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?
Hopefully we'll start seeing Rebirth trades solicited next month.
ReplyDeleteThere is also Sandman Mystery Theater vol 2 which (I think) collects issues 13-24.
ReplyDeleteSo psyched for the the Waid Flash collection! I'd heard mixed things about Death and the Maidens. I don't think I've read it. Is it really that good, or is it mostly for the Janson art?
ReplyDeleteit's really that good.
DeleteReally that good. I thought I had reviewed it, but it turns out I just mentioned it in a list of recommended Batman trades. I'll have to rectify that some day ...
DeleteI so can't wait for JLA vol 9. I've been going through volumes 1-3 recently and have been loving it! It'll feel so good to get to 9 by the time it comes out.
ReplyDeleteThat Vol. 9 collection is wild. Lots of material for a crossover/continuity nut.
DeleteWhy didn't you list Batman and Robin Adventures 1?
ReplyDeleteWasn't on my buying list. Glad it's on yours.
DeleteDoes the Firestorm TPB link to the correct book on Amazon? It looks like it's the wrong one, but I can't find the right one either.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to know if those Legend of Tomorrow books are in continuity. I'm probably going to buy the Metal Men book anyway, but I'm not sure about the rest.
All of the Legends of Tomorrow strips, which were originally commissioned as separate minis, are part of the New 52 continuity.
Delete@PeterB - I think the solicitation text is wrong, but the release date is right.
Delete@shagmu - Is that explicit? Like the Metamorpho miniseries acknowledges Element Woman running around, or it just doesn't contradict? And would you say the same is true for the Sugar & Spike book (I was under the impression that was too farcical to be in continuity, like the Bizarro mini)?
@shagamu thanks for the answer, I guess that makes my to buy list a bit longer.
DeleteI don't recall Element Woman ever being mentioned in Lopresti's Metamorpho strip. I guess she just had an encounter with the Orb of Ra before he did. Conway's Firestorm is a direct sequel to the New 52 series, though, and Wein picks up the Metal Men from where Johns left them off in Justice League.
DeleteAs for Sugar and Spike, the super-heroes who show up in it are the New 52 versions, even though Giffen tries to put some older stories back in continuity that don't quite fit (especially the one involving Wonder Woman). And the last chapter makes things even murkier by bringing in a bunch of time-displaced LoSH founding members who look more like the pre-Crisis versions than the ones young Clark Kent met in Morrison's Action Comics run.
Do you ever consider just waiting for these books to show up at the local library? #$$$
ReplyDeleteOften.
DeleteThat's how I read the bulk of what I read.
DeleteWasn't the Vixen best-of bind-up supposed to be released this month? Is it still upcoming?
ReplyDeleteIt was never solicited, and Edelweiss's website says it's cancelled.
DeleteBummer. Thanks for the info!
Delete