EXCLUSIVE! Gearing up for the MCU’s big 2027 flick…
Marvel in January will begin republishing as Facsimile Editions 2015’s Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic and co. — a Modern Age event that clearly has links to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The nine issues will be published monthly through September.
There’s a second Marvel Facsimile Edition coming in January, and you can get the lowdown here.
Dig the official solicitation info for Secret Wars #1, to be formally released by Marvel later this week:
SECRET WARS #1 FACSIMILE EDITION
JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) ESAD RIBIC (A) COVER BY ALEX ROSS
Re-presenting the first chapter of the shocking event series that culminated years of storytelling by maestro Jonathan Hickman and had a seismic impact on the Marvel Universe! A series of Incursions has destroyed the Multiverse, leaving only two Earths. Now, the final Incursion is here. The 616 Universe will collide with the Ultimate Universe, and heroes on each side will strive to save their world. But neither will survive. When everything ends, what will be left? Only Doom! It’s one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all! Reprinting SECRET WARS (2015) #1.
56 PGS./Rated T+… $6.99
On Sale 1/20
—
Buncha thoughts:
— There’s no question that Secret Wars is timed to the 2027 MCU movie (and the aftermath of Avengers: Doomsday).
— Marvel has been publishing “Incursions” one-shots that reveal untold stories that led to Secret Wars.
— This is the first lengthy Facsimile Edition run since this year’s 1968 Silver Surfer series, and the first from the Modern Age, I do believe.
— Nothing from earlier eras this month on the Facsimile front, but I wouldn’t draw any conclusions from that. December’s two Facsimiles both have ’80s angles. November’s are all from the ’70s and ’80s.
— Obligatory Price Comparison: An unslabbed, high-grade original Secret Wars #1 recently sold on eBay for $25. A full set will run you between $70 and $170, typically including the Free Comic Book Day #0 issue, which is not being reprinted.
—
MORE
— SPIDER-PUNK’s First Appearance Gets FACSIMILE EDITION in January 2027. Click here.
— THE (COMIC) BOOK OF BOBA FETT: 1980’s STAR WARS #42 to Get Facsimile Edition. Click here.
October 20, 2026
That’s a choice. Will the final issues be delayed into 2028 for an authentic reading experience?
October 20, 2026
So by September 2027, Marvel will have something like 187 published facsimilies under this program. (DC is still well in the lead now with 200 projected through August 2027.)
I’m concluding that a big part of the economics of the facsimile market is an appeal to scarcity. Back issue collecting became hot during the pandemic and after, and there’s certain back issues that are moderately to absurdly out of reach for floppy collectors. The facsimile market says: hey, you can still own a copy of Incredible Hulk #181, even if it’s not an original.
Still facsimiles become absurd when the original issues are in the range of “affordable.” (Your mileage may vary on “affordable.” Marvel has repeatedly reprinted Uncanny X-Men #137, and I bought a servicable original copy a few years ago for $25. The facsimile isn’t that special to me, but maybe $25 is still out of reach for a kid who spends $20 on three modern-day floppies.)
If an original 2015 Secret Wars is going for $20 on eBay (and I bet you can find it for cheaper in back issue bins), does it need a facsimile line? Especially where Marvel just releasd the Premiere Collection TPB where the whole story is only $15? Probably not.
This is an Avengers year. I was hoping Marvel might at some point do a complete run of Avengers #1-12. We’re still shockingly low on Avengers reprints–we’ve only gotten #1, 8, 9, 25 (in a blind bag), 57, and Annual #10. The biggest offender is having never gotten Avengers #4, the modern age return of Captain America. Hey, there’s a Hulk War series starting in January–there’s more than a few classic Avengers vs. Hulk stories that’d make a good time-in facsimile, including Fantastic Four #24-25 and the follow-on Avengers #5. Gah.
(Am I buying Secret Wars? Yes. But: gah.)
October 20, 2026
Disappointing that there are no sixties titles. DC does a much better job of mining their library. Where the heck is the facsimile of Avengers numbers 4 and 16?
October 20, 2026
The recurring pattern at both companies is–generally–to republish something that ties into a current hot topic. For example, DC is reprinting the first appearance of Clayface this week. Why? Because the Clayface movie is releasing this month. Marvel is reprinting Ultimate Fantastic Four #21 as a nod to last week’s Midnight Fantastic Four #1. DC is a little better at reprinting outside of the current month’s fads, but they’re still *generally* reprinting to appeal to current tastes.
Now, I made the case above that Marvel could have done an Avengers #1-12 this year. I’m disappointed that they didn’t. But I still recognize that they’re unlikely to do some Silver Age reprints just because.
October 20, 2026
I usually don’t bother to buy any facsimile editions of modern-era comics — say, ones from 1990 to present. Whereas I bought *every issue* of the FF #1-12 and Silver Surfer #1-7 facsimiles. So Marvel is missing an opportunity once again.
October 21, 2026
>> So Marvel is missing an opportunity once again.
>>
While admitting I have no numbers in front of me, I do agree with you. I do believe “we” represent a real market. As a publisher, I’d try to cover multiple demographics.
October 21, 2026
No more full series facsimiles and definitely no more facsimiles from after 1985.
October 21, 2026
It’s not gonna happen. Like I said above, part of the appeal of facsimiles is to appeal to the back issue market. 1986 is now 40 years ago and believe it or not, there’s comics in recent memory that aren’t cheap in a dollar bin! (Look, a copy of 2014’s Edge of Spider-Verse #2 can go as high as $300 ungraded.)
If there’s a demand for books purely because they date before 1985: Epic Collections/DC Finest and Omnibi exist!