and scientific advisor James Hemming.

Dan Dare: Prisoners of Space• Prisoners of Space

When two new cadets accidentally set out for Space Station XQY – scene of a number of mysterious spaceship disappearances – they are captured by the evil Mekon! Dan Dare bravely sets out alone to save them… And is plunged into the Mekon’s latest plot to re-conquer Venus, and then take Earth! Can Dan, Digby and two cadets save not one, but two planets?

Dan Dare: The Man From Nowhere• The Man from Nowhere

A mysterious spaceship appears near Earth, apparently from nowhere, and astonished boffins conclude that it must have broken the light barrier even as it splashes down in the Pacific! As Colonel Dare, ‘Flamer’ Spry, Digby and undersea ace Lex O’Malley search for the ship underwater, an escape pod launches, crashing in Brazil…and its occupant has a desperate plea for help – in English! Colonel Dare and his crew prepare to journey to a strange new world – faster than the speed of light!

Dan Dare: Rogue Planet• Rogue Planet

Dan, Lex and Digby – with their alien guide Lero – finally make planetfall on Cryptos, but Flamer is missing. Unfortunately, there’s no time to search for him, as the Phant invasion has begun! With a new friend – the alien creature Stripey – in tow, our heroes begin a dangerous quest to stop the Phants…a quest which will take them to the Phant homeworld, and a showdown with their leader, Orak! Can Dan and his crew fight a desperate battle to save two worlds?

Dan Dare: Reign of the Robots• Reign of the Robots

Dan, Lex, Digby, Flamer and new friend Stripey return from saving the Crypts – ten years after they departed! But in their absence, the unthinkable has occurred: Earth has been conquered by the mysterious Elektrobots! Now Dan and his crew must solve the mystery of these robotic menaces, and liberate the people of Earth!But who is the Elektrobots’ master? And what of the Selektrobots, even more advanced robots? The answer points to an old enemy – and a thrilling showdown!

Dan Dare: The Phantom Fleet• The Phantom Fleet

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?

Dan Dare: Safari in Space• Safari in Space

When Dan and his crew are abducted from a well-earned holiday, they cannot believe the identity of their abductor – the brilliant, long-missing Scottish scientist Galileo McHoo! But their captor reveals an even more astonishing secret: he knows what happened to Dan’s father, and wants to set out to find him using a fantastic, experimental spacecraft! Join Dan and the gang on the amazing search for ‘Terra Nova’ – and Dan Dare Senior!

Dan Dare: Trip to Trouble• Trip to Trouble

Abducted by brilliant Scottish scientist Galileo McHoo, Dan and co have used his incredible spacecraft, the Galactic Galleon, to reach the mysterious Terra Nova – last known destination of Dan’s test pilot father! But when the gang stumble into a war between the strange inhabitants of this world, will they survive to learn the truth? This volume collects the stories “Trip to Trouble” and “Operation Nimbus”.

• The adventures of the original Dan Dare continue in the officially licensed Dan Dare-inspired magazine Spaceship Away – more information at spaceshipaway.org.uk

Dan Dare: The 2000AD Years – Published by Rebellion

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2000AD Dan Dare Collection Volume OneDan Dare: The 2000AD Years Volume One

Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future is a British icon. He was created by Frank Hampson in 1950, and first appeared in the Eagle comic where he was an instant hit with the British public.

Almost a decade after the original series had ended, Dan Dare was resurrected in the pages of a brand new sci-fi comic for boys – 2000AD!

Waking from suspended animation after two hundred years, Dan Dare faced an unfamiliar universe, filled with terrible new threats, but also included all too familiar ones…such as his old nemesis The Mekon!

Collected up for the first time, the first volume of this punk-fuelled space opera features the superb writing of Pat Mills (Nemesis the Warlock), Steve Moore (Doctor Who) and Gerry Finley-Day (Rogue Trooper) with art by Massimo Belardinelli (Slaine) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen).

2000AD Dan Dare Volume TwoDan Dare: The 2000AD Years Volume Two

Dan Dare and the crew of the Eagle One continue their journey through deep, uncharted space, where they encounter a host of evil alien tyrants, including dare’s arch-nemesis the Mekon! This volume of Dan Dare concludes the iconic British hero’s adventures within the pages of 2000 AD.

Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures

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Starring Ed Stoppard (Dan Dare), Geoff McGivern (Digby), Heida Reed (Professor Peabody), MichaelCochrane (Sir Hubert), Raad Rawi(The Mekon), Bijan Daneshmand (Sondar), Amy Humphreys (Eko), Dean Harris (George Bryan), Dianne Weller (Onboard Computer), Jonathan Rhodes (Blasco), Nicholas Briggs (The Vora), Matthew Turmaine (The Prime Minister), Diane Spencer(Flight Control), Robert G Slade (Old Timer), Noof McEwan (Cadet Flamer Spry), Alistair Lock (Treen Captain).

Dan Dare: The Audio Adventures Episode 1 - Voyage to Venus by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle• Dan Dare Audio Adventures Volume One

Three audio adventures based on the Eagle comic strip “Dan Dare” created by Frank Hampson.

Episode 1 – Voyage to Venus by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle

Brilliant test pilot, Dan Dare, is chosen to fly the Anastasia – a new experimental spacecraft – on its maiden voyage to Venus. This isn’t exploration – it is to make first contact with a mysterious civilisation that has sent technological secrets as a goodwill gesture. However, what Dan, Digby and Professor Peabody find on Venus isn’t goodwill, but a terrifyingly intelligent, cold-hearted ruler, the Mekon. A creature destined to become Dan Dare’s nemesis – and Earth’s greatest threat…

Episode 2 – The Red Moon Mystery by James Swallow

Unable to return to Earth, Dan Dare and the crew of the Anastasia head to the desolate planet Mars, where Dan’s estranged Uncle Ivor is part of a research team working on a top-secret archaeological dig; but when they find the base wrecked and the scientists missing, Dare, Digby and Professor Peabody soon discover that the Red Planet is not nearly as dead as everyone thought and that Ivor’s expedition has woken an army of deadly insect-creatures that threaten to swarm and engulf the Earth. ..Dare must stop the aliens, but can he really resort to genocide in order to save the human race?

Episode 3 – Marooned on Mercury by Marc Platt

When a distress call summons the crew of the Anastasia to the burning wilderness of Mercury, they are reunited with their old ally, Sondar. He tells them of the beleaguered Mercurians who are held in thrall to a cruel new taskmaster – the Mekon! The exiled Mekon is rallying his forces, plotting a desperate revenge against his former homeworld of Venus and his hated enemy, Colonel Dan Dare!

Contains a fourth disc of extras.

Dan Dare Audio Adventures Volumes One and Two Poster• Dan Dare Audio Adventures Volume Two

 

Features

Episode 4 – Reign of the Robots by Simon Guerrier

Dan Dare and his crew finally return to Earth. Landing in central London, they find the city deserted – or that’s how it seems at first. But soon Dare faces an army of ruthless machines, robots who have conquered the planet and placed the surviving humans in slave camps. The robots are too powerful and too numerous to be resisted, and their invasion is complete. With limited resources, Dare, Digby and Peabody face their greatest challenge yet – to liberate planet Earth. But the task becomes more desperate than ever when Dan discovers the alien force behind the robot invasion.

Episode 5 – Operation Saturn by Patrick Chapman

As work begins to rebuild planet Earth after the devastation of the robot invasion, Dare and his friends in Space Fleet remain vigilant, certain that it is only a matter of time before the Mekon launches a fresh attack. When the wreck of the Nautilus – an experimental ship lost over a decade before – appears in orbit of the moon, Dare, Digby and Peabody are sent to investigate.They find the ship and its crew were destroyed by advanced alien weapons. All clues lead them to Saturn’s moons. With Earth still vulnerable our heroes must journey to an unknown world – to discover who sent the Nautilus back, not realising that for once the source of their latest conflict comes from a lot closer to home. Not all would-be conquerors of planet Earth are alien.

Episode 6 – Prisoners of Space by Colin Brake

After a sequence of near non-stop adventures Dare, Digby and Peabody find themselves in a strange limbo of paranoid calm. Whilst there’s been no sign of the Mekon anywhere in the solar system, Dare is certain Earth hasn’t seen the last of the evil alien. Mysterious spaceship disappearances near Venus, an Academy student accidentally launching a prototype new spacecraft, and a floating prison cell in space…reveal themselves as all part of the Mekon’s latest plan to defeat his arch-enemy Dan Dare once and for all.

The first season of Dan Dare concludes with daring space action, fearless heroics and the revelation of devastating secrets concerning Space Fleet. Contains a fourth disc of extras.

NOTE: Dan Dare features some mild swearing and content which may not be suitable for younger listeners.

 



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