“O, Bitter Victory!”: 40% off Amazing Spider-man!

Art for ASM #49 by John Romita.

Stan Lee and John Romita’s run on Amazing Spider-man is a legendary must-read. And from April 2012, you can get ASM #39- 67, Annual #3- 5, Spectacular Spider-man Magazine (1968) #1- 2, and material from Not Brand Echh #2, 6 and 11 in a 968- page omnibus.

With an RRP of £75, the HC also features the art of Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jim Mooney and Marie Severin, with alternate covers by Romita and Humberto Ramos.

And until Wednesday 23^rd November, the Romita cover is available from forbiddenplanet.co.uk for just £45, a saving of 40%! You can get your copy here:

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=67242

The Humberto Ramos cover – a homage to ASM #39 – can be pre-ordered from fp.co.uk for £50.25; the Romita cover is expected to  increase to this price once the promotion is over.

While Amazon.co.uk hasn’t even listed it yet, forbiddenplanet.com has the two covers for £51.74 each.

Though it’s a continuation of 2007’s first ASM omnibus – with the art of Steve Ditko – this second hardcover can be read in isolation, with such milestone issues as “How Green Was My Goblin!” – in which the Green Goblin’s true identity is first revealed – “The Sinister Shocker!” (which introduces one of my favourite villains) and “Spider-man No More!” The latter, in ASM #50, introduced the Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk, a major criminal in the Marvel Universe, and partly inspired the film, Spider-man 2.

Cover art by John Romita.

Personally, it includes some of my favourite issues, so I will definitely have the omnibus in pride of place.  One of the first Spider-man comic storylines I remember is, in fact, from ASM #48- 49, a grim but thrilling tale of a very ill Spider-man facing off against Kraven the Hunter and the new (-ish) Vulture, Brackie Drago.

Coming July 2012...

Of course, the omnibus comes just in time for the release of The Amazing Spider-man film in July 2012, a reboot starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans.

Andrew Garfiled on set with Emma Stone.

January 2012’s Solicitations

Marvel has just released details of what’s coming in January 2012… and it looks like Amazon.co.uk was right with their prediction of Mark Millar’s run on Ultimate Comics Avengers. It seems that December will be a quiet time for Omnibus fans, but the New Year will continue the trend of two releases a month. Here are the solicitations for Ultimate Comics Avengers and – get ready to be excited – The Amazing Spider-man Volume Two…!

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS BY MARK MILLAR OMNIBUS

Cover art by Leinil Francis Yu.

Written by MARK MILLAR

Penciled by CARLOS PACHECO, LEINIL FRANCIS YU, STEVE DILLON & STEPHEN SEGOVIA

COVER BY LEINIL FRANCIS YU

All of superstar Mark Millar’s ULTIMATE AVENGERS sagas, collected in one volume!

• Captain America goes rogue to learn the truth about the Red Skull, and S.H.I.E.L.D. commissions a new team to bring him in!

• A 7-foot-tall biker with a flaming skull has been brutally murdering the rich and powerful, and the White House orders the Avengers to take down the Ghost Rider!

• The various vampire clans have united under a charismatic new leader encased in a salvaged Iron Man suit. Can Blade and the Avengers work together to stem the blood-red tide?

Collecting Ultimate Avengers #01-06; Ultimate Avengers 2 #01-06; Ultimate Avengers 3 #01-06; and Ultimate Comics Avengers vs. New Ultimates #01-06.

608 PGS./Parental Advisory …$75.00

ISBN: 978-0-7851-6132-5

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 2

Cover art by John Romita.

Written by STAN LEE

Penciled by JOHN ROMITA with DON HECK, LARRY LIEBER, JIM MOONEY & MARIE SEVERIN

Covers by HUMBERTO RAMOS & JOHN ROMITA

The Stan Lee/John Romita era starts here! Lee and Romita transformed the web-slinger into Marvel’s top title with stories that raised your spirits, tore at your heartstrings and kept you on the edge of your seat. From the revelation of the Green Goblin’s secret identity to the unforgettable entrance of Mary Jane Watson, these classics define Spidey to this day — with star-studded debuts including the Kingpin, the Rhino and Captain Stacy; Spidey’s disastrous first tryout with the Avengers; the iconic “Spider-Man No More!” issue; the true story of Peter Parker’s parents; and an epic battle against the Green Goblin!

