If things were normal we'd probably be getting information about these either from The Near Mint Condition You Tube Channel or The Hachette Website during February, 7-11 months in advance. Hachette are Marvel's distributor to Book Shops, Amazon etc - Comic stores buy from Diamond and get the books usually 13 days earlier. They put their information up about 3 months in advance.
But things have not been normal this later two years thanks to the Chaos Bug: a few months without releases mucked up the Epic Collection schedule in mid 2020 moving several titles around bumping some into the first third of 2021 which was bolstered by two Three Epic Lines getting their first release, one of which was this year's Movie tie in line. The summer releases then looked much more like the releases in the spring have in previous years with Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man and Wolverine all featuring.
The complete list of books scheduled for 2021 so far is:
Amazing Spider-Man (Newer) 26 LifetheftI've got the books there divided up into FIVE Categories: the twice a year books, the once a year Mutant Books, the once a year other Marvel Books, the Conan books and the Star Wars book.
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)Let's rejig that list slightly and break the books down into 5 categories:
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
Moon Knight
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
OLDER TWO PER YEAR EPICSFor the Summer releases 16 books were announced in Near Mint Condition Summer 2021 Epics YouTube Video. Let's assume there's the same number for end of year releases. Experience suggests the following:Amazing Spider-Man (Older)NEWER TWO PER YEAR EPICS
Captain America (Older)
Daredevil (Older)
Iron Man (Older)
Thor (Older)Avengers (Newer)NEWER TWO PER YEAR MUTANT EPICS
Daredevil (Newer)
Fantastic Four (Newer)
Incredible Hulk (Newer)X-Men (Newer) (sits in both the Mutant & Newer 2 Per Year Epic categories)ONE PER YEAR MUTANT EPICS
ExcaliburONE PER YEAR EPICS
Ant Man Giant ManSTAR WARS EPICS
Defenders
Marvel Two-In-One
Moon Knight
Power Man & Iron Fist
Sgt Fury & The Howling Commandos
Silver Surfer
VenomStar 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
* There will be ONE of each Conan title - Chronicles and Original Marvel YearsTo clarify the Two Per Year Epics are the following long running titles:* There will probably be TWO Star Wars titles - sometimes more, sometime less. But Usually Two.
* There will probably be TWO Mutant titles - sometimes more, sometime less. But Usually Two.
* At least one of the 2 Epics per year older books WILL miss out - there's only been one year when all 9 of the Two per year books have had their older title released
* It is less common for the 2 Epics per year later books to miss out
* Only once has a 2 Epic per year title had a completely blank year with NO books
Iron Man (332)The first six of those are the original six Epic titles.
Thor (502)
Amazing Spider-Man (441)
Avengers (402)
Fantastic Four (416)
Captain America (454)
Daredevil (380)
Hulk (474)
Uncanny X-Men (544)
Thor, Fantastic Four, Captain America and Daredevil ALL have an Epic out which covers the last issues in their first volume. They are assumed to be the final Epics. Thor, Fantastic Four & Captain America stop at Onslaught, prior to their Heroes Reborn/Heroes Return reboots: we assume Iron Man and Avengers will do the same and Hulk will likewise stop at the end of his volume. We can make reasonable guesses at how many Epics this will be.
For various reasons, mainly relating to multiple titles with extensive crossovers, it's very hard to predict when & where Amazing Spider-Man and X-Men will finish. It's possible ASM may be done with Epic 26, which finishes before the Clone Saga, and X-Men may be done with Epic 19, which finishes with Mutant Genesis the start of the second X-Men title. Until I see evidence to the contrary I'm unwilling to predict above those point for these titles. We know TWO books scheduled for late 2021 already:
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, -1Delayed 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) 1-19This was originally scheduled for 13 Jul 2021 with Hachette and thus 30 Jun 2021 with Diamond and was put back.
