So, Heroes in Crisis has come to pass, and I'm sure in the next few months we'll learn more about what comes next (which, in the custom of comics, may largely define how we come to see the book itself) and then, come September, I'll go back through and try to make sense of it all. I'm stymied, and pondering, which in some respects I believe was not the intention, but then again maybe that's better than a book you immediately understand and don't further think about at all.
(Also Doomsday Clock #10 was great.)
What would otherwise be a big deal this month is the first new Young Justice collection from Brian Michael Bendis in hardcover. We're only just beginning to see the shape of what Bendis has in store for the DC Universe between Young Justice and Event Leviathan, and I'm excited for more. There's the start of Peter Tomasi's run on Detective Comics, Tom King's Batman Vol. 10: Knightmares, the next Batman: The Caped Crusader book (odd, since its companion series seems to have been cancelled), and also the unexpected Justice League of America: The Wedding of the Atom and Jean Loring, a stand-in it seems for the cancelled Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 3.
Let's dive in ...
• Absolute DC: The New Frontier 15th Anniversary Edition HC
New Absolute edition of the Darwyn Cooke miniseries includes the Justice League: The New Frontier Special and "Triangulation," the King Faraday story by Cooke from Solo #5.
• Batman Vol. 10: Knightmares TP
Issues #61-63 and #66-69 of the Tom King run, omitting the Joshua Williamson-penned crossover with Flash, "The Price of Justice" (see the Heroes in Crisis companion book solicited in this list. At time of this writing, we still await official word of just how many Batman issues King has left.
• The Batman Who Laughs HC
Hardcover collection of the seven-issue miniseries by Scott Snyder, Jock, and Eduardo Risso, plus the Batman Who Laughs: Grim Knight special.
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 1: Mythology HC
The new run by Peter Tomasi and Doug Mahnke; I think an original solicitation said paperback, but now it's hardcover. This is just issues #994-999; previously this was said to have Tomasi's story from Detective Comics #1000, but it's not listed for the contents now.
• Batman: Hush New Edition TP
In time for the animated movie, another collection of Hush by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee.
• Batman: The Caped Crusader Vol. 3 TP
This is a bit of a head-scratcher, though I'm hoping it indicates good news, that Batman: The Caped Crusader Vol. 3 is still being solicited, even after Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 3 was apparently cancelled. We've seen the cancelled Justice League of America: The Bronze Age resolicited with a new title, for instance, so my hope, at least, is DC's just taking a little time to regroup on these and not cancelling them outright.
What we've got here is Batman #445-454, including "Penguin Affair" (crossover with Detective Comics #615, also collected here), which was the first appearance of Harold; plus NKVDemon and the Joker (first appearance since "Death in the Family") and Peter Milligan and Kieron Dwyer's "Dark Knight, Dark City" (which factored into both Grant Morrison's run and also Dark Nights: Metal). Also Batman Annual #14, a truly great Two-Face origin by Andrew Helfer and Chris Sprouse.
• Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition HC New Edition
Deluxe edition of Alan Moore's Killing Joke, with additional work by Brian Bolland from Batman: Black and White #4 and Countdown #31.
• Batwoman: Elegy New Edition TP
A new collection of the "Elegy" and "Go" stories, Detective Comics #854-857 and #858-860 respectively, early stories of Batwoman Kate Kane, by Greg Rucka and J. H. Williams. Glad to see all of this reprint material in time for the new CW series.
• Booster Gold: The Big Fall HC
This is a surprise, one I don't recall seeing in the advance solicitations, and one for which I might wonder "why now," except that it's due out the same day as the Heroes in Crisis hardcover. Not that Heroes in Crisis is an especially positive showing for Booster, and frankly I think DC overestimates interest in Booster such that I do wonder whether this is actually going to make it to print.
That said, Dan Jurgen's original tales of Booster Gold are wonderful. As I wrote in my review of Showcase Presents: Booster Gold (the 25-issue black-and-white collection, whereas this new hardcover is color), "Jurgens intricately structures the twenty-five issues of Booster Gold, long before the prevalence of trade paperbacks, into two distinct twelve-issue 'seasons' that are themselves split into six-issue arcs, and Booster's growth is clear through each of them," such that this collection of issues #1-12 is a great start. A little more from that review to whet your appetite:
"I've been reading about the Booster Gold character for almost twenty years, but I'd never read these initial issues that encompass Booster's first appearances. I can say they'll probably have me looking at Booster a little differently, and looking at the Showcase Presents format with new respect, too. Showcase Presents: Booster Gold is a deceptively deep collection of twenty-five issues worth of material, enough to really feel you're inhabiting the characters; I give this a high recommendation."
Like I said, I'm unsure this book will make it out, but I hope it does.
• Crisis on Infinite Earths 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition HC
A "new anniversary edition" of the 12-issue minseries.