Cover art by Humberto Ramos.

Collecting Amazing Spider-man#39-67 and Annual #03-05; Spectacular Spider–man Magazine #01-02; and material from Not Brand Echh #02, 06 and 11.

968 PGS./Rated T …$99.99

ISBN: 978-0-7851-5857-8 (Ramos cover) and ISBN: 978-0-7851-6014-4 (Romita cover).

The first ASM omnibus was released in 2007, and collected the entire Steve Ditko run, so it’s about time we had a follow-up, featuring the brilliant art of John Romita.

Amazing Spider-man #67

Obviously, with this omnibus finishing on ASM #67, there’s plenty of Lee and Romita’s legendary run remaining, so maybe we’ll see even more of the web-head in 2012. Who else is hoping for a follow-up to Uncanny X-Men Volume One or other classic omnibuses?

January’s going to be a great month – especially for those with excess money from Christmas!

“The Old Order Changeth!”: 40% off the Avengers!

“And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth’s mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, but their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then—for now, the Avengers Assemble!”

Avengers #16

I haven’t been this excited about an omnibus in a while.

February 2012 sees the release of The Avengers omnibus, collecting Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck’s Avengers #1- 30, which introduces several characters including Kang the Conqueror, Wonder Man and, of course, the re-introduction of Captain America! (It’s odd, however, that the omnibus finishes at #30; Lee went on to write and edit until issue 35.) The HC will be the equivalent of buying the first three volumes of the Marvel Masterworks: Avengers editions.

Art by Jack "The King" Kirby!

The 728-page book has an RRP of £75, but anyone after the Jack Kirby DM – that’s Direct Market – cover (a re-coloured version of Avengers #01) should go to forbiddenplanet.co.uk for a 40% saving:

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=66206

The offer stands until 21^st September; as anyone with a calendar in their peripheral will know… that’s tomorrow, so get over there straight away!

The DM Kirby cover.

If you’ve missed it, don’t panic; amazon.co.uk has a pre-order price of £45.54:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avengers-Omnibus-1-Jack-Kirby/dp/0785158464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316517898&sr=8-1

Bookdepository.co.uk currently has it for £47.46, while forbiddenplanet.com has a price of £51.74.

Avengers #20

John Romita Jr. (my favourite artist by a mile) provides a variant cover, which promises to be just stunning. Forbiddenplanet.co.uk has this available for £50.25, which I expect will be the price of the Kirby cover after tomorrow.

The JRJR variant cover

Despite Amazon predicting 29^th, the omnibus is expected around 15^th February, plenty of time before the release of the The Avengers Movie. There are obviously a few omnibuses out there for Kirby fans, including his runs on Captain
America, Fantastic Four, Devil Dinosaur and The Eternals.

Original Eternals advert

The first Avengers comic I read was the milestone #16, which heralded a new line-up for Earth’s Mightiest, and since then, I’ve loved them, just like every Marvel fan. While the original team – debuting in September 1963 – comprised of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant man and the Wasp (with Cap joining the team in #4), issue 16 saw the roster change, with Captain America headlining a team of Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

The final panel of Avengers #01.

Avengers details revealed

Marvel has revealed the preliminary covers to the upcoming Avengers omnibus, due for publication in February 2012. The normal cover is a recoloured version of Jack “The King” Kirby’s Avengers #01…

Art by Jack Kirby.

The variant edition will feature a cover by John Romita Jr. in homage to Kirby’s.

Art by John Romita Jr.

JRJR is my favourite artist, so I’m especially looking forward to this release, which is set to collect Avengers #01-30, by the legends that are Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck. The HC will be 728 pages, with an RRP of £75.

The Avengers omnibus is scheduled for release just before the movie of the same name… which is bound to be a massive hit, right?

Avengers Assemble!

The Dark Tower Looms!

Marvel has recently released details of the upcoming Dark Tower Omnibus, the first double-set in a slipcase, alongside an excellent feature on the origins of the series. Based on the work of Stephen King (yes, really), the Dark Tower comic expands on the gritty world of The Gunslinger, written by Peter David – best known for his work with the Hulk –  and illustrated by Jae Lee (Inhumans; The Sentry). The massive books really do look special…

In all its glory!

