Power Man & Iron Fist Epic Collection 3 Doombringer

Been reading Power Man & Iron Fist Epic Collection 3 Doombringer over Christmas.

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!

Who are the Earthshock Troopers?

I've been watching Earthshock and the identity of the troopers has been bugging me. Each is named and is wearing a badge, and we know who play which trooper when, but the badges aren't always clear and there's not enough to identfy all the troopers i the dialogue: Two don't get named, one of which makes it all the way to episode 4!

Here's who everyone is, with a note if more than one actor plays them as happens in at least 3 cases!

MEN

Lieutenant Scott James Warwick 1-4
Walters Steve Morley
Second Trooper (Carter) Mark Straker
Collis Kevin O’Brien
Jones Miles Ross
Brooks Steve Whyment
Marshall (location) Ian Ellis
Marshall (studio) Jonathan Evans 1-4

WOMEN

Sergeant Mitchell Ann Holloway
Snyder Suzi Arden
Bane Anne Clements
Seaton (Location & Studio Day 1) Lisa Clifton
Seaton (Studio Day 2) Mary Eveleigh
Bailey (Location & Studio Day 1) Linda French
Bailey (Studio Day 2) Jennie Persiva
Foster Lynne Brotchie 1-2

So which trooper is which and played by who in the program? We'll start with the easy ones:

Lieutenant Scott played by James Warwick, who survives!

Sergeant Mitchell played by Ann Holloway. She dies towards the end of the episodes in a search party with Troopers Carter & Bailey.

Walters, Steve Morley, and Snyder, Suzi Arden, are left on the surface.

Snyder later descends into the tunnel to meet the injured party and is killed there.

Bane (in the credits as First Trooper) is played by Anne Clements. She's the trooper that falls and injures her shoulder and is forced to return to the surface.

Collis, Kevin O’Brien, is the trooper who accompanies her and they're killed together.

We get a clear glimpse of Collis earlier in the episode walking through the tunnel. His badge is discernable on the Blu Ray version,

Carter (in the credits as Second Trooper) is played by Mark Straker. He's one of Mitchell's search party and gets to speak.

Carter too is seen clearly in the walking through the tunnel sequence. You can see enough of his badge to be sure who he is.

The other member of the search party is Bailey

On Location & Studio Day 1 she was played by Linda French.
In Studio Day 2 she was played by Jennie Persiva.

I've no way of telling which actress performed the search party scene!

Onto the later episodes. Three troopers survive the caves.

Te surviving female trooper is played by Nikki Dunsford who I think has her name spelt wrong on IMDB. Nice clear shot of her from episode 4. She's playing Austin, who's the other trooper who isn't named in dialogue and we don't see her name badge in any of the four episodes.

Brooks is played by Steve Whyment.

He is noticably absent from the Tardis scenes in episodes 2 & 4, to the point of causing a continuity error when is grabbed by a Cyberman at the rear of the party entering the Tardis.

Brooks goes with Scott to the bridge while Marshall is left guarding the stairs but cofusingly when we see the stairs being guarded it's Brooks while Marshall helps shift crates. Marshall is then killed off screen and Brooks escapes the frieghter in the escape pod.

On Location Marshall is played by Ian Ellis.

The production subs on the Blu Ray say he failed to show up for his make up tests and was replaced by Marshall (studio) Jonathan Evans who you can see with Austin, in the Tardis in episodes 2 & 4, and on the freigter in 4:

So that's 11 out of 14 troopers found!

The three unaccounted for names all perish off screen.

Jones, the other trooper unnamed in the dialogue, and Seaton die in a cut scene at the opening of the battle with the Androids. Their remains & guns are seen on the floor of the cave.

Seaton had been mentioned in dialogue when she and Foster, who seems to survive episode 1 only to be killed in another cut scene early in episode 2.

So the three we're really looking for are

Jones Miles Ross

Seaton (Location & Studio Day 1) Lisa Clifton

Seaton (Studio Day 2) Mary Eveleigh

Foster Lynne Brotchie 1-2[F:1]

We also need to sort out which Bailey is which, even though we've spotted one of her above:

On Location & Studio Day 1 she was played by Linda French.
In Studio Day 2 she was played by Jennie Persiva.

There's a parade of faces past the camera during episode 1 most of which I can't identify:

ONE might be Sgt Mitchell.

TWO

THREE is this Marshall in the studio?

