Is Marvel UK a Dead Universe?

turborip · Post by **turborip** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 3:56 pm

It seems in discussion that we all agree that the 2099 and New Universe are pretty much dead, but I wonder about about the Marvel UK brand that was all over the place in the 90's? I know Death's Head still rears it's head once in a while (though only in the 3.0 mini from a couple years back) and I thoght I had read somewhere there is a vague reference to Knights of Pendragon in one of the recent Captain Britain series in the mainstay Marvel, so I wasn't sure what the 'final verdict' on these titles were. I know they tried really hard to use the main Marvel U in several cameos but overall, whatever happened to these UK titles and characters?

I ask mostly because I'm revising my DU list and have a handful of these books I would have no problem putting out there if someone wants them.

Lightning Strike · Post by **Lightning Strike** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 4:02 pm

turborip wrote:It seems in discussion that we all agree that the 2099 and New Universe are pretty much dead, but I wonder about about the Marvel UK brand that was all over the place in the 90's? I know Death's Head still rears it's head once in a while (though only in the 3.0 mini from a couple years back) and I thoght I had read somewhere there is a vague reference to Knights of Pendragon in one of the recent Captain Britain series in the mainstay Marvel, so I wasn't sure what the 'final verdict' on these titles were. I know they tried really hard to use the main Marvel U in several cameos but overall, whatever happened to these UK titles and characters?

I ask mostly because I'm revising my DU list and have a handful of these books I would have no problem putting out there if someone wants them.

The line itself is dead, but the characters are not. So I'm not sure about this one

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 7:22 pm

I think it would be challenging to collect either way.

Being from England i saw this grow from nothing overnight and my life there was some really nasty old poop

I do intend to at some point collect everything Marvel UK did pre 90's original stories.

The Marvel UK reprints madness kicked off in 1972 and was awful black and white oversized reprints.

I will have to scan some examples to show you how bad they really are.

However they did put put some great original stories in the 80's including the classic Alan Davis/Alan Moore Captain Britain revamps that ran through some pretty obscure titles.

Earl · Post by **Earl** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 5:09 am

Love Marvel Uk but it's really hard to complete a set. Titles like Bea, kim, and Rupert are really hard to find.

Earl.

Cyberstrike · Post by **Cyberstrike** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:51 am

I liked Hell's Angel/Dark Angel for some weird reason. I love the orginal Death's Head only because he killed Shockwave in the Marvel UK Transformers series and he was funny.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 11:10 am

Earl wrote:Love Marvel Uk but it's really hard to complete a set. Titles like Bea, kim, and Rupert are really hard to find.

Earl.

Well there it is dude, you just named three i had no idea Marvel UK produced.

Scary isnt it.

leonmallett · Post by **leonmallett** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 11:18 am

I think Dragons Claws was recently collected as a tpb.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 12:01 pm

leonmallett wrote:I think Dragons Claws was recently collected as a tpb.

Yeah i saw that listed somewhere.

In fact if i recall correctly Dragons Claws was the first Marvel Uk title to emulate the US format and was followed swiftly by Deaths Head, Action Force Gi Joe European Missions and im sure the ever obscure Sleeze Brothers was a MArvel UK/ Epic collaboration?

This is of course was followed by Knights of the Pendragon and then before we knew it the Deaths Head 2 mini was the catayst for all the madness that follwed.

The amusing part for me was always the formats they chose.

So we had Overkill as an oversized similar in fashion to previous MArvel UK format and the Marvel UK new titles in US format.
Also to add to the confusion Overkill had the stories of some core titles printed within its weekly pages first and some parts were omitted so UK fans had first look.

Of course despite several really strong titles and such, the inevitable glut from all round just made the future of Marvel UK very bleak.

They produced someshocking stuff like Gunrunners, but had hidden Gems like Mystech Wars with stunning Brian HItch art when he was more an Alan Davis clone than the style he has settled on now ( which i am not fussed about ).

I beleive if you can get high grade copies of anything from Marvel UK past summer '93 then buy then as the print runs were appaling before they were all cancelled and the ones i have seen in circulation are battered from being thumbed in 50p boxes.

