DC Thompson, owners of the world famous Beano launched a new monthly this week – Beano Max. It’s an upscaled version of the weekly comic and it’s hard to judge from this first issue how it will pan out.

It’s a special Comic Relief tie-in and as such has a wonderful array of guest stars popping up in the usual Beano strips – a runaway Dalek in The Bash Street Kids, Jamie Oliver in Olive’s Kitchen, a particularly unflattering portrayal of Jonathan Ross in Dennis the Menace and footballers Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in Ball Boy.

There’s even a reference to the fact that Lampard and Gerrard can’t play together in England’s midfield! Football criticism from the Beano! Whatever next?

I think it’s probably the first time a Chelsea player has featured in The Beano (and if there have been any others please do let me know) and it’s certainly the first time someone I’ve met (any guesses?) has appeared in the pages of the offshoot of the esteemed comic magazine.

If that’s not reason enough to buy a copy, there are also three free gifts including a whoopee cushion. This may make finding a mint copy somewhat nigh on impossible, but it’s an unmissable package all the same. I wonder how future issues will compare without the celebrity guests though.

DC Thompson, owners of the world famous Beano launched a new monthly this week – Beano Max. It’s an upscaled version of the weekly comic and it’s hard to judge from this first issue how it will pan out.

It’s a special Comic Relief tie-in and as such has a wonderful array of guest stars popping up in the usual Beano strips – a runaway Dalek in The Bash Street Kids, Jamie Oliver in Olive’s Kitchen, a particularly unflattering portrayal of Jonathan Ross in Dennis the Menace and footballers Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in Ball Boy.

There’s even a reference to the fact that Lampard and Gerrard can’t play together in England’s midfield! Football criticism from the Beano! Whatever next?

I think it’s probably the first time a Chelsea player has featured in The Beano (and if there have been any others please do let me know) and it’s certainly the first time someone I’ve met (any guesses?) has appeared in the pages of the offshoot of the esteemed comic magazine.

If that’s not reason enough to buy a copy, there are also three free gifts including a whoopee cushion. This may make finding a mint copy somewhat nigh on impossible, but it’s an unmissable package all the same. I wonder how future issues will compare without the celebrity guests though.