Marvel Omnibus/Oversized Hardcover Discussion Part IV

[Captain Planet]

Please please please please please please let him be heading over to X-Men after AvX instead of to Avengers. Hickman + X-Men = Golden.

Also, unsure what my interest in FF will be after he's gone. Damn Marvel and this fall's impending creator merry-go-round. Just when I found some authors that I like.

In other news, that probably means one more PHC beyond what's solicited for each of those titles.

Traditionally X-men have been my favorite, but the writers have done a great job of really making me not like most of the characters anymore. If Hickman can make the X-world likable again, I'm all for it, otherwise I'd rather see him on Avengers than continuing to make Cyclops and his army becoming more and more unrelatable and largely unlikable to me.

Of course, the debate over the x-men's course over the last few years is for another forum so I'll just finish up my comment with something on topic. I held out for years hoping for OHCs for Hickman's run on Fantastic Four and I hope in the next year or so I can finally start reading it through omni or OHC set.

[Captain Planet]

Speaking of old titles holding up, I busted out my X-Men Vol. 1 Omnibus last night for some reading and maybe it's just me but these stories just haven't aged well for me. The vision is still there but as far as a compelling reading experience given all that came after it it just doesn't work for me anymore. Thinking of just selling my 2 original X-Omnis at this point - anyone else have any thoughts?

I must add that I've re-read UXM, Vol 1 twice over the last three years and it's still always fun.

Those original X-men stories are not very good. I'm not at the point of selling mine yet but its difficult to read them. Although, I heard vol 2, when Thomas takes over, it gets much better.

[One More Day]

Have they announced what the other 1200 page omnibus is?

[CSPDX]

Yeah unless Slott, or Gage take over Fantastic Four I doubt I keep reading it. Like to see Hickman on a X-Title though, or maybe even Thor.

The X-Men relaunch *just* happened, I'd be much happier to see the current teams build an actual run before being replaced. I think smart money's on Hickman taking at least one of the Avenger books, what with Bendis coming off them.

[DrGregatron]

Ditto. I thought Claremont's issues were awesome here. Everything else (i.e., Louise Simonson) was a chore.

Just want to say I totally disagree with grahammgg's post about the UXM Fall of Mutants issues being bad. They aren't, and they lead right into his best work on the series with the Silvestri/Outback era.

I agree that FOtM was a decent read and also that Simonson's writing is the less preferable of the two writers. I can't agree that the outback era was good though. Really hated that Silvestri era of UXM. Claremont's plots start going all over the place and Silvestri was preceded by so many artists who were more talented than he was at the time. But I guess we all have our likes and dislikes.

[DonEMC]

Being sick with a cold and off work has allowed me to read a lot of material over the last two days. Byrne FF Omnibus is great. I am to the part that I did not like, though, and that's where Byrne inserted himself into the Trial of Reed Richards, which really killed that storyline for me. That is THE only thing I didn't like about his run. I also did not like that in Morrison's Animal Man and was glad when they killed off "The Writer" in Suicide Squad.
But, all this time off has allowed me to read a variety of material and Byrne's FF stands out, as does Brubaker's Daredevil (I hate getting close to the end and knowing Diggle ruins the character with his run).
I LOVE the fact that Byrne seamlessly wove She-Hulk into the team without missing a beat. I could have gone with her as the fourth member for years, as long as Byrne wrote and drew the book.
I think I'm also going to start rereading John Carter Warlord of Mars now that I've got the complete run in the omnibus. I think this one is an oddball, but it's a lot of fun and has great stories and art. A buddy of mine owns a lot of the original art to these books and most of the covers.
Now, I want to find the Alan Davis covered edition ...

[Rimmer]

I said this on another thread as well, but with Hickman confirmed as finishing up on Fantastic Four and FF in October (#611 and #23 respectively), that makes a total of 59 issues he's done, including the Dark Reign mini. So I think it's very likely we'll see two omnibuses in the next few years, with #600 as the mid way point.

If they want to split the entire Hickman run into two omnibuses, it would kinda make sense to end vol. 1 with the Death of Johnny (ala what they did with Bru's Cap omnibus) and then have vol.2 be the start of FF, Johnny's return, and the rest of the run until his end. I REALLY hope they collect every single darn issue Hickman wrote in omnibus form, they/he deserve it!

