Crushing Krisis

Captain America by Mark Gruenwald, Vol. 1 – The #45 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 19, 2017 by krisis Leave a Comment

Captain America’s comic had gotten pretty routine by the time Mark Gruenwald showed up in 1985, which is probably why no one suspected he would turn in a decade-long run that would redefine Cap and his gallery of rogues for years to come!

Captain America by Mark Gruenwald, Vol. 1 is the #45 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

Past Ranking: A 2017 debut!

Creators: Written by Mark Gruenwald with pencils by Paul Neary, Tom Morgan, and Kieron Dwyer.

Probable Contents: Collects Captain America (1968) #307-350 & Annual 8 and Iron Man #228.

Based on the recent Society of Serpents Epic Collection starting from the tail end of Carlin’s run at #302, it’s possible we’d see this volume begin there as well.

That’s a hefty omnibus, and for good reason – it would take two more volumes of similar size to make it through Gruenwald’s entire run of Captain America! See 10 Marvel runs from the 80s that ought to be omnibuses – 1981 to 1989 for more details.

Can you read it right now? Yes! The entirety of this run is covered in a pair of Epic Collections and an older trade. Visit the Guide to Captain America for details. Also, the entirety of this run is on Marvel Unlimited!

The Details:

Mark Gruenwald revitalized Captain America without an ounce of cynicism and irony, and he did it by being true to the character and introducing a parade of compelling new supporting players and villains. Even the biggest gimmick of the first third of his run – Steve Rogers quitting as Cap – doesn’t play as a gimmick because it’s so true to his character.

Writers of today, take note. [Read more…] about Captain America by Mark Gruenwald, Vol. 1 – The #45 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Killraven – The #46 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 18, 2017 by krisis Leave a Comment

Killraven is the #46 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

Who is this futuristic, pulpy, non-superhero that Marvel created from scratch and should you care? I’ll explain it all below. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? Killraven was a pulp fiction mashup that exists outside of main Marvel continuity (except for one flirtation with Spider-Man and constant modern teases by Brian Bendis). It followed an Earth-born rebel as he strikes out against the Martian-infected Keepers enslaving the remains of the human race.

The Killraven character and story mostly contained in the anthology title Amazing Adventures (1970), which he took over from #18 in May 1973 until the final issue, #39 in November 1976.

Killraven’s story was revisited by Marvel Graphic Novel #7 in 1982 with “Killraven, Warrior of the Worlds: Last Dreams Broken” and in a 2001 on-shot.

Past Ranking: Killraven was tied for #44 in the 2016 survey, down from #21 in 2015.

Creators: While Killraven was initially created by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and Gerry Conway, his run is most associated with author Don McGregor and artist P. Craig Russell, who were the custodians of the character for the majority of his run.

Probable Contents: Amazing Adventures (Vol. 2) #18-39, Marvel Team-Up #45, Marvel Graphic Novel #7, Killraven (2001) #1, and possibly Killraven (2002) #1-6 (not in continuity with the other material) and Marvel Zombies 5 #2 (which purports to resolve some of his story threads).

Can you read it right now? Only in original floppies or black and white in Killraven Essentials: War of the Worlds, though you could also read the 2002 retread by Alan Davis. Both are readily available despite being several years out of print. This run is not available on Marvel Unlimited.

The Details:

Set in the farflung future of 2018 (I know, right!), Killraven assumes that the events of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds more or less occurred as written in 1901 only to have the Martians return a century later to achieve their original aim of subjugating humanity.

The titular hero was separated from his family as a boy and trained by the Martians for their own gladiatorial entertainment. The Martians have also compelled some Earthers to become Keepers, assisting with the enslavement of their brethren, while some women have been transformed into Sirens – luring the remaining free men to their dooms.

Marvel Horror of the 1970s – The #47 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 17, 2017 by krisis Leave a Comment

The Marvel Horror of the 1970s Anthology Omnibus is the #47 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

What exactly is that? As it turns out, not even voters may entirely agree! Below I’ve examined all of the possible contents, including heroes, monsters, and imaginative anthologies. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? After Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent partially took aim at the the legitimately ooky horror comics of the early 50s, The Comic Code altogether outlawed scary monsters in floppy books. While you could publish a comic without the Code, it might not be carried by distributors or stores.

