Review: Suicide Squad Vol. 1: The Black Vault (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

For what is supposed to be one of the flagship titles of DC Comics's Rebirth -- or at least prominently in the news at the time -- there's surprisingly little to Rob Williams's Suicide Squad Vol. 1: The Black Vault. Williams is a writer whom I've enjoyed, and his depiction of the Squad is tonally fine and respectful. But the main story, hampered perhaps by the page count given over to backups, doesn't have much to it; it's basically one long fight scene bookended by the Squad's journey there and back. As compared to rather complicated outings by Sean Ryan and Tim Seeley just before this, Williams's volume is slim, not seemingly the beginnings of an important and relevant Suicide Squad run.

[Review contains spoilers]

Setting aside the Rebirth special, which reintroduces Rick Flag to the Suicide Squad, the first "full" (main story) issue almost literally solely involves the Squad boarding a plane, Killer Croc throwing-up into his own altitude helmet, and Flag causing the plane to crash when he unbuckles to release Croc's helmet so Croc won't drown in his own vomit. The threat of Croc's vomit is not nearly the kind of credible foe the Squad needs to be facing right off, nor does this first issue really have any kind of arc in terms of conflict and resolution. Nor ultimately does this plane crash sequence even matter -- the Squad recovers without consequence and then continues on with their mission.

Review: Justice League Vol. 2: Outbreak (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Unfortunately with Justice League Vol. 2: Outbreak, I begin to understand what might have been some others' concerns about writer Bryan Hitch's Rebirth title. I still like Hitch's general approach to the title, and artist Neil Edwards -- with inks by Daniel Henriques -- even very often resembles Hitch in his artwork. But even though Hitch often succeeds in getting the characters on the page together -- this feels like a more fully-realized League than the Justice League has in a while -- the stories in this book are formulaic and at times display a startling lack of knowledge about these characters. That brings the book down, and makes me feel less patient with these one-off, continuity-light stories than I had been previously.

Review: Wonder Woman Vol. 3: The Truth (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Writer Greg Rucka is at his best with tales of high politics and espionage, and the Rebirth Wonder Woman Vol. 3: The Truth has espionage in spades. To the question of "the lies" Diana has uncovered about her past, Rucka provides about the best answer he probably could. The proceedings are compelling, and Rucka's particular triumph here remains the ties he establishes between Diana and her rejuvenated supporting cast of Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, and the Cheetah Barbara Ann Minerva.

At the same time, Rucka's new Wonder Woman origin remains markedly frustrating, further irritated by the fact that these are Rucka's final issues on the book (though not his final collection). Were Rucka staying, I might be placated by the idea that he could still explain in better detail the facets he glosses over and address the contradictions that threaten to swallow whole what advances he's made with the Wonder Woman character. Instead, what we have is a nice Wonder Woman story on the surface that disintegrates on second look, one that auspiciously wipes Diana's slate clean but then offers nothing to replace it. Rucka's return to Wonder Woman has ended up being only half of what we needed.

DC Trade Solicitations for November 2017 - New Teen Titans Vol. 8, Batman: Arkham - Joker's Daughter, Shazam: New Beginning 30th Anniversary, Judas Contract Deluxe, Ostrander Suicide Squad Vol. 7

Some back-and-forth solicitations obscured this for a while, but it really seems the New Teen Titans Vol. 8 paperback in the DC Comics November 2017 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations list includes never-before-collected issues. Indeed, it rather looks like the eighth paperback fills at least one hole in the New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 3, which for those who've been following this saga for a while is a big deal indeed. And though it's unusual for the paperback to be leading the hardcover instead of vice versa, we can only hope this means the expected new edition of the third omnibus might correct some of the omissions of the past.

Aside from that, I'm particularly excited about the Shazam: The New Beginning hardcover, which fills in some uncollected gaps from the past; Benjamin Percy's Green Arrow is a Rebirth title I've been enjoying, and of course also James Tynion's Detective Comics.

When these books come out some of you will be digging in to turkey, but in the meantime let's dig into the solicitations ...

• Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Vol. 2: Source Code TP

Collects issues #7-13 of the Rebirth series, with appearances by Nightwing and Catwoman, and more about the mysterious new Oracle.

• Batman and Robin Adventures Vol. 2 TP

Issues #11-18 and the first annual from the animated series tie-in comic. The annual is a sequel to the Mask of the Phantasm movie and features some of the last work by Mike Parobeck.

• Batman in the Brave and the Bold: The Bronze Age Vol. 1 TP

Said to collect issues #74-91 with appearances by the Teen Titans, Aquaman, Flash, the Creeper, Wonder Woman, the Atom, Deadman, Green Arrow, the Metal Men, Plastic Man, and the Spectre.

• Batman: Arkham -- The Joker's Daughter TP

I can't really argue with this collection of stories from the 1970s to the present; Joker's Daughter is a character not terribly well done in the modern era but with a long history as Duela Dent, and as a look at where she came from and where she's gone, this should be interesting. Notably Marguerite Bennett's Batman: Joker's Daughter special, which takes place just before Scott Snyder's Batman: Endgame, has never been collected before and should be included here. Also said to be included are Batman Family #6, #8, #9, #16, and #19, Duela's introduction and earliest appearances; Teen Titans #48, from 1977, in which Duela Dent becomes Harlequin; Detective Comics #482-483 (Dent as "Card Queen"); Titans Secret Files #2, in which Dent battles Beast Boy's Geoff Johns-era Titans L.A., a short from Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files, and the "Gotham Underground"-tied story from Batman: The Dark Knight, already collected with Ann Nocenti's Catwoman.

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 4: Deus Ex Machina TP

Collects issues #957-962, the "Intelligence" storyline, including Azrael and Zatanna. The next book should include the "Lonely Place of Living" storyline.

• Blue Beetle Vol. 2: Hard Choices TP

Collects issues #6-12, including appearances by Sugar and Spike from Keith Giffen's Legends of Tomorrow story, as well as some other of Giffen's characters. Ostensibly there's at least one more collection coming even if this title is on the (rumored) chopping block, given that issue #13 is also solicited this month.

• DC Essential Graphic Novels 2018

I like that Batman is reading a copy of Watchmen on this new cover by David Finch and Danny Miki. Studying up for the war to come?

• DC Super Hero Girls Box Set

Sure to be on this year's gift list, this box set includes the DC Super Hero Girls titles Finals Crisis, Hits and Myths, Summer Olympus, and Past Times at Super Hero High, by interim Wonder Woman writer Shea Fontana.

