Not much this month in terms of main DCU trade paperbacks, but a couple of interesting reprint editions. Collected Edition comments in bold:
BIRDS OF PREY: DEAD OF WINTER TP
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood
Cover by Stephane Roux
Collecting BIRDS OF PREY #104-108! In this volume, the Birds of Prey cross paths with the villainous group the Secret Six, just as Spy Smasher takes the dismantling of Oracle's operation into her own hands! Who will end up with control of the Birds of Prey?
Advance-solicited; on sale February 27 • 128 pg, FC, $17.99 US
The final trade of Gail Simone's run on Birds of Prey (* sniff ! *)
BLUE BEETLE VOL. 3: REACH FOR THE STARS TP
Written by John Rogers
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Cover by Cully Hamner
In this volume collecting issues #13-18 of the hot series, Jaime has his hands full when he learns the scarab’s alien owners are invading Earth — and no one will believe him! Plus, more adventures guest-starring popular Green Lantern Guy Gardner, the Teen Titans, the villainous Eclipso, Typhoon, Giganta and more!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 27 • 168 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Crosses over both with Countdown and with Teen Titans #50. The Teen Titans issue should show up in the next trade ... but where are those Countdown trades?
CONNOR HAWKE: DRAGON’S BLOOD TP
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art and cover by Derec Donovan
In this volume collecting the 6-issue miniseries, an archery contest beckons Oliver Queen's bow-bending son Connor Hawke to the far end of the globe. Accompanied by his old pal Eddie Fyers, Connor accepts the invitation. But a much darker game is afoot, and Connor's life will never be the same!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 13 • 144 pg, FC, $19.99 US
I don't know that this tied in much to the Green Arrow series overall, but Chuck Dixon writing Connor Hawke? Maybe for Christmas.
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL EDITION HC
Written by Alan Moore & Brian Bolland
Art and cover by Brian Bolland
The classic Batman tale by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland returns in an all-new special edition! This edition — celebrating the 20th anniversary of the landmark work — features all-new coloring by Bolland, and includes the story “An Innocent Guy,” previously featured in BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE!
Advance-solicited; on sale March 19 • 6.625” x 10.1875” • 64 pg, FC, $17.99 US
Obviously this is a big deal, and the new coloring is interesting, but I think I'm satisfied with my original paperback without spending $20.00.
CATWOMAN: CATWOMAN’S DEAD TP
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez
Cover by Adam Hughes
The identity that Selina Kyle built for herself to protect her baby daughter is being destroyed at the hands of Hammer and Sickle in this all-new volume collecting CATWOMAN #66-72! With supervillains and the Gotham police hunting for both Selina and her replacement, Holly, drastic measures are needed!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 20 • 168 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Haven't started reading the post-Infinite Crisis Catwoman trades yet. Still going strong, apparently.
THE FLASH: BLOOD WILL RUN TP — NEW EDITION
Written by Geoff Johns
Cover by Brian Bolland
Art by Scott Kolins, Ethan Van Sciver, Prentis Rollins and others
The Flash races into adventure in this incredible new edition of a classic trade paperback collecting THE FLASH #170-176, plus stories from THE FLASH SECRET FILES and IRON HEIGHTS, written by Geoff Johns! Featuring art by fan-favorites Ethan Van Sciver (GREEN LANTERN), Scott Kolins (Beyond) and more!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 20 • 240 pg, FC, $17.99 US
Man! So there's Iron Heights collected in a trade! But a new version of Blood Will Run ... now I've got to sell my old one ...
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL HC
Written by Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
Cover by Maguire & Austin
Art by Kevin Maguire, Terry Austin and Al Gordon
A new hardcover collecting the classic JUSTICE LEAGUE #1-6 and JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #7 from the late 1980s! Can an unlikely new Justice League line-up work as a unit to stop terrorists at the U.N., a brigade of Rocket Reds, the Royal Flush Gang, and other threats — or will they succumb to in-fighting and bad jokes?
Advance-solicited; in stores March 12 • FC, 192 pg, $24.99 US
This is interesting! For once, I wish this had said "Volume One." I already have the original paperback that collected these issues — question is, will they collect the rest of the series? (And for the doubters, does this show DC loves the 1980s Justice League?)
DIANA PRINCE: WONDER WOMAN VOL. 1 TP
Written by Dennis O’Neil & Mike Sekowsky
Art and cover by Sekowsky & Dick Giordano
In this volume, featuring stories that have never been collected before from issues #178-184 and SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #93, Wonder Woman faces Mars, god of war, the murderous Dr. Cyber, and more!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 6 • 176 pg, FC, $19.99 US
TIME MASTERS TP
Written by Bob Wayne & Lewis Shiner
Art and cover by Art Thibert & José Marzan Jr.
Collecting the often-requested TIME MASTERS #1-8 and material from SECRET ORIGINS #43, featuring 52’s Rip Hunter! Hunter forges alliances with DC heroes including Cave Carson, Metal Men creator Doctor Will Magnus, Dr. Fate, the Viking Prince, Arion and others to stop the threats of immortal super-villains including Vandal Savage and his Illuminati.
Advance-solicited; on sale February 13 • 224 pg, FC, $19.99 US
The above two are cool — I'd be interested in reading about the Wonder Woman on which our current version is based, and Time Masters has a great reputation.
So what will you be buying in January?
Blue Beetle vol.3 is a given. I'm kinda on the fence with the Heinberg Wonder Woman: pick it up now for US$20 or wait for the softcover? Also, still no sign of the final issue of Last Son.
ReplyDelete... but where are those Countdown trades?
Toldja they'd hold off.
Sad to see Simone off BoP. Looking forward to her WW run though. I think we'll be waiting a long while before the first trade.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey -- Yeah ... I'm wondering about those Countdown trades myself now. Annoys me that Countdown-related trades are coming out (Teen Titans: Titans East, Blue Beetle vol. 3, Justice League: Tornado's Path) with no word on when Countdown will be traded.
ReplyDeleteI was betting they wouldn't wait until the series is over, but with as much flak as Countdown is getting, maybe they don't want to make the local comic book shop owners mad ... hopefully we'll get an announcement sooner than later.
Rob -- What would you bet the Simone Wonder Woman issues will be collected in hardcover, as is DC's style these days?
It sucks from a buyer's standpoint, sure, but from a creator's position hardcovers are great. Assuming that royalties for comics TPBs are structured the same way as prose novels, creators get a higher percentage of royalties from hardcovers compared to trade paperbacks. I'm all for creators getting paid more.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the drawback is that you'll have cheapskates like me who balk at paying $20 for a five-issue hardcover.
I liked Time Masters at the time, and would have given it the go ahead to become a monthly. I liked its idea of time travel, that you couldn't use the same method twice, which made each cast member an infrequent traveler, but I guess it would have been hard to keep going.
ReplyDeleteStill, it visits plenty of eras and had a pretty cool villain in Vandal Savage.
I seem to recall a reference to the Time Masters in one of Dan Jurgen's Waverider Superman issues. Did Matt Ryder appear in Time Masters, and were the Time Masters/Waverider concepts somehow related?
ReplyDelete