Review: Black Canary Vol. 2: New Killer Star trade paperback (DC Comics)

That the "DC You" initiative only lasted one year turned what were ostensibly ongoing series into twelve-issue mini-, or perhaps "maxi-", series. This had a curious effect on their trade collecting, for instance the "Robin War" crossover that perfectly bisects a number of Batman-spinoff collections. In the case of Midnighter, this gave us a longer first volume that was in many ways beginning and climax to the story, and a shorter second volume almost entirely devoted to epilogue, with the unusual collecting structure itself lending to the experimental themes of "DC You."

Black Canary Vol. 2: New Killer Star is somewhat in the Midnighter model, where the first volume was really the star of the show -- Black Canary on the run as lead singer in a band -- and the second volume is ... something else. Perhaps in the parlance of Geoff Johns's JSA series, we might call New Killer Star a "down trade," the calm before the next big storyline, which in this case of course never came.

Review: New Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Kill Anything trade paperback (DC Comics)

Tim Seeley and Juan Ferreyra are a powerhouse combination, one half of the writing team that brought emotional lyricism to Grayson's spy shenanigans and one half of the art team drawing a retro-cool Rebirth Green Arrow like nothing else on the stands. Their New Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Kill Anything is as good as you would expect, a smart take on the Squad both in plot and layouts, a fine end to the New Suicide Squad title with a Quentin Tarantino aesthetic. I'll say at the top, do not read the back of this book, which spoils the story's good twist of the kind Seeley and Tom King were known for on Grayson.

[Review contains spoilers]

My only complaint about Kill Anything is that it is not a Suicide Squad story proper, but rather in large part the book is about the Squad gone rogue and Amanda Waller deciding to come save them. Were Seeley continuing a long run on Suicide Squad (and no offense to Rebirth Squad writer Rob Williams, but I wouldn't mind seeing Seeley take on the Squad again), then a deviation from the norm wouldn't be a problem. Given just one story, however, it's unfortunate we only barely get to see the Squad be the Squad and, in some respects, the "fight club" aspects of this story could have been told with any set of characters, not just the Squad. In broad terms we also have the issue of having just seen a "rogue" Squad of sorts (or at least one briefly un-leashed to kill Waller) in Sean Ryan's New Suicide Squad Vol. 3: Freedom, though that's just unfortunate coincidence.

Top 10 Marvel 2017 Collections Sale Recommendations

[By Doug Glassman, who Tumblrs at '80s Marvel Rocks!]

The holidays are over, but Amazon/Comixology has kindly kept their immense sale on Marvel trade paperbacks going until January 2nd. This includes a lot of obscurities, older stories, and event tie-ins that might have gotten skipped over. Here’s ten recommendations of books I haven’t reviewed yet that are worth getting at such a reduced price. I’ve compiled this issue with the help of the War Rocket Ajax podcast’s "Every Story Ever" list, where they rank comics in relation to one another to some surprising results.

1. Luke Cage, Hero for Hire Masterworks Volume 1 ($4.99): I rarely endorse getting a trade solely for one story, but you can now get the classic tale of Luke Cage flying to Latveria to get the $200 that Doctor Doom owes him plus fourteen more issues of classic blaxploitation. While the Netflix series isn’t quite the same as Luke’s original comics, they’re a ton of fun. (Amazon | Comixology)
2. Daredevil: Born Again ($3.99): Likely the source of the upcoming third season of Netflix’s series, this is Daredevil’s '80s Marvel Epic, bringing him low only for him to rise again. It’s some of the best writing Frank Miller has ever done, and I particularly enjoy the slow but persistent escalation of stakes that really makes it a page-turner. (Amazon | Comixology)
3. Wolverine by Claremont and Miller ($1.99): Speaking of great work by Frank Miller … It’s the book that made Wolverine the character and merchandising juggernaut he is today. Logan’s back after a few years of death (and a fantastic blockbuster movie) and two dollars is a steal for a major classic story. (Amazon | Comixology)
4. Super-Villain Team-Up: M.O.D.O.K’S 11 ($5.99): Before there was Superior Foes of Spider-Man, there was Super-Villain Team-Up, featuring another team of minor villains alternately working together and backstabbing each other. It’s one of Fred Van Lente’s many Marvel projects which should’ve gone on longer. (Amazon | Comixology)
5. Immortal Iron Fist Vol 1: The Last Iron Fist Story ($2.99): Don’t hold the underwhelming Netflix version against Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction’s kung-fu epic. The David Aja artwork presages his work on Hawkeye with Fraction, while the story quickly gets so engrossing that you’ll be lucky that the other volumes are part of this sale. (Amazon | Comixology)
6. New X-Men: E is for Extinction ($5.99): Hot on the heels of Logan’s return is Jean Grey, and Grant Morrison’s tenure on New X-Men is one place where Jean shines. Your mileage might definitely vary on the art, particularly in how Frank Quitely draws faces, but it’s a comic that still has resonance over a decade later. (Amazon | Comixology)
7. Captain America: Man and Wolf ($7.99): This one is particularly motivated by the "Every Story Ever" list. Mark Gruenwald’s throwback to '60s comics is just about as silly as you can get while still presenting a serious comic book title, and Nick Spencer paid homage to it in one of my favorite Sam Wilson, Captain America arcs. (Amazon | Comixology)
8. Deadpool Classic Vol. 1-5 ($4.99; $5.99 for Vol 4): For $26, you can collect the issues of Joe Kelly’s original Deadpool run. That’s a steal considering the omnibus is another $100. I loved these stories long before Deadpool became mainstream with the film and they belong in the collections of every Marvel fan. (Amazon | Comixology)
9. She-Hulk: Single Green Female ($6.99): Before Dan Slott became the go-to Spider-Man writer, he wrote an all-time great single issue of She-Hulk in which Peter Parker sues J. Jonah Jameson for defamation. That story, plus the tale of Awesome Andy and the rules of comic book law, are all found here. (Amazon | Comixology)
10. Runaways: Pride and Joy ($2.99): Rounding out the list is one last media tie-in. I haven’t had a chance to watch the Hulu live-action series, but it seems to be a faithful adaptation. Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona led the way for a renaissance of teenage heroes that’s still playing out with Ms. Marvel and The Champions. (Amazon | Comixology)

Monday Talkback for 12-25-17

Season's greetings! If you've had enough of family and friends and have turned to the internet for a little peace and quiet, we've got a Collected Editions open thread for your enjoyment.

