Hard to believe that here we are in August, and it's already time for Collected Editions' 2008 Trade Paperback Speculations list. It seems trades are being announced earlier and earlier these days, and as of Monday, DC's solicitations for November may very well contain trade paperbacks for January! It seems it's become a lot easier to predict upcoming trades since the graphic novel boom--we know we'll see collected editions of Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, Blue Beetle, the new Booster Gold series and the like, but here's a handful that bear special mention.
Countdown - Everyone knows the name of DC's game these days is Countdown, and now that all the 52 trades have been solicited, Countdown trades are just around the corner, as early as January--no way will DC wait to collect Countdown like they did with 52. A collection of thirteen issues (#51-39) wouldn't be unheard of, or even smaller, eight-issue trades. Also undoubtedly getting collections will be all the various Countdown miniseries, popping up throughout 2008.
Superman: Last Son - Now that Geoff Johns and Richard Donner's "Last Son" storyline has finally concluded, look for it to receive the hardcover treatment in 2008. Since it's technically just four issues (though some are oversized), it's up in the air whether their "Bizarro World" story will appear in the same book, or a separate one; capitalism would suggest "separate." Kurt Busiek's Action Comics Countdown tie-in will likely appear elsewhere, along with his Superman Countdown issue and the Action Comics #850 anniversary issue.
Justice League of America/Justice Society of America: The Lightning Saga - Expect hardcover treatment for this JLA/JSA crossover. Justice League #7 is a stand-alone issue that wasn't part of the first Justice League hardcover, and could make it's way here; similarly, including Justice League #11 and #12 here would finish out Brad Meltzer's Justice League run.
Flash: The Fast Life - Expect an early trade of Mark Waid's new run on The Flash. This'll undoubtedly contain All-Flash #1, as well as the first couple of issues of the Flash relaunch.
Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps - The most recent Green Lantern hardcover ended just before the "Sinestro Corps" storyline begins, and the next will likely be a hardcover of this story. This would be a big trade, encompassing both the Sinestro Corps specials and issues of Green Lantern Corps; it's possible DC may do a volume 1/volume 2 with this.
Absolute All-Star Superman - I've been predicting this for a long time, and I restate it here: expect a second All-Star Superman hardcover, and then an Absolute edition of all twelve issues. No question we'll see this in late 2008 or early 2009.
Green Arrow/Black Canary: The Wedding Album - I'd bet we'll see all three Green Arrow/Black Canary wedding specials collected in one volume in 2008. There's also the Green Arrow: Year One and Black Canary miniseries; our budgets could hope, perhaps, that these will be collected together, but they'll probably come out separately.
Batman: Head of the Demon - The recent Batman and Son hardcover collects up to issue #666 of Grant Morrison's run on Batman; expect another hardcover in 2008 collecting the new "Head of the Demon" storyline. Hopefully the volume will collect some of the disparate parts like the short story from the upcoming Robin Annual. Morrison has three issues between the end of Batman and Son and the beginning of "Head of the Demon," and we'll cross our fingers that DC doesn't forget about these.
Outsiders: CheckOut - After Pay As You Go, Outsiders has four more issues until the series ends, three of which are part of a crossover with Checkmate. This lines up with the end of the most recent Checkmate trade, too, so expect to see this crossover collected, possibly with Outsiders #50, too. After that will certainly come a trade of the Outsiders: Five of a Kind event before the new Batman and the Outsiders series.
That's a start, and we'll keep referencing this list as the year goes on. Tune back in on Monday to see if any of these get a mention in the new solicitations. Which forthcoming trade are you most hoping for? Expecting any that aren't on this list?
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An Absolute All-Star Superman would be great to see but I really think it may be For Tomorrow.
As for other trades, how about a 52/Countdown back up trade that features Donna Troy's History of the DCU and The Monitor's view of the Multiverse?
I've pretty much given up on any chance of an Absolute Superman: For Tomorrow. I thought the storyline was interesting, but I think it's been too uniformly panned across the board, whereas All-Star Superman's garnered nothing but accolades. But we'll see; I'd buy For Tomorrow.
Over at the DC message boards, Tony writes that he'd like to see a JSA Presents: Secret Origins trade, including stories from Roy Thomas's Secret Origins series. With all the collecting of older material going on, you never know.
