Marvel Collected Editions

[Ivan P91]

Are any of them rare or should I just wait for a good price on a complete lot?

A lot of the older ones are very hard to find, at least for a decent price. I remember reading on here that Vol 8 was the hardest to find for cheap (EDIT: and someone else beat me to it above!). I lucked out and found Vol 7 brand new last year, but never see any from before Vol 10 in stores anymore. Had to pad out the rest of the series with the omnibus and TPBs.

[TomSlick]

Ok, but which one? I've seen whole lot of those SW omnis, don't know which one would be included in this big one.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like Star Wars: A Little Long Time Ago... is the Dark Horse Omnibus series and there's even previews on Amazon for volumes 2 and 3. You could try one of these 450 page books out for about $15 before you buy an 800-page Marvel Omnibus for $125.

The good Doctor is correct. I remember when Dark Horse released these, and IIRC, they might have even released the tpbs monthly until they were completed. They're also pretty decent books as far as the build. The stories? Well, go ahead and pick up volume 1, which collects the original comic version of "A New Hope" and then another 15 or so issues after it. If you like it, then keep going. Personally, I found them very hit or miss. Some were really, really fun, and others were god awful. I won't be getting the omnibus collections. I thought about it, but, I think the read through I did 10-15 years ago was good enough for me.

[Captain Planet]

It's not a one to one comparison. Cap is now a 4, soon to be 5 book series. They reprinted the first one a billion times. Then the Death of Omni went out of stock and they didn't bother to reprint it or reprint it enough. A ton of people missed out on that. Then you have Vol. 3/Lives which didn't have the same excitement as the previous two volumes and probably a lot of people didn't buy it if they couldn't get their hands on the first and second ones. Then you have a very large gap between Vol 3 and 4, so people have lost interest in that time period.

Brubaker is popular, but he's on the outs with Marvel. Hickman is still there until his Avengers stuff is over. Brubaker had to beg them to even release that Winter Soldier OHC for the movie tie in. I don't know what these guys are set up for in royalties in their contracts (if anything), but if Marvel owes Brubaker money for reprints that could be incentive to not reprint or sell things at a higher price, thereby giving him a smaller royalty check.

Hickman FF is a complete tale in two Omnis released what, a year apart? Its a much more captive audience situation.

I think a better comparison would be Captain America vol 1 and FF vol 1. Like you said, volume four not only looses appeal for anyone who doesn't have volumes 1-4 but it also contains the less popular part of Brubaker's run on Cap.

[Mace Dolex]

My LCS which always has discounts on every old/new TPB so I had some extra cash laying around and got for 40% off:

Uncanny X-Men Omnibus vol. 1-2 (Claremont/Cockrum/Byrne)
X-Men Omnibus vol. 2 (Claremont/Lee/Portacio)

such a sweet deal I saved a total of $141.69

[DragonPiece]

Don't know if you guys already know, but it looks like a collection of the first 4 volumes of Ultimate Spider-Man is coming next year: http://www.amazon.com/Miles-Morales-...NTMJ49RK6QW7WR

[JJ87]

Don't know if you guys already know, but it looks like a collection of the first 4 volumes of Ultimate Spider-Man is coming next year: http://www.amazon.com/Miles-Morales-...NTMJ49RK6QW7WR

Per the title, it might actually refer to the current, post-Cataclysm series, no?
Although granted, it is being released in the usual paperback-per-story arc method, and if that were the case, an Ultimate Collection seems too soon to be true.
Or maybe the current series will indeed be cancelled next year along with the rest of the Ultimate universe, only lasting for three paperbacks, rounding up Miles' adventures to 8 trades, which could be collected across two Ultimate Collections?

[jjsheridan1001]

Who knows? It's seems probable they will continue the DnA cosmic events omni line so at least a big chunk of the series will get omni'd then (since most of these events have GotG issues as tie-ins)

I really doubt it; I'm betting if any of the GOTG runs get reprinted in omni form, it will likely be Bendis, and I don't even expect that - I'm expecting Bendis' run will be reprinted in OHC starting around GOTG 2 in theaters.

