Until the advent of the British magazine Comics Scene the only comic related publication I had occasionally been getting was Back Issue magazine which in it's themed issues covers lost of interesting stuff from the seventies onward. The latest issue which came out a couple of weeks ago concentrates on "alternate realities".
The stories I remember that started this trend were DC's "Imaginary stories" which were usually about Superman and his cast but not anyone else that I'm aware of. I thought these were just a sixties phenomenon but they did continue in the seventies and of course there is that wonderful Alan Moore story I have buried in a box somewhere.
What a lot of today's fanboys (and girls) will remember is Marvel Comics What If series which showed events where the established events of Marvel continuity took a different road in tales narrated by The Watcher. A lot of these were great fun though not all were to my taste. It was very much "hit and miss" as far as I was concerned.
And my favourite from the first volume:
The first volume of What If lasted just 47 issues but did have a longer run when revived later down the line. I think there have been a couple of one-shots here and there that I recall picking up.
Then there was Elseworlds, DC Comics modern uptake of their "imaginary" stories. There's some gems in these usually prestige format books but also some right turkeys.
These are some of my favourites:
The other major event covered by Back Issue this month was Earth X. I liked that but thought it had far too many sequels and tie ins. Companies often overdo their successes. I am avoiding War of the Realms for precisely that reason!
The latest Back Issue magazine covers these and a bit more in detail and is well worth a read. Pick up a copy and keep an eye out for future issues!
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