Upcoming Marvel Comics collections: Machine Man, Master of Kung Fu, Squadron Supreme and more

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Machine Man by Kirby & Ditko: The Complete Collection
A military machine with a soul, a thinking computer in the form of a man, X-51 is the Machine Man! Abel Stack gave a government-created robot a human face, nurturing the man inside the machine and calling him son. But Stack's death left that son, Aaron, alone and running for his life. The military wants to strip him apart, mankind doesn't understand him - but in exploits crafted by two of the medium's greatest talents, he'll still redefine humanity. Few comic books were lucky enough to be graced by the work of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.
COLLECTING: MACHINE MAN (1978) 1-19; INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) 235-237

Thor Epic Collection: Runequest
Thor confronts a menagerie of foes, from Storm Giants and the Crusader to Graviton and the Lord of Darkness himself, Dracula! The battle for Asgard -the battle for life itself - is set when Loki and the war-god Tyr steal the Golden Apples of Immortality and unleash the Midgard Serpent. Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three must face a world-destroying menace and prevail...or age and die like mortal men!
COLLECTING: VOL. 12; THOR (1966) 320-336, ANNUAL (1966) 11; BIZARRE ADVENTURES (1981) 32

Spider-Man by Todd McFarlane Omnibus
Todd McFarlane became a superstar illustrating the Amazing Spider-Man, but he changed the industry forever with his next project: the "adjectiveless" solo title SPIDER-MAN! Taking on both writing and art duties, McFarlane ushered Peter Parker into a gritty new era - and it began with Torment! When blood washes the Big Apple's streets, the webslinger heads into the sewers to stop the homicidal rampage of the Lizard. But what is driving his old friend and foe? Plus, in the ultimate Nineties team-up, Spidey joins X-Force to battle the unstoppable Juggernaut!
COLLECTING: SPIDER-MAN (1990) 1-14, 16; X-FORCE (1991) 4 SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL 1-6

Daredevil Epic Collection: The Man Without Fear
Born to a past-his-prime prizefighter, Matt Murdock's luck always ran a step behind his good intentions. When a daring act to save a man's life blinds young Murdock, he finds that the same accident has enhanced his remaining senses to superhuman levels! He becomes Daredevil, a gritty hero born from murder but tempered with the desire to protect the downtrodden.
COLLECTING: VOL. 1; DAREDEVIL (1964) 1-21

Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus
Earth's Mightiest Heroes by one of comics' biggest names! John Byrne transforms the West Coast Avengers, as the dismantling of the Vision sets the android's bewitching wife Wanda down a path that is far darker than scarlet! On the East Coast, Byrne steers the Avengers through attack by the Lava Men and into the Negative Zone in search of the Eternals! Then along comes a spider as a friendly neighborhood wallcrawler joins the Assemblers on a journey to the stars!
COLLECTING: WEST COAST AVENGERS (1985) 42-46; AVENGERS WEST COAST 47-62, ANNUAL 4; AVENGERS (1963) 305-318, ANNUAL 18

Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Man or Monster?
Dr. Robert Bruce Banner may look like a mild-mannered scientist, but after being caught in a gamma bomb explosion, he became the unstoppable engine of destruction known as the Hulk! Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's atomic update on the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde paradigm mixed the might of giant monsters with Cold War intrigue and added a heavy dose of psychological drama. Decades later, it's a formula that still has readers clamoring for more!
COLLECTING: VOL. 1; INCREDIBLE HULK (1962) 1-6; FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) 12, 25-26; AVENGERS (1963) 1-3, 5; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) 14; TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) 59; JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) 112


Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu Omnibus Vol. 1
One of the most groundbreaking Marvel Comics of all is collected for the first time! Born to be the world's most fearsome fighter, Shang-Chi's life takes a major turn when he discovers the truth about his father - the villainous Fu Manchu! So begins the epic story of the Master of Kung Fu! On a quest to end the reign of his pernicious patriarch, Shang-Chi pits his deadly hands and furious feet against incredible foes like Tiger-Claw, Razor-Fist, the mysterious Midnight - and even the macabre Man-Thing! But will his mastery of martial arts be enough in a throwdown with the Amazing Spider-Man?
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART, GERRY CONWAY, DOUG MOENCH, LEN WEIN & ROGER STERN
Penciled by JIM STARLIN, PAUL GULACY, AL MILGROM, KEITH POLLARD, JOHN BUSCEMA, SAL BUSCEMA, ROSS ANDRU & MORE
COLLECTING: SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION #15-16, MASTER OF KUNG FU (1974) #17-37, GIANT-SIZE MASTER OF KUNG FU #1-4, GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #2, and Material from IRON MAN ANNUAL #4