• DC Universe by John Byrne HC

Between the original solicitation for this and the solicitation this month, the following items are no longer listed as being included. That might mean they're out, or it might simply mean they're just not listed in this solicitation: Untold Legend of Batman #1 (part one of a 1980 origin miniseries), World of Smallville #1-4, Superman Annual #2 (Maggie Sawyer backup story), World of Metropolis #1-4, DCU Brave New World #1 (All-New Atom).

• Green Arrow Vol. 4: The Rise of Star City TP

Collects issues #18-25, including the newest reunion of Green Arrow Oliver Queen and Arsenal Roy Harper. The next book will collect the new "Hard Traveling Heroes" storyline.

• Green Lantern: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2 HC

Collects issues #36-75 from the 1960s.

• Green Lanterns Vol. 4: The First Rings TP

Collects issues #22-26, the three part "Lost in Space" story and then "First Ring."

• Injustice: Ground Zero Vol. 1 TP

Collects #1-6 of the miniseries bridging Injustice and Injustice 2. Writers are DC Writer's Workshop's Christopher Sebela and Brian Buccellato, both of whom did good work on the Suicide Squad Most Wanted miniseries lately.

• JSA by Geoff Johns Book One TP

As we've seen before, paperback "chops" of a hardcover omnibus. This skips the "Justice Society Returns" prelude event to go straight to the comics by David Goyer, James Robinson, and Geoff Johns, collecting issues #1-15 and the Secret Files, the contents of the Justice Be Done and Darkness Falls collections. Next up is the "Return of Hawkman" stories.

• Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 2 HC

Issues #114-146 from the 1970s, including a JLA/JSA team-up thatg also includes the Marvel family of Earth-S.

• Justice League vs. Suicide Squad TP

Collecting the first event miniseries of the Rebirth era in paperback, with the Justice League and Suicide Squad tie-ins. I've got the hardcover and it's an impressively thick book.

• Justice League/Power Rangers HC

The Tom Taylor miniseries with Boom Studios.

• Kamandi by Jack Kirby Omnibus HC

All forty of Jack Kirby's Kamandi issues. Was there a concern this was cancelled?

• New Teen Titans Vol. 8 TP

This is supposed to collect issues #49-58 of Tales of the Teen Titans. Folks, if I'm not mistaken, doesn't that take this volume past the third New Teen Titans Omnibus? Issues #51-58 are what that omnibus lacked, taking the book up to Crisis on Infinite Earths and the point where Tales started reprinting old stories; the next issue would be New Teen Titans #1(second series), which that third omnibus included. So basically this book appears to fill the New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 3 gap (at least its first gap), and if DC is collecting these in paperback, it suggests really good things for the new-new edition of New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 3 that should be out in late 2018/2019.

• New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Deluxe Edition HC

As discussed before, here's one of the best known Teen Titans stories, "Judas Contract," now in a deluxe-size hardcover. If any story deserves it, it's probably this one.

• Robin Vol. 5 TP

Is this the first we're hearing about this one? This is supposed to collect issues #14-22 and Annual #3 of the Chuck Dixon series, which is a single part of "Troika" (to be collected in full in the third Knightfall Omnibus), one part of the "War of the Dragons" crossover with Dixon's Detective Comics, a run-in with Maxie Zeus, and one of the Elseworlds annuals. I am OK with the rest of "Troika" not being here, given that it's just about to be collected elsewhere, but I'd kind of like them to include those Detective Comics issues, given that this crossover includes Robin-centric characters King Snake and Lynx.

• Scooby-Doo Team-Up Vol. 4 TP

Every month at solicitations time I check to see what character is guest-starring in Scooby-Doo Team-Up; this is always good for a smile. This collection should be especially notable because it's got the Scooby gang's team up with Harley Quinn, plus Zatanna, Martian Manhunter, and Space Ghost.

• Shazam!: The New Beginning 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition HC

I'm very excited for this one, a piece of post-Crisis world-building that followed out of Legends, by Dann and Roy Thomas. Now we just need that Cosmic Boy miniseries collected.

• Smallville Season Eleven Vol. 9: Continuity TP

As I've said before, it's really astounding DC is finishing their Smallville Season Eleven collections some three years after the series ended, but I'm glad that they are. Written by Batgirl Stephanie Brown's Bryan Q. Miller. This is both the "Continuity" story and also the Effigy one-shot spotlighting Martian Manhunter (whom I sometimes forget was on Smallville before Supergirl).

• Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Earthlings on Fire TP

Collects issues #16-20 of the Rebirth series by Rob Williams, with art by Tony Daniel and others.

• Suicide Squad Vol. 7: The Dragon's Hoard TP

Collects issues #50-58 of the John Ostrander and Kim Yale series, including a War of the Gods tie-in issue (where one of the villains was Grant Morrison). This series ended with issue #66, so we ought be looking at just one more collection to finish this off. For all the collections series that don't ever see their way to completion, I'm glad this one (probably) will.

• Superman Adventures Vol. 4 TP

Issues #26-35 of the Animated Series tie-in comic.

• Superman/Batman Vol. 6 TP

Issues #64-75 and the Annual #4, including the "Big Noise" story (ultimately not really a tie-in to "Our Worlds at War") and also Blackest Night tie-in issues. These issues are collected in Superman/Batman Vol. 9: Night and Day, Vol. 10: Big Noise, and Vol. 11: Worship. The annual is a Batman Beyond story by Paul Levitz.

• Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert TP

A paperback of the 2016 hardcover,including the first official Elseworlds Batman: Holy Terror and a story from Detective Comics #500.

• Trinity Vol. 1: Better Together TP
• Trinity Vol. 2: Dead Space HC

A paperback collection of Trinity issues #1-6 in time for the second collection of issue #7-11. I have not read this, but judging by the solicitations it kind of seems like the heroes have been fighting the same villains in this title for over a year now. The second volume does have an appearance by Mr. Oz and a "Superman Reborn" aftermath issue.

All that and Doomsday Clock ... what caught your eye this month?

Review: Justice League Vol. 1: The Extinction Machines (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Bryan Hitch brings the Justice League into Rebirth with Justice League Vol. 1: The Extinction Machines. If you liked Hitch's Justice League of America: Power and Glory then you'll like this, too. Hitch writes a pared-down League and knows the strength of this title comes from getting these characters on the page together; in his teamings, Hitch evokes the Silver Age Justice League "pair off" structure, and even the Super Friends or Justice League cartoons. Tony Daniel graduates well enough to the "big leagues" following Jason Fabok on this title.

