A few of the blogs that I read daily have lately been posting Batman information so I wanted to highlight Batman Legends. This is a UK magazine published by Titan Magazines. It's bi-monthly and is made up of reprint material from the American originals.
When I was a kid it always used to annoy me that the American super hero comics seemed that much better than the UK versions but these days I think, that although made up of reprint material and thus never gaining the collector value of the original, the UK have the edge. The comics are bound in a nice limp back covers, like trade paperbacks and they are much more durable than the American originals. Titan also publish Superman Legends but I can't say I'm a regular reader of that title since I've never really been one for The Man of Steel.
Panini Books publish, in identical formats, the Marvel range over here in the UK and some of these titles are essential reading.
These titles are monthly and the
company are currently running the Civil War storyline across their range of titles. I don't buy all of these but I do like Marvel Legends and Mighty World of Marvel. Avengers Unconquered is also very good. The company also publish A Fantastic Four title as well as Spiderman and the X men.They're certainly a vast improvement over the UK editions we had as a kid - then the Marvel/DC adaptions were often printed in black and white as most UK comics were at that time.
Batman Legends is my favourite title in terms of story as I like the noir feel of the modern Batman. But the Marvel comics have the edge of the DC ones because each title has a lively letters page. Neither Batman or Superman have much of a letter page and, as with the American titles, I always enjoy the readers letters. Maybe that's the aging fanboy inside me.
12 comments:
I had many early Batman comics when I was a kid. But like the proverbial baseball cards, my mom pitched them.
Pattie - my Mum did the same with loads of my comics. Beacuse I wouldn't keep my room tidy if I recall correctly.
At the time I was working as an editor for Odhams Books Ltd in the mid-sixties, the company's periodical division was introducing the UK comic fans to the Marvel characters -- Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk et al -- in serials in its weekly comics Smash! and Fantastic. Unfortunately, book rights were not available, so the annuals (books) on which I worked had to create substitute characters, drawn largely by Spanish artists, to provide material that would reflect that part of the weeklies' content.
You can say what you like about US comics, but it was a Brit who did The Sandman epic (and yes I am aware of the history of the character).
Makes me want to read some Thor.
Course the Brits have produced some classics as Ben pointed out - 2000AD to name but one title. But generally the US produced the best comics especially during the 60's and 70's.
Charles - I would have pegged as a Thor man - must be that Robert E. Howard influence.
I love Batman. Great post.
I've still got a few thousand US comics in a friend's attic back in UK. While I'll probably sell on the majority if I ever get back to those shores, I'll doubtless retain Mystery in Space, Swamp Thing, Miracleman and Our Army at War. I used to get letters regularly printed in Superman and Swamp Thing; seems a long time ago though...
NIK - I once had a letter in Look In.
I hope you kept it! It's a great feeling - even if only for a second or two. I never got to those heady heights where regular fanwriters get sent early proofs of a new comic so the letterpage will have something from the off. I couldn't have afforded the postage!
Nik
No wish I had kept it. I reckon I was about ten at the time.
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