Posted By Dan Greenfield on Nov 6, 2021 | 1 comment

The first appearance of Thanos! Iron Man’s origin retold! MORE!

Hey, we’ve got some more Marvel Epic Collection news for you, following this week’s info on upcoming ’70s Spider-Man and Ghost Rider editions.

Come May 2022, the House of Ideas will publish Iron Man Epic Collection: Battle Royal, which is jammed with some of Shellhead’s most vital Bronze Age adventures — including the debut of Thanos.

Dig this official description, according to Amazon:

IRON MAN EPIC COLLECTION: BATTLE ROYAL

By Mike Friedrich, Roy Thomas, Jim Starlin, Bill Everett, George Tuska, Barry Windsor-Smith, P. Craig Russell, John Romita

Tony Stark’s life takes a turn for the extraordinary when his ESP-empowered fiancée, Marianne Rodgers, is tormented by visions of Iron Man’s death. As if that wasn’t drama enough, the Stark Industries’ Board of Directors vies to force Tony from his company as protesters riot at the gates. Then, Iron Man goes cosmic with the first appearances of Thanos, Drax the Destroyer and Moondragon. Next, a gauntlet of classic villains—from the Mandarin to Whiplash—push our hero to his limits. It stands against the backdrop of an increasingly tense love triangle between Tony Stark, Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. An Avenger vs. Avenger battle and Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith’s stunning retelling of Iron Man’s origin top off this epic era!

COLLECTING: Iron Man (1968) 47-67

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A few thoughts:

Iron Man #55. Plot and pencils by Jim Starlin, script by Mike Friedrich, inks by Mike Esposito.

— The Thomas/Windsor-Smith origin story has rarely been reprinted, so that’s nice to see. Plus, jeez, look at that creator line-up.

— The 448-page paperback is due May 24, 2022, and lists for $39.99.

— Standard caveat: This has not been solicited by Marvel yet, so nothing is official until it’s official. Even then, things can change. Just keep coming to 13th Dimension for updates.

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MORE

— SPIDER-MAN: Original Harry Osborn GREEN GOBLIN Saga Gets EPIC COLLECTION. Click here.

— Marvel’s GHOST RIDER to get First EPIC COLLECTION. Click here.