The Rise And Fall Of The Trigan Empire (Volume III)
Writer & Artist: Don Lawrence
Letterer: Mike Butterworth
Reviewed By Tarn Richardson
This third outing for the Trigan Empire collects 250 pages of classic Sci-Fi stories from the early 70s. Written and stunningly painted by Don Lawrence, The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire Volume III is astonishing in its size, vision and sheer beauty.
Over the course of this weighty tome, the empire of Trigan, a rather bizarre mix of Roman Empire, Tudor buildings and futuristic planes and weapons, suffers wave after wave of devastating attacks and incursions from enemies from the sea, the air and from lands far away with each unfolding story.
Always with a compelling moral message and bags of boys’ own adventuring, the Trigan Empire eventually always overcomes, before the next cataclysmic attack hits.
The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire Volume III has a vaguely familiar feel, cut from the same cloth as the 60s Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet puppet shows. The devastation wrought by some villains is often total, and yet the Empire always bounces back and no one mentions the sinking of the Empire’s greatest warship or the theft of the royal jewels in future stories. The stories are vignettes of action, adventure and daring-do and don’t worry too much about continuity. And why should they when its cast are busy being heroes.
All stories are great fun, gentle yarns, often associated with mind control or hypnosis, and are realised in the gorgeous lush artwork. The sheer volume of work which must have gone into these 250 pages is mind-bending.
Of course, the early 70s comics scene was a very different one to the comics scene of today. Comic titles were either for strictly for boys or for girl audiences, and Trigan is most definitely for boys of the age. There’s no girls or women playing a lead role in any of these adventures. This is men’s work, involving jet fighters, deep sea exploration and manly fisticuffs. As a result, the comic feels dated and more of a curiosity or historical piece of comic work. But, for all that, it’s still a wonderful read and with visuals you just want to fall into, The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire Volume III is a hugely enjoyable, nourishing read.
The Rise And Fall Of The Trigan Empire (Volume III)
The third thrilling omnibus of the lost Sci-Fi classic from the sixties that the New York Times noted had “highly detailed visions of fantastic worlds”
This is the epic story of the Trigan Empire’s rise and fall, and of how Trigo, often alone, had to fend off usurpers and monstrous threats to save his people. The lush painted comic art that Don Lawrence produced in this period would solidify him as one of the greatest comic book artists of all time.
Collected within are all the Trigan Empire stories published in chronological order including the never before reprinted short stories not illustrated by Don Lawrence, to give you the complete saga of the Trigan Empire.
You can buy The Rise And Fall Of The Trigan Empire (Volume III) from the 2000ad Shop
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Tarn Richardson
Tarn Richardson was brought up a fan of fantasy and horror, in a remote house, rumoured to be haunted, near Taunton, Somerset. He is the author of THE DARKEST HAND series, published by Duckworth Overlook in 2015-2017 and republished by RedDoor in 2019. Comprising of THE DAMNED, THE FALLEN, THE RISEN, and free eBook prequel THE HUNTED, the books tell the epic story of Inquisitor Poldek Tacit, battling the forces of evil to the backdrop of World War One. He has also written the novels, RIPPED, and THE VILLAGE IN THE WOODS, to be published in 2020 and 2021. He lives near Salisbury with this wife, the portraiture artist Caroline Richardson, and their two sons.
Twitter @tarnrichardson/
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Official Website www.tarnrichardson.co.uk
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