DC Trade Solicitations for October 2016 - DC Rebirth Deluxe Hardcover, Batman Vol. 10, DC/Dark Horse: Justice League, Absolute Wonder Woman by Azzarello, Sugar and Spike
All that and Absolute Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang. Let's take a look.
• DC Universe: Rebirth #1 Deluxe Edition HC
I feel we've jumped the shark a bit to release a hardcover edition of one single issue that clocks in at about 60 pages without advertisements; at the same time, now I can put the DC Universe: Rebirth special on the DC Trade Paperback Timeline all on its own, so win-win. You've got to be a pretty big you-know-who fan (are we allowed to say it yet?) to put down $20 on this though, no?
• Batman Vol. 10: Epilogue HC
This one has been controversial, previously said to have been collecting Batman #51-52, Batman Annual #4, and a story from Detective Comics #27, the latter of which was already collected in Detective Comics Vol. 5: Gothtopia. This new listing is improved, or at least as improved as you're going to get -- the Batman issues and annual, plus the Futures End tie-in issue and the Rebirth special. That's five issues, sufficient for a small trade, and all of them previously uncollected (though my guess is the Rebirth special will also end up at the beginning of the next trade).
I'm not totally convinced everything short of the special couldn't have been included in Vol. 9, but this is better than it was.
• Absolute Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang Vol. 1 HC
This collects the first three volumes of Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's Wonder Woman (namely Blood, Guts, and Iron). The series assuredly deserves this, though again I wonder at the upper limits of an Absolute edition; I'd as soon see two books collected in one slipcase than have to buy one Absolute and then another to get the complete run.
• Superman: Action Comics Vol. 9: Last Rites HC
• Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 5: A Savage End HC
Another controversy: Apparently the full collection of Superman: Savage Dawn will contain the previously-unpublished Superman/Wonder Woman #30-31. The question was whether those two isses would also be in the Superman/Wonder Woman collection proper. These solicitations, at least, say Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 5 only contain issues #25-29, so it looks like anyone wanting to read those issues will either have to go digital or double-dip. It's curious that Savage Dawn has Superman/Wonder Woman issues #25-27 and then #30-31; you'd think at least they would go in the Final Days of Superman collection, which includes Superman/Wonder Woman #28-29.
The Action Comics collection has issues #48-52, so those can either be read on their own or with the larger collections.
• DC/Dark Horse: Justice League Vol. 1 TP
We were just discussing the new line of DC/Dark Horse crossover trades, and here's confirmation of the next. This one looks to collect Superman vs. Predator, Superman vs. the Terminator: Death to the Future, Batman/Hellboy/Starman, and Ghost/Batgirl.
• Black Canary Vol. 2: New Killer Star TP
• Gotham Academy Vol. 3: Yearbook TP
Gotham Academy collects issues #13-18 and the first annual, ending before the Rebirth relaunch; Black Canary collects issues #8-12 and some or all of Gotham Academy #17 (I'd guess it's just the parts by the Black Canary team specifically).
• Green Lantern Corps: Edge of Oblivion TP
I haven't read Green Lantern Corps: Lost Army or Edge of Oblivion, admittedly, but what I saw in a preview didn't thrill me and I'll admit to skepticism about these off-model miniseries not written by any regular Green Lantern creative team. That said, the presence of the Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth special in this collection is a curious bit of doubling-down, and certainly lends legitimacy to this collection.
• New Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Kill Anything TP
Collects the final issues of New Suicide Squad, #18-22, before Rebirth.
• Sinestro Vol. 4: The Fall of Sinestro TP
Final collection of Sinestro before Rebirth, issues #16-23. I haven't found this series as strong as I'd like, but a certain guest star and some significant "DC You" material piques my interest.
• Space Ghost TP New Edition
I reviewed this book almost ten years ago. It was not the take on Space Ghost I was hoping for (I had wanted more of an origin of the cartoon Space Ghost), but I have always wondered about a follow-up. With the current resurgence of Hanna-Barbera comics at DC, I wonder if another Space Ghost solo outing, spinning out of Future Quest, might be in the works.
• Sugar & Spike: Metahuman Investigations TP
This is the Legends of Tomorrow story I'm most interested in, but I'm not sure if it's actually set in the New 52 or more of an non-continuity space like the recent Bizarro; for my tastes I'd prefer the former over the latter.
• Adam Strange: The Silver Age Vol. 1 TP
Collects Showcase #17-19 and Mystery in Space #53-74, Adam Strange's first 1958 appearances through just before his first team-up with the Justice League.
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five Vol. 1 HC
I'm exceptionally behind on my Injustice reading and need to catch up. Clever, and perhaps intentional, that it looks like this series is coming to an end just before the release of the Injustice video game sequel.
What're you buying this month?
I'm getting the Flash Silver Age Omnibus Vol 2, as it appears to collect 13 issues past the last Flash Archives. Also, the Brave and the Bold Omnibus collects some early Batman team-ups not drawn by Jim Aparo and collected in his two volumes, so I'll pick that up.
ReplyDeleteRobin Vol 3.
Perhaps that Legend of Wonder Woman HC. This looks interesting.
Sugar and Spike.
