EXCLUSIVE: The X-Men Facsimile Edition run ends early…
First, a bit of housekeeping: Marvel’s original plan for its Dark Phoenix Saga X-Men Facsimile Edition run this year was to publish Issues #131 to #142. Now comes word that October’s Issue #140 will be the last one. My guess is that’s because #141 and #142 (the Days of Future Past two-parter) were released as Facsimile Editions late in 2023. (Similarly, the early chapters of the Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin — Issues #129 and #130 — were released in the format in 2023 and 2024.
Marvel is doing these yearlong runs so they can collect the issues — ads and all — into Archive Edition hardcovers. What issues will be included in that anticipated volume remains to be seen.
Onward!
Marvel does have three Facsimile Editions on tap for November — Ultimate Spider-Man #1, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, Fantastic Four #11 and Civil War #4 — as well as a one-shot that collects key issues of the ’90s X-epic Age of Apocalypse.
Dig the solicitation info, which will be formally released by the House of Ideas later this week:
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by MARK BAGLEY
Cover by JOE QUESADA • VARIANT COVER BY JOSHUA CASSARA
FOIL VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
The groundbreaking story that introduced the young Peter Parker of a completely new universe and began Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley’s record-breaking 21st-century reimagination of a pop-cultural icon! Get ready to know Spider-Man all over again, from the ground up, as a powerless teen fighting to survive in high school experiences the fateful spider bite that will change everything! But, this time, Uncle Ben survives the first issue! Mary Jane Watson is there from the start! And Norman Osborn’s fingerprints are all over everything! Peter gets his first taste of power, but the lesson about responsibility will have to wait! It’s one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all! Reprinting ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN (2000) #1.
48 PGS./Rated T… $5.99
RETAILERS/CONSUMERS: PLEASE INQUIRE REGARDING FOIL PRICING.
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FANTASTIC FOUR #11 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY
VARIANT COVER BY ALEX SAVIUK
FOIL VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
Continuing a facsimile collection of the foundational adventures of Marvel’s First Family! The FF have survived some dangerous foes in the early days of their super-heroic careers, but nothing could prepare them to face…the Impossible Man! But first, they must deal with the queries from their many fans – courtesy of Willie Lumpkin’s bulging mail bag! Then, at last, from planet Poppup in the tenth galaxy, he arrives! He’s invincible! Irrepressible! And downright Impossible! Can even the combined talents of Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch and the Thing find a way to contain him?! It’s one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all! Reprinting FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #11.
Marvel is reprinting the first twelve issues of FANTASTIC FOUR as they originally appeared!
32 PGS./All Ages… $4.99
RETAILERS/CONSUMERS: PLEASE INQUIRE REGARDING FOIL PRICING.
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CIVIL WAR #4 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by MARK MILLAR
Penciled by STEVE MCNIVEN
COVER BY STEVE MCNIVEN
VARIANT COVER BY PAULO SIQUEIRA
FOIL VARIANT COVER BY MICHAEL TURNER
Continuing a facsimile representation of the blockbuster crossover that scarred the Marvel Universe for years! The Superhuman Registration Act requires all those with powers to register with the government. Captain America and his outlaw band are strenuous objectors. Iron Man leads the pro-registration faction. Two stalwart Avengers, now at loggerheads. But when their greatest ally of all – long thought dead, makes his thunderous comeback – whose side will the Mighty Thor be on? And is everything as it seems with his legendary return? As lightning strikes, a hero falls – and all chance of peace is gone! It’s one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all! Reprinting CIVIL WAR (2006) #4.
Marvel will be reprinting the original seven issues of Civil War!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
RETAILERS/CONSUMERS: PLEASE INQUIRE REGARDING FOIL PRICING.
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X-MEN: TALES FROM THE AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, JOHN FRANCIS MOORE, LARRY HAMA & FABIAN NICIEZA
Penciled by JOE MADUREIRA, STEVE EPTING, ADAM KUBERT & ANDY KUBERT
Cover by PACO MEDINA • VARIANT COVER BY TBA
In 1995, Marvel shocked the comics-reading world, canceling all its blockbuster X-titles and replacing them with new series in the transformed reality of the Age of Apocalypse! These tales, by some of the era’s leading creators, introduced fans to radically new versions of the heroes they loved – fighting for survival in a nightmarish dystopia where Charles Xavier is long dead! Professor X was killed twenty years in the past during a freak time-travel accident, and now the Darwinian conqueror Apocalypse rules with an iron fist – ruthlessly enforcing his dictum that only the strong shall survive! In the long shadow of En Sabah Nur, hidden among a downtrodden humankind, are a group of ragtag freedom fighters led by Xavier’s oldest friend: Magneto! They’re amazing, they’re astonishing – but who are the X-Men?! Plus: What has become of iconic mutants Cyclops, Havok and Wolverine in this war-torn world? Collecting ASTONISHING X-MEN (1995) #1, FACTOR X #1, WEAPON X (1995) #1 and AMAZING X-MEN (1995) #1.
