Wednesday 22 January 2020

Marvel Epic Collections and the MCU

I've been looking at the upcoming MCU films and thinking how they might effect The Epic Collections. Marvel does like a nice tie in and if the Epics can schedule an appropriate volume around then, all well and good. Frequently there's two bites of the cherry, one for the film release, one for the home media release.

Cases in point: The two Ms Marvel volumes, the timing of the ASM Venom volume, The Two Black Widow volumes and the two New Mutants volumes this year, Renewal's reprint is just before the film and Cable's release is probably around about the DVD release.

So using the information half inched from Wikipedia's Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four page and it's Live-action theatrical films based on Marvel Comics links I've come up with this list. The first three cover the period where we know what books are coming out:

New Mutants
April 3, 2020

Black Widow
May 1, 2020

Morbius
July 31st 2020

Interestingly no Epic to tie in with Morbius - his first appearance will be in ASM Epic 6 (86-104) and we've had two ASM Epics early this year - but I can see a nice big Omnibus on the runway. Future films are:
Venom 2
October 2, 2020

The Eternals
November 6, 2020

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
February 12, 2021

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
May 7, 2021

Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel
July 16, 2021

Thor: Love and Thunder
November 5, 2021

And I think these might hint at some stuff to come, possibly at some vague shapes for the 2021 schedules and possibly explain some books which have moved round the schedules recently.

So here's a little speculation:

Venom 2 - October 2, 2020

As I said, we've had TWO ASM Epics alredy this year. I think the Venom 2 Movie might trigger some reprints. I'd say ASM 18 Venom (295-310, Annual 22) to solve the QC issues but that's still in print. Quite a few appearances in the next few volumes though, several of which are currently OOP.

The Eternals - November 6, 2020

The obvious prediction to make here would be for an Eternals Epic Collection 1, but that would need the Kirby Eternals series, which is getting a printing as a Complete Collection in July. I A) think that's a bit soon for it to be getting another print in another format and B) can't see much (any?) Epic material that's also been in a complete collection.

But there's something else they could do and that's an Epic with the Thor Eternals saga in. That'd be Thor Epic 10 containing something like #279-302 and Annual #7-8, Marvel Treasury Edition #24, 26.

The last half of the issues that would be in Thor Epic 10 are about (29th January) to be reprinted in Thor Masterworks 19. Usually I'd be tempted to say straight away that that would take them off the Epics schedule for a bit but here I'm not so sure. Thor Masterworks normally appear in the Autumn - the last 3 have, and indeed Thor MMW 18 only came out 18th September 2019 so that's a very small gap between volumes. They'd be good thing to have out opposite the Eternals Film, so what's it doing pulled forward, out of the MMW's usual release area and away from when it would benefit from the film? The only conclusion I can come to is that Thor Epic 10 is on the runway for about when The Eternals is due to hit the cinema or early 2021 when the home release is due.

That might also make some sense of there being just one Thor Epic, a later one, in 2019 and the earlier volume shifting to a spring release slot.

There's just one Epic 10 already, and that's Iron Man's. Be interesting to see if Thor 10 counts as an earlier or later Epic.

Of course if Thor 10 *did* come out early 2021 that would bump the expected release of Thor 7, which is the next of the earlier releases in order and would contain 217 to something like 240. Now I want that volume as it would contain 234-236, the earliest Thor issues I read. But maybe that volume getting bumped back a bit wouldn't be a bad thing.....

So while I'm not 100% sure where, I do think it's pretty likely Thor Epic 10 will be coming out to tie in with either the cinema or home media release of The Eternals

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - February 12, 2021

Easier one this. Master Of Kung Fu got bumped out of it's usual summer position this year. I expect we'll see Epic 3 late in 2020 so it's on the shelves for the film's release and Epic 4 c April-June to tie in with the Home Media release.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - May 7, 2021

Much earlier Doctor Strange release for 2021 late April early May, which might mean no late 2020 Doctor Strange Epic this year..... But might also mean possibly a second 2021 Doctor Strange Epic to tie in with the home media release.

Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel - July 16, 2021

Amazing Spider-Man's Epics are early this year, next year they might be middle of the year. ASM is popular anyway with 2 Epics a year so this Movie might be an ideal point to launch one of the other Spider-Man Epics, probably Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Thor: Love and Thunder - November 5, 2021

There's usually a late year Thor Epic or 2, but that changed this last year with just a later Thor at the end of the year and an earlier one in the Spring. Above we speculated that Thor Epic 10 might be in the pipeline in connection with Eternals bumping Thor Epic 7..... what if Thor Epic 7 gets bumped to here? There's a major Jane Foster plotline in the 230s issues and Jane Foster supposedly has a big role in the new Thor film.

So....

Late 2020/Early 2021 Thor Epic 10 to tie in with The Eternals Movie

Late 2020 MOKF Epic 3 to tie in with Shang-Chi's Cinema Release

Early 2021 MOKF Epic 4 to tie in with Shang-Chi's Home Media Release

cApril 2021 Doctor Strange Epic ?? to tie in with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Cinema Release

?? cSept 2021 Doctor Strange Epic ?? to tie in with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Home Media Release

June/July 2021/late 2021 2 ASM Epics and Peter Parker Epic 1 to tie i with the Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel releases

November 2021 Thor Epic 7 to tie in with the Thor: Love and Thunder Cinema Release

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