In the feature on marvel.com, editor, Ralph Macchio says:

“I had read the Dark Tower novels before talk of a comic series had come along, and I had already pictured what the book would look like, so living up to that for myself and for the readers out there was difficult.

“Another thing that proved difficult was planning it out; when [co-writer] Robin Furth and I worked out the first arc of 30 issues, we were thinking pretty far into the future. I know certain comics work out where they’re going in advance, but working out an entire story-arc going 30 issues was pretty ambitious, especially since the writing hadn’t even begun.”

The Slipcase

Take a look at the full article here: http://marvel.com/news/story/16462/a_towering_achievement_the_dark_tower_omnibus

Cover art by Jae Lee

Collecting the first five volumes of the Dark Tower story, the slipcase omnibus (or should that be omnibuses?) has a huuuuge RRP of £110, according to amazon.co.uk. However, they currently have it available for pre-order for £82.50, while forbiddenplanet.com has it for £77.63.

Forbiddenplanet.co.uk has it for the best price, though. So snap it up at an excellent £73.70!

The Companion HC Omnibus

The  Dark Tower Slipcase HC Omnibus is due for release on 21^st September. Will you be getting it? As it’s technically two omnibuses, packaged as one, do you think it’s worth the RRP? And does the range have a future as double packs? Let me know your thoughts!

CBR on Spidey and the X-Men

Comic Book Resources has an interesting little article on various topics, including the new Ultimate Spider-man, a shocking purge of comics and an odd ditty about ducks.

Art by Mark Bagley

Most importantly, though, there’s a bit about The Amazing Spider-man By Michelinie and McFarlane omnibus (which has just been released, and should be available from your local bookstore or comic shop) and the upcoming X-Men By Claremont and Lee Volume Two.

Alongside this, there’s a quick scan through Marvel’s October solicits, with the likes of the Invincible Iron Man Volume Two HC and Ultimate Comics X: Origins book, as well as noting how unfairly priced graphic novels are becoming!

Take a look:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33801

Let me know your thoughts on the upcoming releases.

“Too Many Mutants!”: 40% Off The X-Men!

 

Recoloured art by Jim Lee

Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s exceptional collaboration on Marvel’s #1 mutant team continues in January 2012’s omnibus, which sets the X-Men up against Skrulls, The Shadow King and – of course – Magneto. The X-Men By Claremont and Lee Omnibus Volume Two also sees X-Factor take on Apocalypse, Wolverine versus Omega Red, the return of Mojo, the loss of Cyclop’s son, and time-travelling chaos with Bishop.

Omnibus cover art by Jim Lee

The pair’s award-winning run brought the X-Men into the 1990s with a bang. With a massive 880 pages, collecting Uncanny X-Men#273- 280, X-Factor #63- 70, Ghost Rider #26- 27, and X-Men #1- 9 – plus material from #10 and 11 –  this release will be a must for fans of mutantkind.

Uncanny X-Men #280

If you’re not a member of Friends Of Humanity, you’ll want to get over to forbiddenplanet.co.uk before Wednesday 10^th August to save 40% off the RRP of £95, bringing the cost down to £57! They list the expected delivery date as 4^th January, so perhaps something to spend that money you get for Christmas on…

While the Omnibus is available with two different covers  – both by Jim Lee –  only the one based on Uncanny X-Men #275 is on offer for £57 from fp.co.uk. It’s a great design, but anyone searching for the other, more Wolverine-centric one can get it from fp.co.uk for £63.65, which is also the same price as the previous Claremont/Lee X-Men omnibus. Following the current promotion, the Volume Two omnibus will probably go for this price as well.

The Recoloured X-Men!

Amazon.co.uk, meanwhile, have both omnibuses for the pre-order price of £71.25 each (which is kinda rubbish, really!), and forbiddenplanet.com have Volumes One and Two – all covers  – for £64.85 each.

