Marvel Essentials/Marvel Masterworks

[MikeandRaph87]

I have all the Spider-Man (Amazing title) volumes, eleven in all. In addition to that I have all five volumes of Spectacular Spider-Man. The Amazing title has the first 248 issues covered and I had hoped it would print volume twelve with the next chapter in the Hobgoblin saga (#249-#251) and the alien symbiote saga that followed it. How does Marvel Masterworks operate? I noticed it had reprinted again but in color material already covered in Essentials. I do not mind the black and white print at all, as it allows for twenty or more issues to be collected in a single volume and you do not miss a beat from issue to issue as it flows together. That being said, has or will Masterworks pick up where it left off or does it skip around? I like having everything in the same format,but I want to pick up after the Essential line left off after it seems to have quietly cancelled after all of these years. I am not really familiar with this line. I saw a collection starting with #252 Symbiote costume saga and another Return of The Sinister Six. What volumes exist beyond what was printed in the Essentials and those who have read in the Masterworks format, what are you thoughts on it? Any help clearing up how these are printed and how to collect beyond where the Essentials stopped is much appreciated. Thanks.

[Spike Spiegel]

I don't know the specifics of the Spider-Man collections, but the inaugural Venom/Alien Costume arc and that Hobgoblin story have both been reprinted numerous times in paperback form. Here are a couple I found on Amazon.

Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin

Spider-Man: Birth of Venom

The only Masterworks I have are Fantastic Four Vol. 10 (the end of Jack Kirby's run, which I bought to supplement my omnibus volumes of the earlier stories) and Savage She-Hulk Vol. 1 (just came out in the fall of 2017, covers issues 1-14 of her original series from 1980). The reproduction quality is truly stellar, and the paper stock they use is slightly glossy and very smooth.

Also, I have several Marvel Omnibi that I enjoy. They are an oversized format with the same great paper quality as the MMWs. Usually, they are a compilation of material from two or three MMW volumes. Some of the ones I've bought include:

• The Ditko/Lee run on Amazing Spider-Man (Issues 1-38 plus the annuals)
• The first three omnibi of Claremont's X-Men (Giant-Size X-Men#1-Uncanny X-Men #175 or so).
• The Frank Miller/Klaus Janson Daredevil run.
• Grant Morrison's New X-Men.
• Matt Fraction's two series run on Fantastic Four where Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny travel to space while Ms. Thing, Medusa, Ant-Man, and She-Hulk cover for them on Earth.
• John Byrne's run on FF, collected across two omnibus volumes, which features She-Hulk's tenure on the team in Ben's absence.

I know there is also a Roger Stern Spider-Man omnibus that covers the Hobgoblin origin along with the first issue or so of the symbiote arc IIRC. I feel that the omnibus volumes are more cost effective, especially with the low prices from seller websites like InStockTrades and CheapGraphicNovels.

Here's a sample of what the Stern Spider-Man omni looks like.



If it's a run of something that is very important to you and you don't mind spend a little more than you would on the Essentials, it's worth it. Also check your LCS for damaged copies and markdowns. I found the Jessica Jones/ALIAS omnibus with a slightly dented cover for $30, despite the fact that it was OOP and the MSRP is around $100.

[MikeandRaph87]

My local public library has ASM vol.1 in omnibus form, but I have not looked at it since it contained Essential Spider-Man vol.1 and vol. 2. I did a little more research after I read your post and it appears Masterworks goes back and forth through various characters/titles of overall Marvel with half of the material from an Essential volume.

Maybe its this other collection series I am confusing Masterworks with. Epic Collection. I have seen Return of The Sinister Six trade at my local comic shop. However, it seems to skip around. There is also the Alien Costume Saga. Apparently, it skips between titles and collect ASM#252-#258 only from the main one. However, that one may not be under the Epic Collection like the Orgin of Hobgoblin or Birth of Venom( which I own) are just there own thing . Then I would wonder if #259 is collected somewhere. It helps going in order even if the format is different. It looks like the Masterworks is only up to ASM#202. I am looking for the #250s.

[MikeandRaph87]

I bought Origin of Hobgoblin off of Amazon, that collects the first three Hobgoblin arcs including ASM#249-251 as Essentials stops at ASM#248. Any further help from Spiegel or another poster would be appreciated!

[Spike Spiegel]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

I bought Origin of Hobgoblin off of Amazon, that collects the first three Hobgoblin arcs including ASM#249-251 as Essentials stops at ASM#248. Any further help from Spiegel or another poster would be appreciated!

I think the "Epic Collections" line is more or less replacing the old Essentials line. They jump around a lot in terms of issue number and continuity.

Issues 252-259 is the initial Alien Costume arc, after which the symbiote is imprisoned at the Baxter Building. Those have been reprinted a lot and are easy to find.

Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga Book 1 (has 252-259 and other stuff)

Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Ghosts of the Past

This one has:

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 259-272, Annual 18-19; Web of Spider-Man (1985) 1, 6.

Marvel Ultimate Collection, Complete Epic and Epic Collection lines

If you look up any issue on Marvel Wikia, it will tell you what volumes it has been reprinted in if you scroll to the very bottom. For example, here's the entry for ASM issue 252.

[MikeandRaph87]

It appears that up to ASM#272 is collected and a gap from ASM#273 through #288. Perhaps that is in the pipeline covering Secret Wars II and the second proposal. Thanks for the insight. When I got into collecting comics full-time ahead of 2002's Spider-Man and the Justice League cartoon, the Essentials allowed the perfect read for me.