2021 Epics: January - August Releases

I've not written anything about 2021's Epic Collection releases and we have known the Early (Jan-Apr) and Mid Year (May-Aug) releases for a while. Indeed if things go to their usual timetable we may hear about the Late Year (Sep-Dec) shortly. So I'd best get a move on and talk about what's coming out (and in some cases out already!)

Avengers West Coast Epic 4 Vision Quest
Diamond 23 Dec 2020 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP200745
Hachette 05 Jan 2021
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302927426
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302927426

CONTENTS:

West Coast Avengers (1985) #38-46 And Annual #3
Avengers West Coast #47-52 And Annual #4
Material From: Avengers Spotlight #23.

While *TECHNICALLY* a 2020 book, going by it's Diamond release date, it's release via Hachette is in 2021. Avengers West Coast Epic 3 came out in the Autumn of 2020, this is released so soon after to tie in with the Visionquest TV series. Originally scheduled for November 2020, this book was pushed back a couple of times. This is one of the books from September to November 2020 which is missing a Hachette entry which should have been at https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302927424

Incredible Hulk Epic 5 Who Will Judge The Hulk?
Diamond 06 Jan 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT200717
Hachette 19 Jan 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302922061/
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302922068
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302922068

COLLECTS:

Incredible Hulk (1968) 138-156
Avengers (1963) 88

Carried over from 2020, where it was originally scheduled for November/December, it was first down as March and then got brought forward to Jan.

Conan Chronicles Epic 6 Song of Belit
Diamond 20 Jan 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT200718
Hachette 02 Feb 2021
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302923285
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302923285

COLLECTS:

Conan The Barbarian (2012) 7-25

Carried over from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for November. This is one of the books from September to November 2020 which is missing a Hachette entry which should have been at https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302923280.

Doctor Strange Epic 4 Alone Against Eternity
Diamond 27 Jan 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV200644
Hachette 09 Feb 2021
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302921991
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302921991

COLLECTS:

Doctor Strange (1974) 6-28, Annual (1977) 1
Tomb Of Dracula (1972) 44
Giant-Size Doctor Strange (1975) 1 (Cover Only)

Carried over from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for October. This is one of the books from September to November 2020 which is missing a Hachette entry which should have been at https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302921996. It's inclusion in 2021 made me think we wouldn't get another Doctor Strange Epic..... I got a bit of a shock when the Near Mint Condition Summer 2021 Epics YouTube Video was released! More on that in a bit.....

Luke Cage Epic 1 Retribution
Diamond 03 Feb 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV200642
Hachette 16 Feb 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302928315/
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302928317
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302928317

COLLECTS:

Hero for Hire (1972) 1-16
Power Man (1974) 17-23

First 2021 New Epic & First 2021 New Epic Title. Not a huge surprise as we were expecting Luke Cage Epics to go alongside the Iron Fist solo Epic and give the complete run of Power-Man/Iron Fist.

The main question when the title was announced was how many Epics would this be and that answer was dependant on if they published just the Hero For Hire/Power-Man issues or went All In with Luke's many guest appearances at around this time. Epic 1 is straight package the issues from the title with no crossovers so I think we expect Epic 2 to be the same: If they were going "all in" they'd have needed some crossovers in Epic 1 to stretch this to 3 books. Like the Iron Fist Epic we expect Epic 2 to finish just before the titles' stories come together in Power Man 48 so it should contain Power-Man 24-35, 37-47 and Annual 1 - the missing issue 36 is a reprint of Hero for Hire 12.

Morbius Epic 1 The Living Vampire
Diamond 10 Feb 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV200643
Hachette 23 Feb 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302928353/
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/130292835X
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/130292835X

COLLECTS:

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 101-102
Marvel Team-Up (1972) 3-4
Fear (1970) 20-26
Giant-Size Super-Heroes (1974) 1
Material From:

Vampire Tales (1973) 1-8
Giant-Size Werewolf by Night (1974) 4

Second 2021 New Epic, Second 2021 New Epic Title. This year's tie in Epic series to support the film. Like Black Widow in 2020 and Ms Marvel in 2019 this looks 2 books and, like Black Widow again this looks like another slice the Omnibus in two job. We Got Morbius Epic 2 announced at the same time, without the contents but it was easy to make a guess on this basis and it was all but spot on. Unfortunately the Chaos Bug has once again put a Marvel movie back so it remains to be seen if this volume and it's sequel hold their place in the schedule.

