BLIMEY! The THING Is BIG BEN COVER & IMAGE GALLERY - PART FIVE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

As I trot tantalisingly about town spreading joy and happiness amongst my fellow Caledonians (by virtue of my fair and friendly countenance and beaming disposition), I still sometimes can't help but wonder if I do enough to alleviate all the pain and suffering in this wide world and whether it might just be possible to do more.  Then I remember this bombastic blog and realise what a herculean effort I put into making this planet a far better place, and feel foolish for doubting my awesome altruism.  In fact, I get so embarrassed about being such a wonderful person, that I very often feel like punching an orphan just to attain some kind of balance in my everyday life.

Anyway, enough of the problems of veritable sainthood - you're not concerned with such minor matters, I'm sure.  Instead, let's focus on the final four issues of MARVEL U.K.'s weekly periodical from the mid-'80s, The THING Is BIG BEN, which shuffled off this mortal coil with its 18th issue.  I've also included the Summer Special to complete the collection, as I just can't help but give, give, give!  ('Scuse me while I polish my halo.)

So, all you cavortin' Criv-ites, I've done my part, 'tis now time for you to do yours - by savouring the varied visuals which I've laid out before you.  Should you then wish to leave a comment thanking me for my genial generosity and bountiful benevolence, I'll read them with my customary modesty at what a super human being I happen to be.  Although, it's hard to be humble when you're as magnificent as I am, as I'm sure you can all appreciate.

      

BABE Of The DAY - SCARLETT JOHANNSON...

When is black red?  When the

BLACK WIDOW is played by SCARLETT

JOHANNSON.  Yeah, I know it's feeble, but

it's the best I've can do.  So sue me - or start

 writing your own ruddy captions.

D.C. THOMSON ANNUALS ON SALE NOW...

All images copyright D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd

My local WHS has just put a selection of Annuals on display, so, tempted as I was to wait 'til nearer Christmas when the price comes down, I snapped up the two you see before you in case they sell out.  At the moment, if you buy one, you get the other for £1, which works out at only  £7 each - quite a good buy.  No doubt there will be other competitive offers elsewhere, and the price is bound to decrease even further at Christmas and the New Year (supplies permitting) if you'd prefer to wait a bit.  Anyway, let's consider THE BEANO & DANDY volume first.

It's satisfying to see that the pages are presented simply, with- out all the 'dressing up' that DCT's designers usually over-apply, but I still have a few quibbles.  The colours on most of The Beano covers seem bright and vibrant, whereas The Dandy ones seem pallid by comparison.  It's as if one set of covers have been boosted, but the other set haven't.  Despite that, it's a nice little collection, even though, following the mix-up of printing the same page twice in the recent Dandy Summer Special, Thomson's compound that error by printing the last two pages in the book out of sequence.  (You can see the correct order above, just below the cover.)

The OOR WULLIE & THE BROONS book is a delight, being presented in full colour for the first time, and there's a great selection of art by KEN H. HARRISON, DUDLEY D. WATKINS and even two examples by ROBERT N. NIXON.  The colouring gives the pages a whole other dimension, though there are at least a couple of instances where greater thought could have been put into its application.  In the two small images above, Wullie's hair is delineated quite clumsily, with it growing from behind his ears in the first, and over his forehead and temples in the second. 

However, these small but annoying quibbles aside, DCT are to be commended for at least trying to do the right thing.  Once they actually manage to produce their output free of clumsy errors, I'll be a very happy man.