All New Marvel Collected Editions

[Orion]

Not really as complicated as all that. I honestly can't imagine why someone would want to read back and forth between New Avengers 2 and Avengers 3 OHCs. They're self-contained, they don't really go back and forth. They don't start following the same storyline until Time Runs Out, which is why Time Runs Out was released the way it was. The OHCs are actually quite easy to read and require no back and forth at all as long as they're read in the proper order. The only part that could seem odd is that the second half of the first New Avengers OHC is in Infinity. (and just skip buying Avengers OHC2)

Because story points happen that affect the other book at different points within each book. As was pointed out by another poster, Hulk's situation wouldn't make sense if you just read one straight through then the other.

Absolutely this.

People seem to have invented a reading order that isn't remotely required because it's Hickman so they assume there's some higher story to be got reading it in order. There isn't. It works and reads absolutely perfectly well, in some cases better, read as you say.

I honestly can't make heads or tails of what you're trying to say here

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Volume 19
Reprints: Amazing Spider-Man #193-202, Annual #13, Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #1
(Vol. 245 in the Marvel Masterworks Library)
Release Date: June 14, 2017
296 Pages
Collection Editor: Cory Sedlmeier
Written by Marv Wolfman with Bill Mantlo
Penciled by Keith Pollard with John Byrne, Rich Buckler, Sal Buscema & Al Milgrom
Cover by John Romita



SPIDEY MASTERWORKS REACHES ITS 200TH ISSUE MILESTONE!
The Amazing Spider-Man swings toward an historic 200th issue! Peter Parker has faced villain after villain after villain over the course of his heroic career, but despite all those victories one moment will forever torment him — the death of his Uncle Ben. Our hero is struck low when not only does Aunt May die, but the man who killed Uncle Ben returns. It’s a saga that plumbs the emotional depths of Peter Parker’s life like no other. As Spidey struggles through his grief, old villains and new faces emerge: The Kingpin returns; Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, makes her first appearance; Mysterio weaves his illusions; Spidey faces Doc Ock in an Annual extravaganza; and a gang war forces a team-up with the Punisher!

[TheManInBlack]

Because story points happen that affect the other book at different points within each book. As was pointed out by another poster, Hulk's situation wouldn't make sense if you just read one straight through then the other.

That's the only thing I can think of that might seem a little off, and even that can be mitigated by reading the OHCs in the proper order with no flipping back and forth. These stories read MUCH better in their own OHCs without flipping back and forth. Intermixing them would be awful in my opinion. If they were meant to be read that way the entire run would have been released like Time Runs Out. They weren't. The stories are almost entirely self-contained.

I honestly can't make heads or tails of what you're trying to say here

Seemed pretty straight forward to me. He said people keep assuming that there needs to be a complex reading order 'because Hickman' when there really isn't.

[Pete Wisdom]

Yeah, you can tell that the way the run is meant to be read is the fourth out of at least five ways it's released. Four is the magic number and doesn't seem to be arbitrary at all.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

The complete estimated comic book sales figures for October 2016 are in (please note this list only details those comics sold to North American Comics Shops as reported by Diamond). I’ve listed below the Marvel OHC/Omnibus/MMW’s as well as the larger TPB collections such as the Epic, Ultimate and Complete lines that made the list, detailing the position, title and estimated sales.

43. Punisher Max Complete Collection Vol. 3 - 2,093
51. Doctor Strange Epic Collection Separate Reality - 1,893
66. Star Wars Legends Epic Collection Original Marvel Years Vol. 1 - 1,553
72. Power Man and Iron Fist Epic Collection Revenge - 1,506
93. Hawkeye OHC Vol. 3 - 1,207
115. Spider-Man The Clone Saga Omnibus Vol. 1 - 1,012
116. Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Vol. 2 (2nd Printing) - 1,010
133. Spirits of Vengeance Rise of Midnight Sons TPB - 883
168. Man Thing by Steve Gerber Complete Collection Vol. 2 - 693
186. Marvel Universe According To Hembeck TPB - 601
247. Shang-Chi Master Kung Fu Omnibus Vol. 2 - 419
249. Doctor Strange Omnibus Vol. 1 - 417
279. Deadpool & Cable Ultimate Collection Book 1 - 380

Last month, due to shipping problems, I predicted that Shang Chi Master of Kung Fu Omnibus Vol. 2 and Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 2 (2nd Printing) would chart again in October 2016. I was correct with the former, but incorrect with the latter. This, therefore, gives the Shang Chi Vol. 2 Omni a total of 1,368 units for both months. The Doctor Strange Vol. 1 Omni is selling absolute bucketloads with a further 417 copies this month following over 2,600 units last month. The Spider-Man Clone Saga Vol. 1 Omni did fairly well considering it’s being reprinted almost simultaneously in Epic Collections and carries a $125 price tag. Quite a few Doctor Strange collected editions appeared this month in various formats, not surprising taking into account the movie success and the current hype.

