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One I'd like to see is an Archive edition of O'Neil's THE SHADOW series, and not just the Kaluta issues, but the complete 12-issue run.
1-4 and 6 are illustrated by Kaluta.
5, and 7-9 are illustrated by Frank Robbins.
10-12 are illustrated by E.R Cruz.
And every one of them are good issues.
There was a hardcover published in 1989 of just the Kaluta issues, and I always hoped there'd be a collection of the complete series. But now 30 years have passed and it hasn't happened.

I was looking through my PRIVATE FILES OF THE SHADOW hardcover (1989) of O'Neil/Kaluta stories yesterday, and much as I enjoy it, the 1989 collection suffers from several problems:
1) I'm not wild about the coloring by Lovern Kinzierski. It's not horrible, but I prefer the original coloring.
2) None of the original covers were included, and those are some really exceptional covers worth seeing.
3) O'Neil (or someone, probably O'Neil himself) changed some of the dialogue from the original issues in the new edition. For example, issue 3, page 7, where King Cobra slaps around Margo Lane.


As bonus material I'd like to see the one-shot SHERLOCK HOLMES issue that has the same O'Neil/Cruz creative team as the last 3 SHADOW issues included. And the SHERLOCK HOLMES issue came out concurrently with SHADOW 12.
And possibly also collecting JUSTICE INC. 1-4, also scripted by O'Neil, with art by Al McWilliams (1), and Kirby (2-4). Another crimefighting pulp character, who also appeared in THE SHADOW 11.
These would be an interesting companion series, to see how O'Neil handled similar detective and pulp characters, in collaboration with other artists.

I'm surprised to see the 1989 edition selling in the range of $80 to $100. I got my copy in 1999 for less than 20.



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Another I've waited a long time for was just published, a KILLRAVEN Marvel Masterworks collecting the KILLRAVEN series from AMAZING ADVENTURES 18-39, begun by Thomas/Adams, with issues by Trimpe, Buckler, Colan and Giffen, but reaching its ultimate peak in issues 27-39 in the work of Don McGregor and Craig Russell.

That one was just released!



People rave about McGregor's run in JUNGLE ACTION on Black Panther (also out a few years ago in a Masterworks edition), but I far prefer McGregor's Killraven series.
(Although I'm still kicking myself for not picking up the BLACK PANTHER Masterworks (Volume 1) hardcover of these issue, back when it was selling for like 22 bucks on ebay. That same hardcover sells now in the $150 range. But hey, I do have the comics themselves to read.)




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I've really tried to keep my collection manageable but there have been lots of good collections lately. I had one coverless Shadow issue when I was a kid and really liked it. Never got into Killraven but it had some great art. I would like to see the Legion continue to be collected. Really liked seeing the Earthwar story be collected.


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Would really like to see a Don Newton collection of his Shazam stories. I really liked his New Gods work but since it's not Kirby I'm guessing that's probably not going to get reprinted


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Well, they reprinted a volume of Don Newton's BATMAN and DETECTIVE stories. So never say never.

My impression is it didn't sell well, because there were no subsequent volumes. A few years ago I completed my run of those WORLD'S FINEST issues (from about WF 250-285), but I would enjoy seeing them in a nice collected edition on better paper.

A COMIC READER cover by Newton you might appreciate:





Newton, tragically, was only 49 when he died in 1984.
But very prolific in the years he was in comics. He also did a lot of illustration for Charleton and fan publications for about 10 years before he began working for DC in 1978. Mostly anthology stories up till then, a comic version of THE PHANTOM, and work for RBCC (Rocket's Blast Comic Collector fanzine) and other fanzines.





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And this great offering by Hembeck:





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The recent HOUSE OF SECRETS Bronze Age Omnibus is a nice wish fulfillment. Released about a year ago.


As is the pending HOUSE OF MYSTERY Bronze Age Omnibus, due as I recall in early 2019.

I hated the black and white "SHOWCASE" collections. I have the originals in color and didn't see the point. I'm glad to see them released again in a full-color hardcover format that does justice to the original issues.




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One out about a month now that I'm looking forward to receiving is a Marvel Masterworks hardcover of the complete KILLRAVEN series, primarily by Don McGregor and Craig Russell. Plus work by Neal Adams (AM ADVS 18), Howard Chaykin(18-19), Herb Trimpe (20-24), Buckler/Janson (25), Colan (26), and Giffen (35, 38). It even includes the 1983 Marvel Graphic Novel.





I like the old-style Masterworks gold-frame on the variant edition.



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The variant gold-frame cover is a very limited edition, of only 695 copies!