104 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T… $9.99
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A few thoughts:
— To be abundantly clear, that Age of Apocalypse one-shot is not a collection of Facsimile Editions but a collection of stories. The publication is promoting the Age of Revelation storyline that begins in earnest in the fall.
— Release dates were not immediately available.
— If Marvel continues with these lengthy Facsimile runs in 2026, here’s my prediction for one of them: Spider-Man: Brand New Day, possibly including One More Day. Because, y’know, movie. Another clue? Civil War led to both. (And Spider-Man: No Way Home used some of the One More Day elements.)
— Obligatory Price Comparison: A close to NM copy of an original Ultimate Spider-Man #1 recently sold on eBay for about $112.
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MORE
— The First MARVEL/DC Facsimile Edition Is… AMALGAM SPIDER-BOY #1. Click here.
— MARVEL Sets Dates For October’s Fab FANTASTIC FOUR and X-MEN Facsimile Editions. Click here.
August 17, 2025
I’m good for #11 & #12 of the FF run but otherwise I’m out. Civil War was actually the start of me dropping Marvel. So many more issues from the Silver Age and Bronze that I would have loved to see/buy but at least I’ll save $$$ in 2026.
August 17, 2025
They just reprinted X-Men #141-142 along with a reprint of a rare newer Claremont story.
https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/129652/x-men_by_chris_claremont_prelude_to_a_future_past_2025_1
August 18, 2025
Yes, they did. Story points out 141-142.
August 17, 2025
Dropping X-Men? Noooooo! But only because, again, I was hoping they’d run it to #143 for Christmas.
And for next year’s run, if any? I agree that Brand New Day is a possibility, but how about Avengers #1-12 as well? (They already did #1, 8, and 9. I’m shocked they never did #4.)
August 17, 2025
Like Buck, I am disappointed that Marvel is neglecting single issues of classic Marvel Silver Age books. I’d love to see Marvel release Sgt. Fury 13 starring Cap and Bucky for Memorial Day. What abut iconic issues like Avengers 16, X-men 9 and arguably one of the best Silver Age stories, Daredevil 7 featuring the epic confrontation between DD and the Sub-Mariner with incredible art by Wally Wood?
August 17, 2025
Dan could start a whole article on the Top 13 Silver Age facsimile issues we dream of having. I’d get all of those you mentioned and toss a few more of my own I’d like to see such as Cap 100 and Avengers #57.
FYI, cheapest Sgt Fury #13 I can find is around $130.
August 17, 2025
I’ve done this sort of thing before but it may be time again. Especially since most that made the DC list have been printed by now!
August 17, 2025
You need a way to a survey readers of the site. You could do a top DC 13 list and a separate 13 for Marvel. Then do a top 13 of overall, a mix of both. But would be picked by the readers. While I think most of us are from a similar generation, our favorites and tastes are all over the place. You should certainly bring it up at the next staff meeting.
August 20, 2025
Same as everybody else, I feel it’s a shame that Marvel has switched to facsimile ‘runs’. I like single issues with iconic covers and moments etc.
I’m also one of the few that collects the foil facsimiles specifically. I like them for display, and use my trades for reading.
Come on Marvel, lets get those 63-91 covers again.
August 21, 2025
I’m fine with runs depending on the context and, moreover, they don’t hurt the collectability. For example, Marvel republishing the complete Secret Wars (1984) made complete sense, particulaly since there’s a number of powerful individual issues in there (including #1, #7 [first Spider-Woman], #8 [alien costume], and #9 [everybody versus Galactus]). Why end on a cliffhanger or weird unresolved chapter? Frankly, both companies have been doing enough facsimilies that if you have all of them, you have weird gaps (like Uncanny X-Men #266, 268, and 274, but not the issues in between).
In contrast, some of the single issues are annoying with no other context. Case in point: I just picked up the Batman #655 facsimile (first Damian Wayne) which I’d never read before. Damian is barely in it, and really in cameo-style shadow where he is. Adding some of the follow-on issues would really help.