X-Men Epic 7 The Fate Of The Phoenix
Diamond 03 Mar 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC200672
Hachette 16 Mar 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302922535/
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/130292253X
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/130292253X

COLLECTS:

X-Men (1963) 129-143, Annual (1970) 4
Marvel Treasury Edition (1974) 26-27
Phoenix: The Untold Story (1984)
Material From:

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 100

Third 2021 New Epic, though we knew it was coming. In fact we'd known about to since 30th Jan 2020 when it was announced on Near Mint Condition's 11 New Marvel Epic Collections in 2020! YouTube Video. Now thanks to the difference in date between Marvel's two book suppliers, Diamond, for comic shops, and Hachette, for book shops, we were lacking a date for this - we guessed it was due Comic Shops either 23rd or 30th of December 2020 through Diamond which would have been bookshops on either 5th or 12th January 2021. In each set of book announcements that Near Mint Condition get there's usually one or two books that sit like this so that when we get the Hachette info, which is 6-9 months in advance, there's a book left off the list of titles which we've already got. It happened with FF5 and Black Widow 2, and it looks like there's a book on Near Mint Condition's Summer 2021 Epics YouTube Video that also meets that criteria. I had a go at guessing the contents here and got the issues dead on: 129-143, Annual 4 completing the Byrne run. I got the extras VERY wrong though.

So we now know Epic 8 starts with 144, the Cyclops/Dspayre issue. It will almost certainly run to 153, and include annual 5. An event in issue 154 dictates that certain crossovers sold c the 150s need to be before 154 so that will nicely fill up Epic, and probably start Epic 9. The question is what.....

Here are the options as I see them:

* Spider-Woman 37 & 38 (UXM 144 & 146 - first Siryn and leads into 147)

* Bizarre Adventures 27 (UXM 147)

* Avengers Annual 10 (UXM 151 - Carol Danvers arrives at the mansion)

* Marvel Fanfare 1-4 (UXM 155-161 but prior to UXM 154)

* Marvel Team Up 117 (Wolverine) & 118 (Professor-X) (UXM 157-158 but prior to UXM 154)

* What If 27 (Phoenix had lived? UXM 147) & What If 31 (Wolverine Had Killed the Hulk? UXM 154)

The X-Men issues are about 13 issues worth so I think we're looking at 7-8 extra issues worth in Epic 8 and possibly another two in Epic 9 but. Epics haven't gone big on What If so I think they're out.

X-Men is the first Epic title to SEVEN consecutive Epics and thus the first to have a 7 Epic run at the start. It first to a six run was Amazing Spider-Man with Epics 17-22 when Epic 19 Assassin Nation was released.

Black Panther Epic 3 Panther's Prey
Diamond 10 Mar 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/OCT200716
Hachette 23 Mar 2021
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302921983
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302921983

COLLECTS:

Black Panther: Panther's Prey (1991) 1-4
Material From:

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) 13-37, 148
Solo Avengers (1987) 19
Marvel Super Heroes (1990) 1
Marvel Fanfare (1982) 60
Fantastic Four Unlimited (1993) 1

Carried over from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for September. This is one of the books from September to November 2020 which is missing a Hachette entry which should have been at https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302921989,

Star Wars Legends: The New Republic Epic 5
Diamond 10 Mar 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC200673
Hachette 23 Mar 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302926984/
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302926985
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302926985

COLLECTS:

Star Wars: Dark Empire (1991) 1-6
Star Wars: Dark Empire Ii (1994) 1-6
Star Wars: Empire's End (1995) 1-2
Star Wars Handbook (1998) 1, 3
Material From:

Star Wars Tales (1999) 8, 11, 16-17

Carried over from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for December. It has danced around 2021's schedule a bit!

New Republic missed a Year in 2019 which was a little odd as at that point they had the most Star Wars Epics left to go (roughly, and the chronology may move things about a bit, a Crimson Empire Epic, a Boba Fett & other stuff Epic and an Invasion Epic). I am wondering if this originally got bumped from 2019 to stop the Dark Empire Cloned Emperor material within from being available opposite Rise of the Skywalker's Cloned Emperor at the Cinema?

Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic 2 Hawks from the Sea
Diamond 10 Mar 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC200674
Hachette 23 Mar 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302926557/
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302926551
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302926551

COLLECTS:

Conan the Barbarian (1970) 14-26

Carried over from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for December.

The Sub Mariner Epic 1 Enter the Sub-Mariner
Diamond 24 Mar 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JAN210744
Hachette 06 Apr 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302928360/
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302928368
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302928368

COLLECTS:

Fantastic Four (1961) 4, 6, 9, 14, 27, 33
Fantastic Four Annual (1963) 1
Strange Tales (1951) 107, 125
Avengers (1963) 3-4
X-Men (1963) 6
Daredevil (1964) 7, Tales to Astonish (1959) 70-76

Fourth 2021 New Epic, Third 2021 New Epic Title - I didn't expect any this year! 74 issues plus 2 reprint annuals. The question is do the Epics also include the 1984 limited series or Super Villain Team Up? Nigh on impossible to map beyond the 74 issue series till we get some later volumes.

X-Factor Epic 3 The Angel of Death
Diamond 07 Apr 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/NOV200641
Hachette 20 Apr 2021
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302927108
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302927108

COLLECTS:

X-Factor (1986) 21-36, X-Factor Annual (1986) 3
Power Pack (1984) 35

Carried over from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for November. This is one of the books from September to November 2020 which is missing a Hachette entry which should have been at https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302927103. This skipped back from where X-Factor was having just crossed into 100s - we expected Epic 9 next - and was a little odd that it created a one volume gap between Epic 1 and it. A later 2021 release though does make me think there might be a reason for this release.

Morbius Epic 2 The End of a Living Vampire
Diamond 12 May 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/FEB210696
Hachette 25 May 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302928346
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302928341
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302928341

COLLECTS:

Fear (1970) 27-31
Marvel Premiere (1972) 28
Marvel Two-In-One (1974) 15
Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) 6-8, 38
Savage She-Hulk (1980) 9-12
Material From:

Vampire Tales (1973) 9-11, Annual (1975) 1
Marvel Preview (1975) 8

Second of the Morbius "Split the Omnibus" Epics. We're into May now but we got this title with the first Morbius volume in Near Mint Condition's New Marvel Epic Collections & Reprints in 2021! YouTube video.

Thor Epic 20 The Final Gauntlet
Diamond 12 May 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/FEB210698
Hachette 25 May 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930882
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930885
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930885

COLLECTS:

Thor (1966) 451-467
Thor Corps (1993) 1-4

We're into the Summer 2021 Epics revealed in Near Mint Condition's YouTube Video but we got advance notice on this one when it's Amazon listing was found - been a long while since Amazon was out first source on an Epic! M'learned colleague Matt on the Epic Collection Speculation, Discussion, Admiration and Obsession Facebook group had a go at mapping the later Thors in Feb 2020 and got 19 & 20 spot on. He reckons the last two are

Thor Epic #21 “Blood and Thunder”

Thor #468 – 471
Silver Surfer #86 – 88
Warlock Chronicles #6 – 8
Warlock & Infinity Watch #23 – 25
Thor Annual #18 - 19

The issues from other titles are part of the Blood and Thunder event which should also be in Silver Surfer Epic 10.

Thor Epic #22 “Long Day’s Journey Into Mystery”

Thor 472 - 490

Avengers Epic 6 A Traitor Stalks Among Us
Diamond 19 May 2021 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/FEB210694
Hachette 01 Jun 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302929114
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302929119
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302929119

COLLECTS:

Avengers (1963) 98-114
Daredevil (1964) 99

One of Avengers two One Epic Gaps filled - RESULT. Apart from that statistical highlight I'm struggling to get excited about this volume, it's just below the point where Avengers starts to grab me.

The other One Epic Gap for Avengers is Epic 8 - 129-148 (possibly minus Avengers 136, which is a reprint of Amazing Adventures #12) plus Giant Size 2-4 - which I assume is on the runway for 2022. This will be two older trades off the shelf plus some material between the two that was never reprinted in colour paperback.

