Transformers 250

Transformers 250 from Christmas 1989. Published by Marvel Comics UK

The Real Ghostbusters 133

The Real Ghostbusters 133 published by Marvel UK. Christmas 1990

Transformers Collected Comics 11

Transformers Collected Comics 11 The Christmas Stories. Published by Marvel UK.

The Real Ghostbusters 185

 

Marvel UK Real Ghostbusters issue 185 from Christmas 1991 

Action Force 43

Action Force issue 43 from Christmas 1987 published by Marvel UK. Featuring Snowjob and Combat Colin. Action Force was the UK rebrand of G.I Joe. Originally Action Force featured it's own original characters before being amalgamated with G.I Joe and eventually replaced by it.

The Real Ghostbusters 184

   The Real Ghostbusters issue 184 from Christmas 1991. Featuring the recurring villain Ponquadragor.

Masters of the Universe 46

Issue 46 of the UK Master of the Universe comic features a He-man, She-ra, Orko, Extendar, Sorceress and Sy-Clone celebrating Christmas with Skeletor and Hordak held captive as a bizarre Christmas present.

The Real Ghostbusters 29

The Real Ghostbusters issue 29 from Marvel Comics UK, Christmas 1988.

Transformers UK 145

                             Transformers issue 145, Christmas special 1987 from Marvel UK.

Batman Magazine 52

Batman Monthly Magazine UK issue 52. Reprinting the US Batman 451. featuring Jokers return after the famous Death in the Family story arc.

Batman Monthly 9

Batman Monthly Magazine UK issue 9. One of my favorite Joker covers. Reprinting issue 321 of the US Batman comic.

Harley Quinn Issue 1

Harley Quinn issue 1 of her 3 issue mini-series and now ongoing title from Titan UK. After a successful test run starting in August with a three issue mini-series, Harley gets her own ongoing UK comic starting from November 2016.

The Real Ghostbusters Collected Comics 13

Marvel UKs The Real Ghostbusters Collected Comics 13 Halloween special from Autumn 1994.

Batman Rebirth

Titan UK has relaunched their Batman title as Batman Rebirth. This serves as a volume 4 to the Batman Legends title that began back in 2003 under Panini publishing, taken over by Titan in 2007 and then re-titled simply Batman in 2012 to tie in with the New 52.

The Real Ghostbusters issue 1

                                    Marvel Comics UK The Real Ghostbusters issue 1

Batman Adventures

Batman Adventures volumes 1 and 2 UK releases. Based on Batman: The Animated Series. Volume 1 was published by Fleetway in the early 90s lasting 22 issues, then volume 2 by Titan ten years later in 2004.

Slimer Comics

Slimer from Ghostbusters had two UK comics released in 1989 from Marvel, both of which were pretty short lived I think. One was based on the Slimer cartoon and the other (It’s Wicked) a Beano/Dandy style comic with Slimer taking the Desperate Dan/Dennis the Menace role as title character.

Astonishing Spider-man

The first issues of all six volumes of Astonishing Spider-man. The Panini comics UK re-prints of US Spider-man comics. From 1995-2016.

The Real Ghostbusters issue 48

Fantastic Fo....errm I mean Marvel UK’s The Real Ghostbusters comic issue 48 and Captain Planet Holiday Special. Both homaging the first issue of Fantastic Four.

Terminator Comics UK

                                Trident Comics Terminator run of Dark Horse reprints in the UK

                     After Trident folded, Dark Horse International took up the license in the UK

                   A four issue mini-series to tie in with Terminator Salvation was released by Titan in 2009

Ghostbusters Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

Ghostbusters Mr Stay Puft The Marshmallow Man 6 inch figures. Original Kenner 1984 figure, 2016 remake balloon ghost version by Mattel, the Playmobil toy and the Diamond Select figure.

Astonishing Spider-man 39

A rather appropriate cover for the time as this issues release coincides with the Brexit vote in the UK.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie adaptation UK Comic

Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Adventures UK

Issues 78, 79 and 80 of the UK Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles Adventure comic printing the Future Shark Trilogy storyline.

The Tick

Shocker Toys Tick, based on the comic books, Bandai’s Tick based on the cartoon series and N2 toys Tick based on the live action series.

