Aliens Comics UK

In the UK Aliens has not had much success in comics. But in the 1990s it did spawn three volumes of a comic beginning with a series published by Trident Comics reprinting various Dark Horse Aliens stories. This lasted 17 issues until Trident was absorbed into Dark Horse International, the European branch of dark Horse Comics who published Aliens Volume 2 for 22 issues along with a 3 issue mini series comic adaptation of Alien 3. The main Aliens series eventually incorporated Predator stories as well.

After Dark Horse International folded, many of the franchise they held the rights to went to Titan Publishing. To coincide with the release of Alien Resurrection, Titan released a third Aliens title which reprinted the comic adaptation of Resurrection along with various other Dark Horse Alien stories. This time the comic only lasting 3 issues. It had a very similar lay out to the previous two volumes even though it was published by a different company and was basically set up as a third volume, continuing where Dark Horse international left off.

 

Weird Science visits Alien Worlds as Mars Attacks

 

The cover of Weird Science issue 17 was homaged by Eclipse Comics Alien Encounters issue 8 with a touch of the Mars Attacks trading cards style added.

 

Mars Attacks itself would homage the same EC cover in issue 3 of the First Born series published by IDW.

 

Creepshow All Hallows Eve

Creepshow episode 3 features a story called All Hallows Eve written by Bruce Jones. The story is adapted from the first issue of the Pacific Comics title, Twisted Tales which ran for ten issues from 1982 to 1984.

Twisted Tales was Bruce Jones attempt at a modern EC comics style series along with his sci-fi comic, Alien Worlds. Both comics were heavily influenced by EC horror and science fiction titles such as Tales From The Crypt and Weird Science Fantasy.

Twisted Tales, an update/homage to EC comics has now become part of the extended Creepshow franchise which is itself an update and homage to EC originating from George Romero and Steven Kings love of those comics which heavily influenced both in their careers in horror.

 

Batman Returns to Panini Comics UK

Batman returns to Panini Comics UK 17 years after they published the first issue of  Batman Legends.

In 2003, Panini comics in the UK published the first issue of Batman Legends. The first DC comic to copy the ''collectors edition'' style comics Panini had been publishing since 1995 starting with Essential X-Men and Astonishing Spider-man. These comics collected three or four issues of the American comics, wrapped in a cardboard cover. 

The title lasted 41 issues until Panini lost the DC license to Titan Comics UK in 2006 who promptly published their own Batman Legends Volume 2. This would  later be rebranded as simply ''Batman'' and then again as Rebirth: Batman. 

The Titan DC comics always struggled with sales and poor marketing leading to Titan cancelling all their DC titles, including Batman in December 2018. Luckily now Panini have regained the rights to publish DC comics in the UK and have started with Batman: Tales of the Dark Knight. Now however the Collected Editions only contain two issues of the American comics rather than the previous three due to cost restraints. The title has also been prematurely put on hold due to the global pandemic interfering with production of the comic. DC titles just don't seem to have much luck in the UK!

Bucky O'Hare Frix and Frax Figures From Boss Fight

 Boss Fight Studio Storm Toad Troopers can easily be modified into Frix and Frax using the vintage Bucky O'Hare toy line Air Marshall figures hat which fits perfectly into the hole in the slot on the top of the Toad Storm Troopers head. 

Trap Jaw Card Art : Masters of the Universe

 Beautiful card back art from the packaging of Trap Jaw from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe line, the recent Origins series and Filmation He-man and the Masters of the Universe by Super7.

The card back art really helped to capture the imaginations of children in the 80s, showing a glimpse of a dark, barbaric world. Not many toy lines, especially today feature such beautiful art work.

Toxic Crusaders Super7 Toxie