Conan
The Conans is a good place to start: We've got Chronicles 7 as above. It's reasonable to assume there won't be another Chronicles in 2021 - I had expected Conan Chronicles 8 but I expect that's now knocked into early 2022!Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic 3 was released in the summer: it's a reasonable assumption that Epic 4 starting with issue 42 is coming later in the year. So there's our two Conans:
Conan Chronicles Epic 7 Shadows over KushRunning Total: 2 Epics out of 16Conan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic 4
Star Wars
Star Wars used to be easy: pick the vlumes that have gone longest without a release. However we're entering into the end game for the range here - it will probably be all but done in a couple of years and some titles will be finished before then: Infinities, Rise of the Sith & The Newspaper Strips are done already. So we're left with the following that haven't had an Epic yet this year: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
Let's have a look at when each Star Wars Epic was last released - unlike Marvel they're all in order - and how many of each title are left.
We think New Republic is lagging behind thanks to it's last Epic, 5 Dark Empire, being held back to not be out up against the Rise of the Skywalker film which offerred similar material. So it's the book that needs the most Epics with 3 to go which roughly works out as
Title Last Epic Last When Epic To Go Menace Revealed 2 2019 2 Clone Wars 3 2020 1 Legacy 3 2020 1 Rebellion 4 2020 2 Empire 6 2020 2 Tales of the Jedi 1 2020 2 New Republic 5 2021 3 Old Republic 4 2021 1 Original Marvel Years 5 2021 1
6: Boba Fett, Leviathan, UnionThere may be some Crimson Empire in 6 and non Crimson Empire in 7 depending if a strictly chronological or themed aproach is used.7: Crimson Empire
8: Chewbacca & Invasion
The problem is it's had an Epic this year - the aforementioned Epic 5. Would it get a second to level the playing field? Empire did in 2015, the first year of Star Wars Epic so it's not beyond the realms of possibility.
I don't think it'll be any of the "1 SW Epic left" titles, that'd thin out the variety in the line.
So two of:
New Republic 6Which two I'm really not sure!
Menace Revealed 3
Rebellion 5
Empire 7
Tales of the Jedi 2
Running Total: 4 Epics out of 16
Mutants
Mutants next. X-Force 7 is already scheduled. The other options are:X-Men (Newer)Will we get both a later X-Men, in the "Two Epics a Year" camp as well, and the next Excalbur?
Excalibur
Probably not.
Exclaibur has released it's first FOUR Epics numbered in order in consecutive years 2017-2020: It's reasonable to expect Epic 5 to be the next one rounding off the Alan Davis run. During that period the later half of the X-Men run has missed out having an Epic TWICE: indeed after the mssive 7 Epic run at the start, taking us to issue 143, there are only THREE later Epics:
12 The Gift: 189-199, Annual 8(Other issues are in all three volumes, I'm just listing the issues of the main title here.)17 Dissolution and Rebirth: 248-267
19 Mutant Genesis: 278-280, Annual 15
17 Dissolution and Rebirth came out in 2019, later X-Men missed out in 2020 so it is very much due a release. But which one?
Our attention is obviously drawn to that One Epic Gap there: Epic 18: 268-276, Annual 14, full of lovely Jim Lee art and lots of crossover material (Days of Future Present, Xtinction Agenda). However the X-Men By Chris Claremont Jim Lee Omnibus Vol 2 is due a reprint early this year and that contains much of the same material - would they undermine an expensive hardcover's sales by doing a paperback alternative? The evidence suggests no. 6 issues worth of the 20ish in this volume also showed up in New Mutants 7 released in Autumn 2020. Next Year *MAYBE*
In the same vein it's not going to be 13 (199-209, New Mutants Special Edition 1, NM Annual 2, X-Men Annuals 9 & 10) as that's what Masterworks is printing in 2020 and 2021. It's UNLIKELY to 14 (210-219, Annual 11, X-Men/FF, X-Men/Avengers) as that material will be Masterworks in 2022 & 2023. 15's a possible (220-238, Hulk 340) that'd line up nicely with X-Factor 3 out early 2020 and New Mutants 5 in the middle of the year - would Marvel do all of the Fall of the Mutants in one year? 16 Inferno (239-247, Annuals 13 & 14, X-Factor 36-39) is probably also off the menu because that's got an Omnibus this year. 17's out. 18 is the Jim Lee 1 volume gap which I reckon is unlikely : see above! I'd be tempted to have a few quid with the turf accountants on 11: 177-188, Kitty Pryde & Wolverine, maybe MTU 150: mostly unreprinted in paperback.