There are some marked similarities between this book and Power and Glory, and what's worked for Hitch twice now might not necessarily work a third time, but there's no major red flags here; so far it seems Hitch is on the right track.

Review: New Suicide Squad Vol. 3: Freedom trade paperback (DC Comics)

The tenets of a misfit-type team in fiction like the Suicide Squad aren't secret nor complex -- despite whatever dislike or misgivings the teammates might have about one another, the only place they fit in is together, and so the team thrives. This might be boilerplate, but I haven't seen it presented so well as in Sean Ryan's New Suicide Squad Vol. 3: Freedom, his final full book of the series -- in which everyone confronts that their "freedom" doesn't really mean being free. Ryan brings his trilogy to a head here with Amanda Waller versus her middle-management nemesis Vic Sage; I am not wholly sure everything that could have been said at the end of this story was said as well as it could have been, but there's a variety of interesting character arcs. In all Ryan should be credited for putting the Suicide Squad title on a much-needed upward path.

Review: Justice League of America: Power and Glory hardcover/paperback (DC Comics)

Bryan Hitch's Justice League of America: Power and Glory is a spritely diversion and one that makes me more eager than I had been for Hitch's Rebirth Justice League. Especially in the wake of the New 52 Justice League's "Darkseid War" finale that didn't even include Aquaman(!), Hitch's "Big Seven" line-up is considerably closer to what I want to see from a League title.

In his mix-and-match Leaguer pairings and elements of time travel, Hitch's aptly-named Justice League of America evokes at times Grant Morrison and company's JLA. That's a level the New 52 Justice League never quite achieved and even JLA stopped being JLA after a while; for a return to big ideas and widescreen action, it's surely apt to have Bryan Hitch back in the saddle. Even if the storytelling gets mildly labored at times, for one of his first solo writing gigs Hitch comports himself exceptionally well.

Review: New Suicide Squad Vol. 2: Monsters trade paperback (DC Comics)

After reading a couple trades lately collecting two or more stories -- including Sean Ryan's own inaugural New Suicide Squad volume -- New Suicide Squad Vol. 2: Monsters is kind of a shock to the system. On one hand, it left me wanting, with a sense there ought to be more to the book than just the one story; on the other hand, the unexpectedly long-form single-focus story reads almost like a graphic novel. And Ryan does well by the book, an improvement over New Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Pure Insanity -- more intrigue, less satire, less humor that doesn't land. Ryan writes these characters well, especially breakout star Black Manta, though I did feel Ryan posits some characters as will best fit his plot rather than how they've appeared elsewhere. Nonetheless, Monsters is interesting, with unexpected heart, and I'm curious to see where Ryan goes with this.

Review: Justice League Vol. 8: The Darkseid War, Part 2 hardcover/paperback (DC Comics)

Geoff Johns fashions a high-action conclusion to his New 52 Justice League series with Justice League Vol. 8: The Darkseid War, Part 2. As a summer blockbuster, Johns's story is bar none, and artist Jason Fabok shines while Francis Manapul contributes a classy interlude. Wonder Woman takes center stage here, at the time ahead of her cinematic debut, and Johns does well by the character, up to and including how seamlessly she slips again into the role of the Justice League's leader.

As the end of the New 52 Justice League title, Johns's finale doesn't deliver everything I wanted. Resolution of some of Justice League's character arcs is there, but it's light. Johns dovetails this story into some of the exterior events in the DC Universe, but not as many as I might have liked. And for a writer known for creating villains as compelling as his heroes, Darkseid War's biggest shortfall is its bad guys, who're often evil just for the sake of being evil.

Review: Green Arrow Vol. 3: Emerald Outlaw (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Benjamin Percy's Rebirth Green Arrow Vol. 3: Emerald Outlaw is a thoroughly impressive book. I had some hesitation as to how seriously or not this volume would take its subject, mainly based on the issue #17 cover that riffs, I think, on Usual Suspects but with Team Arrow looking like rejects from Rocky Horror Picture Show try-outs. Whatever that cover's meant to be never factors into the book itself; what is here is a soundly thrilling Green Arrow story, beautifully illustrated by Otto Schmidt, Juan Ferreyra, and company, and with what so many other comics often lack -- genuine shocks. I finished this book immediately wanting to go see what the next one would be about, and then held back simply to preserve what's already been a great string of surprises. We see here the Rebirth Green Arrow creative team coalescing and coming into their own in grand fashion.

Zero Hour/Armageddon 2001 Deluxe, Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3: Knightsend, Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 2, Justice Society by Strazewski and Parobeck, Dark Days: The Road to Metal, more in DC Comics Spring 2018 solicitations

It took a little while, but now we finally have the full list of DC Comics's Spring 2018 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations. Some of this already rolled out over the past couple weeks and you'll forgive me if I've mixed and matched some of my previous comments with the new to make one big list. Indeed there's a lot here I'm excited about but not screaming about from the rooftops only because I just waxed poetic about them a few posts ago, including Justice League Task Force, Aquaman by Peter David, a super-comprehensive Batman: Legacy Vol. 2, the post-Crisis Green Lantern Corps: Beware Their Power, and the first collection of the Hawkworld series proper, among others.

No, I'm going to save my excitement for the new items on this list, starting with a deluxe size collection of Zero Hour -- including the two main issues of Armageddon 2001! It is not, I'll acknowledge, the Armageddon 2001 Omnibus I've always dreamed of, but it is going to be pretty cool to see that Dan Jurgens art blown up to deluxe size.

Almost just as exciting is that the third Batman: Knightfall Omnibus includes both "Prodigal" and the never-before-collected "Troika" storyline, truly making the Knightfall omnibuses the comprehensive collections we've been clamoring for. And Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 2 includes one of the best Titans crossovers you've never heard of, "The Siege of Zi Charam" (Jarras Minion for the win); maybe this time we'll get the Justice Society: 1992 collection; and the lead-ins to Dark Nights: Metal begin to be collected.

We're not going to talk about Titans: Total Chaos being back on the schedule again. Nope, just going to ignore it, and pre-order it, and hope maybe the cancellation gods don't notice it ...

[Be among the first to get news like this by following Collected Editions on Facebook and Twitter.]

Here's the list:

• Absolute Preacher Vol. 3

Collects issues #41-66, making it the final Absolute Preacher collection.

