Posted By Dan Greenfield on Aug 4, 2024 | 5 comments

What a great, big idea!

Last year, when we broke the news that Marvel was going to publish 1974’s Giant-Size Super-Stars #1 as a Facsimile Edition, in honor of the format’s 50th anniversary, there was much rejoicing throughout the land. We hoped the company would release a whole line of these issues as Facsimile Editions. Our pal Jim Beard even listed 13 GIANT-SIZE MARVEL FACSIMILE EDITIONS WE’D LIKE TO SEE.

Alas, we were wrong. No dice. Instead, the House of Ideas has been publishing Giant-Size issues highlighted by new material. But get this: Marvel has scheduled the Giant-Size Marvel Omnibus — collecting almost every Giant-Size issue from the 1970s — for spring 2025.

Dig the description found through online listings:

GIANT-SIZE MARVEL OMNIBUS

Giant-Size classic issues were one of Marvel’s signature formats in the 1970s, in one great big Omnibus!

All your favorite super heroes — plus some of Marvel’s horror icons — star in extra-length adventures that gave comic fans of the 1970s even more bang for their buck! The Thing battles the Hulk, and the Fantastic Four meet the Multiple Man! Spider-Man endures monstrous encounters with Morbius, Man-Wolf, Dracula and Man-Thing! The Avengers mourn a loss — and celebrate the wedding of Vision and the Scarlet Witch! The Defenders meet the Guardians of the Galaxy! The all-new, all-different X-Men are recruited to rescue the original team! Plus: Giant-Size chillers featuring Dracula, Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing and more!

COLLECTING: Giant-Size Super-Stars (1974) 1; Giant-Size Fantastic Four (1974) 2-5; Giant-Size Super-Heroes featuring Spider-Man (1974) 1; Giant-Size Spider-Man (1974) 1, 4-5; Giant-Size Chillers featuring the Curse of Dracula (1974) 1; Giant-Size Dracula (1974) 2-5; Giant-Size Creatures featuring Werewolf (1974) 1; Giant-Size Werewolf (1974) 2-5; Giant-Size Defenders (1974) 1-5; Giant-Size Avengers (1974) 1-4; Giant-Size Man-Thing (1974) 1-5; Giant-Size Chillers (1975) 1-3; Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up (1975) 1-2; Giant-Size X-Men (1975) 1; Giant-Size Invaders (1975) 1

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A few thoughts:

— What a great idea. I still would have preferred a year’s worth of Giant-Size Facsimile Editions, but this a damn good consolation prize.

— The list only mentions a “Gil Kane X-Men Cover,” but there will be variants, as usual. They are expected to be Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up #2 and Giant-Size Super-Heroes Featuring Spider-Man #1. (As a commenter notes below, issues featuring licensed characters are absent from the book, as is Kid Colt.)

— The 1,272-page hardcover lists for $150 and is due April 15, 2025.

— Standard caveat: Marvel hasn’t solicited this yet so anything can change. Keep coming back to 13th Dimension for updates!

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MORE

— 13 GIANT-SIZE Marvel Facsimile Editions We’d Like to See. Click here.

— 1974’s Smashing GIANT-SIZE SUPER-STARS #1 to Get Facsimile Edition. Click here.