Cancelled Trade Cavalcade: Suicide Squad: Nightshade Odyssey and Supergirl: Good Looking Corpse ~ Collected Editions

Cancelled Trade Cavalcade -- where the Collected Editions blog looks back at some trades that never quite made print. You were going to see a different Cancelled Trade Cavalcade today, but in light of the fact that Suicide Squad Vol. 2: The Nightshade Odyssey suddenly disappeared from DC Comics's release list, we interrupt your regularly scheduled cavalcade.

The 1980s Suicide Squad series has had a long, strange collection history of late. In 2009 or earlier, DC solicited a black-and-white Showcase Presents Suicide Squad that would have collected the series' first eighteen issues plus some crossovers; they cancelled this (twice, I believe) and ultimately released the color Suicide Squad: Trial By Fire, collecting the series' first six issues.

I, for one, considered getting the collecting of the Suicide Squad series in color to be a victory, and I was excited to hear about the forthcoming second volume, collecting issues seven through twelve plus more crossovers.

Except, the week that DC had scheduled the release of Suicide Squad Vol. 2: The Nightshade Odyssey, the book disappeared both from DC's site and from Amazon, at least. There's no cancellation notice so far in DC's release lists, but the book didn't come out as planned.

This is a disappointment, first, for those of use eager to read this Suicide Squad series. It's a disappointment also, however, because each successive Suicide Squad trade would have moved us closer to a collection that included Suicide Squad #23 -- the first appearance of Barbara Gordon as Oracle.

Suicide Squad Vol. 2: The Nightshade Odyssey is only the latest in a string of trades that have recently been cancelled by DC: Doom Patrol: Fire Away, JSA All-Stars: Puzzle Men, and brand new -- Supergirl: Good-Looking Corpse, the collection of final pre-Flashpoint Supergirl issues by Nick Spencer, James Peaty, and Kelly Sue DeCconnick, now appears cancelled.

To be sure, pre-ordering is your friend, to create order numbers such that DC will actually print any given trade, but frankly I'm not sure what could save some of these, these days.

Next week, another Cancelled Trade Cavalcade, and new reviews tomorrow! Don't miss our great discussion going on about the merits of continuity, and also breaking news about the DC Retroactive collections. Thanks for reading!

BrianOctober 26, 2011
I wish they'd've just released the SHOWCASE SS book at this point. We'd be up to AT LEAST volume to of that by now, collecting nearly half of the series.
sdcineramaOctober 26, 2011
The SUICIDE SQUAD TPBs are a great example of DC repsonding to fan demand: about 7 years after the fact. SUICIDE SQUAD experienced a great reseuragnce of interest in the wake of IDENTITY CRISIS, and there was a lot of interest then. So naturally DC waits 7 years to satisfy the demand. Not surprisingly, the first TPB doesn't do what it should have sales wise.
AnonymousOctober 26, 2011
The sudden cancellation of Nightshade Odyssey is probably the most disappointing comics news I've seen in some time. I was really hoping to pick it up for my birthday, only to find it flung down the memory hole.
AnonymousOctober 26, 2011
Supergirl: Good Looking Corpse is listed as scheduled for release on DC's website, and on Amazon. Where did you hear that it was cancelled, CE?
Robert YoungOctober 26, 2011
And now I'm angry. I would've purchased all of the Suicide Squad trades (and was hoping for a chance to get the rest of those Janus crossovers). This appears to be an attempt to flush the remainder of 'my' DCU in favor of the nu. I'm going to cut back substantially on my purchase of nu titles.
HixOctober 27, 2011
One of the compounding problems was that DC was so sloppy in listing the content of Suicide Squad vol 2 - it always said 7 - 12 with a description of the first volumes plot, whereas the first volume already included 1 - 8. The title story "The Nightshade Odyssey" runs across 14 - 16 anyway. I was confident we'd get another 8 issues plus the JLI tie in. I don't want to be too snarky, but this run will always be a classic and influential, long after the current version has done it's dash. Badly done DC, badly done.
BrianOctober 27, 2011
Man, I'm going to be so pissed/heartbroken when my CHASE collection gets canceled. (I preordered TWO just in case but I'm worried it won't be enough.)
AnonymousOctober 29, 2011
I was very disappointed when this book didn't show up. I had hoped to avoid this...but now it seems like downloading scans is the only way to get these issues.

I was also hoping for the book to get all the way through Janus Directive, their further battles with the Jihad and the early adventures of Oracle.
HixOctober 30, 2011
Also issue 13 is the first cameo of Oracle. You see the hands on the keyboard in that issue. Another thing we're missing out on here.
collectededitionsOctober 30, 2011
@Anon, as of today, Supergirl: Good Looking Corpse has been removed from Amazon.
Liang XiuNovember 01, 2011
Good Looking Corpse looks to still be scheduled according to DC's December listings... although it is gone on Amazon. Interesting...
collectededitionsNovember 01, 2011
True. The DC site also still has JSA All-Stars: Puzzle Men and the Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Omnibus both listed for November release, even though those they've both "officially" announced as cancelled, so I'd take DC's site with a grain of salt.