THE SAVAGE SUB-MARINER #67... (Updated)

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Hell's bells, I just received a bit of a shock, Crivvies.  I mentioned in a previous post that I'd recently purchased Prince Namor, The Savage Sub-Mariner #67, and that I had a reprint of the comic given away with a figure of ol' Subby a few years back.  I'd have guessed around 7 or 8, but looking at the indicia after digging it out 10 minutes ago, I see it was published in 2002 - 20 years ago.  The original mag came out in 1973 and I had a copy of it at the time (and by copy, I don't mean reprint, facsimile, or replica), so I bought the one with the action figure (no, Melvin - it's not a doll) nearly 30 years after the first printing.

So, where does the shock come in?  I just can't believe it was 20 years ago I bought the one shown below, as it doesn't seem like anywhere near that time - how wrong can a fella be?   (Though it's always possible I didn't obtain it 'til a year or two after it came out.)  I'm not quite sure whether the interior pages were printed from scans of the published '73 issue, or the original colour negatives (or maybe a bit of both), but the reproduction is bright and clear, and renders my acquisition of the original almost redundant if I just wanted the story to read*.  However, it's the ads and letters page which makes the difference, as all true collectors know.

(*Update: Actually, the original ish prints a couple of pages out of sequence, whereas the reprint has them in the proper order, so that's a plus.)

Anyway, thought I'd let you see both versions, along with the figure (again).  Any of you Crivvies got either of these comics, and what did you think of Namor's new costume?  And have you ever been astonished to discover that something which you thought was a relatively recent acquisition has actually been in your possession for a far longer part of your life than you realised?

This version of the cover was how it was originally drawn, but was amended to make Namor's
costume in the published cover (first image) slightly darker and give it more visual impact

For a better comparison, click to enlarge, then click again for optimum size

I suspect (can't recall) Namor's belt and wrist bracelets
were once the same gold colour as his trident, but have
'tarnished' over time.  Whaddya think, Crivvies?

DC AND MARVEL FACSIMILE EDTIONS...

Copyright respective owners.  (DC COMICS and MARVEL COMICS)

Here's a few fairly recent releases of Facsimile Editions by DC and Marvel that you might be interested in acquiring.  The bottom of the art on the covers of Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27 has been extended to compensate for the differences in page size between mags back then and now, but you'd think they'd get someone who knew what they were looking at to perform the task.  The bottom of the guy's elbow on AC #1 doesn't look quite where it should be (making the arm a tad too long), and the raised lower arm of the gunman on DC #27 is on the outside of his upper arm, instead of the inside.  Those flaws apart, they're well worth acquiring and that's my very own copies you're looking at.

It's worth noting that these reprints excite me more than any modern comics I can think of - and I already own various versions of the stories, in individual and also collected formats.  What does that tell you about contemporary comic mags, Crivvies?  Feel free to wax lyrical in the comments section.

In case you were wondering, the barcode is on the back cover