Essentials FAQ v0.1

Below is my first stab at creating a thoroughly useless FAQ for the Marvel TPB Essential line, the coolest IMHO TPB series of all. For $15 ($10 at most discount stores) you get 500+ pages of wonderful comics!

I am asking for help in getting the checklist correct, which I have posted below. If possible, please post any omissions or gaffes I may have made, as well as what else you think should be included in the Essential FAQ. I have not yet received Tomb of Dracula, so the list should be current on the 31 volumes prior to that volume.

Essentials TPB FAQ v0.1

1. What is an Essential?

An Essential is a trade paperback produced by Marvel Comics that contains 500+ pages of black and white reprints. Each volume focuses on a certain character or team.

2. Why are the covers I see online or in the bookstore inconsistent?

After Essential Spider-man Volume 4, the cover design was revamped. The new spines have (from top to bottom) the Marvel Comics logo, the word Essential in white going down, the name of the character or team in various colors going down, and the volume number in various colors on top of a colored circle, all on a black background. The old spines had a picture of a character who featured in the stories at the top and bottom of the spine, the Marvel Comics Logo, and the words Essential and the title in white, sometimes going down, sometimes going up, all on a white background. In some cases, the cover art has been moved when a new printing has been printed, in other cases all new art is used.

3. What volumes have been published?

<snip>

Nice work and a good start. First, a note you might want to add in the 'oddities' section of these:

Some of the issues reprinted in these volumes are actually taken from Classic X-Men issues rather than the original Uncanny X-Men issues, as can be gleaned by the editor's notes spread through the volume. 'Last seen in Classic X-Men #6 - ED' rather than that 'Last seen in issue #101,' that sort of thing. I don't know the reasoning behind this, but it's probably worth noting.

(I made those issue numbers up, by the way, just to provide an example without flipping through the actual tomes - but they're in there)

I wouldn't mind seeing some information on key creators involved in each volume - for instance, which X-Men books are Claremont/Byrne volumes, or which Spider-Man volumes are Ditko/Lee.

Some basic notes on the major/historical story arcs, or general points of comic history interest, would also be a welcome addition. 'Volume 2 covers the entire Dark Phoenix Saga,' for instance, or 'this volume includes first appearances of Doc Ock, Electro and first major Green Goblin arc,' etc. Largely well-known story arcs and first appearances/origins of major MU names, that sort of thing.

Hope that helps.

<snip>

Nice work and a good start. First, a note you might want to add in the 'oddities' section of these:

Some of the issues reprinted in these volumes are actually taken from Classic X-Men issues rather than the original Uncanny X-Men issues, as can be gleaned by the editor's notes spread through the volume. 'Last seen in Classic X-Men #6 - ED' rather than that 'Last seen in issue #101,' that sort of thing. I don't know the reasoning behind this, but it's probably worth noting.

(I made those issue numbers up, by the way, just to provide an example without flipping through the actual tomes - but they're in there)

I wouldn't mind seeing some information on key creators involved in each volume - for instance, which X-Men books are Claremont/Byrne volumes, or which Spider-Man volumes are Ditko/Lee.

Some basic notes on the major/historical story arcs, or general points of comic history interest, would also be a welcome addition. 'Volume 2 covers the entire Dark Phoenix Saga,' for instance, or 'this volume includes first appearances of Doc Ock, Electro and first major Green Goblin arc,' etc. Largely well-known story arcs and first appearances/origins of major MU names, that sort of thing.

Hope that helps.

That probably explains Marvel's choice to use them - I had presumed it was simply a matter of what plates/boards/whatever were easier to get a hold of. And now that you mention it, I recall this being the case, though for the life of me I don't recall what was 'new' history and what

<<Classic X-Men had some retrofitted little pieces of continuity that enriched it a little bit. Of course I can be a bit suspect saying this, because I like the concept of remixes in music.>>

Those 'continuity implants' used in CLASSIC X-MEN were a decidedly mixed bag.

In the case of the issues drawn by Dave Cockrum, Cockrum himself drew the new material and those pages usually meshed very well with the original story.

When they started reprinting the John Byrne issues, though, they should have abandoned the whole idea. Byrne was not involved with CLASSIC X-MEN in any way, and inserting pages by other artists into the body of the Byrne reprints was jarring and clumsily executed, to say the least.

Landru

Marvel TPB Essential line

I'd hardly call your FAQ useless. Thanks for posting! I have to wonder about your formatting though. Any way you could HTML this documet?

                Title: Essential Silver Surfer         Volume: 1                 Cover Artist:   John Buscema         Cover Versions: Both                 Issues Reprinted:       Silver Surfer (V1) #1-18       Oddities:       None.       Extras: An excerpt from Fantastic Four Annual (V1) #5

Oddity: The first printing was missing pages during the South American storyline.

- StAkAr Karnak

*** http://www.geocities.com/glakandar/dime.html

Visit the Marvel Chronology Project! http://www.chronologyproject.com

When all is said and done, more is said than done. - anonymous

Thanks for the great input! I flipped through the three volumes and lo and behold, there were Classic X-men references in Volume 2! I could not find any in Volume 1 or 3 - can anyone verify that?

This is just the kind of help I need, and I've got to wonder if any Spidey afficianados could check for Marvel Tales references.

As for 'goodies' that are in each volume, I am working on that as we speak and if it was not so time consuming (or subjective), it would be done. First appearances are even trickier, as I'm not sure (especially in the later volumes) who is making a first appearance. Perhaps I will list major villians/heroes that appear. Hmmmm....

Thanks again, I will make a special 'Thanks' section to list your name.

Kevin

On Wed, 03 Jul 2002 20:43:52 GMT, 'Eric San Juan'

Thanks for the input! I perused my first printing of the Essential Silver Surfer, and all pages were seemingly there during the South American story (issue 10 had 20 pages and issue 11 had 20 pages). Can anyone else see if they too were missing pages or if StAkAr Karnak just caught a bad copy? Thanks again!

As for the formatting, I'm working on making it a bit better, but it most likely will remain text for the forseeable future. Now if someone had a website...

Thanks again!

Kevin

The old version has the spine printing inverted. That's darned odd.

I haven't thoroughly read your post, but if there's not a section devoted to missing pages, there should be. Of course, the only one I can think of is in the 'Days of Future Past' arc, but I think I've seen others posted here.

I think the original printings of the original 3 essential volumes