In 1971, The Code loosened up a bit, allowing “vampires, ghouls, and werewolves… when handled in the classic tradition such as Frankenstein, Dracula, and other high calibre literary works written by Edgar Allan Poe, Saki, Conan Doyle and other respected authors whose works are read in schools around the world.”

At the time Marvel was experiencing a resurgence of interest in magazines and pulpy black & white comics, and this horror material made the perfect accompaniment to their blossoming line of Conan comics and Kung Fu books.

Past Ranking: Marvel Horror was #42 in 2016, both #29 (heroes) and #42 (monsters) in 2015, and #32 in 2014.

The Details: Heroes, Monsters, & Anthologies

There are three lines of thinking about what this omnibus would contain, and I don’t think voters have been clear enough that even Tigereyes is sure which of the two they’re seeking.

The first pair of possibilities are Marvel’s supernatural superheroes and signature monsters, as previously collected in black and white by Marvel Horror Essentials Volume 1 and Volume 2.

The final option is a broader collection of Marvel’s various horror anthology books, which would be multiple volumes but could probably also encompass the signature monsters. [Read more…] about Marvel Horror of the 1970s – The #47 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Doctor Strange by Roger Stern – The #48 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 16, 2017 by krisis Leave a Comment

Doctor Strange by Roger Stern is the #48 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

What’s it about? Should you read it? What issues does it include? Can you get them right now? Read on to learn the answers! And, visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? Roger Stern first wrote Doctor Strange (1974) with #27 in February 1978 and departed after #37 in October 1979. He later return for a longer run with #46 in April 1981 to #75 in February 1986.

Stern’s lengthier run was marked by several distinct periods of Strange – one focused on his relationship to Clea, a second where his connections to reality proved to be a weakness to be exploited, and a third mostly comprised of one shot stories that ended with the resolution of the Clea relationship.

The title would continue for another six issues until #81 under author Peter Gillis at which point Doctor Strange was relaunched as half of Strange Tales (1987), still under Gillis.

Past Ranking: This volume debuted at #19 in 2014, disappeared in 2015, and returned at #28 in 2016.

Creators: Written by Roger Stern with pencils by Tom Sutton, Alan Kupperberg, Gene Colan, Michael Golden, Marshall Rogers, Brent Anderson, Paul Smith, Kevin Nowlan, Steve Leialoha, Bret Blevins, and Sal Buscema, and inks by Sutton, Smith, Leialoha, Ernie Chua, Rudy D. Nebres, Pablo Marcos, Dan Green, P. Craig Russell, Terry Austin, Joe Rubenstein, Rick Magyar, and Mark Badger

Probable Contents: None!

I think this omnibus is wishful thinking and would never be produced as imagined by voters, which would presumably contain Doctor Strange (1974) #27-37, 46 (b-story, 47-75 (though Stern doesn’t write #63-64 & 74), Chamber of Chills (1972) #3-4 (and maybe material from Fantastic Four #267-277 leading into #75).

Instead, I think this ought to be rethought as a vote for a volume titled “by Roger Stern & Peter Gillis” AKA Doctor Strange, Volume 4, which begins with the b-story of #46 and 47 and finishes his 1974 series. [Read more…] about Doctor Strange by Roger Stern – The #48 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Captain America (1968), Vol. 3 – The #49 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 15, 2017 by krisis Leave a Comment

Captain America (1968) Omnibus, Vol. 3 is the #49 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

See the Captain America Guide for more details on how to collect this run. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? Captain America’s early-70s stories adventures in Captain America (1968) were shared with his partner Falcon and featured a backdrop of Steve Rogers butting heads with SHIELD and losing faith in the government he represents.

However, the real reason to read this run is Sal Buscema’s artwork!

This run begins in May 1972 and ends in December 1975.

Past Ranking: This year is the book’s debut placement in the ballot results.

I’m puzzled over how this edition got shut out of the 2016 survey when it’s one of the most obvious gaps in all of omnibus land!

