Marvel Announces Marvelman’s Return in June
After announcing the acquisition of the British hero Marvelman last summer, Marvel Comics finally has scheduled their initial offerings. In a press release, the company said they would be celebrate the rich history and reprint material from the beginning.
Once Fawcett ceased publishing Captain Marvel stories in the 1950s, the British publisher of the comics chose to convert the hero, supporting cast, and villains into original characters under the similar name Marvelman. Under the guidance of artist Mick Anglo, the characters lasted until the 1960s then vanished. Dez Skinn resurrected the character for Warrior magazine and has been a source of fascination ever since.
Here’s the release:
Marvel is proud to announce the return of Marvelman to shelves everywhere with the release of Marvelman Classic Primer #1 in June! Who is the mysterious Marvelman? And just why is he one of the most enduring super heroes of all time? The answers arrives in this commemorative one-shot featuring interviews with creator Mick Anglo, superstar Neil Gaiman and more who contributed to this character’s history over the years! Plus, get all-new pin ups of key Marvelman characters by superstar artists Mike Perkins, Doug Braithwaite, Miguel Angel Sepulveda, Jae Lee, Khoi Pham and Ben Oliver! This landmark issue features two covers—one with the timeless art of Mick Anglo and another with the now-iconic rendition of Marvelman by Marvel Editor-In-Chief—and superstar artist—Joe Quesada!
Then, in July, thrill to the debut of Marvelman Family’s Finest #1, a new ongoing series reprinting Marvelman’s greatest adventures for the first time in the US! Plus, no comics fan can miss Marvelman Classic Vol.1 Premiere HC, reprinting Marvelman’s earliest adventures in chronological order!
Now’s your chance to learn just why Marvelman is one of the most important characters in comic book history—it all begins in Marvelman Classic Primer #1, this June!
MARVELMAN CLASSIC PRIMER #1
Written by JOHN RHETT THOMAS
Cover by JOE QUESADA
Variant by MICK ANGLO
Rated A …$3.99
I've said it before and I'll keep saying it – until I see or hear Marvel announce that they have secured the rights to the Warrior and Eclipse stories, I will be of the opinion that they don't have them. Until they do, the majority of people who remember them will be only mildly interested in these stories. I'm interested to see how (or if) Marvel plans to integrate Marvelman into the mainstream MU. Now that (as it is rumored) the character most resembling him will be removed from the field, one wonders if they'll just pop Marvelman in to take his place.But until they can deliver reprints of those coveted Moore and Gaiman stories, this is a lackluster annoucement.
Alan Moore said last year after the announcement at the San Diego Comic Con that he's already given Marvel his blessing to re-print the stories he wrote for Warrior & Eclipse as long as the profits from the first print run are given to Mick Anglo. Whether this has been put into a written agreement is another thing entirely.