And on February 19th Paul will be appearing as part of a new double act “The Two Pauls” at London’s Orbital shop. The other Paul in question is Paul Cornell. Whether they’ll be as good as Messrs Barker and Corbett only time will tell.

by Paul Rainey

Self-published.

“If you’re new here …. then you’re really going to be confused.” Those are Paul Rainey’s opening words in his editorial for issue 13 – the final part of his time travelling, dimensional warping, head spinning sci-fi soap opera odyssey after nearly six years of work.

There’s always the worry with a series that starts out complicated and then throws more and more twists and turns into the mix that the finale will never live up to the buildup, but I honestly think Rainey’s finished it off perfectly, resolving everything, squaring each character’s circle. There’s No Time Like The Present’s final issue provides a most satisfying finale to what has been an excellent series over the years.

The problem with trying to review issue 13 of course is that there’s almost no point at this late stage in covering this final issue – after all, who honestly reviews the final chapter of a book or the last 15 minutes of a movie? But it’s worth taking a look back at the series and seeing it as a whole now that the end has come and gone. And if you feel the need, there’s the previous reviews to go back to for more insight and plot points along the way (reviews of issues 1-8, 9, 10, 11, 12).

The whole work is practically a trilogy of stories – starting with Cliff and his sci-fi obsessive 30 something friends…..

“We join the story with Cliff; a 30 something sci-fi obsessive who lives as a lodger with Kelly…. hates her job, is desperate to leave and fears she’s never going to manage it. Cliff’s best friend is another 30 something sci-fi collector called Barry, who’s just not that nice a person….”

“…..it starts as a slice of life look at a group of mates with an unhealthy interest in Science Fiction shows and a collectors mentality …. But very early on Rainey throws a curveball into the story with the fact that one of the gang is getting future episodes of movies and TV shows from the Ultraweb. Such a  simple thing, thrown into the plot without fanfare, but it’s to prove the backbone of the story.”

“Slice of life meets a bit of time travel and future knowledge. Cliff and his mates living their lives against a backdrop of ennui and a general worldwide feeling of what’s the point? … Each episode is played out with a realistic, naturalistic tone, as each character’s life slowly and rather painfully develops in front of us.”

It then shifts 50 years into the future and Cliff, Barry and their elderly friends are in the day care centre, reflecting on their lives and all the incredible science fiction going on around them outside their door – all the time travelling, the Ultraweb, future Junction worlds, whilst they spend their time watching old, familiar episodes of Dr Who on the TV.

“From here you expect Rainey to jump to and fro, visiting Cliff et al in present and future, young and old. Except he doesn’t – that would be too easy, too obvious. Instead we’re with the old guys all the way, learning little bits about their lives through conversations in between episodes of crappy sci-fi. … But even with all of this time travel and jumps between timeframes, Rainey always grounds the work solidly with his characters. The amazing things occur off panel, affecting our cast tangentially.”

And finally, as the cast slowly succumbs to the inevitable result of old age and the funerals start mounting up we’re propelled forwards again, to rejoin someone who disappeared early on in the series and listen in as she recounts her life story to another old friend, 250,000 years out of time on a strange, new planet.

This is the best thing about Rainey’s work – the sense of amazing advancement is always secondary to the real lives of his characters. The final few issues see us take a near guided tour through the worlds of the future, full of time travelling coasters, trans-pods, personal chronometers, alien species and so much more. But far more important to Rainey, and to me as a reader is the emotional development of the storyteller, this woman out of time, coming to terms with a future she never dreamt of.

This final issue could have simply been Rainey desperately trying to tie up every loose end in his series, throwing things at us just to get it finished. But despite there being an awful lot of information on every page, it never overwhelms the true story, that of the characters we’ve followed through time and space. And then it ends with a remarkably affecting low key ending playing on all the ideas of ageing and acceptance of one’s life that we’ve touched on throughout the series – that was quite lovely and a perfect way to finish.

As I was looking through that final issue, looking for images to share with you it became clear that most of them were going to give away important stuff, but on reading it all again, these two panels struck me as a beautiful way to sum up TNTLTP, of the journeys each character has gone on, through time and space, young and old, the amazing thing isn’t the sci-fi world around them – it’s themselves and what they’ve done. Plus, I think that one close up panel really shows you how good an artist Rainey can be….

