Friday, December 2, 2011

Marvel Comics #1

this reprint was published two years ago to celebrate Marvel Comics 70th anniversary.  only fitting since it's called Marvel Comics (issue two was turned into Marvel Mystery Comics, and I don't know why, it's a mystery).  I'm  sure it's probably been explained somewhere, but I have no idea where that would be.

it's a fun and very violent issue.  I quit counting the deaths at ten, and I bet there are at least ten more.  it's been recolored now, to "look" better. I would have preferred to read it in it's original glory, unaltered, but the coloring isn't too detracting.

I've read the "origin" stories of the Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner several times, sometimes in the exact form, sometimes with adaptions.  the rest I've never read.  I was surprised to see that Dorma, Namor's cousin, was around since the very beginning of the series.

the original Angel is the vigilante Batman only wished he could be, at least in this story, where the law is taken into his hands, and abetted by the entire police force.  heck, they even talk about it openly before the Angel steps in.  I'd never seen or read any of his stories before.  nor had I read about Al Anders' Western hero the Masked Raider, either, and that was interesting.

we end with the jungle lord Ka-Zar the Great, who only bears the slightest resemblance to the Ka-Zar I know.  still, for an adaption of the pulp story it's not a bad Tarzan rip off.  I missed the Savage Land dinosaurs though.

thanks again Chris!

1 comment:

C. Elam said...

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Actually, I don't think anyone DOES know why the book changed titles!

I don't feel the modern coloring is an attempt to make it look better, but more an attempt to appeal to a wider audience with something that is a niche product. There have already been a few reprints with flat colors, so it was a change of pace. But really, the only original coloring would be a scan of the comic. And even that would be off.

Surprisingly, a good portion of Namor's supporting cast dates back to the Golden Age. I mean, Byrrah is from the Golden Age!