So I think the next later X-Men is likely to be one of 11 or 15 and that Excalibur is likely to miss out: I can see Excalibur 5 showing up in the next release period from Jan - Apr 2022, restoring the book to it's traditional spring place in the schedules.
Running Total: 6 Epics out of 16
OLDER TWO PER YEAR EPICS
THIS is where it gets difficult.Amazing Spider-Man (Older)I don't feel comfortable going with a list with FIVE older volumes on: there were two in Jan-Apr (X-Men, Hulk) and two in May to Aug (Avengers, FF). Someone USUALLY misses out an older Epic, 2017 being the ONLY year all 9 have been published. Usuaully a couple miss out.
Captain America (Older)
Daredevil (Older)
Iron Man (Older)
Thor (Older)
FF, Avengers, Hulk and X-Men have already had an earlier volume in 2021, so let's have a look at when the remaining Fivr 2 per year Epic titles last missed a volume:
2015 Amazing Spider-Man 2018 Iron Man 2019 Thor & Cap 2020 DaredevilHere's the five options together with the next volume in their early run, which is likely to be the next Older release:
ASM is the only one we know the contents of for sure: Epic 5 came out in 2020, Epic 7 has been out a few years (2017) and was reprinted early 2021.
Epic Title Last Year Missed Next Epic Due Amazing Spider-Man 2015 6: 86-104 Iron Man 2018 5: 49-c60 Captain America 2019 5: 160-c180 Thor 2019 7: 217-c240 Daredevil 2020 5: 87-c107
Of those Daredevil didn't have an older Epic in 2020 and hasn't had an Epic Full Stop in 2021. Those together make me think that an earlier Daredevil Epic is a definite, probably Epic 5.
Running Total: 7 Epics out of 16
That leaves us with the following options
Amazing Spider-Man (1-5 & 7) and Thor (1-6) both have 6 of their earlier Epics out.
Epic Title Last Year Missed Next Epic Due Amazing Spider-Man 2015 6: 86-104 Iron Man 2018 5: 49-c60 Captain America 2019 5: 160-c180 Thor 2019 7: 217-c240
Iron Man & Captain America have 5 of their earlier Epics out (1-4 & 10 in both cases)
Purely on the numbers alone it doesn't look great for ASM 6, an always popular choice on "most wanted epics" list if they decide to cut any older volume :-( But this isn't numbers alone, and there's Spider-Man Movie currently due in December. So my money is on ASM Epic 6 for December *UNLESS* they use this as an opportunity to start a new Spider-Man line with Peter Parker, The Spectaculare Spider-Man Epic 1. One or the other I think.
Running Total: 8 Epics out of 16
That leaves us with the following options
Of those left Thor has more earlier books books - 6 Epics at the very start of his run - so that goes Sorry Thor 7, you have the earliest Thor issues in I ever read but I think I won't be reading you in 2021.
