DC Trade Solicitations for June/July 2015 - Pre-Convergence trades, Gotham Academy, Grayson, Green Lantern by Johns Omnibus Vol. 2, Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle

By the time the books solicited in DC Comics's May 2015 (June/July hardcover and trade paperback collections solicitations) come out, Convergence will already be done with and the "Divergence" era of DC will have begun. Given everything else going on in this month's solicitation round (even if the collections come out somewhat later), it wouldn't have been surprising to find the solicitations light on trades, but in fact, just the opposite is true. Some high-profile collections come out this month, including Grayson and Gotham Academy, plus the latest from Geoff Johns's Justice League. Also a number of titles reach or are approaching their cancellations or pre-Convergence break-points, depending.

We also see in this solicitations round a book we talked about last month, the Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle collection, which I'm excited about as a reader even aside from the hope that the release of the book will help the artist in his recovery from a stroke. The collection is a little sparse isn't as complete as we might have imagined, but maybe there's a second volume on the way.

Let's take a look:

• Aquaman Vol. 6: Maelstrom HC

This takes Aquaman right up to Convergence, and marks the last Jeff Parker trade before Cullen Bunn takes over post-Convergence.

• Aquaman and the Others Vol. 2: Alignment Earth TP

This volume also collects Aquaman and the Others right up to Convergence, which is the end of the series. Includes both the Aquaman and Others "Futures End" issues. (The title of this trade sounds like a classic Star Trek episode.)

• Deathstroke Vol. 1: Gods of War TP

Another collection that goes right up to Convergence, though Tony Daniel's Deathstroke continues afterward. I am quite hesitant about this series; there's plenty more ways to write a Deathstroke series wrong than right, and Tony Daniel has been impressive at times, inconsistent at others. I'm glad DC is giving Slade Wilson another chance at a series, but I'm concerned this could be the final nail in the coffin.

• infinity Man and the Forever People Vol. 1: Planet of the Humans TP

I give Dan DiDio credit for putting his name on long-shot series and cancelling them when they don't sell. I'm eager for this in the spirit of DiDio and Keith Giffen's madcap OMAC; this includes a Green Lantern "Godhead" tie-in and the "Futures End" issue.

• Gotham Academy Vol. 1 TP

Again, collects the book up to Convergence. I'm somewhat surprised not to see this in hardcover, given how it represents the "new DC Comics." A number of the Batman books are getting "Endgame" specials, tying into Scott Snyder's latest storyline and coinciding with the last issue collected in this trade, issue #6. Gotham Academy: Endgame isn't included here, however; I hope that doesn't mean the only place to find it will be in a dedicated "Endgame" crossover trade.

• Grayson Vol. 1: Agents of Spyral HC

In contrast, the first Grayson trade only includes issues #1-4, the "Futures End" issue, and a Secret Origins story. Grayson pauses before Convergence at issue #8, which either means the next volume will also just collect four-ish issue, or the next Grayson trade will span the Convergence break. No reason that can't happen, we just haven't see it happen much so far.

• Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 6: Lost and Found TP

Red Hood and the Outlaws becomes Red Hood/Arsenal after Convergence, with the original title's last issue being #40. This collection only includes issues #32-34 (rather skimpy, if you ask me), plus an annual and some Secret Origins stories, so there's likely one more volume of this to go before the change.

• Justice League Vol. 6: Injustice League HC

Justice League Vol. 6 collects issues #30-39. A ten-issue trade is certainly nice, and the final pre-Convergence issue is no doubt being held for the next trade since it's a prologue to the "Darkseid War" storyline.

• Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 2 HC

This takes Geoff Johns's Green Lantern stories through Blackest Night. After this there's about 15 issues left in the pre-Flashpoint series, plus 20-or-so afterward. Some of these will require tie-in issues from other series, but I imagine DC can probably close this out in one more volume.

• Swamp Thing Vol. 6: The Sureen TP

Like Red Hood, the latest Charles Soule Swamp Thing trade collects up to issue #34, so there's six issues for the next trade before the book's end and Convergence. Something I don't think we've seen much in New 52 collections -- this book includes just "pages" from the Aquaman #31 crossover issue, not apparently the entire issue.

• Worlds’ Finest Vol. 5: Homeward Bound TP

Collects issues #22-26 and the "Futures End" issue, so this too suggests just one more trade before the series end.

• Batman: Gothic Deluxe Edition HC

Collects the story from Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10. With Grant Morrison and Klaus Janson, no question why this is getting a deluxe edition; plus it probably doesn't hurt that "Gothic" sounds a lot like "Gotham" ...

• Batman: Cataclysm TP [New Edition]

I couldn't be happier to see the 1990s-2000s Bat-family crossovers getting some love, with the expanded editions of Knightfall, No Man's Land, Murderer/Fugitive, and now Cataclysm. Among issues not previously collected, this has Azrael #40, Batman: Arkham Asylum: Tales of Madness, Catwoman #57, and Robin #52.

• Green Arrow Vol. 3: The Trial of Oliver Queen TP

Keep on pre-ordering! We're up to issue #20 now of the Mike Grell Green Arrow series, with Trial of Oliver Queen. There's at least 60 issues to go before Grell's run ends.

• Nightwing Vol. 2: Rough Justice TP

I had rather high hopes that these new collections of Chuck Dixon's Nightwing series might maybe move through the series a little more quickly, omnibus-light style. That doesn't seem to be the case, at least with this second volume, which collects about the same as the original Rough Justice, but with the addition of the previously-uncollected Nightwing Annual #1 (with later Nightwing contributors Devin Grayson and Greg Land). That's something, though not everything.

• The Question: Falling in Place TP

There's no overt place for the Question Vic Sage post-Convergence, but the release of this trade gives me hope that DC has plans (for Vic or for Renee Montoya). It's otherwise exceptionally strange to see the Rick Veitch miniseries collected, what was supposed to be part of the "Super-storm" event in the Superman comics that ultimately ran aground shortly before Infinite Crisis.

• Secret Six Vol. 2 TP

When I talked about hoping the new Nightwing trades would run through the series a little faster, case in point the second new collection of Gail Simone's Secret Six, which collects both the first and second (numbered) original trades.

• Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle HC

Last but certainly not least, as we discussed before, is DC's Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle edition. At least as far as DC's solicitations for the book go, this collects about half of Breyfogle's Detective Comics work (including "Mudpack"), but not all of it, and none of his Batman work; I'm choosing to believe that means a second volume will follow.

Those are my picks for June/July 2015. What's on your pull list? How many trade-waiters will be picking up Convergence in single issues?