Marvel Milestones: Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer, Sub-Mariner, & Hulk

    (Marvel, 2005)
™ and © Marvel Characters, Inc.

At its inception, Marvel Milestones was a reprint title that of offered readers an opportunity to read a classic story that otherwise would be cost prohibitive to purchase. The first of appearance of Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15, or the return of Captain America in the historic 4th issue of the Avengers are only two examples. These books were exact reproductions of the original down to the letters pages and advertising, but with a silver border to identify its status as a reprint.

That concept has been abandoned in this run of Marvel Milestones which appears to serve as a promotional tool for a new Defenders title. This book contains stories featuring Dr. Strange, the Silver Surfer, the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk, who were founding members of The Defenders. The Dr. Strange story is from Marvel Premier with art by Barry Windsor Smith. The Silver Surfer tale first appeared in the Fantastic Four Annual #5 and the Hulk story is a three-page synopsis of his origin from the 3rd issue of his original series. But it is the first appearance of the Sub-Mariner in Marvel Comics #1 that serves to make this book significant.

This is an eclectic collection of reprints, but then, The Defenders was an eclectic collection of characters. Any doubt that this edition of Marvel Milestones was intended to promote the latest incarnation of that series is resolved by presence of the cover of the first issue by Kevin Maquire on the last page.

— George Haberberger
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#1

November, 1994
Cover Price: $3.99
2 copies available from $21.00 		Stan LeeBarry Windsor-Smith, Dan Adkins, Jack Kirby