Black Canary Vol 2
Really glad those Chuck Dixon Robin collections are continuing, and especially that this third volume has both the annuals. Only didn't mention it because it's a re-solicit from last month.
DeleteThe Batman Rebirth issue isn't an obvious precursor to the current arc or Snyder's upcoming All Star series (at least not yet), so it might not get re-collected down the line. It'll probably work just fine in a collection with four other one-off stories. That's not to say you shouldn't read Rebirth first for some character stuff (trying to be vague for spoiler-y reasons), but I think it'll be okay if Batman Rebirth just appears in the one place (kind of like how Batman: The Return was collected w/Morrison's last Batman & Robin arc and not with Batman Inc)
ReplyDeleteI guess it makes a little sense because Snyder co-writes the special, but I sooner see it with Tom King's first arc (whether related or not) since King is the new ongoing writer. Any day now we're going to see if these specials are collected twice; for budgets I hope not but for reading completeness I hope so (and the latter is winning out for me).
DeleteI think that a few of the Rebirths read ok as epilogues to New52 runs - I'm thinking Superman, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey and Nightwing specifically. Batman Rebirth is essentially a one-shot story, and as such, I kind of like it in vol 10 better. Some, however, would be out of place in New52 volumes - Wonder Woman, Flash, Justice League, etc. I'm ok with the series that are basically continuing previous stories including the Rebirth special in the last new52 trade.
DeleteI'm pretty sure I'll be a sucker and get the deluxe version of DC Universe: Rebirth and the deluxe version of the Dark Knight: Last Crusade. I like the size of the deluxe format; it should make the artwork look even better.
ReplyDeleteI would get the Flash Omnibus, but I already have the 6 Archive volumes so I didn't get volume 1 of the omnibus. I want consistency on my shelf, dang it!!! I am kind of annoyed that these reprint packages come out for a bit then get cancelled, only for a new reprint package to come out and start over again with the issues that have already been reprinted.
I'm curious about this Rebirth hardcover, which I see as an objet d'art more than a reading thing; like I'd kind of like to have it but I don't want to pay $20 for a single issue I already have. Something about the extra-specialness of it in hardcover excites the fan in me, but then again the story itself is so wrought with baggage that I come back to reality a bit. How do you work this out in your own head?
DeleteMore and more these days I like the deluxe version of collections - I pick them whenever possible. I prefer hardcovers to softcovers, plus I think the paper is of better quality, and that combined with the extra size of the pages makes the artwork even more appealing to me. (As you can imagine, I am a big fan of Absolute versions, for those same reasons.) I don't give as much of a hoot about the extras that are supposed to come with it, but sometimes those things are a nice bonus. I will also like how it will look on my bookshelf. (I know this already. :-) ) The baggage in the story doesn't bother me; I really enjoyed the story, and I think I will enjoy it just that much more as a deluxe hardcover.
DeletePlus, like I said, I'm a sucker. :-)
No judgement here :-) -- I'd be the same way if it weren't for money and shelf space. I like the deluxe editions, too, but actually the fact that they won't fit nicely in long-boxes is what ultimately put me off, and I find the Absolutes too unwieldy for casual reading. But I definitely get the appeal, no doubt, and frankly I think hardcover gives the DC Universe: Rebirth special some cache that maybe it lacked as a single issue. At the same time, I don't know, maybe at least putting in the Titans and Flash Rebirth specials might have been preferable.
DeleteOoohhhh, yeah, putting Flash Rebirth and Titans Rebirth in there too would be awesome! Too bad they don't seem to plan on doing that.
DeleteI'd drop the Rebirth special from Batman v10 and put Annual #3 instead, just so the whole series and related specials are completed in the collected editions. Yeah, I know An3 is an Endgame tie-in, but it was only reprinted in Joker: Endgame.
ReplyDeleteThe current solicited version of v10 is 160 pages. With the annual it'd be 200. Perfectly doable.
I don't have my trade library close by: has Batman/Hellboy/Starman been previously collected in a Starman trade or omnibus? For some reason I remember it being in the same omnibus as Sand and Stars but I might be completely wrong.
ReplyDeleteEither way, that's a collection I'll be reviewing, especially because of the retrospective randomness of Ghost/Batgirl. Someone had to have pitched Power Girl/Barb Wire at one point, right?
Yes, Batman/Hellboy/Starman was collected in a Starman omnibus. I forget which one.
DeleteStarman Omnibus Vol. 4.
DeleteGlad to see that Seeley's New Suicide Squad run is collected in one trade. It's probably the best SS arc of the New 52
ReplyDeletewhat does this mean?
ReplyDelete"previously-unpublished Superman/Wonder Woman #30-31"
do you mean previously uncollected? or these are comics that never actually came out as individual print issues.
thanks!
In the run-up to Rebirth, apparently there are two Superman/Wonder Woman issues, #30-31, that were completed but that will not be released as single issues by DC. As far as we know right now, they will be included in the multi-series Superman: Savage Dawn collection, but will not be included in the Superman/Wonder Woman Vol. 5: A Savage Dawn collection. I imagine the contents of the issues themselves will factor heavily in how this decision is ultimately regarded.
Deletei appreciate the info, i read that series but hadnt heard that
Delete