I had a thought the other day, and it's sort of a depressing thought (or at least, not a thought that gives collectors like us the warm and fuzzies), which was...I was holding my Ed Brubaker Captain American volume 1 in my hand the other day, putting it back from reading some of it, when I looked down at the book for a long moment. I read the $99 price tag, looked over the cover, and I thought to myself "How would I, a comic book connoisseur, convince a friend or acquaintance who has never read comic books and has only a mild interest in them because he or she loved the Winter Soldier movie to blind buy and read this omnibus?" The answer.

In any single scenario I thought of, I could not imagine being successful. Understand, I am a salesman by trade; I am pretty damn good at convincing my customers to buy overpriced products they often don't need. But, there has to be at least an interest in the product - some sort of itch.

Marvel released the DnA complete collection because they knew that colorful Clint Langley cover of the familiar movie characters, as well as an easy-to-read and carry inexpensive paperback would go like cupcakes at a pot party. They released Annihilation in omni form because they knew the casual consumer would not know or care what Annihilation was, but the fanboys - the central audience for omnis - are the ones who would make the Annihilation omni the relative success it was.

An omnibus is not and will never be intended for the masses. No one who is even a casual comics user is going to probably buy one. The complete collections and OHCs are for the masses; they're the books that someone interested enough in a comic book to wander into their local B&N can pick up for the right price. Omnis are targeted at us.

[Ari Gold]

So I'm halfway+ through the Infinity Gauntlet Omni, having just finished the Inifinity Gauntlet series itself.

And I enjoyed it so far. I was a bit down after having purchased it this summer when a bunch of negative reviews started coming through in this thread. I started regretting buying something I'd never read before and not sure I'd even like it, but I'm glad I did and that I got it before I read those comments.

I did notice though while reading it that the spine looks like this:
FullSizeRender.jpg

I know my X-Statix spine got kind of destroyed having read it, but is this how omni spines are supposed to look? Won't they fray & crease in the middle from such strain?

[Dayle88]

I could be wrong but closing it, putting it spine down then opening it will make it open properly. Mine have never come anywhere close to that.

[Iron Fist]

I always try to read my omnibses flat to avoid damaging the spine. Usually if you lay it on a cushion and then have that on your lap or bed or w/e it's easier on the spine.

I've read 3 of my omnibuses with this technique and none of them are damaged.

[Batmil]

It's a "You had to be there." omnibus. And even then, it's not exactly the best nostalgia. Unless you're talking $20, probably not worth it. And even at $20, there are OHCs you'd probably get more out of.

Thanks for the info!

[heatvision]

So the Marvel Masterworks slipcase set is 13.5 x 16.8 x 19 inches in cubic volume. At 3016 pages, it could contain about 150 comics assuming they are 20 pages each.

Marvel is also going to make a Secret Wars slipcase set. Imagine if they kept this up and made slipcase sets for their other comics? Entire decade length runs could be put into one set. The only negative I see is the price. A comic book in excess of $100 is not for the casual, but it definitely could sell out to serious collector if the print run is small enough. Maybe they could just make one every year and turn it into an annual thing.

[victorxd1999]

So the Marvel Masterworks slipcase set is 13.5 x 16.8 x 19 inches in cubic volume. At 3016 pages, it could contain about 150 comics assuming they are 20 pages each.

Marvel is also going to make a Secret Wars slipcase set. Imagine if they kept this up and made slipcase sets for their other comics? Entire decade length runs could be put into one set. The only negative I see is the price. A comic book in excess of $100 is not for the casual, but it definitely could sell out to serious collector if the print run is small enough. Maybe they could just make one every year and turn it into an annual thing.

I think the most I would pay for a box like that would be $250. If they get a price tag like that I would love to see some more (PAD's whole Hulk run perhaps?)

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I wouldn't mind Marvel bringing out a Civil War slipcase set. OHC mind you, definitely not PHC.

[Legion564]

I wouldn't mind Marvel bringing out a Civil War slipcase set. OHC mind you, definitely not PHC.

They already did make the 7 OHC.