Both cover versions, and a number of sample pages:
http://www.collectededitions.com/marvel/mm/killraven/killraven_mm01.html


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One of the last I'm still waiting for is a reprint of the DOCTOR STRANGE runs by Englehart (in MARVEL PREMIERE 4-14, and DOCTOR STRANGE 1-18. The Brunner art issues were reprinted in DOCTOR STRANGE: A SEPARATE REALITY hc and tpb, still waiting for the rest in a more complete collection)
And for a collection of the later issues by Roger Stern (roughly issues 46-73, plus some scattered earlier issues Stern scripted. And really the 20 or so in between by Wolfman, Thomas, Wein, Starlin and others might as well be included).


There have been omnibus books published of Roger Stern's SPECTACULAR SPIDERMAN and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (all in one SPIDER-MAN by Roger Stern omnibus volume).


And the classic Michelinie/Romita Jr./Layton IRON MAN 115-156 run, collected in an IRON MAN Omnibus, another I eagerly anticipated.


I'm also still waiting for better editions of Kirby's Fourth World, and the 1982-1984 run of Levitz/Giffen LEGION 285-306.

I'm especially enthusiastic about reprints of series that were published with standard comic book printing, and were never before published in offset printing. All of the series I just listed are in that category. (As compared to, say, Simonson's ORION series, or WATCHMEN, or V FOR VENDETTA, that all had better offset printing in the original serialized comics they were first published in.

The one comic that was originally published in newsprint comics form, and then recently published in a nice offset-printed omnibus hardcover that I never purchased was the Simonson THOR omnibus. Which seems to get mixed reviews because of the re-coloring. Some say the new colors enhance it, others say the new colors ruin it. I always prefer the original coloring. Maybe subtly tweaked in the new edition, but colors that at least stick to the basic template of the original colors.




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 Originally Posted By: Matter-eater Man
I would like to see the Legion continue to be collected. Really like seeing the Earthwar story collected.


It always seemed odd to me that Legion, being by all appearances among DC's best-selling archive series, with an extremely loyal fanbase, why they discontinued it without reprinting the entire 1970's/1980's run up till CRISIS. Or at least up till issue 313 of the Levitz/Giffen run (1980, 2nd series) reprinting all the newsprinted comics, before the series went to a high quality offset-printed format with a new #1 by Giffen in early 1984.

That way the Archives would allow you to see all the newsprinted stories in an enhanced quality they never had before. The later issues might also be nice to have in a collected edition, but in their original comics were already printed in a high-quality format.
In particular the late-1970's stories, from a time DC was using lower-quality engraving plates, Archive reprinting would allow LEGION's very loyal fanbase to fully appreciate these stories for the very first time.

That's certainly the case with my KILLRAVEN Masterworks hardcover. While they were as true to the original as possible, the offset printing is much crisper, and I can see details in the art that were not visible in the original newsprint comics.


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I also love the pre-Marvel monster stories (1958-1963) by Lee/Kirby and Ditko, and Heck, among others.

I already have TALES TO ASTONISH volumes 1-3.
And TALES OF SUSPENSE Masterworks, volumes 1-3.
Reprinting the first 30 issues of each series, up to the point where Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Sub-Mariner took over those series.

And the AMAZING FANTASY omnibus hardcover.

I was disappointed, it's been 10 years, and they never followed through with the pre-Marvel STRANGE TALES and JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY masterworks hardcovers.

However, a few years ago, they did release a two-volume MARVEL MONSTERBUS pair of hardcovers, that reprints only the Lee/Kirby material from those years. But honestly, I like the Masterworks hardcovers better, that collect the complete issues and material by all artists involved.

The TOS and TTA Masterworks I listed include surprising stories by artists like Carl Burgos (who created the Human Torch back in 1940), and Al Williamson in his post-EC days, and Doug Wildey, as well as early stories by Gene Colan, Joe Sinnott, and early Marvel-age inker Paul Reinman. I'd like to see what surprises early issues of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY and STRANGE TALES might include.

I also like the two Marvel Masterworks RAWHIDE KID collections.

I have a feeling we'll be waiting a long time for the other stuff I mentioned. As well as Kirby's war and romance stories from that era.



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 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy

 Originally Posted By: Matter-eater Man
I would like to see the Legion continue to be collected. Really like seeing the Earthwar story collected.


It always seemed odd to me that Legion, being by all appearances among DC's best-selling archive series, with an extremely loyal fanbase, why they discontinued it without reprinting the entire 1970's/1980's run up till CRISIS. Or at least up till issue 313 of the Levitz/Giffen run (1980, 2nd series) reprinting all the newsprinted comics, before the series went to a high quality offset-printed format with a new #1 by Giffen in early 1984.

