Ten Years of Marvel Epic Collections

[@saintdonoghue]

By Crom's Withered Member, man! That Epic collection is ... well, it's epic ...

[@benriley6716]

Some of my best childhood memories are biking down to the local mini-mart to pick up the latest edition of Thor, Spiderman or Fantastic Four. Opening up the cover and being transported to a fabulous world of adventure. Even as a kid, looking at those Kirby/Stan Lee books, you knew you were reading something truly special.

[@danieltenney1896]

I'm right there with you. I fondly remember going to the magazine section in the grocery store that had a small comic section and reading while my mom shopped. They are such great escapist fun!

[@manuelcantu8572]

That is one awesome collection. Great video as always. Cheers!!!

[@RichardSheehan]

Great video. Even more so because I have loads of the Essentials books and didn't realise how collectible they were!

[@gavinmcintosh5716]

Wally Wood was really good. His run on the original Thunder Agents by Tower Comics worth a read.

[@disshelvedwithadamwhite8731]

My favorite Cap collection is The Captain, not sure what number it was. Great Gruenwald story about the importance of Captain America. And I’m eminently envious of your Epic Collection collection.

[@PNT510]

I first read Spider-Man with those old essential collections. I still like to flip through them from time to time. The black and white does a great job at highlighting Ditko’s awesome pencils.

[@thewestisthebest]

Great collections! Plus I love your tie!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks!

[@vancecunningham5032]

I've limited myself mostly to just the doctor strange epic collections, they are fantastic editions. Waiting for Thor vol 13-15 so I can read Walt Simonson's run without the modern recoloring in the omnibus

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

They are really making us wait for that run.

[@rmenard]

Other than this run, the only Thor volume missing is the tenth one so we should get Walt Simonson's run relatively soon.

[@DanielsBibliophagy]

I love how clean these Epic Collections look on a shelf.

[@timmeyer9191]

Very impressive collection, Michael. I haven't picked up many epic collections myself, but I too am a big FF fan. I picked up many of the visionaries collection like John Byrne and Walt Simonsen. Keep these videos going. I like them.

[@arthurodell3281]

Love the tie.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks.

[@martinknowles1179]

Oh no.... I stumbled accross your videos a few months ago... wow, too many ideas for future reading. I now feel totally justified in my habit (obsession) for buying 10 books for every 5 I read!

[@Yesica1993]

Ha ha!

[@danieltenney1896]

Such an awesome collection! I have some epic collections, mainly of Captain America. But I've also picked up some of Daredevil and Iron Fist to fill in gaps with my single issues collection. They really are nice readable collections. I have a lot of the Silver Age material in Omnibus form but they can be difficult to read with their size lol. The epics are more manageable. I did pick up a lot of X-Men Masterworks back before the epics started. They are nice, but I like that the epics collect more issues for cheaper. Really loving your videos! Your reading choices are right up my alley. They definitely bring a smile to my face.

[@DavidWiley7]

A top ten? Well, I know which ones to pick up next! Your collection is vastly superior to my 5 Epic Collections!

[@BookBlather]

Thanks for the tour! I don’t have any of these. I have historically preferred single issues, though I eventually started purchasing some trades. None of these big volumes, though I realize it’s a great way to read all that old stuff.

[@davidpeterhill7817]

There are still some Epic Collection series that I would like to see. Alpha Flight (debut in The Uncanny X-Men #121, Alpha Flight #1-130 and annuals #1-2) Captain Marvel (debut in Marvel Super-Heroes #12, Captain Marvel #1-62 and annual #1) Dazzler (debut in The Uncanny X-Men #130-131, Dazzler #1-21) Inhumans (Medusa's debut in The Fantastic Four #36, Gorgon's debut in #44, the rest of the team's debut in #45, their segments from Amazing Adventures #1-10) Nova (The Man Called Nova #1-25) Spider-Woman (debut in Marvel Spotlight #32, Spider-Woman #1-50) Thing (The Thing #1-35, series continuing on from Marvel Two-In-One) Spectacular Spider-Man (Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #1-133 and annual #1) Web Of Spider-Man (Web Of Spider-Man #1-131 and annual #1) Of course there are still all the gaps from the already released series to be covered at some point.

[@patricktilton5377]

I'd like to see MARVEL reprint its 7-issue run of LOGAN'S RUN, the first 5 issues of which adapted the movie, followed by 2 issues that ended without tying up a newer plotline. The 5-issue film adaptation had really terrific art by George Perez and Klaus Jansen, giving the imagery from the film a Marvel flair that worked well. Such a volume might not end up as thick as the 500-page omnibus editions, but it would make a nice edition all on its own. I wonder if there would be copyright issues to deal with...?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I would love to read those Logan’s Run issues.

