Trio of Kirby items in the latest solicitations. GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS has a slightly-delayed oversized conclusion. The page count for the latest THOR MASTERWORKS would seem to suggest that they’re including the Inhumans backups (six of the seven fall in the range of issues included), but the backups aren’t mentioned, so maybe not. I think they’d be better off not including the Inhumans stories, finding another home for them (would make a good 10% of a potential third VISIONARIES volume), and running the Thor stories up to #153, a more logical storybreak than #151. It also makes it that much more likely that they can finish the Kirby run in two more books, instead of leaving one or two orphan issues early in a post-Kirby book.

Oh, and an oversized hardcover of DEVIL DINOSAUR. Life is good. Strange, but good…

I just wish they’d been more consistent on Kirby’s 1970s reprints. If DD and ETERNALS get single volume oversized hardcovers, wouldn’t it have made sense to have BLACK PANTHER and CAPTAIN AMERICA in that format, instead of multi-volume paperbacks, which wound up costing as much, maybe more, per page?

JACK KIRBY’S GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS #6
Written by LISA KIRBY
Penciled by MIKE THIBODEAUX
Cover by JACK KIRBY

Special extra-sized finale! Mainframe’s quest to recover his son leads to a blow-out battle in Dangerland!

56 PGS. $3.99

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE MIGHTY THOR VOL. 6 HC
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY

Long live Asgard, True Believers! What better way to herald the return of the God of Thunder, than to usher in another Mighty Thor Masterworks!

After years of honing the tragedy and intrigue of the Son of Odin, Stan and Jack hit a stride that would produce the most mythic tales in all of Marveldom. Beginning with a pair of irredeemable uglies, Replicus and the Super-Skrull, the adventure then takes itself up a Norse notch when the evil Loki conspires to have Thor stripped of his power and vanquished to Earth! Stranded there, he must struggle to survive the machinations of his scheming half-brother, while attemping to regain the graces of All-Father Odin.

Last, but not least: Enter one of the most beloved baddies in all of the Asgardian entourage-The Wrecker! The decidedly mortal Thor must battle to his very last breath against this crowbar-wielding wingnut, who himself is powered with Asgardian might! And we’ll warn you now, the last note is a tragic one as Thor faces his ladylove, Sif-in the body of the undefeatable Destroyer!

It’s drama as only the Masters of the Marvel Age can make it! Collecting THOR (Vol. 1) #141-151.

256 PGS. $54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2690-2

DEVIL DINOSAUR BY JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS HC
Written by JACK KIRBY
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY

No gods from outer space could beat THIS Devil! Jack Kirby crossed into a new cosmos with this crimson carnivore and his faithful sidekick Moonboy! Now, for the first time, Marvel collects the King’s saga of Devil Dinosaur in his prehistoric prime! Collecting DEVIL DINOSAUR #1-9.

176 PGS. $29.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2694-5
Trim size: oversized

Mark Evanier’s hardcover KIRBY – KING OF COMICS has started to show up on the various on-line vendor sites, usually at a very generous discount. Still a lot of time to order it for the October release, of course, and I’m sure we’ll see and hear a lot more about it before then. With that, DC’s FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS books and Marvel’s various books you might also need some of these.

Interesting set of books in the latest Marvel solicitations. The big one is obviously the second FF OMNIBUS, over 700 pages of Kirby, some of his best work ever, plus various special features (John Morrow mentioned on his blog that he’s writing a piece about “This Man, This Monster” for it).

AVENGERS CLASSIC begins an on-going reprint of the original AVENGERS comics, the first time Marvel’s done Kirby reprints in this format since X-MEN – THE EARLY YEARS in the mid-1990s (most of their comic magazine format reprints of Kirby material since then has been in the form of one-shots or back-up material to new comics). Not sure if the new material here will be a regular feature or just in the first issue, and I’m hoping that bit of nonsensical hype about the “re-mastering” just means it’ll be the more faithful to the original colouring that they use in the Masterworks line now.

ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE v2 and MARVEL MASTERWORKS – THE SUB-MARINER v2 are both just listed since they’ll have one Kirby reprint cover each (this and this, respectively).