Rainey’s There’s No Time Like The Present really does deserve reading in one go, I guarantee that all 13 parts will have you enthralled and intrigued, and more than that, when read together this way, Rainey’s intricately plotted story genuinely shines. Now all it needs is to be collected. Publishers?

Paul’s work is available from the FPI online store and direct from Paul’s online shop. And in case you really needed further proof, Rainey’s put the first 39 pages online for your enjoyment.

Currently sitting on my shelf waiting to be read is the 13th and final episode of Paul Rainey’s There’s No Time Like The Present. The culmination of Rainey’s near 6 year epic of time travel and personal relationships.

I’ve looked at all the various  parts so far here on the blog (here’s the most recent review of issue 12) and no doubt they’ll be a review on here at some point. I’m pretty confident that, barring a complete disaster, Rainey’s done more than enough in the prior 12 parts to make a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying conclusion work.

Issue 13 is available from better comic shops and from Rainey direct.

by Paul Rainey

Self Published

It’s getting very close to the end of Paul Rainey’s excellent sci-fi/ time travel/ kitchen sink drama of OAPs and collector culture.

And since it’s a very complex story that demands the reader consumes all 11 previous issues before tackling this one (not a chore, believe me) there’s very little I can actually tell you of this issue that wouldn’t possible spoil your considerable fun when you tackle the whole series.

But I did review the previous issues (1-8, 9, 10, 11) and there’s enough reading there to hopefully persuade you how worthwhile There’s No Time Like The Present really is. I will point out that this episode does finally reveal the importance of the milkfloat from issue 4 and exactly what connection it has with Kelly’s disappearance - come on, you’re definitely intrigued now aren’t you?

There’s No Time Like The Present started off with such promise, as Rainey was obviously attempting to do something far more interesting and offbeat than a simple slice of life tale. As it developed and turned into something a lot more sci-fi, it also became quite clear that his sci-fi, just like his slice of life, was far from the norm. And now we’re nearing the end, it’s genuinely a pleasure to be able to say that (unless issue 13 is unbelievably awful – which is highly unlikely) this sci fi soap opera with it’s varied and unusual, non-stereotypical cast of characters lives up to every bit of early promise it showed.

(Milkfloats and horn-headed ambassadors from the future. That’s Paul Rainey’s There’s No Time Like The Present.)

There’s No Time is available from good comic shops, from the Rainey section on the FPI webstore or direct from Rainey’s website. Luckily for you people, every other issue of the series is also available as well, since rainey realised early on that this was going to be something that really demanded reading the whole story.

And whilst we’re talking of Rainey and endings I’ll point you in the direction of Joe’s post yesterday on the conclusion to the monumental 2000AD Prog Slog Blog.

by Paul Rainey

Self Published.

It’s really difficult reviewing this one, since I really don’t want you to read it. At least I don’t want you to read it quite yet.

Like I’ve said before, Paul Rainey’s There’s No Time Like The Present series is something you absolutely must read from the beginning. It’s such a complex and involving story that manages to be both fantastical and down to earth at the same time and picking this issue up without prior knowledge would be quite ridiculous to contemplate.

So my advice to you is to immediately go and buy every available issue before reading this one. For an idea of what has gone before please look at the reviews of issues 1-8, issue 9 and issue 10. And here’s a little of what I’ve said before….

But then Rainey pulls another master-stroke. Just as you think you know where it’s going….. Rainey switches the entire thing 50 years into the future. We’re in the day care centre with Cliff, Barry and their elderly friends sitting and watching old sci-fi.

And through all of this, as it twists and turns, looking at the characters young and old, you get the feeling that Rainey has it all under control, that it’s all fitting into a bigger picture, that it’s all connected somehow.

The art might not be to everyone’s taste… but overall it’s lovely stuff, simple black and white work, yet warm and expressive work that captures the characters so well. His portrayal of the characters in old age is especially good, with those little touches in the art that add so much.

It’s even difficult at this late stage – the series is definitely going to end at issue 13 – to pick out any plot points in this issue to talk about. Because pretty much everything I could mention is a spoiler. What I will say is that I’m actually pretty confident now that Rainey is going to be able to pull it all together in the two final issues to give us the finale that the book really deserves.