FOUR or is this Marshall in the studio? Both chaps look a little like him!

FIVE is this Bane?

SIX - This is Collis

SEVEN

EIGHT - This is Carter

Plus there's this female Trooper between Kyle & Mitchell on location:

The only other shot of Troopers on location where you get clear views of the faces I'm pretty sure we can identify: Carter o the left and Collis on the right:

So who are the unidentified faces above?

Hachette Summer 2020 Epic Collections

We now know all the summer 2020 Epic releases thanks to the Hachette Summer 2020 catalogue.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/epicmarvelpod/status/119252272611359948

Each entry below includes a link to the page in the Hachette catalogue and the Amazon UK page, both where known, and to the page on Mike's Amazing World of Comics for the title.

---

Star Wars: Legends Legacy v3

05 May
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/star-wars-legends-epic-collection-legacy-vol-3/9781302923754/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302923757
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?page=gallery&seriesid=13154

Star Wars: Legacy #37-40, 42-50; Star Wars: Legacy - War #1-6

Legacy Epic 4 would be the Legacy 2 series http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?page=gallery&seriesid=17575

Fantastic Four v5 By Ben Betrayed

12 May
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/fantastic-four-epic-collection-by-ben-betrayed/9781302922030/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302922033
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3649&page=gallery

Fantastic Four #68-87, Annual 6, Material from Not Brand Echh #6-7

Epic 6 then becomes something like 88-107.

Would be nice to end on 102, Jack Kirby's last issue, but that'd make Epic 6 really thin

Star Wars: Legends The Rebellion v4

26 May
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/star-wars-legends-epic-collection-the-rebellion-vol-4/9781302925055/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302925059

Star Wars: Rebellion #1-16;
Star Wars: Boba Fett - Overkill #1;
Star Wars: Boba Fett #1/2 and material from
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic/Rebellion #0 and
Star Wars Tales #3, #15, #17 & #21

Silver Surfer v9 Resurrection

02 Jun
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/silver-surfer-epic-collection-resurrection/9781302925079/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302925075
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4080&page=gallery

Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #76-85, Annual 6, Secret Defenders #9-10, Silver Surfer/Warlock: Resurrection #1-4

Silver Surfer is one of the more random Epics which jumps around all over the place! There's 6 out of what looks like 14 Epics released - the 80s/90s volume of the title ran to issue 146 and issue 137 in in Epic 13 - but only two are consecutive.

Epic 7 is out already so Epic 8 is then 66-75, Annual 5, Return of the Defenders crossover and Homecoming Graphic Novel.

Avengers v5 This Beachhead Earth

09 Jun
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/avengers-epic-collection-this-beachhead-earth/9781302921972/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302921975
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3986&page=gallery

Avengers #77-97, Incredible Hulk #140

FINALLY! Really annoyed me when a stand alone Kree Skrull war volume turned up January 2019 because it was obvious this was coming!

Epic 7 is out already so Epic 6 is then 98-114, Daredevil 99 & material from FOOM 5-7, which looks a little thin.

Epic 9 is also out already so we've known for a while that Epic 8 must be 129-148 and Giant Size Avengers 2-4.

So that's both the next two earlier Avengers known.... And we can have a good guess that Epic 10, well into the 17 page issues here so more per volume, looks something like 167-187, annual 8 and possibly Thor annual 6!

Daredevil v15 Last Rites

16 Jun
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/dg-chichester/daredevil-epic-collection-last-rites/9781302925635/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daredevil-Epic-Collection-Last-Rites/dp/1302925636
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3988&page=gallery

Daredevil #283-300. Annual 7

Bit of a surprise. I thought they'd be keeping back the rest of the Prince of Chichester's run to give them something to print in a few years. The simultaneous equations for DD Epics and Masterworks now get rather fun in a few years when both want to print c200 stuff at the same time.

