All New Marvel Collected Editions

[Garuda]

Do you think collections like Brute Force are an elaborate inside joke by the Marvel Collections Dept?
I imagine them sitting around the table at semi-annual meetings, talking seriously about upcoming A/B/C list character media tie-ins, and each Dept head tossing in a random collection idea tied to nothing.
Some mechanism is in place (eg losing a bet on something) that then causes something like this to actually see print.

There may be an element of that but the real reason is the same reason why Marvel released the Strikeforce: Morituri collections: trademark renewal. If you don't use it, you lose it...

[Rimmer]

Do the New avengers/avengers etc complete collections by bendis have any sort of recap page for the events? Or do i need to buy the event books aswell? Thanks

I'm reading through these now, actually. I'm up through v3. There is NO recap pages for House of M, but you get the gist within the comics about what happened - the big ending of Scarlet Witch wiping out mutant powers of thousands of mutants. I suppose big picture that's all you really need to know.

There are recap pages for Civil War.

So far, there hasn't been any recap pages for Secret Invasion, but I'm still in the preliminary NA issues where they start to sort out all the Skrully stuff.
EDIT: Started reading v4 last night, and there ARE recap pages for Secret Invasion in there after all.

I have also read the Mighty Avengers complete collection, and there are NO recap pages in it, but again lots of Skrully shenanigans in it.

BTW, not having read these books since they came out, I'm really enjoying them. I think admittedly I got caught up in the message boards complaining of Bendis with his dialogue quirks and "Wolverine shouldn't be an Avengers" and complaints about the Hood and ninjas and all that. Coming back to these stories now, I am really digging them. The dialogue seems fine to me now, and issues with Ninjas were not that bad, Hood is in it a lot, but he's a pretty decent villain, IMO, insofar as pulling all the underworld together into one unit like a Godfather figure. My only real complaint with Bendis on these issues, really, is the vague time jumps. He'll go back to yesterday, and then jump to today. But the initial doesn't say, "yesterday" on it, just rolls. And then when it flips back it says, "now" or whatever. I think a little clarity would have made these less jarring, but that's storytelling for you, and perhaps that's what he wanted, to make you constantly guess what's happening when. Anyways, I recommend these complete collections - just the right size IMO to take and read anywhere.

[TomSlick]

There may be an element of that but the real reason is the same reason why Marvel released the Strikeforce: Morituri collections: trademark renewal. If you don't use it, you lose it...

Well it also helps that Strikeforce is a cult classic and at one point was going to be a TV show although I think that was back in the early 2000s.

[Peter Parker]

Well it also helps that Strikeforce is a cult classic and at one point was going to be a TV show although I think that was back in the early 2000s.

I like the theory that they are just screwing with us. That or someone had a dart go way off during their collected editions selection meeting.

[Garuda]

Well it also helps that Strikeforce is a cult classic and at one point was going to be a TV show although I think that was back in the early 2000s.

Well, being a cult-classic didn't help Starman (yeah, it's DC I know) . Maybe they've just managed to convince the bigwigs that obscure titles like Brute Force and Wolfpack need to be reprinted in order to preempt any legal challenges like this happening again:

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/05...-peter-gillis/

[TomSlick]

Well, being a cult-classic didn't help Starman (yeah, it's DC I know) . Maybe they've just managed to convince the bigwigs that obscure titles like Brute Force and Wolfpack need to be reprinted in order to preempt any legal challenges like this happening again:

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/05...-peter-gillis/

Thanks for sharing this. I wish they'd make a nice OHC of Strikeforce and the limited series that followed it.

I think that Marvel is a little more willing to reprint a cult classic than DC.

[Peter Parker]

Thanks for sharing this. I wish they'd make a nice OHC of Strikeforce and the limited series that followed it.

I think that Marvel is a little more willing to reprint a cult classic than DC.

We did get a New Warriors Omnibus...

[TomSlick]

We did get a New Warriors Omnibus...

Yes, I meant to put that down as an example. Plus, if you think about it, one also could cite Howard the Duck, Man-Thing and even the Dracula and Werewolf runs.

[Rincewind]

Thanks for sharing this. I wish they'd make a nice OHC of Strikeforce and the limited series that followed it.

I think that Marvel is a little more willing to reprint a cult classic than DC.

Marvel has also made efforts to collect their licensed material like Godzilla and Master of Kung Fu. I've still got my fingers crossed for a Rom omnibus series.

[biakabo]

Is Planet Hulk in danger of going OOP?

[TomSlick]

Marvel has also made efforts to collect their licensed material like Godzilla and Master of Kung Fu. I've still got my fingers crossed for a Rom omnibus series.

Tell me more about this Godzilla attempt!
I doubt we'll get Rom although I wouldn't be surprised if IDW (or whoever has the rights right now) collects it.

[jm21]

Any thoughts on Cullen Bunn's Magneto / Uncanny X-Men run?
I've heard some good things and been hoping for some OHCs, but ANAD Marvel seems painfully short on X-OHCs.

