Chris Marshall at the Collected Comics Library reports that Absolute Green Lantern: Rebirth, due April 2010, could include not only Green Lantern: Rebirth, but also Green Lantern #1-6, collected in Green Lantern: No Fear.[Note: Rumors fly fast and furious especially around convention season, and indeed we're now hearing that Green Lantern: No Fear may not appear in Green Lantern: Rebirth. In all cases, advance solicitation information should not be considered final until officially solicited by the comics publisher (see, for instance, the change in the Final Crisis collection's contents). The below post has been edited to reflect the new status of the Rebirth information, and we regret any confusion this caused.]
As pleased as I am to see Absolute Green Lantern: Rebirth (because, hey, why not?), the possibility of including No Fear would make for, in my opinion, a terrifically uneven reading experience. Green Lantern: Rebirth is quite self-contained, whereas Green Lantern #6 ends on something of an inconclusive note, and the art there by Simone Bianchi differs drastically from what came before.
Granted, those last issues include an appearance by Black Hand, he of Blackest Night, so no doubt that would be a benefit.
But putting No Fear in Absolute Green Lantern: Rebirth would beg the question, as one fan asked at the Geoff Johns Spotlight panel, is there more on the way? The subsequent issues of Green Lantern are good but aren't necessarily notable, but there's long been speculation about an Absolute version of The Sinestro Corps War; stretching out Absolute Green Lantern: Rebirth would seem the first step toward a sequel.
See our earlier report on Absolute Green Lantern: Rebirth.
Thanks also to Rob Stuparyk and Chris Hilker for the head's up and corrections.
I can't remember where I read it - possibly in an old Lying in the Gutters - but there was a rumour that it would actually be Absolute Rebirth and contain both the GL and Flash Rebirths - whcih would make a lot of sense.
ReplyDeleteThough, I have nothing to back this up.
Whatever it includes though, I'll snap it up in a heartbeat.
If we're also talking about Absolute's we'd like to see - I think that Superman and the Legion of Superheroes and Brainiac would make an excellent collection...
Maybe DC plans to release a second Absolute volume collecting Green Lantern #7-20, followed by Absolute Sinestro Corps War. That way, each Absolute would be equivalent to two regular-sized GL hardcovers.
ReplyDeleteThat would be leaving out all the important story from GL Corps though
ReplyDeleteAgreed that Johns and Gary Frank are producing Absolute-level work on Action Comics.
ReplyDeleteAt one point I wondered if DC might indeed add Absolutes as part of the normal publishing route -- hardcover, paperback, then Absolute (like Hush, Superman For Tomorrow, and All-Star Superman); or Absolute, hardcover, paperback. Deluxe editions may be taking that place -- might we see a lower-priced non-Deluxe Batman RIP hardcover in the future?
What I want to know is why no Absolulte or even deluxe of Alan Moore Swamp Thing???
ReplyDeleteTariq
The preliminary Amazon listing says it will be 224 pages, just 48 pages more than the existing paperback.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it will have the same extras (the 10-page prologue, the story outline, cover gallery) and maybe a few others: Maybe a script, a gallery of Rebirth-related promos (posters, toys, etc.) and hopefully the Director's commentary they did for Wizard.
All of that would add up to about 40 more pages, which looks to be about right.
Oh and Tariq - DC is only now issuing Moore's DCU work in hardcover. The first edition of his Swamp Thing in HC came out earlier this year, and Vol. 2 is due in a few months.
ReplyDeleteOh, I figured out what 22 of those 48 additional pages are: The 2005 Secret files story by Johns and Darwyn Cooke.
ReplyDeleteCooke is listed as an author with Amazon's listing. So now we're down to just 26 pages of new material not in the existing trade.
