Here we have the original cover to Marvel Comics Presents #1.
Most of us should be familiar with this image, since I know most of us have been reading comics forever, and even the newer folks may very well have seen it in the comics they've scored from the back issue bins.
And here, we have the cover to a collection of MCP issues, with a slight difference, besides the removal of the title, corner box, etc.
Notice something different? Notice the lack of Wolverine's cigar? They edited the image to remove it, continuing Joe Q's crusade against smoking in comics.
I hate this. Will the insides be revised too? Did Logan never have a stogie habit now? Just like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants never had the word "evil" in their name? I get that smoking is bad. Heck, I despise it myself. I won't impose my will upon others (Besides my mother). If I don't like it, I leave. I also get how Joe doesn't want to encourage smoking by having these role models doing it...
But first off, does this mean that stabbing people with knives is ok, copyable behaviour?
Second, I hate revising things to suit your mindset of today. It's like releasing a highly edited version of Song of the South so it's not racist anymore. The thing is a piece of history. Deal with it, or don't bother with it. There is plenty of other movies out there for you to enjoy, but some of us don't want to shove our dark past under the rug. Same goes with all the people wanting to remove the twin towers from old movies being released today.
Wolverine was a smoker, heck, he still is, IMO. But leave the old stories intact. I don't want modified editions. I want my movies in their proper widescreen aspect ratio. I want what was intended by the creators. End of story.
J
If I find out that this was done without Walt Simonson's consent, then hooboy I'll be more annoyed. Not that Marvel needs it, they own the image and such, but it should be obvious that I hate changes being made to stuff.