DC Trade Solicitations for November 2016 - Flash by Mark Waid, Ostrander Suicide Squad Vol. 5, Legends of Tomorrow Firestorm, Metal Men, and Metamorpho, Batman: Death and the Maidens Deluxe

We're looking at the DC Comics November 2016 hardcover and trade paperback solicitations today. The big one, coming for a couple months now, is the first Flash by Mark Waid collection, including Annual crossovers and Flash: Born to Run, leading into next volume's Return of Barry Allen. I'm glad too to see new Suicide Squad by Ostrander/Yale and Birds of Prey by Chuck Dixon volumes. We also see the end of Harley Quinn and Deathstroke before each is relaunched for Rebirth.

Step right up and let's see what we've got:

• Flash by Mark Waid Book One TP

The monthly solicitation listing for this adheres pretty well to what we've heard so far: Waid's Flash Special, issues #62-68, and Flash Annual #4-5. The latter two are Armageddon 2001 and Eclipso: The Darkness Within tie-ins respectively. A note in the solicitation says "montage cover," which I'm curious to see.

• Birds of Prey Vol. 3 TP

I noticed these new Chuck Dixon Birds of Prey collections in the comics shop the other day and the fluorescent spines are really cool; they capture the pop 1990s world-traveling aesthetic of this book, in my opinion. This particular collection includes Birds of Prey #12-21 and Nightwing #45-46; if there was any concern that the "Hunt for Oracle" crossover wouldn't entirely be in here, it is. Also within, a trip to Apokolips and Catwoman, Robin Tim Drake, the Joker, and Power Girl.

• Suicide Squad Vol. 5: Apokolips Now TP

The next collection of Suicide Squad by John Ostrander and Kim Yale, following the "Janus Directive" crossover, sees the team sent to Apokolips. Hard to believe, and wonderful, that we're on volume 5 of this now, when once we were stuck with a canceled "Nightshade Odyssey."

• Firestorm: The Nuclear Man -- United We Fall TP
• Metal Men: Full Metal Jacket TP
• Metamorpho: Two Worlds, One Destiny TP

Three more collections of the Legends of Tomorrow series. In some respects, new tales of heroes overlooked or left behind by the New 52 is now overshadowed by what Rebirth may bring. On the other hand, I'm plenty curious how, for instance, Metamorpho Rex Mason ties in to Justice League's Element Woman or the business they had with the Metal Men, assuming these miniseries reflect current continuity. If they're "just stories" of these characters, no offense but I'll wait for the versions that'll stick.

• Batman: Death and the Maidens Deluxe Edition HC

I still clearly remember staying up all night to read Greg Rucka's Death and the Maidens, his especially harrowing tale of Batman and Ra's al Ghul. If you haven't read it, I can't recommend enough this deluxe edition, which should reprint wonderfully Klaus Janson's artwork. This is supposed to also include unused art and sketches.

• Deathstroke Vol. 4: Family Business TP

The end of James Bonny's Deathstroke series before Rebirth, collecting issues #17-20 and the Annual #2, which was written by Phil Hester.

• Harley Quinn Vol. 6: Black, White and Red All Over HC

Collects Harley Quinn #26-30, the final collection of the series before Rebirth, in which Harley fights some marvelous new character called Redtool.

• JLA Vol. 9 TP

JLA Vol. 9 is a hefty collection and an interesting one for fans of this era. Not only do you have Kurt Busiek's "Crime Syndicate of America" eight-parter (which continues from JLA/Avengers, of all things), but then also Geoff Johns and Allan Heinberg's Identity Crisis tie-in and Bob Harras's Infinite Crisis tie-in. The quality ebbs and flows here but again, it's certainly a significant snapshot of the times.

• Martian Manhunter Vol. 2: The Red Rising TP

I really enjoyed the first half of Rob Williams's DC You Martian Manhunter series and I'm looking forward to the second. This is issues #7-12 plus Justice League of America #5 (the Bryan Hitch series) by Williams and Matt Kindt with art by Philip Tan. (A recent solicit had this in the Hitch collection, but surely it's not.)

• Secret Six Vol. 2: The Gauntlet TP

Collects the final issues of Gail Simone's second Secret Six series, issues #7-14.

• Teen Titans: Year One TP New Edition

A new edition of the well-regarded Amy Wolfram/Karl Kerschl miniseries. This was one of a couple "Year One" miniseries published in the late 2000s, which I don't believe were ever meant as actual in-continuity origins -- Green Arrow is another one, which did get a continuity reference, and also Black Lightning, Huntress, and Metamorpho. Given this book's more recent-ness and popularity, it'd be interesting if DC made parts of it the Titans actual origin post-Rebirth.

A small month for me but I've got to save my pennies for those Rebirth collections anyway. What'll you be buying?