From a parallel universe comes Howard the Duck, one of Marvel Comics odder creations that was for a while at least a big hit with readers. Originally appearing alongside the Man-Thing in Adventures into Fear #19 in 1973, Howard went on to get no less than 31 issues of his own comic when it was decided to move the character into a black & white magazine aimed at older readers.
A sentient duck who may have looked like a certain Donald Duck but that is where the similarities ended. This magazine was not for kids and contained "adult" scenes, nudity and erm..inter-species sex. The last scenes in the mag showing Howard and Beverley in bed together did raise more than a few eyebrows when it was published but just made me laugh when I first purchased this issue back in the late seventies.
Although not to every-bodies tastes Marvel has certainly invested a lot in Howard over the years. The first issue of what was to be a nine issue run was full of top talent with scripts by Bill Mantlo and art from Michael Golden & Gene Colan.
Howard gets to fight Mr Chicken and the One-Armed Bandit in the first two chapters but faces his worst nightmare, domestication towards the end. But Bev likes him.
Most people remember Howard the Duck from that quite dreadful eighties movie best forgotten but he did get to appear right at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Will he return to the big screen?
Who knows, but he does have a new comic book series at the moment.
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