• Absolute Wonder Woman by Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang Vol. 2

This second Absolute volume finishes the Brian Azzarello/Cliff Chiang run, collecting issues #19-35 and #23.2, the Vol. 4: War, Vol. 5: Flesh, and Vol. 6: Bones collections.

• Adam Strange: The Man of Two Worlds Deluxe Edition

As I understand it, this post-Crisis Adam Strange miniseries was controversial for a number of reasons, not in the least that it suggests Adam Strange's wife Alanna's father Sardath assaults her, and much of this story was later smoothed out and retconned in JLA among other places. However, like Green Lantern: The Longbow Hunters, Green Lantern: The Road Back, and others, this is another one of those post-Crisis origin books that becomes a fixture of the era and therefore likely deserves collecting; art, in addition, is by Andy Kubert.

• All-Star Batman Vol. 2: Ends of the Earth (Rebirth)

Paperback release of the hardcover, due out the same time as the hardcover of Scott Snyder's All-Star Batman Vol. 3. Collects issues #6-9, with art by Jock, Tula Lotay, and Giuseppe Camuncoli, plus the "Cursed Wheel" backups.

• All-Star Batman Vol. 3: First Ally (Rebirth)

Collects issues #10-14, the final volume of Scott Snyder's All-Star. This is the "First Ally" Alfred spotlight story with art by Rafael Albuquerque.

• American Way: Those Above and Below

• Aquaman by Peter David Book One

As we were hoping when DC solicited the long-awaited collection of Peter David's Atlantis Chronicles, here comes a collection series of David's Aquaman run. Whether you agree the hook-handed look was a good one for Aquaman or not, it was certainly recognizable, and David's tenure ran almost 50 issues. This first collection is supposed to collect David's Time and Tide miniseries and issues #1-10, but the Zero Month zero issue following Zero Hour ought also be in there too. With appearances by Superboy, Lobo, and Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, this continues DC's recent spate of 1990s-era collections.

• Aquaman: The Legend of Aquaman

Though I tend to think of Peter David's Time and Tide as the post-Crisis origin of Aquaman a la Longbow Hunters and Road Home, it's probably actually Robert Loren Fleming and Keith Giffen's Aquaman special and five-issue miniseries, with art by Curt Swan. I'll say this for the various Justice League movies, we sure are getting a lot of collections of long-lost material.

• Batgirl & the Birds of Prey Vol. 3 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #14-18, including appearances by Catwoman and Poison Ivy.

• Batgirl Vol. 3: Summer of Lies (Rebirth)

The third Rebirth volume by Hope Larson collects issues #12-17 and includes an appearance by Catwoman.

• Batgirl: Stephanie Brown Vol. 2

The second volume of the new "omnibus" collections of Bryan Q. Miller's Stephanie Brown Batgirl series collects stories from the Flood and Lesson trades, issue #13-24, including a Supergirl, Squire, and Klarion guest appearances and the superlative final issue. Newly included now is the Bruce Wayne: The Long Road Home: Batgirl special.

• Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77

The six issue miniseries by Marc Andreyko and Jeff Parker.

• Batman & Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Vol. 2

• Batman & the Signal

More details on the new Duke Thomas comic by Scott Snyder and Tony Frank. The solicitation reads:

THE SIGNAL, Batman’s trainee and Gotham’s daytime protector, is back with his own three issue miniseries!

Only one teenage hero is prepared for the challenge of safeguarding Gotham in broad daylight—THE SIGNAL. Duke Thomas juggles a new high school and teenage romance as he adjusts to his role as Gotham’s daytime protector and battles new villains. Could a daytime Gotham be even more corrupt than its nighttime counterpart?

• Batman and Harley Quinn

Looks to be the collection of the prequel and sequel digital-first comics surrounding the new Batman and Harley Quinn animated movie.

• Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 2

A second full-color collection of Mike W. Barr's Batman and the Outsiders series from the 1980s, with art by both Jim Aparo and Alan Davis. The next collection should be able to get through issue #32, after which the book became Adventures of the Outsiders.

• Batman Arkham: Hugo Strange

Hugo Strange is a Batman villain used so rarely, and sometimes so inconsistently, that I'm always riveted when he's on the scene. Certainly Gotham has done the character a good turn lately, as did Rebirth. I'll be curious to see what's collected here; there's some Gotham Knights material to mine, I think.

• Batman by Neal Adams Book One

I'm pretty sure most of what's collected here has been collected before, but I'm not sure if this is in some way spotlighting something different for Neal Adams or if it's a new edition of an already-published book. Collects Batman #219, Detective Comics #395, 397, 400, 402, 405, and 407, The Brave and the Bold #79-86, and World's Finest Comics #175-176.

• Batman Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3 - Knightsend

Goes to show that if you wait long enough, you might just get everything you want. This third Knightfall Omnibus finally delivers as complete a Knightfall story as we could desire -- not only is DC finally collecting all the missing pieces from "Knightquest," but this one's got not just "Knightsend," but also the "Knightsend: Aftermath" stories, "Prodigal," and at long last the debut of Batman's new costume in "Troika," truly finishing out the "Knightfall" era, plus Nightwing: Alfred's Return and Vengeance of Bane #2. This book does skip over the Zero Hour tie-in stories, though those were just collected in, you guessed it, Batman: Zero Hour.

The contents should be Batman #509-510 and #512-515, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29-30 and #32-35, Detective Comics #676-677 and #679-682, Robin #8-9 and #11-14, Catwoman #12-13, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62-63, Showcase ’94 #10, Nightwing: Alfred’s Return #1, and Batman: Vegeance of Bane #2.

• Batman Noir: The Dark Knight Strikes Again

Admittedly it's been a long time since I read Dark Knight Strikes Again, I didn't really get it the first time, and it basically put me off the whole Dark Knight saga. I have a sense that's probably true for most people. I wonder how this might read differently without the bold, sometimes purposefully-absurd coloring.

• Batman Vol. 5 (Rebirth)

Collects Tom King's Batman #33-37 and Batman Annual #2, at least part of which is the "A Dream of Me" storyline.

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 5 (Rebirth)

The fifth volume of James Tynion's Detective Comics collects issues #963-968, the two-part "Longer Chains" Spoiler story, plus "A Lonely Place of Living" that takes place concurrent to Superman's "Oz Effect."

• Batman: Detective Comics: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2

Collects the third and fourth paperback collections, issues #950-962.

• Batman: Ghosts

Essentially a Sam Kieth spotlight book, this collects both Kieth's Batman Confidential #40-43 and also Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious #1-2.

