Marvel HC What The Heck?!?

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

From Newsarama:

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Mar07/solicitations.html

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: CLONE SAGA PREMIERE HC
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by MARK BAGLEY
THE FIRST-EVER ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN PREMIERE HC! As Peter Parker tries to sort out his relationship with the X-Men’s Kitty Pryde — and continue his friendship with Mary Jane — a mall-food-court lunch turns into a free-for-all as Peter and MJ are interrupted by the debut of…the Ultimate Scorpion! But who is the Scorpion — and what sinister conspiracy is threatening Spider-Man’s very existence? The clues have been laid over the past 96 issues…and it all starts to come together here, as we begin the most shocking, most mind-blowing Spider-Man story ever published! Collecting ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #97-105 and MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS/MARK BAGLEY, plus extras.
288 PGS./Rated A …$29.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2677-5
Trim size: standard

Is this just a time filler to help catch potential new readers up? Or is this to supplant the regular oversized HCs? I'm hoping the latter.

Meanwhile, ULTIMATE SPIDEY double-ships in March, as Marvel tries to get Bagley out the door even sooner than expected. ;-)

-Augie

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Oh, but I think some people around here will LOVE this one, as will the librarians:

SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 1 HC
Written by SEAN MCKEEVER
Pencils & Cover by TAKESHI MIYAZAWA
This deluxe hardcover collects the first 13 installments of Marvel’s most mischievous melodrama, as featured in Entertainment Weekly's Must List! Whether she's going to school or hanging out with her friends at the Coffee Bean, Mary Jane Watson is always the center of attention. But what no one knows is that this gorgeous redhead's exuberant personality is a shell designed to make her forget about life's harsh realities. From her social life to her undying interest in becoming an actress to her crush on that costumed crime-fighter who swings along the New York City rooftops, it's clear Mary Jane just wants to escape. Join MJ, Harry Osborn, Liz Allen, Flash Thompson and Harry's nerdy friend, Peter Parker, as they experience the thrilling highs and the crushing lows of high-school existence in this electric teen drama! Collecting MARY JANE #1-4, MARY JANE: HOMECOMING #1-4 and SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #1-5.
304 PGS./All Ages …$24.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2610-4
Trim size: oversized

-Augie

[pmpknface]

CBR's link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9136

On the same front, there is also a TRADE of Utl Spidey 1-13 as "ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL. 1 TPB". I thought that was only availabe in HC until now, as the trades were always smaller.

Other things I noticed:

- RUNAWAYS SAGA: to get teh Whedon fans caught up
- LEGION OF MONSTERS: MAN-THING #1: also w/ the Marvel Zombie
- Dabel Bros: there's a few trades that are interesting
- Civil War is in tpb? no HC?
- SPIDER-MAN: SAGA OF THE SANDMAN TPB: Love this idea. Should be done w/ more villians.
- also looking forward to ZOMBIE TPB & THOR: THE ETERNALS SAGA VOL. 2 TPB
- and this:

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE USA COMICS VOL. 1
By JACK KIRBY, JOE SIMON, CHARLES NICHOLAS, AL AVISON, PHIL STURM, SYD SHORES, STAN LEE, BASIL WOLVERTON, MIKE ROY, FRANK GIACOIA, AL EADEH, ED WINIARSKI, GEORGE KLEIN, MIKE SEKOWSKY & AL GABRIELE
Cover by JACK KIRBY & JOE SIMON
Marvel proudly presents more Golden Age goodness, collecting issues #1-4 of USA COMICS from 1941. The Defender! Major Liberty! Rockman! Rusty! The original Young Avenger! The origins of the Whizzer, Jack Frost and the Vagabond! Captain Terror turns back a deadly Nazi undersea invasion! Stan “The Man” himself chronicles the historic first meeting of the USA heroes! This hardcover collection remasters and restores these early adventures, some reprinted for the very first time!
280 PGS./Rated A …$59.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2478-0
Trim size: oversized
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE USA COMICS VOL. 1 HC – VARIANT EDITION VOL. 76
280 PGS./Rated A …$59.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2479-9

I'm a little peeved that, if accurate, has just this Masterworks at $60! The Dr. Strange one is $55.

[goman]

I'm most excited for:

WOLVERINE: WEAPON X PREMIERE HC
Written by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH
Pencils & Cover by BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH
Wolverine's a lot of things to a lot of people, but to one infamous enclave he was nothing but a weapon. And weapons kill people. They found that out well enough. Find out for yourself in this prequel to recent revelations of the murderous mysteries that have mesmerized our favorite mutant! Collecting MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #72-84.
136 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2327-X
Trim size: standard
WOLVERINE: WEAPON X PREMIERE HC – VARIANT EDITION VOL. 4
136 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2667-8

I love that Marvel is putting out a lot of their classic storylines in these hardcover editions. Also, I'll be about caught up with Essential X-men by the time the new printing of Vol. 5 comes out, so it's nice that they're adding more stuff in. Are the only Essentials volumes they're putting out that month new printings? No new collections? When's Essential Avengers Vol 6 coming out?

[goman]

CBR's link: http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9136

On the same front, there is also a TRADE of Utl Spidey 1-13 as "ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL. 1 TPB". I thought that was only availabe in HC until now, as the trades were always smaller.

They also did this for the first 13 issues of Ultimate X-men a few months back. Ultimate X-Men: Ultimate Collection Book 1 (http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-X-Men-Collection-Book-1/dp/0785121870/sr=8-12/qid=1165944021/ref=sr_1_12/105-3865205-5885238?ie=UTF8&s=books)

And, they'll probably have this Premiere HC for the Clone Saga, then the normal TPB, and finally the Oversized HC. I wouldn't worry about seeing it in your standard format. Why sell it once, when you can get people to buy it multiple times?

