Panini Launches Marvel Heroes

Available now in all good British newsagents is the first issue of Panini's Marvel Heroes, which launched last week. The first issue kicks off with two new stories featuring the Hulk and Iron Man respectively.

The title's editor Ed Hammond has given downthetutbes the lowdown on the creators behind the originated strips in the new title. On the Hulk, this time up against Kraven the Hunter, the script is the work of the fevered imagination of Al Ewing, with pencils from John McCrea, inks by James Hodgkins, coloured by Andrew Elder.

Scott Gray, highly acclaimed for his mind-blowing scripts on Doctor Who Magazine, has delivered the Iron Man strip which sees Iron Man battling Dr Octopus. penciled by Carlos Gomez with inks from Gary Erskine, coloured by James Offredi.

"It's 36 pages of explosive Super Hero action in the unmistakable mighty Marvel manner," enthuses Ed, "and features two seven page comic strips each issue. The rest of the issue is packed full of fact files, pull-out posters and other games and activities, plus a news section on all the coolest Marvel merchandise hitting the shelves this month."

For those of you not already persuaded by the top talent working on the title, it comes with a free mean, green Incredible Hulk mask - perfect for Hallowe'en, we say.

"As Smilin' Stan would have it - face front, True Believer, and look for the bagged rubber face of the Ever-So-Slightly-Incredible Hulk at your local thrill-merchants now!" urges Hulk writer Al over on his blog. "Who says this isn't the Mighty Marvel Age of doing much better at writing the Hulk than Jeph Loeb? Red Hulk. schmed Hulk - does he fight Robot Snakes controlled by Kraven the Hunter? I think not, pilgrim!

"And just wait until you eyeball the awesome ending to this seven-page epic of war, woe and cartoon deers whose names have been changed just enough to avoid copyright dispute!"