For the sake of comparison, DC’s “Wonder Woman The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 ” shifted 1,076 units.

[Captain Craig]

Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man Volume 19
Reprints: Amazing Spider-Man #193-202, Annual #13, Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #1
(Vol. 245 in the Marvel Masterworks Library)
Release Date: June 14, 2017
296 Pages
Collection Editor: Cory Sedlmeier
Written by Marv Wolfman with Bill Mantlo
Penciled by Keith Pollard with John Byrne, Rich Buckler, Sal Buscema & Al Milgrom
Cover by John Romita



SPIDEY MASTERWORKS REACHES ITS 200TH ISSUE MILESTONE!
The Amazing Spider-Man swings toward an historic 200th issue! Peter Parker has faced villain after villain after villain over the course of his heroic career, but despite all those victories one moment will forever torment him — the death of his Uncle Ben. Our hero is struck low when not only does Aunt May die, but the man who killed Uncle Ben returns. It’s a saga that plumbs the emotional depths of Peter Parker’s life like no other. As Spidey struggles through his grief, old villains and new faces emerge: The Kingpin returns; Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, makes her first appearance; Mysterio weaves his illusions; Spidey faces Doc Ock in an Annual extravaganza; and a gang war forces a team-up with the Punisher!

I find it interesting they are doing Spec Spiderman Annual #1 in this volume.
Why not publish this in the recently announced MMW Spec Spidey vol.1?? Are they going to double dip on it at some point?

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I find it interesting they are doing Spec Spiderman Annual #1 in this volume.
Why not publish this in the recently announced MMW Spec Spidey vol.1?? Are they going to double dip on it at some point?

The story continues on from ASM Annual #13 which is also in this MMW. This won't appear in the MMW PPSSM Vol. 1 as the SSM Annual was published in 1979 whereas those first PPSSM issues were in 1976-78.

Below is the writeup for the SSM Annual #1:

"And Men Shall Call Him Octopus!" Story by Bill Mantlo. Art by Rich Buckler and Jim Mooney. The story continues from Amazing Spiderman Annual 13 in which Spider-Man battled Doctor Octopus at a construction site and ripped off one of his mechanical arms. Now Peter Parker takes the leftover arm to Empire State University to study it, but the arm comes alive and escapes! The wall-crawler follows the arm to the East River, where Doc Ock is attempting to steal an atomic submarine. It's a great finishing battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus! (Note: This story takes place when Aunt May was presumed dead between Amazing Spiderman issues 195 and 200.)

[TheManInBlack]

Yeah, you can tell that the way the run is meant to be read is the fourth out of at least five ways it's released. Four is the magic number and doesn't seem to be arbitrary at all.

The discussion is regarding whether readers should read the books one story arc at a time or interweave the different story arcs together to form a more chronological (as it was released) reading order. Myself and others contend that because there is minimal and occasionally no overlap between stories, that there is no reason to construct a complex back and forth reading order when the arcs are self-contained.

As for it being released in several different formats, you'll be pleased to note that the stories were released in the exact same way in the other formats too, with the individual stories being released individually up until Time Runs Out, when even the TPBs were released interwoven just like the OHC. Literally every version was released in this manner. So no, it's not just the 'fourth way' that's right. It's all of them.

[Orion]

The discussion is regarding whether readers should read the books one story arc at a time or interweave the different story arcs together to form a more chronological (as it was released) reading order. Myself and others contend that because there is minimal and occasionally no overlap between stories, that there is no reason to construct a complex back and forth reading order when the arcs are self-contained.

As for it being released in several different formats, you'll be pleased to note that the stories were released in the exact same way in the other formats too, with the individual stories being released individually up until Time Runs Out, when even the TPBs were released interwoven just like the OHC. Literally every version was released in this manner. So no, it's not just the 'fourth way' that's right. It's all of them.

I think you are extrapolating the reasoning of the other side of the argument too far. We're not saying that you have to go back and forth after every issue like the comics were released, or even every single story arc. Rather it's that the omnibuses will provide a cleaner, better way of reading Hickman's opus than the current ohc's allow for. I mean literally having one and a half ohc's be completely redundant is enough of a problem in and of itself.

The ohc's present a number of questions that new readers will have to seek out:

-New Avengers 1 first or Avengers 1 first?
-I read each one straight through to the end right?
-Avengers 2 after Infinity? (wait uhh...*watches money burn)
-New Avengers 2 first or Avengers 3 first?
-I read each of straight through to the end?

...whereas the omnibus will be able to just be read.