[pmpknface]

I love that Marvel is putting out a lot of their classic storylines in these hardcover editions. Also, I'll be about caught up with Essential X-men by the time the new printing of Vol. 5 comes out, so it's nice that they're adding more stuff in. Are the only Essentials volumes they're putting out that month new printings? No new collections? When's Essential Avengers Vol 6 coming out?

I don't really care about the Weapon X deal because I have it in the Best of Wolvie HC from a few years back, but it's a good deal if you're missing it! I'm more excited about the rebirth of the Golden Age!

Not sure when some Ess's are coming out, but sometimes checking Amazon is a good indicator. I guess no new ones this month. Go for other tpb's instead! :p

I don't think I put this up yet, but if annyone out there wants to put their $.02 in on what Marvel SHOULD BE COLLECTING you can fill out a survey here: http://www.collectededitions.com/

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Civil War is in tpb? no HC?

I'm thinking CIVIL WAR OMNIBUS HC. All of those trades together in one big fat book, maybe even presented in proper order of continuity.

-Augie

[pmpknface]

I'm thinking CIVIL WAR OMNIBUS HC. All of those trades together in one big fat book, maybe even presented in proper order of continuity.

-Augie

See... that's what I was thinking OVER HERE (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?p=4102627). I was hoping, for other fans sake as I own all the issues anyhow, that they'd have a press conference and say, "OK - here's the dozen ways we're going to collect CW, so if you don't see it right away or wanna wait for a different format these are your options."

I mean... the big deal w/ keeping Steve McNiven on art even though he was behind was so that "it'd still look great collected for future generations." Now they are just skipping a HC in favor of a SC? It just seems odd...

I, too, think that the best thing would be a MASSIVE CW book, complete with all the key stuff from beginning to end.

And an Annihilation one..... and a Planet Hulk one.... ;)

[goman]

I could see an Annihalation Omnibus, as it seems to be the right amount of issues, right around 30 all together. Civil War would probably have to be 2 or 3 Omnibus sized books if they wanted every tie-in issue. I think they should do HC's for the first version, than maybe a line of chornological TPB's, kind of like what they did for the recent Age of Apocalypse trades. Maybe do one trade for each issue of Civil War.

[torippu]

Looking at the solicitations, I noticed two omissions: New Avengers: Illuminati (this is the second month in a row with no new issue) and Criminal. I'm most looking forward to the debut of Mighty Avengers. Loves me some Frank Cho art!

[torippu]

From Newsarama:

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Mar07/solicitations.html

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: CLONE SAGA PREMIERE HC
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by MARK BAGLEY
THE FIRST-EVER ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN PREMIERE HC! As Peter Parker tries to sort out his relationship with the X-Men’s Kitty Pryde — and continue his friendship with Mary Jane — a mall-food-court lunch turns into a free-for-all as Peter and MJ are interrupted by the debut of…the Ultimate Scorpion! But who is the Scorpion — and what sinister conspiracy is threatening Spider-Man’s very existence? The clues have been laid over the past 96 issues…and it all starts to come together here, as we begin the most shocking, most mind-blowing Spider-Man story ever published! Collecting ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #97-105 and MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS/MARK BAGLEY, plus extras.
288 PGS./Rated A …$29.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2677-5
Trim size: standard

Is this just a time filler to help catch potential new readers up? Or is this to supplant the regular oversized HCs? I'm hoping the latter.

Meanwhile, ULTIMATE SPIDEY double-ships in March, as Marvel tries to get Bagley out the door even sooner than expected. ;-)

-Augie
So the only difference between the two is that the Premiere Editions come in standard comic book size? I sure hope that they don't switch USM to only the Premiere Editions. I've just started collecting the oversized HCs and would hate to have two different sized USM books on my shelf.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Premiere Edition HCs are standard comic size and contain usually five or six issues for $20.

The other hardcovers are about $30 for 12 or 13 issues and are oversized.

This one's a bit of an oddity, running 10 issues for $30. Don't know what to make of it, other than that they want to catch people up on the series in a hurry before Immonen starts.

-Augie

[goman]

Well, Vol 8 of the hardcovers is solicited as well, and that one runs up to issue 96, just before Clone Saga. It's got 13 issues in it. Does Bagley leave on issue 110? If so, they could fit the end of his run in HC volume 9 with issues 97-110, which would be 14 issues, so that'd be about right. It's too bad Marvel doesn't list the book dimensions like Dark Horse does, then you would know what you're ordering.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Well, Marvel only has two book dimensions for its hardcovers -- the oversized and the standard trim. The latter is comic book size. The former is the slightly larger books we've gotten used to. I'm sure you're right that they'll continue on with the oversized books, though. They've sold well enough for the first seven volumes. . .

-Augie

[stealthwise]

Given the discounted prices you can get through Amazon or other sites, I doubt I'll be buying any single issues of Marvel after Nextwave concludes.

[Matches Malone]

See... that's what I was thinking OVER HERE (http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?p=4102627). I was hoping, for other fans sake as I own all the issues anyhow, that they'd have a press conference and say, "OK - here's the dozen ways we're going to collect CW, so if you don't see it right away or wanna wait for a different format these are your options."

I mean... the big deal w/ keeping Steve McNiven on art even though he was behind was so that "it'd still look great collected for future generations." Now they are just skipping a HC in favor of a SC? It just seems odd...



There will be a CIVIL WAR oversized HC, but probably not for a year or two. Note that AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED just went to oversized HC. Look for a HOUSE OF M HC in the next year or so, and then CIVIL WAR.

Marvel has quietly begun altering its normal collection pattern for its "event" miniseries.

[pmpknface]

That's just odd. I hate quiet. When they make these kinds of changes they should make them LOUD ENOUGH SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR!

Ok, I'll tone it down now... :p