That way the Archives would allow you to see all the newsprinted stories in an enhanced quality they never had before. The later issues might also be nice to have in a collected edition, but in their original comics were already printed in a high-quality format.
In particular the late-1970's stories, from a time DC was using lower-quality engraving plates, Archive reprinting would allow LEGION's very loyal fanbase to fully appreciate these stories for the very first time.

That's certainly the case with my KILLRAVEN Masterworks hardcover. While they were as true to the original as possible, the offset printing is much crisper, and I can see details in the art that were not visible in the original newsprint comics.



I wonder what is the actual state of legion fandom these days after so many revamps and this last gap of nothing being published? I hope it's still there for more hard cover reprints. Just one or two fat hardcovers and that would get us to Levitz stuff already collected.


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A few possibilities occurred to me regarding the formerly best-selling Legion Archives hardcovers.

1) It's possible the fanbase for Legion, as you say, has diminished due to the many re-boots of the series over the last 3 decades. It's possible even that some of that fanbase has died off, literally. I mean, I'm 56, and that 1958-1970 era of Legion in the Silver Age even precedes me by a good many years! (At my age, I started reading with SUPERBOY/LEGION 197 in Sept 1973.)

2) That the strong fanbase for the early Silver Age Legion is unique to that early 1958-1970 era, and once they'd reprinted that portion of the Legion run, that fanbase might not have been strong enough for good sales in volumes of the later 1970's era, especially when it got past the Cockrum and Grell runs. There is a period between the last Grell issues and the first Giffen issues (1977-1982) where there weren't steady creative teams with a huge following. I'd still like to see them in a high-quality hardcover format, but just sayin'.



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I dug up a list of the DC ARCHIVES hardcovers of the Legion series so far, 13 volumes...

https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=516741

...the last one Volume 13 published in May 2012, of issues 224-233. Seven years ago!

So at 10 issues a volume, it would be about 5 volumes until they'd get to the Levitz/Giffen material in 284-306.

I think the natural break in the story for a 6th future volume would be containing issues 284-295.

And then the 7th containing 296-306. Issues 296-297 re-tells the Legion's origin, and therefore is the best to start a volume with. And 306 I think would end the volume on an optimistic note, with a great sense of completeness.

After that, getting into an 8th volume is tricky, because there's not a lot of great storytelling to draw readership to that volume. I was thinking 307-313, and then TALES OF THE LEGION (writer Mindy Newell, no longer Levitz, writing issues 314-325) in one volume, the last of the second series SUPERBOY/LEGION run. That would be 19 issues in one volume, plus possibly an annual or two. Maybe giving a generous amount of material in one volume at a fair price would make it more appealing.

And if DC wanted to do a 9th volume, begin with the LEGION third series (1984) with the Levitz/Giffen and Lightle issues. Although again, this is the point where the original issues are printed in a high-quality format, so it is not as necessary to reprint them in a higher quality format in a new edition.

But regardless, DC is still about 8 volumes away from completing the original SUPERBOY/LEGION second series run.




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 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy



A few possibilities occurred to me regarding the formerly best-selling Legion Archives hardcovers.

1) It's possible the fanbase for Legion, as you say, has diminished due to the many re-boots of the series over the last 3 decades. It's possible even that some of that fanbase has died off, literally. I mean, I'm 56, and that 1958-1970 era of Legion in the Silver Age even precedes me by a good many years! (At my age, I started reading with SUPERBOY/LEGION 197 in Sept 1973.)

2) That the strong fanbase for the early Silver Age Legion is unique to that early 1958-1970 era, and once they'd reprinted that portion of the Legion run, that fanbase might not have been strong enough for good sales in volumes of the later 1970's era, especially when it got past the Cockrum and Grell runs. There is a period between the last Grell issues and the first Giffen issues (1977-1982) where there weren't steady creative teams with a huge following. I'd still like to see them in a high-quality hardcover format, but just sayin'.



Yeah that stretch doesn't get a lot of love. Conway, Thomas and Ditko while being big names were not exactly producing anything beyond average for the day. I remember after it was re titled after Superboy left they were under cover at a space circus. It was two issues! Still there were some great moments imho. Blok became a member. The Legion miniseries while not the best art had a great surprise ending. And Superboy came back. Also some nice Perez covers and while it wasn't Ditko at his best it was still Steve Ditko doing the art for a bunch of stories.


