With the omnibus and oversized hardcover line running side-by-side while sharing the same print size, there was often confusion in regards to how Marvel classified books. In 2015, a Spider-Verse 'oversized hardcover' was released at 648 pages;[4] yet, months later, a Superior Foes Of Spider-Man 'omnibus' came out, with only 376 pages.[5] Both collected full runs of a Spider-Man miniseries that had been released within the prior two years. In February 2019, the Hulk: Dogs Of War 'oversized hardcover' was 832 pages; while, four months later, Hulk by Loeb and McGuinness was a 912-page 'omnibus'.[6][7]
Meanwhile, the 2011 'oversized hardcover' of X-Men: Fall Of The Mutants was re-released with the exact same page count and cover in 2022, but using 'omnibus' branding; while 2025's X-Men: Fatal Attractions 'omnibus' has identical content to the 2012 'oversized hardcover'.[8][9][10][11]
The shortest omnibus was 2007's Devil Dinosaur at 184 pages, while the largest oversized hardcover was 2013's Avengers vs. X-Men Companion at 1,112 pages.[12][13]
By 2022, even though the overall comics market "was a success on the surface", the generally thinner oversized hardcover format was struggling. Costs had increased for both retailers and consumers, especially in regards to shipping. This led to a priority shift towards the softcover trade paperback format, and manga-style digests. This was borne out by Marvel's 2025 launch of the 9in x 6in Premier Collection, in response to DC's Compact Comics, which had been a big hit for retailers.[14][15]
As a result, just 18 oversized hardcovers came out in 2022, with eight in 2023 - a far cry from the 49 of 2011 and 45 of 2010. Only four books were released in 2024, each rounding off a creator's run that had already started in the format. Those numbers compared to 2024's record 89 omnibuses and 87 Epic Collections, including reprints, signalling the priority change.
Only three oversized hardcovers are scheduled for 2025: Rob Liefeld's Deadpool Badbadder Blood one-shot;[16] the fourth volume of X-Force by Benjamin Percy, and a Red Band edition of the Blood Hunt event.
