We await further entries, and I'll update this page when they come but Near Mint Condition shared this Facebook post giving the following provisional list of Epics arriving in comic shops when:Then the Chaos Bug struck and things went to pieces and when Near Mint Condition did An Advance Look At Marvel Collected Editions Releasing in December of 2020 I din't say anything about the extra and different books released!December:Obviously this is subject to alteration and for many of those we're awaiting volume numbers and more importantly contents and exact release dates.Avengers Epic Collection: Heavy Metal
Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic Collection Vol. 2
X-Force Epic Collection Vol. 3
X-Men Epic Collection: The Fate Of The Phoenix
Star Wars: Legends The New Republic v5
Diamond/Comic Shop Date: WAS 18 Nov 2020NOW: 24 Feb 2021Incredible Hulk v5 Who Will Judge The Hulk?
Hachette/Book Shop Date: WAS 01 Dec 2020NOW: 09 Mar 2021
Hachette Link: https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/star-wars-legends-epic-collection-the-new-republic-vol-5/9781302926984/
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302926985
Contents:
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, 16-17We didn't know this book was coming but with New Republic skipping 2019 there was a volume due which we were pretty sure was Dark Empire.
This is the big one for Star Wars fans, as Dark Empire is still seen in many ways as the gold standard for Dark Horse's Star Wars comics line even though it started off as a project at Marvel.
The book also contains both sequels, which I think makes it the first time all three have been printed together as full size paperbacks - there's a Dark Horse hardcover that quickly sold out.
No idea about the Tales stories!
Star Wars Handbook is a three (*technically* FOUR) issue limited series in the style of The Offcial Handbook of the Marvel Universe. (Wouldn't they make a decent series of Epic Collections? Which would also, hopefully, get them available digitally for the first time!) Handbook 1 is Rogue Squadron which there wasn't space for in previous volumes - The New Republic v3 promises it will follow in a later volume. Handbook 3 is Dark Empire, so is apropriately positioned here. The missing Handbook 2 is Crimson Empire which will presumably follow in The New Republic v6 or v7 when Crimson Empire is printed.
Diamond/Comic Shop Date: WAS 25 Nov NOW: 03 Mar 2021Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years v2 Hawks from the Sea
Hachette/Book Shop Date: WAS 08 Dec 2020NOW: 16 Mar 2021
Hachette Link: https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/incredible-hulk-epic-collection-who-will-judge-the-hulk/9781302922061/
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302922068
Contents:
INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) 138-156,
ANNUAL (1968) 3-4 (COVER ONLY);
AVENGERS (1963) 88Like New Republic v5, we didn't know this book was coming either but an earlier Hulk volume was technically due - 4 In the Hands of HYDRA was September 2019. The Hulk Annuals are covers only because they reprinted Hulk stories from Tales to Astonish issues 70-77. The crossover between Avengers 88 & Incredible Hulk 140 had 2 planned airings this year also appearing in Avengers Epic 5: This Beachhead Earth.
Diamond/Comic Shop Date: WAS 02 Dec NOW: 10 Mar 2021X-Force v7 Zero Tolerance
Hachette/Book Shop Date: WAS 15 Dec 2020NOW: 23 Mar 2021
Hachette Link: https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/conan-the-barbarian-epic-collection-the-original-marvel-years-hawks-from-the-sea/9781302926557/
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302926551
Contents:
Conan the Barbarian (1970) 14-26I previously said
SLIGHLY surprised to see another so soon but there's a LOT of Conan to get through. Won't even make a guess because I think we think the contents of v1 may not be final.So yes, just another 13 issues for volume 2 and at 20 pages an issue taht results in a thin Epic of 288 pages, less pages the Conan Marvel Years 1 and indeed the new shortest Epic beating Ms Marvel Epic 1 This Woman, This Warrior's 312 pages.
But, In Theory, there should be issues featuring Red Sonja in here, 24 for example..... who Marvel do not own the rights to! Do Marvel's rights for Conan include printing her guest appearances?
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4434&page=gallery
Diamond/Comic Shop Date: WAS 09 Dec NOW: 17 Mar 2021Avengers v18 Heavy Metal
Hachette/Book Shop Date: WAS 22 Dec 2020NOW: 30 Mar 2021
Hachette Link: https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/x-force-epic-collection-zero-tolerance/9781302927110/
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302927116
Contents:
X-Force (1991) 67-84, -1This was a surprise because what we expected from Near Mint Condition's Facebook post giving a provisional list of Epics arriving in comic shops was this:
X-Force v3So if this is 7 the Epics 3-6 cover 20-66, Annuals 2 & 3, X-Force and Cable Annuals '95, '96 & '97. It also leaves 85-129, X-Force/Champions Annual '98, X-Force Annual 1999 X-& X-Force:Rough Cut #1 as the material for the remaining Epics which looks slightly more than 2 books. (96, 98 & 102 have a bonus 8 page Cable Spider-Man reprint, 100 is double sized and 116 is the Milligan revamp that morphs into the 26 issue X-Statix after X-Force ends)Expected, ish. The only worry was X-Force's appearances in the Epic schedule have been erratic.