Visionaries

 Visionaries was a Hasbro toyline of the 1980. Much like Transformers, G.I Joe and other Hasbro toylines, Visionaries was accompanied by a Sunbow produced cartoon series and Marvel comic book. Telling the story of a post apocalyptic planet called Prysmos where technology failed and society went from a futuristic Metropolis to a medieval kingdom. Discovering magic and learning to use it. Two fractions fought for dominance of the magic and planet. The heroic Spectral Knights and Evil Darkling Lords. The franchise did not catch on and the comic was cancelled in the UK after 7 issues and one annual while the toyline and cartoon only lasted one series. The toyline consisted of 12 figures and four vehicles. A second wave was planned, introducing new characters as well as the two female members of the teams in the cartoon that were not in the first wave.

 The story lines and animation of Visionaries was superior to many of it’s counterparts at the time (Transformers, G.I Joe) yet the franchise did not prove popular. Maybe due to the high price point of the figures due to their hologram gimmick or that the market was over saturated with sword and sorcery toys and cartoons after the success of He-man. The complete series was released on DVD in the UK in the early 00s during the 80s revival of the time.
Much like Skeleton Warriors which also only lasted one toy wave and cartoon season, this is a tragically underrated show and toyline. Both of which were high in quality yet seem destined to be forgotten.

G.I Joe The Action Force

 G.I Joe began in the UK under the Action Force title. The figures were repainted and renamed and added to the existing UK Action Force toyline before reverting back to the G.I Joe names and characters but still under the Action Force title. Marvel UK ran a comic for 50 issues before the title was absorbed into the more popular Transformers comic.
In 2009, Panini published a six issue G.I Joe series based in the Rise of Cobra movie continuity.

Transformers 22 Marvel UK

After the success of the initial wave of Werebears, a group of enemies were released for the Werebears to battle. These Terror Teds did not share the ability to transform from normal teddy to werebear but were instead very unique looking monster teddy bears. Named Grunt, Snapper, Munch and Chomp, the story goes that they were created by a wicked witch to get revenge on the Werebears and their creator, Baron Egon Baconburger.
The Terror Teds are very hard to find now and rarely turn up on ebay.

 

 Interestingly, Munch seems to have two variants. One that featured in photographs in the comics and promotional material which had an open mouth and arms lower down the body. However the released version had a closed mouth and arms further up the body coming out of the side of Munch’s head.

Terminator Comics UK

The first Terminator comic to be released in the UK was in 1991 by Trident Publishing to tie in with the then newly released Terminator 2. reprinting the US Dark Horse comics, this series lasted 17 issues with the last 5 being published by Dark Horse International who took over the license when Trident went out of business. The last four issues began incorporating Robocop into the comic much in the same way the UK Aliens comic included Predator.

In 2009, a second UK Terminator comic was released, this time by Titan to cash in on the latest movie in the franchise coming out in cinemas, Terminator Salvation. Lasting a mere four issues and reprinting the comic strips from the American IDW prequel series to the movie.

Flash UK Comic

For the first time since the 60s, The Flash has his own ongoing UK comic published by Titan. They tested the waters in June 2015 by releasing a 100 page one shot souvenir issue of the Flash. This must have sold well as in November an ongoing 76 page Flash series began titled DC Superheroes: The Flash. Perhaps so that they can alternate the lead hero if Flash's popularity dies down. Harley Quinn also features in a back up strip in each issue. Titan have never had much luck with titles not containing Batman. Their four long running comics being Batman, Gotham Central, Batman & Superman and Justice League Trinity all of which feature Batman. Around the same time The Flash ongoing comic debuted, Green Arrow and Supergirl also had a comic each begin. Neither of which lasted more than a few issues. So far the Flash has outrun sharing their cancellation fate.

Transformers Armada UK

 In 2003 a third UK Transformers comic published by Panini hit the shelves based on the then current cartoon series, Transformers Armada. Writer Simon Furman who had gained fame as a comic book writer from his days on the UK and US Marvel Transformers comics returned for this series. Though the stories were very simple and kiddiefied with art work to match. This poor quality did not attract an audience and the comic was cancelled abruptly with issue 9 even though a tenth issue had been advertised.
One positive of the comics was the news section which would advertise new toys, cartoons and games related to Transformers. This was where I first learned of a Unicron toy being released, much to my excitement!