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Comic Promos, Mighty Marvel Checklists

THE MiGHTY MARVEL CHECKLiST: WEEK 27

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SATURDAY 28th JANUARY 1989

We couldn’t really have two more different covers this week, could we? While Andrew Wildman’s Transformers and Action Force #203 cover represents a rather bleak moment in the Time Wars saga, Brian Williamson and Bambos Georgiou’s cover for The Real Ghostbusters #34 is, well, rather more light-hearted.

That cover relates to a very funny prose story inside, in which a job in Russia proves more difficult than the team thought when every time they bust the ghost it splits in two and another, smaller one pops out. Linking in with this, Spengler’s Spirit Guide becomes Popov’s Spirit Guide for one week only. Across the way and 20 years into the future Marvel UK had some explaining to do for its young readers.

The comic had to explain how they broke off from the American epic Underbase Saga (which also killed off a lot of characters) because they wanted their own strip to run through the 200th issue celebrations. Thing is, all of Time Wars takes place after that story, which would only finish after Time Wars. A suitably confusing bit of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimpy given the tale currently being told.

There’s a particularly funny answer to a query on Dreadwind’s letters page too. A reader asks when Secret Wars III will come out and suggests getting the Thundercats and Ghostbusters involved in the story. Dreadwind explains that after mentioning this in the office he had to talk Ian Rimmer, Simon Furman and Richard Starkings down from the window ledge!

As you can see, three of the six comics on this week’s checklist have featured before and the only new one besides the two in my collection is Thundercats which contained… a Valentine’s Day story? Okay then. Advert-wise, a teaser for a new Marvel UK monthly took up a full page in The Real Ghostbusters this week, and although there wasn’t enough room in Transformers the two brothers Sleeze still managed to squeeze themselves in.

The first issue of The Sleeze Brothers wouldn’t appear until the fourth week of June and would only run for six issues, meaning the adverts hyping it up ran for almost as long as the comic itself. I remember seeing this ad for so long in the pages of my comics that I began to lose all interest in ever wanting to find out who they were. That was, until the first issue actually appeared and I just had to buy it to find out what all the fuss was about.

I’d only buy that first edition as a kid but many years later I rectified that mistake for the blog and read the whole series in real time back in 2024. At the time of writing there’s a special edition of the comic coming to the OiNK Blog later this year too, an issue that’s been sitting on my shelves for a few years now without being opened. So I’ll be seeing this trailer advert all the way until then for a bit of poetic symmetry.

Until next week.

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THE MiGHTY MARVEL CHECKLiST: WEEK 26

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SATURDAY 21st JANUARY 1989

Brian Williamson and Cam Smith’s cover to The Real Ghostbusters #33 would have you thinking recurring villain Ponquadragor had returned (last seen in #21) or at least the similar-looking Grim Reaper from #18. But as usual with this comic you could never successfully guess what it was up to.

As it turned out the story involved Winston and Ray being taken on a tour around a haunted house by its owner who recounts the hundreds of ghosts who have lived there, only for them to realise he doesn’t want anything busted and thought they were the heat repairmen. Strip Spook Alley is only two pages long and has barely any dialogue but it’s a hoot, showing the genius of this unique comic and there’s even a solo strip for the best Ghostbuster, Winston! A winner of an issue.

In #202 of Transformers and Action Force, Andy Wildman’s cover must’ve excited everyone who had read Galvatron and Megatron’s first meeting in the recent annual. Dan Reed was on artistic duties for the latest part of the Time Wars epic, and he makes the end of the world look truly apocalyptic! As if that wasn’t exciting and shocking enough, Lew Stringer’s Combat Colin turns evil in his strip.

As you can see, Marvel UK weren’t offering up any new issues of their other titles. I’m not sure why the Thundercats from last week got the ‘Don’t Miss’ treatment instead of one of the comics above. I’ve already spoken about how I’d like to collect Action Force’s own comics and in fact I’ve covered these issues of Death’s Head and Dragon’s Claws the past two weeks! With no new comics adverts either (Betty Boop gets another outing) this is a somewhat light week in our checklist series.

Next week, both comics feature teaser adverts for a new title that wouldn’t even see the light of day for half a year. It’s a fan favourite that’s already had a real time read through on the blog so it’s a bit strange for me to see the teaser pop up now. You can find out which comic I’m talking about in seven days. In the meantime, did you own any of the issues in this week’s checklist?

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WEEK 25 < > WEEK 27

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THE MiGHTY MARVEL CHECKLiST: WEEK 25

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SATURDAY 14th JANUARY 1989

The first post-holidays issue of The Real Ghostbusters (with cover by Brian Williamson and Dave Harwood) and the first post-200th Transformers and Action Force (with its cover by Dougie Braithwaite and Dave again) were ready to welcome me to Saturday after the first full week of the new school term back in 1989.

The Real Ghostbusters image looks more like a new range of Action Force figures rather than our New York firehouse residents, and for once it refers to a strip inside rather than the prose story. Also inside, Ozbusters isn’t a tale set Down Under, it’s about Egon’s haunted dream in which he’s the tin man, Winston’s the scarecrow and Ray’s the cowardly lion. Can’t fault the imagination in that comic.

Part Three of Transformers’ epic Time Wars may have some printing errors across its pages resulting in some strange colours but that doesn’t blunt its impact one iota, although it’s almost upstaged by Larry Hama’s incredible Hush Job strip in the back up spot, which may have no dialogue but has plenty of drama! Both of my comics were absolute winners this week but what else did Marvel UK have to offer us? Let’s check the checklist.