Since Avengers Epic 7 The Avengers/Defenders War has been out for several years, Avengers also gets to a Seven Epic Run and a Seven Epic Run at the start, like X-Men above.

Star Wars Legends: Old Republic Epic 4
Diamond 26 May 2021
Hachette 08 Jun 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930875
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930877
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930877

COLLECTS:

Star Wars: The Old Republic (2010) 1-6
Star Wars: The Old Republic - The Lost Suns (2011) 1-5
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith - Spiral (2012) 1-5
Material From:

Star Wars Tales (1999) 17
Star Wars Visionaries (2005)

We think there's one more Old Republic Epic to go:

Star Wars:Knight Errant - Aflame 1-5
Star Wars:Knight Errant – Deluge 1-5
Star Wars:Knight Errant – Escape 1-5
Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith 1-5

Punisher Epic 4 Return to Big Nothing
Diamond 02 Jun 2021
Hachette 15 Jun 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930851
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930850
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930850

COLLECTS:

Punisher (1987) 26-34, Punisher Annual (1988) 3
Classic Punisher (1989) 1
Epic Graphic Novel: Punisher - Return to Big Nothing (1989)
Marvel Graphic Novel: Punisher - Intruder (1989)
Punisher: Kingdom Gone (1990)

One of Punisher's One Epic Gaps filled - the others are Epic 1 - Amazing Spiderman 129, 134-135, 161-162,174-175, 201-202 and Annual 15, Giant Size Spiderman 4, Marvel Preview 2, Marvel Super Action 1, Captain America 241, Daredevil 182-184 and Spectacular Spiderman 81-83 - and Epic 6 49-62, Annual 5 plus who knows what else! We knew the issues of Punisher itself in this, obvious when you have the volumes either side of it, but the precise contents were up for debate especially in light of thPunisher Return to Big Nothing TPB from 2019 which collected the Epic Graphic Novel: Punisher - Return To Big Nothing, Marvel Graphic Novel: Punisher - Assassin's Guild And Marvel Graphic Novel: Punisher - Intruder. I already has Assassin's Guild in Punisher Epic 2 Circle of Blood but didn't know the others were coming, especially the Epic Graphic novel. That in itself is good news for Silver Surfer fans hoping Parable will be included in Surfer Epic 4.

Generation X Epic 1 Back to School
Diamond 16 Jun 2021
Hachette 29 Jun 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930769
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930761
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930761

COLLECTS:

Uncanny X-Men (1981) 316-318
X-Men (1991) 36-37
Generation X (1994) 1-9
Wolverine (1988) 94
Generation X Collectors' Preview (1994) 1
Generation X Ashcan Edition (1994) 1

FOURTH new Epic Title of 2021. And there's power to add yet. Last time I predict no new Epics, especially as we know Spectacular and Web Of Spider-Man are both in the works!

Generations X had an aborted Classics line:

Generation-X Classic 1

Uncanny X-Men #316-318Generation X #1-4
Generation X Ashcan Edition
Material From Generation X Collector's Preview.

Generation-X Classic 2

Generation X #5-11 And Annual '95
Generation X San Diego Preview.

This is the latest starting Epic Collection so far. The previous record holder was X-Force, whose first issue was cover dates August 1991, same month as FF 355 and Uncanny X-Men 279. Generation-X 1 is cover dated November 1994, same month as FF 394 and Uncanny X-Men 318.

Generation X is 75 issues, 5 annuals, and two oddly numbered issues. Generally it keeps itself contained so I think that looks like another 4 Epics, 5 in total.

Wolverine Epic 3 Blood & Claws
Diamond 07 Jul 2021
Hachette 20 Jul 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930899
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930893
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930893

COLLECTS:

Wolverine (1988) 31-44
Wolverine: Bloodlust (1990) 1
Wolverine: Bloody Choices (1991) 1

Wolverine's Epics do jump about a bit but a mid volume last year indicated either Early or Late this year and the Hama run is very popular so no surprise whatsoever to see this.

Here's what we KNOW is in volumes 4 & 5 from the main title:

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4083&page=gallery

45-46 continued from 38-43
47, coda to above
48-50 Shiva Scenario

51-53 Crunch Conundrum, continued in 55
54 stand alone, fill in
55-57, continues from 51-53, continued in 60
58-59
60 end of 51-53, 55-57
61-64 one story
65 coda to above
66-68 Epsilon Red

24 issues between 2 epics, 50 is double sized. 25 issues so needing another 15 issues worth of material.