Contents (Guess) X-Force v3 20-33, Annual 2, Nomad 20, New Warriors 44-46
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=4128&page=gallery
Diamond/Comic Shop Date: WAS 16 Dec NOW: 11 Nov 2020
Hachette/Book Shop Date: WAS 29 Dec 2020NOW: 24 Nov 2020
Hachette Link: https://www.hachettebookgroup.biz/titles/marvel-comics/avengers-epic-collection-heavy-metal/9781302923150/
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1302923153
Contents:
Avengers (1963) 286-303;Here's what I said about the trade when it was announced:
Avengers Annual (1967) 17Avengers had been concentrating on Harras and I expected to see his next volume, 25 (368-378, Annual 23, X-Men 26, Avengers West Coast 101 & 102 and Uncanny X-Men 307)So the inclusion of 301-3 is something of a surprise as it takes the Epic to 22 x 22 page issues + bonus material, so it'll be a big one. But gaining 3 issues here is a great thing as it takes 3 issues off the next volume which then makes space for West Coast Avengers 53-55, their Acts of Vengeace issues in the next volume. It also makes the next two volumes easy to predict because the 20 issue limit and story breaks fall in the same places:
Contents (Guess) Avengers v18 286-300, Annual 17, Thor 390
Let's back that up with some calcs:
286-300 is 15 issues, 16 and a bit as 300 is slightly over double sized.
Annual 17 is between 297 & 298 and is slightly over double sized. All but 19 issues.
301-303 are one story, so they need to stay together, not enough room for all 3, especially as 304 should really be with them.
One issue short. Avengers all together in Thor 390, where Cap lifts the hammer, so that goes in.
This is the Epic volume a friend has been waiting for with the start of the Simonson Time Barrier story and the Cross Time Council of Kangs
http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/series.php?seriesid=3986&page=gallery
Bye bye to the Old Avengers Heavy Metal trade which finished 3 issues too early!19 304-318, Annual 18 (Atlantis Attacks), Avengers West Coast 53-33.Avengers Epic 18 Heavy Metal is the only book I can see that has benefitted from the COVID disrution to Marvel's schedules moving from 16th December (Diamond) & 29th December (Hachette) to 11th and 24th November respectively.20 319-333, Annual 20 (Terminus Factor) plus the main Terminus Factor stories from Captain America Annual #9, Iron Man Annual #11, Thor Annual #15 & Avengers West Coast Annual #5 319-324 is The Crossing Line by Fabian Nicieza and 326-333 are Larry Hama's run
| Iron Man 17 War Machine | ||||||
| Fantastic Four 5 The Name Is Doom | ||||||
| Star Wars: Legends 3 Legacy | ||||||
| Avengers 5 This Beachhead Earth | ||||||
| Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years 1 The Coming of Conan | ||||||
| Star Wars: Legends 4 The Rebellion | ||||||
| Iron Man 4 The Fury of Firebrand | ||||||
| X-Men 6 Proteus | ||||||
| Silver Surfer 8 Resurrection | ||||||
| Star Wars: Legends 6 The Empire | ||||||
| West Coast Avengers 3 Tales To Astonish | ||||||
| Conan Chronicles 5 Horrors Beneath The Stones | ||||||
| New Mutants 7 Cable | ||||||
| Black Widow 2 The Coldest War | ||||||
| Captain America 10 Monsters And Men | ||||||
| Master Of Kung Fu 3 Traitors To The Crown | ||||||
| Fantastic Four 6 At War With Atlantis | ||||||
| Venom 1 Symbiosis | ||||||
| Avengers 18 Heavy Metal | ||||||
| Daredevil 15 Last Rites | ||||||
| Star Wars: Legends 1 Tales of the Jedi | ||||||
| Incredible Hulk 14 Going Grey | ||||||
| West Coast Avengers 4 Vision Quest | ||||||
| Thor 19 The Thor War | ||||||
| Black Panther 3 Panther's Prey | ||||||
| Doctor Strange 4 Alone Against Eternity | ||||||
| Conan Chronicles 6 Song of Belit | ||||||
| X-Factor 3 The Angel of Death | ||||||
| Star Wars: Legends 5 The New Republic | ||||||
| Incredible Hulk 5 Who Will Judge The Hulk? | ||||||
| Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years 2 Hawks from the Sea | ||||||
| X-Force 7 Zero Tolerance |
One thing made clearer by this table is the FF6 *IS* Epic 200: previously it and Thor 19 The Thor War wer out the same day and it was slightly confusing!