Star Wars: Legends The Empire v6

16 Jun
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/star-wars-legends-epic-collection-the-empire-vol-6/9781302925116/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302925113

Star Wars Agent Of The Empire - Iron Eclipse 1-5
Star Wars Agent Of The Empire - Hard Targets 1-5
Star Wars The Force Unleashed Graphic Novel
Star Wars The Force Unleashed II Graphic Novel
Material From Star Wars Tales 11, 15 & A Decade Of Dark Horse 2

Conan Chronicles v4 Horrors Beneath The Stones

16 Jun
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/conan-chronicles-epic-collection-tbd/9781302923273/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302923277

Conan: Road of Kings #1-12, Conan the Barbarian #1-6

X-Men v6 Proteus

07 Jul
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/x-men-epic-collection-proteus/9781302922528/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302922521
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3987&page=gallery

X-Men #111-128, Annual 3, Marvel Team-Up #89, Incredible Hulk Annual 7

Exactly what I was expecting for X-Men issues so the MTU issue and Hulk Annual, which features The Angel, Iceman and Master Mold, are welcome bonuses!

Epic 7 then becomes the rest of the Byrne issues 129-143, Annual 4, and probably Marvel Two In One 68 & Bizarre Adventures 27.

New Mutants v7 Cable

21 Jul
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/new-mutants-epic-collection-cable/9781302925239/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302925237
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4050&page=gallery

New Mutants #86-94, Annual 5-6, New Mutants Summer Special, Material from X-Factor Annual 5, X-Men Annual 14

This REALLY surprised me as I was expecting Epic 3. We can now see a pattern:

2016 Epic 1 Renewal - earlier

2018 Epic 6 Curse of the Valkyries - later

2019 Epic 2 The Demon Bear Saga - earlier

2020 Epic 7 Cable - later

Based on that we could predict:

2021 Epic 3 - earlier

(32-45ish, Special Edition 1, Annual 3, X-Men Annuals 9-10)

2022 Epic 8 "The End of the Beginning" - later

(95-100, XTinction Agenda and Kings of Pain)

2023 Epic 4 - earlier

(46ish-54 - Claremont's last issue - Annual 3, Fallen Angels 1-8)

2024 Epic 5 - haha, last one left!

(55-70, Annual 4)

Black Widow v2 The Coldest War

28 Jul
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/black-widow-epic-collection-the-coldest-war/9781302921309/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302921304

Bizarre Adventures #25, Marvel Fanfare #10-13, Solo Avengers #7, Black Widow: The Coldest War, Punisher/Black Widow: Spinning Doomsday's Web, Daredevil/Black Widow: Abattoir, Marvel Comics Presents #135, Daredevil Annual 10, Nick Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty, Journey into Mystery #517-519

Exactly as expected, the rest of the Omnibus - https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/none/the-black-widow-strikes-omnibus/9781302921279/ - that wasn't printed in Black Widow v1 Beware the Black Widow.

Iron Man v4 The Fury of Firebrand

11 Aug
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/iron-man-epic-collection-the-fury-of-the-firebrand/9781302922078/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Man-Epic-Collection-Firebrand/dp/1302922076
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3989&page=gallery

Iron Man #25-46, Daredevil #73

No real surprises

I was wondering if this was the quickest the same material - Iron Man 35–36 & Daredevil 73 - had appeared in two Epics following heir appearance in Daredevil Epic 4 A Woman Called Widow on November 6, 2019. Then I remembered the X-Factor 84-86 are in X-Factor Epic 8 X-Aminations, bookshop date November 26th 2019, and X-Force Epic 2 X-Cutioner's Song, bookshop date December 24th 2019!, just 4 weeks apart!

West Coast Avengers v3 Tales to Astonish

18 Aug
https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/none/avengers-west-coast-epic-collection-tales-to-astonish/9781302923167/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avengers-West-Coast-Epic-Collection/dp/1302923161
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4109&page=gallery

West Coast Avengers #25-37, Annual 2, Avengers Annual 16, Marvel Graphic Novel: Emperor Doom

Slightly annoyingly this falls just short of the collections of the Byrne material, which start from issue 42. But even if you lost Emperor Doom I don't think you'd have enough space for five issues plus an annual!

That makes Epic 4 38-52, annuals 3 & 4.... Possibly the 4 page Reunion story from Avengers West Coast #56 with the Android Human Torch & Captain America showing their first post resurrection meeting
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/story.php?storyid=137483

Issues 53-55 are part of Acts of Vengeance so they'd probably be all together, and having them all in Epic 4 takes them over the "20 times 22 page issue" rule I, and seemingly Marvel, work to.

---

So the Epics I was expecting to see and didn't are

Captain America v5

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3983&page=gallery

160-180 something.

There's been no older Captain America Epic since 2017

Master of Kung Fu v3

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4014&page=gallery

Something like 54-80.

