Colourful beach huts, a holy well and fossilised reptile prints: these are some of the pleasures of Hopeman, the Moray village where I spent a bonny afternoon at the gala day. The 1980 Stevie Wonder reference is my ironic comment on the perennial blethering about the "washout summer". This time last year, there were very heavy showers when I visited the Machars of Galloway and it rained plenty up here in 2011 (and the previous summer, on my first "recce" to find a flat in Elgin.)
But what was "hot" among the new comics I bought in Glasgow earlier in the month? (Ahem.)
Avengers Assemble is an satisfyingly "old skool " comic, utilising the movie line-up. Since that means four of the super-heroes I consider "real" Avengers, I'm fine with that. There are Bronze Age villains (Zodiac and Thanos) and "Kozmic" Bronze Age heroes: Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon and Bug from (Tik!) Micronauts. Of course, it's just been announced that Guardians of the Galaxy, astonishingly, is a future Marvel movie project.
The regular Avengers also has a retro flavour as Walt Simonson draws Hala, the Kree homeworld. The Kree are forty-five years old this month, having made their first appearance in the FF, an early example of Kirby's interest in Ancient Astronaut theories.
The last chapter of the beautifully- pencilled Phoenix/Iron Fist story in New Avengers sees Spider-Man amusingly appointed as Hope Summers' mentor. The blend of 70s tropes in the story of Fongji recalled the Celestial Madonna Saga for me. We jump abruptly however to a gripping jailbreak story with a twist, in which Spider-Woman gets to display the extent of her skills at manipulation.
Oddly, Mockingbird featured on all the house ads for this issue. This is frustrating because Bendis has done nothing with her since saving her life with the longevity- inducing Infinity Formula.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the new Deathcry! Actually, Warbird in Wolverine and the X-Men reminds me of Kirby's Big Barda: a battle-hardened warrior who conceals her sensitivity. The touching tale of the artist turned "Shi'Ar Deathbringer" is a reflective moment in a blizzard of Avengers hitting X-Men.
Meanwhile Batman Inc. retells the Bronze Age Ra's al Ghul/ Demon saga from the point of view of his daughter, Talia. Grant Morrison references the Demon's antecedent, Fu Manchu, in a tour of the infamous Devil Doctor of Limehouse's subterranean lair." I always wanted my own secret headquarters under London", Talia responds politely. My favourite scene in this cartoony and well-designed comic is Batman's hilarious disguise as an old peasant woman.
The controversial Earth-2 début of the new gay Green Lantern sets him up, quite logically I thought, as the guardian of the Green. I also liked the appointment of Solomon Grundy as his diametric opposite, although I'm not keen on the fetish wear. There's also a tussle between Young Jay Garrick and the new, black Hawkgirl but I'm more interested in which version of Starman Robinson will decide to use.
I continue to find Legion of Super-Heroes a little disappointing but as this blog's regular sorties into psychochronography prove, you really can't go home again The pacing reminds me of the Baxter series of the 80s. On the plus side, Dream Girl is a major player once more. However, Steve Lightle's cover was surely intended for the next issue. I should be excited by new Legion recruits but Mwindaji (Swahili for "hunter") and Otaki seem like replacements for Dawnstar and Saturn Girl- and, at worst, "Red Shirts".
Justice League was my biggest disappointment this month. The macabre Graves makes husks out of the Leaguers but his shtick reminds of losers Dr. Destiny and Master Pandemonium. Gary Frank's Shazam back -up brings me back to this book when I keep hoping for a JLA that could challenge the Avengers franchise. Aquaman is impressive here but I'd like Cyborg replaced with someone like Milestone's Icon.
On a nostalgic note, let's look at Marvel UK in July of years gone by. I was on holiday in the aforementioned Machars of Galloway when a gaudy, slashing Wolverine appeared in 1976, just before MWOM swallowed The Avengers. "Great news for all our readers", probably...
If Marvel still had the licence, I wouldn't have been surprised at Bendis inducting the Cimmerian into New Avengers.
Similarly, in 1975, Avengers absorbed the weekly Savage Sword of Conan after a run of a mere eighteen issues. Of course, Barry Smith's art looked good in b&w although, pardon the cliché, I like his earlier stuff better. For me, the Kirby-isms in early Conan look more "fantastic" and less pseudo-historical. Nonetheless, this was a classy collection of strips.
Win £52.00?! What? How? Where?! Ah, simpler times...
Coming soon: Some Batman flick.
All images presumed copyright of their respective owners
Ooer. I'd better not tell you that I have two copies of that self-same Summer Special then, eh? I always liked that Spidey/Strange story. I've got the original US Annual (#2) it appeared in, plus Marvel Tales reprinted it back in 1984. (You should be able to pick that one up quite cheaply and easily I would think. It's #167.)
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