Dan Dare | Books

Last Updated 12th February 2020 – The Evil One details added

Dan Dare collections and related books on AmazonUK (downthetubes Affiliate Link)

 

Dan Dare: The Venus Campiagn

The Dan Dare Omnibus (Print)/ Dan Dare: The Complete Collection Volume 1: The Venus Campaign (Digital)
Published by Titan Comics
On sale 13th November 2018

This omnibus edition of Dan Dare contains his first adventures, beginning with the story that would later be titled “Pilot of the Future: Voyage to Venus“. Dan and his crew set off to explore Venus, hoping to find new resources to feed a starving earth. But the planet is home to the devious, calculating Mekon, who plans to conquer the Earth.

Dan Dare Bumper Compendium

It’s up to Dare and his bat-man Digby to help the enslaved people of Venus to rise up and defeat the massive green headed evil genius.

The Collection also includes “The Red Moon Mystery“, in which Dan and his trusty crew 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!

Do note that for some reason, this bumper compendium, in print as Dan Dare: The Venus Campaign, is marketed as the Dan Dare Omnibus (Bumper Compendium) print edition comprising his first Venus adventure and “Red Moon Mystery” a different title for the digital edition: Dan Dare: The Complete Collection Volume 1: The Venus Campaign – but  although two covers and titles are in circulation, the content is the same.

Buy the Dan Dare: The Omnibus Edition – print – from amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare – Titan Books Collections

While some Dan Dare strips have been previously collected and Dan Dare annuals and Eagle comics often available through auction sites, Titan Books is the most recent publisher of Dan Dare strip collections. These are still available, but the prices on earlier volumes vary considerably.

Titan Comics resumed publication of classic Dan Dare

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

It’s chocks away and tally-ho, chaps – Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, is back! First published in classic British comic The Eagle, these are the original adventures of one of the best known and loved of British comic characters, presented in a new series of gorgeous library editions from Titan. In the first part of this rip-snorting story, 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!

This volume includes background material exclusive to this book, with rarely seen art pages, an in-depth introduction to Dan Dare, and a new foreword by Dave Gibbons .

• Buy Voyage to Venus Part One from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Voyage To Venus Part Two

Voyage to Venus Part Two

In the second instalment of this space-faring story, 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 plans to conquer the Earth!

This volume includes background material exclusive to this book, with rare artwork, a new foreword and an interview with Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: The Red Moon Mystery

 

The Red Moon Mystery

The Earth is approached by a gigantic meteor inhabited and controlled by strange bee-like creatures intent on stripping the world of all its vegetation. Dan and Co eventually manage to lure it away from Earth and destroy it in deep space, but in so doing they are sent shooting out of control towards Mercury.

This edition ncludes a brand new foreword by comics writer Chris Claremont and part two of an interview with Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Marooned on Mercury

Marooned on Mercury

After crash-landing on Mercury, Dan and Co are rescued by the strange inhabitants of the planet and taken to one of their underground cities. Dan discovers that The Mekon, together with some of the Treens who had escaped from Venus with him, has taken over the planet and enslaved the Mercurians. Dan again overcomes his arch-enemy, but, as usual, The Mekon manages to escape.

This edition features an exclusive introduction by legendary Queen guitarist and long-time Dan Dare fan Brian May.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Operation Saturn Part One

Operation 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 a rarely seen interview with Dan Dare’s creator, Frank Hampson, plus features on Dan Dare merchandise and more besides.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Operation Saturn Part Two

Operation Saturn Part 2

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 contains two 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

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Prisoners of Space

Steve Valiant, “Flamer” Spry and “Groupie” investigate the radio silence of Space Station XQY. The station has been taken over by Treen followers of The Mekon, and “Flamer”, Steve and “Groupie” are all captured and held hostage. The Mekon will spare their lives only if Dan Dare will surrender himself. Dan agrees to the bargain and sets off, unknowingly carrying Digby as a stowaway. As usual the day is saved by Dan with the help of the others. During the encounter ex-RAF type “Groupie” nearly loses his moustache, an appendage of which he is very fond!

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: The Man From Nowhere

The Man From Nowhere

Lero, a being from the planet Cryptos, travels five light-years to Earth to seek the aid of Spacefleet. His peaceful home planet is being mercilessly persecuted by the dreaded Phants, and he hopes that Earth war-strategy can help defeat them. Dan, Digby, “Flamer” Spry and Lex O’Malley accompany Lero back to Cryptos.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Rogue Planet

 

Rogue Planet

A direct continuation from the previous story. Dan encounters the Phants and their malevolent “god” Orak. He discovers that the Phants’ violent, warlike nature is caused by the food-capsules they eat that are controlled by Orak. After a long series of adventures, the Phant food diet is changed to that of the peaceful Crypts and their “god” is revealed as nothing more than a robot-computer.

