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| Copyright MARVEL COMICS |
Nice to see that Marvel has restored the Comics Code box to the cover of their new-printing of X-Men #1 Facsimile Edition (absent from their first attempt in 2019), but surprisingly, they haven't restored the 'Continued After Next Page' lines before the original ads throughout the story. What makes this curious is that the Avengers mag below has them, so why one and not the other? That aside, it's good to add these mags to my collection, 'cos these facsimiles are the only comics worth buying at the moment in my view. Nothing else appeals to me, either from Marvel or DC, and maybe other readers/collectors feel the same. Might be worth these two companies taking note, eh?
(Ignore any slight blemishes on the covers - I scanned them while still in their poly bags.)
I'm afraid I found the original X-Men boring so I wouldn't be keen on reading them again. I can't agree that there's nothing good in modern comics - Marvel's recent Conan run for example.
ReplyDeleteWell, Marvel's Conan is now past tense, CJ, so does that count? Original X-Men boring? Take two demerits and stand in the corner.
ReplyDeleteI have bought these in several formats over the years and resist the facsimiles unless it's truly a special issue to me. But I agree, about the only thing which causes me to scan the racks of a comics store anymore are things like this, old material refreshed. New stuff just leaves me cold.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, RJ. I find that new mags don't 'call' to me in the way that back issues or facsimile editions do. There's the odd exception every now and again of course, but only once in a blue moon. I really hope that Marvel get around to reprinting Journey Into Mystery #83 before too long.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Colin I'm afraid on those early X-Men comics, they just never intrigued me. I bought that Avengers issue but haven't had time to read /scan it yet.
ReplyDelete90% of new comics leave me cold as well, but some are ok ( not that I read many, or that they are aimed at my age band). But 60s and mid70s comics were by far the best!
Ah, but if you'd fancied Jean Gray/Marvel Girl like I did, McS, you might have felt differently about those early X-Men tales.
ReplyDeleteSome '80s comics were good as well. Fantastic Four, Daredevil, etc.
I peered in the window of my local comics shop this morning and I saw the X-Men #1 facsimile on the shelves reserved for the new comics.
ReplyDeleteKid, have you seen the new 1st and 2nd class stamps with Charles's head on them?
Buy one, CJ - it's a collectors' item. The prices of some of these facsimile editions are getting higher and higher.
ReplyDeleteI've probably seen a picture of them in a newspaper or on the telly, but I don't think I'll be buying them specifically for his image, only if I need to post a letter. I will be buying the Christmas stamps this year though, 'cos I get them every year. Talking of Christmas, I haven't taken my decorations down yet and will probably leave them up 'til next January.
Well, personally speaking, the original X-Men were my favourite out of all of the Marvel strips, closely followed by the Avengers. The second X-Men were good as well, but the first team did it for me!
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, JP, I always preferred the original X-Men to the new team. That's why I was pleased when they reunited for X-Factor (the US comic, not the UK TV show) back around the mid-'80s.
ReplyDeleteAt a convention around 1980 or so, by which time the new X-Men had become popular, I recall Stan Lee addressing a (very small back then) audience and answering some question about the X-Men. He made an offhand remark, something like, "I don't know why they didn't use the originals." Since he had no interest in nurturing characters any more, I thought it interesting that deep down he liked the thought of "his" X-Men being the one associated with the name, not these New Mutants on the Block. I'm not saying he was all broken up about the change; it was phrased like a passing puzzled irritation.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, GP, and if, as some anti-Stan people claim, he had nothing to do with creating the X-Men and it was all down to Jack, he surely wouldn't have felt so invested in the characters. So I think your observation lends credence to Stan being their co-creator, otherwise he wouldn't have cared a jot about them.
ReplyDeleteAha I have the Wonderman issue! The original printing. I got it after I read the Mighty World of Marvel reprint and liking the story. It was the first one I had ever read where a hero actually died. Well what did I I know, it was 1975 or whatever and they hasn’t started brining people back.
ReplyDeleteAnd strangely enough a few years later in the late 70s Wonder Man comes back.
Wouldn't it have been reprinted in the Avengers weekly, PS, rather than MWOM? I first read the story and saw the cover when it was reprinted in a comic (split over 2 issues) called Terrific back around 1967. I no longer have my original issues, but I managed to replace them many, many years ago (decades in fact) and have therefore owned them far longer than I ever owned my original copies.
ReplyDeleteI resisted the urge to get the X-Men facsimile today, along with the two recent Avengers facsimiles, but only on the basis that they were one-offs. If Marvel (or DC for that matter), started reprinting entire runs of their early sixties comics, one new issue per month, I'd probably buy the lot. Imagine being able to pick up new shiny copies of these comics each month! Better than time travel.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see Marvel do that myself, B, but until they do (if ever), I'll grab whatever issues I can while they're going. After all, the more people that buy these issues, the more Marvel would probably publish.
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