DC Trade Solicitations for March 2019 - Zero Hour Omnibus, Batgirl of Burnside and Batman Eternal Omnibuses, Catwoman by Jones, Justice League: Drowned Earth, Justice League by Priest Deluxe, Action Comics by Bendis

With the new year, a little late on my coverage of DC Comics' March 2019 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations, but here it is! If you're an omnibus lover, isn't this the month for you, because we've got a Batgirl of Burnside Omnibus, Batman Eternal Omnibus, and the Zero Hour 25th Anniversary Omnibus, none of which I remember hearing about before. I'll get to the contents of the Zero Hour Omnibus later in this post, but it looks comprehensive to me and there's a bunch of rarely collected series in there.

For me the Zero Hour Omnibus is the headline, but other notable books include a deluxe edition of Christopher Priest's Justice League and also we get a third volume of Mike W. Barr's Batman and the Outsiders. In terms of "regular series" trades, there's the Justice League: Drowned Earth collection, the first "New Justice" Teen Titans, and Brian Michael Bendis' Action Comics and the tie-in Supergirl volume by Marc Andreyko. So what seems to me a good month with both solid books and surprises.

For the first time in 2019, let's take a look ...

• Adventures of the Super Sons Vol. 1: Action Detective TP

Issues #1-6 of the twelve-issue Adventures of the Super Sons miniseries, which is never how I like miniseries collected. This is paperback; I'll hold out for the guaranteed hardcover. DC is collecting Marv Wolfman's second Raven miniseries the same way, though that one I don't expect to come out in hardcover. (Though, DC might do well to collect both the first and second miniseries, maybe with some other Raven material, in a deluxe book. But I digress.)

• All-Star Superman (DC Modern Classic) HC

Hardcover with slipcase.

• Batgirl of Burnside Omnibus HC

Collects issues #35-52 of the Brenden Fletcher/Cameron Stewart run with art by Babs Tarr and others, plus the Batgirl: Endgame special and the Annual #3 (guest-starring then Dick "Grayson" Grayson and others).

• Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 3 HC

Collects Batman and the Outsiders #24-32, Batman and the Outsiders Annual #2, and DC Comics Presents #83. Previously also listed was excerpts from Who’s Who #12-15. This is Mike W. Barr's final collection of this title before it becomes Adventures of the Outsiders.

Aside, having Looker on the Black Lightning TV show last year was inspired. Grace Choi is around too, of course, and now seemingly with powers, plus Dr. Jace. I am all for Rex Mason being one of the Green Light kids and that show going full-on Outsiders within a couple of years.

• Batman Eternal Omnibus HC

This was a giant Batman weekly. In the final tally I liked it a lot, but it was huge, and especially reading it three trades (the amount of material, consider that fills seven or eight trades regularly) made it feel unending. Omnibus buyers will get their money's worth.

Contextually, the book follows Forever Evil and ends just before Batman: Endgame; with contributions by Scott Snyder, the series seems an oft-forgotten piece of Snyder's run (except now getting this new collection). The series closed also just before the New 52 became DC You, and there's lots of proto-DC You material here if you were a fan of that era -- lead-ins to a more grounded Catwoman, Gotham by Midnight, etc., as well as shades of co-writer James Tynion's later Rebirth Detective Comics.

One wonders if maybe a Batman and Robin Eternal omnibus might be next, maybe with "Robin War" issues included.

• Batman Noir: Gotham by Gaslight HC

Black and white pencils and inks of Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola's inaugural Elseworlds story, recently adapted as an animated movie.

• Batman: Death of the Family Saga (DC Essential Edition) TP

Originally listed at 300 pages, this is up to almost 400 pages now. Contents are the Batman issues #13-17, Batgirl #14-16, Nightwing #15-16, Batman and Robin #15-16, plus "pages from" Batgirl #13, Nightwing #14, Red Hood and the Outlaws #14-15, and Teen Titans #16, making this sound like a "re-cut" kind of edition (Titans and Red Hood particularly had a lot of series-specific scenes not related to the crossover). Ordinarily I'd prefer to have whole issues in a trade but this is a cute "definitive" way to re-collect the story.

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 9: Deface the Face TP

Issues #988-993 in paperback, by James Robinson. I don't remember Robinson's post-Infinite Crisis "One Year Later" Batman: Face the Face that clearly (I reviewed it some eleven years ago), so I might have to give it a re-read to see to what extent Robinson calls out to his earlier story in this one.

• Batman: Detective Comics: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book Four HC

The solicitation for this collection still says issues #974-982, which is the Vol. 6 Fall of the Batmen and Vol. 7 Batmen Eternal collections, the final issues by James Tynion, plus one guest issue by Mike Moreci (#982) before Bryan Hill's story. Issue #982 isn't in Detective Vol. 7, so I'm surprised to see it here (and a little skeptical that it will be).

• Catwoman Vol. 1: Copycats TP

Issues #1-6 of the new Joelle Jones series.

• Damage Vol. 2: Scorched Earth TP

The second collection of the Robert Venditti series, collecting issues #7-12.

• DC Poster Portfolio: Jim Lee TP

Some of these new Poster Portfolio books seem clearly right for collecting an artist's contribution to DC's recent bevy of variant covers (still waiting for the book of Joshua Middleton's Aquaman covers). For this, however, I wonder how far back DC will go, including Lee's Batman: Hush work or earlier, or just recent stuff.