The two previous MOKF Epics have been published in the summer

Fantastic Four v19

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3649&page=gallery

321-333, annual 22

No newer FF Epic yet in 2020, the 2019 one was in the summer and this is an obvious hole between Epics 17-18 and 20-21.

Marvel Two In One v2

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4030&page=gallery

20-34 ish, Annuals 1 & 2, FF Annual 11, Avengers Annual 7

Been a year since MTIO Masterworks v4 containing some of this material was published so I think that lets the Epics publish it too.

Incredible Hulk v23

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3984&page=gallery

449-464, -1, Annual 95

No Later Hulk in late 2019/early 2020 which is odd.

Hulk v1 goes up to 474. There's probably two later Hulk Epics left, but that's not enough material to fill them. I'd suggest v24 is 465-474 (which is double sized like 450), Annual 98 + Rampaging Hulk 1-6.

Black Panther or Moon Knight

Both of these might be finished. Both have 90s material - Moon Knight and Black Panther, and in Moon Knight's case 80s material, that they might print.

Sgt Fury v2

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3996&page=gallery

20-40?

X-Men v18

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3987&page=gallery

268-276 annual 14 and Extinction Agenda

2019's newer X-Men volume was in the summer but traditionally they've been towards the end of the year.

I swing back and forth as to if this volume will include all of Days of Future Present: at the moment I'm thinking not, as the X-Men don't get involved to the end, which would enable it to be released soon after New Mutants v7: Cable.

Star Wars: Legends The Original Marvel Years v5

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4470&page=gallery

74-88, Annual 3, Return of the Jedi 1-4

Star Wars is 107 issues, that leaves 89-107 to make up Epic 5.

Original Marvel Years is usually published in the Summer. It might be that it's taking a break in 2020, like New Republic frustratingly did in 2019. It's absence can be perhaps explained by Star Wars: The Original Trilogy - The Movie Adaptations, due Jan 28 2020, which collects STAR WARS 1-6, 39-44 & STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) 1-4

These all get carried forward as predictions for the Autumn/Winter 2020 Epic releases, which we should start to discover in February/March 2020.

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They're joined by these new predictions, based on which titles had Epics out in Autumn/Winter 2019. Mostly they're next volume predictions.

Star Wars: Legends New Republic v5

Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, Dark Empire III & Union

That would make New Republic 6 all three Crimson Empire series plus the Crimson Empire and promised Rogue Squadron handbooks.

Thor v19

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3980&page=gallery

437-450 Annual 16 + Korvac Quest

Incredible Hulk v5

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3984&page=gallery

138-160 ish

Doctor Strange v ??

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?page=gallery&seriesid=4035

Who knows which volume this will be? Doctor Strange is one of the really random Epics along with X-Men, Silver Surfer and, to a lesser extent, Daredevil.

I'd love some Roger Stern Doctor Strange, but that's being done in Masterworks at the moment. V2, containing Strange Tales 147-168 & Doctor Strange 169-179, to plug that annoying gap maybe?

Daredevil v5

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3988&page=gallery
87-110? Avengers 111

X-Factor v9

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4068&page=gallery

101-113, Annual 9, X-Force 38 & Excalibur 82

X-Factor ran to 149 issues: www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4068&page=gallery That means there's enought material for two more Epics after this.

v10 would then be something like 114-132.

125 is double sized. 124-126 are the sort of stand alone X-Factor/Onslaught thread. 20 issues, but there might be some scope for more Onslaught

v11: 133-149, -1

No double sized issues. 18 issues total so you could bounce some from 10 to 11 to make room for Onslaught. Either way X-Factor looks 11 volumes.

Power Man & Iron Fist v4

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4007&page=gallery

108-125.

This completes Power Man & Iron Fist. I would not be at all surprised to see Power Man/Hero For Hire Epics start following this - the .

Avengers v25: Bloodties

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3986&page=gallery
Avengers 360-369, Annual 22, X-Men 26, Avengers West Coast 101-102, Uncanny X-Men 307

Avengers very oddly had two newer volumes in 2019, something no other title has done. If they have had two volumes it's always been an older one and a newer one.

X-Force v3

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4128&page=gallery

20-33 (14 issues, equivalent to 15 as 25 is double sized) + the double sized annual 2 (2 issues, brings us to 17) and New Warriors 44-46 (3 issues, brings us to 20), incorporating the Child's Play crossover in those 3 New Warriors and the last 2 X-Force.

