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ACTION - BEFORE THE BAN Volume 1: The Archival Collection
- GenresComics
384 pages, Hardcover
Published February 24, 2026
About the author
Pat Mills
848 books236 followersPat Mills, born in 1949 and nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since.
His comics are notable for their violence and anti-authoritarianism. He is best known for creating 2000 AD and playing a major part in the development of Judge Dredd.
His comics are notable for their violence and anti-authoritarianism. He is best known for creating 2000 AD and playing a major part in the development of Judge Dredd.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 13, 2026
This is a really interesting bit of history. It contains the first 12 issues of the infamous boys comic from the 70s. While a lot of it seems quite tame nowadays, some of it is pretty brutal. And when you consider that a lot of the fan mail presented here is from pretty young kids, it's no surprise it caught negative press.
But there's a lot to love. Some of the stories get a bit old, even in just 12 installments. There are some pretty bog-standard sports stories that weren't my cup of tea, and not all of the war stories work ("The Coffin Sub" never really gets going). But the stuff that works is really great. "Dredger" is a really nasty spy story about a Magnum-wielding agent who doesn't play by the rules. Despite some pretty questionable racism, this one holds up well.
Next there's the gory shark story "Hook Jaw", which was apparently very popular at the time and you can see why. It gets the small amount of colour pages in this volume, so the blood really pops. It's like heaven for 12 year old boys.
"Blackjack" is a really fun boxing story and "The Running Man" is a wild 70s thriller. The war story that really works is "Hellman of Hammer Corps", which is about a German soldier in WWII (not a Nazi, as it is at pains to tell us).
Overall, it's something of a curiosity. But a lot of the stories have a punchy quality that makes them well worth checking out. The included editorial bits are fun, too.
But there's a lot to love. Some of the stories get a bit old, even in just 12 installments. There are some pretty bog-standard sports stories that weren't my cup of tea, and not all of the war stories work ("The Coffin Sub" never really gets going). But the stuff that works is really great. "Dredger" is a really nasty spy story about a Magnum-wielding agent who doesn't play by the rules. Despite some pretty questionable racism, this one holds up well.
Next there's the gory shark story "Hook Jaw", which was apparently very popular at the time and you can see why. It gets the small amount of colour pages in this volume, so the blood really pops. It's like heaven for 12 year old boys.
"Blackjack" is a really fun boxing story and "The Running Man" is a wild 70s thriller. The war story that really works is "Hellman of Hammer Corps", which is about a German soldier in WWII (not a Nazi, as it is at pains to tell us).
Overall, it's something of a curiosity. But a lot of the stories have a punchy quality that makes them well worth checking out. The included editorial bits are fun, too.
March 2, 2026
A real blast from the past. The comic that got the tabloids and Mary Whitehouse up in arms. Feels slightly tame this days but back in 1976 this was ballsy, like The Sweeney really shaking up the dull Dixon of Dock Green and Z Cars. Vividly recall Hookjaw, Dredger and Hellman of Hammer Force. It didn't last long with IPC withdrawing it for a while, then bringing back a tame version, which sounded the death knell for Action.
March 28, 2026
Action before the Ban vol 1
This is a thoroughly enjoyable collection and every story is worth reading. Some might be a touch better than others, but none of them are duds. I was a bit annoyed that Coffin Sub had been reprinted in the 1984 annual, though, as that did rob a great story of its impact, but that's not the fault of this collection.
The production values are superb and this is something that will stand the test of time.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable collection and every story is worth reading. Some might be a touch better than others, but none of them are duds. I was a bit annoyed that Coffin Sub had been reprinted in the 1984 annual, though, as that did rob a great story of its impact, but that's not the fault of this collection.
The production values are superb and this is something that will stand the test of time.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews