Week Ending April 27, 1974

Of the nine stories included in this week's Marvel UK anthology format, I find it hard to believe these were the best cover options available. The glossiness of the covers were doing a lot of the heavy lifting this week when it came to taking sales from the homegrown UK comics.

Mighty World of Marvel #82

The first of our not so great covers is at least based on the US original, though some odd choices seem to have been made for its trip across the pond. As well as playing with the colouring, to the overall detriment of the cover art, it would seem that British kids were as sensitive about religion as they were about international politics, resulting in the figure of the priest on the original Herb Trimpe cover being altered to look like a random guest who chose to turn up at a wedding in blue overalls. 

The Incredible Hulk: Do You Take This Hulk! Reprinting The Incredible Hulk #124

Bruce Banner is now in control of his transformation into the Hulk and decides to celebrate this turn of events by marrying Betty Ross. However, like all weddings since the dawn of time, there is always trouble and a fight. Rather than a drunk uncle or aunt with a taste for drama, it is the Leader and the Rhino smashing up the buffet and bringing up all that stuff with aunty Doris again. I'm still enjoying the pairing of Trimpe and Sal Busema on art, with neither style dominating, the result is quite unique. Roy Thomas continues to bring a slightly more modern feel to the writing as well. 

Daredevil: The Ox Is Back In Town! Reprinting Daredevil #15

Daredevil is on the hunt for the Ox, unaware that the Ox's body is now inhabited by the mind of Karl Stragg. DD soon finds his quarry, along with Karen Page (New York being little more than a small village with a population you could count on your fingers and toes) but is soon overpowered by the new and improved Ox. To make matters worse, the Ox then dresses the unconscious Daredevil in extra set of 'Ox garments' that he just happened to have for occasions such as this. Karen is then taken hostage and DD is arrested on suspicion on being the Ox, great detective work police dudes. As DD enlists the legal talents of Foggy Nelson to gain his freedom, the Ox returns to his lair, where the original Ox, in the body of Karl Stragg, is having a full-on redemptive arc and ambushes smart-Ox, enabling Karen and himself to escape. Daredevil is now free from jail and the Ox is on a rampage, setting up a rooftop heliport showdown, which lasts all of five panels before the Ox is hurled to his shocking death from the top of the building. The story closes on a more cheery note, with the original Ox, changed by his experience, choosing to return to prison and turn his life around. It's not Stan's greatest work with DD but you can kinda see what he was aiming for, while John Romita and Frank Giacoia supply clear, if unexciting, art. 

The Fantastic Four: The Stars, My Enemy! Reprinting Fantastic Four #37

Reed Richards drags the team to the Skrull homeworld, hellbent on giving his bride-to-be the wedding gift every woman desires: revenge, served cold. While the FF don't actually pull the trigger themselves, the Skrull responsible for the death of Sue and Johnny's father ends up spectacularly dead. If Stan intended to write Reed as a narcissistic sociopath, he did a fine job of it. It's all smiles at the end though, as the team make it home in time for Reed and Sue's wedding rehearsal. 

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #63

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything. 

So here is a cover by Ron Wilson and Mike Esposito. 

The Amazing Spider-Man: Where Fly The Winged Furies! Reprinting Amazing Spider-Man #64

I had assumed that in last week's issue, the original Vulture had got the Vulture 2.0 out of prison for a team-up against our favourite wall-crawler. It turns out that Vulture Sr. just wanted to show the young upstart who rules the roost. This makes for an issue heavy on Vulture infighting and surprisingly light on Spider-Man. Don Heck is still doing pencils for John Romita, but it is upsetting me a lot less now. 

Iron Man: Duel of The Armoured Titans! Reprinting Tales of Suspense #46

While Don Heck continues to strut his funky stuff in the pages of this story, we do get the original Kirby cover repurposed for a splash page. Unsurprisingly, Jack's more cosmonaut looking take on the Crimson Dynamo is considerably more appealing than Heck's Russian marital-aid mascot looking interpretation. The actual story is nothing to write home about, apart from the Dynamo's origins being relocated to Bodavia this week and Iron Man winning over his armoured nemesis with the superpower of free market capitalism. 

In Human Form! 

I can't quite work out why SMCW regularly seems to have the space for these early Lee/Ditko tales, but glad it does. No idea where or when this story first appeared, though it feels like a trope that most sci-fi writers have taken a swing at, as shape-shifting aliens drop a colossal clanger when choosing the best form in which to invade Earth. 

The Mighty Thor: And Who Shall Stand For Hercules! Reprinting Thor #129

Thor gets quite a lot packed into a few pages this week. Returning to Asgard to renounce his godly power so he may marry Jane Foster, unfortunately this coincides with a previously prophesied 'day of the three worlds'. This sounds like a bit of a big deal, and not something a god should let slip his mind. Anyway, Odin sends Thor to wait in limbo until whatever is supposed to happen, happens. Meanwhile, in Olympus, Hercules is finding that his character trait of being a bit of a dick is not helping him find a champion willing to risk their life to save him being banished to the netherworld for eternity. A definite lesson for us all there. At this point the whole prophesy thing swings into play and Thor is transported from limbo just in time to step up as Hercules' champion. It's a fun yarn with the feel of a potential classic, if only the art could do justice to the concept, Vince Colletta has much to answer for in this issue. 

The Avengers #32

At this point in time Ron Wilson and Mike Esposito were churning out a lot of the weekly UK covers, that would be on top of whatever they were doing for the stateside arm of the business. With this in mind, I will be generous and say that this is not absolutely the worst comic cover I have ever seen. 

Master of Kung Fu: Lair of The Lost! Reprinting Master of Kung Fu #17

Shang-Chi finds himself once more the target of incredibly 70s street-toughs (if this does not feature heavily in his MCU debut, I will be very disappointed) in a nod to the more modern setting of this new strip, said street-toughs are clearly trying to fund their drug habit, probably not something the younger me may have picked up on. Our would-be muggers are soon dispatched and Shang-Chi is free to go about the mission of seeking out the council of Sir Denis Nayland Smith regarding the unfortunate business of him murdering Smith's friend Petrie. Neyland Smith has his own agenda though, one that involves Sean Connery lookalike Black Jack Tarr and his Murder Mansion. To my surprise I am enjoying these Steve Englehart/Jim Starlin/Al Milgrom stories, there is a definite attempt to make them more layered, even if it feels they might be trying a little too hard. 

The Avengers: To Smash A Serpent! Reprinting Avengers #33

In clear defiance of Cap's clear and well documented policy of punching Nazis, the remaining Avengers play along with The Sons of The Serpent who have kidnapped the sentinel of liberty. In fairness to him, Hawkeye makes an impassioned case for fascist-smashing, but is overruled by the more senior Goliath. Don Heck is definitely putting more into his composition this week as Stan brings his social justice A-game. 

Dr. Strange: To Catch A Magician! Reprinting Strange Tales #145

After a protracted period of continuing stories for Dr Strange, we returne to the format of one-off mystical threats. This week it is a descendant of Rasputin, who decides to use his limited magical skills for the purpose of international espionage and world domination. It's not a bad little set up, a character who is not that skilled in the mystic arts, using those powers in a believable manner to achieve his ends. An idea that is echoed when he and Strange engage in magical combat, clearly outclassed, Rasputin pulls a gun and straight-up Indiana Joneses Strange's ass. Dr Strange is able to flee to hospital and is able to outwit his opponent in his astral form with his usual blend of cunning and magic.

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