DC Trade Solicitations for November 2018 - Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Vol. 2, Batman: Prodigal, Flash War, Animal Man 30th Anniversary, Batman Vol. 8: Cold Days, Harley vs. Apokolips, Snyder's New Challengers

Among DC Comics' November 2018 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations, I find myself most excited about a bunch of regular-series books, which is a good thing. Special reprints are great -- including this month's second volume of the Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion -- but when I'm excited for the next volume of so many of the current ongoing series, that's when you know DC is on the right path.

Included in those I'm most eager for this month are Flash Vol. 8: Flash War (which seems to be taking so long to get here!), Batman Vol. 8: Cold Days and Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 8: On the Outside (each in their own way representing a new beginning for their respective titles), Aquaman Vol. 6: Kingslayer and Mera, Queen of Atlantis (and the crossovers with Suicide Squad and Justice League to follow!), and the final volume of the original Rebirth team on Batgirl and the last collection of Trinity.

Of course, in addition to the Crisis book, we can't overlook a new collection of Batman: Prodigal (important mainly because next up is Troika!) and the well-deserved first hardcover volume of Grant Morrison's Animal Man.

Dig in to the rest of the list with me, won't you?

• Absolute Scarlet Vol. 1 HC

Collects issues #1-10 by Brian Michael Bendis in hardcover, Absolute-size, with slipcase.

• Animal Man by Grant Morrison Book One 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition HC

It's been over ten years now since I last read Grant Morrison's Animal Man issues -- time sure flies. This is said to collect Animal Man #1-13 and the Secret Origins #39 story. It's interesting that this breaks in the middle of the second Animal Man trade, "Origin of the Species"; that's an OK split point if I recall correctly (and halfway through Morrison's initial run), but I'm surprised this didn't break by trade. Anyway, clearly a part of DC's canon and long overdue for hardcover.

• Aquaman Vol. 6: Kingslayer TP

Dan Abnett's issues #34-40 and Annual #2. Have I mentioned how thrilled I am that Abnett's Aquaman is going to get to cross-over with Justice League before Abnett's run ends? Well deserved. I was thinking the other day about my favorite Rebirth runs and this was an easy one.

• Batgirl Vol. 4: Strange Loop TP

Resolicited, this is now issues Hope Larson's #18-24 and the relevant stories from issue #25 before Marguerite Bennett takes over. I liked the first volume of this run, wasn't so hot on the second, then liked the third, but I'm probably ready to see a new creative team.

• Batman and Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2 HC

World’s Finest Comics #117-158.

• Batman Beyond Vol. 4: Target: Batman TP

Issues #20-25 of the Dan Jurgens series.

• Batman Vol. 8: Cold Days TP

Issues #51-57 by Tom King (formerly #51-56), taking place after the last volume's big events. I saw King call #53 "the big one" the other day and I almost went and read it, but I'm going to try to wait for the trade for this one and avoid spoilers. Only three months to go ...

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 8: On the Outside TP

Issues #982-987 (formerly #982-986) by Bryan Hill, leading we now know into a forthcoming "Outsiders" series.

• Batman: Europa TP

The four-part miniseries by Matteo Casali, Brian Azzarello, Jim Lee, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Diego Latorre, and Gerard Parel. Might at this point have been right for Black Label ...?

• Batman: Prodigal TP

Still more from the Knightfall Omnibuses, we get Batman #512-514, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #32-34, Robin #11-13, and Detective Comics #679-681, the classic "Prodigal" story. Delightfully, this will be followed in February by a "Troika" collection with that story plus Vengeance of Bane #2 and Nightwing: Alfred's Return.

• Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book Three HC

Said to collect Batman #33-44 (formerly #33-43) and Annual #2, the Batman Vol. 5: Rules of Engagement and Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar paperbacks. Taken together this is a fun "engagement" volume, especially in ignorance of what comes next, though the solicitations are still referring to the "Mattie" story that was different when it was published.

• Batman/The Shadow: The Murder Geniuses TP

Paperback, following the hardcover, of the six-issue miniseries by Scott Snyder, Steve Orlando, and Riley Rossmo, plus a story from Batman Annual #1. I've been thinking of reading this; does anyone know how DC's Batman/Shadow series compared to Dynamite's Shadow/Batman series? Better, worse, connected?

• Cave Carson Has an Interstellar Eye TP

Collects issues #1-6 by Jon Rivera and Michael Avon Oeming.

• Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 HC

This might seem like the last of a two-volume series, collecting as it does the much-later-published Legends of the DCU: Crisis on Infinite Earths special. But Bob Greenberger is apparently consulting on this and he's said it's three volumes, so we'll see. Irrespective, we need to pre-order the heck out of this if only to encourage DC to release other such crossover tie-in "companion" books after it.

• The Curse of Brimstone Vol. 1: Inferno TP

By Justin Jordan with art by Philip Tan. Collects issues #1-6 of the "New Age of Heroes" series.

• DC Meets Hanna-Barbera Vol. 2 TP

Collects Flash/Speed Buggy, Super Sons/Dynomutt, Black Lightning/Hong Kong Phooey, and Aquaman/Jabberjaw.

• Death and Return of Superman Omnibus HC New Edition

A new edition of the omnibus (last released in 2013). Previously I thought this mapped to the recent five-volume "Death of Superman" paperback set, excluding the books in Superman: Doomsday but including the various "Funeral for a Friend" specials and the "Bloodlines" annuals from that time. This month's solicitation no longer mentions the annuals, but I'd be surprised because otherwise it's not clear how this differs from previous printings of this book.

• Doom Patrol Vol. 2: Nada TP

Collects issues #7-12. At least according to this month's solicitations, Doom Patrol is still ongoing.