At the end of the story Dan and Co find out that they have been away from the Earth for far longer than they realised. The “momentary” blackout that they had all experienced at the start of the journey from Earth to Cryptos had, in reality, lasted almost five years.

By the time they return back home ten years will have passed! During the story Digby had encountered Stripey, a small elephant-like Cryptosian creature. Stripey became Digby’s loyal pet, helping in the defeat of the Phants. He accompanies Digby on the journey back to Earth.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Reign of the Robots

Reign of the Robots

On their return to Earth Dan and Co find London deserted, and it is not long before they find out that The Mekon has, in the years they have been away from the Solar System, completely taken over! He has enslaved the Earth, and has set up all sorts of inhuman “scientific” experiments to test his various theories. He is aided in his despotic rule by his army of vicious robots who destroy any opposition. Dan discovers that the robots are controlled via a large space station and sets out to destroy it. Back on Earth the rest of Dan’s crew fight to destroy the rest of the robots. Eventually Dan destroys the space station, but he is forced to abandon ship and in so doing is injured. Sir Hubert goes to his rescue in the Anastasia but is attacked by Treen fighters…

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: The Phantom Fleet

The Phantom Fleet

Featuring “The Phantom Fleet” and “The Ship That Lived”

In “The Phantom Fleet”, radio and television transmissions are being disrupted throughout the Solar System by an unknown force. Spaceships are disappearing. After a rocket ship carrying Sir Hubert goes missing, Dan and Co set out to discover what has happened to it. They find a fleet of huge alien craft containing peaceful aquatic creatures called Cosmobes. The Cosmobes are fleeing from another aquatic race, the warlike Pescods.

The Pescods bring with them a deadly weapon in the form of the “Crimson Death”, a cloud of red vapour that destroys all metals on contact. Attempts to destroy the Pescods’ pursuing fleet fail, and they dive into the Earth’s ocean and begin to build themselves a city. Fortunately for Earth the Pescods’ settlement is on top of the submerged volcano Krakatoa, and when it erupts due to seismic disturbances from the pesky Pescods, they are all destroyed.

“The Ship That Lived” is a short story recounting how the Anastasia is saved from the silicon mass in the flame-belt of Venus where it crash-landed after the rescue of Dan and the attack by Treen fighters at the end of the previous story.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Safari in Space

Safari in Space

Featuring “Safari in Space” and “Terra Nova”

While taking a well-earned rest on the uninhabited island of Maraku in the southern hemisphere of Venus, Dan, Digby and “Flamer” are kidnapped. The same fate befalls Lex, Sir Hubert and Professor Peabody who are enjoying their leave in the north of Venus. They are all taken to the secret base of Galileo McHoo who then persuades them to accompany him on a mission to far-off Terra Nova in search of Dan’s long-lost father, who disappeared years before while on an expedition to the planet. They set out in the huge Galactic Galleon spaceship, which easily outpaces the pursuing Spacefleet ships.

In “Trip to Trouble”, having arrived at Terra Nova, Dan, Digby and Sir Hubert set out in the Anastasia to explore the unknown planet. They are immediately captured by some of the inhabitants and taken to a city called Pax. After their failure to return to the Galactic Galleon, Lex, “Flamer” and Professor Peabody go in search of them. They in turn are captured by huge man-eating ant-like creatures called Nagrabs. In the nick of time they are rescued by Dan. Later the party discovers that Dan’s father set off on a voyage across the unexplored ocean and was never seen again.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: Trip to Trouble

Trip to Trouble

Featuring “Trip to Trouble” and “Project Nimbus”

To discover the fate of his father, Dan attempts to simulate his ocean voyage. Lex, in an inflatable raft, follows the ocean currents, while Dan and Digby follow from above in the Anastasia. Lex is captured by a band of fierce warriors and taken off. Dan learns from Calo, a friendly native, that his friend has been captured by an evil tribe called the Gaz. He is also told that the Gaz killed his father many years before while he was helping Calo’s people to overthrow them. Dan takes up the fight and eventually the tyrant Grandax, the leader of the Gaz, is killed and Lex rescued. Now that the fate of Dan’s father is known, Dan and Co return home.

In “Project Nimbus”, while on a test flight the Nimbus One, a prototype spaceship, goes missing. Using a giant radar the ship is tracked near Jupiter, and Dan and Co go to investigate. Survivors tell them of being attacked by aliens. The aliens have their base on one of Jupiter’s moons, and after a series of battles the alien mother ship is destroyed by Dan in Nimbus Two. Nimbus One is discovered intact on one of Jupiter’s moons.

• Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Titan Comics Collections

Titan Comics resumed the original Dan Dare collections first published under Titan Books featuring strips from Eagle comic, with Mission to the Earthmen, which was released in October 2017.

Dan Dare: Mission of the Earthmen

Mission of the Earthmen

Collecting

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…

 • Buy it from amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare - The Earth Stealers

The Earth Stealers

Dan Dare and Digby, awaken, after an unknown number of years, from deep-space hibernation to find themselves lost and adrift in an unknown region and orbiting a mysterious planet, seemingly made of platinum. Now our two plucky heroes must free an enslaved race of aliens and fight to return to their home world, although what they discover there remains a terrible mystery…

Buy it from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare: The Evil One

Dan Dare: The Evil One
Published: 24th September 2019

This volume reprints, for the first time ever, the first two years worth of Dan Dare strips written and drawn by David Motton and Keith Watson.

Dan Dare and Digby, defend Earth for a series of threats that see them rocket from one action-packed adventure to the next! From the depths of outer space, and the threat of a race of intelligent giant, mind-controlling spiders, hell-bent on global domination – to the secret, underground hideout of an intergalactic evil genius buried beneath the pleasure beach of Blackpool! And whether fighting an unquenchable, out-of-control fireball of destruction or battling the world-conquering ambitions of a race of malevolent, ruthless flora, Dan Dare will need all his wits about him to save the day and the world!

Buy Dan Dare: The Evil One from Amazon UK

Dan Dare: The Evil One - Sample Art
Dan Dare: The Evil One - Sample Art

Dan Dare: The 2000AD Years

• 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

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

2000AD Dan Dare Collection Volume One

Dan 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 Two

Dan 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 2000AD.

Knockabout Comics: Dare

Yesterday's Tomorrows

Yesterday’s Tomorrows

This is a luxury collection of comics by Rian Hughes, Master illustrator and designer, the man who has done more for comic book design than anyone else. Contents include Grant Morrison’s reworking of the classic British comics character, Dan Dare, set in a mass unemployment 1980s in which Dare is no longer sure of his place in the England around him. “Science Service” co-written with John Freeman allows Hughes full rein for his retro style. In Raymond Chandler’s “Goldfish”, adapted by Tom DeHaven, he captures the noir shadows in a clever use of 2-colour artwork. Also in the book are Really & Truly (also written by Grant Morrison) from 2000 AD and a selection of sketchbook pages. It is produced in an embossed casebound edition with an introduction by comics guru Paul Gravett. This edition is limited to 3000 copies worldwide. Grant Morrison is one of the most celebrated British comics writers and Rian Hughes is very well respected in the design community having won many awards for his work.

• Buy Yesterday’s Tomorrows from Amazon.co.uk

Dan Dare Oversized Hard Cover (Virgin Comics)

Virgin Comics Dan Dare Hard Cover Collection

Groundbreaking comics writer Garth Ennis brings the classic Dan Dare back to life in a bold, new series drawn by Gary Erskine Dan Dare was once a hero. He brokered peace with alien races, pushed the frontiers of space, and saved the planet from total annihilation… repeatedly. But now, his Space Fleet has disbanded, the United Nations has crumbled, his friends scattered to the solar winds. Britain is once again the world power, but Dare, disillusioned and disappointed in his once-precious home country, has quietly retired. But there’s troubling mustering in Deep Space. The H.M.S Achilles is picking up strange signals when, suddenly, an enormous fleet of hostile ships ambushes the destroyer. As the crew struggles to stay alive, they realize with horror that the hostiles have brought a weapon of unimaginable power. Dan Dare, pilot of the future, has been called out of retirement! Virgin Comics is compiling the first three issues of the landmark Dan Dare, written by Garth Ennis, into a Special Hardcover Edition.

• Buy the Virgin Comics Dan Dare Collection from Amazon.co.uk

Read an interview with Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine conducted by Matt Badham about this project, published in November 2007


A full list of Dan Dare comic strips, compiled by the DownTheTubes team, covering the original Eagle comic, 2000AD, New Eagle and Spaceship Away features on GoogleDrive here

Dan Dare collections and related books on AmazonUK (downthetubes Affiliate Link)

Dan Dare © Dan Dare Corporation

 

1 reply

Trackbacks

  1. Dan Dare “The Venus Campaign” classic story collection revealed, and first ever collections of some stories on their way – downthetubes.net

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.