It’s that time again! The latest issue of the excellent British anthology comic, Quantum, has arrived. Is it any good?

Of course it is. I’ve been a fan of Quantum from day one, and publisher Time Bomb Comics have really hit on a winning formula with their bi-monthly anthology.

Major Rakhana is an excellent choice for a lead character, having been the lead strip in the comic from day one. Her alt-Victoriana, often campy space adventures are always lots of fun, but this issue’s story takes a darker turn and showcases quite a bit of flexibility with the concept. It’s a story that grabs you right from the opening panel, with the Major’s servant, Sanjay, being held captive and interrogated by a new villain. With the usual, brilliantly expressive artwork and creature design, along with a cheeky little Doctor Who reference, this is a riveting new tale that I’m very keen to continue reading!

WesterNoir continues with the fourth part of Dead End, with Mrs Jones encountering a Frankenstein’s Monster-esque creation. Most of this chapter is devoted to the thrillingly cinematic fight scene that unfolds between Jones and the creature, with a great sense of choreography and an impressive clarity in the panel-to-panel storytelling. I’m a big fan of WesterNoir as it is; Jemma West’s take on the Weird West (assisted brilliantly by Gareth Sleightholme’s decompressed, big panel style) is another excellent chapter in the saga.

Oh, and if you want to catch up with all of the previous adventures, as well as the more recent issues, check out the recently launched WesterNoir Double Shot Kickstarter campaign here.

The Very Strange Reappearance of Peter Thompson is a much more naturalistic and grounded teen drama, making its more fantastical elements all the more impactful when they arrive.

The Baker Street Irregulars, a misfit bunch of historical and literary characters taking on supernatural threats, sees them investigating strange goings-on in London, with a particularly terrifying creature to deal with.

Lastly, Kingdom is another steampunk tale featuring Stephenson’s Robot, with a travelling circus and its oddities as the backdrop. It has an unusual, almost underground comix style to the artwork, thanks to artist El Indio!

There’s also the usual, fun assortment of short humour strips dotted throughout, as well as a look behind the scenes of downthetubes.net, John Freeman’s impressively long-running comics website.

This issue also opens with an impassioned justification from editor Steve Tanner on the cover price rise, which has seen Quantum, as of this issue, selling at £6.99, an increase of a quid over its previous RRP; not only has the price increased, but the actual size of the comic, not the page count, has reduced, as you can see from this photo of issue 7, below issue 8.

And yet, not for one second did I think ill of the decision to raise the cost and reduce the comic’s physical size. That’s because I think Quantum is an absolutely unmissable anthology, that I look forward to picking up as soon as I can, whenever the next issue hits the shops. Though you can sign up for extra goodies and exclusive covers by joining the Quantum Patreon (which you’ll find here), part of my routine of picking it up is actually making the trip to buy it, sitting in a coffee shop to read it and so on. It’s a very analogue, tangibly old-fashioned experience, and one that is getting rarer and rarer these days.

As much as I do covet the extras and covers you get as a Patreon subscriber, I think I’d miss the ritual of actually heading for the shops to pick up my copy, savouring it over a coffee and then writing my review.

I’ve mentioned the smell of Quantum itself before; the high production quality, the thickness of the paper, the clear passion and attention to detail that infuses every issue keeps me coming back for more, and it pleases me so much just to be able to actually go to the shop, and buy a proper comic straight from the shelf. It’s the simple things; something we once took for granted, but which we don’t actually get to do all that much these days.

Well worth the extra pound per issue, I’d say.