We have a good discussion on this board of DC Finest collections (updated and maintained by Rob Staeger), but not one for the similar Marvel Epic Collections. The line began in 2013, so it's past time we had one (although I'm not going to commit to putting the amount of effort into this thread that Rob puts into his). This one is for whichever one anyone here would care to discuss, be it a newly released volume, an upoming one, or an old favorite. Right now I'm reading Enter... Doctor Doom, a collection of the Latverian dictator's appearances from 1962 through 1969 in chronological order. This material was previously released in "omnibus" format, but I didn't think it warrented that kind of high-end treatment. and that's the way it should be: release the hardcover first, the cheaper tpb later. Collections such as this are good opportunities to trace the development of a character over time. Ah, The Kids These Days™ don't know how good they've got it. Back in my day, I had to chase down early appearances as backissues!
Next...?
Replies
SHIPPED TODAY: Doctor Doom Epic Collection v2 - "Revolution in Latveria"
Collects Fantastic Four #84-87, 116, 142-144; Sub-Mariner #20, 47-49; Thor #182-183; The Incredible Hulk #143-144; Hero for Hire #8-9; and material from Astonishing Tales #1-8.
Written by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Larry Lieber, Gerry Conway, Archie Goodwin, Gary Friedrich, and Steve Englehart.
Art by Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Wally Wood, George Tuska, Gene Colan, Dick Ayers, Rich Buckler, Joe Sinnott, Johnny Craig, Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, John Severin, Billy Graham, Tom Palmer, and John Romita, Sr.
Ordered it!
Missing from the previous collection was a surprise cameo appearance in a double-page spread from Jim Steranko's Strange Tales #167.
(Usually such things are included in these collections along with a note of explanation.)
I have it in a SHIELD trade!
Yeah, but these character-centric Epic Collections are usually complete is my point.
Probably because it was a long storyline with that two page payoff.
In the DC FINEST JOKER volume, they could have included DC Super-Stars #10 (the Super Baseball Game) and Justice League of America #136 which was the middle part of a three issue story.
SOLICITED FOR OCTOBER RELEASE:
Other new solicits:
Hmm... I can see why there's not as much interest in Marvel Epic Collections as there is in DC Finest.
Throughout most of the '70s, I read comics in more-or-less random fashion. Toward the latter third of the decade I became more deliberate in my reading habits, but I also became more focused. Consequently, there were quite a few series I passed. By the time I got to college, I began filling some of those holes as backissues, but I still couldn't buy everything. One series I had heard good things about was Tomb of Dracula by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan. In the '90s, I responded to an ad in CBG which was placed by a retailer selling complete series sets. I ordered ToD, but by the time the seller received payment, someone else had already bought it. He contacted me and offered to return the check, or I could choose another series instead. I chose Master on Kung Fu, another series I had heard good things about but had never read. Then when I got it... I didn't read it.
That's where Marvel's "Epic Collections" come in. I did buy (and read) the first two volumes of MoKF in "epic" format, so I have at least now read through #53. It has now been seven years since v2 (with no more on the horizon), but if Marvel ever releases a third I will probably buy that one as well. Also, I know the Tomb of Dracula: The Complete Series collection does not feature the "Epic Collections" branding, but I now have that series in tpb as well.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next