DC Comics's November 2012 solicitations strongly suggested that DC would not publish any New 52 collections in all of December -- and the December 2012 solicitations confirm this. DC will release collections in December, but they are largely either collections of Gold or Silver Age material (Batman Chronicles, Showcase Presents: Weird War Tales), or paperbacks or new editions of already collected material (Justice League of America: Omega, Batman: No Man's Land).(And it's amazing that no one else is talking about this except Collected Editions.)
This must make for what will be a quiet December around the ol' comics shops, at least as far as my pull list is concerned. I'm not all that bummed, though -- a quiet month after the welcome-but-relentless emergence of the first DC New 52 volumes will give me a little time to whittle down my reading pile.
That's not to say I don't see a method to DC's madness here.
DC's original volume releases for last May, the first month of DC New 52 collections, were Animal Man, Batman, Catwoman, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Justice League International, Justice League, Stormwatch, and Wonder Woman.
Their releases for January 2013 are:
* Animal Man Vol. 2: Animal Vs. Man TP
* Batwoman Vol. 2: To Drown the World
* Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Blue Diamond TP
* The Culling: Rise of the Ravagers TP
* Green Arrow Vol. 2: Triple Threat TP
* Green Lantern Vol. 2: Revenge of the Black Hand
* Justice League International Vol. 2: Breakdown TP
* Justice League Vol. 2: The Villain's Journey
* Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Guts
So, of these, Animal Man, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Justice League International, Justice League, and Wonder Woman are all back at the beginning of the rotation, nine months later. DC seems to have tried with the New 52 monthly titles to have each title appear in the same week each month, and something similar appears to be happening with the collections. Predictability in this case is good; this is a positive thing.
In addition, the New 52 paperback releases for January are:
* Batwoman Vol. 1: Hydrology TP
* Green Lantern Vol. 1: Sinestro TP
* Justice League Vol. 1: Origin TP
* Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood TP
That means that every Volume 1 hardcover that has a Volume 2 in January, the paperback of the Volume 1 hardcover is also released in January. So those of you wait-for-paper traders out there don't have to wait longer than when the rest of us get our Volume 2 before you get your Volume 1 (DC's hope must be that you'll then be inclined to jump to hardcover, I'm sure). All of this is also good.
Then February has, to start, the Batman: Night of the Owls crossover hardcover, and also the Batgirl Vol. 2: Knightfall Descends hardcover (such a strange name; curious to see if that book echoes at all the original "Knightfall" saga).
Also solicited, Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 7 trade paperback, which is almost entirely composed of Superman's tie-ins to the Millennium crossover, but go buy it anyway because I want DC to release omnibus editions of the immediate post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Superman era.
Well, DC's got some other reprints and releases for January and February, but that's what stuck out to me. What's on your "buy list?"
I really wish DC didn't collect all the Night of the Owls one shot in one collection. I would have prefer if the issue would collect in their release titles.
ReplyDeleteYou're in luck, Jackie -- from what I understand, the Night of the Owls tie-in issues will be both in the Night of the Owls HC, and then also in their own individual collections (so the Batgirl issue in the Batgirl trade, etc.).
ReplyDeleteI'm going for all the volumes 2 in January and the Ravagers. But that's because I've bought all the titles so far and won't drop any till volume 4 maybe. How are the Ravagers actually? I've seen a couple reviews, but they weren't all that positive...
ReplyDeleteI'll be getting the Night of the Owls hardcover as well, so I can read it as a whole.
What I look forward to most are Animal Man and Batwoman of the January releases.
What made you choose Volume 4 as your point before which you won't cut off any titles?
ReplyDeleteIn DC's spring forecast a few months ago it didn't list issues 8 & 9 of Batman or Nightwing for the Night of Owls HC. I was going to try and avoid buying that because I'll be buying half of the other trades involved. I sure hope this doesn't mean they aren't including those 2 issues in the 2nd volume of Batman. I doubt it, but if they do I'll complain for 5 minutes and then give DC my money. Next month if we find out Batman volume 2 does in fact still include 8-12, I'll probably skip Night of Owls. I can deal without having the annual because I bought the issue and for the most part it was it's own story.
ReplyDeleteExactly right that the "final" solicitation for Batman: City of Owls (if it's final; sometimes even those change) will tell a lot about how necessary it is to buy the Night of the Owls collection. I'm hoping they keep to the original plan where the only issue not collected twice is the Annual, or that the Annual shows up in Batman, not that we lose more issues to Night.
ReplyDeleteWell round volume 4 at least 24 issues have passed, so I should have a good impression of the title and give them all a fair shot I think. Before New52 I only focused on Superman, Batman and a bit JLA. I added GL quickly to them and the rest of the Bat- and Superman family. Now, I'm buying all the trades every month. I have do overtime to keep this up :)
ReplyDeleteTo be honost, it's quite possible I won't drop any title as long as I enjoy it.
For the Night of the Owls, here are two things I'm happy with about it. 1) Is that every issue will be in other character trades (#9 won't be missing from Batgirl VOL.2 for fans) so people don't get made about missing issues. 2) Almost all of the even is here, so not bad.