I think Weapon-X is An obvious candidate, practically a given

Marvel Comics Presents 72-84 http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4743&page=gallery (same months as Wolverine 37-Wolverine 45) 12 lots of 8, 1 of 24. 120 pages plus 13 covers, about 6 issues.

That would NEED to be pre 50, and 50 does rely on it so almost certainly in Epic 4

45-50 is 6 issues, effectively 7 since 50 is double sized. Add Weapon-X on and you get 13 issues.

Another likely candidate is the Marvel Comics Presents Cyber story:

MCP 85-92 (same months as Wolverine 46-49) 8 lots 8 + covers, about 3 issues.

Given the character's later appearances in the main title, in stories reprinted in Epic 8 The Dying Game, I'd expect the setup to be included too. Wolverine is wearing his brown costume (The best one!) so this is also pre 50 and almost certainly in Epic 4.

W: Rhane of Terror (same months as W 43/44) - it's Sequel Knight of Terra is in Epic 8 Dying Game - 64 pages 3 issues, Epic 4 to 19 issues.

That's Epic 4 all but there.

That leaves 18 issues for Epic 5..... add in Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Hearts of Darkness (same month as W 49) 47 pages just over 2 issues http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/comic.php?comicid=65351 boom, sorted.

Captain America Epic 14 The Captain
Diamond 14 Jul 2021
Hachette 27 Jul 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930707
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930702
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930702

COLLECTS:

Captain America (1968) 333-350
Iron Man (1968) 228

There was a trade issued of Captain America: The Captain in 2011, containing Captain America #332-350 & Iron Man #228. When the Epics started in 2013 the remit was for priority to unreprinted material so this volume was skirted around with the previous two trades, up to 332 the first issue in the old The Captain Book, and the next four, from 351 to 410 released. In fact they've been so consistent releasing that period of Cap I was confidently expecting Captain America 19 with 411 onwards in it.

The release of this volume gives Cap a Seven Epic run from 12 to 18 drawing it level with X-Men and Avengers. It's the first 7 Epic run not involving Epic 1 or indeed any single numbered Epic. If Captain America 11 - 286-301, annual 7 and probably Falcon 1-4 - gets released it will give Cap a TEN Epic run.

Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic 3 The Curse of the Golden Skull
Diamond 21 Jul 2021
Hachette 03 Aug 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302929565
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302929569
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302929569

COLLECTS:

Conan the Barbarian (1970) 27-42
Material From:

Annual (1973) 1

Each of the Conan Epics seems to get the next volume in order, one per Hachette release period of four months - Jan-Apr, May-Aug & Sep-Dec, three per year. Looks a bit thin but they all have so far. The title was originally planned as Complete Collections I wonder if they'll ever switch to a more Epic length 20 x 22 page issues?

New Mutants Epic 5 Sudden Death
Diamond 21 Jul 2021
Hachette 03 Aug 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930844
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930842
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930842

COLLECTS:

New Mutants (1983) 55-70
New Mutants Annual (1984) 4

Another surprise. Not that there is a New Mutants Epic, more which one is chosen. Up till now there's been a distinct pattern to the New Mutants releases:

2017 1 Renewal
2018 6 Curse of the Valkyries
2019 2 Demon Bear
2020 7 Cable

So I was expecting Epic 3, 32 onwards this year!

The contents here are everything New Mutants between the end of the New Mutants Classics trades and the start of New Mutants Epic 6. New Mutants 55-61 have been printed in paperback before in X-Men Fall of the Mutants v1 but the only way to get New Mutants 62-70 and Annual 4 was in the hardback Inferno Prologue Omnibus.

This is the second X-Book Epic this year to reprint Fall of the Mutants material: do they go for the hat-trick and print and X-Men volume with theirs? X-Men's issues in Fall of the Mutants were 224-226 which I think is in Epic 20: Uncanny X-Men 220-238, Incredible Hulk 340.

