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?
I'm stoked DC is still collecting Robin and Ostrander's Suicide Squad but totally bummed that they have abandoned their Dixon/Simone Birds of Prey collections after only 3 volumes not even to the start of the Simone run.
ReplyDeleteYou have no evidence that they stopped Birds of Prey... stop idle speculation!
DeleteBob has accurately noted that it's been longer than average between those Birds of Prey trades such to assume there won't be more. We might also say my belief that the Ostrander Spectre trades are done is "idle speculation," but I think it's probably the case. I'm sure Bob would be thrilled to be proven wrong.
DeleteOops, not Bob, but you get my point.
DeleteHi!
DeleteBoP and Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) can both charitably be described as being on rather long hiatuses (hiatii?) when you take into consideration their absence from the 2018 Spring Catalog - we're talking 18 month breaks before the next feasible release (when there were previously 6 month gaps between releases). Unless there is a history of books coming out that weren't in the catalogs, I'd say they're more likely than not done, at least for awhile.
If DC did end up abandoning collecting the Dixon BoP run entirely I will be as disappointed as when DC stopped printing the Starman paperback omnibuses (which was a very disappointing time in my life).
DeleteGood news on Kamandi - it looks like it was cancelled and resolicited for $25 more. Amazon made good on my preorder with a $50+ credit, so I'm a happy last boy on earth.
ReplyDeleteTrinity solicits have been a little misleading, with Manapul alternating arcs with Cullen Bunn & Rob Williams. A little disappointing, since the book was marketed as Manapul's Justice League.
Sad news on the apparent John Byrne omissions - I believe "World of Krypton" is appearing in a trade meant to tie into the SyFy show, but I have long wished for Krypton/Smallville/Metropolis to appear in a single volume. At 432 pages, though, I wonder if those will still show up here. This long-time Byrne fan (Generations was a formative book for me) certainly hopes so!
World Of Krypton is also in the DC Universe by Mike Mignola collection too. But the other two "World Of..." mini-series can't seem to catch a break when it comes to being reprinted. IIRC, World Of Smallville is fairly stand-alone, but World Of Metropolis tied into the then-current events of the Superman titles. I was a little surprised it wasn't included in the Man Of Steel TPB's...
DeleteRe: Robin v5. I do get what DC is doing w/the various Nightwing, Robin, etc. trades, but the omission of the crossovers titles is a bit vexing. Nightwing v3 (I think) has the one random issue of Brotherhood of the Fist (crossover w/Green Arrow). 'Tec by Rucka v2 appears to be missing the crossover w/Superman about the Kryptonite ring. I understand that cuts have to be made somewhere, but I think I'd rather the crossovers be omitted entirely if they're just going to give us middle issues w/no recap pages or anything.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat related: Isn't it time for a XXX by Gail Simone collection? Any of Wonder Woman (3 volumes), BoP (5 volumes), or Secret Six (2 volumes) would not be uncalled for.
Her first Secret Six run got re-collected recently in four volumes.
DeleteI'm REALLY surprised her Wonder Woman run isn't getting a new treatment along with Ricks and Perez.
Simone's WW needs reprints. The original trades are pretty expensive now.
DeleteBirds of Prey by Gail Simone collections is a great idea, but see the aforementioned stalled Dixon BOP trade series; that must cause a little hesitation.
DeleteOn the crossover issue, it is vexing, because then on the other hand we have the solicit for the "recut" Kyle Rayner trades, that will have all the crossover parts. "Troika" is one thing, it's being collected elsewhere, but this "War of the Dragons" thing, and potentially leaving the Superman issue out of the Rucka trade, that's a shame.
According to Amazon and Edelweiss, Robin Vol. 5 is now titled Robin Vol. 5: War of the Dragons, and it will include Detective Comics #685-686, completing the crossover.
DeleteGlad to hear it. Indeed, more like the Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner trades.
DeleteWhile I usually get the trades to series such as Geoff Johns JSA vol 1, but for that series I think I'll just find the omnibus for it. I can't imagine how many tpb volumes will need to collect three omnibus'.
ReplyDeleteReally happy to see that the second JLA Bronze Age Omni is finally getting to Steve Englehart's issues. His Detective Comics stories from this era has been collected numerous times, but his JLA (139 - 146, 149, 150) has never been reprinted. (This is especially odd since the connection between Kirby's Manhunter and the GL Corpse was introduced here and Englehart's JLA "pre-origin" influenced New Frontier.)
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that this omnibus stops at 146. The Engelhart run has an overarching storyline culminating in 150. Including 147 -150, however, would add an additional 130 pages to the book. JLA 147 and 148 are a JLA/JSA/Legion story written by Paul Levitz and aren't connected to the surrounding issues. They are also reprinted in Crisis on Multiple Earths vol 4. I'm not a big fan of skipping issues, though.
BTW, the Amazon listing also includes DC Super Stars 10 featuring Super-heroes vs. Super-villians playing baseball.
I really, really hope we get a New Teen Titans Vol 9 TPB. And/or a fourth (and further) omnibus. Hoping they continue pushing the reprints past Perez' tenure on the title. Fans should be able to read almost the entire Wolfman run on Titans in my opinion. Marvel folks can do so with Claremont's X-Men (with just a few tiny gaps) and the two runs are somewhat comparable.
ReplyDeleteAt least till Total Chaos, in my humble opinion.
DeleteI'd be happy if they jumped ahead to Titans Hunt. Far superior to Total Chaos.
DeleteWell, sure. Total Chaos, I think, was the last time the classic Wolfman Nightwing-Titans was really good, so I'd at least like to see the New Teen Titans books collect up to that point. Titans Hunt was certainly better than Total Chaos, but Titans Hunt also came before it, so collecting through Total Chaos would de facto include Titans Hunt. Yes, I'd have a good day if they just announced a Titans Hunt collection, too.
Delete