DC Trade Solicitations for September 2016 - DC Rebirth Omnibus and Specials, Absolute Infinite Crisis, Elseworlds Batman, Watchmen Noir

Earlier I discussed that Wonder Woman Vol. 9: Resurrection, the final volume by Meredith Finch, would contain the Wonder Woman: Rebirth special by Greg Rucka. You all had a variety of opinions -- for, against, and indifferent. DC Comics's September 2016 hardcover and trade paperback solicitations bring with them collections of the final issues of the pre-Rebirth Aquaman, Cyborg, and Red Hood collections, and sure enough, those have got the respective series' Rebirth specials collected in them, too.

What concerns me most here is that I just cannot believe the first new collections of these Rebirth series won't also collect the Rebirth specials (and also be renumbered again). Which is to say, there's some guaranteed double-dipping for those of us who follow from the old collections to the new, and that's shaky ground to start off on. I get it from DC's perspective, it's all about avoiding jump-off points and inviting readers to keep reading; it's just a bummer for the trade waiters. Also, this will be inconsistent, as we see below -- some final trades before Rebirth will have the specials, some won't.

Please see my "Programming Note", by the way (DC TPB Timeline fans especially). Here's the solicits:

• DC Rebirth Omnibus HC

I believe there was some question as to whether this omnibus would collect all the DC Rebirth specials and all the #1 issues, or just the specials; the answer now seems to be "just the specials" at $75, though discounted in many places to $50. Unlike, for instance, the Futures End: Five Years Later Omnibus, where the stories were considerably disconnected, I imagine this might have a slightly better read-through experience, at least in terms of the Rebirth special proper to Flash to Titans, and also how DC Universe: Rebirth precedes Superman, Blue Beetle, and etc.

• Aquaman Vol. 8: Out of Darkness HC

Collects Aquaman #48-52 and the Rebirth special. This collects, as far as the solicitations, Cullen Bunn's last issue, #48, and then four by Dan Abnett plus the Rebirth special by Abnett. So while I'm not crazy about the Rebirth special being there, at least there's some continuity to the creative team.

• Cyborg Vol. 2: Enemy of the State TP

Here, on the other hand, we've got a collection of issues #7-12, by David Walker and Marv Wolfman, and then the special by John Semper.

• Red Hood/Arsenal Vol. 2: Dancing with the Devil’s Daughter TP

At least this one too keeps its writer, but again, I think it's a bad precedent to include the Rebirth special.

• Lobo Vol. 3: Paid in Blood TP
• Supergirl Book One TP
• Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 9 TP

Notable is that all three of these had been cancelled but are now resolicited, which I guess is a "never say never" argument (but I still don't see the Starman Omnibus Vol. 3 paperback back on the schedule). The Lobo book finishes out Cullen Bunn's Lobo series; the Supergirl book (cancelled more than once?) is early Peter David/Gary Frank material; and the Superman book is the end of John Byrne's run with the "Supergirl Saga" and the Phantom Zone villains.

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 9: Gordon at War HC
• Catwoman Vol. 8: Run Like Hell TP
• Doctor Fate Vol. 2: Prisoners of the Past TP
• Flash Vol. 9: Full Stop HC
• Grayson Vol. 4: A Ghost in the Tomb TP
• Green Arrow Vol. 9: Outbreak TP
• Midnighter Vol. 2: Hard TP
• We Are Robin Vol. 2: Jokers TP

The final collections of these series, none of which include the Rebirth specials where appropriate, demonstrating that not all the ending books, at least according to the solicitations, will have their Rebirth specials. This is both is heartening but equally also a little frustrating.

The Grayson book includes Robin War #1-2; it's nice that these aren't only collected in the Robin War book (a la Superman: Doomed). The Midnighter collection also includes issues #7-8 of the Wildstorm Midnighter series, by Brian Vaughan and Christos Gage respectively.

• Absolute Infinite Crisis HC

Collects just the Infinite Crisis miniseries (as opposed to the Infinite Crisis Omnibus) plus script and art extras.

• Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 2 TP

I like DC going through and collecting all their Elseworlds material, but I have to cry foul on Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 2. If there's any other Batman Elseworlds that need collecting, then collecting Doug Moench and Kelley Jones's Vampire Batman Red Rain trilogy -- other copies of which I believe are still in print -- seems wasteful, with no offense intended to the creative team. If you already owned that, bought Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 1, and might want Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 3, then that leaves you either with a hole in your collection or significantly double-dipping. I'd have put these in the last Elseworlds: Batman volume, if at all.

• Nightwing Vol. 5: The Hunt for Oracle TP

Whereas the original Hunt for Oracle collection included Chuck Dixon's Nightwing #41-46 and Birds of Prey #20-21, this new edition is said to include Nightwing #35-46 and Birds of Prey #21. The first two new Nightwing collections kept pace with the originals, just with additional miniseries and other extras; with Vol. 3, the book collected a little short of the original (albeit with extras); the fourth volume straddled a collection; and with this volume, the Nightwing collections now match back up again (for the moment). My guess is that Birds of Prey #20 is also included here and the solicitation is just a misprint.

• Swamp Thing: The Dead Don’t Sleep TP

Collects the six-issue Len Wein/Kelley Jones miniseries. Anyone know if this follows off the continuity of the Charles Soule run or if Wein starts from scratch?

• Watchmen Noir HC

I guess now's as good a time as any to release Watchmen in black and white ...

So where do you want your Rebirth specials collected? What else is on your list?