ReplyDeleteNow here is my questions/problems.
1) Why isn't Catwoman #9 in there? Everything listed sounds right, but no Catwoman? C'mon. If you had to get rid of one issue from this trade, it would be ALL-STAR WESTERN #9. I love that series, but it has the least to do with the NOTO. It takes place over 100 prior to the event! But again, only replace it if to fit in Catwoman. I'd much rather they keep All-Star and add Catwoman.
2) What's the point in having just about all of the event, and not having the conclusion added to it? Now if it was made of the One-shot issues I'd understand it all, but the book being 90% of the event and not having a conclusion (Batman #10 and 11) just seems dumb.
So here's the thing. Batman Annual #1 and Batman #8 & 9 are to be included to NOTO, but will also being Batman Vol.2:City of Owls. Which leaves the conclusion issues 10 and 11, and stand alone tale issue 12. Your forced to pay for the Batman book at full price just for 3 issues and the conclusion, if you decided to get NOTO. Not smart.
What DC SHOULD do, is make the entire event complete. So have all of the issues that are already listed in the solicitations, but add Catwoman #9, and Batman #10 and #11. Now this would leave Batman Vol.2 with just issue 12. Well included #12 as the last part of NOTO, just for completionist sake. And make the new price $39.99. Though realistically, it wouldn't surprise me if they'd make it $49.99 (the book would be over 500 pages afterall).
So by doing this, you have all of the NOTO event and it's conclusion, as well as Batman isse 12. This gives people the option to not have to buy Batman Vol.2 for the conclusion. C'mon, it's call "Batman: Night of the Owls" after all? And so you leave the current solicitation of Batman Vol.2: City of Owls as is, so you can pick it up without picking up NOTO. For those who don't want the other stuff.
Would this work?
The Batgirl story arc does not reflect the original Batman: KnightFall story arc at all. It's just the name of Batgirl's newest villain. That is, at least, how it has been in her series thus far. If it will start to reflect Knightfall later, we'll see.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of DC releasing the TPBs simultaneous with the next volume's hardcovers. For one, it means not waiting a full year after the HC release for the TPB release, and two, like you said, it gives an incentive for buyers to make the jump if they are so inclined.
ReplyDeleteNow, even better would be a simultaneous HC/TPB release of the SAME volume (I mean, hey, Blu-ray and DVD versions of movies are released the same day!), but I understand the business reasons behind it.
Regarding these titles, Batwoman Vol 2 seems to conclude the story that started in Vol 1, so I made sure to get them (in digital form). As I mentioned in the review on Vol 1, Batwoman is easily the WORST title to read digitally, because of J.H. Williams' prolific use of beautiful yet "busy" 2-page spreads. That is, it's the only title I've found that requires a lot of zooming on the 9.7" iPad screen. Although maybe the "HD" iPad3 is more readable?
I'm also guessing that the backup story from Batman #9 won't be included. It's the first of a three part story so that would seem pointless as long as 8-12 will be included in Batman volume 2. Now the backup in #8, totally makes sense. It's pretty much what sets up all the attacks by the Talons in Gotham.
ReplyDeleteI wish they took this ocassion - less new material collected around December - to collect some if any of the awesome never-TPBed 80s minis and series. Anything, really.
ReplyDeleteAngel & Ape, Ambush Bug, Ragman, Blue Devil, etc.
Eyz, I'm not disagreeing with your suggestion, but I wanted to point out that all the Ambush Bug minis (minus "Year None") was collected in a black and white Showcase volume 2-3 years ago. I remember there was one issue where the black and whiteness of it was very annoying, as there was a big colour-related joke.
ReplyDeleteMore to come on how DC has collected Night of the Owls once these volumes come out and I get my grubby paws on the collections -- what's ultimately included and excluded, how the individual and combined volumes read, and so on. AngryLionheart1's suggestion is a good one -- making NOTO the second Batman volume, instead of releasing both NOTO and Batman Vol. 2: City of Owls -- though I agree it might become too expensive.
ReplyDeleteDC could have followed something similar to what AngryLionheart1 described and released a Batman Vol. 2: NOTO Book 1 and Book 2, though maybe splitting Batman's second volume into two books might've been too confusing.
Kelly has a good point, too, that we'll have to see where the backups end up, also. I would feel cheated if the backups aren't collected at all.
Ohmstar: I believe in Gail Simone, but how strange to call a new Batgirl villain "Knightfall"? Obviously that has connotations -- no one, and especially not the writer, can be ignorant of that -- and so then either the story has to thematically tie to the original Knightfall (and as you say, it doesn't sound like it does) or the story is meant to stand on its own, simply borrowing the "Knightfall" name. Again, I believe in Gail Simone, but I can't yet see how the latter isn't just sensationalizing.
And then there's the issue that the original "Knightfall" put Bruce Wayne in a wheelchair, whereas the new Batgirl series is about Barbara regaining her mobility. Hmm ... I'm curious to read this one.