Marvel Comics recently announced that they would be releasing a 75th Anniversary Omnibus soon, something that would showcase and represent what we, the people think are the best Marvel stories of the past 75 years. Holding a vote for fans to pick their favorites, the results are certainly interesting.
Here’s what will be included in the book:
- Fantastic Four (1961) #1, #48-50 & #285
- Hulk #1 (1962)
- Avengers (1963) #1 & #57
- Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #31-33, #50 & #121-122
- Incredible Hulk (1968) #181
- Giant-Size X-Men #1
- X-Men (1963) #141
- Uncanny X-Men (1981) #142
- Daredevil (1964) #181
- Marvel Graphic Novel #1 & #5
- Thor (1966) #337
- Marvels #1
- X-Men Alpha
- Thunderbolts (1997) #1
- Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #36
- The Ultimates (2002) #1
- Captain America (2005) #25
- Hawkeye (2012) #11
As well as “material from Captain America Comics (1941) #1, Amazing Fantasy (1962) #15, and Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #248 & #700.”
To say this is an eclectic mix is probably putting it lightly, as I’m honestly a bit shocked at some of the inclusions in here. Not that I don’t think modern comics don’t hold relevance, but that there is a book from 2012 (ignoring the fact that, yes, it’s an Eisner-winning comic and yes, I enjoy it) in here seems slightly off to me. And, sure, a great deal of this will come down to personal taste for everyone, but I do personally raise my eyebrow at “The Ultimates” #1 and something from “Amazing Spider-Man” #700 getting in there over any number of other comics that I could think of.
Still, supposedly “thousands of votes” were counted according to the press release, and there is some good stuff in there. “God Loves, Man Kills” and “the Death of Captain Marvel” is a pretty great decision, and I do enjoy the five “Fantastic Four” comics that made the cut. It’s not all bad, but the sheer sporadic nature of the stories included and the inherent lack of arrangement to them does make this a very hit/miss collection, especially when you’d assume a book like this could potentially stand for a bit more about the characters that appear on the cover. I mean, “Marvel Comics” #1 isn’t even in the darn thing.
What do you think? Let us know what you think should be in the book in the comments, and for the full press release from Marvel Comics please see below.
Marvel Comics Press Release
We asked for your help picking the 75 best Marvel stories of all-time – and you delivered! Thousands of votes have been tallied, and today we’re proud to officially unveil the stories chosen to be included in the massive Marvel 75th Anniversary Omnibus Hardcover! But that’s not all! Get your first look at the dust jacket that will sheathe this titanic tome – featuring stunning artwork by master painter Paolo Rivera!
“We loved Paolo Rivera’s cover so much that we couldn’t resist using it twice!” exclaims Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “Originally planned as the cover to the upcoming 75th Anniversary Celebration Anthology one-shot, Paolo’s exceptional artwork so perfectly captured the essence of Marvel’s history – it was just too good not to commemorate this monumental omnibus with as well.”
Collecting Fantastic Four (1961) #1, #48-50 & #285; Hulk (1962) #1; Avengers (1963) #1 & #57; Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #31-33, #50 & #121-122; Incredible Hulk (1968) #181; Giant-Size X-Men #1; X-Men (1963) #141; Uncanny X-Men (1981) #142; Daredevil (1964) #181; Marvel Graphic Novel #1 & #5; Thor (1966) #337; Marvels #1; X-Men Alpha; Thunderbolts (1997) #1; Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #36; The Ultimates (2002) #1; Captain America (2005) #25; Hawkeye (2012) #11 and material from Captain America Comics (1941) #1, Amazing Fantasy (1962) #15, and Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #248 & #700 – this massive omnibus features some of the most iconic Marvel stories of all time!
“Marvel’s 75th Anniversary belongs to our fans as much as it does to our creators and everyone behind the scenes,” says Axel Alonso, Editor-in-Chief. “We wish we could’ve printed every story you chose but, of course, if we had, the book would be unmovable! So we poured over your top 75 and selected to print the best, brightest and most iconic stories — Assembling the Avengers, The Coming of Galactus, The Death of Captain Marvel, Days of Future Past, and more — to make this Omnibus your one-stop shop for 75 years of Marvel history.”
Continued belowWant to see where your favorite story ranks among the top 75? Head over to Marvel.com for the definitive ranking of the top 75 Marvel stories of all-time, as voted by you!
But that’s not all true believer! The release of the Marvel 75th Anniversary Omnibus in stores will also coincide with the release of a special digital bundle on the Marvel Comics App & Marvel Digital Comics Store, featuring 75 issues for $75, one from each of the entries on the countdown! Be a part of Marvel history this November when the massive Marvel 75th Anniversary Omnibus and Marvel 75th Anniversary Digital Bundle take you back to the best of the best – as voted by you!
RETAILERS: Place your orders for the Marvel 75th Anniversary Omnibus Hardcover using Diamond Code JUN140715. FOC for the Marvel 75th Anniversary Omnibus is 08/04/14.