• Batman: Gothic (New Edition)

A new collection of Grant Morrison and Klaus Janson's Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10.

• Batman: Legacy Vol. 2

After delaying their collection of the "Legacy" crossover for a while, DC has delivered well with a Vol. 1 trade that collects a lot of prelude and interstitial material (basically, along with the recent Contagion trade, collecting all Batman material published in this era) and a Vol. 2 that not only collects the rest of "Legacy," but also the related titles Batman: Bane of the Demon #1-4 and Batman: Bane. The issue Catwoman #36 is either missing from these solicitations or was included in Vol. 1 and I just didn't notice it, but I'm sure DC will get that worked out, and in all I am very, very pleased. It was worth the wait, because these are the definitive Legacy collections.

• Batman: New Gotham Vol. 2

It would seem then that the Batman: New Gotham collections are just going to collect Greg Rucka's Detective Comics (not that there's anything wrong with that), as this includes issues #755-765. That jumps over issue #754, not included in the last volume -- the individual part of Officer Down -- and continues with Rucka's work from there. It runs right up into Batman: Murderer/Fugitive, after which Rucka left the title (until his Batwoman work), so I'd bet that's probably it for this collection series.

• Batman: Super Powers

There's not likely much to see here; this reprints Batman Confidential #50-54, a title that seemingly existed mostly to release sub-continuity stories for the trade, but that never much made a very big splash. The selling point is that the story is by Arrow's Marc Guggenheim, but I don't think I'll be picking this up very quickly.

• Batman: Tales of the the Man-Bat

This collects Chuck Dixon and Flint Henry's Showcase '94 #11 and Man-Bat miniseries, and then Bruce Jones's unrelated Man-Bat miniseries from about ten years later that involved the Gotham Knights-era Hush.

• Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 1

We've seen this one pop up a couple times, apparently collecting Detective Comics #575-578, Mike W. Barr's Year Two story, plus the sequel prestige format story Batman: Full Circle. That means no new material collected here, though the hope is that this becomes a collection series of the 1980s immediately-post-Crisis Batman stories.

• Batman: The Golden Age Vol. 4

• Black Lightning Vol. 2

In time for the new CW television series, this second collection of Tony Isabella's Black Lightning moves from the 1970s series to the 1990s series, collecting issues #1-13. I picked up a lot of this at the time, actually, in part because the Superman Triangle Titles' Gangbuster Jose Delgado was a supporting cast member.

• Bug! The Adventures of Forager

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.

• Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye Vol. 2

Collects issues #7-12.

• Challengers of the Unknown by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale Deluxe Edition

A deluxe-size collection of the eight-issue miniseries.

• Cyborg Vol. 3 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #12-18, including the "Singularity" storyline and an appearance by Beast Boy. Such a lovely thing if John Semper can resurrect the Cyborg/Beast Boy friendship amidst the new/old continuity.

• Dark Days: The Road to Metal

Collects Dark Days: The Forge #1, Dark Days: The Casting #1, and the prelude tie-in stories from Nightwing #17 and part of Detective Comics #950. Lands at the end of May 2018 in paperback. I'm pretty excited to start cracking Metal open, and I've still got plenty of events to read before that!

• Dastardly & Muttley

Collects issues #1-6 by Garth Ennis.

• DC Comics: Bombshells Vol. 6

Collects issues #25 and #30-33

• DC Comics: The Art of Darwyn Cooke

No word on the contents yet but we know it's going to be gorgeous.

• DC Meets Looney Tunes

For those who didn't pick up Batman/Elmer Fudd the first time around, the DC Meets Looney Tunes collection is due out in February 2018. Collects Batman/Elmer Fudd, Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam, Legion of Superheroes/Bugs Bunny, Lobo/Road Runner, Martian Manhunter/Marvin the Martian, and Wonder Woman/Tasmanian Devil, plus the more animated Superman/Bug Bunny #1-4 from 2000 by Mark Evanier and Joe Staton.

• DC Super Hero Girls: Date with Disaster!

• DC Universe by Brian K. Vaughan

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.

• DC Universe by Neil Gaiman

• Deathstroke The Terminator Vol. 4

Though not given a title, this collection can't be called anything but "World Tour," since it collects Marv Wolfman's issues #27-34 "World Tour" storyline, plus the Bloodlines Annual #2. This gritty 1990s series was Slade Wilson at his best, and an eight-part story sounds like something to really sink ones teeth into. This title becomes Deathstroke, the Hunted with issue #41-47, so conceivably if the next volume went a little large then it could collect all of "Hunted," and then it might be just one or so volumes after that until the title ends with issue #60, except there's a couple Titans and etc. crossovers here and there that we'll have to see how DC collects.

• Deathstroke Vol. 4 (Rebirth)

Christopher Priest's fourth volume collects issues #21-26, so immediately following the "Lazarus Contract" crossover with Titans and Teen Titans (the third Rebirth Deathstroke collection stops at issue #18, putting the "Lazarus" issues only in the Lazarus Contract book proper if a deluxe Rebirth Deathstroke hardcover doesn't come around.

• Doom Patrol Book Four

Continues the collection of Rachel Pollack's Vertigo run with issues #64-74, Doom Patrol Annual #2, and Vertigo Jam #2. Pollack's run ends with issue #87 so it should be just one more volume to finish this up.

• Doom Patrol Vol. 2

We know some issues of Gerard Way's Young Animal Doom Patrol had been delayed, but this collects issues #7-12, scheduled to come out by April 2018.

• Elseworlds: Superman Vol. 1

This one keeps popping up in the catalogs every season or so. Will someday collect Superman: Speeding Bullet, Kamandi: At Earth’s End #1-6, Superman: Kal, Superman: At Earth’s End, Superman/Batman: Doom Link, and Superman/Wonder Woman: Whom Gods Destroy #1-4

• Flash by Mark Waid Book Four

Solicitations have issues #80-94, which is the contents of Book Three. I'm still thinking something like #95-107, which will collect "Terminal Velocity" and go right up to the "Dead Heat" crossover with Impulse.

• Flash Vol. 5 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #28-32 and #34, skipping the DC Metal tie-in issue #33.

• Flash: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2 (Rebirth)

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

• Flash: The Silver Age Vol. 3

• Flashpoint Unwrapped

• Future Quest Presents Vol. 1

Collects issues #1-7 of Jeff Parker and Ariel Olivetti's new Future Quest series.