Hi guys, this post isn't specifically linked to Absolute editions or anything, but its really a question about the difference between TPBs and HC's. I started reading comics a few years ago but quickly progressed from single issues to TPBs, but in the last 6 months ive realised HC's are my preffered option as they last that much longer- the thing is, im starting to spend so much money on comics that i guess i just want them to last as long as possible. I spoke to a comic shop owner the other day and he said the glue used in TPBs is not designed to last/hold more than a few years. In fact one of my TPBs spine tore from the main pages the other day which kind of confirmed this.
ReplyDeleteSo for me i am all about HC's now, i am now in the process of buying all the TPBs i have in HC and selling off the TPBs.. and as a rule won't buy any new TPBs (unless a series only comes in that format e.g. Jonah hex).
That also brings me onto Absolute editions- i think they are great and wish Marvel did them too. I have Hush and the long halloween, and although i already have GL:rebirth as a HC, will get the absolute edition.
Anyway, was just curious to see what other people thought- if you prefer trades is it because you don't see yourself reading them many times or ina few years time? Or you're happy with how long they'll last?
Tom
Whether hardcovers last longer than trades, I just don't know -- I haven't had a problem with my trades falling apart, but I'm super-religiously careful with them (not that you're not, but mine is a certain level of insanity).
ReplyDeleteIf indeed all trades also came out in equally-priced hardcover editions, probably I'd buy hardcovers only; I'm quite in love especially with the big hardcover editions like Justice League International and the Jack Kirby Fourth World Omnibuses, and especially with deluxe editions like Batman RIP.
But unfortunately hardcovers and paperbacks are not priced equally, and while I'm willing to shell out $30 for something special like Final Crisis, I'm not buying the Detective Comics collection Batman: Private Casebook in hardcover, especially when the Paul Dini Detective trades before that were in paperback; I just can't afford it.
Ditto for Absolutes -- I love them, and I wish I had more, but there's so much I have to get before, say, Absolute Kingdom Come, when I already own the slipcase hardcover from ten years back (which, come to think of it, is itself falling apart).
So to answer your question, I prefer hardcovers, but trades are usually what I can afford.
Good question -- what do others think?
Same as you, I think. I stick mainly to trades because of costs, even if it means waiting an extra year, thereby risking that I lose interest over time. (RE: Metal Men.) I do buy hardcovers of stories I just can't wait for (Final Crisis, Green Lantern, but NOT Green Lantern Corps).
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of Absolutes, but I'm not so keen on spending hundreds of dollars (if you convert to Malaysian currency anyway) on books that I've already purchased/read. Which is why I haven't read All-Star Superman yet, because you KNOW there'll be an Absolute version coming out someday. I mean, if GL: Rebirth can get one...
I'm certain there will be an Absolute All-Star Superman; I believe it may already have been mentioned as forthcoming at a convention.
ReplyDeleteOk thanks guys, interesting to hear other peoples views.
ReplyDeleteI guess cost is the big (if not the biggest)issue here and i rememeber just a few months back when amazon.co.uk hiked their prices on all TPB's and HC's, it was a real shock- TPBs went from 6/7 pounds to 9 or so pounds and HC's went from 8/9 to 10-13 (i actually live in switzerland so have to pay a lot on postage too with Switz not being in the EU).
I am and have been very careful with my trades (i even bought special cabinates to display them sheltered from light and harm!) but was looking at a few a while back and noticed they just didn't hold as well as i thought they would- my planet hulk trade and a warren ellis graphic novel called SCARS did show wear on the spine and i think it was just from reading them not necessarily bad handling.
I actually did buy private casebook in HC and was happy they transitioned (also bought Heart of Hush in HC) but have the previous 2 TPBs of dinis too.
Personally i wasn't so keen on All star superman, i read both volumes but found it a bit too left-field for me, but im also not the biggest superman fan as it is so perhaps that has something to do with it.
So yes i guess money is the issue isn't it? For me i made the choice of having fewer graphic novels but most of them in HC than having lots of Graphic novels as TPBs, but everyone does things how they feel best, it's interesting.
Cheers gusys,.
Tom.