Fabien

Marvel Gallery Editions: The Complete List

by Fabien
February 17, 2025

Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale Spider-Man Gallery Edition

You can buy your comics in multiple formats and collections, but not all editions are equal. People at Marvel Comics know comic book fans don’t have the same relationship with their books. Some comics are good to be read in bulk, some are made to be looked at for hours. For those last ones, Marvel Gallery Editions are perfect.

The Gallery Editions Marvel Comics is publishing are larger than standard comic books, typically measuring around 9.3 x 13.25 inches, which is bigger than any other editions put out by Marvel. The idea behind that format is to allow readers to appreciate the artwork’s fine details and to look at the pencil and ink work in the best possible condition–it’s a chance to take a closer look at the drawings of legendary creators like Sal Buscema, Jim Starlin, Bill Sienkiewicz, Todd McFarlane, Joe Quesada, Tim Sale, and others like you could not before.

Many Marvel Gallery Editions include introductions, essays, or behind-the-scenes insights, offering context about the creative process and significance of the works. They also sometimes reproduce pages directly from the original art boards, including annotations, corrections, and margin notes.

As those Marvel Gallery Editions are high-quality oversized hardcover collections, books that use premium paper and binding, they are also premium-priced.

Romance Comics: The Rise, Fall, and Legacy of a Genre

by Fabien
February 14, 2025

Nowadays, comics are de facto synonymous with superheroes. In reality, it’s just one genre among many, but it’s the one that has constantly dominated the market for the longest time and it’s now hard to get away from it. This was not always the case. At some point, horror and crime comics were all the rage, and there was even a romance comics craze.

Post-war America was tired of superheroes. It was 1947 and the comic book market was forced to evolve. At Timely Comics (it was not Marvel Comics yet), Martin Goodman started reducing the number of superhero books and replacing them with humor titles. It was a trend that Archie Comics Publications started with his teenage-oriented comics. Others followed, bifurcating into teenage romances.

Milestone Comics Reading Order (Hardware, Icon, Blood Syndicate, and Static)

by Fabien
February 12, 2025

In 1993, DC Comics launched two major lines: Vertigo and Milestone. The first was developed to cater to an older, more mature audience, than the regular DC Comics line. The second was historically more significant as Milestone Comics was the first minority-owned comic book company, cofounded by four African-Americans who wanted to introduce a more realistic cultural diversity in American Superhero comics.

Dwayne McDuffie, Derek T. Dingle, Denys Cowan, and Michael Davis made a deal with DC Comics. Milestone would control the copyrights, the characters, the merchandising, and the creative direction, while DC Comics would print, license, and distribute the comics for a share of the profits. And so, Milestone Comics was launched in February 1993 with the publication of Hardware #1 by Dwayne McDuffie and Jimmy Palmiotti. Then came Blood Syndicate by Ivan Velez Jr. and Chris Cross, Icon by McDuffie and M.D. Bright, and Static by McDuffie, Robert Washington III, John Paul Leon, and Steve Mitchell.

The launch was a total success, but it didn’t last long. Milestone Comics ceased regular publication in 1997 due to financial difficulties. Its cultural impact was nevertheless important (and still is) and its return was discussed for a long time. It finally happened in 2021 and came with a modernized take on the now-classic comics.

White Tiger Reading Order (Hector Ayala, Angela del Toro, and Ava Ayala)

by Fabien
February 4, 2025

In 1974, Marvel Comics was in the business of publishing magazines. One of them was The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, a black-and-white martial arts comics magazine that introduced in its first issue The Sons of the Tiger, a trio of crime fighters. Created by Gerry Conway and Dick Giordano, these characters each possessed an amulet (a tiger’s head and two tiger claws) that increased their fighting skills.

But this didn’t last and after many adventures, the three sons call it quits and throw away their amulets. However, in The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, an issue from writer Bill Mantlo and artist George Pérez, they are found by a young Puerto Rican named Hector Ayala who combined them and gained the power that transformed him into the hero called White Tiger!

Like the three sons, Hector Ayala used martial arts but acted like a more traditional superhero with a costume and a secret identity. With The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #33, the comics magazine ended, and the black-and-white adventures of White Tiger with it (his ended in #32 though). A few months later, he made his comeback, in color this time, in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #9 written by Bill Mantlo who kept using the character that way.

The Rocketeer Reading Order, A guide to Dave Stevens’ cult comics and the IDW miniseries

by Fabien
January 29, 2025

First appearing as a backup feature in Starslayer #2, published by Pacific Comics in 1982, The Rocketeer is a now-cult comic book created by Dave Stevens (1955-2008) who was heavily inspired by the aesthetic of pulp magazines, early Hollywood serials, and vintage aviation.

Set in 1930s Los Angeles, the story of The Rocketeer follows Cliff Secord, a young and cocky stunt pilot trying to make a name for himself. Cliff’s life takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a mysterious rocket pack hidden in his hangar. This experimental device allows him to fly, making him a target at the same time as it was originally stolen by gangsters during a botched robbery and ends up in Cliff’s possession. They want it back, as does its creator, Howard Hughes. Soon, Cliff’s girlfriend, an aspiring actress and model named Betty, becomes entangled in Cliff’s adventures when villains attempt to use her to get to him. To make matters worse, the Nazis view the rocket pack as a potential weapon that could give them a significant advantage in their plans for world domination and want to get it for themselves.