Let's hear it: Favorite gifts of the season? Things you're looking forward to next year? How's life treating you?

Best wishes and and thanks for reading Collected Editions.

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Review: We Stand on Guard deluxe edition hardcover (Image Comics)

[Review by Haydn Spurrell]

What stands out, if we’re thinking in broad strokes, when I consider what helps Brian K. Vaughan’s body of work separate itself from the crowd in an industry that seems to unveil new talent every week, is that for starters, his concepts are simple, and almost laughably so.

Saga is about the child of two lovers from opposite sides of an ongoing war, and how their little family tries to find somewhere safe and peaceful. Y: The Last Man is even simpler; what if a disease wiped out every mammal with a Y chromosome, except for one young man and his monkey? These concepts work beautifully as long-running narratives. The characters are either fleeing from something or searching for something, which keeps them and the story moving. Thus, it opens up new and exciting opportunities as Vaughan expands the worlds he invests in. We Stand on Guard is an anomaly amidst Vaughan’s recent wave of books, including the two aforementioned titles as well as Paper Girls and, before all that, Ex Machina.

Review: Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 4: Deus Ex Machina (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

James Tynion's Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 4: Deus Ex Machina never quite comes together. Tynion spins parallel stories that cooperatively examine the intersection of magic, technology, and faith, but the pacing is somewhat off. Batman and Zatanna essentially stand around and chat, dipping in and out of flashback, while Azrael and the rest of Detective's Bat-team fight a pitched battle, and there's a sense of distraction -- the Zatanna storyline never quite hits its mark and the end of the Azrael story has a seemingly large flaw.

It hardly matters. Is it possible to rave about Tynion's Detective Comics more? Even when it doesn't totally work, there's such a joy in Tynion's celebration of these twenty-something-year-old characters that the finer details can be forgiven -- and surely Tynion's still running circles around plenty of others. There's a certain moment in this book that takes what was once a symbol of conflict between two characters and makes it instead something aspirational; twenty years hence it's simply a wonder these characters are still around for us to read about, and Tynion's ode to the best parts of them epitomizes what Rebirth is and should be.

DC Trade Solicitations for March 2018 - Dark Nights: Metal, Resistance, Nightmare Batmen; Batman: Dark Night Detective Post-Crisis; Kamandi Challenge; Absolute Killing Joke

We were just talking about them a few weeks ago and now here they are: DC Comics's collections of Dark Nights: Metal. But some of the contents are still up in the air, as the DC Comics March 2018 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations still have a couple of issues outside the main Metal collection that we've been told would be in there.

Among others, this month also sees the next collections of both Tom King's Batman and James Tynion's Detective Comics. But I'm excited for Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 1, a collection of the just-post-Crisis Detective Comics that seems to be running parallel to the Batman: The Caped Crusader collections of Batman issues (really this one is parallel to Batman: Second Chances). I'm a sucker for complete runs, even without a lot of consequence, and these actually do have consequence, weaving in and out of Legends, Millennium, Invasion!, Death in the Family, and more; I'm glad to see both Batman and Detective be being collected so comprehensively.

One last time this year, let's go ahead and take a look.

• Absolute Authority Vol. 2 HC [New Edition]

Following the recent new edition of Absolute Authority Vol. 1, this is issues #13-29 from the original Absolute Authority Vol. 2, plus the Authority Annual #1 (2000) and a story from the Wildstorm Summer Special.

• Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke HC

As I think I've mentioned before, for me some of the magic is gone from Killing Joke; what might've been the definitive tale of the Joker has been so subsumed at this point by what were meant to be (rightly or not) tertiary aspects of the story that it's hard to see Killing Joke in it any more. The recent animated movie was the last straw, crystalizing what was worse about this story instead of what was better. The solicitation for this volume nearly doesn't know what to do with it itself, positing the book mainly as a battle between the Joker and Commissioner Gordon.

Interestingly, the solicitation says the book has Brian Bolland's "reimagined colors and the original edition's colors"; I wonder if that means two differently colored versions in one book (there have been differently colored versions over the years) or if it will be just one version and then a comparative section later on.

• Batman Vol. 5: The Rules of Engagement TP

Batman Vol. 4: War of Jokes and Riddles left me a little cold (good story but I didn't totally understand the point), but I'm eager for this one, which gets back to the present action and includes the reaction of the Bat-family to recent events, including a team-up with Superman and Lois Lane. Collects issues #33-37 and the Annual #2.

• Batman: Arkham -- Hugo Strange TP

I love how random these Batman: Arkham books have become, and how no Bat-villain is off-limits no matter how obscure. Hugo Strange is not obscure-obscure, but I never thought he'd get his own trade. Really glad to see Devin Grayson's Gotham Knights "Transference" story in here; with the popularity of James Tynion's Detective Comics, we're overdue for dedicated trades of Grayson's Gotham Knights, that book's spiritual predecessor.

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 5: A Lonely Place of Living TP

Being the other big Rebirth Bat-book of the month (Dark Nights: Metal notwithstanding), this is the moment we've all been waiting for -- the return of Tim Drake to Detective Comics. This is what James Tynion's Detective Comics has been building to all along and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Collects issues #963-968.

• Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 1 TP

We've been seeing bandied about for a while a Batman: The Caped Crusader series and a Batman: The Dark Knight Detective series, at times even seeming to replace one another. Now both are scheduled for the coming months, with Caped Crusader collecting the just-post-Crisis Batman title, mostly by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo (including "Ten Nights of the Beast" and "Death in the Family"), and Dark Night Detective collecting the Detective Comics stories of the same time by Mike Barr with Alan Davis and Norm Breyfogle, among others. Issues #568-574 and #579-582 start with a Legends tie-in through to a Millennium tie-in, skipping over the already-well-collected Batman: Year Two. (Hopefully Year Three is in the next Caped Crusader volume.)

• Bug!: The Adventures of Forager TP

Collects issues #1-6 of the Young Animal series by Lee Allred and Mike Allred. I'm not grooving on this one necessarily; I'm leaning more toward the Shade and Mother Panic urban horror than some of Young Animal's wackier material.

• Dark Nights: Metal HC

Collects issues #1-6 of the event miniseries; said to arrive in stores June 6 with a foil-embossed cover.

• Dark Nights: Metal: The Nightmare Batmen HC

Scheduled for June 20 in hardcover and also with a foil-embossed cover. The solicitations have this as Batman: The Red Death #1, Batman: The Devastator #1, Batman: The Merciless #1, Batman: The Murder Machine #1, Batman: The Drowned #1, Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1, The Batman Who Laughs #1 and Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1, though Scott Snyder tweeted when this came around the first time that Wild Hunt is going to be in the Metal trade proper, so we'll see.

• Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance TP

Earlier when we saw the Dark Nights: Metal trade solicitations, the Bats Out of Hell and Gotham Resistance trades were separate, but almost immediately they combined into this Resistance collection. Due out June 13 in paperback, this is Teen Titans #12, Nightwing #29, Suicide Squad #26, Green Arrow #32, Flash #33, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32, Justice League #32-33, and Hawkman: Found #1. The solicitation still lists Batman: Lost #1 even thought Scott Snyder also said this would be in the Metal collection proper.

• DC Universe by Brian K. Vaughan TP

No question why it behooves DC to have as many collections out there with Brian K. Vaughan's name on it as possible, but this is a pretty eclectic collection. There's Titans #14, a Tempest story; Sins of Youth: Wonder Girl from the middle of that fifth week event; Young Justice #22, a "day in the life" story; the JLA Annual #4 from the 2000 "Planet DC" event; and parts, but not all, of the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern: Circle of Fire story.

• Deathstroke Vol. 4: Defiance TP

Collects issues #21-25 of the Christopher Priest series in the aftermath of the Lazarus Contract crossover, plus a story from DC Universe Holiday Special.

• Flash by Mark Waid Book Four TP

Previous solicitations for this book listed the contents of the third book; finally (but not unexpectedly), this is listed as issue #0, #95-105, and the Annual #8. That's the "Terminal Velocity" story and then some (co-written by Michael Jan Friedman), ending shortly before an Underworld Unleashed tie-in (notable because Waid wrote Underworld Unleashed). The annual is a "Year One" story.

• Flash: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book Two HC

Collects issues #14-27, the third and fourth paperback collections,Rogues Reloaded and Running Scared, and including the Flash half of the "Button" crossover with Batman.

• Infinite Crisis Omnibus HC [New Edition]

A new collection of, let's face it, about the best event DC Comics has ever done, this comprehensive hardcover includes Action Comics #826 and #829, Adventures of Superman #639 and #642, Countdown To Infinite Crisis #1, Day of Vengeance #1-6, Day of Vengeance Infinite Crisis Special #1, JLA #115-119, Infinite Crisis #1-6, Infinite Crisis Secret Files 2006 #1, The OMAC Project #1-6, The OMAC Project Infinite Crisis Special #1, Rann-Thanagar War #1-6, Rann-Thanagar Infinite Crisis Special #1, Superman #216 and #219, Villains United #1-6, Villains United Infinite Crisis Special #1, and Wonder Woman #219.

• Injustice 2 Vol. 1 TP
• Injustice 2 Vol. 2 HC

The paperback of issues #1-6 and the hardcover of #7-12 and #14. Not sure why issue #13 isn't in there (if the solicitation is right) except that it seems to be a standalone Supergirl issues.

• JSA: The Golden Age TP [New Edition]

James Robinson's definitive JSA Elseworlds just had a deluxe edition, so a new paperback is pretty common.

• Justice League: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book Two HC

The second deluxe hardcover collection of Bryan Hitch's Justice League includes issues #12-25, the third and fourth paperbacks, Timeless and Endless.

• Kamandi Challenge HC

Collecting the serial story. I thought this was twelve issues but the solicitation says "14 ... teams of writers and artists."

• Nightwing Vol. 5: Raptor's Revenge TP

Collects issues #30-34 of the Rebirth series, tying back to the first volume.

• Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 3: Bizarro Reborn TP

Previously this was solicited as issues #12-17, but now it appears to be #12-18 and the Annual #1.

• Suicide Squad Vol. 5: Kill Your Darlings TP

Collects issues #21-25, ending just before the Dark Nights: Metal tie-in issue.

• Supergirl Vol. 3: Girl of No Tomorrow TP

A markedly short trade, collecting just issues #12-14 and the Annual #1.

• Superman Vol. 5: Hopes and Fears TP

Collects Superman #27-32 (not, as we thought before, any longer, and not collecting the "Imperious Lex" storyline yet), with two issues respectively by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, Keith Champagne, and James Bonny. This feels a bit like the book biding its time during greater Rebirth-centric events in Action Comics.

• Wonder Woman by George Perez Vol. 3 TP

Collects Wonder Woman #25-35. Not to be confused with the recently announced Omnibus Vol. 3. Among these are a couple of Invasion! tie-in issues.

One last time for 2017 ... what are your latest acquisitions? What books are you still hoping to be gifted this year? Closing thoughts?

Review: Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Earthlings on Fire (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Ordinarily Suicide Squad intersecting with the Superman titles would be pretty significant, and indeed Rob Williams's Rebirth Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Earthlings on Fire's premise holds a lot of promise. But the story does not come close to the suspense and intrigue of the previous volume, as Williams seems to return to his formulaic "bottle episode" approach to Squad, emphasizing action over plot. Earthings appears in some respects to be an interstitial "down" trade between two peaks; let's hope that's the case and that next time around, Williams can demonstrate again the promise he's shown this title can hold.

