Artist Barry Windsor-Smith is one of the most legendary names in comics. This is mainly thanks to his detailed line work and striking images on series such as Conan the Barbarian, and the iconic Wolverine story Weapon X. Now, publisher Fantagraphics has teamed up with Marvel to bring some of Barry Windsor-Smith’s earliest work in deluxe hardcover format. Coming this spring is The Marvel Creator Collection: Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel. This three-volume series collects the artist’s earliest published work, going back to 1969. You can see the first images from the collection, collecting pages originally from Avengers #66, in our gallery down below. These pages show some of the earliest appearances of the Vision, who would go on to become one of Marvel’s most stalwart Avengers.
The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Vol. 1
Due out at the end of April, The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” will feature early pre-Conan work on titles such as X-Men, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man. This will also include his amazing run on “Ka-Zar” of the Savage Land in Astonishing Tales. These stories helped close out Marvel’s Silver Age era, and usher in the Bronze Age. In addition to the previously mentioned series, this collection will collect individual stories from horror titles Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows. Future volumes will collect Barry Windsor-Smith’s work from later groundbreaking Marvel series like Machine Man.
In a statement, here’s what Fantagraphics’ founder Gary Groth had to say about this upcoming celebration of Windsor-Smith’s decades of Marvel work:
I have literally been following Barry Windsor-Smith’s career since 1969 when he debuted at Marvel Comics and immediately became my 2nd favorite artist (after Jack Kirby). So, it is a distinct pleasure to have the privilege of finally presenting all the work he did for Marvel (with the exception of Conan) in a gorgeously produced 3-volume hardcover series
The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” is due out on April 29, 2026, from Fantagraphics. You can pre-order it now from the official Fantagraphics online store for $49.99.