Epic Title Last Year Missed Next Epic Due Iron Man 2018 5: 49-c60 Captain America 2019 5: 160-c180 Thor 2019 7: 217-c240
Cap has the smae number of earlier Epics as Thor (1-4, 9 & 10 vs 1-6) and much less Epics at the start of his run (4 vs 6) which hasn't moved forward since Epic 4 Hero or Hoax? in 2018. It's very much due a release at the start of the run. Epic 5 will be 160-c180, still in the Englehart run. However the material in this, and the start of Epic 6 will be in Captain America Omnibus 3 (Captain America #149-192, July 7th at Diamond). The End of Epic 6, and the start of Epic 7, will be in the Reprint of the Captain America Kirby Omnibus (effectively Captain America Omnibus 4, March 10th at Diamond, Captain America #193-214, Annual #3-4 and Marvel Treasury Special: Captain America's Bicentennial Battles) and the end of Epic 8 will be in Marvel Masterworks Captain America 12 (Captain America 231-246 and Marvel Premiere #49, July 14th at Diamond)
Iron Man also has 4 Epics at the start of his run but only has 5 earlier Epics total (1-4, 10). Of those three titles, his earlier Epics last missed out earliest in 2018, so that goes which is a little unfair if he gets a book but I think purely on the number he looks most likely to get one: Epic 5: 49-c60
So
Daredevil Epic 5Running Total: 9 Epics out of 16Amazing-Spider-Man Epic 6 OR Peter Parker, The Spectaculare Spider-Man Epic 1
Iron Man Epic 5
NEWER TWO PER YEAR EPICS
We already have the newer X-Men Epic above in the Mutants section, because that didn't get a volume last year. 11 or 15 was my conclusion. The remaining four options are:Avengers (Newer)FF gets a Newer Epic because it too didn't have one last year. The obvious choice is 19, a one volume gap and the next volume after the last release. We know it contains FF 321-333 & Annual 22 but that's a little light so I'd suggest it also includes Reed & Sue's Avengers stint in Avengers 299-303.
Daredevil (Newer)
Fantastic Four (Newer)
Incredible Hulk (Newer)
One more to the total, 10 Epics out of 16.
I think newer Daredevil is OUT - I think there's already a Daredevil book during this period, the older Epic 5, and I don't think they'll be TWO from the same title. It has happened, and I'm sure it'll happen again, but in a period where we're pushed for space I cant see it
The other two titles, Avengers and Hulk we can have a reasonable guess at what's coming:
Avengers (New) - 19 - 304-318, Annual 18 (Atlantis Attacks) and WCA 53-55 (Acts of Vengeance)Running Total: 12 Epics out of 16Hulk (New) - 15- Later Peter David has been Omnibuses this year, ruling out 23 & 24, so I think this will be 15, continuing from 14 last year, and including 331-346 + Graphic Novel:The Big Change
ONE TWO PER YEAR EPICS
Ant Man Giant ManLet's have a look at when those Epics last had a volume:
Defenders
Marvel Two-In-One
Moon Knight
Power Man & Iron Fist
Sgt Fury & The Howling Commandos
Silver Surfer
Venom
Ant-Man/Giant-Man 1 The Man in the Ant Hill 01 Jul 2015We've been waiting and AGE for Ant Man 2: I suspect that might need a movie to come out.
Marvel Two-In-One 1 Cry Monster 08 Aug 2018
Moon Knight 3 Final Rest 26 Dec 2018
Sgt Fury 1 The Howling Commandos 27 Mar 2019
Power Man & Iron Fist 3 Doombringer 20 Nov 2019
Defenders 9 The End Of All Songs 18 Dec 2019
Silver Surfer 9 Resurrection 09 Sep 2020
Venom 1 Symbiosis 04 Nov 2020
Moon Knight we're unsure is continuing: we hope it is but I'm not willing to predict any more volumes till I see evidence.
Defenders is VERY unlikely:the earlier issues have been Omnibused this year, the later issues before Epic 6 are recently or about to be Masterworked and I can't see them going Gerber to Epic frst if there's a potential Ombinbus 2 in the works.
Boil those out
Marvel Two-In-One 1 Cry Monster 08 Aug 2018Five left, Four slots. I don't feel comfortable with PMIF gettng published in a year when we're a bit pushed for space as that's got just one more Epic to go. I'm not 100% comfortable with Sgt Fury either, I may be reading things wrong but I'm not sure the title has that much support. However it'll be 2+ years since it's last volume, more recent than PMIF, and it's got more books to go, so in goes Sgt Fury Epic 2: 20-40ish, Annual 1
Sgt Fury 1 The Howling Commandos 27 Mar 2019
Power Man & Iron Fist 3 Doombringer 20 Nov 2019
Silver Surfer 9 Resurrection 09 Sep 2020
Venom 1 Symbiosis 04 Nov 2020
So we know the last 3 titles: Marvel Two In One, Silver Surfer & Venom.