• The Flash Vol. 8: Flash War TP

Joshua Williamson's Flash War story, about which I'm very excited. Previously this was solicited as issues #44-48, but it's now #46-51 and a story from the Annual #1, which makes more sense.

• Goldfish TP New Edition

By Brian Michael Bendis.

• Green Arrow: War of the Clans (DC Essential Edition) TP

Quite a fine run, this is the New 52 Green Arrow #17-34, #23.1, the "Futures End" issue, and a story from Secret Origins #4. It is exactly the Green Arrow by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino hardcover, but in paperback.

• Harley Loves Joker by Paul Dini HC

Paul Dini's backup stories from issues #17-25 of the Rebirth Harley Quinn, plus the two-issue series.

• Harley Quinn Vol. 1: Harley vs. Apokolips TP

I'm excited to see that Sam Humphries' run will tie the Harley Quinn title closer to the DC Universe and I hope DC is serious about that -- not just putting Harley in familiar DCU places, but actually dealing with DC continuity (like, last time I checked, Granny Goodness is imprisoned on a newly democratic Apokolips). That'd mitigate at least somewhat this darn renumbering of the collections when the series itself isn't renumbering ...

• The Hellblazer Vol. 4: The Good Old Days TP

Issues #18-24 by Tim Seeley, the final collection of the latest John Constantine series. With John in Legends of Tomorrow, no doubt he'll be headlining again somewhere soon. Interested to see Seeley write Huntress with Constantine.

• Injustice Vol. 3 TP
• Injustice Vol. 4 HC

Paperback and hardcover collections of Injustice 2, with issues #13, #15-17, and the Annual #1, and #18-24 respectively. I love reading the solicitations for these books for how nutty they are -- Nightwing teamed with Black Adam to free an imprisoned Wonder Woman, the Teen Titans stuck in the Phantom Zone. What?!

• Jinx TP New Edition

Graphic novel by Bendis.

• Justice League: The World's Greatest Superheroes by Alex Ross and Paul Dini TP New Edition

A new paperback collection of Paul Dini and Alex Ross's Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, Shazam!: Power of Hope, Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth, JLA: Secret Origins, and JLA: Liberty and Justice. We also seem to be getting hardcovers of these, even the Shazam one in these same solicitations.

• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Jubilee Edition HC

Don't know what "Jubilee Edition" means but this is a hardcover omnibus of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen II and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier, including apparently a 3D section.

• Mera, Queen of Atlantis TP

Collects the six-issue miniseries by Dan Abnett and Lan Medina. Even more excited for this now that I see how it fits following Aquaman Vol. 5: The Crown Comes Down.

• New Challengers TP

Issues #1-6 by Scott Snyder and Andy Kubert et al. We now know this series-turned-miniseries only went six issues.

• Nightwing Vol. 1: The Bleeding Edge TP

Not thrilled that with issue #48, Nightwing restarts its collection numbering. At the same time, Benjamin Percy did a great job on Green Arrow, so I'm enthusiastic about this run (wouldn't have minded if some of the Green Arrow artists came with him!). Collects issues #44-48 and Annual #1.

• Powers Book Two TP New Edition

Issues #21-37 and Annual #1 of the Bendis series.

• The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country 30th Anniversary Edition TP

Issues #17-20, with a new introduction by Paul Dini.

• Scalped Book Four TP

Issues #35-49.

• Scarlet Book Two TP

Issues #6-10 by Bendis.

• Shazam!: Power of Hope HC

Deluxe-size hardcover version of Paul Dini and Alex Ross's illustrated prose story, also collected in paperback with some of their other books in these same solicitations.

• Superman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book Three HC

Collects issues #27-36, which is the Superman Vol. 5: Hopes and Fears paperback and part of the Superman Vol. 6: Imperius Lex paperback.

Previously this was supposed to also include issues #39-41, which is a one-off by writers Patrick Gleason and Peter Tomasi and then a two-parter by James Robinson -- so it's fine if they bump that to another book, and with issues #42-45 and the Superman Special, that's a little short for a deluxe hardcover but not too bad. It remains to be seen if the next hardcover also includes issues #38-39, the Super Sons of Tomorrow tie-ins; original plans didn't have those included, but usually the Rebirth deluxe hardcovers have gone completely sequential, crossover tie-in issues or not, so I hope they do the same here.

• Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder Deluxe Edition HC

This was a four-parter from the Infinite Crisis era. I reviewed this as a pleasant all-ages tale miniseries by Judd Winick and Joshua Middleton; I still really wish they'd also included Action Comics #826, Adventures of Superman #639, and Superman #216, a sequel to this by Winick and Ian Churchill.

• Trinity Vol. 4: The Search For Steve Trevor TP

The final volume of Trinity, straight to paperback, collecting issues #17-22. This is James Robinson writing the Big Three teamed up with the Warlord characters -- I really, really, really hope Robinson preserves the Warlord continuity of Convergence.

• Wildstorm: Michael Cray Vol. 2 TP

The second collection by Detective Comics and "Outsiders" writer Bryan Hill, collecting issues #7-12.

• Wonder Woman Vol. 7: Amazons Attacked TP

James Robinson's second volume, collecting issues #38-45. Knowing as we do now that this run and Steve Orlando's to follow are both "temporary" ahead of G. Willow Wilson, I'm eager to relax into this one despite some rumblings I've heard about it. With Superman recently on Apokolips and Harley Quinn to go there, I'm curious about the Darkseid developments here and how they tie into the larger DCU.

• Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Vol. 2 TP

In paperback, Sensation Comics #15-24, Wonder Woman #4-7, and Comics Cavalcade #2-5.

What will you be reading this month?