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Marvel Comics killed the Marvel Masterworks line after 39 years, but another publisher is stepping in to save it
A crowdfunding publisher is stepping up to continue the Marvel Masterworks line after Marvel itself couldn’t afford to.
NewsbyChris Arrant, Editor-in-Chief
Published on Fri Jul 24 2026
For nearly 40 years, Marvel Comics had a collections program in which it reprinted classic (and in many cases, out-of-print) stories from its long history and presented in a prestige format. It was called Marvel Masterworks, and in 2025 Marvel abruptly canceled the line due to diminishing interest from readers. Now, another publisher has stepped up to bring it back.
Clover Press has obtained the license to restart the Marvel Masterworks line under its own banner, as it announced to retailers during a closed-door event today at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Clover Press’ Marvel Masterworks line is scheduled to begin in 2027, with re-issues of some previous editions and continuation of some of the long-running collection series that ended abruptly with Marvel’s decision to stop the line themselves.
Clover Press publisher Hank Kanalz says that the first four books from the revived Marvel Masterworks line will be new volumes of Uncanny X-Men, Super Villain Team-Up, Mighty Thor, and Tomb of Dracula. They will each have two versions: one with the classic format, tradedress, and numbering, and then a second one with a new standalone design and no numbering to make them more appealing to new readers.
“The central issue was pretty straightforward… sales on those volumes had dropped to the point where they were no longer financially viable,” Marvel Comics’ senior vice president of publishing Tom Brevoort said in June 2025 about the line’s original cancelation. “So while I like the format, if the audience for the books isn’t there, then they’re going to go on hiatus at least. And yes, I was responsible for restarting the program in the late 1990s and getting it running again after its first hiatus. The same thing may be possible here, but we’ll need to see what happens over time.”
Turns out it is possible, thanks to Clover Press. It’ll be curious to see if they can make Marvel Masterworks more financially feasible than Marvel Comics could. A contributing factor could be Clover Press’ deep usage of crowdfunding to procure money well in advance of production to fund the projects, which is something to date Marvel Comics has not done directly.
Want more? Make sure you’ve read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time.
About Comic-Con International: San Diego
Comic-Con is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more! Enjoy cosplay galore and take part in unique programming, exclusive previews, and presentations, not to mention the expansive and diverse Exhibit Hall featuring merchandise and displays representing all fandoms.
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Chris Arrant: Chris Arrant is the Popverse’s Editor-in-Chief. He has written about pop culture for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher’s Weekly, Marvel, Newsarama, CBR, and more. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. (He/him)
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