[TheManInBlack]

-New Avengers 1 first or Avengers 1 first? Doesn't really matter, but I'd generally say Avengers 1 first.
-I read each one straight through to the end right? Aside from the Infinity issues in NA1, yes.
-Avengers 2 after Infinity? (wait uhh...*watches money burn) Stupidest thing Marvel ever did. Not gonna argue with you on that, lol
-New Avengers 2 first or Avengers 3 first? Doesn't matter too much, they have very little to do with each other.
-I read each of straight through to the end? Yes.

...whereas the omnibus will be able to just be read. True, but the whole reason this topic was brought up was to define the omnibus's issue order. If you're not contending that Avengers OHC 3 and NA OHC2 should be interwoven, we're pretty much agreeing here.

[Pete Wisdom]

There's your not intervowen series:
Avengers #25-28 - Banner finds out about the Illuminati
New Avengers #16-17 - Illuminati find not-Justice League world, excursion begins, Banner is among the Illuminati
Avengers #29-34 - while preparing to deal with excursion, Captain America confronts and beats up Iron Man
New Avengers #18-23 - beaten up Stark goes with Illuminati to deal with excursion
And there's probably other stuff unveiling across both titles and the order in which you read them might matter.

Can you read them separately? Yes, you can.
Can you read them together going back and forth between series? Yes, you can.
Is your way the correct way? No, it's not.
Is it your business how others read it? No, it's not.

As for it being released in several different formats, you'll be pleased to note that the stories were released in the exact same way in the other formats too, with the individual stories being released individually up until Time Runs Out, when even the TPBs were released interwoven just like the OHC. Literally every version was released in this manner. So no, it's not just the 'fourth way' that's right. It's all of them.

That's funny, because I thought singles and smaller collections offer a different way of arranging the whole thing without having to stop reading one book halfway to read another. I can read New Avengers: Other Worlds, then Avengers: Infinite Avengers, and then New Avengers: A Perfect World. With singles I can even read the Avengers #24 -> New Avengers #13-15 -> Avengers #25-28 -> New Avengers #16-17 -> Avengers #29-34, which is my preferred way of reading it. If I have your permission, of course.

Oh, and guess what? Your OHCs (or PHCs or TPBs for that matter) are not so great after all. They don't have Infinity #1-6. That's right, the Infinity OHC is not part of that set of collections. Otherwise 17 issues wouldn't be repeated and it wouldnn't have been released way before vol. 1s, and would probably have a volume number itself. "The right way" or "stupidest thing Marvel ever did", which one is it? If only there was a better way, hmm. Wait, if we put all Avengers, New Avengers and Infinity issues together...

"If they were meant to be read that way the entire run would have been released like Time Runs Out. They weren't." But they will be.

To sum it up: Is it your business how others read it? No, it's not.

EDIT: Of course there's also the fact that Marvel's general publishing plan for current series is singles -> PHCs -> TPBs -> OHCs -> Omnibi -> Complete Collections (with the option of skipping any one of those they choose, like how now you get OHCs more often than PHCs) and it has nothing to do with the "right" way to read them.

[DantonR]

I'm looking to pick up some MMW volumes.

Can anyone comment on

-the quality of Englehart's run on Captain America?
-Len Wein's run on Incredible Hulk (you know, the issues around where Wolverine makes his appearance).

Thanks

[madave]

Englehart's run; a breeze, a standout for that time. Might be worth having a look at his own take on his run (http://www.steveenglehart.com/comics...20153-167.html), where he claims that the title was going to get cancelled but became Marvel's best seller. Its quite fast-paced, and intricate at times for a 70s comic. I enjoyed these a lot, although it may depend on whether you like Kirby's return, but I found Kirby's run to be a real slog after reading Englehart's.

There are better runs of Hulk. I'd say the second half of his run is better than the first, although he did kill off the love of Hulk's life.

[TheManInBlack]

Is it your business how others read it? No, it's not.

Nobody's telling anyone how to read it. It's all good. We were discussing how the omnibus could be ordered. I personally don't care if you read it backwards or forwards. Read it however you get the most enjoyment out of it.

[Mr`Orange]

-New Avengers 1 first or Avengers 1 first? Doesn't really matter, but I'd generally say Avengers 1 first.
-I read each one straight through to the end right? Aside from the Infinity issues in NA1, yes.
-Avengers 2 after Infinity? (wait uhh...*watches money burn) Stupidest thing Marvel ever did. Not gonna argue with you on that, lol
-New Avengers 2 first or Avengers 3 first? Doesn't matter too much, they have very little to do with each other.
-I read each of straight through to the end? Yes.

...whereas the omnibus will be able to just be read. True, but the whole reason this topic was brought up was to define the omnibus's issue order. If you're not contending that Avengers OHC 3 and NA OHC2 should be interwoven, we're pretty much agreeing here.

So if I have the Infinity and Infinity Companion OHC's I only need to buy:

New Avengers Vol 1
Avengers Vol 1
Avengers Vol 2
Avengers: Time runs out

For the complete Hickman run?