• Deathstroke: Arkham TP
Issues #36-40; this concludes just before the "Terminus Agenda" crossover with Teen Titans. Given that Batman vs. Deathstroke was set in the past (though very good), it'll be nice to get back to the forward action of Christopher Priest's series.
• Final Crisis Omnibus New Edition HC
A "new edition" of the omnibus previously released in 2018. I don't see any changes to the contents (like, say, including the Infinity, Inc. issues); this is Batman #676-683 and #701-702, Birds of Prey #118, DC Universe #0, DC Universe: The Last Will and Testament #1, Final Crisis #1-7, Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #1-5, Final Crisis: Requiem #1, Final Crisis: Resist #1, Final Crisis: Revelations #1-5, Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge #1-3, Final Crisis Secret Files, Final Crisis: Submit #1, Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1-2, Flash #240-241, Teen Titans #59-60, and Terror Titans #1-6
• The Flash Vol. 10: Force Quest TP
Issues #58-63 by Joshua Williamson. This ends just before the new "Coldest Case" crossover with Batman.
• Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Book Two TP
Green Lantern #4-20 by Geoff Johns, parts of the No Fear, Revenge of the Green Lanterns, and Wanted – Hal Jordan trades, ending just before the Sinestro Corps War crossover.
• Green Lantern: The Silver Age Vol. 4 TP
Green Lantern #36-48, including Hal Jordan meeting Alan Scott and fighting Black Hand and Star Sapphire.
• Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens Omnibus New Edition HC
A new edition of the Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens omnibus released in 2018, collecting Gotham City Sirens #1-26 and Catwoman #83, no doubt movie branded now.
• Heroes in Crisis HC
In hardcover, issues #1-9, due out September 25. At the writing of this, Heroes in Crisis #9 is due out on Wednesday. A strange series; the end seems to have come very suddenly and I'm interested to re-read this one to try to get more of the cadence of it, understand the rising and falling and inciting actions.
• Heroes in Crisis: The Price and Other Tales TP
In paperback, collecting Batman #64-65 and Flash #64-65, the "Price of Justice" crossover, plus Flash Annual #2 and Green Arrow #45 and #48-50. For comparison, it looks like Green Arrow Vol. 7: Citizen's Arrest, due out in July, collects Julie and Shawna Benson's Green Arrow #43-47 and the Annual #2 (so, including #45), but that Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing's issues #48-50 may only appear here. Flash Vol. 10: Force Quest collects Flash #58-63 and then #66-69.
This Heroes in Crisis companion book is out September 25, same as Heroes in Crisis proper.
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Two Deluxe Edition HC
Says issues #1-12 and Annual #1 of the Tom Taylor series; an earlier solicitation had it at #1-24. Includes "never before published behind-the-scenes material."
• The Joker: His Greatest Jokes TP
Anthology collection of Joker stories in time for the Joaquin Phoenix movie. Wait till they get a load of this. Said to be Batman #8, #67, #145, #260, #353, and #366; Detective Comics #388 and #833-834 (a Batman/Zatanna story by Paul Dini);Spectre #51 (the Spectre inside Joker's soul, by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake); and Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Harley Quinn vs. Joker.
• Justice League of America: The Wedding of The Atom and Jean Loring HC
Near as I can tell, this replaces the cancelled Justice League of America: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 3, said to collect issues #149-158 from the 1970s and Super-Team Family #13-14 (part of the Jean Loring story); the Bronze Age omnibus was #147-181 (no word on the discrepancy with issues #147-148, but I'd wager this month's solicitation is short).
I'm glad to see the Bronze Age collections not just going away, though things seem a bit disjointed right now; essentially the first two "storyline-based" Bronze Age Justice League collections are this, with issues #149-158, and Justice League of America: The Last Survivors of Earth! (solicited last month), which is issues #77-95 (filling in for the Justice League: The Bronze Age Vol. 1 paperback, a cutdown of the first omnibus) — so basically we're getting the beginning (of the beginning) and the (beginning of the) end (so far) without the middle.
• The Sandman: The Dream Hunters 30th Anniversary Edition TP Graphic Novel Edition
Graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novella with art by P. Craig Russell.
• The Sandman: The Dream Hunters 30th Anniversary Edition TP Prose Edition
The original prose version of Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman with art by Yoshitako Amano. Which one should I read? Both?
• Scooby-Doo's Greatest Adventures TP
Scooby-Doo #1, 10, 35, 68 and 72, Scooby-Doo Team-Up #2, 5 7, 8, 9, 12, 18, 37 and 40, and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #48, 51, 54, 71, 78, 79, 83, and 85, including appearances by the Super-Pets, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, and the Jetsons and the Flintstones.
• Stargirl by Geoff Johns TP
Ahead of the DC Universe TV series, and with photo covers, this collects the entirety of Geoff Johns' Stars and STRIPE series, #0-14, plus JSA: All-Stars #4. Previously this was also said to include related stories from DCU Heroes Secret Files and DCU Villains Secret Files.
• Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 New Edition HC
Action Comics #1-31, New York World's Fair #1, New York World's Fair 1940 and Superman #1-7, back in print.
• Superman/Batman: 80 Years Slipcase Set HC
Slipcase of the Action and Detective Comics "80 Years" hardcovers.
• Transmetropolitan Book Two TP
Issues #13-24 by Warren Ellis, plus Transmetropolitan: I Hate It Here.
• Watchmen TP New Edition
Trade paperback at $24.99
• Wonder Woman by Gail Simone Omnibus HC
Some excellent stories here, including Wonder Woman's truly brutal battle with enemy Genocide, plus a precursor to Gail Simone's Red Sonja stories as Diana teams with various swords and sorcery figures from DC history — plus Diana's relationship with Nemesis Tom Tresser. Collects Wonder Woman #14-44 (pre-Flashpoint), #600, Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman #1, and a story from the Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special. A well-deserved accolade by Simone.
• Young Justice Vol. 1: Gemworld HC
Never really thought I'd be holding an in-continuity Young Justice Vol.1 trade again. Issues #1-6 by Brian Michael Bendis, in hardcover.
Deaths, rebirths ... no, not Heroes in Crisis, it's the push and pull of DC's collections line. What's a must-buy for you?
What could differentiate Golden Age Superman as a "new edition" when there's already a couple printings of that book?
ReplyDeleteThe old ones are out of print, I believe. Maybe a new cover?
DeleteWonder what's different between Crisis on Infinite Earths 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition HC and the 30th edition. The new one seem so much cheaper that 30th was.
ReplyDeleteI echo your feelings, I think, about Heroes in Crisis. I think I understand the point they were trying to make, but have no idea how they picked that path to make it. Oh, well. I'm probably going to skip getting this in collected form, but I'll probably re-read the story this fall when you review to see if it sits differently with me.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to pull the trigger on the Crisis 35th OHC even though my tpb is perfectly fine - I've picked up the Infinite Crisis omni and have the Zero Hour one pre-ordered, so I'll need this for shelf cohesion (I need help!). I'm debating the Final Crisis omni (I have most of the material already), but will probably pull the trigger if/when we get Flashpoint and Metal omnis. If Snyder is, as it seems, building to a Crisis-level conclusion to his JL run, a Metal omni would be a great thing to have on the shelves by then, DC (hint, hint).
Very excited to see Gail's run in omni format. I'd have preferred thick tpbs (again, shelf cohesion - maybe I just need a Rucka omni instead?), but I haven't read the run before and want to get this.
The Batwoman collection is weird - this is the original contents they released the material in, then they did a recut that included the Cutter arc. Wonder why they're going back to this one . . .
Seems to me they ought do thick trades of the Simone run after the omnibus comes out, maybe in time for Wonder Woman 1984.
DeleteLoads of double dipping and reissues of recent releases here. I have a Crisis on Infinite Earths deluxe edition from 2016 in my hand, why another one?
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the Gail Simone Wonder Woman omnibus, though gazing at my WW shelf I wonder why some runs get an omnibus and some don’t.
DC’s collected editions department had a good couple years from Rebirth on after the mess that was the New 52 collections. But now they are starting then cancelling series left and right. And the cancellation of the pre Crisis omnibus line is very disappointing. Hopefully there’s not a backwards trend going on.
Looks like DC Meets Looney Tunes volume 2 and DC Meets Hanna-Barbera volume 3 both got cancelled :/
ReplyDeleteI have both versions of Sandman: The Dream Hunters and love the different artwork in each.
ReplyDeleteJustice League of America #s 147-148 are the annual two-part JLA/JSA crossover, with the Legion of Super-Heroes thrown in as well. I would not be surprised if the Wedding of the Atom HC does indeed leave them out and start with #149.
What I want is "Justice League of America by Steve Englehart", which would have #s 139 (second story) to 146, and 149-150. If it started with Cary Bates's Adam Strange two-parter in 138-9 and/or included the JLA/JSA/LSH story, that wouldn't be a deal breaker. ;-)
Switching topics, should I stop holding out hope that we'll ever see more collections of Peter David's Supergirl?
Never say never on Supergirl. The last Greg Rucka WW collection will come out a shade over 2 years after V2. I wouldn't say it's likely or anything, but it's probably too early to give up all hope
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Deleteugh the lack of news on more Peter David's Supergirl trades, along with Ron Marz Green Lantern and Chuck Dixon Robin trades, drives me insane. I wish they wouldn't discontinue runs in middle of collecting them.
I'm going to try and remain hopeful though. They finally released Ostrander's last Suicide Squads after a pretty large time gap.
Right; both Suicide Squad by Ostrander and Wonder Woman by Rucka are arguments for the never-say-never side. Major storylines, media appearances, etc. can always be catalysts for new releases, though of course we've seen collections series wither and die, too.
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