I picked up some mass multiples about ten years ago from Dan Abnetts ex Wife from their MArvel UK w days and sold some pretty big batches
for good money.

I recall putting a box together at full price bagged and boarded as apose to the 25p/ 50p box and they did sell really fast, although to probably les than ten different people.

So go get them latter issues in the same vain as '95 '96 Marvel books.

IMJ · Post by **IMJ** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 2:02 pm

Are we talking about the Marvel U.K. line that was released as in imprint here in the states or are we talking about actual Marvel books from the U.K.?

If we are talking about the U.S. Imprint, I see those in bargain bins all the time, unless there are a few key books that are tough finds for some reason and I just don't know it....

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 4:08 pm

IMJ wrote:Are we talking about the Marvel U.K. line that was released as in imprint here in the states or are we talking about actual Marvel books from the U.K.?

If we are talking about the U.S. Imprint, I see those in bargain bins all the time, unless there are a few key books that are tough finds for some reason and I just don't know it....

The ones that are i gues a US imprint, although seen as genuine Marvel UK titles from my side of the fence

, that were done in a US style.

Its the latter issues of all titles that i would imagain are worth picking up and sitting on for twenty years

Doorman · Post by **Doorman** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 5:37 pm

Wow! Shows how much I know about Marvel UK with this Bea, kim, and Rupert craziness.

Some of the original import stuff were really cool reads ... most notably: Dragon's Claws and Knights of Pendragon. I'd recommend tracking down full sets of those if you get a chance!

turborip · Post by **turborip** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 11:29 pm

IMJ wrote:Are we talking about the Marvel U.K. line that was released as in imprint here in the states or are we talking about actual Marvel books from the U.K.?

My initial question was asking about the Marvel U.K. imprint in the States, though I'm equally as fascinated at the amount of original material produced by Marvel in Europe.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 1:49 am

Is Avatar still printing comics?

-slym

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:28 pm

slym2none wrote:Is Avatar still printing comics?

For Knightt...

-slym

Chiclo · Post by **Chiclo** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:33 pm

Yes

(for -slym)

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:38 pm

Thank you.

(for Chiclo)

-slym

Knightt · Post by **Knightt** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:45 pm

Is Avatar still printing comics ?

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:54 pm

Knightt wrote:Is Avatar still printing comics ?

i think most of what they print is nasty gore horror or smut.
comics im not sure.
Not get back to Marvel UK already.

leonmallett · Post by **leonmallett** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:08 am

Draco wrote:
Knightt wrote:Is Avatar still printing comics ?
i think most of what they print is nasty gore horror or smut.
comics im not sure.
Not get back to Marvel UK already.

Just before we rersume normal sevice, I have to say I really rather enjoyed Black Summer from Avatar, I am also reading No Hero (okay so far) and Doktor Sleepless (which I really have little clue to where it is going), so it seems that they have broadened their output.

Sorry for re-digressing.

Draco · Post by **Draco** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:26 am

leonmallett wrote:
Draco wrote:
Knightt wrote:Is Avatar still printing comics ?
i think most of what they print is nasty gore horror or smut.
comics im not sure.
Not get back to Marvel UK already.

Just before we rersume normal sevice, I have to say I really rather enjoyed Black Summer from Avatar, I am also reading No Hero (okay so far) and Doktor Sleepless (which I really have little clue to where it is going), so it seems that they have broadened their output.

Sorry for re-digressing.

Hahaha Shall we take this to a new Avatar thread?

MOD Help please.

You are right about the books they put out being a bit more diverse nowadays, though from being all smut and no story the ones without the smut all have a similar characteristic, that being complete out and out violence or madness only written by Ellis, Ennis and Millar

leonmallett · Post by **leonmallett** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:25 am

Admittedly the only stuff I read by them is the aforementioned books. Maybe I inadvertantly avoided the smut. Which begs the question - how does one accidently avoid smut?

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Is Marvel UK a Dead Universe?

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