Marvel Legacy, Marvel Value Stamps and more...

More information is now available about 'Legacy' numbering and more nostalgia events.

FOOM magazine is returning! This really is a nostalgia trip for this old fan. Back in early 1973 the first issue of FOOM (Friends Of Old Marvel) - a quarterly magazine by and about Marvel - was published. This was a 32-page cornucopia of wonderful Stan Lee Marvel nonsense. Photos of bullpen staffers with a short feature about them, crosswords, posters, games, puzzles, features on various Marvel lines, humour strips and special offers. What more could a seventeen year old Marvelite want ...well, a brain for a start! I sent away for my subscription and paid by a sterling postal order. I received nothing for my hard earned dosh except the pain of missing the first few issues.

With much delight, I did finally get those early issues when I discovered that Justin Ebbs of Just Comics actually had packs of the first 3 issues for sale that still had posters and stickers(!). So, only 35 years later, I got to see these fabled issues and it was actually worth the wait. They have a prized place in my collection.

Back to the plot. I cannot wait for the new FOOM to arrive. It will have a lot to live up to and I am expecting a lot this time around. The availability of these magazines will be limited as they have been announced after the usual order deadlines, so if you want a copy then drop me an e-mail. They will be free to the first 50 customers who get in touch.

And if that is not enough, there will be Marvel Value Stamps in each regular cover edition of new Marvel #1 titles each month. These will not be printed on the actual comic page, but will be an insert instead. This way you can save the stamps without cutting and damaging your comics, which is better than the old days when, with much brow-sweating, fatal holes were made in some of my collection. In those halcyon days, once the stamps were collected you were be able to exchange them for exciting gifts. It seems that all that has been announced this time around will be a collectable stamp album to keep them in. Come on Marvel, I want gifts in exchange.

All of the new 'Legacy' issues will have the option of a Lenticular cover, denoted as the 'LH' variant. These will be the same price as the regular covers. However, print runs maybe limited and allocations might occur, so make sure you order promptly.

The exact manner that Marvel used to decide on which number the 'Legacy' issues should start has been a matter of much debate, but here are a few of the numbers that issues will revert to: Iron Man #593, Thor #700, Amazing Spider-Man #789, Incredible Hulk #709, Black Panther #166, Captain Marvel #125, Iron Fist #73, Luke Cage #166, Cable #150, Deadpool #287 and Avengers #672.

I cannot wait for October to arrive!

Biff's Bit

An Update on Star Wars at IDW

Having made the decision to produce an all ages Star Wars comic published by IDW rather than themselves, Disney / Marvel have now decided that, for copyright reasons, the UK cannot have this fine new range of young reader comics! Perhaps reason might prevail, however, for the moment we do not get to sell these issues.

Biff's Tip for the Month

I have always wondered if the Joker could be 'cured'. A vain notion, I know. Well, no longer a notion as - a new seven-issue miniseries - turns all we have read so far on it's head. The Joker, now known as Jack, is cured of his insanity and goes about putting his past wrongs to rights. One of the things he seeks to bring about is the end of the biggest villain in Gotham... Batman!

Written and drawn by Sean Murphy, this will be a stellar read and on my must buy list.

See you in Arkham!!