(Our group of old folks get together for another funeral, all resplendent in their outfits befitting their sci-fi background. From There’s No Time Like The Present issue 11 by Paul Rainey)

But just to give you an idea of what you may be missing; issue 11 builds upon everything that has gone before with our cast of old age pensioners reflecting on their lives and mourning the loss of their friend Cliff whilst the world they’re on shuts down all Ultranet stations, meaning this world no longer has access to time travel and once more, “humanity has free will. Anything is now possible“. The end of the issue takes us off world again, with a new, yet familiar life on another planet having trouble dealing with his new circumstances. More than that I can’t / wont say.

(Paul Rainey gets cosmic, as the action shifts across to another planet, junction 250,247, where we’re about to meet a familiar face. From There’s No Time Like The Present issue 11)

So at this point you have a choice. All of the individual issues are available from Rainey at his website. I’d definitely recommend you spend the time from issue 1 and really get involved in this great story. Alternatively you could hold off until the very end and get the lot or, hopefully, get the collected edition when (if?) Rainey publishes it. I’m already looking forward to that moment when I can settle down with the whole story and enjoy it all over again. It’s a thoroughly entertaining, deliciously complicated and intriguingly staged bit of domesticated science fiction.

There’s No Time Like The Present issues are available from Paul Rainey’s webshop.  You really want to buy all 11 issues. Yes you do.

Richard Bruton.

Over on his blog Paul Rainey writes that he’s just finished plotting out the finale to his most enjoyable series “There’s No Time Like The Present“. In the past he always said he reckoned 12 issues would see it finish and wrap up satisfactorily. But after plotting it all out, he’s decided it needs an extra and final 13th issue.

To be honest, even with issue 13 being bigger than usual, I’m surprised he’s managing to get it all wrapped up so soon. After reading the first 10 issues there are so many enjoyable plotlines going on that I thought it might be one of those series that just stretches out as it gets closer to it’s finale. But Rainey’s obviously tightly in control and is on the home stretch right now – issue 11 should be out very soon and all the issues are available from Rainey’s website.

Strip!: There’s no time like the present, tonight at 5pm on Resonance FM, podcast after transmission on Panel Borders

Starting Sci-Fi comics month on the show, Alex Fitch talks to small press creator Paul Rainey about his serialised graphic novel There’s no time like the present which he has been self publishing as individual comic books over the past five years. TNTLTP tells the story of a group of friends from Milton Keynes who suffer from the usual concerns of our generation – niche interests, unfulfilling jobs, difficulties with dating etc. – but in a world where time travel exists and the UK in the present day is a holiday vacation for patronising visitors from the future. Alex and Paul talk about the latter’s influences from Alan Bleasdale to Doctor Who, Kurt Vonnegut to Coronation Street, how the opening of a new memorial in Milton Keynes is best attended by a Dalek and the process of telling a long form narrative with an unusual structure.

(frames from early There’s No Time Like the Present by and (c) Paul B Rainey)

I’m ready for my close-up: Kenneth Anger, Friday 3rd July at 5pm on Resonance FM

Virginie Sélavy talks to infamous experimental film maker Kenneth Anger about his career, from ground breaking shorts such as his Magick Lantern Cycle and Scorpio Rising in the 1960s, to his recent return to the medium after a twenty year break.

Reality Check: Female action heroes, online at SciFi London on July 3rd

To coincide with the release of updates of the Terminator franchise and Blood: The last Vampire, Alex Fitch talks to actress Linda Hamilton about her career, working with Arnold Schwarzenegger and becoming a feminist icon. Alex also talks to anime expert Helen McCarthy about the various incarnations of Blood: The Last Vampire, the Japanese version of Buffy which has moved from TV animation to manga, video games and now live action cinema.

Previous podcasts:

Panel Borders: The art of Rutu Modan, part one, part two

Concluding cross cultural comics month on the show: In an interview conducted live at the Jewish Community Centre in North London, Roehampton University Illustration lecturer Ariel Kahn interviews award-winning graphic novelist Rutu Modan about her work from the acclaimed Exit Wounds to her new collection Jamilti and Other Stories. Rutu and Ariel talk about her influences, the difficulties in depicting a city as rich and diverse as Tel Aviv in print and adjusting to life in England.

Reality Check: For all Mankind, online at SciFi London now

To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing, we’re looking at space exploration in fact and fiction. Alex Fitch talks to Sir Patrick Moore about the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969, which saw man first take a small step onto another world, and about entering his sixth decade as presenter of The Sky at Night. Also, Chris Patmore talks to NASA advisor Dr. Kevin Fong about current research into keeping men and women alive on future space missions and how this is reflected in the depiction of such science in Battlestar Galactica.