[Review contains spoilers]

It's an impressive feat of coordination that for almost twenty issues now this title has held on to Zod seemingly just for the purpose of transferring him over to Action Comics. Zod's presence has given Suicide Squad some much-needed cache, though in some respects it feels surface-level; having gained possession of Zod, the Squad barely got to use him and did not accomplish Amanda Waller's goal of confronting the mysterious "People" with him. It's good that Williams seems to be finally getting down to the People with the next volume; to an extent Zod is a symbol of this book mainly biding its time to this point without a great amount in terms of plot or character development to show for it.

Review: Batman Vol. 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Toward the end of Batman Vol. 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles, a frustrated Riddler lectures Batman that "not every story is your story!" War really is the Joker and the Riddler's story (and Kite Man's) more than Batman's. The material about them is fascinating, but the shift is slightly off-putting given that Batman isn't usually the title where Batman is overshadowed by his foes, and there hasn't been much build-up so far to suggest a shift like this was coming.

For the emphasis this flashback story places on Joker and Riddler, one might mistakenly have thought they'd featured in King's Batman stories so far. Really the greatest throughway between past and present in this story is King building on the history of his breakout take on Catwoman (not Ed Brubaker, but few can be) and of course spinning the origin of Kite Man. The book is clever taken in isolation, but reads strangely in the context of King's Batman run so far and the DC Universe overall.

Review: Justice League of America Vol. 2: Curse of the Kingbutcher (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Steve Orlando's second Rebirth Justice League of America volume reminds in some respects of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis's Justice League, with purposefully B-list villains taking a backseat to the character interactions (though fortunately without the cornball comedy). I hadn't realized ahead of time that Justice League of America Vol. 2: Curse of the Kingbutcher was a collection of shorter arcs, and so it was interesting to see Orlando flit through these one- and two-offs, largely using homemade antagonists. The book felt episodic, like X-Files or one of the CW shows that Orlando's League has so much connection to.

I go back and forth on Orlando's League; it has not been as good as I'd hoped and the second volume (third, including the Road to Rebirth volume) did not improve my opinion. On one hand, this book includes an astounding deep dive into much-maligned 1990s territory -- some of my favorite material -- and by the end of this volume, there's a curious mystery forming and some intriguing storylines to come outside of the book's promised Rebirth-centric, Atom-centric story. On the other hand, that reference to 1990s material makes almost no sense, part of a continued pattern of Orlando deciding this book's continuity as he goes, which along with other errors makes the book feel carelessly put together. While I like these characters, the team's internal conflict du jour is both silly and also one that we've seen many times before. I appreciate what Orlando seems to want to do with this book but a lot of this is not very original.

Review: Justice League of America Vol. 1: The Extremists (Rebirth) trade paperback

Among the best parts of Steve Orlando's Rebirth Justice League of America Vol. 1: The Extremists are the characters. I'd have never thought I'd see a comic where the 1990s Lobo was mentoring Atom Ryan Choi, but it's here and it works. In the tradition of Batwoman in the Rebirth Detective Comics, it's also refreshing to have another team book where Batman's colleagues, namely Vixen and Black Canary, question his motives and tell him off. And though Orlando's populist Justice League doesn't feel new so much as another in a long string of attempts of this type, there is an extent to which this particular kind of Justice League feels particularly relevant and welcome in this day and age.

Entry Plug: Inuyashiki 1-2 graphic novels (Kodansha Comics)

[Review by Doug Glassman, who Tumblrs at '80s Marvel Rocks!]

While American audiences know many of Akira Kurasawa's films, one that often flies under the radar in the West is Ikiru, the story of a worn-out salaryman dealing with his own mortality and his realization that his family simply no longer cares about him. It's a powerful and often heartbreaking work . . . and it's not the first thing you'd imagine someone could turn into a science fiction series. You might also find it surprising that the creator of said series is also the man behind the controversial, ultra-violent manga and anime Gantz. Yet this is the kernel at the core of Hiroya Oku's Inuyashiki, and despite Oku's previous work, this recently-completed manga has become one of the standout anime of 2017. This review covers the first two volumes of the manga, which in turn were adapted into the first two anime episodes.

Review: Superman Vol. 4: Black Dawn (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Superman Vol. 4: Black Dawn is an ambitious outing by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason. Free to use Superman continuity old and new after Superman Reborn, the two take on perhaps among the toughest Superman character to write. The result is exciting story-wise, as the culmination of Tomasi and Gleason's entire run so far, and drawn well by top talents Gleason and Doug Mahnke. In the technical details unfortunately the story collapses under its own weight, a confusing morass of elaborate and contradictory storylines, which in its freedom to use previous continuities doesn't pause to explain what's going on. In one respect Black Dawn is an exuberant example of the Superman title stretching its wings; in other respects it's a prime example of how DC Comics's long continuity (or lack thereof) can harm a story in significant ways.

Dark Nights: Metal, Electric Superman Red/Superman Blue, Superman: Zero Hour, Batman: Caped Crusader, Wonder Woman by Byrne Vol. 2 and Perez Vol. 3, Batman and Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison, Impulse Omnibus, Aquaman: Tempest, more in DC Comics Summer 2018 solicitations

The weather might be getting colder, but DC Comics is already looking forward to summertime with the release of the DC Comics Summer 2018 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations.

Among big headlines for you here are all the Dark Nights: Metal collections arriving in June 2018 -- Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Nights: The Nightmare Batmen in hardcover (plus the Dark Days: The Road to Metal hardcover out in May) and Dark Nights: Bats Out of Hell and Dark Nights: Gotham Resistance in paperback. Hawkman Found is in Bats Out of Hell; Batman Lost is in Gotham Resistance, and Grant Morrison's Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt is in The Nightmare Batmen. The Metal hardcover proper will have a foil-embossed cover.

