The Mighty world of Marvel No.2
Week ending 14th October 1972.
The latest Marvel masterpiece arrived with what looked like new stories for Hulk and the Fantastic Four but what is actually the second parts of the original US comics Hulk issue 1 and The Fantastic Four issue 1 respectively. You could almost imagine that in 1961 Stan Lee -the forward thinking editor, had planned those US issues with the hope that the origin first-half of those issues would be reused in Mighty World of Marvel No.1 and then the second-half action adventure tales would set up the direction of those stories following from issue 2 onwards. The action packed cover by Jim Starlin and Joe Sinnott boasts "The world's greatest superheroes!" in "Britains all action weekly!" With a header box enticing young readers to pick up this edition with an offer of a three amazing Spider-Man T-shirt transfer! No doubt less of them survived to this day than last weeks free Hulk transfers!
Pippa M Melling, the UK editor does cover over the "Part 3" of the original page with a handy "what's going on?" information-box right at the top of the page, that kind of says that this story is the second half of the origin but in my opinion this story changes very quickly from an origin story to what quickly becomes the Hulk against the Reds/Commies propaganda/paranoia story that becomes the norm for many early Marvel tales of the 60's, especially early Hulk tales. Not really sure how well this sits with a young British readership in the early 70's. To me today I'm fine with it, it was of its time and the story feels quaint. I wonder if with Russia and Putin's current stand against Ukraine and the rest of the world is colouring perception of how acceptable these story lines feel to me today? Is it a case of history repeating itself? Strangely at one point the cured Gargoyle address a portrait of the "Soviet" Leader, quite possibly Nikita Khrushchev, but in the British version he bears a moustache and the partly obscured title "Big Brother" was added to cover up his identity/ use graffiti to ridicule him/ or as a George Orwell 1984 in-joke for the British literary educated readership. If this comic was made today would Putin's image be inserted in a satirical comment on current affairs?
The Mole Man's motivation are laid out clearly but how he manages to accomplish his objectives are not clearly defined. Do the gigantic creatures bore out the tunnels that enable him to reach his nuclear power station targets or does he employ machinery for those tasks? All in all a splendid story that I've read in so many different comic that have always been enjoyable, this version only had very minor adjustments made to the story flow and only one "Ben Grimm bitter Reed comment" removed that really doesn't effect the story one bit. I love the final page were heroes defeat the Mole Man, escape from a "mad nightmare" of "roaring, running, snarling" "army of underground gargoyles" and then wonder if they've seen the last of the Mole Man? Like the Hulk's villain -the Gargoyle, in his story, of course they haven't! But what really stops the Mole Man from finishing what he started? Was it the lack of pages left in the original comic?
My copy of issue 2 has the wonderful novelty of second coupon for the Mystery Gift offer not being cut out. So I don't get a window onto the Fantastic Four strip. I must thank the previous owner who resisted temptation and may be bought two copies? The clues for the Mysterious Gift now included "It's as colourful as a rainbow!" I'm guessing a rainbow coloured bread bin!
The remaining interior colour pages sported "Pin up pages". The Jack Kirby Thing pin up from the FF issue 2 US comic, the Hulk pin up was the cover for the Hulk's US comic number 1with a re-coloured grey Hulk to a green Hulk and the FF pin up was the cover of the Fantastic Four number 2 as a teaser for the next MWOM issue, all three with added text. The Spider-man pin up presented on the back page was the original unused Steve Ditko cover from Amazing Fantasy number 15 that wasn't approved over the legendary Jack Kirby classic.
The final story in our second issue is Spider-man from The Amazing Spider-man issue 1, or at least a third of it. This humble tale retells our teenage hero's origin, as if we'd forgot last weeks story, but with its fill of teenage angst, the full spectrum of high school life, supporting an elderly family member, holding down a job, the works. More's to come for this tale, so we'll have to wait seven days to find out how it develops. I feel Spider-man gets the smallest share of the comic but that won't last as he's born to be a massive star.
Make Mine Marvel.
Wow! Issue 2! Looks like it'll be around awhile!
ReplyDeleteAssumptions made in ignorance:
The Hulk story is his second from Tales to Astonish- no idea he'd had his own mag in 1962!
Second half of FF#1, presumably!
And the second story from Spider-Man #1, or part of it- never knew about Amazing Fantasy until a few years later.
Great cover!
Had no idea who Jim Starlin was or how much I'd be enjoying his work in Captain Marvel in a few years.
Also I wonder how it came about they used the unused cover for AF#15- never saw it in a US publication until years later! Was this it's first appearance??
ReplyDeleteHi Mark...Thanks for another enjoyable post. This was the first MWOM I bought from a little newsagent in Thorne in South Yorkshire (at the time just about my favourite place in the world...it's now, a rather sad, fried chicken shop!). I didn't realise so many of these early copy edits were made to the UK versions of these stories, certainly had no impact on the sense of wonder they produce in this awkward, little 8 year old bookworm! I remember loving the Pin Up Pages in these early issues, which always seemed like really generous little extras.
ReplyDelete