This issue, with its spectacular interior artwork by Golden, is without a doubt one of my favorite Marvel Comics of the 80s. Why, oh why Al Milgrom was enlisted to draw the cover is one of the great mysteries of life. It's really cool to see what Golden would have done for the cover.
I have been wondering if this issue ever was republished on better-quality paper. Is that "Marvel Legends" thing the only instance of it being reprinted?
It was reprinted in Essential X-Men volume 3, in the second version of the volume, in glorious black and white .I hate how Marvel changes the contents of these Essentials when they go back to print to put a new cover on it. I have the first version of it(Arghh, gonna make me buy it again).
This "reimaging" really shows the extent of the fall of Michael Golden.
He was one of the best back then, but by the late 80's he changed to the cartoony look, and his latest commissions in the 2000's are borderline catastrophically bad.
I loved the comic when I first read it as a 12 year old. The Avengers were my fav, and of course the Xmen and Claremont were on top of the world in 1981. I revisited it recently and remembered what I thought at the end of the book--The Avengers weren't at fault? Ms Marvel left of her own free will. She seemed in love with Marcus. How could anyone have known without a telepath being available. As an adult, I realize this was a way to retcon the awful Avengers 200 and it mostly worked. Claremont conveniently took Thor and Cap out of the story, and based on what we now know about Rogue's powers she never would have been able to suppress the memories of WW2 horrors let alone the memories of a God from Asgard. Her absorbtion seems to last days here, when any transfer should have only lasted minutes. Wonder Man is the whipping boy throughout this book, with Claremont allowing even the lowly Blob to punch the 100 ton lifting Simon Williams away like a knat. There is some outstanding stuff- artist Michael Golden's pictures of Wanda vs Pyro toward the end of the book and my alltime favorite, Simon's face and Rogue's reaction when she realizes that she cant absorb him because he's living energy in a human form. "His eyes!....Th-The're not HUMAN!"....I would love to see a retcon of a retcon of this 30 year old book, and maybe we will get a version of it in this summers Avengers-Xmen crossover.
This issue, with its spectacular interior artwork by Golden, is without a doubt one of my favorite Marvel Comics of the 80s. Why, oh why Al Milgrom was enlisted to draw the cover is one of the great mysteries of life. It's really cool to see what Golden would have done for the cover.
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering if this issue ever was republished on better-quality paper. Is that "Marvel Legends" thing the only instance of it being reprinted?
It was also reprinted in the Marvel Masterworks volume #7.
ReplyDeleteIt was reprinted in Essential X-Men volume 3, in the second version of the volume, in glorious black and white .I hate how Marvel changes the contents of these Essentials when they go back to print to put a new cover on it. I have the first version of it(Arghh, gonna make me buy it again).
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with Esteban. This issue along with Byrne's first issue running the FF is what got me into comics. I started collecting at a great time!
ReplyDeleteThis "reimaging" really shows the extent of the fall of Michael Golden.
ReplyDeleteHe was one of the best back then, but by the late 80's he changed to the cartoony look, and his latest commissions in the 2000's are borderline catastrophically bad.
I loved the comic when I first read it as a 12 year old. The Avengers were my fav, and of course the Xmen and Claremont were on top of the world in 1981. I revisited it recently and remembered what I thought at the end of the book--The Avengers weren't at fault? Ms Marvel left of her own free will. She seemed in love with Marcus. How could anyone have known without a telepath being available. As an adult, I realize this was a way to retcon the awful Avengers 200 and it mostly worked. Claremont conveniently took Thor and Cap out of the story, and based on what we now know about Rogue's powers she never would have been able to suppress the memories of WW2 horrors let alone the memories of a God from Asgard. Her absorbtion seems to last days here, when any transfer should have only lasted minutes. Wonder Man is the whipping boy throughout this book, with Claremont allowing even the lowly Blob to punch the 100 ton lifting Simon Williams away like a knat. There is some outstanding stuff- artist Michael Golden's pictures of Wanda vs Pyro toward the end of the book and my alltime favorite, Simon's face and Rogue's reaction when she realizes that she cant absorb him because he's living energy in a human form. "His eyes!....Th-The're not HUMAN!"....I would love to see a retcon of a retcon of this 30 year old book, and maybe we will get a version of it in this summers Avengers-Xmen crossover.
ReplyDeleteHey Al, Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete