In 1966, Marvel printed six one-shot comic books spotlighting the origins of their most popular characters at the time – and they were done in books smaller than a postage stamp. These Marvel Mini-Books, as they’ve since been called, were sold in gumball machines across North America and have bcome a unique collectible in the years since – and now they’re being reprinted, facsimile-style, in the same size – and collected as a boxed set.
Abrams ComicsArts is reprinting all six – with seventh book detailing the history and creation of the mini-books – in the August 18 boxed set Marvel Comics Mini-Books. Comics scholar/writer Mark Evanier leads this tour of a nearly-forgotten corner of Marvel lore, with photography by Geoff Spear.
The six books profiled the origins of Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Sgt. Nick Fury, and Millie the Model.