Strange Tales Volume 1 & 2 Collected Works (Marvel)

 

Imagine you've slipped into an alternate universe where Marvel    let creators really go to down on their characters, representing them not as the flawed heroes or paragons of virtue they're often portrayed as, but as ordinary everyday weirdos suffering from all the character traits and human excesses we all suffer from day to day.

"Strange Tales" comes from some of the more esoteric and "out there" comic creatives working in comics and online strips today, and each has chosen their own favourite Marvel characters to spin, fold, mutate and (in poor Wolverine's case) mutilate, serving up one of the oddest Marvel collected works you're likely to drop your cash on. 

Find The Incredible Hulk being less than incredible, more incorrigble in fact -  the worst first date you could ever imagine. Wolverine gets put through the wringer. Just how good are his regenerative powers. And there's also plenty of fun-poking from Kate Beaton, our favourite online comic strip seamstress who pulls no punches when it comes to The Scarlet Witch. 

Volumes 1 and 2 are equally good, but for me the strip detailing that infamous Spider-Man movie kiss (you know the one, where he's hanging upside down and Mary-Jane is smooching his face off) and the reality of what it's like when you can't frigging breathe but are hopelessly turned on and don't want a moment to stop (ahem). 

Highly recommended if you think you've seen just about everything the Marvel Comics Universe has to offer.