There's been a lot of discussion on the DC Comics message boards and elsewhere as to what we might expect to find in the new Starman hardcover volume, Starman: The Complete Saga Vol. 1. Here's Collected Editions' list of the Do's and Don'ts of collecting Starman:
Don't: Print the collection on thin paper like the Kirby omnibuses.
Do: Collect the entire series in publication order--no skipping around the Times Past stories.
Don't: Put the Shade's journal all in one section--intersperse it with the comics (but do include it!).
Do: Include the Batman/Starman/Hellboy miniseries, the Shade miniseries, the Girlfrenzy Mist special, the Starman annuals (and James Robinson's Batman annual), the 1,000,000 issue, the Secret Files stories, the 80-page giant, and the Archie Goodwin tributes.
Don't: Include crossovers with Stars and STRIPE, JSA, and Sandman Mystery Theatre; that's just too much shoe-horning in of material (but do include the relevant Power of Shazam cross-over issues!).
Do: Include extras like sketch pages, full covers, and an introduction by James Robinson.
Don't: Make the whole thing so big you can't sit comfortably on the couch and read it.
Do: Include news of new Starman work by James Robinson and Tony Harris!
Given all the potential contents above, I've no doubt this is going to be a four-volume series (or two very, very large books).
So, what are your Do's and Don't for Starman: The Complete Saga?
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Do: I have enough money to buy it? (I know, I know it's a bad joke).
Regards
Don't: Print the collection on thin paper like the Kirby omnibuses.
Or the Death and Return Superman Omnibus. I fear that they might though. The only line DC doesn't skim on paper quality is the ABSOLUTE edition.
Don't: Make the whole thing so big you can't sit comfortably on the couch and read it.
See above. If it's not an ABSOLUTE, then it's reading-in-bed-friendly but there's the possibility of cheap paper stock.
Do:
Please print a Trade Paperback supplement(s) for any new material (e.g. Times Past unprinted, Shade mini) that will be in this edition but wasn't in the 10-volume edition so many of us already bought.
JLE -- Bad joke, but it cracked me up!
Khairul -- I think that's the big concern right now, that the paper quality might not be up to snuff. Did the Kirby omnibus paper quality improve any over the four volumes?
Jake -- Here's hoping "Complete Saga" means all of that stuff--otherwise this'll be something of a letdown.
As I was compiling that list, I was just amazed at how much extra Starman stuff came out over the years of that series. I wonder now if anything could support such a push like Starman had.
og you forgot the 3 shade showcase issues.
Collected Editions:
Just to be clear, obviously I agree this would be in any "Complete" edition. If DC were nice, they would also produce a trade paperback volume 11 which supplements the existing trade paperbacks. Since I shelled out money to buy the original 10 paperback series, it would be nice just to buy the extra material without buying the whole new Complete edition.
Personally, I like the way the Jack Kirby Omnbius' (Omnibi?) are done. The paper stock makes the comics feel like you're back in that time. I don't mind the quality of the paper and I think it's tougher than people are giving it credit for. Heh, can I throw my hat into offering my services for a review on the books?
As for Starman, the trades got a huge bum rap from DC. I've only read the series in trade for, so I don't even know what issues are missing. Is there anywhere that I can read what hasn't been re-printed (not including the Shade mini and such, I mean the core series).
Personally, and this is just a pet peeve of mine, I would prefer that each of the chapters are broken up by the covers to the respective issue. Marvel's hardcovers do this in a great way and I feel that cover galleries are silly, unless the publisher intends for the buyer to tear those pages out for posters. There should be a break in between chapters, especially on books where the art changes so radically (which Starman had on rare occasion, though not as bad as some).
I don't know about a new story from Robinson and Harris. If anything, if they release this, it'd be great timing for the duo to finally tell that story of Jack that Robinson has been talking about. Something about a lost adventure in Japan or China, I think? Why not do a mini-series or a one-shot and release it at the same time?
Just my own thoughts on the matter.
Nick
(http://thatnickguy.livejournal.com/)