Week Ending

Reading the Marvel UK reprints back in the 70s, I assumed we were just getting black and white versions of what the Americans read a decade or so before, with the odd reference changed to suit our British tastes. That was possibly true later on, but in these early issues there was quite a lot of effort put into making stories that started months or years apart originally, tie up in a new, alternative continuity. Looking back now, the success of this tinkering was a mixed bag, but it is hard not to appreciate the effort that went into hiding the joins from what would have been a largely oblivious audience. Mighty World of Marvel #39 Once again Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito are taking care of business on the cover. There, is character, action and unusually even some background this week. I wonder if these guys ever got to see their work on these covers in print after churning them out week after week? Time for a new art team and a new take on the Hulk, with Marie Severin and Frank Giaco

Well the shops have reopened in the UK, so I guess you have the choice between an orgy of pent up consumerism and seeing what Marvel UK was offering this week in 1973. 10p worth of comics or spend three hours queuing to buy a t-shirt from Primark that won't survive its first wash for probably the same amount of money adjusted for inflation. Though I guess you could do both. Mighty World of Marvel #38 Nice cover this week from Rich Buckler and possibly Frank Giacoia, one that isn't hurt by the usual simplistic flat colouring, though I'm less sure about the strange black framing. The Hulk is on a rampage under the control of The Stranger, in order to soften up the planet for the alien superbeing to makeover as he sees fit. Though this doesn't last, as soon as Hulk returns to the missile base of his birth, he transforms into Bruce Banner and the thrall is broken. Banner realising that the threat to the Earth may return with the Hulk, quickly decides to off himself with his

1973 beckons us once more, enough time had passed to get over the shock of the decimalisation of our pocket money and the metric system did not seem to present an immediate threat to our weekly comics, so come with me to the newsagent shelves of the past. Mighty World of Marvel #37 This week's Buckler/Esposito cover is a scratchy looking affair with poor colouring, I do wonder if bashing out the UK weekly covers was looked upon as a thankless chore among the US bullpen?  Once again the endless merry-go-round of Hulk artists takes on another passenger, this episode features none other than the great Gil Kane. I always enjoy his art, his distinctive figures and unusual angles (nostrils anyone?) are a constant pleasure to see. It is interesting to see then that his work seems a little rushed maybe, given the turnover of artists on this feature it is easy to imagine that the assignment may have landed on his desk late in the day. That said, there are still flashes of brilliance to be f

I think we can all agree that the present is turning out to be a massive disappointment. So, let us return to 1973, a time that wasn't that great itself, but our optimism had not yet been squeezed from us like juice from a Ribena berry. Mighty World of Marvel #36 There might be a good cover lurking under the excessive colouring and lackluster print here, but I don't feel the effort involved in finding out would be worth it. Really pleased to see John Buscema on pencils again, although the pairing with Mike Esposito on inks is not quite as revelatory as last week. Hulk has transformed from his heavy-set bruiser appearance into the fantastically muscular goliath we are more familiar with. The only drawback being that we also get a very buff Bruce Banner, in fact everyone with the possibly exception of Betty Ross looks like they have been hitting the protein shakes. The story picks up from last week with Bruce Banner the unfortunate passenger of the Orion missile heading for New Y

This week's post has been somewhat delayed, not because I am lazy, oh no. Rather, such is my dedication to providing you the reader with the rollercoaster experience of collecting Marvel UK weeklies in the 1970s, I have simulated the ever present risk to distribution of an industrial dispute. That terror as your comics fail to turn up day after day in your newsagent with no explanation. Don't say I never do anything for you. Mighty World of Marvel #35 Another Buckler/Esposito cover, that while a little crude and marred by low quality printing, still delivers some eye-catching action. This week's first Hulk story is certainly nothing special in itself, but the stuff going on behind the scenes is fascinating. The Hulk's long period of troubled art seems to reach a crescendo here, with artwork credited to "the whole blamed bullpen". A quick scan of the comic book database names Bill Everett, Jerry Grandenetti, Jack Kirby, John Tartaglione, Mike Esposito and Sol B