Thursday 6 June 2019

June 6th, 1979 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

Nothing whatsoever noteworthy was happening in the whole world in this week of exactly forty years ago, which, bearing in mind there were 4.36 billion people on Earth, was a remarkable achievement. I can only assume everyone was far too busy, reading their Marvel comics, to create history.

In which case, I shall follow their lead and also completely fail to create history.

Star Wars Weekly #67, Darth Vader

It would appear that Darth Vader and Valance are in search of Tyler Lucian. Why they want him, I cannot claim to know.

Then again, apart from Darth Vader, I don't have a clue who any of those people are.

Elsewhere, mostly in the Everglades, the Micronauts find themselves having to battle the swamp-spawned horror of the Man-Thing.

The Strange Death of Adam Warlock is still going on. He's not half dragging it out. I'm sure I could have managed to top myself in half the time he's taken over it.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos are still fighting World War Two in outer space, courtesy of the Watcher and What If?

Starburst #10, Doctor Who, tom baker

Hooray! We get an interview with the living legend that is Tom Baker!

We also get a look at the non-stop action-packed thrill-fest that wasn't the first Star Trek movie. I'm not saying it's slow-moving but, forty years after the film first came out, the Enterprise still hasn't managed to get out of that space dry-dock.

The thing that most intrigues me, though, is that we get a look at a remake of The Shape of Things to Come.

The original was, of course, a startlingly lavish glimpse of mankind's future, one which got worryingly close to arguing the ideal society is one which doesn't waste its time worrying too much about human beings.

As for the remake, did it ever materialise? I've certainly never seen it, nor heard anything about it.

Rampage Monthly #12, the Hulk

I have no recollection of either what the Hulk or Dr Strange are getting up to in this month's issue but I'm assuming, from the tale's title, that we're given the New X-Men's clash with Count Nefaria and his Ani-Men - the one that sees the villain take over NORAD, and causes the death of Thunderbird.

Hulk Comic #14

Speaking of deaths, the Hulk's out to avenge the murder of Bigfoot by hunters.

Meanwhile, Ant-Man's abducted by window cleaners.

Seriously.

He really is.

The Eternals are still trying to stop the Deviants smashing up New York, as Sersi sets about rescuing Ikaris from his prison at the bottom of the ocean.

Not content with having a story in Star Wars Weekly, the Watcher also has one in this comic, in which he asks, "What if the Hulk had always had Bruce Banner's brain?"

Night-Raven's out to stop some crooks in a stolen car.

Nick Fury and SHIELD are messing about in the desert.

Captain Britain and the Black Knight are messing about in Britain, with elves.

Marvel Comic #345, Godzilla

Godzilla's still on the rampage.

But, then, when isn't he?

Savage Sword of Conan #20, Mike Kaluta, UK

Hooray! We've reached the only issue of the UK Savage Sword of Conan monthly I ever owned! How well I remember The Logical Song playing on the radio, as I was reading it.

From what I can recall, there's some sort of tale of royal intrigue drawn by Pablo Marcos, and a Dick Giordano drawn tale in which Red Sonja fights a satyr type creature in either an abandoned temple or tomb.

As for Solomon Kane, I don't remember his tale at all. From the title, I'm assuming skeletons are involved.

Spider-Man Comic #326, Daredevil


Spidey's been blinded by the Masked Marauder and is saved from plunging to his doom, by the last moment intervention of Daredevil.

But can they stop the curtain-faced crim who caused the crisis?

And can Spidey get his sight back?

And isn't that the robot bird that belonged to Lord Hawk in the old Captain Britain stories?



18 comments:

TC said...

The "Things to Come" remake just used the title and a few character names from the original. Otherwise, it was mostly an attempt to jump on the space opera band wagon generated by the success of Star Wars. Jack Palance played the evil emperor, and Carol Lynley played one of the rebel leaders.

The 1979 Star Trek movie was a remake of TOS episode, "The Changeling." Some fans complained, "I would have been OK with it if it had been just one more episode of the TV show, but did they have to give us a rerun?"

Steve W. said...

Thanks for the Shape of Things to Come info, TC. I've managed to find the trailer for it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqhLxb0af8I .

It has to be said it doesn't bear any resemblance to the original - or to HG Wells' vision. It does look like it might be better than Starcrash, though.

