Marvel Visionaries: Jack Kirby HC & other collected editions this week

[Kevin Boyd]

Generally I prefer to get collected editions these days. I prefer to have a handsome volume that I can read and re-read at my leisure. They have a higher durability than your standard comic, and they don't have the problems that serialized books have as you are generally getting the full story in one shot.

 

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Here's what I picked up this week:

 

Marvel Visionaries Jack Kirby Hardcover. This is my favourite book this week. A beautiful volume highlighting Kirby's entire career at Marvel - from the Golden Age thru to his return in the mid-70's.

 

(The reproduction values are outstanding, which comes as a shock after last week's horrendous reproductions of Marvel (Mystery) Comics 1-4 in the Golden Age Marvel Comics Masterworks.)

 

Overall though, the team(s) that are assembling product for Marvel's Collected Edition line are doing a fantastic job. The Best of Wolverine Volume 1 from two weeks back is another superb collection. With the announcement that they are expanding the line in 2005 with more classic material from the 70's and 80's, I think the collected editions are the only thing that Marvel IS DOING RIGHT these days. And I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Joe Quesada has nothing to do with the Collected Editions department.

 

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Over at DC, Superman: Birthright is a beautiful hardcover collection of the Mark Waid - Leinil Yu story highlighting some of Superman's early adventures. I look forward to reading it. I did read a few issues of the series as it came out, and it was intriguing enough to make me want to read the series in a collection. It has all of the classic elements - Superman, Clark, Lois, Luthor, Krypton...

 

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The Originals looks interesting. Dave Gibbons is a fantastic artist, but I'm not sure about a graphic novel about Mods in a dystopian future. Might be better served as a softcover where you can open it up and look at it. Plus, it's not full color - it's in black, white and grey. $25 is a big leap of faith for an non-previewed concept, although Gibbons has certainly earned it for his previous works.

 

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Tom Strong's Terrific Tales #1 was a fun read. I didn't bother with the series as a monthly (as with the entire ABC line) but as a hardcover I think they work quite well. Art Adams turns out some fun, outstanding artwork on the Jonni Future stories, which is a homage to sci-fi and good girl art. Paul Rivoche and Jerry Ordway do some great work with some Tom Strong short stories, but for some reason the Alan Weiss illustrated Young Tom Strong stories left me somewhat disappointed.

 

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Fables is a highly enjoyable Vertigo series that I prefer to "wait for the trade" on. I look forward to reading this latest volume entitled March of the Wooden Soldiers and reprints issues 19-21 and 23-27 of the acclaimed series.

 

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My LCS did not get Exiles Volume 8. So I will wander down to another shop near my office that I know will have it. I'm still seeking the regular edition of Marvel Masterworks Uncanny X-Men Volume 4 - last week my LCS only recieved the variant edition.

[Foolkiller]

kev,

 

totally agree with you about the Jack Kirby HC... it's a beautiful volume, even though many of the stories have been reprinted a number of times. The cover is cool -- and reprinting some classic Thor stories, and a number of other stories I can't remember them reprinting before, is a fantastic idea. I agree about the production quality being high -- Avengers #4 looked a little dayglowish (at least the cover) but overall I give the book very, very high marks.

[Tango 'n Cash]

I love these books, but I really wish these Visionaries would list the reprinted issues on the cover. I was at the Shop yesterday, and went through a stack of newer Visionaries books, and none of them had the issues.

 

Any idea why that is?

[helionaut]

I, too, wish they'd list the contents on the outside if they're going to seal them, but most shops open a copy or two to allow you to thumb through it and see what's inside. Next time, ask if you can.

 

The Originals had an 8-page ashcan come out a couple months ago. It looks fairly interesting, especially if you have any interest in the Mod/Rocker fights in 1960s England (think Quadrophenia with Dr. Manhattan inspiration), or Dave Gibbons' art, in general, which was excellent. I balked at $25 for such a slim volume, though. No doubt a cheaper paperback will come out next year.