Doctor Strange Epic 9 Vampiric Verses
Diamond 28 Jul 2021
Hachette 10 Aug 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930745
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930745
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930745

COLLECTS:

Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (1988) 14-33
Ghost Rider (1990) 12

Probably the biggest shock for me from the Near Mint Condition Summer 2021 Epics YouTube Video was the news this volume was coming. Doctor Strange has steadily been 1 Epic per year and Epic 4 Alone Against Eternity being carried forward into 2021. I was so convinced that was that for Doctor Strange this year that when I predicted the 2021 Epics I didn't bother predicting another 2021 Doctor Strange Epic. Doctor Strange does tend to jump around all over the place making it harder to predict but given the previous Epic was an earlier one, and the later Stern Doctor Strange is off the grid, thanks to Masterworks printing the material, I would have probably predicted this book

There's a couple of reasons why there might be a second Doctor Strange Epic this year. Many Epics had 7 volumes left to go: Doctor Strange had 8 as does Silver Surfer and Wolverine has 9. IF Marvel are looking to finish the Epic range at around the same time, and we think they might be as the number 7 keeps popping up, then Doctor Strange would need a 2 book year. Choosing it for 2021 when we're a bit squeezed for space is a little odd. It could be that in the early stages of planning a Doctor Strange Epic was put on the schedules for the summer to tie in with the original planned release date for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

So here's how the later part of the Doctor Strange Epics stand, covering the beginning and end of Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme.

8 Triumph and Torment 1-13
9 The Vampire Verses 14-33

13 Afterlife 76-90

So Epics 10-12 contain issues 34-75 which isn't very much for two Epics. The 3 annuals, the first of which is part of Return of The Defenders, and issues 60-61, which are part of The Siege of Darkness Event, should take of that.

Star Wars Legends: Original Marvel Years Epic 5
Diamond 28 Jul 2021
Hachette 10 Aug 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302929893
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302929895
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302929895

COLLECTS:

Star Wars (1977) 74-88
Star Wars Annual (1979) 3
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) 1-4

Expected, no Star Wars Legends: Original Marvel Years Epic in 2020. I was bang on the money with my prediction for the contents, which is a lot easier to do when there's just 2 Epics to go in the series.

The final Epic, number 6, for Marvel's original Star Wars Title will be 89-107 but may also include the recent tribute issue Star Wars 108: Forever Crimson

Amazing Spider-Man Epic 26 Lifetheft
Diamond 04 Aug 2021
Hachette 17 Aug 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930691
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930699
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930699

COLLECTS:

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 381-393
Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964) 28
Spider-Man (1990) 45
Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) 211
Web of Spider-Man (1985) 112
Amazing Spider-Man Ashcan Edition (1994) 1

Epic 25 Maximum Carnage was last year, designed we suspect to tie in with the trade paperback release of the Absolute Carnage event. This will be the last ASM Epic beforecollected previously in full but is now long out of print.

Amazing Spider-Man has TWO one epic gaps, 6: 86-104 and 16: 273-288, which are very much awaited by fans. It did feel like we were being trolled a little when the other Epic with a number ending in a 6 was released!

Iron Man Epic 20 In The Hands of Evil
Diamond 11 Aug 2021
Hachette 24 Aug 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930776
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/130293077X
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/130293077X

COLLECTS:

Iron Man (1968) 310-318
War Machine (1994) 8-10
Force Works (1994) 6-7
Iron Man/Force Works Collectors' Preview (1994) 1,Material From:

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) 169-172

The announcement of Iron Man Epic 20 was an unexpected jump ahead from 17 War Machine but looking at how the later Iron Man Epics have behaved maybe it shouldn't have been:

2014 16 War Games 258-277
2015 13 Stark Wars 215-232 ,annual 9
2016 11 Duel of Iron 178-195 ,annuals 6-7
2017
2018 15 Doom 245-257 ,annuals 10-11
2019 14 Return of the Ghost 233-244
2020 17 War Machine 278-289 ,annuals 12-13

LOTS of jumping about there and the issues here contain a major Mandarin story so maybe this was chosen to tie in with the Shang-Chi film?

Let's look at the gaps between Epics 17 and 20:

17 War Machine 278-289, annuals 12-13

18 290-???, annual 14 between 294 & 295

19 ???-309, annual 15 between 305 & 306

20 In The Hands of Evil 310-318

290 is 30 pages
300 is 50 pages

301-306 are Crash and Burn.

