Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters contains 400 pages of classic pre-superhero Marvel monster stories.  All the stories (and covers) are pencilled (and likely plotted) by Kirby except for one each by Ditko and Heck – and then the book closer, the story from Hulk Annual #5 – which features a rare new bronze age story featuring these same pre-superhero monsters – while it sports a new Kirby cover, has art by Sal Buscema (and a script by Chris Claremont, no less).  Included also are nearly 30 pages of scans of the original art to some of the stories and covers from this period.  

It’s worth noting that while most of Kirby’s stories are inked by Dick Ayers (Kirby’s premiere inker of this period), a number are inked by Ditko, which makes for a real treat (and one is inked by Bill Everett!).  

This volume is nicely produced.  Critically, it is printed on off-white, non glossy paper stock.  The designer made the decision to re color all the stories, and did a nice job.  In addition a photoshopped original comic book paperstock tone  ios employed throughout (with the exception of the text pages and those pages reproducing original art).  This makes the reading experience much closer to the originals than the clay coated glossy stock used in the Marvel Comics Monsters books.  The book cover includes a wraparound crowd scene that is nice, but may make mint copies of this book a rarity in the future.  

These stories are wonderful to read, really capture something of the late-50’s-early 60s Cold War anxiety and mark the crack of dawn of the Marvel Age of comics.  

Great stuff!