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I agree, that while it wasn't a steady run through those years that set the world on fire, there were some good issues in that 1977-1982 period.
Some nice art by Jim Sherman, and Mike Nasser. With some great inkers like Bob McLeod and Bob Wiacek. There was one issue, number 262, with Jim Sherman pencils and inks, and it was really nice, but completely differnt from the issues he just pencilled.
Three good issues by Jim Starlin in 239 and 250-251, and a few nice covers too. One issue ( 238) where Starlin did a nice wraparound cover, with a 2-issue reprint of a Shooter, Swan/Klein ADVENTURE COMICS story, even as a reprint it was beautiful.

Jim Janes did some good art, and as far as I know, the only series he worked on, around issues 268-281.

And as you say, a number of really nice Perez covers in the year or so prior to Giffen starting on the series.

It looked to me like they were setting up Broderick to be the regular series artist. And then pushed Broderick aside, to have Giffen do the series. And while I love Broderick, I think Giffen was the perfect artist at that time. There was tremendous energy in that 284-306 run, it was a sight to behold when those issues were coming out every month. The Levitz/Giffen run was both a huge leap forward in quality, and also consistent with and a wonderful tribute to the 25 years of continuity that preceded it.




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I'd still like to see a complete reprint of the Neal Adams DEADMAN series from 1967-1971 that is truly complete.

Aside from the original series in STRANGE ADVENTURES 205-216, these issues were reprinted in scattered appearances in BRAVE & THE BOLD 100 (r STR ADV 210), WORLDS FINEST 223 (r 206), and 226 (r 207), and BATMAN FAMILY 1 (r B & B 79).

The series was partially reprinted in the DEADMAN 1-7 baxter-reprint series in 1985, reprinting the bulk of the series from STRANGE ADVENTURES 205-216, BRAVE & THE BOLD 79 and 86.
But oddly did not include the Adams Deadman backups in AQUAMAN 50-52, or CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN 74 (7 pages of a 22p story), or JUSTICE LEAGUE 94 (4 pages of a 22 page story), or the splash page of Deadman by Adams in BATMAN 232.

In 2002 there was a slipcased hardcover titled THE DEADMAN COLLECTION that includes more of the series as listed above, but still does not include the last two stories from JLA 94 and BATMAN 232.
A further weirdness of the hardcover is STRANGE ADVENTURES 206 was originally Neal Adams pencils with George Roussos inks. The original story is not included, and instead has a new re-drawn version with Adams pencils and inks, that does not match the rest of the series. What DC should have done is include the original Adams/Roussos story, with the re-drawn version as bonus material.

The hardcover was later reprinted in trade paperback form in April 2011, broken into DEADMAN BOOK 1 (r STRANGE ADVENTURES 205-213), with the same butchered re-drawn version of 206.
And DEADMAN BOOK 2 (r 214-216, BRAVE AND THE BOLD 79 and 86, AQUAMAN 50-52, and CHALLENGERS 74. But like the hardcover, does not include the last two stories from JLA 94 and BATMAN 232.)
The advantage of these trades is they're printed on glossy paper and a thinner paper stock, that is much easier to flip through and read.

So I'm still waiting for a truly complete collection of the Adams Deadman run, that has all the above scattered stories.

And for the more recent new Adams DEADMAN series, I'd prefer to see that collected in a separate volume, to fully separate the two eras.
The new Adams series is already reprinted in a DEADMAN collected edition.




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Amazing the difference new editions bring to the same material.

Here's the first page of STRANGE ADVENTURES 210 (March 1968) in its original form:
https://comiconlinefree.com/strange-adventures-1950/issue-210/3

And here's the same page reprinted as a backup in BRAVE AND THE BOLD 100 (Feb-Mar 1972):
https://comiconlinefree.com/the-brave-and-the-bold-1955/issue-100/34


And here's the same page repinted with offset printing on better paper from DEADMAN 3, 1985:
https://comiconlinefree.com/deadman-1985/issue-3/31


The last has the same colors as the original 1968 version, but the paper and offset printing give it a different visual look than the original. Particularly on Adams stories in their original form, while the printing is superior in new editions, the art is often darkened and less clear than the original. Adams has said in interviews that the originals were printed on low grade paper that is "the equivalent of toilet paper", but I'm at a loss to explain why the toilet paper looks better!

But in Marvel Masterworks, while retaining the original colors with better printing, their books I think are more carefully produced than DC's. And in, for example the new KILLRAVEN masterworks hardcover, the Masterworks reprints are much more true to the original, and while not changing the art, allow me to see details less visible in the original. But unlike with DC's reprints, preserve the original reading experience, instead of trying to re-invent the material with annoying changes.




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