That means 300 LOOKS a good point to break but they'd be really short volumes

So.... WHAT else is going in there?

The contents of this volume has also mucked about with my mapping of the remaining Iron Man Epics. The original volume of Iron Man is 332 issues. My previous go at doing Iron Man had Epic 19 finishing 319, so I now think Iron Man will run to 22 Epics as

21: 319-324, Avengers 390-394, Avengers: The Crossing, Force Works #16-19 & War Machine #20-22

22: 325-332, Avengers 395-396, Force Works #20, War Machine #23, Avengers: Timeslide & Age of Innocence - The Rebirth of Iron Man, Captain America 449 Thor #496, Iron Man: The Legend

The Crossing will, I'm sure, see print in full in The Avengers, which seems to be the go to "all of the crossover" book but I know it's big for Iron Man so can't decide if it all see print there too......

Now you might, MIGHT, be able to get 21-22 there down to ONE volume by cutting The Crossing crossovers so

21: 319-332, Age of Innocence - The Rebirth of Iron Man, Avengers 396, Captain America 449 Thor #496, Iron Man: The Legend

I've bought First Sign twice already and am convinced it'll have two more airings.

Fantastic Four Epic 7 Battle of the Behemoths
Diamond
Hachette
Amazon.com Link:
Amazon.co.uk Link:

COLLECTS:

Fantastic Four #105-125
Annual #8-9 (Covers only)

This was a bit of a surprise after 2 earlier FF Epics last year. In fact this is the fourth earlier FF Epic on the trot with there not being a newer on since June 2019:

153 Fantastic Four 18 The More Things Change... 05 June 2019
161 Fantastic Four 4 The Mystery Of The Black Panther 03 September 2019
185 Fantastic Four 5 The Name Is Doom 07 July 2020
199 Fantastic Four 6 At War With Atlantis 10 November 2020

A newer Fantastic Four Epic, probably Epic 20 which follows the last released Epic and is a One Epic Gap is overdue. That'll be 321-333 and annual 22 - we know that from the end of 19 The More Things Change... and the start of 20 Into The Timestream. It's a little shy of the 20 x 22 page issues that Epics normally are so I suggest Avengers 299-303, Read & Sue's tenure on the team which are the same months as FF 322-326, is a likely inclusion.

Epic 7: 125 is a good place to stop this volume as it's the last issue Stan Lee wrote. The highlight for me in this volume s the return visit of Galactus, featuring the Air-Walker, from FF 120-123 which I read some of in the early 80s UK FF comic.

What I'm really looking forward to though is the next volume which will contain FF 136, the first FF story I ever read in 70s Marvel UK Complete FF comic, and FF 142-144, which I read in the Marvel UK Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. Issue 126 is 20 pages, down to 19 by the aforementioned 144 so I'm guessing about 22-23 issues in Epic 8. No annuals, they're reprints at this stage, but we might just slip the 24 page Giant Size Superstars 1 (effectively Giant Size FF 1) in this volume as it's the same month as FF146.

We have no Hachette or Amazon info yet for FF Epic 7 and the vague "August" we got from Near Mint Condition's Summer 2021 Epics YouTube Video is long off it's previews solicitation so there's no date yet. Most of the time when we get one of these videos there's usually a book that falls into one of the 4 month blocks (Jan-Apr, May-Aug & Sep-Dec) for Diamond and the next for Hachette - Avengers West Coast 4 above met that criteria. So I'll have a fiver on this provisionally being scheduled for 25 August with Diamond and 7th September with Hachette.

X-Force Epic 7 Zero Tolerance
Diamond 29 Sep 2021
Hachette 12 Oct 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302927110
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302927116
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302927116

COLLECTS:

X-FORCE (1991) 67-84, -1

Delayed from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for December. It made it onto the 2021 schedule for March before being delayed AGAIN into October. It surprised us when it was announced because the previous X-Force Epics were 1 & 2 in order and Epic 3 was very much expected.

Conan Chronicles Epic 7 Shadows over Kush
Diamond 27 Oct 2021
Hachette 09 Nov 2021 https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302930721
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302930729
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302930729

COLLECTS:

Conan the Avenger (2014) 1-19

Conan the Avenger is 25 issues so vol.8 should finish that up with a 6 issue carry-over then launch into Conan the Slayer which adds another 12 issues.