Update: A tweet from Scott Snyder suggests some of the Metal solicitation listings are incorrect, and that Batman Lost and Wild Hunt will both be in the Metal trade proper.

Update 2:: Things are changing fast. Seems the Dark Nights: Metal: Gotham Resistance trade is now cancelled; the contents for Bats Out of Hell hasn't changed but it's now called Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance, so possibly these two paperback trades are being combined into one (rescheduled for July).

Plenty of other great, surprising, and just plain weird books on this list. Superman Red/Superman Blue looks to collect some or all of the "Electric Blue Superman" era, while Superman: Zero Hour follows the Batman book to collect the Superman tie-ins. There's an Impulse Omnibus by Mark Waid, and Legion by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Vol. 2, which collects Legion Lost. I can't believe Batman Arkham: Penguin isn't already published, and the Flash titles seem to be getting on the villain-trade bandwagon with Flash Rogues: Captain Cold. Aquaman: Tempest with Phil Jimenez and Aquaman by Peter David Book Two. Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 1 and Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison Omnibus and Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 2. Both Wonder Woman by John Byrne Vol. 2 and Wonder Woman by George Perez Omnibus Vol. 3 collect previously-uncollected issues, as does the new edition of the New Teen Titans Vol. 3 Omnibus. Maybe, just maybe, the immediate-post-Crisis Batman: The Caped Crusader Vol. 1 will come out. And the Rebirth Super Sons of Tomorrow crossover sees its own collection.

Without further ado ...

[Be among the first to get news like this by following Collected Editions on Facebook and Twitter. And you do know about the DC Comics Trade Paperback Timeline, don't you?]

Note that all of this information is subject to change before publication. Not all links may be functional yet.

• Absolute Authority Vol. 2 (New Edition)

Following the recent new edition of Absolute Authority Vol. 1, this is issues #13-29 from the original Absolute Authority Vol. 2, plus the AuthorityAnnual #1 (2000) and a story from the Wildstorm Summer Special.

• Absolute Sandman Overture

Neil Gaiman and JH Williams's Sandman Overture has been collected in deluxe format, but not yet in Absolute.

• Aquaman by Peter David Book Two

The second collection of Peter David's Aquaman is nicely following quick on the heels of the first -- February and then August. Issues #9-20 include an Underworld Unleashed tie-in and guest appearances by Dolphin, Tempest, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and that era's Wonder Woman-led Justice League.

• Aquaman Vol. 5: The Crown Comes Down

The second collection by Dan Abnett and Stjepan Sejic. Collects issues #31-34.

• Aquaman: Tempest

This is an exciting surprise, an unexpected boon of the Aquaman movie. Collects Teen Titans Spotlight #10 and #18 (the latter is also a Millennium tie-in, a story from Aquaman Secret Files #1, and most notably, Phil Jimenez's four-issue Tempest miniseries.

• Astro City Vol. 15: Ordinary Heroes

• Astro City Vol. 16: Broken Century

• Batman - Detective Comics Vol. 6: Fall of the Batmen

Collects issues #969-977 in the aftermath of "Lonely Place of Living," this time seeming to spotlight Clayface.

• Batman & Robin Adventures Vol. 3

• Batman '66 Omnibus

• Batman Arkham: Penguin

It's rather astounding this one didn't come out earlier; I think I hadn't been looking for it because I thought it had (blame Super Friends but I always think of Penguin as Batman's second arch-nemesis right after the Joker). Collects Detective Comics #58 (first appearance), #610-611 ("Snow and Ice" by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle) and #824 ("Night of the Penguin" by Paul Dini and Don Kramer); Batman #155, #374, and 548-549 ("Penguin Returns" by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones); Batman: Penguin Triumphant #1; and Joker’s Asylum: Penguin #1.

• Batman Beyond Vol. 3: The Long Payback

Collects issues #13-19. I hear nothing about this book. Anyone picking it up? On the chopping block?

• Batman by Doug Moench & Kelley Jones Vol. 2

Picks up from the first volume and continues to collect their run with Batman issues #536-552 and #555. Among other things that's Final Night and Genesis tie-in issues, plus the Spectre and Ragman.

• Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 1

No issues listed by the solicitation mentions Final Crisis. As this is just volume one, I expect this goes through Batman RIP but maybe not Batman and Robin.

• Batman Vol. 6 (Rebirth)

Not much to say without spoiling things here either, but this should collect issues #38-43. Hard to believe we're so close to issue #50 already.

• Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deluxe Edition

With scripts and variant covers. After a book comes out in paperback and does well, deluxe seems fairly ubiquitous these days.

• Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II

Wasting no time, the second book by James Tynion and Freddie Williams throws Bane into the mix.

• Batman: Creature of the Night

The new four-issue miniseries by Kurt Busiek and John Paul Leon that just started, out in hardcover in July.

• Batman: Death & the Maidens (New Edition)

A paperback release, most likely reflecting the enhanced contents of the recent deluxe hardcover.

• Batman: The Brave & the Bold: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 2

• Batman: The Caped Crusader Vol. 1

This has been on and off the solicitations for a while and I'd be pleased to see it, now scheduled for August. Generally a collection of Jim Starlin's immediate-post-Crisis Batman stories, the listing says it's issues #417-430 plus the Annual #12. That's Ten Nights of the Beast and Death of the Family, a fine run to be sure, and picks right up from where the Batman: Second Chances collection ended. But won't someone ever take pity on the Legends tie-in Batman #401?

• Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 5

• Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2

Collects issues #16-32 and the Annual #1, so Vol. 3 I Am Bane, parts one and three of The Button, and Vol. 4 War of Jokes and Riddles.

• Batman: Thrillkiller (New Edition)

• Batwoman Vol. 2: Fear and Loathing

Issues #7-11 of the Marguerite Bennett/James Tynion series.