Creators: Primarily written by Gerry Conway and Steve Englehart with pencils by Sal Buscema and inks by Vince Colletta.

Probable Contents: Collects Captain America (1968) #149-192 and material from Foom (1973) #8.

This is a perfect fit between two existing books – Captain America Volume 2 ends with Captain America (1969) #148 and Cap by Kirby picks up at #193.

Can you read it right now? Yes! This hypothetical omnibus covers Captain America Masterworks Volume 7, Volume 8, Volume 9 – the latter of which was released just last month.See the Captain America Guide for other collecting options.

Also, this entire run is covered by Marvel Unlimited!

The Details:

This early 70s run on Captain America is mostly memorable for the majority of it being drawn by Sal Buscema, who never turned in an unremarkable comic issue in this period, and for a pair of Captain America doubles that resolved a glitch in his history and introduced us to Nomad! [Read more…] about Captain America (1968), Vol. 3 – The #49 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Ghost Rider (1990), Vol. 1 – The #50 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 14, 2017 by krisis Leave a Comment

The Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch Omnibus, Vol. 1 AKA Ghost Rider by Mackie & Texeira is the #50 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

Visit the Guide to Ghost Rider for information on the reading order of every Ghost Rider appearance from 1973 to present. And, visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? Ghost Rider (1990) resurrected the spirit of vengeance concept but with a new spirit haunting a different host.

This volume would collect a third of that title’s run, from #1 in May 1990 through late in 1992 – before it splintered into an entire supernatural line rife with inter-connected stories and crossovers.

Past Ranking: This year is the book’s debut placement in the ballot results.

Creators: Written by Howard Mackie with pencils by Javier Saltares, Ron Wagner, and Mark Texeira (with Larry Stroman, Mark Texeira, and Andy Kubert), inks by Saltares, Texeira, Jimmy Palmiotti, Mike Witherby, and others, colors by Gregory Wright, and letters by Janice Chiang and Michael Heisler.

Probable Contents: Ghost Rider (1990) #1-27 (or maybe through 30), Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (1988) #28, X-Men (1991) #8-9.

This could add Ghost Rider / Wolverine / Punisher: Hearts of Darkness OGN, and stories from Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #64-71 & 90-118 and Marvel Collector’s Edition – all written by Mackie save for the stories in MCP #107-116.

All of those MCP stories add up to in the area of 12 whole issues of comics, so they could easily fit into this volume. It could also include Fantastic Four #347-349 – Ghost Rider’s introduction to the wider Marvel Universe – which fit neatly after #6.

Can you read it right now? Not entirely, unless you have the single issues. Ghost Rider (1990) has only been reprinted through issue #20 in a pair of Classic collections, plus #26-27 have been collected variously alongside X-Men issues that crossover with them. Visit the Guide to Ghost Rider for the full details.

Those previously-collected issues are exactly what’s on Marvel Unlimited at the moment – #1-20 & 26-27.

The Details:

In 1990 Marvel took a then-unusual step of debuting an all-new, all-different legacy hero in the first issue of his own ongoing title.

The hero was Ghost Rider. Marvel previously published a Ghost Rider comic from 1973 to 1983, but the human host for that spirit of vengeance was trick motorcyclist Johnny Blaze. Blaze was mothballed after the end of his series, seen jew a few times in the rest of the 80s. This relaunch used an all-new character – Danny Ketch – as the host for Ghost Rider. [Read more…] about Ghost Rider (1990), Vol. 1 – The #50 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day Omnibus, Vol. 1 – The #51 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 14, 2017 by krisis 2 Comments

Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day Omnibus, Vol. 1 is the #51 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

See the Guide to Spider-Man for how you can collect this run today. Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? In January 2008 Marvel collapsed their line of several Spider-Man titles down to just Amazing Spider-Man, which accelerated to releasing three issues a month from a rotating cast of writers starting with #546. This coincided with a minor reset of some details of Spider-Man’s continuity – more on that below.

While the story arc “Brand New Day” ran from #546 to 564, the title is commonly used to refer to the entire period of accelerated schedule with multiple writers, which ran through #647 in December 2010 – three entire years comprised of 102 issues of Amazing Spider-Man!

