Comics Classics #22 - Steel Claw | The Spider | Jan '08

Prakash Publishers | Price: INR 10 | Total Pages: 244 (122+122) |B/W | Size: Pocket | Tamil | SoftCover

Hope, everyone had a fun-filled start to the new year.  2007 was one of the better years to the Indian Comics Industry, with seasoned campaigners like Gotham Comics reasserting their supremacy, and new entrants like Euro Books and Tara Press making their presence felt with some series of Graphic Novels never published before in India.  The New Year 2008 promises to live up to the expectations generated by these players.

The South Indian comics giant, Prakash Publishers seems to have taken a note from the other comics publishers, and have started the new year with a bang by releasing two of there own comics brands (Click here, for the Other).  The first is the Comics Classics #22, featuring the Irumbukkai Maayavi (இரும்புக்கை மாயாவி) aka Steel Claw starring "Naasa Alaigal", and The Spider starring "Ethanukku Etthan".  Two vintage stories from the past, republished in a pocket size format.

Naasa Alaigal (நாச அலைகள்)

Ethanuku Etthan (எத்தனுக்கு எத்தன்)

I recollect reading both of these stories when they were reprinted in the same format earlier.  Nevertheless, its good to see the Fleetway Publications erstwhile flagship heroes back in action.  Hope the old time readers would be able to share their first look experience of these stories from their childhood days.  For those who are new to these two European comic heroes, they could check their history through Wikipedia's, Spider & Steel Claw pages.

But, the latest edition doesn't seem to be the one which was advertised as Comics Classics #22 back in August '07.  If you had missed the post, here it is.  Don't know what was the reason for the change, but it certainly showcases that, contrary to general perception, Editor Mr.S Vijayan seem to have a repository of releases - at least partially ready, but only reluctant to complete and release them on time.  I hope the new year gets them the expected results to be more regular with their prints.

While “googling” to collect few facts about this post, I stumbled upon an info that the majority of Spider titles were written by Jerry Siegel, the co-creator of Superman.  This was news to me, maybe our senior comics pals might know them already.

And before I close, as BN pointed out in his comment, with this release, Comics Classics makes it return after nearly two years. With my records it indicates that the last Comics Classics (#21) should have got published in mid of 2006, a correction from my earlier fact in the preview.