A skilled storyteller and an exceptionally gifted artist, Stevens injected everything he liked in the comics. From his love of the iconic pin-up model Bettie Page to retro-futurism and aviation culture, the aesthetic of pulp magazines and early serials, and the glamour of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

One World Under Doom Reading Order, a new Dark era in the Marvel Comics Universe

by Fabien
January 24, 2025

It’s a new day and a new world in the Marvel Comics Universe. It’s One World Under Doom!!! The Sorcerer Supreme is launching his Dark Reign era in 2025.

To Save the world from the Vampire invasion, Doctor Strange had to give Doctor Victor Von Doom his title as Sorcerer Supreme. After that, Latveria’s leader retreated to his country. Months passed without any news but the wait just ended: Doctor Doom, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, has magically taken over every broadcast medium on the planet and declared himself Emperor of the World — the ruler of a new United Latveria!

Leaders of the World complied but Earth’s heroes are not so easily manipulated. The resistance is forming, but will they succeed in stopping Doom’s machinations? The answers will come, written by Fantastic Four author Ryan North and artist R. B. Silva in their “One World Under Doom” limited series. Of course, it would not be a Marvel event if the story was confined to one book. Everybody is affected by this power shift.

Marvel Epic Collection: The 2025 Release Schedule

by Fabien
Updated on February 18, 2025

Everybody is not collecting costly omnibuses and Marvel Comics knows that. That’s why the House of Ideas launched, in 2013, the more affordable Marvel Epic Collection. This collection of trade paperbacks reprints large parts of Marvel Comics’ back catalog in chronological order.

Each Epic Collection is focused on a specific character, team, or title–popular ones like Spider-Man, X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, and lesser-known characters like Moon Knight and Iron Fist–, presenting the stories in the order they were originally published and, unlike some other collected editions, these books don’t rely on being read in sequential order.

A single volume might contain 20-30 issues of a comic, including main series issues, annuals, tie-ins, and sometimes related series that add to the storyline, offering a comprehensive block of stories, and making it easy to jump into a character or series without needing previous volumes. This helps with the fact they are not published in strict chronological order, meaning a volume released this year might cover the 1960s, while another might focus on the 1980s. Over time, the line is designed to fill in all the gaps.

Sadly, these books may be affordable, but they are not printed in large quantities. It’s too easy to miss out on a new one. We will try to list here what’s coming, what’s already published, and if there are reprints.

You can also take a look at the release schedule for DC Comics’ DC Finest Collection.

Batman Rogues Gallery: Who are The Dark Knight’s Enemies?

by Fabien
January 15, 2025

Batman is one of the most iconic comic book heroes, so it is not a surprise that some of his enemies are iconic comic book villains in their own right. But the infamous Batman Rogues Gallery comprises more than your usual suspects. With 85 years of comics under his belt, the Dark Knight had to stop a lot of criminals. As he is not a hero with powers, but one known for his high intelligence and fighting skills, he had to face a lot of intelligent, creative, and often misguided individuals.

These antagonists aren’t just obstacles for Batman. They are larger-than-life with personas that are often connected to the city’s corruption, darkness, and extremes. Most of them have been created to be reflections of his character, each embodying a different facet of his psyche, his mission, or the city he protects. This made the Rogues Gallery as diverse as it is iconic, with criminal masterminds, deranged psychopaths, tragic antiheroes, and cunning opportunists.

Also, you may ask where the term “Rogues Gallery” comes from. It finds its origin in law enforcement as it historically refers to a collection of criminal mugshots.

Follow the guide as we introduce you to the most notable antagonists who regularly face the Caped Crusader!

Wonder Man Reading Order

by Fabien
January 9, 2025

Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck for Marvel Comics in The Avengers #9 (1964), the character of Wonder Man, aka Simon Williams, is one of those who started as a villain before becoming a hero and a member of the Avengers–like Hawkeye for example. But the most surprising part is that he apparently died in that first issue and didn’t reappear for four years and, then again, it was not for long. It was not before the mid-1970s that he would start to play a bigger part.

All of this is because DC Comics sued Marvel Comics for the right to use the name. DC had Wonder Woman and didn’t like the idea that Marvel would use Wonder Man. Stan Lee didn’t want to fight it (he created She-Hulk to avoid someone else doing it, it was the game at the time), but when DC introduced Power Girl (Marvel already had Power Man), it seemed fair to bring back Wonder Man.

Simon Williams was an industrialist who gained superpowers after being imbued with “ionic” energy by Baron Zemo. As Wonder Man, he infiltrated the Avengers but ultimately betrayed Zemo and seemingly sacrificed himself to save the team. Resurrected later, Wonder Man became a loyal member of the Avengers and grew into a prominent hero. He also developed a career in Hollywood as an actor and stuntman.

Wonder Man helped form the West Coast Avengers, and later joined Force Works, but most of all he has been an Avengers!

The Complete Guide to Marvel Omnibus Releases in 2024

by Fabien
Updated on January 8, 2025
2 Comments

It’s the end of the year 2024 and, as far as Marvel Comics goes, the publication of new omnibus collected editions was aplenty and varied. As every comic book collector knows, those big books are not published in large quantities. That’s why Marvel also re-printed a good selection of them this year as new subsequent volumes are published.

It may be hard to follow what is announced and when a book is coming out, and that’s why we have a page dedicated to the release schedule of the Marvel Omnibuses (and for the DC Omnibuses too). We are updating it once a month as Marvel announced from time to time a new batch of future releases.

It’s a continuing flow of new comic books and you may have missed something during the last 12 months. That’s why it’s time to take a look back with a complete listing of all the omnibuses published (or republished) in 2024 by Marvel Comics.

Also, you can find most of these in the reading orders dedicated to their main superheroes.