Past Ranking: This year is the book’s debut placement in the ballot results.

Creators: Many!

The rotating writers considered to be Spider-Man’s steering brain-trust was consistently Dan Slott, Marc Guggenheim, Bob Gale, and Zeb Wells – though other Mark Waid and Joe Kelly also contributed arcs in this period.

This initial chunk of Brand New Day included runs of pencil art from Steve McNiven, Salvador Larroca, Phil Jimenez, Chris Bachalo, Barry Kitson, Marcos Martin, Mike McKone, and John Romita Jr..

Probable Contents: Collects The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #546-577, The Amazing Spider-Man: Swing Shift Director’s Cut (2008), Venom Super Special (1995) #1, Secret Invasion: Spider-Man #1-3, and material from The Amazing Spider-Man Extra! (2008) #1.

For a full map of how the Brand New Day period could fit into omnibus voumes, see the end of this post.

Can you read it right now? Yes! Marvel has begun to recollect Big Time in a series of Complete Collections. A first omnibus probably wouldn’t cover all three collections. See the Guide to Spider-Man for full physical collecting info.

Plus, every one of these issues is available on Marvel Unlimited!

The Details:

To talk about this run, we have to first talk about the story that immediately precedes it – “One More Day.”

“One More Day” is one of the most-hated Spider-Man stories of all time, neck-and-neck with its later sequel “One Moment In Time.” Fans tend to dislike any revisions to their favorite elements of continuity, but this one was particularly egregious – not only breaking up Spider-Man and Mary Jane, but retroactively causing their marriage to cease to exist due to a very out-of-character deal with a literal devil. Their relationship and all of their stories continued to exist – just not their marriage.

The story did come with a few fringe benefits. The world would forget Spider-Man’s secret identity, recently revealed in Civil War, but that meant he was now in hiding due to the Superhuman Registration Act. It revived Harry Osborn from the dead. And, it resulted in the cancellation of all of Marvel’s other Spider-Man titles, which allowed them to accelerate Amazing Spider-Man to be released three times a month. [Read more…] about Amazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day Omnibus, Vol. 1 – The #51 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

Incredible Hercules by Pak & Van Lente Omnibus – The #52 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

May 13, 2017 by krisis Leave a Comment

Incredible Hercules by Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente Omnibus is the #52 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017 on Tigereyes’s Secret Ballot.

Visit the Guide to Hercules for the full details on how to collect this run, which spun out of World War Hulk.

Visit the Marvel Masterworks Message Board to view the original posting of results by Tigereyes.

What Is It? Incredible Hercules (2008) took over its sequential numbering from Incredible Hulk, where both Hercules and Amadeus Cho had been supporting players during World War Hulk.

It was the first time Hercules had his own starring ongoing title. It took him on a heroes journey of owning his godhood and becoming a leader, then ultimately rejecting it to rely on his humanity to be a hero.

Incredible Hercules (2008) ran from February 2008 to April 2010 and was followed by a trio of connected mini-series and a second 11-issue ongoing, Herc (2011), which ran from June 2011 to January 2012.

Past Ranking: This year is the book’s debut placement in the ballot results.

Creators: Written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with an assortment of artists including Rafa Sandoval, Salva Espin, Clayton Henry, Rodney Buchemi, Reilly Brown, Ariel Olivetti, Khoi Pham, Neil Edwards, and more!

Probable Contents: Incredible Hulk (1999) #112, Incredible Hercules (2008) #113-141, Hulk vs. Hercules: When Titans Collide, Assault on New Olympus Prologue, Hercules: Fall of an Avenger (2010) #1-2, Heroic Age: Prince of Power (2010) #1-4, Chaos War (2010) #1-5, Chaos War: Chaos King (2011) #1, Chaos War: God Squad (2011) #1, Chaos War: Ares (2011) #1, Herc (2011) #1-10 & 6.1, and maybe Deadpool Team-Up Vol. 2 (2010) #899. See below for a full reading order. [Read more…] about Incredible Hercules by Pak & Van Lente Omnibus – The #52 Most-Wanted Marvel Omnibus of 2017

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The Details: Heroes, Monsters, & Anthologies