Just Because I'm Losing, Doesn't Mean I'm Lost.

The 1990 Collected Comics. Issues 15-17.
If you want that particular epic, let us know and we’ll get the poor stubbies to work out how to fill in the missing segment.
In an ideal world 1990 would have been the best year for Collected Comics, with the book’s all time classic story, Target: 2006, reprinted across four specials (one that may have popped into 1991, or possibly the reduction to three issues was taken later in the day), giving readers old and new the chance to get their hands on the most durable and beloved story of the whole series.
Even I knew Target: 2006 was a big deal and was deeply excited to finally read the start of the years long Galvatron epic I’d only joined the comic for the end of. And the opening three parts were no disappointment, leaving me excited to find out the final fate of Jazz.
Of course, in these days when it’s the most reprinted Marvel UK story (and only has US 1 as competition to be the most reprinted story full stop) this doesn’t seem such a big deal, but at the time the loss of the masters for the next special and its hurried replacement with Wrecking Havoc! and Dry Run! was rather a kick in the balls. Especially as it was clearly so last second that a Target: 2006 cover is still used (so presumably they felt compelled to grab a Galvatron story) and whatever Transformation page they had prepared has been dropped entirely to be replaced by a Knights of Pendragon advert. Meaning there’s no explanation of the change, hence all those letters to Dreadwind.
This means issue 16 is the first of the Specials to contain an issue I had already read, though Dry Run! was such a favourite this didn’t bother me. Presumably the NEXT box promising the story would continue in issue 17 was a hold over from the Target: 2006 version as well, as I doubt they planned to go straight into Altered Image!
Instead, we get the first three parts of Space Pirates!, again one I’d read most of before, but it was nice to see the first part and as I hadn’t been keeping the comic at that point it was good to have my first issues back.
This time there is an editorial and it explains the Target: 2006 issue, oddly acting as if there hadn’t already been a special in-between. It does assure readers that if they ask for it, some work round will be made for the missing parts, but this is an empty promise as any thought that has been put into the Collected Comics up till this point is about to go out the window. Indeed, Space Pirates! Itself will not be concluded, something I don’t think the comic will even comment on, suggesting readers either didn’t write in, or they were ignored this time.
All of which makes 1990 a rather disjointed and disappointing year for reprints, where each individual issue is gold, but there’s a lack of cohesion to the whole thing. Which is rather a shame after the series has been a great resource up till now.
Next week... An old friend returns.
1990 ANNUAL
1990
COMMENT
If you want that particular epic, let us know and we’ll get the poor stubbies to work out how to fill in the missing segment.
In an ideal world 1990 would have been the best year for Collected Comics, with the book’s all time classic story, Target: 2006, reprinted across four specials (one that may have popped into 1991, or possibly the reduction to three issues was taken later in the day), giving readers old and new the chance to get their hands on the most durable and beloved story of the whole series.
Even I knew Target: 2006 was a big deal and was deeply excited to finally read the start of the years long Galvatron epic I’d only joined the comic for the end of. And the opening three parts were no disappointment, leaving me excited to find out the final fate of Jazz.
Of course, in these days when it’s the most reprinted Marvel UK story (and only has US 1 as competition to be the most reprinted story full stop) this doesn’t seem such a big deal, but at the time the loss of the masters for the next special and its hurried replacement with Wrecking Havoc! and Dry Run! was rather a kick in the balls. Especially as it was clearly so last second that a Target: 2006 cover is still used (so presumably they felt compelled to grab a Galvatron story) and whatever Transformation page they had prepared has been dropped entirely to be replaced by a Knights of Pendragon advert. Meaning there’s no explanation of the change, hence all those letters to Dreadwind.
This means issue 16 is the first of the Specials to contain an issue I had already read, though Dry Run! was such a favourite this didn’t bother me. Presumably the NEXT box promising the story would continue in issue 17 was a hold over from the Target: 2006 version as well, as I doubt they planned to go straight into Altered Image!
Instead, we get the first three parts of Space Pirates!, again one I’d read most of before, but it was nice to see the first part and as I hadn’t been keeping the comic at that point it was good to have my first issues back.
This time there is an editorial and it explains the Target: 2006 issue, oddly acting as if there hadn’t already been a special in-between. It does assure readers that if they ask for it, some work round will be made for the missing parts, but this is an empty promise as any thought that has been put into the Collected Comics up till this point is about to go out the window. Indeed, Space Pirates! Itself will not be concluded, something I don’t think the comic will even comment on, suggesting readers either didn’t write in, or they were ignored this time.
All of which makes 1990 a rather disjointed and disappointing year for reprints, where each individual issue is gold, but there’s a lack of cohesion to the whole thing. Which is rather a shame after the series has been a great resource up till now.
Next week... An old friend returns.
1990 ANNUAL
1990
COMMENT