Library Classics: ‘Slaine – The Horned God’ – Pat Mills and Simon Bisley (Rebellion)
I first came across Celtic barbarian hero Slaine at a newsagents in the nicer end of Ipswich. And that would have been amazing if it had happened the way I (deliberately) wrote it but he was in a comic of course, one of those American editions that repackage old British stories. Ukko the Dwarf lost himself in a bet and Slaine had to win him back, which he did. It was a little hint, even then, that comics could do a lot more than retell old war stories (I'm looking at you 'Victor' comic) which is fine in its place but I was after something different and 'Slaine' gave me that. That first meeting was back in the mid to late eighties and it wasn't until 1992 that I met up with Slaine again. This time round, a good mate of mine lent me 'The Horned God' to read while I waited for my GCSE results to turn up. It was a good summer, both for the GCSE results and because I got to read 'The Horned God' for the first time. We pick up little influences on our...