• Elseworlds: Superman Vol. 2 TP

The contents of this one have changed considerably since it was advance solicited. Whereas this was originally said to include Superman/Wonder Woman: Whom Gods Destroy by Chris Claremont and Dusty Abell and Superman: The Dark Side by John Francis Moore and Kieron Dwyer, this is now Son of Superman (with Howard Chaykin and J.H. Williams), Superboy's Legion (Mark Farmer and Alan Davis), Supergirl: Wings (J.M. DeMatteis), and Superman: True Brit (John Cleese and Kim "Howard" Johnson).

• Final Crisis (DC Essential Edition) TP

In paperback, Final Crisis #1-7, DC Universe #0, Superman Beyond #1-2, and Batman #682-683.

• The Flash/Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold Deluxe Edition HC

Deluxe-size collection of the Mark Waid/Barry Kitson miniseries, with a new introduction and "never-before-published full-issue script."

• Fortune and Glory: A True Hollywood Comic Book Story TP

Collects Brian Michael Bendis's three-part comics autobiography. Introduction by Paul Dini.

• Injustice 2 Vol. 4 TP

Issues #18-24.

• Injustice 2 Vol. 5 HC

Issues #25-30. Tom Taylor's series ends with issue #36 so it would seem the next volume is the last.

• Injustice Vs. Masters of the Universe HC

The team-up you never knew you wanted until it happened. Issues #1-6 by Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams, in hardcover.

• Justice League by Christopher Priest Deluxe Edition HC

Collects the entirety of Christopher Priest's run on Justice League, issues #34-43.

• Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth HC

Said to collects Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth #1, Justice League #10-12, Aquaman #40-41, Titans #28, and Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned Earth #1, though the Aquaman issues should actually be #41-42 (issues #39-40 are part of a Suicide Squad crossover and issues #41-42 are "Drowned Earth" tie-ins).

Those four Aquaman issues mentioned above aren't enough to make their own trade (unless someone gets creative), so probably here is the only place we'll see Aquaman #40-41. Remains to be seen if the Titans issue will also be in one of that series' trades or just here.

• The Kamandi Challenge TP

Paperback edition of the hardcover released earlier this year.

• Kingdom Come TP

Black Label edition, with the "never-before-published original proposal."

• Plastic Man TP

Collects the six issue miniseries by Gail Simone and Adriana Melo.

• Powers Book Four TP

Previously said to be issues #23-30 and #1-11, the new solicitation says Powers (series 2) #1-18, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.

• The Sandman Vol. 7: Brief Lives 30th Anniversary TP New Edition

Issues #41-49 with a new cover by Dave McKean.

• Scarlet Vol. 1 TP

Issues #1-5 of the new Scarlet series by Bendis and Alex Maleev.

• Supergirl Vol. 1: The Killers of Krypton TP

Collects issues #21-26 by Marc Andreyko, spinning out of the new Brian Michael Bendis Superman run.

• Superman: Action Comics Vol. 1: Invisible Mafia HC

Issues #1,001-#1,006 by Brian Michael Bendis with Patrick Gleason and others. In hardcover.

• Superman: World Against Superman (DC Essential Edition) TP

"Essential" (paperback) edition. Previously this was solicited as issues #1-18, the entirety of Grant Morrison's 18-issue run on the New 52 Action Comics. This solicitation says issues #1-10, which doesn't seem right because it ends on a cliffhanger, unless DC plans a follow-up volume.

• Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen by Jack Kirby TP

Continuing the individual-series breakdowns of the Jack Kirby's Fourth World omnibuses, this is issues #133-139 and #141-148.

• Teen Titans Vol. 1: Full Throttle TP

The new team of Adam Glass and Bernard Chang; I'm dubious but I've been hearing good things. Collects the special and issues #20-24.

• Wonder Woman Vol. 8: Dark Gods TP

The next collection by James Robinson, issues ##46-50 and Annual #2 (the solicitation says Annual #3, but there hasn't been one). Steve Orlando comes on with the next book before G. Willow Wilson joins after that.

• Zero Hour 25th Anniversary Omnibus HC

At almost 1,000 pages, this is said to include Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #4-0, Steel #8, Outsiders #11, Detective Comics #678, Batman #511, Superman: Man of Steel #37, Superboy #8, Green Lantern #55, The Flash #94, Superman #93, The Flash #0, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31, Hawkman #13, Legionnaires #18, Valor #23, Adventures of Superman #516, L.E.G.I.O.N. ’94 #70, Green Arrow #90, Guy Gardner: Warrior #24, Team Titans #24, Legion of Super-Heroes #61, Action Comics #703, Justice League of America #92, Justice League Task Force #16, Justice League International #68, Robin #10, Anima #7, Catwoman #14, Damage #6, Darkstars #24, Green Lantern #0, and stories from Showcase '94 #8-10.

That is indeed the event itself and every Zero Hour tie-in from that period. Surely this is the first time an issue of Anima has been collected, and surely there’s some others in there for which it’s only the second or third time they’ve been collected -- Damage, Team Titans, Valor, etc.

I agree with the inclusions of Flash #0 and Green Lantern #0; Wally West disappears in Zero Hour and the zero issue offers a little resolution (not a lot but enough), whereas Green Lantern #0 takes place in the aftermath of the last issue. There’s maybe a couple others that could have been included -- Damage #0 or Green Arrow #0, though the latter doesn’t really mention Zero Hour’s events. The two that are included are probably enough.

I’m glad to see that what’s offered here doesn’t exclude what’s in the already-released Zero Hour tie-in paperbacks (including the upcoming Justice League: Zero Hour, which I’m very excited about). At this point, if you excluded the already-collected tie-in issues, you’d have about 14 issues, which is not much bigger than some of the existing Zero Hour tie-in collections; maybe DC can finish their paperbacks with just one more “Zero Hour Companion” book.

So ... Zero Hour Omnibus: too heavy or just what you always wanted?