• Blue Beetle Vol. 3: Road to Nowhere

The third and final Rebirth collection of Blue Beetle, with issues #13-18.

• Bombshells: United Vol. 1: American Soil

• Books of Magic Book Two

Issues #19-25.

• Dark Nights: Bats Out of Hell

In paperback, this collects Flash #33, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #32, Justice League #32-33, and Hawkman: Found #1. Five issues isn't a lot, though I'm sure this'll be stuffed with variant covers, and fortunately at least it is paperback. Said to be released June 19, 2018, the week after the Metal hardcover.

• Dark Nights: Gotham Resistance

Also in paperback, also just five issues, collects Teen Titans #12, Nightwing #29, Suicide Squad #26, Green Arrow #32, and Batman: Lost #1. Also said to be released June 19, 2018.

• Dark Nights: Metal

Said to arrive June 12, 2018, in hardcover with a foil-embossed cover, this collects issues #1-6 of the series.

• Dark Nights: The Nightmare Batmen

In hardcover, to be released two weeks after the Metal hardcover (a week after Gotham Resistance and Bats Out of Hell), this collects Batman: The Red Death #1, Batman: The Devastator #1, Batman: The Merciless #1, Batman: The Murder Machine #1, Batman: The Drowned #1, Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1, The Batman Who Laughs #1 and Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1. That's a heck of a creative team on this book, including Grant Morrison, Peter Tomasi, James Tynion, and Francis Manapul.

Update: See updates at the top -- looks like Bats Out of Hell and Gotham Resistance may be combined into a The Resistance trade set for July, and Batman Lost and Wild Hunt will be in the Metal trade proper.

• DC Bombshells: The Deluxe Edition Book One

• DC Super Hero Girls: Out of the Bottle

• DC Universe by Mike Mignola

• DC/Young Animal: Milk Wars

Just announced and impressively we already see a paperback solicitation, though it won't be out until June 2018. I hope this exists in some sort of continuity where the Young Animal characters actually are an aspect of the DC Universe proper. Includes Justice League/Doom Patrol, Doom Patrol/Justice League, Shade, the Changing Girl/Wonder Woman, Mother Panic/Batman, and Cave Carson/Swamp Thing. The solicitation, at least, also teases Shade meeting the Green Lantern Corps and Cave Carson racing the Flash.

• Deadman

Issues #1-6 of the new Neal Adams miniseries.

• Doom Patrol: The Silver Age Vol. 1

• Ex Machina: The Complete Series Omnibus

Kind of astounding this hasn't been published already, this collects issues #1-50 of the Brian K. Vaughan political superhero series and the Ex Machina Special #1-4.

• Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles

Applause to DC for doubling-down on their Hanna-Barbera revisions, and it's hilarious and wonderful that the main title of this isn't "Snagglepuss" but rather "Exit Stage Left." Because this has something of a historical bent more so than the fictional-but-metaphorical Flinstones, I'm more curious to pick up this than that.

• Flash by Geoff Johns Book Five

Issues #214-225, from the middle of the Vol. 7 Secret of Barry Allen through Vol. 8 Rogue War, ending Johns's run. Equally this matches the latter half of the Omnibus Vol. 3. Technically Wonder Woman #219 should be in here, too, and I'd be pretty surprised if it wasn't.

• Flash Rogues: Captain Cold

This is a neat idea a la the Batman: Arkham books, and could lead to neat Gorilla Grodd or Reverse Flash books. Contents are Showcase #8 (first appearance by John Broome); Flash #150 (Gardner Fox) and #297 (Cary Bates); Flash #28 (William Messner-Loebs) and #182 (Geoff Johns); Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #1 (Scott Kolins); Flash #6 and Flash #17 (Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul).

• The Flash Vol. 6: Cold Day in Hell

I've been unhappy with the Rebirth Flash series, but obviously a title like "Cold Day in Hell" suggests the inclusion of a certain Rogue who's been among the best parts of this series so far. The mention of "the turmoil of [Barry Allen's] personal life doesn't please me," but here's hoping. Collects issues #34-38.

• Flash: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 3

It's funny that the solicitation cover for this is the Justice League: Dawn of Justice variant. This collects the Rebirth Flash Vol. 5 Negative and Vol. 6 Cold Day in Hell, not even released yet, making up issues #28-38.

• Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 3

• Frank Miller's Ronin (New Edition)

New edition includes promotional art and fold-out pages.

• Gotham City Garage Vol. 1

• Green Arrow Vol. 6 (Rebirth)

Issues #26-31, the new "Hard Travelin' Hero" storyline guest-starring the Justice League.

• Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Travelin' Heroes Deluxe Edition

Deluxe edition of Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams's Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76-87 and #89, and Flash #217-219 and #226.

• Green Lanterns Vol. 6: Our Worlds at War

Issues #33-39 by Tim Seeley, taking over from Sam Humphries.

• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 5: Twilight of the Guardians

Issues #30-35. Guest-starring Superman; can I assume this ties in to recent issues of Peter Tomasi's Superman title?

• Harley Quinn Vol. 6 (Rebirth)

The first Harley collection by Frank Tieri, issues #35-40.

• Harley Quinn: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2

Issues #14-27 and the Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special, so the Vol. 3 Red Meat and Vol. 4 Surprise, Surprise collections. The next deluxe, it seems, will combine the end of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti's run with the start of Frank Tieri's.

• Harley's Little Black Book

• Impulse by Mark Waid & Humberto Ramos Omnibus

If there was ever a really good use for an omnibus, it's 768 pages collecting Mark Waid's whole run on Impulse plus the Flash issues of the "Dead Heat" crossover character's Flash introduction, issues #108-111, and the Secret Origins 80-Page Giant. For those playing along at home, we get an Underworld Unleashed tie-in issue plus the Impulse parts of the Flash "Dead Heat" crossover. Hopefully this sells well enough that DC decides to continue into the other writers' material.

• Infinite Crisis Omnibus (New Edition)

This is surely the definitive way to read Infinite Crisis, though I can't discern any difference between this and the previous edition.