Defenders v1

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4006&page=gallery

The Sub-Mariner #34-35, Marvel Feature #1-3 and The Defenders #1-12 and Avengers #115-118

The Defenders #13+, Giant-Size Defenders #1 in Epic 2

Of the Epics published in this period in 2019 Avengers West Coast and the earlier Fantastic Four volume have already been scheduled for 2020, Star Wars Legends The Menace Revealed has one volume left for it's Star Wars/Star Wars Republic issues to meet the start of Star Wars Legends The Menace Revealed so I think New Republic (at least 3 volumes left) is more likely and I don't know enough about Dark Horse's Conan to predict what Conan Chronicles might do, but I think it might be finished.

---

FINALLY, these are the Epic collections that are fit into the one volume gaps. We know the issues of the named title which should be in each of these and perhaps a bit more:

Iron Man 12

196-214, annual 8

Amazing Spider-Man 6

86-104

Amazing Spider-Man 16

273-288 GN22: Hooky

Avengers 6

98-114, Daredevil 99

Avengers 8

129-148, Giant Size 2-4

Fantastic Four 19

321-333, annual 22

Captain America 14

333-350, Iron Man 228

Doctor Strange 2

Strange Tales 147-168, Dr Strange 169-179

Silver Surfer 2

Silver Surfer v1 #1-18; The Fantastic Four Annual #5

Silver Surfer 8

67-75 + GN: Homecoming, Annual 5

Silver Surfer 14

139-146

Wolverine 7

76-86, Cable 16 + ??

X-Men 18

268-276, annual 14

New Mutants 8

95-100, annual 7, XTinction Agenda and Kings of Pain

Punisher 1

This should look similar to Essential 1 so 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, Spectacular Spiderman 81-83

Punisher 4

26-34, annual 3. GN Return to Big Nothing and GN: Intruder

Punisher 6

49-62, annual 5 & Punisher Summer Special 1-2

Power Man & Iron Fist 4

108-125

Comixology & Marvel's Epic Collections

Ever since I have been using Comixology, it's had a somewhat variable relationship with Trade Paperbacks, my preferred form of reading comics. Sometimes a trade would get a digital release, sometimes it wouldn't. A really good example is the Spider-Man Alien Costume Saga books: Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga - Book Two was released 22nd Apr 2015 the day it came out in print to comic shops. Yet volume one was nowhere to be seen!

Marvel's Epic Collections suffered greatly over the first few year since their launch. They've been my main TPB purchases for the last few years, mainly thanks to the first couple of volumes reprinting some material I'd been after for years, and as my hands deteriorate making it harder for me to turn the pages of a physical book I'm increasingly reliant on digital books and comics.

The initial six releases, as detailed in Marvel Announces Epic Collections, For Iron Man, Thor And More and The Next Load Of Marvel Epic Collections are

18th Sep 2013 01 Iron Man v10 The Enemy Within

23rd Oct 2013 02 Thor v16 War of the Pantheons

20th Nov 2013 03 Amazing Spider-Man v20 Cosmic Adventures

11th Dec 2013 04 Avengers v9 The Final Threat

15th Jan 2014 05 Fantastic Four v17 All in the Family

19th Feb 2014 06 Captain America v9 Dawn's Early Light

None of the first six Epic collections appeared on Comixology when they were released. In fact none of the next six did either, by which point the initial six titles are joined by a seventh, Daredevil:

19th Mar 2014 07 Iron Man v16 War Games

9th Apr 2014 08 Daredevil v18 Fall From Grace

16th Apr 2014 09 Thor v11 A Kingdom Lost

21st May 2014 10 Amazing Spider-Man v15 Ghosts of the Past

18th Jun 2014 11 Avengers v17 Judgment Day

23rd Jul 2014 12 Fantastic Four v20 Into the Time Stream

By this time there are 12 Epic Collections missing from Comixology.

Although new comics and trades are released on a Wednesday, both digitally and in print, a few older trades appear digitally every Thursday morning.

On Thursday 31st July 2014 Comixology gained it's first Epic Collection:

31st Jul 2014
10 Amazing Spider-Man v20 Cosmic Adventures
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Amazing-Spider-Man-Epic-Collection-Cosmic-Adventures/digital-comic/126885

Which was 223 days after it's print release in comic shops.

