Possibly the most important comic I have ever read....

A while ago now I did an article for the FPI blog about Captain Britain. (FPI article) in which I put forward the idea that my entire comics reading life could be placed firmly at the feet of Alan Moore and specifically Marvel Superheroes 388:

Captain Britain is the superhero I was in absolutely the perfect place at the right time to really get into. When I was but a young thing all I knew was that comics came from the newsagent. I used to get issues of Hulk Weekly, Captain America Weekly, Spider-Man Weekly every so often but never particularly fanatically.

As I recall, it was summer 1982 and I was on one of those magical childhood holidays that we always remember - nothing but sun, sea and sand, no boredom, no arguing, ice-cream, toy soldiers and comic books all week - or at least that’s how I see it now.

I pick up a copy of Marvel Superheroes 388 from some beachside newsagent.

I can pretty categorically state that this one issue changed my life.

Marvel Superheroes 388 was the first time I’d ever read anything by Alan Moore. It started with a terrifying, unstoppable killing machine, a madman with a new hat each panel and a hero quite understandably beginning to lose his grip on reality. Within 5 short pages Moore had introduced me to some wonderful characters and finished the strip with the brutal execution of the title character:

But I hadn't seen the cover for years and years. So I put out a request for anyone with a scan to let me know. And bless them, that's precisely what someone known only as RN has done. And here it is:



And as soon as I saw it a wave of lovely nostalgia washed over me. I even think my copy looked as bad as this one after a few years! Thanks you very much RN. Magnificent work.