Anonymous said...

But Starcrash had Caroline Munro in it Steve - how can a film improve on that?

From what I recall of Rampage monthly, Dr Strange reprinted the post-Brunner era - judging from the titles on that cover we're in the New Atlantis storyline, when Doc and Clea met Benjamin Franklin, right around the point Englehart got the push as writer so Marv Wolfman could ruin one of Marvel's best 70s runs.

-sean

Steve W. said...

If only Munro hadn't be redubbed by a woman who couldn't act her way out of a carrier bag.

We're definitely on Strange and Clea's time-travelling/Atlantis adventures but I have no idea who or what the Monster of Atlantis is.

Aggy said...

If you think Starcrash is bad check out Starcrash 2 ;o

Steve W. said...

Am I right in vaguely remembering that Starcrash 2 seemed to have nothing at all in common with Starcrash 1?

Personally, I'm still holding out for Starcrash 3 - in 3D.

Anonymous said...

I'm checking out Starcrash 2 - which I hadn't previously been aware even existed - right now, as some thoughtful individual has posted the whole thing on Youtube. So far, it certainly doesn't seem to have anything in common with the first one Steve.
No Caroline Munro, dubbed or otherwise, so thats definitely a fail.

Didn't a sea creature appear in the issue of Dr Strange scene where Ben Franklin tried to cop off with Clea? I assumed that was the "monster of Atlantis".

-sean


Killdumpster said...

Thanks for the heads-up on Starcrash 2, Sean. Now I won't waste my time.

Godzilla continued to rampage because of his poor artistic depiction by Marvel Comics. Another crappy cover, with Herb Trimpe dissapointing innards probably. I swear, the man was never given any movie stills or saw a film. I love the guy, grew up with his art, but his Godzilla was garbage.

Darren Clayton said...

Try saying “Deadly danger, Daredevil” three times fast.

Steve W. said...

I am currently saying, "Dastardly diabolical deadly danger, Daredevil," a thousand times, to see at what point madness takes possession of my soul.

Anonymous said...

Tom Baker was a very good Rasputin! Creepy and compelling all at once.
I think the film was Nicholas and Alexandria.
Christopher Lee was good in the role, too. Less charm, though.

M.P.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Baker was really good as Ra-Ra-Rasputin M.P. A pity the BBC didn't get him for the part in their 70s tv series set in pre-WW1 Europe, Fall of Eagles.
They did get Patrick Stewart though, who was brilliant as Lenin.

-sean

Anonymous said...

Sean, did you see Stewart in his brief scene as Karla, master Soviet spy in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy? The one from the '70's with Alec Guinness?
The character doesn't say a word, but Stewart did it all with his eyes and body language. Very powerful. It's on You Tube.
I loved the recent movie, too. It got me reading John le Carre. I've got three books under my belt now.

M.P.

Dougie said...

I got that SSOC too. I carried on buying it sporadically for at least another year, I think.
The Logical Song was out of the Top 40 by this week though. I checked it because there were so many great records out that summer.

Anonymous said...

Patrick Stewart was in quite a few British tv dramas in the 70s M.P., usually in secondary parts - he was good in I, Claudius too (worth watching if you haven't seen it - I think it was an influence on the Sopranos - although it might look a bit low budget to an American eye).

It was a bit strange seeing the Gary Oldman Tinker, Tailor... as it looked much more "70s" than the tv version from the 70s.

-sean

Anonymous said...

I've got I, Claudius on DVD. I watch it about once a year. Then it takes me a year to recover from the trauma.
It hadn't occurred to me that it might have been an influence on American TV series such as the Sopranos, but I think that's probably true. HBO had a series "Rome" that was great too, that began roughly just after Caesar's victory in Gaul and ended shortly after the fall of Mark Anthony. There was a lotta I, Claudius in that one.
It was absolutely great!
The weird thing about Gary Oldman playing Smiley was he was an absolute dead ringer for my grandfather. Looked exactly like him. It was kind of eerie. He could have passed for him walking down the street.
Similar personality too.

M.P.

Dougie said...

Sorry. Attempting to correct you about the Logical Song was kind of obnoxious!

Steve W. said...

It's OK, Dougie. No offence taken.