But Last Son hasn't finished yet. I don't think the last issue has even been solicited. That story has reeaaallly fallen off the rails. (I imagine the Action Comics Annual that they did will be included to help pad the book out. Plus the final issue is supposed to be double-sized.)
I think DC more or less confirmed an Absolute All Star Superman for 2008 at one of their recent conventions.
I'm just hoping for softcovers of Green Lantern to show up soon; nearly everything else is a given to be collected these days. The question is really which series will be hardcovered?
I thought they finally put the fourth part of Last Son back in Action Comics #851, 3-D and all. Or is that an old listing?
What'll be hardcovered is a good question. Last Son will, no doubt. I don't know about the next Morrison-Batman trade. Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps might be. JLA/JSA: Lightning Saga, most definitely. I'd like to think something like Countdown or Booster Gold won't be, but who knows? A hardcover Booster Gold--wouldn't that be a kick?
Morrison has three issues between the end of Batman and Son and the beginning of "Head of the Demon," and we'll cross our fingers that DC doesn't forget about these.
Morrison's Batman is the only title for which I can't wait for the trade, but I've been looking for good point to quit collecting it monthly. I considered stopping after #666 since that's the last issue in the Batman and Son trade but decided to go three more because, as you said, I think the 7-issue Batman/Detective crossover (The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul) will be its own trade,
Therefore, I think Morrison's intervening three issues with JH Williams III will be collected together with the Ostrander/Mandrake fill from #659-662.
Otherwise DC may not be able to sell the Ostrander story in trade form even if it was good (which I don't know), but attaching it to a Morrison/Williams collaboration could let them demand a 7 issues-worth price from people who only want the trade for 3 of them.
DC was supposed to publish 4 absolutes this year. Instead we got only Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween and The Absolute Sandman Vol. 2. There's so much stuff they could do in this format. I'm hoping they do print 4 or more next year as these are the best printed collections available in the market.
Anon: The "four Absolutes this year" thing did sound a little ambitious when I first heard it.
CE: Nah, that's only, um, part 3 or 4 maybe. It's been almost a year since the first issue of that storyline came out. I'm not as hung-up about missed deadlines as some people are, but that's just insane.
Unless you know something I don't, I don't think they'll solicit Countdown trades before the final issue is. The goodwill generated by 52 has more or less evaporated with CD (if you believe the Internet) and I don't think DC would want to piss off the retailers.
nobody: I'm going to hit someone if the Ostrander issues get mixed with the Morrison ones. Nothing against Ostrander, but I want the full Morrison experience when I buy a book with his name on it. The Ostrander issues might be better off collected along with the Dini Detective trades, since they're already mixing his stories with the fill-ins that they had to do.
Both absolutes are great or will be great but don't say you're going to publish 4 absolutes and then not even come close to that. I collect only trades and I was looking forward to these. Instead Marvel got my money on their Omniboo.
I'm in favor of Ostrander/Mandrake issues appearing in a trade with Morrison's, but I don't think it'll happen. Those issues seems a-continuity to me, and I'm betting DC will just let them fade.
As for Countdown trades, I stick by my earlier guess. Yeah, DC may risk some wrath by putting out Countdown trades before the series is over, but trades still serve two markets for the companies--making trade sales, for one, and also making catch-up sales--someone buys the trade to get themselves caught up with the weekly series. I can see this being DC's motivation for Countdown trades.
More Absolutes? I don't know if my wallet can take it. Looking seriously at what DC's done in terms of Absolutes so far, other than All-Star Superman, All-Star Batman, and For Tomorrow, what else might they put out in the Absolute format?
What about Absolute 52?
Sounds incredibly ridiculous (i can't even believe i mentioned it), but it was really an awesome concept met with great criticism. Maybe. Other absolute i can think of is Y the last man and absolute preacher, which should come out before the former.
They still haven't list Tad Williams' Aquaman run yet, as well as green arrow year one.
How about more obscure trades for 2008 from DC - e.g Chronos or Aztek?
Anon -- I think an Aztek trade from DC is a distinct possibility somewhere down the line. I'm also curious to see if JSA Presents: Stars and STRIPE will lead us to a JSA Presents: Hourman (the Tom Peyer series).
A full 52 hardcover? That would be sweet ... I'd have to sell off my trades somehow in order to feel OK about it ...