Running total: 6+12 = 18

After that comes the King Conan series which runs for 24 issues in 5 stories. The first is the four issue King Conan:The Scarlet Citadel which goes into Epic 8 to finish it off.

Epic 9 then is the other King Conans:

King Conan:The Phoenix on the Sword 1-4 2012

King Conan:Hour of the Dragon 1-6 2013

King Conan:The Conqueror 1-6 2014

King Conan:Wolves Beyond the Border 1-4 2015-2016

That might be it for the Conan Chronicles Epics. There are a few one shots and shorter limited series here and there but Conan Songs Of Dead And Other Stories has recently collected many of those:

Conan And The Songs Of The Dead #1-5

Free Comic Book Day 2006: Conan

Conan: Trophy

Conan: Kiss Of The Undead

Conan: Island Of No Return #1-2

Material From Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.

This was originally scheduled for 13 Jul 2021 with Hachette and thus 30 Jun 2021 with Diamond and was put back while I was writing this article. I had expected Conan Chronicles 8 in late 2021 but I expect that's now knocked into early 2022!

Master Of Kung Fu Epic 3 Traitors To The Crown
Diamond ?? ??? ????
Hachette ?? ??? ????
Amazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1302901370
Amazon.co.uk Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302901370

COLLECTS:

MASTER OF KUNG FU (1974) 54-79

Delayed from 2020 where it was originally scheduled for November and now without even a provisional date, presumably awaiting a confirmed date for the Shang-Chi film. This is one of the books from September to November 2020 which is missing a Hachette entry which should have been at https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/9781302901370. Evidence the book was planned does exist: it was on Near Mint Condition's An Advance Look At Marvel Collected Editions Releasing in October & November of 2020 and was included in the lists in the back of several Epics released during the Autumn of 2020, but has since disappeared. The Amazon links above, which include the cover, are the most prominent evidence of it at the moment.

So the complete list of books scheduled for 2021 so far is:

Amazing Spider-Man (Newer) 26 Lifetheft
Avengers (Older) 6 A Traitor Stalks Among Us
Captain America (Newer) 14 The Captain
Fantastic Four (Older) 7 Battle of the Behemoths
Incredible Hulk (Older) 5 Who Will Judge The Hulk?
Iron Man (Newer) 20 In The Hands of Evil
Thor (Newer) 20 The Final Gauntlet
X-Men (Older) 7 The Fate Of The Phoenix

New Mutants 5 Sudden Death
Wolverine 3 Blood & Claws
X-Factor 3 The Angel of Death
X-Force 7 Zero Tolerance
Generation X 1 Back to School

Avengers West Coast 4 Visionquest
Doctor Strange 4 Alone Against Eternity & 9 Vampiric Verses
Luke Cage 1 Retribution
Master Of Kung Fu 3 Traitors To The Crown (TBC)
Namor 1 Enter the Sub-Mariner
Punisher 4 Return to Big Nothing
Black Panther 3 Panther's Prey
Morbius 1 The Living Vampire & 2 The End of a Living Vampire

Conan Chronicles 6 Song of Belit & 7 Shadows Over Kush
Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years 2 Hawks from the Sea & 3 Curse of the Golden Skull

Star Wars: Legends The Old Republic 4
Star Wars: Legends The Original Marvel Years 5
Star Wars: Legends The New Republic 5

That means the following are yet to have an Epic in 2021:

Amazing Spider-Man (Older)
Avengers (Newer)
Captain America (Older)
Daredevil (Older)
Daredevil (Newer)
Fantastic Four (Newer)
Incredible Hulk (Newer)
Iron Man (Older)
Thor (Older)
X-Men (Newer)

Excalibur
Ant Man Giant Man
Defenders
Marvel Two-In-One (100)
Power Man & Iron Fist
Sgt Fury & The Howling Commandos
Silver Surfer
Venom

Star Wars: Legends The Clone Wars
Star Wars: Legends Legacy
Star Wars: Legends The Rebellion
Star Wars: Legends The Empire
Star Wars: Legends Tales Of The Jedi
Star Wars: Legends The Menace Revealed

And it's from that list we'll have a go at predicting the Late Year releases in Sept-December 2021.