FANTASTIC FOUR OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY

With all that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby accomplished in their first 30 issues of FANTASTIC FOUR, who would have thought they were just warming up? Well, True Believers, now it’s time to jump into the fire because the second 30 are where they really start to turn up the heat!
Their achievements reflect the boundless energy of two creators at the top of their game with each issue, character and creation building upon and exceeding the scope of the last. It’s a list of accomplishments unparalleled in the history of comics: the origin of Dr. Doom; the Frightful Four; the Wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm; the Inhumans; the first appearance of the Silver Surfer; the Galactus Saga; the debut of the world’s first black super hero, the Black Panther; the cosmic clash between the FF, the Surfer and Dr. Doom; and, of course, “This Man, This Monster!” – the story widely regarded as the greatest FF tale of all!

Collecting the greatest stories from the World’s Greatest Comics Magazine in one, massive collector’s edition that has been painstakingly restored and recolored from the sharpest material in the Marvel Archives. With critical essays on the Lee/Kirby collaboration and bonus features a-plenty, this book is nothing short of a cornerstone to the Marvel Universe!

Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #31-60 and ANNUAL #2-4.
832 PGS. $99.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2403-9

AVENGERS CLASSIC #1
Written by STAN LEE & DWAYNE MCDUFFIE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, MIKE OEMING & KEVIN MAGUIRE
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS

In the tradition of CLASSIC X-MEN, we’re re-presenting the original AVENGERS #1 digitally re-mastered with THX ™ surround sound and a brand spankin’ new cover by ARTHUR ADAMS! But that’s not all!!! We have not one, but TWO brand new short stories as well! DWAYNE McDUFFIE and painter MICHAEL AVON OEMING bring you a tale of the Avengers first tumultuous meeting and STAN “THE MAN” LEE (who started it all!) and artist extraordinaire KEVIN MAGUIRE bring you a compelling tale about how the Avengers REALLY formed!
Face it, this book is HOT!
48 PGS. $3.99
SPECIAL OVER-SIZED FIRST ISSUE!

ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 2 TPB
Written by MARV WOLFMAN, ROGER SLIFER, TOM DEFALCO, DAVID ANTHONY KRAFT, RALPH MACCHIO, JOHN BYRNE, PETER GILLIS, ALAN KUPPERBERG, BILL MANTLO, MARY JO DUFFY, STEVEN GRANT & JIM STARLIN
Penciled by RON WILSON, JOHN BUSCEMA, ERNIE CHAN, SAL BUSCEMA, BOB HALL, ALAN KUPPERBERG, CHIC STONE, FRANK MILLER & JIM CRAIG
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ

Cosmic calamities, espionage, black magic, time travel, alien gangsters and martial-arts madness: Benjamin J. Grimm can handle it all, but he won’t have to face it alone! Stars old and new shine when the thunderous Thing joins them against many of the most magnificent menaces the Marvel Universe can offer! Invasions, impersonations, assassinations and transformations! Plus: when heroes play poker! Guest-starring Captain America, Daredevil, Ms. Marvel, the Black Panther, Moon Knight, Spider-Woman and more! Collecting MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #26-52 and ANNUAL #2-3.

568 PGS. $16.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2758-5

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE SUB-MARINER VOL. 2 HC
Written by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS, ARCHIE GOODWIN & RAYMOND MARAIS
Penciled by BILL EVERETT, DAN ADKINS, GENE COLAN, JOHN BUSCEMA, MARIE SEVERIN & WERNER ROTH
Cover by JOHN BUSCEMA

After a five-year drought, it’s time for Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner to come ashore with a second spectacular Masterworks offering. One of Marvel’s oldest and most storied characters, the Sub-Mariner protects the undersea kingdom of Atlantis from the threats of the murky deep, and from those pesky pink-skinned land lubbers!

In this volume, you’ll be treated to the amazing illustration of Namor’s creator, Bill Everett, as he brings his unmatched ability to craft action and adventure in all things aquatic. You’ll also be graced by the first scripts of heir apparent to the scripting crown of Atlantis, Roy Thomas, as he builds the foundation for the Sub-Mariner’s leap into his very own solo series! With head-to-head battles with the Hulk, guest art by Gene Colan and the first of John Buscema’s classic run on the character, you’ll need an aqualung not to be drowned out by the majesty of this Masterworks!

Collecting TALES TO ASTONISH #88-101, IRON MAN & SUB-MARINER #1 and SUB-MARINER #1.
240 PGS. $54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2688-0

Still two months before the first book comes out, but it seems the lead time for solicitations gets longer every year, so here’s the info on the second FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS. At this rate you’ll be able to get a four volume full colour hardcover set of the Fourth World by this time next year (and no, I don’t know which cover mockup will actually be on which book either).

JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 2
Written by Jack Kirby; Art and Cover by Kirby and Mike Royer

Continuing the 4-book series collecting the work of Jack Kirby! DC collects four series — THE NEW GODS, THE FOREVER PEOPLE, MISTER MIRACLE and SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN — in chronological order as they originally appeared. These comics spanned galaxies, from the streets of Metropolis to the far-flung worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips, as cosmic-powered heroes and villains struggled for supremacy.

In this second volume, collecting NEW GODS #4-6 ,FOREVER PEOPLE #4-6, JIMMY OLSEN #141-145 and MISTER MIRACLE #4-6 , the evil Darkseid’s schemes continue to unfold while the New Gods, Forever People, Mr. Miracle and other heroes battle his many minions!

396pg. $49.99 US
On Sale August 22, 2007

Pure Imagination has THE COMPLETE KIRBY v5 back on the schedule. This was solicited back in 2005 but never came out. Hopefully this time it will. Lots of great stuff in this era. Note that this is labelled as “Volume 4” in some of the material I’ve seen from Diamond’s solicitations, but would actually be Volume 5.

THE COMPLETE JACK KIRBY VOLUME 5 TP
by Jack Kirby & Joe Simon
160 pages of art and story by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon from September and October of 1947. Amazing material includes: “My Date,” “The Flyin’ Fool,” “Lockjaw the Alligator,” crime stories, and the first issue of Young Romance. Foreword by Kirby historian Greg Theakston.
Softcover, 8×11, 160pgs, B&W $25.00

Since he’s going to be in a movie, the Surfer gets a big book. Mostly Buscema, of course, but Kirby’s there for #18, and if Marvel follows the precedent of their other recent Surfer reprints this book might include the Kirby Surfer solo story from FF ANNUAL #5.

A second FF OMNIBUS, including the original Surfer story and a whole lot more, will also be out this summer.

SILVER SURFER OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA with JACK KIRBY
Cover by JOHN BUSCEMA

Born by the hand of the world-devourer, Galactus, Norrin Radd sacrificed himself to save his home planet and his true love, Shalla-Bal, but the price of their lives was servitude to the mighty Galactus – as his herald, the Silver Surfer! Now, exiled upon Earth, he struggles to understand the beauty and humanity of mortal men, and nobly seeks to heal the rifts that separate man from his brothers. Created by the titanic team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the pages of FANTASTIC FOUR, the Silver Surfer went on to become one of the most-beloved characters in all comicdom. Embodying the mind-blowing concepts of Kirby and Stan’s socially conscious writing craft, the Surfer’s stories expressed their creative vision in staggering and unique tales. Another talent would touch the character, however, granting him a soul-wrenching humanity that helped define him to this very day: the one and only John Buscema! A master of the craft, Buscema’s Silver Surfer is considered by many to be the peak of comic-book art.

Now, the original adventures of the Silver Surfer are presented in one complete volume! Containing every story and letters page, restored and recolored to match the original issues, plus behind-the-scenes bonuses and critical essays, this book is the guaranteed way to get in on the character in the upcoming Fantastic Four film!
Collecting SILVER SURFER #1-18.
576 PGS. $74.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2752-6

Obviously more of a Ditko book, but the upcoming AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL 1 has some key covers by Kirby, another few of partial covers and three stories pencilled by Kirby and inked by Ditko (ASM #8 backup, FF ANNUAL #1 backup and STRANGE TALES ANNUAL #2 lead story). It’s also good to see a Spider-Man collection ending at the right place.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO
Penciled by STEVE DITKO with JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY & STEVE DITKO
Variant Painted Cover by ALEX ROSS

In 1962, in the pages of a comic book slated for cancellation, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko gave birth to one of the most-enduring icons in American popular media: the one and only Amazing Spider-Man! Turning the concept of a super hero on its head, they imbued the young, guilt-ridden Peter Parker with the fantastic powers of an arachnid and the fantastic pressures of an everyday teenager. The combination was pure magic.
During the course of 40 issues of web-slinging, wisecracking wonderment Lee and Ditko built the foundation for 45 years of Spidey spectaculars — girl trouble; bill trouble; bully trouble; the Daily Bugle; and a cast friends, family and, of course, super-villains unlike any other!
Completing the entire Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Spider-Man run in one massive volume —including every page, every pinup and every letters column. Not to mention unused covers, critical essays and bonuses galore!
We went back to the Mighty Marvel Archive to restore each and every page in this volume for painstaking accuracy to the originals. There’s no kidding — this collector’s edition is the guaranteed be-all, end-all book for the Spider-Man fan!
Collecting AMAZING FANTASY #15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1-38 and ANNUAL #1-2, STRANGE TALES ANNUAL #2, and FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1.
1088 PGS. $99.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2402-0

Coming up in the Spring of 2007 from TwoMorrows, after a slight delay, the next issue of the KIRBY COLLECTOR. Nice cover by Kirby and Austin, there. Also note at that link above that TwoMorrows has a sale on their in-stock items, which includes much of the best Kirby material published in the last decade, for the next few days.

THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #48

We get technical in this issue, spotlighting “Kirbytech”—Jack’s knack for creating high-tech gizmos, gadgets, and concepts, from Iron Man’s armor and Machine Man, to the Negative Zone and beyond! Included is a rare KIRBY interview, Mark EVANIER’s regular column, two pencil art galleries, a complete 1950s story, interviews with Godland’s Tom SCIOLI and Dark Horse publisher Mike RICHARDSON, the 2006 Kirby Tribute Panel (with Neal ADAMS, George PÉREZ, John ROMITA SR., Mike ROYER, and Kirby lawyer Paul LEVINE), Kirby covers inked by Terry AUSTIN and Tom SCIOLI, and more! Edited by John MORROW.

Minor pair of Kirby reprints in March of next year. The Sandman book is obviously because the character is in the next Spider-Man movie, and just has one Kirby FF. I believe the only Kirby in the USA COMICS collection is from the first issue, the cover and two interior pages.

SPIDER-MAN: SAGA OF THE SANDMAN TPB

Written by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS, TOM DEFALCO & KURT BUSIEK
Penciled by STEVE DITKO, JACK KIRBY, HERB TRIMPE, ROSS ANDRU, RON WILSON & PAT OLLIFFE
Cover by MARK BROOKS
It was no day at the beach when criminal Flint Marko was mutated into one of Marveldom’s most versatile villains and began a career of kicking sand in our favorite heroes’ faces! Some of the best battles between Sandman, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Hulk are collected here in commemoration of his gritty film debut! Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4 and #18-19, FANTASTIC FOUR #61, INCREDIBLE HULK #138, MARVEL TEAM-UP #1, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #86, and UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #3.
176 PGS. $19.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2497-7

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE USA COMICS VOL. 1

By JACK KIRBY, JOE SIMON, CHARLES NICHOLAS, AL AVISON, PHIL STURM, SYD SHORES, STAN LEE, BASIL WOLVERTON, MIKE ROY, FRANK GIACOIA, AL EADEH, ED WINIARSKI, GEORGE KLEIN, MIKE SEKOWSKY & AL GABRIELE
Cover by JACK KIRBY & JOE SIMON
Marvel proudly presents more Golden Age goodness, collecting issues #1-4 of USA COMICS from 1941. The Defender! Major Liberty! Rockman! Rusty! The original Young Avenger! The origins of the Whizzer, Jack Frost and the Vagabond! Captain Terror turns back a deadly Nazi undersea invasion! Stan “The Man” himself chronicles the historic first meeting of the USA heroes! This hardcover collection remasters and restores these early adventures, some reprinted for the very first time!
280 PGS./Rated A …$59.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2478-0

DC’s officially announced the first of what I think will be four volumes collecting the Fourth World books in order and in colour. And it looks like they’re coming in at a surprisingly low price of just $50 for almost 400 pages each. Looks very promising.

But Omnibus sounds like something the Hairies would drive around in.

JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 1

Written by Jack Kirby; Art and cover by Kirby and Vince Colletta

After co-creating a number of legendary comic book heroes — including The Fantastic Four and The Hulk — legendary writer/artist Jack Kirby came to DC Comics in 1970 to create his magnum opus: four interlocked adventure series that were known collectively as “The Fourth World.”

Now, for the first time, DC collects Kirby’s four series — THE NEW GODS, THE FOREVER PEOPLE, MISTER MIRACLE and SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN — in chronological order as they originally appeared. These comics spanned galaxies, from the streets of Metropolis to the far-flung worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips, as cosmic-powered heroes and villains struggled for supremacy.

THE FOURTH WORLD VOL. 1 features the debuts of Orion of the New Gods, the evil Darkseid, super-escape artist Mister Miracle and many others, and features numerous appearances by Superman, from the pages of SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN #133-139, FOREVER PEOPLE #1-3, NEW GODS #1-3 and MISTER MIRACLE #1-3!

DC Universe 396pg. Colour $49.99 US
On Sale May 30, 2007