Thundercats sounds like a regular issue, the likes of which fans enjoyed for most of its run, until that “games and fun” bit at least. The comic’s relaunch for a younger audience was probably inspired by the success of The Real Ghostbusters, even if Marvel’s top-seller didn’t have to rely on such gimmicks. Some of the best issues of Death’s Head and Dragon’s Claws were covered last week, leaving only our ‘Don’t Miss’ comic.

Action Force Monthly lasted 16 issues, so technically longer than the weekly time-wise, and it and its weekly always sounded great. Especially now that I’m reading the G.I. Joe originals I must make it my mission to get caught up with all of the UK stories too. Finally, our only new comic advertisement this week can’t make its mind up whether it even is a comic!

I was never a fan of the Betty Boop cartoons growing up, but many were and I remember she was always on the telly, her merchandise seemed popular and of course she popped up in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. It’s strange to find out there were only two new cartoon specials in the 80s and the rest were reruns. She’s even had a Broadway musical which only closed in 2025!

I don’t remember this comic/card combo at all, I didn’t even recall the adverts when reading these comics again all these years later. Do you remember Betty’s Valentine special? Did you perhaps receive it from a secret admirer? Or send it to one? As usual, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or on socials, the links to which are just below.

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WEEK 24 < > WEEK 26

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Christmas, Comic Promos, Mighty Marvel Checklists

THE MiGHTY MARVEL CHECKLiST: WEEK 23

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NEW YEAR’S EVE 1988

It feels fitting that this is our last comics post of the year. I’ll have a New Year’s message later with news of the blog and more in 2026, but as for comics the final issues of The Real Ghostbusters and The Transformers and Action Force are it, their official release date being this day way back in 1988.

Brian Williamson and Dave Harwood’s Slimer fronted a celebratory issue, New Years being something none of my other non-humour comics celebrated. But the Ghostbusters were based in New York where the ball drops, they couldn’t miss out on this. Best of all though, the results of a readers’ poll was presented in strip form with the team attending a dinner alongside the Marvel UK writers and artists in attendance. It’s genius stuff!

But it’s Art Wetherell and Dave’s Galvatron cover that’ll have fans reminiscing the most. The Time Wars had begun! This was my first big epic as a kid and it enthralled me for weeks; no one was safe from being killed off, and I do mean anyone. This would also be the last time we’d see that logo before the big change in seven days. More on that below, but first up what else did Marvel UK wrap up the year with?

Action Force Monthly #8 and Death’s Head #2 continued to entertain through the school holidays. What, you mean you only read your comics once and not multiple times between issues? I’m surprised The Real Ghostbusters isn’t the ‘Don’t Miss’ title, what with it being the only one celebrating what day it was, but instead Thundercats #90 takes that honour in what seems a rather random choice.

This week’s advert is actually the Next Issue promo from the back inside cover of Transformers, but one glance and you’ll understand why I just had to include it. I always loved it when my comics got a new look and this was a big one. I was still a newbie to the world of Transformers comics and looking at that new logo, coupled with that image and all of the contents to come the following week, I remember this page being a real thrill. I’d jumped on at just the right time!

I would eventually stay with the comic all the way to its conclusion with #332 so this logo became the de facto one for me and the issue was an incredible way to start the new year. Was it “The Ultimate Comic”? Pretty much. Even Lew Stringer’s strips were getting a crossover and hyped on the page.

With that, both 1988 and 2025 come to a close. As I said I’ll be back later on today to sign off for the year properly, then the blog’s first post for 2026 will be the next checklist. There’ll be new issues of the monthlies to find out about and no guesses for which comic would be the hot one to see in 1989.

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WEEK 22 < > WEEK 24

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THE MiGHTY MARVEL CHECKLiST: WEEK 17

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SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER 1988

Ah, Saturday 19th November 1988. My parents and I were about to travel by bus somewhere and I asked if I could get the latest issue of The Transformers after my mum had bought me the recent Christmassy Winter Special while I was off sick from school. Luckily, my newsagent hadn’t sent back the unsold copies of the previous week’s yet so on this date 37 years ago I very happily read both of my first weekly issues.

Andrew Wildman’s cover was so exciting to me after reading the issue leading into it and it revealed my friend’s mammoth Scorponok toy as the villain behind the scheme. That was so much fun. Even though it’s a small scale story compared to others I’d end up reading, it felt so much more grown up than the cartoon with its gritty human characters and what felt like a real threat to the Autobots. Ca$h and Car-nage! remains a favourite to this day.

Brian Williamson’s cover to The Real Ghostbusters introduced us to an issue that contained haunted tongues but no checklist. Yup, unfortunately both our comics were just too packed to make room for our weekly shopping list, even though it was listed on the contents page of Ghostbusters. Instead, the Dragon’s Claws strip advert was in its place and in the pages of my second Transformers I was introduced to someone else via a similar page.

Written by Simon Furman as always, with art by Death’s Head regular strip artist Bryan Hitch and coloured by Steve White, every Marvel UK fan remembers this particular advert. It perfectly sums up the monthly comic. Action, adventure and a mean looking protagonist, all undermined by a ridiculous scenario and a hilarious sense of humour. If you haven’t seen this before I hope it makes up for the lack of a checklist this week. I’m sure it does.

It wasn’t the only one-page strip advert the Freelance Peacekeeping Agent received and you can check out the other one at the link below. The checklist returns next week when there’ll be snow on the blog’s logo because we’ll be in full Christmas swing, so appropriately enough there’ll be a couple of annuals adverts too. See you then.

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WEEK 16 < > WEEK 18

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