DC Trade Solicitations for September/October 2015 - Multiversity Deluxe, Absolute Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Suicide Squad, Deathstroke Book and Mask

Last month had a whole bunch of New 52 collections -- though I guess we almost can't call them that any more -- and now the September/October 2015 DC Comics hardcover and trade paperback collection releases (posted May 2015) have the opposite; almost no new collections, with an emphasis on reprint material. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it makes for a sparse month relatively.

I would mention that while the Convergence collections aren't solicited yet, they are due in the same month as many of these collections, October, so that might help round out the month when all is said and done. But let's take a look at what we've got so far:

• New 52: Futures End Vol. 3 TP
• Multiversity Deluxe Edition HC
• Crisis on Infinite Earths Deluxe Edition HC

In a group of solicitations that doesn't have much in the way of brand-new material, most assuredly the star is the deluxe collection of all nine Multiversity issues plus the Multiversity Guidebook.

I'm glad the final volume of Futures End lands the month before (Futures End in September, Multiversity in October) so that I can read them "in order," so to speak. And no waiting -- the Convergence collections will also be along on October, so it's not a long wait to finish this whole story once the end is in sight.

Deluxe Crisis on Infinite Earths in the same month as the Multiversity and Convergence collections is a nice touch. Who could've predicted back in 1986 we'd end up here?

• Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Trial by Fire TP

No doubt meant to coincide with interest spurred by the new movie, Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Trial by Fire has the same contents as the edition of the same released in 2011. As we've discussed here before, that first collection of John Ostrander's Suicide Squad was meant to be followed by a second, The Nightshade Odyssey, but that book was canceled. I bought Trial originally so I'm disinclined to buy it again, but this has got to be one of those times that pre-ordering matters if we're to see more volumes of Ostrander's run.

UPDATE: A new edition of Suicide Squad Vol. 2: The Nighshade Odyssey has just become available for pre-order. Again, I know we've been burned on this one once, but I'm certain that if you want to see these reprints go through, pre-ordering is going to be your friend. (Hat tip to Hix -- check out his Waiting for Doom podcast.)

• New Teen Titans Vol. 3 TP

Three volumes in, and this third trade paperback is just now reaching the end of the first New Teen Titans Omnibus. At this point, it's going to be a heck of a long time before we discern whether these paperbacks will correct the mistakes of New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 3 or not.

• Deathstroke Book and Mask Set

I haven't yet read an issue of Tony Daniel's new Deathstroke series, so I can't comment whether it's good or not, but anecdotally I can also say that neither have I heard anyone else raving about it. Surely a Deathstroke series is a good and useful thing for the DC Universe (all the more so because however popular a present-day Deathstroke series is, that can only buoy collections of Marv Wolfman's 1990s Deathstroke series), and releasing a Deathstroke mask is obviously a good marketing decision.

I do question the claim of "new, hit series" in this solicitation, however, and wonder which inspired what in this set. Whereas the similar Joker mask was directly brought forth by Scott Snyder's Death in the Family storyline that was collected with the mask, here I have a sense the book is almost incidental (and could as easily have been, for instance, a copy of Identity Crisis, which for all its flaws has one of the top ten best Deathstroke fights).

• Arrow Season 2.5 TP
• The Flash Season Zero TP

I felt the first handful of Arrow digital comics dragged, basically just echoing the episodes or otherwise being too careful not to step on the toes of what the episodes might establish. I haven't read the Arrow Season 2.5 stories nor Flash Season Zero, but my sense is they're better in those regards, telling fresh stories to some extent off on their own. I'd be especially curious to check out the Flash book, which if I understand correctly takes place more or less before Barry is actually called "the Flash."

• Absolute Green Lantern/Green Arrow HC

Just to establish, this Absolute edition contains exactly the same material as previous Green Lantern/Green Arrow collections. That in no way lessens this collection -- and if you haven't read these staples of DC Comics literature, then you should -- but the first thing I look at when I see these kinds of reprint collections is whether they stuck something new in there, like a Kyle Rayner and Connor Hawke team-up or something. No dice.

New reviews later this week. Be sure to drop by the comments section and let me know what's on your to-buy list for September/October, and what you think of DC Comics's potential new trade dress examined last Friday.