On 20th August 2014 Epic 13 Captain America 12 Society of Serpents was published and appeared on Comixology on that date, the first Epic so to do. So at this point 11 of the first 13 are missing.

20th Aug 2014
Captain America v12 Society of Serpents
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Captain-America-Epic-Collection-Society-of-Serpents/digital-comic/131911

The next Epic, the 14th appears on Comixology the date it's published too:

10th Sep 2014
Fantastic Four v1 The World's Greatest Comic Magazine
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Fantastic-Four-Epic-Collection-The-Worlds-Greatest-Comic-Magazine/digital-comic/139796

So at the end of the first year 14 Epic Collections have been physically published but just 3 are available digitally and 11 are missing.

The next Epic physically published fails to appear on Comixology

24th Sep 2014 15 Amazing Spider-Man v1 Great Power

12 out of 15 missing

The next 3 Epics all appear on Comixology the date they're published

1st Oct 2014
16 Moon Knight v1 Bad Moon Rising
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Moon-Knight-Epic-Collection-Bad-Moon-Rising/digital-comic/144261

15th Oct 2014
17 Thor v1 The God of Thunder
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Thor-Epic-Collection-The-God-Of-Thunder/digital-comic/149280

29th Oct 2014
18 Iron Man v1 The Golden Avenger
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Iron-Man-Epic-Collection-The-Golden-Avenger/digital-comic/155124

And then the next 3 don't:

12th Nov 2014 19 Avengers v1 Earth's Mightiest Heroes

19th Nov 2014 20 Silver Surfer v1 When Calls Galactus

26th Nov 2014 21 Captain America v1 Captain America Lives Again

There are now 15 Epics out of 21 missing

The next Epic does appear on Comixology the date it's published

10th Dec 2014
22 Wolverine v1 Madripoor Nights
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Wolverine-Epic-Collection-Madripoor-Nights/digital-comic/169928

The Epic after is the last skipped on Comixology so far:

24th Dec 2014 23 X-Men v1 Children of the Atom

That made 16 out of 23 missing.

From the next release, and the start of 2015, all Epics appear the date they're published

21st Jan 2015
24 Iron Man v13 Stark Wars
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Iron-Man-Epic-Collection-Stark-Wars/digital-comic/181671

I can however find evidence of other trades, notably big book compilations of material already collected, have been skipped after this date.

These are the 16 Epics which were missing at the start of 2015:

01 Iron Man v10 The Enemy Within

02 Thor v16 War of the Pantheons

04 Avengers v9 The Final Threat

05 Fantastic Four v17 All in the Family

06 Captain America v9 Dawn's Early Light

07 Iron Man v16 War Games

08 Daredevil v18 Fall From Grace

09 Thor v11 A Kingdom Lost

10 Amazing Spider-Man v15 Ghosts of the Past

11 Avengers v17 Judgment Day

12 Fantastic Four v20 Into the Time Stream

15 Amazing Spider-Man v1 Great Power

19 Avengers v1 Earth's Mightiest Heroes

20 Silver Surfer v1 When Calls Galactus

21 Captain America v1 Captain America Lives Again

23 X-Men v1 Children of the Atom

That's not the end of the story though as every so often an older Epic does get released digitally on a Thursday, like Amazing Spider-Man v20 Cosmic Adventures above, but it took till 2016 for the number of missing Epics to change again:

28th Apr 2016
Daredevil v18 Fall From Grace
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Daredevil-Elektra-Fall-From-Grace/digital-comic/367616

This is 750 days after it's publication and there are now 15 Epics missing.

This volume is slightly odd: it's the only digital Epic Collection without the words Epic Collection in it's title so it won't show up in a search for the words "Epic Collection"!

The next release of an older missing Epic was over a year later and was quite a significant one as the first Epic released in print finally came out on Comixology:

3rd Aug 2017
Iron Man v10 The Enemy Within
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Iron-Man-Epic-Collection-The-Enemy-Within/digital-comic/549130

This appeared 1415 days after it's publication and 14 Epics missing

I had known this was missing and it came as a surprise to me when it popped up in a sale at the end of that year which contained several cheap Epic Collections and really pushed me over into buying them digitally. That along with another very cheap trade sale early in 2018, with new volumes for £0.69/$0.99 really brought the question of "Which Epic Collections Are Missing On Comixology?" to mind, as well as making me really aware of the older trades appearing on Comixology on Thursdays so that is the point I started seriously tracking things and worked out what was missing.