Other X-Omnibuses include The X-Men Volume One and Two, which collects the earliest tales of the team, the long-OOP New X-Men with stories by Grant Morrison, and the formation of the second team – including Wolverine, Storm and Nightcrawler – in Uncanny X-Men By Claremont and Cockrum. Yep, the X-Men have a history of going out-of-print…

Pre-Order Price list – June round-up

Welcome to the first pre-order price list round-up, advising you on the upcoming releases.

Art by Todd McFarlane.

Firstly, August’s Acts of Vengeance Crossovers is available at Amazon.co.uk for the excellent price of £27.65. In comparison, the two Forbidden Planets are selling it for over £50. It’ll probably only be of interest if you’ve got the first Acts of Vengeance omnibus, so Forbiddenplanet.co.uk has it for a reasonable £50.25. This is also the pre-order price of Amazing Spider-man By Michelinie and McFarlane and Wolverine By Jason Aaron.

Amazon’s price for The Dark Tower Slipcase Edition is just terrible at the moment (£93.50), so if you really want to pre-order it, go to Forbiddenplanet.co.uk (£73.70). Its release date is still a few months away, so it might be best to wait for the price to (hopefully) drop a bit.

If I were an X-Man, I'd want to be... (Art by Jim Lee.)

X-Men By Claremont and Lee Volume One is sure to be popular, so if you want to ensure getting a copy, Amazon.co.uk has the best price of £52.50. There’s also going to be a lot of buzz over X-Statix, which can also be bought off Amazon.co.uk for £57.16. They continue their great prices with Fantastic Four By John Byrne at just £45.72.

Finally, Amazon.co.uk has the earliest prices on The Avengers (£45.72) and The X-Men By Claremont and Lee Volume Two (£61.73). Considering that they’re not expected to be published until 2012, it’s probably best to wait until closer to next year for better prices. I would argue, however, that it’ll be hard to beat Amazon’s price for the 728-page Avengers omnibus.

Art by Jack Kirby... obviously!

It seems that Amazon is the place to go for pre-orders!

Price list – June round-up

As you probably know by now, the new price lists are up, with a few changes and surprises. Here’s the round-up of the released omnibuses; a pre-order price list round-up will follow soon.

Art by Steve Ditko.

Since the last list, a lot of omnibuses have sold out, including most of the older ones, like Fantastic Four Volume One and Amazing Spider-man Volume One. Obviously, these may be found in comic or book shops, or through auction sites like eBay. In fact, those particular two seem to crop up quite frequently on eBay (UK), though at the moment, only one FFV1 can be found at £82.25 plus postage and packaging. And no one seems to have ASMV1! But wait a bit, and perhaps they’ll be some more for sale soon.

Amidst a sea of ‘sold-outs,’ it’s a nice surprise to see Amazon.co.uk getting more stock in of Captain America By Ed Brubaker Volume One, at very reasonable prices (hovering between £38-42). None of these can be found on eBay or on either of the Forbiddenplanet sites. The follow-up, The Death of Captain America, can also be found on Amazon.co.uk for the great price of £30.77. For the third one, Captain America Lives!, it’s best to go to Forbiddenplanet.co.uk, who has it for £32.82.

I am Iron Man!

Forbiddenplanet.co.uk seems to have some variant editions of Invincible Iron Man Volume One at £48.75. It looks to be the movie variant edition, with the Mk1 armour (ie. the bulky one used to escape from The Ten Rings), which is a fantastic cover, albeit lacking a Kirby/Heck quality which some may seek. These older omnibuses are rare, especially variant editions, so it might be worth getting the omnibus at a good price.

Any fans of Daredevil will want to go straight to eBay, however. Most of the modern runs (Bendis/Maleev; Brubaker/Lark) are available at pretty good prices. At the moment, the most recent (Daredevil By Brubaker and Lark Volume Two) can found with a Buy-It-Now price of £35.50. You might have a job finding either of the Frank Miller omnibuses at reasonable prices, though. I’m still in search of Volume One myself (without paying massive amounts); 2ToneComics have one available on eBay… for £250!

Art by Jack Kirby.

A few omnibuses have sold out quite suddenly; Elektra, for example, has vanished completely from the “big three.” Amazon.co.uk and Forbiddenplanet.com have also sold out of Wolverine, The X-Men Volume One and Secret Wars 2, but Forbiddenplanet.co.uk has all three for £50.25 each. They also have Captain Britain by Alan Moore and Alan Davis at the same price; any fans of Avalon will want to grab one of these rare editions.

