Merry Christmas Everyone!

Look-In TV Comedy Annual 1976

I suppose its age that's making me nostalgic as I purchase yet another item from my teenage years. Look-In was the "Junior TV Times" which contained both comic strips and features on ITV programmes. In 1975 in addition to the usual Annual they also released this companion title highlighting the comedy of the day.

Benny Hill, Tommy Cooper, Frank Spencer, Les Dawson and Sid James were amongst my favourites of the time. Less so were Little & Large and Freddie Starr. There were also features on classic comedians Norman Wisdom (who was really huge in Albania) and Arthur Askey both sadly departed.

There were only a couple of actual strips which included Bless This House (currently being re-run on Forces TV) and Doctor on the Go both of which I used to enjoy.

There were two of these comedy annuals the other having been published in 1975.



Political correctness or is it "woke" now? Bollocks to all that!

Here's some seventies humour:

The Amazing Spider-Man King Size Special #3 (Marvel/1966)

Amazing Spider-Man King Size Special #3 (Marvel)

Stan Lee (w) John Romita (a)

One of the comics I've always wanted to read and either missed or couldn't afford when I were a lad was this Spidey special where our favourite web-slinger is invited to join the Avengers way back in the early days of Marvel.  My copy is a lowish grade as the spine's taped but since this was the only way I could afford a copy that's fine by me. I collect comics for fun not their value!

Of course it wasn't Peter Parker's first attempt to become part of a group he tried to join the Fantastic Four early in his career.

As with all fist time meetings the inevitable fight takes place between the good guys before the Avengers send Spidey on a quest to bring back the Hulk. Obviously the Hulk doesn't like being bothered and they fight until bombarded by gamma radiation The Hulk briefly returns back into Bruce Banner and Spidey decides to leave The Hulk alone and returns to the Avengers saying he failed. Thor thinks there is more to this than meets the eye and off Parker goes to look after Aunt May and get on with his ever troubled life.

This 72 pager also contains reprints of the Lee/Ditko issues of The Amazing Spider-Man #11 & #12 featuring Doc Ock. Bargain reading as I don't have these in any other format.

  

Conan The Barbarian 2099 #1 (Marvel)

Conan The Barbarian 2099 #1 (Marvel)

Gerry Duggan (w) Roge Antonio (a)

Being a big fan of Conan I erred about buying this as Marvel have been overdoing their Conan titles of late and hadn't bothered with that series where they brought him into the modern Marvel Universe. The other problem was or rather is I have never read a Marvel 2099 title so am totally unfamiliar with that timeline.

However I decided to give it a go and found it....interesting and mildly amusing as Conan wanders into the future cursed by a yet another sorceress. It's only a one off story that sees the Cimmerian thrust into outer space for the final confrontation.

Really only for the completist and then they would have to be really obsessive.

Oh and I'll be avoiding any Marvel 2099 comics in future.

Mildly amusing.

Rating: 1 Star (just...)

Star Trek: Picard Countdown #1 (IDW) Out Now!

Star Trek: Picard #1 (IDW)

Kirsten Beyer & Mike Johnson (w) Angel Hernandez (a)

In time for the release of the latest Star Trek featuring Jean-Luc Picard IDW bring us a prequel in an adventure where the then Admiral Picard is on a mission to save lives, Romulan lives as their sun prepares to go supernova.

It took a great deal of effort by the Federation to get the Romulans even agree to help in the necessary evacuation so paranoid are their rulers, but with conditions attached such as limiting access to their planets ad colonies and banning plantar scans (which would be blocked in any case) Star Fleet does it's best.

Picard is sent to a seemingly much more open Romulan agricultural colony. However not is all as it seems....

A great opening chapter in this tree issue mini series and the trailer shows that the new TV series will have much to offer. Having now watched the extremely good box sets of Star Trek: Discovery I am once again enthralled in the world of the future.

However how all these series fit in with the continuity of the films may confuse. Still these are all good yarns!

Rating: 5 Stars: Recommended