But with one older book in 2014, one in 2016 and one in 2017 things weren't moving fast. 2018 was even worse with nothing, and there were times I questioned why I was looking at Comixology's New Releases every Thursday morning. However things changed drastically in 2019:

18th Apr 2019
Amazing Spider-Man v1 Great Power
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Amazing-Spider-Man-Epic-Collection-Great-Power/digital-comic/761109

1667 days after publication, 13 Epics missing

The next two Epics appeared on the same day!

4th Jul 2019
Amazing Spider-Man v15 Ghosts of the Past
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Amazing-Spider-Man-Epic-Collection-Ghosts-Of-The-Past/digital-comic/786047

1870 days after publication, 12 Epics missing

4th Jul 2019
Avengers v17 Judgment Day
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Avengers-Epic-Collection-Judgment-Day/digital-comic/786042

1842 days after publication, 11 Epics missing

And as a bonus the long awaited, by me at least, Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga - Book One also appeared!

In July another older Epic was released on Comixology:

18th Jul 2019
21 Captain America v1 Captain America Lives Again
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Captain-America-Epic-Collection-Captain-America-Lives-Again/digital-comic/786097

1695 days after publication, 10 Epics missing

That's the point that the initial version of this piece was published and I thought 4 older Epics was doing well compared to what had happened the last few years. I hoped for some more, but I don't think I quite anticipated what was to come....

In the first week of October two older Epics were released on Comixology on the same day. This time there was some warning when on the Tuesday before two issues within those Epics, in this case two annuals, appeared on the new release list which for Marvel on Comixology is a sure fire sign a trade containing them is coming!

3rd Oct 2019
05 Fantastic Four 17 All in the Family
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Fantastic-Four-Epic-Collection-All-In-The-Family/digital-comic/804098

2087 days after publication, 9 Epics missing. Significantly for me, an X-Man fan, this was the first time all of the Days of Future Present crossover had been made available digitally.

3rd Oct 2019
12 Fantastic Four 20 Into the Time Stream
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Fantastic-Four-Epic-Collection-Into-The-Timestream/digital-comic/804103

1898 days after publication, 8 Epics missing

That left 8 Epic Collections missing from Comixology, half the number missing at the start of 2015.

Just two weeks later the number of Epics missing halved again, when four Epic collections were released on the same day. Again there was some warning of this when on the Tuesday before three issues within, again annuals, appeared on the new release list and warned us two of the books were coming.

17th Oct 2019
02 Thor v16 War of the Pantheons
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Thor-Epic-Collection-War-Of-The-Pantheons/digital-comic/805899

2185 days after publication, 7 Epics missing

17th Oct 2019
04 Avengers v9 The Final Threat
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Avengers-Epic-Collection-The-Final-Threat/digital-comic/805879

2136 days after publication, 6 Epics missing

17th Oct 2019
06 Captain America v9 Dawn's Early Light
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Captain-America-Epic-Collection-Dawns-Early-Light/digital-comic/805884

2066 days after publication, 5 Epics missing

17th Oct 2019
09 Thor v11 A Kingdom Lost
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Thor-Epic-Collection-A-Kingdom-Lost/digital-comic/805894

2010 days after publication, 4 Epics missing.... .... which didn't last long because just 1 week later three of those turned up!

24th Oct 2019
19 Avengers v1 Earth's Mightiest Heroes
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Avengers-Epic-Collection-Earths-Mightiest-Heroes/digital-comic/805904

1807 days after publication, 3 Epics missing

24th Oct 2019
20 Silver Surfer v1 When Calls Galactus
https://www.comixology.co.uk/Silver-Surfer-Epic-Collection-When-Calls-Galactus/digital-comic/805914

1800 days after publication, 2 Epics missing

24th Oct 2019
23 X-Men v1 Children of the Atom
https://www.comixology.co.uk/X-Men-Epic-Collection-Children-Of-The-Atom/digital-comic/805919

1765 days after publication, 1 Epic missing!

So the last missing Epic Collection is

07 Iron Man v16 War Games

We monitor Comixology for it's release. They'll be no warning, like with the annuals above, as all the issues in that Epic are already on Comixology so it's a matter of checking Comixology's New Releases every Thursday morning.