Tharg guides us to learn there’s nothing like a catchy tune, and even heroes have down to Earth problems…

The penultimate of this series of Future Shocks Podcasts gives us two more tales, the first based on Al Ewing and Edmund Bagwell’s Spaceland from 2006, and the other from Big Trouble for Blast Barclay by Grant Morrison and Mike White that goes right back to 1987. The former is longer and gives us a catchy new number by Akemnji Ndifornyen to hum along to – although maybe it would be wise to listen all the way through before deciding to join in as you jog around the park… just in case. It’s a story told on a couple of levels which gives it a different feel to many of those we’ve had in this series.

The shorter Blast Barclay tale gives Rufus Hound an opportunity to find his inner Flash Gordon with some clever digs at the backstory of the Alex Raymond character turned around by Terry Molloy’s officious officer. It’s a story that has a go at certain current concerns – which were there when the original was penned.

It seems a shame that we’ve only got one more of this clever adaptations to come – if you’ve not caught one yet, then well worth the subscription.

Verdict: Outer space problems for musicians and heroes make for a fun half hour. 8/10

Paul Simpson