Thunderbirds: The Comic Collection: A Gerry Anderson Production

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2013. ISBN 9781405268363.
'5 - 4 - 3 - 2- 1! Thunderbirds are GO!' It was a most distinctive voice and a most distinctive introduction to a half-hour of puppetry and special effects (known then as 'supermarionation') as we watched Jeff Tracy, head of International Rescue - established on a secret island in the South Pacific - and his five sons, Scott, Virgil, Gordon, Alan and John,  rescue people from incredible situations using their futuristic specially-designed vehicles that could cope with any situation on land, sea, air or space. Ably assisted, when necessary, by Lady Penelope Creighton and the chauffeur of her amphibious pink Rolls Royce, each week viewers were treated to an adventure of life in 2065 where, just as in 1965, good eventually triumphed over evil but with a G rating.
Now, in this glossy, full-colour, high-quality book, fans are treated to more than 20 comic-strip adventures featuring the original artwork from the series. The adventures are interspersed with cutaway diagrams of the buildings and vehicles, each labelled to show their unique components and special capabilities, which will intrigue and perhaps inspire those with a technical mind. Perhaps this book should be displayed with a large box of Lego or Meccano on hand!
With the big-screen revival of many retro comic books heroes, and the popularity of these, this book is an opportunity to engage and enthuse another generation just in time for the release of Thunderbirds Are Go, a remake of the series being broadcast in 2015, 50 years after the original. It will also create an opportunity for the young and the little-bit-older to have conversations as they ask questions and share memories. As well as the book, there is also a separate pack of 100 postcards.
Barbara Braxton