Week Ending

  Early Marvel UK could be a bit of a weekly mixed bag, and if I'm honest, this is one of their weaker showings. Still, with three titles on the shelves, there must have been some highlights. Let's find out what they were... Mighty World of Marvel #57 A Herb Trimpe and possibly Frank Giacoia cover standing in for the US original, this might have been because of the prominence of Nick Fury on the American version. We young Brits were obviously easily given to confusion, and a mono-ocular super spy would probably be too much for our easily befuddled minds. The Incredible Hulk: Monster Triumphant! Reprinting The Incredible Hulk #108 Hulk continues his battle with the Mandarin, which feels like it has been going on for a while now. More than enough time to shake up the creative team again anyway. Stan returns to take over writing duties, which seems to change any direction the story was heading in, and John Severin is now inking over Herb Trimpe's pencils. The result of which a

  The passing of almost five decades can play havoc with your memory. For instance; I am total convinced that 'comic day' for the Marvel UK weeklies was Thursday throughout the 70s. I would check on a Wednesday at the newsagent because sometimes they would come in early, but Thursday was generally the day you could hope to pick them up, though this would often stretch out to the weekend. This was one of the reasons I never got my comics reserved, that and I didn't want my name scrawled all over the cover by an uncaring shop assistant, I was happy to take my chances and check out all the local shops before school on the off chance I could get my weekly fix early. Which makes me wonder, why does everyone else seem to remember them coming out on Saturdays? Mighty World of Marvel #56 Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia (with assistance from John Romita) provide a cover with lots going on, yet it fails to actually make me like it. The Incredible Hulk: The Master Plan of The Mandarin. R

  The 1970s version of me would be so disappointed with his middle-aged future self for my inability to find the time to read three comics a week. However, young me was a short, weedy little dweeb with dubious personal hygiene, so his disapproval can be safely ignored.  Mighty World of Marvel #55 A good looking cover by Marie Severin and Frank Giacoia, which has some claim on being more original than the US original. On its first outing, the Mandarin was redrawn in a more dramatic pose by John Romita, I think I prefer this more relaxed and imperious version. The Incredible Hulk: Ten Rings Hath... The Mandarin! Reprinting The Incredible Hulk #107 After last week's bullpen free-for-all, we get a more streamline creative team in the form of Gary Friedrich writing with Herb Trimpe and Syd Shores taking care of pencils and inks. The previous plot by committee and Nikolai Furiski antagonist are quickly sidelined for the arrival of the Mandarin. What does the master of dated racist tropes