[@MrScottx]

Nick Fury Agent of Shield, Man-Thing, Ka-Zar, The Man Called Nova, Captain Marvel (the original male), Werewolf by Night, Tomb of Dracula, Battlestar Galactica, Godzilla, Kull, Frankenstein's Monster, The Living Mummy and any of the Horror Anthology's like : Where Monsters Dwell, Weird Wonder Tales, Creatures on the Loose etc.....

[@granospadano5015]

Now that's an amazing collection. I love the micronauts! thanks for mentioning them

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

You’re welcome!

[@Yellowblam]

I collected ’Deadpool - Classics’ which were also somewhat of a precursor to Epic Collections. I really enjoyed reading them. They were good quality.

[@jackjones3237]

I want to started reading marvel epic collections amazing spider man Vol 1 great power. Now I want to know how many spider man 1963-1998 epics are there to collect after vol 1. Thanks take care 👍😎

[@AndrewBuckleBookReviews]

Wow, what an amazing collection of epics, 10 years ... Must admit, more an omnibus fan but I still have a decent selection of epics. I probably would have stuck with epics if they include more bonus material as well as the letters pages. DC equivalent of epics has always been odd, it would have been amazing if they had gone for the same approach as Marvel. Bought many Marvel Masterworks, mainly the Golden age / Atlas period ones. I still miss the essential / showcase series. I guess a slight difference with the US, in the UK we had the weekly B&W mags that reprinted zillions of the Marvels (back in the 60s via POW / Fantastic etc as well as Mighty World Of Marvel / Spider-Man Weekly / Avengers / Rampage / Titans etc) so I saw most of the back issues of Marvel in black & white reprints. DC had a very hit and miss approach to the B&W mags though, only bought a few of the ones that came out. Though I did pick up many Australian DC comics in B&W Would love to see the following epics : Captain Savage, Rawhide Kid / Westerns, Millie, Romance comics, FOOM, Marvel Rarities (60s), finishing off Sgt Fury, Silver Surfer 1, Red Wolf, Ghost Rider / Night Rider, Nova etc. Of course, a Red Sonja one would be nice (but that is now with Dynamite) Would love to see the Atlas comics in epic format but at least we now have the Fantagraphics Atlas line of books

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

An Atlas Epic would be interesting. That new Red Sonja omnibus volume is fantastic by the way.

[@jamesl4857]

You mentioned MICRONAUTS. When I researched my debut BACK ISSUE article on Marvel's MICRONAUTS comics, (published way back in 2014's BACK ISSUE #76) many people in and out of comics in America and Italy were telling me Marvel should collect those in some form. Even Al Milgrom wished Marvel had collected editions of MICRONAUTS. Those and ROM were fun books to read, though my favorite Bill Mantlo work is his run on THE INCREDIBLE HULK. I need to get the epic collections of those one of these days. I'm a long-time HULK fan. All The Best, James Heath Lantz Freelance Writer Staff Writer for Back Issue magazine 2021 Eisner Award nominee, 2019 winner, "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism"

[@Krypton_Ken]

Such a great line of books. I tend to be about 50/50 these days when it comes to collecting omnis and epics depending on the creators and run. One thing I like about epics is that the quality is fantastic and they're really comfortable to read.

[@charliedogg7683]

Marvel's reprint programme has been so far ahead of DC's for years now, so much so that Dark Horse has more or less copied Marvel by releasing EC reprints in a very similar format. Masterworks have always been too expensive for me and the Essentials are a good stop-gap but I miss the colour. I'd like to take a moment, Michael, to acknowledge Epic Illustrated magazine, with which the Epic line shares its name. There are some phenomenal stories in those magazine which have never been reprinted and possibly never will. Predating the Epic line and many Essentials volumes were the CD-ROM releases licensed and released by Git Corporation. I only have the Fantastic Four one, which contains every issue up to December 2004 plus all Annuals and Specials. The scans are of the complete comics with ads, Stan's Soapbox, letters, everything. A fantastic resource but so hard to find today. Wally Wood is one of the great masters of the artform. Thankyou for your praise of Don Heck, he and Dick Ayers have received little recognition despite being cornerstones of the early Marvel Universe. And hey Marvel! Where's my Team America Epic Collection?!?

[@DDB168]

But, but, but, they're so damn expensive 😭😭 That bookshelf is worth about 1 million AUD 😉

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

One day I’ll sell them and buy a mansion in Australia.

[@ericliu8488]

The essentials were great. That’s how I read all of Claremont’s X-Men run on the cheap, all 17 years of it.