• Global Frequency: The Deluxe Edition

All twelve issues of the series by Warren Ellis with art by Lee Bermejo, Glenn Fabry, Steve Dillon, David Lloyd, and Gene Ha.

• Green Arrow Vol. 5: Rise of Star City (Rebirth)

Collects issues #21-25, the "Rise of Star City" and "Broken Arrow" stories. The next Green Arrow collection arrives in November and then this one is out in May; it's still a while till we get to the "Hard Traveling Hero" story currently playing out.

• Green Lantern Corps: Beware Their Power Vol. 1

This new collections series appears to collect Steve Englehart and Joe Staton's post-Crisis Green Lantern Corps series, starting with the Legends tie-in issue #207 through #215 and the Annuals #2-3. It's kind of funny to start with #207 and not #201, when this series changed from Green Lantern to Corps, but issues #201-206 are in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 3, and issues #172 to #200 are in the Sector 2814 trades. So I applaud DC for not making us double-dip even though the collection series name has changed, as has been their custom previously, and I'm eager to see this one play out. The series ends with issue #224, so one more collection should do it (and that one ought include a Millennium tie-in).

• Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 1

Here's the solicitation as listed:

Hal Jordan yearns for the thrill of discovery, but the days when astronaut and adventure were synonymous are long past. His gig prospecting asteroids for Ferris Galactic is less than fulfilling -- but least he's not on Earth, where technology and culture have stagnated. He might be a nobody, but he's in space.

When Jordan finds a powerful ring, he also finds a destiny to live up to. There are worlds beyond his own, unlike anything he ever imagined. But revelation comes with a price: the Green Lantern Corps has fallen, long since murdered by ruthless killing machines known as Manhunters. The odds against reinstating the Corps are nearly impossible ... but doing the impossible is exactly what an astronaut like Hal Jordan was trained to do.

From creator Gabriel Hardman, the critically acclaimed author of INVISIBLE REPUBLIC, comes a soaring new epic original graphic novel in the tradition of the best-selling WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE VOL. 1 by Grant Morrison and BATMAN: EARTH ONE VOL. 1 by Geoff Johns! GREEN LANTERN: EARTH ONE VOL. 1 is a radical look at the Lantern mythology and a great entry point for new readers.

• Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Vol. 2

Another "re-cut" collection; I only kind of know what that means, but I like it! It's Ron Marz's Green Lantern #61-69, Annual #4, New Titans #124-125, Darkstars #34, and Damage #16. That's an encounter with Parallax, an Underworld Unleashed tie-in, a "Year One" annual, and astoundingly, the entire "Siege of Zi Charam" crossover from New Titans with Marv Wolfman, Michael Jan Friedman, and Tom Joyner, which I recall being a well-written space opera that I never thought I'd see collected, so this is pretty cool.

• Green Lantern: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2

• Green Lantern: The Silver Age Vol. 3

• Green Lanterns Vol. 5 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #22-27. Issues #22-25 are the "Lost in Space" storyline, and issues #26-27 are the first parts of the ongoing "Out of Time" story. That doesn't end until issue #31, so maybe they're splitting it between two volumes.

• Harley Quinn & the Gotham City Sirens Omnibus

Collects all twenty-six issues of Gotham City Sirens plus the Blackest Night tie-in Catwoman #83 that led into a Sirens storyline. It didn't seem like DC was getting a lot of traction releasing these as individual trades, but given Harley's popularity especially, I agree a done-in-one omnibus seems the way to go.

• Harley Quinn Vol. 5 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #27-32.

• Hawk & Dove: The Silver Age

Collects Showcase #75, Hawk and Dove #1-6, and Teen Titans #21 from the 1960s, with work by Steve Skeates, Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano.

• Hawkman by Geoff Johns Book Two

Finishes the paperback collections of Geoff Johns's Hawkman run, with issues #15-25 and the "Black Reign" issues of JSA, #56-58.

• Hawkworld Book One: The Byth Saga

Again, no lack of good stuff on this list, as DC finally starts collecting John Ostrander and Tim Truman's 1990s Hawkworld series. As troubled as Hawkman's continuity has become, Thanagarian police officer Katar Hol looks better all the time. Ostrander and Truman's take is gritty and sharp, and I'm excited for this collection and also for it to continue into some later issues where Katar and Shayera interact with more of the DC Universe.

• Hellblazer Vol. 3 (Rebirth)

Issues #13-18 sees John Constantine framed for murder -- unless he's the murderer himself!

• House of Secrets Book One (Vertigo)

Though the promotional art looks like the classic House of Secrets series, this should be issues #1-5, #7, and #11-16 of the Steven Seagle series. Previously only issues #1-5 were collected in paperback and then the entire twenty-five issue series and some extra were collected as an omnibus, so this looks like a paperback breakdown of the omnibus.

• House of Secrets: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1

• Injustice 2 Vol. 1

• Injustice 2 Vol. 2

The first volume collects issues #1-6 and the second #7-13 of the Tom Taylor series.

• Jack Kirby 100

Collects all the "Jack Kirby 100" one-shots; the collection is due out in February 2018.

• Jack of Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book Two

• JLA: Year One (New Edition)

We just saw a new deluxe edition of this excellent story by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson, and if that's not the right format for you, here it is again in paperback. Dig that snazzy new Kitson cover.

• Joker: An Adult Coloring Book

• JSA: The Golden Age (New Edition)

• Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 2

I tend to find Bronze Age material more readable than Golden and Silver Age, so this piques my interest. Collects Justice League of America #114-146 and DC Super-Stars #10, including team-ups with the Marvel Family, the Freedom Fighters, and the Justice Society.

• Justice League of America Vol. 3: Panic in the Microverse (Rebirth)

You've got to love a book called "Panic in the Microverse." Steve Orlando's Rebirth JLA gets small in the third collection, issues #12-17.

• Justice League of America: Power and Glory

Liked this a whole lot more than I thought I would when I recently read it; paperback almost a year after the hardcover is a long time, though. The solicited contents, issues #1-3, #5-12, and Annual #1, are way wrong -- this is issues #1-4 and #6-10.

• Justice League Task Force Vol. 1

I have truly now seen everything. This should collect JLTF issues #1-12 with material by such notable writers as David Michelinie, Chuck Dixon, Michael Jan Friedman, Dennis O'Neil, Peter David, and Jeph Loeb. These wonderfully oddball stories of a Justice League of rotating members led by the Martian Manhunter includes appearances by Nightwing and the "Bloodlines" New Bloods, a tie in to Batman: Knightquest, and an all-female Justice League -- including J'onn J'onzz! With issue #13-14, JLTF was part of the "Judgment Day" crossover that should be collected in the next Wonder Woman and the Justice League collection, and after that this becomes more of a "farm team" Justice League title, though notably with the Ray on the team, and written by Mark Waid and Christopher Priest.

