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Sunday, February 22, 2015

THE UNBOXING - FEBRUARY 2015

Three items arrived this month; two of which I've awaited for quite a while, for varying reasons.

But first is AME-COMI GIRLS, volume three from DC. Some may recall that I reviewed volume one last year, and I received volume two a few months ago. I was originally going to cover the second volume soon after I got it, but ultimately decided to do both it and three in two consecutive weeks once both were available. So watch for that very soon.


Now, onto the really good stuff. First is UNCANNY X-MEN MASTERWORKS volume nine, which includes UNCANNY X-MEN issues 168 - 175 plus ANNUAL #7, the GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS graphic novel, and all four issues of Wolverine's eponymous limited series. I don't usually spring for Masterworks volumes due to the obscene cover price-to-number of pages ratio, but I can't help myself when it comes to this era of the X-Men. I obviously already own this material, in the form of a trade paperback called FROM THE ASHES which I've owned for more than twenty years now. But this Masterworks edition reprints the issues with the highest possible restoration and reproduction standards, and I'm very happy to have them upgraded. I don't know if there will be any more X-Men Masterworks, but I don't really care. This is it for me, as issue 175 ends what I consider to be the best of the Chris Claremont run. I'll pick up the subsequent John Romita, Jr. issues in trade format, but I have no need to own them in hardcover.

Lastly we have the STAR WARS: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS volume one, collecting the first 44 issues of Marvel's 1977 STAR WARS series. I've wanted to read this series for years, but I always avoided the Dark Horse editions because A) I missed their original trade releases many years ago and B) their later "Omnibus" reprints were in a trim size smaller than the original comics (a choice that makes absolutely no sense to me). But now I can savor these classic tales from the Star Wars Expanded Universe in oversize format. Most of the book is written by Archie Goodwin, who scripted the STAR WARS newspaper strip, and the majority of the artwork is by Carmine Infantino. I thumbed through the book upon receiving it and Infantino's stylized artwork looks absolutely wonderful. I can't wait to read this one.

For those interested, the second STAR WARS OMNIBUS is currently available for pre-order as well.
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2 comments:

  1. Austin GortonFebruary 26, 2015 at 7:29 AM

    I have a few scattered Masterworks volumes, but I've mostly avoided them for the reasons you listed, but man, that X-Men volume sounds pretty fantastic. In terms of a chunk of issues you could fit into one volume, it's tough to beat in terms of quality.

    Also, your acquisition of the Star Wars omnibus is fortuitous, given a new project that will be starting up soon on my blog. :)

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    1. MattFebruary 26, 2015 at 8:50 AM

      Yes, my Masterworks collection is very small, and almost entirely X-Men. I have all the UNCANNY volumes, covering GIANT SIZE #1 through UNCANNY 175, plus the volume containing Neal Adams' run. Beyond that I only have the two IRON FIST volumes and the WARLOCK and CAPTAIN MARVEL volumes which cover Jim Starlin's work on those two characters.

      And of those, I probably would've waited and picked up the IRON FIST EPIC COLLECTION instead, had I known that was ever going to be a possibility (in fact I may still get it since it includes POWER MAN #48-50, which the IF Masterworks don't). I'm very happy to have Starlin's WARLOCK in hardcover, but I also would have waited to get his CAPTAIN MARVEL in trade, since it seems like, at this point, Marvel plans to collect everything in every possible format.

      I'm intrigued by this new STAR WARS project -- "Star Wars-aminations"? Whatever it is, I'll try to follow along in my book!

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