It’s odd that they haven’t got The Astonishing X-Men omnibus at all, but if you’re interested in Whedon and Cassaday’s tale of Danger, the Hellfire Club and the Breakworld, go to Amazon.co.uk, who have it for £39.24.

Finally, the latest omnibus, Captain America Volume One, with art by Jack Kirby, can be found at the brilliant price of £31.50 from Amazon.co.uk.

Art by Jack Kirby and Ron Garney... What a pairing!

You might also want to take into consideration Amazon.co.uk’s free postage and packaging when you spend more than £15 offer.

Remember to leave a comment with any bargains you’ve snapped up or if you’re selling any omnibuses on eBay!

October Price List

Here’s October 2010’s price list for future reference. Take a look at the updated price list when you’ve got a mo, and tell me what you think!

Omnibus	Amazon.co.uk	Forbiddenplanet.co.uk	Forbiddenplanet.com
Fantastic Four V1	71.25	—	46.80
Alias	—	—	—
Uncanny X-Men V1	—	—	—
The Eternals	—	—	—
New X-Men	—	—	—
Miller’s Daredevil V1	—	—	—
Amazing Spider-man  V1	53.67	—	—
Silver Surfer	—	—	—
Fantastic Four V2	—	—	—
Devil Dinosaur	—	—	—
Amazing Fantasy	41.99	41.99	32.99
Brubaker’s Captain America V1              —	—	—	—
Miller’s Daredevil Companion	—	—	—
Invincible Iron Man V1	—	48.75	—
Incredible Hulk V1	—	50.25	41.23
Howard the Duck	—	—	43.55
Bendis’ Daredevil V1	—	—	—
Elektra	—	33.49	34.49
Tomb of Dracula V1	—	—	44.85
The Punisher	—	—	—
Secret Wars	56.49	50.25	42.90
Wolverine	63.75	50.25	48.46
The X-Men V1	56.49	50.25	51.75
Secret Wars 2	56.49	50.25	51.75
Brubaker’s Daredevil V1	—	—	37.51
Immortal Iron Fist	47.59	37.51	37.51
The Ultimates	—	—	—
Captain Britain	—	50.25	49.99
Astonishing X-Men	47.59	37.51	44.16
Golden Age of Marvel	63.39	63.65	—
The Death of Captain America	30.40	33.59	33.59
Tomb of Dracula V2	52.59	50.25	51.75
Bendis’ Daredevil V2	42.71	50.25	51.75
Invincible Iron Man V2	63.75	50.25	51.74
Brubaker’s Daredevil V2	41.99	37.51	38.63
Tomb of Dracula V3	52.50	50.25	51.74
Straczynski’s Thor	—	32.82	33.80
Ghost Rider	26.59	25.45	26.21
Squadron Supreme	39.19	37.51	38.63
On Pre-Order:
Women of Marvel	66.5	63.65	64.85
Acts of Vengeance	—	50.25	51.74
The Mighty Thor	56.25	50.25	51.74
Captain America Lives!	34.99	32.82	33.8
Atlantis Attacks	47.59	37.51	38.63
Kirby’s Captain America	41.99	37.51	38.63
Simonson’s Thor	71.25	63.65	64.85
X-Men V2	63.75	50.25	—
X-Men: Fall of the Mutants	56.25	50.25	—

UPDATED: 25^th October 2010. All prices are in British Pound (£), unless otherwise stated.

NOTES:

Bold:     Best deal.

–:           Omnibus not available/ OOP (out-of-print)

V:            Volume.

Fp:          Forbidden Planet ie. fp.co.uk =  forbiddenplanet.co.uk.

Italics:   Item not in stock at fp.com, but available to order. There is no guarantee that you will get the omnibus, so it will not be considered the best deal, even if the price is the lowest, unless amazon.co.uk and fp.co.uk do not have stocks available either.

Underlined:        Variant edition only. Generally, variants copies have a more limited printing, so are rarer to find.

Things to remember:

Look at regular blog for deals at other stores, like whsmith.co.uk, and waterstones.com. All prices are correct at time of update. Prices do not include postage and packaging.