• Justice League Vol. 5: Legacy (Rebirth)

Collects issues #26-31; as stated before, possibly this could be Bryan Hitch's final volume of the series. DC is really pushing the Justice League movie in these solicitations.

• Justice League: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2 (Rebirth)

The second deluxe hardcover collection of Bryan Hitch's Justice League includes issues #12-25, the third and fourth paperbacks. Hitch, if you hadn't heard, is leaving Justice League, though he's still on the book through issue #31 at least.

• Justice Society of America: The Complete Series by Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck

Really glad to see DC giving this one another try after previous iterations of this collection didn't make it to press. This time it's Len Strazewski's Golden Age-set 1991 eight-issue miniseries, plus Strazewski and Mike Parobeck's 1992 series that lasted ten issues.

• Kamandi by Jack Kirby Omnibus

Collects all 40 issues of Jack Kirby's Kamandi run now in one omnibus instead of two.

• Kamandi Challenge

Collecting the twelve-issue serial story.

• Legends of Tomorrow: The Atom

Interestingly, whereas Legends of Tomorrow was a recent DC anthology series -- named, of course, to coincide with the CW television series -- this appears to be an actual Legends of Tomorrow-themed tie-in collection, with a variety of Atom stories from through the years. Showcase #34 is Ray Palmer's first appearance; Secret Origins #29 is his post-Crisis origin; Atom Special #1 is one of a couple 1990s stories by Tom Peyer (too bad not also the second special); Giant-Size Atom continues Jeff Lemire's story from Adventure Comics (so you'd think those backups would be here too), and then there's the Justice League of America: The Atom: Rebirth special, which is of course about Ryan Coi and not Ray Palmer. I wonder if we'll see more of these, Black Canary or Vixen or Firestorm-themed.

• Legionnaires Book Two

Said to collect Legionnaires #69-76, but given how these stories interconnect with Legion of Super-Heroes, I'd be surprised if there were not a requisite number of those in here too.

• Mister Miracle Vol. 1

Collects the highly anticipated miniseries by Tom King and Mitch Gerards. I'd like to see this collected in one volume -- Omega Men worked well that way -- so the Vol. 1 appellation concerns me. Here's the solicitation:

From the team behind THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON and the Hugo Award-winning writer of Vision comes a unique new take on one of Jack Kirby’s most-beloved New Gods in MISTER MIRACLE VOL. 1!

From the team behind THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON and the Hugo Award-winning writer of Vision comes a unique new take on one of Jack Kirby’s most-beloved New Gods in MISTER MIRACLE VOL. 1!

Scott Free is the greatest escape artist that ever lived. So great, he escaped Granny Goodness’ gruesome orphanage and the dangers of Apokolips to travel across galaxies and set up a new life on Earth with his wife, Big Barda. Using the stage alter ego of Mister Miracle, he has made quite a career for himself showing off his acrobatic escape techniques. He even caught the attention of the Justice League, who has counted him among its ranks.

You might say Scott Free has everything—so why isn’t it enough? Mister Miracle has mastered every illusion, achieved every stunt, pulled off every trick—except one. He has never escaped death. Is it even possible? Our hero is going to have to kill himself if he wants to find out.

• Mother Panic Vol. 2

Collects issues #7-12 before, as I understand it, the first round of Young Animal titles take a creak.

• New Teen Titans Vol. 2 Omnibus New Edition

Still hard to say whether these new editions of the New Teen Titans omnibuses are mapping to the originals or not. The solicited contents for this are a little short of the original omnibus, omitting a Tale of the New Teen Titans Annual and issues #42-44. Because that's right in the middle of "Judas Contact," I don't think they'd leave those out; the only possibility, we can hope, is DC might collect this second volume differently so as to make the third omnibus an actual sequential book instead of a writer/artist spotlight volume.

• New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Deluxe Edition

A deluxe-size collection of "Judas Contract," though the contents hew to the most barebones of "Judas" collections, Titans issues #39-44 and the Annual #3. Still nice to see the book in this format and retaining popularity after all this time.

• Nightwing Vol. 5: Raptor's Revenge (Rebirth)

Collects issues #30-34 of the Rebirth series.

• Nightwing Vol. 7: Shrike

This seventh volume of Chuck Dixon's Nightwing is still within what's been previously collected, though it does collect the previously-uncollected Nightwing: Our Worlds at War and Nightwing: The Target books. Dixon wrote NIghtwing through issue #70 (and then again from issue #101-106), but this volume, collecting issues #54-60, does finish out what's been previously collected for this series. Eager for the next one!

• Nightwing: The New Order

The six-issue miniseries by Kyle Higgins. Trevor McCarthy's art wasn't always my favorite on Batwoman but it grew on me, and I think he and Higgins are just right for this. The solicitation curiously describes this as a "'Elseworlds'-style tale."

• Nightwing: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #16-29 of the Rebirth series, the third and fourth paperbacks. Issue #29 is a Metal tie-in.

• Planetary Book Two

Collects issues #15-27, Planetary/JLA, and Planetary/Batman. These have been collected plenty of times before but if you haven't seen it, DC's got a nice new "Wildstorm Classic" trade dress for their newest Wildstorm collections.

• Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 3 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #12-17 of the Scott Lobdell series.

• Robin: Year One Deluxe Edition

• Scalped Book Two

• Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 3

• Shade, the Changing Girl Vol. 2

Collects issues #7-14 of the Young Animal series.

• Sheriff of Babylon: The Deluxe Edition

• Sleeper Book One

• Suicide Squad Vol. 5 (Rebirth)

Collects issues #21-25 of the Rob Wiliams Rebirth series.

• Suicide Squad: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2 (Rebirth)

Collects the third and fourth paperbacks in hardcover.

• Super Sons Vol. 2 (Rebirth)

Issues #6-11, including appearances by the Teen Titans.

• Supergirl Vol. 3 (Rebirth)

The third collection of Steve Orlando's Supergirl includes issues #12-14, with appearances by the Legion of Super-Heroes' Emerald Empress and New Super-Man Kong Kenan.

• Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2

• Superman Reborn (Rebirth)

A paperback collection of the Superman-titles crossover, Action Comics #973-976 and Superman #18-19.

• Superman Vol. 5: Imperious Lex (Rebirth)

No contents on the fifth Rebirth Superman volume, but it ought start with issue #27 and the "Imperious Lex" storyline goes through at least issue #33.

• Superman: Action Comics Vol. 5: (Rebirth)

Collects issues #993-999. As we discussed, Action Comics #1,000 is getting close ...

• Superman: Action Comics: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2 (Rebirth)

The second deluxe hardcover collection of the Rebirth Action Comics includes issues #967-984, so including the "Superman Reborn" crossover issues that were omitted from the paperback.

• Superman: Exile Omnibus

I was sorry to see the Superman: Man of Tomorrow collection cancelled some months ago, which seemed to collect the post-John Byrne proto-"Triangle Titles" stories on the way to "Death of Superman" and beyond. We see now thankfully a new hardcover collection, dubbed Superman: Exile Omnibus, though the contents are still uncertain. This is supposed to be Superman #23-27, Adventures of Superman #445-459, Action Comics #643-646, and Action Comics Annual #2; that's the "Exile" story and then some for Adventures and Action, but Superman should be through about issue #36 or #37 to keep up with the rest. (Man of Tomorrow had Superman through #27, like this, Adventures through #450, and no Action).

This book would end kind of in the middle of things, so maybe we can hope that DC is ditching the Man of Tomorrow Book One, Book Two, etc. for a series of individual, sequential volumes, like the next one might be Superman: Day of the Krypton Man Omnibus or Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite.

• Superman: President Luthor (New Edition)

For some reason DC thinks a collection of stories about businessman Lex Luthor becoming president might be of interest right now. A previous collection of these stories came out in 2003 (part of a nice series of collections of the Jeph Loeb et al run); the solicitations for this new edition seem to omit some of that book's issues, which I hope is just an oversight, but the better thing is that this collection includes James D. Hudnall and Eduardo Barreto's prestige format one-shot Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography, which I still think is one of the greatest post-Crisis Lex Luthor stories ever told.

• Superman: The Coming of the Supermen

• Superman: The Golden Age Vol. 4

• Superman: The Many Worlds of Krypton

Collects Superman #233, #236, #238, #240, #248, #257 & #266, Superman Family #182, World of Krypton (1979) #1-3, and World of Krypton (1987) #1-4. Paul Kupperberg writes and Howard Chaykin draws the earlier miniseries; John Byrne and Mike Mignola did the latter.

• Superman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2

Collects issues #14-25 and Annual #1, the third and fourth paperbacks, including "Multiversity" and parts of Superman Reborn.

• Superwoman Vol. 3 (Rebirth)

Issues #13-18. The solicitation calls this "the finale of one of the most unique tales in DC history," so it's possible the K. Perkins story ends with issue #18.

• Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan Vol. 2

• Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Book Two

Issues #13-20 and sundry, through the fourth original paperback, The Future is Now. These Geoff Johns paperbacks should go into the mid-forties of the title.

• Titans Vol. 3 (Rebirth)

The third of Dan Abnett's Rebirth Titans collections includes issues #13-16, which means both issues #11 and #12 are omitted between the second and third volumes. That's interesting because only issue #11 is a "Lazarus Contract" tie-in, while issue #12 is an aftermath issue. It's not listed for the Lazarus Contract collection either, so possibly there's an adjustment coming to one solicitation or the other.

• Titans: Total Chaos

I have been excited about this before and I'll believe it when I see it. "Total Chaos" is not quite as good a story as "Titans Hunt" that preceded it, though I grant "Total Chaos" has the crossover cache -- really what we need are collections of "Titans Hunt" and "Total Chaos," though I won't turn away any Team Titans material. By Marv Wolfman and Tom Grummett among others, this is from about twenty issues when the adult Titans were at their absolute best. A whole bunch of Team Titans #1 were released with the same main story but different back-up stories -- talk about a sales trick! -- and this collection darn well better reprint all of those.

• Vertigo by Ed Brubaker

This is an interesting concept -- just stories published by Vertigo by a specific creator. Collects Brubaker's Vertigo Visions: Prez, a story from Winter's Edge #2, Gangland #3, and then the Dead Boy Detectives four-issue miniseries.

• Wild Storm Vol. 2

Issues #7-12 of the new Warren Ellis series

• WildC.A.T.S. Book One

Collects WildC.A.T.S. #0-7 and Cyberforce #1-3, a "re-cut" series that ought mean it follows the team into appearances in other titles.

• Wonder Woman by George Perez Vol. 3

The next paperback collection of the George Perez series collects issues #25-35,

• Wonder Woman Vol. 5: Heart of the Amazon (Rebirth)

The fifth Rebirth volume by Shea Fontana and Mirka Andolfo.

• Wonder Woman: Forgotten Legends

Another uprooting of popular post-Crisis on Infinite Earths mythos, this collects the Legend of Wonder Woman miniseries by Kurt Busiek and Trina Robbins that bridged the gap between the end of Crisis and George Perez's seminal run. Robbins here also became the first woman to draw Wonder Woman for publication. Also Busiek's Wonder Woman #318, another by Robbins from Wonder Woman Annual #2, and Wonder Woman Gallery.

• Young Justice Book Two

Collects issues #8-18 of Peter David's Young Justice series (at last!), plus the Secret Files and the 80-Page Giant. Among other things there's a crossover with David's Supergirl series here (the Supergirl issue doesn't seem to be collected, but I don't recall it being all that essential to the story; also those issues should be along in the fourth Supergirl by Peter David collection). There's also a "Day of Judgment" tie-in issue here; the next collection should also include the Sins of Youth event issues.

• Zero Hour/Armageddon 2001: The Deluxe Edition

It is not an Armageddon 2001 omnibus of the two original issues, Alien Agenda, Inferno, and all the annuals. I originally, no kidding, felt a little sad about that. Thinking about it for a while, however, putting Armageddon 2001 in front of Zero Hour in one reading sitting is actually pretty cool; one does get to follow both Waverider and Monarch/Extant through quite a few adventures. So Armageddon 2001 #1-2, Showcase '94 #8-9, and Zero Hour #4-0; I kind of think this needs Justice League Europe Annual #2 or a good text page between the parts of Armageddon 2001, but still, all of this in deluxe size? Not too, too shabby.

Another season finally rolled out. What do you see here? Is a deluxe Zero Hour for you?