• Infinite Crisis Unwrapped

• Injustice 2 Vol. 2

• Injustice 2 Vol. 3

With Tom Taylor continuing as writer. Collects issues #7-13 and #14-20 respectively.

• Injustice: Ground Zero Vol. 2

• The Invisibles Book Three

• The Jetsons

Not totally my thing, but if they did a new Jetsons/new Flintstones meet-up, I might have to give that a look.

• John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 19: Red Right Hand

Issues #216-229 of the Vertigo series. There's a collection by this name already that only collects issues #223-228. Still 71 issues left to go before this is all collected.

• JSA by Geoff Johns Book Two

JSA #6-20 and Secret Origin of Super-Villains #1.

• Justice League of America Vol. 4 (Rebirth)

Issues #18-21 and the Annual #1 of the Steve Orlando series; five issues does feel a bit thin to me.

• Justice League of America: The Silver Age Vol. 4

• Justice League Vol. 6 (Rebirth)

Issues #34-38 by Christopher Priest and Pete Woods, taking over for Bryan Hitch. Priest has been doing a lot of good lately so I expect to like this, but if he's not going to be League's regular writer, I'd like that person to hurry up and arrive. This book needs to be more steady and central to the DC Universe than it is.

• Legion by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Vol. 2

After the last collection of the "Legion of the Damned" storyline, this is Legion Lost #1-12. Those issues have been collected before in hardcover but not, as now, in paperback. It'll be nice if DC can get to a third collection with some of the never-collected Legion Worlds specials.

• Legion of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2

• Legion of Super-Heroes: The Silver Age Vol. 1

• Mystik U

Do I understand this a story of a young Zatanna, present-set? So, in conflict with Zatanna's recent appearances in Detective Comics and essentially out of continuity? That dampens this for me a bit; I'd rather have the Mystik U as an existing place in the DC Universe.

• New Gods by Jack Kirby

Another of DC's new Jack Kirby collections; includes New Gods #1-11, "Even Gods Must Die," and Hunger Dogs.

• New Super-Man Vol. 3: Equilibrium

Issues #13-18, just before the book becomes New Super-Man and the Justice League of China.

• New Teen Titans Vol. 3 Omnibus New Edition

We finally know now that the new editions of the New Teen Titans omnibuses will indeed continue collecting New Teen Titans in order (as opposed to the last time around). This is Tales of the Teen Titans #42-58, both "Judas Contract" and some Crisis on Infinite Earths lead-in stories, and New Teen Titans #1-9. I think Tales #51-58 and Titans #7-9 have never been collected before; the Annual #3 will also need to be in here for "Judas Contract."

• New Teen Titans Vol. 9

This is New Teen Titans (second series) #1-9, of which issues #1-6 have been collected before.

• Nightwing Vol. 6: The Untouchable

I actually hadn't realized Tim Seeley was leaving Nightwing, but given what I understand to be Sam Humphries' character-driven work on Green Lanterns, hopefully he'll uphold Seeley's level of quality. I'm not so sure about Bernard Chang's sketch-like art on this title, however, though a look back to this continuity's Dick Grayson's (mostly untold) Robin days should be interesting.

• Ragman

The new six-issue miniseries by Ray Fawkes. Curious that they're introducing a new Ragman at a time that DC continuity generally seems to be reverting back to earlier days. I'm reminded that Ragman on the Arrow show was a fun character; it's unfortunate he didn't remain as a regular with the rest of the new team.

• Ruff and Reddy Show

• Scalped Book Three

• Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison Omnibus

The entirety of Seven Soldiers in one book (previously four paperbacks or two hardcovers), though Morrison's tie-in JLA Classified issues are not said to be included.

• Suicide Squad Vol. 6: The Secret History of Task Force X

Issues #27-31 by series writer Rob Williams.

• Super Sons of Tomorrow

Notably this crossover will be collected outside of any of the individual series, at least in the initial paperback. Collects Super Sons #11-12, Superman #37-38, and Teen Titans #15. Obviously this is the way DC has collected Rebirth-era crossovers so far but I had still thought this would end up a Super Sons collection proper.

• Super Sons: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1

Collects issues #1-12, so Super Sons Vol. 1: When I Grow Up and Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes, plus the two Super Sons of Tomorrow issues also collected in their own title on this same list.

• Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 2

Issues #241-258 and DC Comics Presents #13-14

• Supergirl: Being Super

Collects the four-issue miniseries by Mariko Tamaki and Joelle Jones. The "Midvale" episode of Supergirl was a good advertisement for the viability of this as an ongoing thing.

• Supergirl: The Silver Age Vol. 2

• Superman by Mark Millar

Perhaps a bit randomly, this collects Adventures of Superman #573-576 -- so the start of the "new Triangle Titles" era with Jeph Loeb on Superman, and veering in to collecting just one part of the "Y2K" storyline with issue #576 -- and some equally displaced parts of the "Superman: King of the World" storyline with Action Comics #753-755 and #758 (much of this is uncollected, but also it wasn't great), plus Team Superman #1, Superman 80-Page Giant #2, Tangent Comics: Superman #1, and Superman for the Animals.

• Superman For All Seasons (New Edition)

Paperback of the recent deluxe edition that includes Superman for All Seasons #1-4 plus stories from Superman/Batman #26 and Solo #1 (though the listing doesn't mention Superman/Batman Secret Files 2003).

• Superman Red/Superman Blue

Said to reprint Superman #122-125, Adventures of Superman #545-547, Action Comics #732-734, Superman: Man of Steel #67-69 and Superman Annual #9. I suspect we'll find this is either a Vol. 1 or the contents are to be expanded, because even though this book is called Superman Red/Superman Blue, the contents only contain the early "Blue" issues from the late 1990s "Electric Blue Superman" storyline. The contents listing excludes, among other things, the Superman Red/Superman Blue special (which, despite not being mentioned as included, is essentially described in the solicitation) -- put another way, based on the issues listed, Superman Red actually isn't in this book.

