Old-fashioned Comics

Friday, 25 September 2026

Code Name-Barracuda from Lion (1966-1968) - Compiled and edited by H. C

Code Name – Barracuda was a 1960s British comic book series published

in the weekly magazine Lion by Fleetway.

Overview and History Publication

Run: September 10, 1966, to February 24, 1968.

Creators: Drawn by Italian artist Antonio Sciotti.

Format: Initially launched in Lion (and later Lion and Champion),

featuring short serialized chapters before moving into

Fleetway's Secret Agent Super Library graphic novel series.

Plot and Characters

The Heroes: Barracuda was a suave United Nations special agent with superhuman

strength and fitness, aided by his bald, equally strong partner Frollo.

They gained their powers after being exposed to an unidentified form

of radiation on an early mission.

The Villains: They fought W.A.M. (War Against Mankind), a powerful global criminal

organization, and their recurring arch-nemesis, the supervillain King Cobra.

Gadgets: Barracuda used high-tech equipment, including a jet car, hidden boot blades,

and pen-sized flamethrowers.

According to List of Lion stories, “Superhumanly strong United Nations special agent

Barracuda and his similarly enhanced partner Rollo use an array of high-tech gadgetry

to keep the world safe from American supervillain King Cobra

and his criminal organisation W.A.M.”

If you'd like, I can tell you more about:

The Fleetway Super Library and its other spy characters like Johnny Nero

Specific plotlines or the history of British weekly adventure comics from the 1960s

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/baracuda.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lion_stories

162 Pages

Compiled and edited by H. C.

We thank H. C. for his courtesy in offering our reader

this magnificent compilation.

The Adventures of Jack Flash from Nutty (1980-1981) - Compiled and edited by H. C.

Jack Flash is a classic British adventure comic book character who originally

debuted in The Beano in December 1945 before later moving to

the D.C. Thomson weekly comic Nutty in 1980.

As noted in The Beano, December 1945 marked a milestone when issue 272

ushered in “a new era for the comic, debuting superhero Jack Flash.”

After a long absence from comics following his initial run, the character

was revived for new adventures in Nutty starting in 1980, with stories designed b

y artist Sandy Calder. He even briefly replaced General Jumbo in the lineup.

Nutty itself ran from February 1980 until September 1985

before merging with The Dandy.

40 Pages

Compiled and edited by H. C.

We thank H. C. for his courtesy in offering our reader

this magnificent compilation.

Ruse 01 & 02 The Complete Series (2001 - 2004) - Compiled by Voltaire57

Ruse is a Victorian-era detective comic series created by CrossGen Comics

that ran for 26 issues from November 2001 to January 2004.

Series Overview

Creators: Written primarily by Mark Waid (issues #1–9) and

Scott Beatty (issues #13–26), with interior art by Butch Guice.

Premise: Follows Simon Archard, a Sherlock Holmes-esque master detective in a

fantasy-Victorian setting, and his assistant Emma Bishop, who harbors

secret magical abilities.

Completion: The original CrossGen series concluded prematurely at issue #26

due to the publisher's bankruptcy.

Revival: Marvel Comics later published a 4-issue miniseries revival in 2011 written by Mark Waid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruse_(comics)

More information about "Comics Compilations made by Voltaire57" HERE

Thanks to Voltaire 57 for these magnificent albums

The Garden of Fear from Lion (1965) - Compiled and edited by H. C.

The Garden of Fear was a popular science fiction and adventure comic strip

published in the British weekly anthology comic Lion during the mid-1960s.

The Adventures of Pete Stevens and Tim Bailey ran in Lion in two adventures,

Lion September 11th, 1965 / December 25th, 1965

Thunder Annual, Issue 1972 (reprint)

The Garden of Fear and its sequel Mission of the Mini-Men!,

this last one from 1966-01-01 to 1966-05-07

Garden of Fear was drawn by Mario Capaldi. while the sequel

by Brian Lewis and Capaldi.

35 Pages

Compiled and edited by H. C.

We thank H. C. for his courtesy in offering our reader

this magnificent compilation.

The Steel Claw from Valiant (1962-1973) V1 - V5. Compiled and edited by H. C.

The Steel Claw

Publication information

Publisher: IPC Magazines/ Quality Comics/Wildstorm (DC Comics)

First appearance: Valiant #1 (October 6, 1962)

Artists : Jesús Blasco Tom Kerr, Massimo Belardinelli, Carlos Cruz, Reg Bunn.

Writers : Ken Bulmer, Tom Tully.

The Steel Claw is the definitive centerpiece of the 1960s British adventure comic Valiant, published by Fleetway Publications. Making its debut in the very first issue

on October 6, 1962, the strip ran continuously for over a decade, anchoring

the weekly anthology and becoming one of the most successful and

syndicated British comic creations of all time.

Within the pages of Valiant, the character underwent a dramatic evolution

that mirrored the changing pop-culture landscape of the 1960s and 70s.

The Era of Villainy (1962–1963)

When the strip launched in Valiant #1, Louis Crandell was not a hero. He was a bitter, brilliant assistant to the scientist Professor Barringer. After a lab explosion fused a nuclear grid shock through his prosthetic metal hand, Crandell discovered he could turn invisible for short bursts—except for his steel claw.Driven mad by the power, he used his invisibility to terrorize Britain.

In his early Valiant appearances, he was a genuine, high-stakes supervillain, threatening to destroy cities, extorting governments, and matching wits with the military.

The Secret Agent Era (1963–1965)

Recognizing the character's massive popularity, the creators initiated a redemption arc. Crandell's insanity wore off, and remorseful for his crimes, he offered his unique stealth

abilities to the British Government.He was recruited into the Shadow Squad, a highly classified espionage unit run by a commander known as "The Chief."This era shifted The Steel Claw

into a gritty, Cold War spy thriller, highly influenced by the surging global popularity

of James Bond. Crandell traveled the world fighting megalomaniacs, rogue states, and alien threats.

The Superhero Transformation (1966–1967)

By the mid-1960s, the American "superhero boom" (led by Marvel Comics and the Batman TV show) hit the UK. Valiant adapted by transforming Crandell once again.He donned a sleek, grid-patterned superhero costume.His famous steel claw was upgraded into a modular weapon, capable of firing lethal electrical blasts, knockout gas, and sleep rays, or even detaching to act independently.

The Freelance & Detective Era (1967–1975)

When the superhero craze faded, the strip pivoted into an action-detective format. Crandell left the government to become a freelance investigator and adventurer. This era featured some of his most bizarre and sci-fi-heavy storylines, including the famous "Reign of the Brain" arc, where he fought a giant, disembodied alien brain that took over Britain.

The End of the Valiant Run

The original weekly strip finally concluded in Valiant in 1973, though Crandell continued to appear in Valiant Annuals and holiday specials until 1975, right before Valiant

merged with Battle Picture Weekly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Steel_Claw_(comics)

https://theslingsandarrows.com/the-steel-claw-invisible-man/