[DrGregatron]

Have they announced what the other 1200 page omnibus is?

Thought I heard it was going to be a Star Comics collection with a Peter Porker or Hulk Bunny (variant) cover.

[merrick97]

Thought I heard it was going to be a Star Comics collection with a Peter Porker or Hulk Bunny (variant) cover.

Sounds like a winner to me!





NOT!!!!

[Nova2814.1]

If they want to split the entire Hickman run into two omnibuses, it would kinda make sense to end vol. 1 with the Death of Johnny (ala what they did with Bru's Cap omnibus) and then have vol.2 be the start of FF, Johnny's return, and the rest of the run until his end. I REALLY hope they collect every single darn issue Hickman wrote in omnibus form, they/he deserve it!

Yeah, my #600/midway comment was when I thought his run was 70 issues, not 59 (I double counted FF 1 to 11), so #588 might be a better cut off.

[Bingo!]

The Omnibus basically contains the better half of all of Captain Britain's pre-Excalibur appearances. Everything that Alan Davis was involved with too. It's good stuff, and comes with some pretty solid back-matter too.

Would very much recommend.

Agreed. I'm extremely happy with this omnibus. The only problem is now I want to find Claremont's first Captain Britain stories from '76.

Definitely worth getting. It doesn't just give you "Jasper's Warp", but the Dave Thorpe issues that set up that storyline that have not been reprinted in the tpb version. Then you get Jamie Delano's run on the character, which is on a level with Moore's, in my opinion. Finally, two excellent X-annuals from the '80s drawn by Alan Davis that feature Cap and Betsy Braddock. (That X-Men Annual, in particular, may be the best post-Byrne Claremont X-Men story.)

If you're an Alan Davis fan-- and everyone should be-- you owe yourself this. You can watch him develop as an artist over time, from the raw but amazing talent in those Thorpe stories to the master we know today by the time those Delano stories come around.

Davis' pencils are excellent throughout. The fight at the end of Jasper's Warp had great kinetic energy. Exciting and satisfying.

[Captain Planet]

I am half way through the Astonishing X-Men Omnibus and I am really enjoying it. The story has been very good so far and I love the humor and the art is nice. I am almost afraid to go backwards and read Claremont when his writing derails. At what point does that happen? Is Mutant Massacre and Fall of the Mutants safe?

Also a quibble about what I just read in Astonishing X-men. So the X-men need to race to Genosha to help Professor X but have no means of transportation. So they call the Fantastic Four and get a jet from them. Clearly Scott should have asked for help in the fight since Danger knew all the X-men moves from all the years of training. Danger would have no clue how the Fantastic Four attack, defend, work as team etc… and really would have helped the X-men in the fight against Danger. At least put a line in there saying they were busy with another situation or something.

Thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. I was wondering the same thing going into UXM. Mutant Massacre is safe. Mostly a good story and its cheap enough were you can't really go wrong. Some people claim MM was when UXM turned to garbage and stopped reading after that. Personally, I think its a pretty good story even if it does stray a bit at the end.

Fall of the Mutants is more of a risk with the price but I enjoyed it and it really is a must have. X-Factor issues have great plotting and some good art even though the drama seems a bit surface level and at times trite. But the introduction of Archangel is a must have. I ended up enjoying the UXM issues more though. The melodrama between Forge and Storm is eye rolling at times, and there is a whole issue that is completely skippable, but the art, story and characterizations in UXM are great.

[LordJulius]

Regarding Hickman, there's a discussion in the MMW forums about the Secret Warriors Omni. It seems as if there are no further extras apart from the ones that are in the TPBs/Premier HCs. Hickman mentioned in his blog that nobody from Marvel asked him about providing material and Jeph York chimed in on this as well.

So if you already have the run in a different format, the extras are apparently not a reason to upgrade.

[Captain Planet]

Regarding Hickman, there's a discussion in the MMW forums about the Secret Warriors Omni. It seems as if there are no further extras apart from the ones that are in the TPBs/Premier HCs. Hickman mentioned in his blog that nobody from Marvel asked him about providing material and Jeph York chimed in on this as well.

So if you already have the run in a different format, the extras are apparently not a reason to upgrade.

Extras can be cool, but its never a selling point for me. I just need the story.

[Drz]

I don't think the Ultimate Avengers is collecting any new extras either.