Why are aliens stalking the alleyways of 1970s London Soho? Lytton and his employee Wilson are about to find out, in Lytton #1 from Cutaway Comics.

Cutaway Comics has launched a new comic miniseries exploring the worlds and characters of Doctor Who – the first of which, Lytton, is written by 1980s Script Editor, Eric Saward. The independent comic imprint, based in Manchester England, mixes writers who are new to comics with experienced artists, bringing a new perspective. Gareth Kavanagh, the head of Cutaway Comics has a strong affinity for Dr. Who and its long and illustrious run.

it’s 1975 and Lytton is running a nightclub in London. Quite a swank place, but not without its issues: one issue is that the club has attracted the unwanted attention of its competition. What money can’t buy can sometimes be acquired by force. And Lytton needs a particular piece of machinery, not normally found on earth. How far will he go to get it?

Writer Eric Saward brings terse dialogue and tense surroundings to the first issue, and we are all the richer for it. We start out in South Vietnam, and the story soon migrates to the mean streets of Soho, London. The narrative visuals (art and colour by Baz Renshaw) are atmospheric and effective; the rainy roads, the sunlit cafes, the cool interiors lit in blue and neon.

Renshaw has done his homework in researching the surroundings of this ‘film noir’ tale of midnight skulkers and midnight cowboys. The cars, the buildings, the clothes. The clean line graphic style, coupled with the gouache hand-applied colour gives us a strong start to the Lytton miniseries, burying us in indie drama. Renshaw’s application of greens, yellows and browns over his panels are occasionally interrupted with tremendous bursts of brilliant reds and fuschia. It’s wordly, surly, and surely worth checking out this first issue!

By purchasing Lytton #1 via the Cutaway website, you will receive the printed comic, along with a DVD disc, containing detailed video commentaries from the writer and artist, along with several related audio commentaries, and more. Great added value for fans of the Dr. Who support characters!! Check the site for full details.

Cutaway Comics, Lytton #1, US$6.99 (plus shipping) for 36 pages of content plus DVD.

https://www.cutawaycomics.co.uk/

By Alan Spinney

After a career of graphic design, art direction and copywriting, I still have a passion for words and pictures. I love it when a comic book comes together; the story is tight, and the drawings lead me forward. Art with words... the toughest storytelling technique to get right. Was this comic book worth your money? Let's see!!