What If...? vol. 1

 

Late in 1976 Marvel Comics released a different comic book- What If?  The Watcher took the readers on journeys to different worlds (the multiverse) where heroes made some slightly different choices. The Distinguished Competition used to do these stories, but they were generally dreams, hoaxes or "imaginary stories" back then.  I enjoyed them, though generally they were tame.  I quite enjoyed the Superman Blue and Superman Red story though.  However, the trope had become a joke by the 70s, to both companies.  We would see cover blurbs proclaim that what we see on the cover was "not a hoax!  not a dream!  not an imaginary story!" constantly.

So Marvel figured out a way to do it without being quite that silly.  I loved the series, and had most of the first four years run.  Some stories were better than others, but mostly they were fun.  This book collects the first twelve issues, and includes many of the letters pages.  I may pick up the second volume, but that would be enough for me.  Oddly enough, I have yet to watch season 2 of the What If series.