Squadron Supreme Classic Omnibus
Get the full story of Marvel's most superior superteam! They're the mightiest heroes of their dimension, but what happens when the Squadron Supreme encounter the Serpent Crown...and the Avengers? Then, in one of the most celebrated miniseries of all time, the Squadron expand their ranks - and take control of their United States in a bid to create utopia!
COLLECTING: AVENGERS 69-70, 85-86, 141-144, 147-149; THOR 280; DEFENDERS 112-114; SQUADRON SUPREME 1-12; CAPTAIN AMERICA 314; SQUADRON SUPREME: DEATH OF A UNIVERSE; QUASAR 13-16, 51-52; AVENGERS 5-6; AND MORE!

Stan Lee: Marvel Treasury Edition Slipcase
Face Front, True Believers, and treasure this super-sized celebration of the incredible career of Stan Lee! More than 70 years of stories, featuring dozens of Lee's beloved co-creations - including Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, the Avengers, Daredevil and Nick Fury - all in his signature, senses-shattering style! These astonishing tales of suspense, horror, fantasy, romance, comedy, cowboys, super heroics and more prove beyond doubt that Stan is "The Man!" Excelsior!
COLLECTING: INCREDIBLE HULK 1; AVENGERS 1, 15-16; X-MEN 4-5; SGT. FURY 8; FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL 2-3; DAREDEVIL 7, 47; CAPTAIN AMERICA 109; THOR 146-152, 179-181; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 96-98, 365, 634-645; SAVAGE SHE-HULK 1; SILVER SURFER: PARABLE 1-2; CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS 3, 16; AMAZING FANTASY 15; TALES TO ASTONISH 35; TALES OF SUSPENSE 39; STRANGE TALES 135; SILVER SURFER 3; AND MORE

First Emitt Rhodes LP in over 40 years on the way

Remember how we thought we'd never see an official release of the Beach Boys' Smile or a full set of The Basement Tapes? A new Emitt Rhodes is in that same unbelievable-but-true category.

Fans of sublime pop know Rhodes for his heavily Beatles/McCartney-influenced work with the Merry-Go-Round and three one-man-band solo LPs he made in the early 1970s. Since then, we've heard nothing but rumors and dispiriting news about all that horrible stuff that stunts genius - namely lawsuits, bad deals, loss of confidence.

But, now, finally, there's a new release from Rhodes on the way.

Out Feb. 26 from Omnivore, Rainbow Ends see Rhodes singing a new batch of originals aided by former members of Jellyfish, Aimee Mann, Sussanah Hofs, members of Brian Wilson's band and other appropriate folks.

Here's the skinny:

Emitt Rhodes stopped making albums in 1973. From his teenage start in The Merry Go Round (“Live,” covered by the Bangles and “Time Will Show The Wiser,” recorded by Fairport Convention) to his acclaimed solo career, Rhodes was destined for greatness. Sadly, in a storied battle of the record business, that run stopped. While he periodically appeared on other musicians’ records, Emitt Rhodes’ fourth true solo album never appeared.

After being re-introduced via the inclusion of his track “Lullaby” in 2001’s The Royal Tennebaums, old fans rejoiced and new ones were born. Over a decade later, producer Chris Price approached Emitt about working on another record. He contacted friends including Roger Joseph Manning Jr. and Jason Falkner (former Jellyfish and current Beck bandmates), Fernando Perdomo, Taylor Locke (Rooney) and New Pornographers’ drummer Joe Seiders, and they all entered Emitt’s home studio (where his classics were made), and emerged with the record the world has been waiting decades for—Rainbow Ends.

In addition to Emitt’s all-star band, Rainbow Ends contains contributions from Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs, Jon Brion, Bleu, Nels Cline and Pat Sansone from Wilco, as well as members of Brian Wilson’s band, and more.

While Rainbow Ends sounds like it could have been released in the late 1970s, it feels as timeless as his catalog. Pure, lush, pop goodness. And, totally current. As Emitt’s three ABC albums were packaged in a gatefold sleeve—so is Rainbow Ends. The LP comes with a download card, first pressing on clear vinyl Both the LP and the digipak CD feature lyrics and new photos.

These 11 songs show why he is revered, justify the documentaries and endless writing, and prove that Emitt Rhodes’ music is transcendent. It is solid gold where the Rainbow Ends.
You can pre-order a copy here.

Pop Artifact: Vintage Doctor Who TARDIS bank



DVD and Blu-ray New Releases: Phantom from 10,000 Leagues; Wild Wild West; Northern Soul, more

Out this week. Click the links to order discounted DVDs and Blu-rays from Amazon.