Batmite wrote:
Fin Fang Foom wrote:

I wouldn't be surprised if some pages from Marvel triple action were used for the Masterworks, film, stats or what ever.


I wouldn't either. I've long suspected many of the problems with Marvel's film originate from those early reprints, when the materials might have been poorly duplicated or mis-handled, and the original elements (when they exist) went into a warehouse somewhere and were lost track of 'till recently. (That's why the earlier Masterworks tended to be so dismal.)

That makes totally sense, and it is a shame, because these soft cover version of the Masterworks might be the last time anyone is going to put some elbow oil in to the restoration.

It is true that the best tender loving care was not applied to the original source materials during the early days of Marvel.  The disappearance of the original stats for Amazing Spider-Man #29 is a perfect example.

I don't believe that the material from the Marvel Triple Action reprints was used in the Masterworks.  While reprint material has been used in early editions of the Essentials, I don't think they have been used for the assembling of the Masterworks.  This particular issue of Avengers was reprinted in late 1976 in MTA #33.  To use the splash page posted above as an example, the top blurb has been changed in the reprint to read "Stan Lee Presents: The Mighty Avengers!"  The bracelet we are looking at in the other posted panel looks more like the original page than the Masterwork page, so that line has been lost somewhere in between, but it was there for the first reprint.  Also, the MTA reprint omits the corner page marks at the bottom of the page. 

As an example of the items I have identified, check out any reprinting of Incredible Hulk #140, the first appearance of Jarella.  Even the JCPenney reprint from the '90s utiilzed the 1980 Marvel Super-Heroes reprint stat, identified by the "Stan Lee Presents" blurb on the splash page, and had been the same for every reprint I have ever seen, until it was Masterworked in Avengers Masterworks Vol. 9.  Especially since its first Masterwork appearance was only due to its being a cross-over, even here it received a full treatment and not just a quick slapped-together presentation.  
 
Let's just hope that the slight dip in restoration was still the best that could have been done for these pages.  Batmite is right that more care most likely will never be attempted again.

Last Edited By: Peter Parker Aug 11 13 9:24 AM. Edited 4 times.