Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Essential Marvel Team-Up by Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema ISBN: 0-7851-0828-9 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: April, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.83 (6 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Ahhhhh, The Seventies
Comment: This volume (Volume 1 of Essential Marvel Team-up) holds special meaning for me as issue 14, with the savage Sub-Mariner was the first (and last) comic book I stole from a corner store. I had to have this issue with these two stars. That was the true appeal of the first couple of years of this series, anticipating the wonderful match-ups and catching a first glimpse of those wonderful covers with two heroes in full-throated action, such as the wonderful sight of Spider-Man battling the Werewolf (by night) on a bridge in San Fransicso. Many of the stories do not live up to the promise and it was hard to develop more complicated stories in this format. In fact, the most developed storyline (extending over three issues and involving Spider-Man, the Human Torch, the Avengers, and the Inhumans) was the weakest. The writing improved with the addition of Len Wein and the art was generally quite good, particularly as done by Gil Kane (see his wonderful work with Captain America, Spider-Man and the Gray Gargoyle, one of the best stories in the series). The stars tend to be the more famous characters of the Marvel universe, with Human Torch hogging too much of the spotlight (thankfully in the case of the classic Human Torch/Iceman dust-up) but there are occasional appearance by such rarely seen characters as Brother Voodoo. All in all, this is a wonderful volume and a delightful trip down memory lane. Where else could one see Spider-Man and the Ghost Rider (he of the flaming head) battle a villian whose head is one giant eye, the Orb.
Rating: 4
Summary: The Good Old Days...Need to Have Vol. 2,3 &4!
Comment: While the highly underrated (and uneven) 'Marvel Premiere' was Marvel Comics best showcase of new talent in the 70's, 'Marvel Team-Up' allowed mostly established heroes to interact for an issue or two without messingup continuity. 'Essential Marvel Team-Up' reprints issues #1-24 in the "Essential" series format (black and white pages; low price).
For a Spider-Man fan, 'Marvel Team-Up' was heaven. Unlike the awful 'Marvel Two-in-One' starring the Thing, the stories in 'Team-up' were often pretty good and gave Spidey a chance to play with 'capes' who normally turned their noses up at him. It wasn't always as good as his regular comic, but sometimes it was even better (especially once the Claremont & Byrne team came aboard). The first 24 issues were not the best the series had to offer (there is more than enough of the Human Torch to last one lifetime), but I still highly recommend it. Things really got going around issue #53 (when John Byrne began drawing), #57 (when Chris Claremont began writing) and #59 (when they brought some of the magic they later used to propel the X-men out of the stratosphere). Hopefully, the popularity of the Spidey movies will get more volumes published.
Here is the guest stars/villains of each story:
1. Human Torch/Sandman 2. Human Torch/Frightful Four
3. Human Torch/Morbius 4. Original X-men/Morbius
5. Vision 6. Thing 7. Thor 8. The Cat 9. Iron Man/Kang
10. Human Torch/Kang 11. Inhumans/Kang 12. Werewolf
13. Cpt. America 14. Sub-Mariner 15. Ghost Rider
16. Cpt. Marvel 17. Mr. Fantastic/Mole Man
18. Human Torch & Hulk 19. Ka-Zar/Stegron
20. Black Panther/Stegron 21. Dr. Strange 22. Hawkeye
23. Human Torch & Ice Man 24. Brother Voodoo
Also recommeded: "The Very Best of Spider-Man"; "Death of Gwen Stacey"; "Spider-Man:The Wedding" (not yet released).
Rating: 5
Summary: Essential Fun
Comment: On the face of it, Marvel Team-Up hardly seems worthy of an Essential collection when a number of other Marvel titles -- Daredevil comes immediately to mind -- have not yet garnered such attention.
But I bought Essential Team-Up the first time I laid eyes on it and found it to be worth ever penny.
I'm a big fan of non-hero titles -- Love and Rockets, Eightball, just about anything from Drawn & Quarterly -- but there is an undeniable charm to these stories, especially coming to them post-"Watchmen," "The Dark Knight Returns," and every other attempt to modernize or legitimize men running around in tights.
One gripe: the Human Torch appears in far too much of it -- I'm assuming the writers (Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway among them) enjoyed the bickering he and Spider-Man participated in. More variety in guest-stars would probably up the fun quotient for me. As is, how can you go wrong with something like Spider-Man and Brother Voodoo in "Moondog is Another Name for Murder!"?
I'm hoping for a Volume 2 in this series. Hopefully, we'll see it in a reasonable period of time. (For obvious reasons, it seems only "Spider-Man," "The Fantastic Four," and "The Avengers" Essential series warrant any timely release cycles.)
And since Marvel is already producing other off-the-beaten-path Essentials ("Ant Man" and "Howard the Duck"), how about "Master of Kung Fu," "Iron Fist" (for the early John Byrne) and "Marvel Premiere?"
Essential Marvel Team-Up is a blast. Enjoy.
 |
Title: Essential Captain America by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, George Tuska, Dick Ayers, John Romita, Jack Sparling ISBN: 0785107401 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: Stan Lee Presents the Essential Avengers, Vol. 1: Avengers #1-24 ("Marvel Essentials" Series) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Don Heck ISBN: 0785107010 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: November, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: Essential Avengers, Volume II by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Roy Thomas ISBN: 078510741X Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: The Essential Fantastic Four (Volume 3) by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby ISBN: 0785107827 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: August, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: The Essential Fantastic Four Volume 1 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby ISBN: 0785106669 Publisher: Diamond Comic Dist. Star Sys. Pub. Date: October, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
