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| Images copyright MARVEL COMICS. Note the 'Jack Kirby' -style Giant-Man hand |
For all you Merry Marvel Maniacs, the good news is that #1 of AVENGERS UNIVERSE goes on sale on June 19th, in a big 100 page super special debut issue. I'll certainly be buying it - what about you? And on July 3rd, The MIGHTY WORLD Of MARVEL relaunches with the first issue of volume five - again, in a 100 page mega-huge ish. MWOM has been running for around eleven years, which means that PANINI's incarnation of the title has outlived any previous Marvel U.K. version, including the original weekly comic from the '70s.
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| Makes sense with a Guardians movie due out, but I always found them pretty underwhelming |
Sharp-eyed readers may've noticed I had a letter published in #61 (last month), which was an edited reworking of one I'd first had printed way back in 1977 in #226 (volume one). However, I felt that the subject was still relevant and I wanted to write it the way it should have been written way back in '77. Unfortunately, in rephrasing the first line, I inadvertently left in a word I'd meant to delete, describing Marvel as "...the world's largest and most popular comic publishing company in the world", instead of "...the largest and most popular comics publishing company in the world". I'll try again in another 37 years.
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| H'mm, I dunno - the middle character seems a little small to me. And Giant-Man doesn't seem too much of a giant in relation to the supposedly small-statured Wolverine |
I still buy the mag regularly, but DAREDEVIL is the only strip I actually bother reading as it's an absolutely gripping story at the moment. While flicking through the rest of this month's ish (above), I was dismayed to see a couple of examples of what appeared to be same-sex kissing (I'm unfamiliar with the characters involved) and can only thank my lucky stars that I grew up in an age when these kind of subversive and one-sided attempts at brainwashing youngsters didn't exist. (Feel free to disagree.)
Anyway, here are a few other Mighty Marvel Mags currently on sale. I don't buy all of them myself, but you can feel entirely free to do so. (No, I'm not on commission.)
Kid, do the readers even notice the same-sex kissing - I doubt it. Congratulations on your letter - I bought one of these Panini Marvels about four or five years ago and they said they hadn't printed a letters page that month because they hadn't received any letters - none !! The modern MWOM has indeed lasted longer than the '70s version but this one is now in its' third volume despite only making the smallest superficial changes - I know the excuse is that a new No.1 is a "jumping on point" for new readers but I wonder if that actually happens? I'm unlikely to be buying that many Panini Marvel comics in the near future as my local WH Smiths closed in March and the nearest one is now ten miles away rather than ten minutes away as it used to be :(
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a bit like asking do the readers even notice the story, because it appears to be part of the plot, but I suppose you're right that people don't seem to find anything shocking anymore. That's why kids watch gruesome decapitations, dismemberments, killings and violence without turning a hair - all in the name of entertainment. I think society has lost something and become debased on that fact alone.
ReplyDeleteRegarding no letters - I don't know why they don't keep a file of unpublished letters to use in emergencies when the mailbag is low. I've suggested it to them a few times. I know that they don't publish every letter, because I've seen ones which say that it's the writer's third or fourth attempt with no previous success.
As for 'superficial changes', I understand that the new strips represent the 'Marvel Now' characters, so that's quite a significant change, I reckon. Also, as these new volumes give 24 extra pages for the regular price of £3.50, I think Panini would've called a halt to giving away something for nothing if it didn't lead to an initial burst (at least) of extra sales.
You could always subscribe, Col - and save yourself some dosh.
Those Panini comics always look very good and it was seeing them on sale regularly in WH Smiths that lured me back to reading comics in 2007 - but there are two things about them I've never liked a) that little picture of the character in the top left-hand corner which is a bit old hat these days (US Marvel has long dropped it) and which looks really strange in some cases like it's computer generated and plastic looking especially on faces like Thor and Captain America and b) the way they are called "collectors editions" - that phrase usually means an extra-special edition of a newspaper (royal wedding or something) or a collectable DVD release etc. but with the Panini Marvels it's every single one of them although I see that they now say Marvel Now for the time being at least.
ReplyDeleteI wish the American comics still had that little corner box (designed by Steve Ditko, apparently), because I always thought they were pretty distinctive. As for the British Paninis, I think they're called collectors' editions because they're published with collectors specifically in mind. Considering that you get three U.S. comics in one mag for £3.50, they're pretty good value.
ReplyDeleteI loved that wee corner box with the character in them, I still think its real "design classic", then again Im an old git so I suppose it is old hat now. I used to read loads of the Guardians books in the 70s as they were always on sale where I lived ( or was that they were always left un purchased ?) I even had the 1969 (Gene Colan illustrated) one shot and although they never really set the "heather on fire" for me I did enjoy them (although I got scunnered reading the Badoon though) The clips of I have seen of the Guardians of the Galaxy film look brilliant have to say I am really looking forward to seeing it more than most films (Rocket Raccoon will be massive in 2014)
ReplyDeleteIf I remember rightly, McScotty, that 'one-shot' was an issue of Marvel Superheroes, which I have in my collection. Must do a post about it one day. I wonder if Karen Gillan will be doing an American accent in the movie? I've not seen that clip yet, but have heard a few people say it looks great.
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