[@cantbanme8971]

They were a huge part of my childhood but I mean they really weren't great were they, no colour, shitty binding, frequently fell apart quickly. I would have killed for something as accessible as the epic collections to be able to read the classic stories in all their proper glory back then.

[@leematthews6812]

I sure don't have the space in my little London flat for collections of this size, but I do have all the Fantastic Four Masterworks to date. I've tried a few on my Kindle, and they're not bad, quality-wise.

[@Krypton_Ken]

I never got a lot of Essentials but I love the Tomb of Dracula volumes. Gene Colon's artwork looks so good in black & white.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

It really does.

[@ObscureBookAdventures]

I don’t know if he is the best comicbook artist, but Wallace Wood is def. My favourite American comicbook artist.

[@wildmanz8233]

ROM and MICRONAUTS EPIC! ABS-SO-LUTELY!! 👍

[@jscottphillips503]

Deathlok! Where is the Deathlok collection? Where? When? Deathlok!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I will check the weather report to see if Hell has frozen over.

[@jamesholder13]

Awesome!

[@macavitymacavity]

Micronauts and ROM were GREAT!

[@Vicshade]

You aren’t kidding about not missing an epic. I’m missing that Thor vol 2 and it goes for insane prices now.

[@davidsigler9690]

I remember Marvel doing the Marvel Classics, aka, actual classics of literature, and that is the Marvel Epic Collection I want to find if it's exists.....and then I may work on the Comics Epic collections of superheros.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

They do have an omnibus collecting those. They could split that into two Epics.

[@davidsigler9690]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Cool, Thanks.

[@stephenwalker2924]

We need an awesome 'introduction to horror comics' from you, Michael. Perhaps for your classic works of horror series...?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That’s a great idea. You are a genius!

[@alexnejako777]

i like the Essentials editions better. more comics included in each one in black and white

[@frankwhitebean2649]

What are peoples top 10 epic collections??

[@unstopitable]

Don't care how bad the writing is, if Kirby penciled it, I'm gonna read it, or at least enter into a deep trance as I scry the King's krackle. Love the tie. I have a few like it I bought in the late 90s.

[@stevenmcd4741]

All I can see is that infamously crooked printing of Hulk Vol 3 just leaning off the shelf… :D I really hope Marvel reprints that volume soon.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Ha! Yeah, me too!

[@MrStrangermoon]

only care epic collection include dark empire. gonna reprint or new version soon. same artist also have batman 434 something.

[@thegkbc4510]

have they done gi joe yet? id go for that or rom?

[@user-rf6to7bl6l]

Hello Michael Hello. Which epic collections include the Hyperion stories? Thanks

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

To be honest I can’t remember. I will have to check.

[@user-rf6to7bl6l]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Thank you Michael

[@ellesse3862]

I do like to see your wall of Epic Collections, I have only have a few so far. ROM & Micronauts Epic Collections .. those would be entertaining, I might have devoured the omnis before that happens. ooOO .. I'd buy Tomb of Dracula Epics. Marvel Team-Up and Power Pack have no Epics yet either, I think Spider-Woman might be soon, or an omnibus, as I'm sure they've finished the Spider-Woman Masterworks now. I wonder if there is enough material for one volume of Dominic Fortune Epic Collection, I'd like that, and .. Night Raven, Dark Angel, Spider-Woman, and of course Marvel Team-Up.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

The lack of a Marvel Team-Up Epic is mystifying.

[@rmenard]

The most mystifying thing for me is the absence of Web of Spider-Man in any format in contrast to Marvel Team-Up and Spectacular Spider-Man that are being published in the Masterworks format.

[@mr_reborn]

Does DC have something similar to the Epic collections, as they did with the Essentials?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I really wish they did. That would be fantastic.

[@mr_reborn]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Dude! They're doing it! DC Finest, it's called! Not out yet, but on the way! Same sort of concept! YEAHH!

[@mr_reborn]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Dude, it's coming in november !! Fun coincidence, I just learned it was announced. Starting with Superman, Batman, Catwoman, Wonder Woman and The Flash - DC Finest, it's called. Only took 'em ten years! LOL

[@Creek54]

Speaking of Rom, have you ever seen any comics on DVD rom? I only have the Fantastic Four version. The good part is, it's cheap. Bad part is, they are just scans of real comics and the quality can be grim.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I’ve never seen one of those. But then the last computer I owned was a Commodore 64.

[@mathewguglielmi8451]

Yes, Heroes Reborn with Rob Liefeld take on Captain America. Uggh , atrocious.

[@ausonius100]

The Morbius movie is really good! The only Marvel film I like.

[@dareelcabbagelord1332]

For real?

[@ausonius100]

@@dareelcabbagelord1332 Yes, for real