Maybe worth a couple of Bunn Omnibus?:
Magneto by Bunn Omnibus (#1-21 + Secret Wars: House of M #1-4)
Uncanny X-Men by Bunn Omnibus (#1-19+Annual + Civil War II: X-Men #1-4)

[grahamgg]

Is Planet Hulk in danger of going OOP?

Well it went out of stock at IST so after a week or so of waiting I pulled the trigger right around Christmas at CGN for $50. Now CGN has increased the price to $80 which is a sign that it's not as plentiful as it was at one point, and possibly heading OOP. As a Hulk fan, I panicked and decided to go ahead and pull the trigger before it got scarce. Honestly this was a weird one for an Omnibus. It's basically a HC representation of the in print "road to Planet Hulk" and "Planet Hulk" TPs. I also picked up the WWH Omnibus for half price. That one seems to be in stock and discounted at all the normal places, so maybe they printed more of it.

[grahamgg]

Tell me more about this Godzilla attempt!

Well back years ago (2006) Marvel reprinted their entire 24 issue series from the 1970s as Essential Godzilla in B&W. Not sure it's been reprinted other than that? God I love how Marvel used to do comics ... license a character, then throw them right in the middle of the freaking MU. This series had all sorts of appearances by SHIELD, the Avengers, FF, etc.

I doubt we'll get Rom although I wouldn't be surprised if IDW (or whoever has the rights right now) collects it.

Regarding ROM, I've never read any of that material before. I knew of the series as a kid, and had an issue here or there from multi-packs but never read any of it. My understanding from some of the online articles I've read over the years was that the original comic series is so deeply embedded into the 616 MU that it would be virtually impossible for the series to be reprinted anywhere or in any form except by Marvel. I mean for gosh sakes, Rick Jones was ROM's main supporting character for a while, and ROM & cast interacted with the entire MU basically. Marvel owns the Dire Wraiths, the human version of ROM (he showed up at Rick & Marlo's wedding in Hulk) and the Space Knights (which is why every so many years we see Marvel publish some kind of Space Knight series ... Venom: Space Knight being the last, and most absurd IMO). They're trying to retain ownership of that IP or copyright.

The problem is Parker Brothers originally, and today Hasbro, own the ROM armored character. Seems like Marvel is chummy with IDW nowadays (they partnered on the Transformer reprints by letting Spidey's appearance be reprinted), and they work together on other prestige bookshelf format books like artist editions, HC newspaper reprints, etc. So I guess there's always a chance those classic issues will once again see the light of day. Especially today with the older 70s licensed characters coming back into print (MOKFU, Doc Savage in the forthcoming MTU MMW, and Conan in the recent 2018 Marvel calendar, etc). The only wrench to that hope for reprints, is that apparently Hasbro wants to create an integrated cinematic movie universe starring their characters like Transformers, GI Joe, Micronauts, and ROM. So....anybody's guess is as good as mine.

[poolovision]

Any thoughts on Cullen Bunn's Magneto / Uncanny X-Men run?
I've heard some good things and been hoping for some OHCs, but ANAD Marvel seems painfully short on X-OHCs.

Maybe worth a couple of Bunn Omnibus?:
Magneto by Bunn Omnibus (#1-21 + Secret Wars: House of M #1-4)
Uncanny X-Men by Bunn Omnibus (#1-19+Annual + Civil War II: X-Men #1-4)

Whenever the question comes up: what X series were noteworthy during the last years, Bunn's Magneto solo series is the first title I mention. From previous discussions here I know that I am not alone in saying: the Magneto series was hands down the best solo and possible overall X title of this era. I do not want to spoil the reading experience but it had some really intense moments and to me it was a great portray of the character.

The following UXM series is not as strong as the solo title in my memory. But still it is in my opinion by far the best X team book that was available at that point. I liked the Betsy - Erik relationship and the second arc (Apocalypse Wars) seems to be stellar in comparison with the other titles (you do not have to be an X book expert to guess who is heavily featured in this arc).

I also feel that Civil War X-Men is together with Death of X and IvsX part of this trilogy. I am not sure if there is an overall consensus about this era but if I had to I would say these events had its moments but were not really viewed as a good time for the X books (the compleX conspiracy theory comes to mind plus what they did to Jamey in Death of X (to me) is unforgiveable).

That being said on the plus side you have still a strong Magneto. The I vs X event has one Magneo moment or better one panel that I talk about even to people who do not read comics at all and ask me why the X-Men are so important to me (now I should remember how to do these spoiler thing but well another time). The UXM tie ins to the event were still a good read (Sabretooth - Monet relation).

I hope this helps and one last thing: I just read the second X-Men Blue trade. As many X fans I am not happy about the O5 (or whatever "really" is the deal now) still playing a big part in the X books (or to be clear not happy at all with the whole O5 era) but the Tie Ins to Secret Empire were okish because some plot points from the Magneto and UXM run are further developed. I am not sure if I would recommend these because the last two issues in this trade were for lack of better words very odd. As if we do not have enough X characters from other universes nowadays ...