Venom is easy: we think the first two Epics are another"Slice the Omnibus in two". Epic 1 contained:
Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #258, #300, #315-317, #332-333 And #346-347Spider-Man vs Venom Omnibus contained:
Web Of Spider-Man (1985) #1
Avengers: Deathtrap - The Vault
Darkhawk #13-14
Plus Material FromAmazing Spider-Man (1963) #388 And Annual #25-26
Web Of Spider-Man Annual #7-8
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12
Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #258, #300, #315-317, #332-333, #346-347, #361-363, #374 And #378-380So I think that leaves the following for Venom Epic 2:
Web Of Spider-Man (1985) #1, #95-96 And #101-103
Avengers: Deathtrap - The Vault Gn
Darkhawk #13-14
Spider-Man: The Trial Of Venom
Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits Of Vengeance #5-6
Spider-Man (1990) #35-37
Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #201-203
Material FromAmazing Spider-Man (1963) #373, #375, #388 And Annual #25-26
Web Of Spider-Man Annual #7-8
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12
Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #117-122
Spider-Man Unlimited (1993) #1-2
Plus Venom Subplot Pages.
Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #361-363, #374 And #378-380We've been waiting AGES for MTIO Epic 2 which we believe was held up by Masterworks printing the same material - we suspect the Epic contains something like Marvel Two-In-One 20-31 ish, Annuals 1&2, FF Annual 11, Avengers Annual 7 - in that goes.
Web Of Spider-Man (1985) #95-96 And #101-103
Spider-Man: The Trial Of Venom
Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits Of Vengeance #5-6
Spider-Man (1990) #35-37
Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #201-203
Material FromAmazing Spider-Man (1963) #373, #375
Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #117-122
Spider-Man Unlimited (1993) #1-2
Plus Venom Subplot Pages.
Silver Surfer - WHO KNOWS? One of the harder Epics to predict.
Here's what we've got and what's missing, marked with a *, with contents where we're reasonably sure:
1 When Calls GalactusThe Omnibus was a year or so back so 2 is an option again but that would give us a lot of Epic 2's this release period! Marvel have published ZERO Surfer books FULL STOP in 2021
2 * Silver Surfer (1968) #1-18
3 Freedom Silver Surfer (1987) 1-14
4 * 15-26? + Judgement Day GN, Parable & Annual 1
5 * ?27-38, The Enslavers GN & Annual 2
6 Thanos Quest 39-50 & Annual 3
7 The Infinity Gaunlet 51-66 & Annual 4
8 * 67-75 + Homecoming GN & Annual 5
9 Resurrection 76-85 & Annual 6
10 * 85-??
11 *
12 * ??-122
13 Inner Demons 123-138 & Annual 97
14 * 139-146
Running Total: 16 Epics out of 16
CONAN EPICS
Conan Chronicles Epic 7 Shadows over Kush (Diamond 27 Oct 2021 Hachette 09 Nov 2021)STAR WARS EPICSConan The Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic 4
TWO of:
New Republic 6MUTANT EPICS
Menace Revealed 3
Rebellion 5
Empire 7
Tales of the Jedi 2
X-Force Epic 7 Zero Tolerance (Diamond 29 Sep 2021 Hachette 12 Oct 2021)OLDER TWO PER YEAR EPICSX-Men 11 or 15
Daredevil Epic 5NEWER TWO PER YEAR EPICSAmazing-Spider-Man Epic 6 OR Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Epic 1
Iron Man Epic 5
Fantastic Four 19ONE PER YEAR EPICSAvengers 19
Hulk 15
Marvel Two In One 2Sgt Fury 2
Venom 2
Silver Surfer ??
