MARVEL 70TH ANNIVERSARY TPB
(Cover by Alan Davis and Mark Farmer)
Published and © by Marvel, 2009
Synopsis: “A compilation of the greatest stories from 70 years of Marvel history,” picked with the help of fans on MarvelMasterworks.com.
Writers: Various
Pencilers: Various
Inkers: Various
Review: The Marvel 70th Anniversary TPB is a bargain at just $24.99 for almost 350 color pages. Some of the selections are a bit odd, but this handy primer does offer a nice sampler of the Marvel U from 1939 till today. Four Bronze-era stories make the cut:
• “This Beachhead Earth” (Roy Thomas/Neal Adams/Tom Palmer): This chapter of the epic Kree/Skrull War features Ant-Man’s fantastic voyage into the Vision. The Adams art is simply breathtaking. (Originally from The Avengers #93.)
• “Demon in a Bottle” (David Michelinie/John Romita Jr./Bob Layton): This tale of Tony Stark’s battle with alcoholism may seem a bit heavy-handed now, but it’s still a classic. (Originally from Iron Man #128.)
• “And Hellfire Is Their Name” (Chris Claremont/John Byrne/Terry Austin): Making the cut on the strength of one iconic panel, this is a strange pick to represent the Claremont/Byrne X-Men. (Originally from X-Men #132.)
• “Elektra” (Frank Miller/Klaus Janson): Miller takes over as writer on Daredevil and hits a homerun with his very first swing of the bat. (Originally from Daredevil #168.)
Grade (for the whole book): A
Cool factor: The Golden, Silver and Modern Age selections are an awful lot of fun, too.
Not-so-cool factor: Some of the selections just seem a little wonky. X-Men #132 over #137? (Let alone over Giant-Size X-Men #1!)
Collected in:
