This is one of those trades that's special beyond the contents.
Firstly it's a return for the PMIF Epics after a 3 year absence: PMIF 2 was in October 2016 and the lack of volumes since made me think Marvel had bailed on the series, just like they did on the Essentials 1 volume shy of completing the run.
Secondly, like Defenders Epic 8 The New Defenders, it takes us past the point Essentials had reprinted: Essential PMIF 3 got to issue 100, Epic 3 contains 90-107, the equivalent to 19 x 22 pages issues because 100 is double sized. All these issues are reprinted in colour for the first time and ll are new to Comixoloy with this book's release.
Thirdly gets more personal: 100 was the first issue of the series I read. I'd read the Rom story featuring them when it was reprinted in Star Wars UK and had encountered Power Man in an issue of Rampage Monthly that reprinted part of the Defenders annual he was is. So when my Father brought us some comics home from work I in late 1983 I pounced on the PMIF. To this day I think PMIF 100 is something special telling an anniversary story that recounts both characters origins, features most of their sizeable supporting cast and tells a decent story complete in one issue without you needing to have read anything else. Of course in more recent years I have read the lengthy run in to 100, from about 95 onwards, and that only adds to the story.
We received a few issues after that too: 102, with it's special guest stars, 103 & 106 in this volume are VERY familiar to me as are 108, with Luke Cage's guide to eating Pizza, and 116-117. 125 was a later acquisition from a comic shop, late 80s, so I could find out how the run ended and the rest of the run - certainly 90 onwards plus the Rom guest appearance in 73 - was acquired in 2006 when I gave up work.
It's not all as good as issue 100, and the next volume distinctly won't be as Jim Owsley takes over writing and never quite gets the right handle on the title. I'd question calling Epic 3 Doombringer, a 2 part story in 103-104, and their choice of cover 95 does leave something to be desired, though does feature the Power Crystal of Quon which plays a major role. To my mind Ernie Chan's Painted work for 100 is far far superior but I understand that the fact it's painted might make it harder to touch up for a modern cover and, indeed, it may not be available at all!
