Interested in the Masterworks line but missed out on those early volumes? This could be just for you!
The news regarding “ReMasterworks” was announced way back in summer 2022 by Marvel but I was rather sceptical. Wouldn’t Marvel be cannibalising it’s own sales in what I presume is a pretty small niche? I decided to sit back and wait until I had some examples in my hands. Well, my scepticism was unfounded. I’m pleased to say the line has been going for at least a year now and the books look great.
As the announcement linked to above says, the aim of this project is to reprint the earliest volumes of the Marvel Masterworks line. Not just to reprint them though. Each volume will get upgraded restoration on a number of pages along with extra … extras!
The upgraded restoration is due in part to original art turning up in the years since the volumes were first published. I’d imagine, that better restoration techniques might play a part too.
Ye Of Little Faith
Despite my initial scepticism, news of the ReMasterworks was right up my street. I got the collecting bug far too late for the early hardback volumes, so I started out collecting the paperback editions (RIP). Funny to think these were in some cases, themselves upgrades over the original editions of the hardbacks.
All of which is to say, I’ve snagged the volumes released so far and I’m really pleased with them. They are solid upgrades over the paperbacks. If you do happen to have the original hardback editions, (especially those published in the late 1980s and 1990s) these represent complete overhauls of the art restoration.
Telling Your Masterworks Apart from Your ReMasterworks
Of course, looking at the dust jackets they are very similar to the previous editions. So how can you tell without cracking the book open, which edition you’ve got in your hands? Well the Remasterworks have a Roman numeral of the year of publication near the bar code on the back of the dust jacket. The previous editions don’t have this so that’s a pretty simple way to tell.
So far, the pattern of publication seems to be whenever there’s a month when only one Masterwork is being released, Marvel will add a ReMasterworks to the schedule. So this line isn’t exactly going to get through the early volumes very quickly. But this schedule might help this new line be sustainable.
They also seem to be publishing the Remasterworks in the order the original volumes were. So if you look at this handy page on Wikipedia, that will give you an idea of what’s coming up.
The new line is also being published with the usual black and silver dust jacket and also the marble variant editions. So far I’ve gone with the marble variants. I certainly couldn’t resist the green version for the first volume of the Incredible Hulk! However, I also like the consistency of the black and silver covers so I’ve got some decisions to make further down the line.
The new line of Remasterworks started last year and with over eight volumes out already and more planned for this year and next year, the line seems fairly established.
I’d be amazed if they don’t reprint at least the first two dozen volumes of the Masterworks.
