MARVEL BY JEPH LOEB & TIM SALE

As seems to be the case with many fans, I find a great deal of Jeph Loeb's writing pretty awful. But somehow, when partnered with artist Tim Sale, his work usually rises to the point that, if not brilliant, I would at least call it "very good". I love the duo's team-ups over at DC. BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN was probably the very first hardcover reprint I ever purchased, back in 2000 or so. I actually find its sequels, DARK VICTORY and CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME, even more enjoyable, and they reside right next THE LONG HALLOWEEN on my bookcase, along with SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS.

But Loeb and Sale have done similarly good work at Marvel, and that's what I'm going to cover for the next few Fridays. We'll start with 1995's WOLVERINE & GAMBIT: VICTIMS, followed by HULK: GRAY, DAREDEVIL: YELLOW, and SPIDER-MAN: BLUE from 2001 - 2004. Please note that I'm covering those last three not in release order, but in order my preference, finishing with my favorite of the trio.

Review copies to be used for this series will be the Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcover of WOLVERINE & GAMBIT, and the 2002 - 2004 oversized hardcover editions of the other three series. All these volumes are out of print, but all series are still widely available in one format or another, and in some cases the hardcovers can be found for less than the trade paperbacks:

• DAREDEVIL: YELLOW (paperback/hardcover)
• HULK: GRAY (paperback)
• SPIDER-MAN: BLUE (paperback/hardcover)
• X-MEN: WOLVERINE/GAMBIT (paperback/hardcover)
• YELLOW, BLUE AND GRAY (reprints all three "color" series in oversized hardcover format)

Note for hardcover consumers: BLUE, GRAY, and YELLOW have been reprinted in nearly every possible format over the years. Initially they were released in Marvel's oversized hardcover line. These are the editions pictured above, and they're long out of print, usually hard to find new for reasonable prices. Subsequently the three series came out in the Premiere Hardcover format, which is the same size as a standard comic book. These have different covers, and can usually be found, as noted above, for less than even their paperback cousins. But if you're looking for these series in the oversized format -- in my opinion the best way to read them -- your best bet is probably to pick up the YELLOW, BLUE AND GRAY volume, which just came out in 2014.

Now, with that business aside, look forward to WOLVERINE & GAMBIT this Friday -- and now that the Stern Spider-Man series has come to its conclusion, there will be an announcement about my next long-term review series tomorrow, as well.