As a historical record I'm eager to see this book make it to print, but as a Superman fan these stories are part of a real nadir in the Superman titles, about the time the once great "Death of Superman" team was hitting rock bottom before Jeph Loeb and company would come in to turn things around. On the face of it the creative teams don't seem that bad -- Stuart Immonen on Action Comics, Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett on Adventures of Superman, and Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove on Man of Steel. But Ron Frenz had taken over pencils from Dan Jurgens on Superman and that anchor title had lost a lot of pep, and the Red/Blue story was a muddled mess.

Despite some lasting imagery (and good use by Grant Morrison in JLA), I don't think readers ever loved the Electric Blue Superman even as a temporary measure. His power-set, whys, and wherefores were all over the place even before the writers then introduced the Red Superman. It ended in the truly abhorrent "Millennium Giants" crossover with a variety of DC titles, and things were bad enough off by that point that Superman was written back to normal with barely any explanation for what had happened.

Not to mention that there were a variety of silly storylines in the Superman titles at that time -- including one with the blind daughter of a conservative Daily Planet columnist being in love with a blue Kandorian monster and another with one of the Fourth World "Hairies" dating Jimmy Olsen -- that often distracted and bumped Superman out of his own titles. It was in some respects the worst realization of the really good plot- and character-juggling that the Triangle Titles team had once been famous for.

I had speculated, in thinking about Triangle Title omnibuses, that DC would never collect "Millennium Giants." I'd be happy to be wrong, of course. We'll see what this looks like in July. The "Electric Superman Red/Superman Blue" story ends with "Millennium Giants," so either this collection won't actually see Superman restored or it'll collect those issues.

Update: See comments from reader Paul Fletcher below for some further thoughts on how this story has been collected before. I'll follow up later with another post.

• Superman Vol. 6: Imperius Lex (Rebirth)

The next volume of Peter Tomasi's Rebirth series. With Doug Mahnke and the Kents on Apokolips, this seems like a winner. The missing issues #37-38 are part of the "Super Sons of Tomorrow" crossover. Issues #40-41 are by James Robinson; DC's February 2018 solicitations repeat the contents of #38 for #39 so I'm not sure what that one will be.

• Superman: Action Comics Vol. 6 (Rebirth)

This collects issues #1001-1006, with the solicitation just referring to Oz Effect. Guess we'll know next month what Action Comics #1000 is and how it might lead in here.

• Superman: Action Comics: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 3

Said to collect issues #993-999 and #1001-1006, the Vol. 5 Booster Shot and Vol. 6 books.

• Superman: Zero Hour

This is a fun series that DC is now apparently releasing, following the previous Batman: Zero Hour collection. There's unfortunately not a lot of other series that had multi-part Zero Hour tie-in stories that would also make good collections, though the Justice League titles are certainly one. This only says it collects the Zero Month (#0) issues of Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, Superman, and Man of Steel, but if it's anything like the Batman book, we should also see Man of Steel #37, Superman #93, Adventures #516, and Action #703. Among the Zero Hour time-lost elements are a gaggle of alt-Batmen, Jor-El and Lara, and the hero Alpha Centurion; the Zero Month issues introduce Conduit Kenny Braverman, an interesting-enough villain that I'm surprised no one ever used him again after the "Death of Clark Kent" story that followed.

• Sweet Tooth Book Two

• Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Vol. 2

• Teen Titans GO!: Their Greatest Hijinks

• Titans: The Lazarus Contract

• Trinity Vol. 2: Dead Space (Rebirth)

Paperback collection of issues #7-11.

• Trinity Vol. 3: Dark Destiny

The newest hardcover Trinity collection, issues #12-15, with guest appearances by Red Hood and the Outlaws and Rob Williams writing instead of Francis Manapul.

• Vertigo: A Celebration of 25 Years

Supposed to be out August 14, 2018, the solicitation describes this as "a luxurious hybrid of oral history and retrospective art book." With a timeline of Vertigo projects, behind-the-scenes features, interviews, and all-new stories.

• The Wild Storm: Michael Cray Vol. 1

Spin-off of Warren Ellis's new Wild Storm, re-imagining Deathblow by Bryan Hill. Issues #1-6

• Wonder Woman by George Perez Omnibus Vol. 3

It's great to see DC finishing out the mostly-never-collected George Perez Wonder Woman run with this final omnibus, collecting issues #46-62. Nicely DC is also including the Wonder Woman crossover War of the Gods even though it saw its own collection not too long ago, and also Perez's guest shots issues #168-169 and the Gail Simone story that Perez drew in the #600 issue (though some creative renumbering).

• Wonder Woman by John Byrne Vol. 2

The second Wonder Woman by John Byrne collection includes issues #115-124 and the Annuals #5-6, ending just before the Genesis crossver, which Byrne would write and which would be the most Wonder Woman-centric DC Universe crossover since War of the Gods. These issues include Cave Carson, Jason Blood and Etrigan the Demon, Cheetah, Hippolyta, Donna Troy and then-new Wonder Girl Cassie Sandsmark, Neron, and notably Artemis, fresh from William Messner-Loeb's Artemis: Requiem miniseries of the time -- not included here, but maybe it should be. Annual #5 is a "Legends of the Dead Earth" Elseworlds-type story; Annual #6 is a "Pulp Heroes" story by Byrne with an Artemis backup.

• Wonder Woman/Conan

By Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti, collecting issues #1-6.

• Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 2

The next book by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette is supposed to be out August 21, 2018. Seems at least at the outset that Wonder Woman's mission of peace goes up against political realities, as only Morrison can do ...

• Wonder Woman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2

Issues #15-25 and a story from the Annual #1, this is Greg Rucka's Rebirth Vol. 3 The Truth and Vol. 4 Godwatch. Like the first deluxe volume, the issues should be interspersed, which I agree is the best way to read it.

Happy new year and to all a good night. What will you be waiting for next summer?